From the July 2011 edition of
The Announcer
From the Minister’s Desk
When I was a senior at seminary, I cut down on going to daily chapel (attendance was voluntary). One reason was I was short on sleep and went to my room for a nap. Another reason was that it seemed every time I went I ended up getting cheesed off during the service. What usually got me angry was the (in my opinion) over-emphasis on what is called “inclusive language,” particularly in reference to God. God was a He / She, Jesus was not the Son but a Child of God, and so on. Now I understand and have some respect and use for inclusive God-language, but at the time I was not so sympathetic and felt I was being clobbered over the head with it on a daily basis. In addition, I had no way of communicating my input -- although in hindsight there probably was. Not that anyone would listen, I would have thought; I was probably in the minority. So I just did not go so often. I’m not proud of that. But I understand when people can feel lost or disenfranchised in worship.I have been, too. On July 17th our service is going to have a social justice theme, exploring the Biblical concept of “Jubilee” (Leviticus 25). There are many passages in Scripture that exhort God’s people to “do justice” (Micah 6:8), to “speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out,judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:8, 9), and to “let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24). Some believers get excited about or resonate with those principles; others not so much. Some find themselves in between. The date was chosen to avoid conflict with the “Christmas in July” dinner and because someone in the following program could only make it then. Following that service, those who are interested are invited to come downstairs for refreshments and an introduction to the grassroots “Jubilee” campaign. It is a faith-based initiative seeking a fairer economy; there is an article elsewhere in the newsletter that provides more information about it. Members of the community who are not members of the church are also welcome to attend. It’s a time for learning and discussion.For St. Peter’s, overtly broaching such topics related to the Jubilee and social justice is pretty different, outside of the occasional sermon I offer. We’re not super-used to it. We can feel uncomfortable or estranged. Some may wonder why others at St. Peter’s are so interested in this; why do we hear about such things at church? Some could feel like I did about chapel. There may be a feeling that divergent views are unwelcome. I am writing to say that our church should be a safe place for dialogue, especially about issues related to the gospel where persons have divergent of feelings. A hallmark of a strong church is where folks of good faith can agree to disagree, and seek to walk together in harmony with mutual respect. And unlike my chapel experience, the topics related to a Jubilee campaign are not topics we talk about every Sunday! I hope folks will consider attending the July 17th service and program with inquisitive, open minds and a belief that as we say in the
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Welcome to St. Peter’s United Church of Christ this blessed July morning! On Independence Day weekend, we thank God for the freedom to worship and hear Scripture proclaimed openly. We also pray for persecuted Christians around the world.
Thanks to everyone who served in the ministries of the church this morning!
Today’s flowers were given by Judy Paige, for Ed’s birthday.
About Communion: We invite all believers, regardless of denominational background, to join in the Lord’s Supper. We do ask our St. Peter’s young ones to complete a Communicants Class first (6th grade). The servers will bring the elements to you in the pews. Please hold your bread until all are served; we will partake together at the Pastor’s prompting as a sign of Christian unity, likewise with the cup. The innermost circle of cups in the wine tray holds grape juice and the outer circle is wine.
On July 10th we will have our “Christmas in July” dinner starting at 5 PM. This will not be our usual Christmas dinner re-creation! See Barb Todd to make reservations. Suggested donations are $15.00 for persons 13 and over, and $5.00 for children. Instead of presents for the children and youth of Uhlich Childrens Advantage Network, the request from Uhlich is for gift cards. Some crafters will also be here for your purchasing pleasure; no raffles or raffle baskets this time!
On July 17th our service will have a “Jubilee” theme (the Jubilee year is told of in Leviticus 25: 10ff). For those interested, this will be followed downstairs by light refreshments, and a program and discussion about how people of faith can seek a more just economy. This information and discussion session is not limited to members and friends of the church, so feel free to invite others who you think might be interested. This ends at 12: 45 PM. See Beth Lanford if you would like more information.
The Softball team played the Heavy Hitters, and were hit hard, losing 14-1 in 6 innings. Our lone run came from a triple by Errol Mitchell, who was batted in by Christine Svenson. The next game is Wed., July 6th at 9:30 PM, Terminal Park. The softball game that was suspended and the game that was rained out have been scheduled. On July 13th, the suspended game in which we were winning 4-0 in the top of the first, will be resumed at 7:30 PM, Terminal Park; followed at 8:30 PM by our regularly scheduled game of the night at 8:30 PM. On July 20th, we will play the rain-out make–up game from June at 6:30 PM, Terminal Park.
Ron Schuhrke is a grandfather again! Daughter Lisa Martinek gave birth last Sunday to a son, Alexander. Congratulations!
