All Categories - Edmonds Presbyterian Church

From the Desk of Pastor Rob

5/26/2022

Dear Church Family,

The Caller newsletter is taking a summer vacation in July and August, so I will give you a preview of upcoming services for June.

Saturday, June 4th at 2 pm. Celebration of life for Martha Orvis. I knew Martha in high school in Southern California. It was a great and unexpected joy to reconnect with her through Edmonds PC. The Hansen (Martha’s family) and Orvis families are delightful people and they welcome you to celebrate Martha’s amazing life. I will be officiating.

Sunday Worship, June 5th. It’s Pentecost! Wear Red! In my sermon, “Why Not?,” I explore Charismatic and Pentecostal expressions of Christianity and how they experience the Holy Spirit, including faith healing and tongues. I compare it to our emphasis on preaching and teaching the Word in Christ. Worship is a balance of heart and the mind, when we experience the movement of the Holy Spirit and we learn about the Bible.

Sunday Worship, June 12th. The sermon is titled “Creation 2.0.” The Creation story is continuous. People forget that when they think the earth and the natural world are disposable. The sense of conquering nature is deep in western Christianity. John 1 is an echo of the Genesis 1 creation story. The incarnation (God made flesh) came in creation, in Jesus, and the resurrection. And it continues today when we come to Jesus Christ and live in his name.

Sunday Worship, June 19th. “A Sound of Sheer Silence.” Elijah was afraid and he ran away. He saw a great wind, but God wasn’t in it. He felt an earthquake and a great fire, but God wasn’t in those either. Then there was a sound of sheer silence. And that is where God was. Things aren’t always what they seem. God is among us in quiet ways. There is hope in the midst of chaos.

Sunday Worship, June 26th. Dave Hackett will lead worship and deliver an inspiring message.

Finally, I want you to mark your calendars for July 10th at 3pm for my Ordination and Installation service. I would be absolutely delighted if you joined me for that event.

Grace and Peace to you all,
Pastor Rob

Men’s Fellowship

5/26/2022

Men’s Fellowship, Saturday Meetings are Back!

We planned to resume meeting again beginning in April, but the ongoing danger of COVID forced us to cancel. At the April 24th the Session meeting, it was decided we stay with the current “Mask Required Protocol”, until it is generally considered safe to meet without masks. What that means is we have the choice to meet with masks in the Fellowship Hall. We can remove them while eating, keeping our distance from each other. We can also meet out-of-doors, without masks.

Several of the men have said they wanted to resume our meetings with masks as soon as we can. Please join us Saturday June 18th, at a new time 9:00 – 10:00am. Jerry G will provide the Devotional and we will have something to munch on with our coffee. The meeting is open to all men of Edmonds Presbyterian and any men you know of outside our Congregation.

Please let Hawk know if you will be joining us.

Women’s Association News

5/26/2022

The May meeting of the Women’s Association was held at the Pancake Haus in downtown Edmonds. Five ladies attended and enjoyed having lunch together and having an opportunity to exchange news. We are all saddened by the sudden passing of Sid George and continue to pray for his friends and family. Now we learn that Martha Orvis has also passed away and her memorial service will be at our church on June 4.

Our next meeting will be our spring picnic on Wednesday, June 8 at the church. Lunch will be provided by the officers. At that time we will be collecting money for our missionary fund. If you are unable to attend, please send your contribution to Treasurer Kathy M at her home address. Kathy will then divide the funds collected and send them to the various charities we support.

This will be the last meeting until September, so we are wishing everyone a beautiful summer and hope to see you all in September when we will resume having meetings at the church.

Margaret S, Women’s Association Moderator

From the Desk of Pastor Rob

4/28/2022

Dear Fellow Travelers,

It’s Eastertide! Blooming flowers and warming temperatures accompany longer days. It