Peggy Reins is on her second marathon bike ride, one of 200 miles on Lee and Ogle County Roads, Illinois. She is treating this as a pledging, fund-raising event for the church’s general fund. If you’d like to support her efforts and pledge her rides, see her when she’s back! At the end of all 3 rides this summer she will have pedaled 1,000 miles.
The scaffolding is up! This is for a needed, extensive repair job involving brick, roof and tuck pointing work. If you haven’t seen the sanctuary ceiling on the east side by the balcony, please look, and you’ll see why we have to act. The damage you see was caused by moisture getting in due to eroded tuck-pointing, bricks and roofing. This repair will cost in the tens of thousands (scaffolding is expensive) so we welcome any and all extra contributions.
We also have a brand new feature on our website which makes donating even easier! Go to http://www.stpeteruccskokie.org/saveoursteeple.html and hit the donate button! Then, just enter the information requested and voila’ you have contributed to the Save our Steeple fund! You can call the office or speak with Jenn Schneider if you have any questions or concerns!
GOOD NEWS KITCHEN / A JUST HARVEST - SATURDAY, JULY 30TH is our next time to serve at A Just Harvest (Good News) Community Kitchen! As always, we need folks to actually serve that evening, and cooks to donate batches of our main course. Cash donations to help us defray the cost of the rest of the meal are always very welcome, too. Please see Beth Lanford or Sue Bailey soon to tell them how you can help out this time! There is also a SIGN-UP sheet for both cooks and servers that is up in the Memorial Room so you can sign up if you do not catch Sue or Beth personally. This month we are again asking folks to prepare the Sloppy Joes mix. It is popular at the Kitchen because it has a lot of healthy ingredients and proteins for their guests. THANK YOU! You are free to use another recipe that you prefer, but we ask that it have the same amount of ground beef / make the same amount.
St. Peter’s 2011 Rummage Sale will begin sorting on Monday, July 18th at 7 PM. We will be sorting two evenings a week this year, always on Mondays, and then one other night depending on schedule. Folks are also encouraged to sort during the day whenever the office is open – please call to be sure Laura or Pastor are available to let you into the gym! And remember … WE NEED RUMMAGE! Our sale makes between $5000-7000 each year, and the better the rummage, the better the profits! The section sign-up poster is on the wall next to the gym. If you haven’t signed up for a department yet, please do so! Contact Jenn Schneider (jennschneider@comcast.net) if you have any questions.
Next Sunday’s sermon will be on marriage.
When I was a senior at seminary, I cut down on going to daily chapel (attendance was voluntary). One reason was I was short on sleep and went to my room for a nap. Another reason was that it seemed every time I went I ended up getting cheesed off during the service. What usually got me angry was the (in my opinion) over-emphasis on what is called “inclusive language,” particularly in reference to God. God was a He / She, Jesus was not the Son but a Child of God, and so on. Now I understand and have some respect and use for inclusive God-language, but at the time I was not so sympathetic and felt I was being clobbered over the head with it on a daily basis. In addition, I had no way of communicating my input -- although in hindsight there probably was. Not that anyone would listen, I would have thought; I was probably in the minority. So I just did not go so often. I’m not proud of that. But I understand when people can feel lost or disenfranchised in worship. I have been, too. On July 17th our service is going to have a social justice theme, exploring the Biblical concept of “Jubilee” (Leviticus 25). There are many passages in Scripture that exhort God’s people to “do justice” (Micah 6:8), to “speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:8, 9), and to “let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24). Some believers get excited about or resonate with those principles; others not so much. Some find themselves in between. The date was chosen to avoid conflict with the “Christmas in July” dinner and because someone in the following program could only make it then. Following that service, those who are interested are invited to come downstairs for refreshments and an introduction to the grassroots “Jubilee” campaign. It is a faith-based initiative seeking a fairer economy; there is an article elsewhere in the newsletter that provides more information about it. Members of the community who are not members of the church are also welcome to attend. It’s a time for learning and discussion. For St. Peter’s, overtly broaching such topics related to the Jubilee and social justice is pretty different, outside of the occasional sermon I offer. We’re not super-used to it. We can feel uncomfortable or estranged. Some may wonder why others at St. Peter’s are so interested in this; why do we hear about such things at church? Some could feel like I did about chapel. There may be a feeling that divergent views are unwelcome. I am writing to say that our church should be a safe place for dialogue, especially about issues related to the gospel where persons have divergent of feelings. A hallmark of a strong church is where folks of good faith can agree to disagree, and seek to walk together in harmony with mutual respect. And unlike my chapel experience, the topics related to a Jubilee campaign are not topics we talk about every Sunday! I hope folks will consider attending the July 17th service and program with inquisitive, open minds and a belief that as we say in the United Church of Christ, “Whoever you are or wherever you are in life’s journey, you’re welcome here.”
Keep the faith! Richard Lanford
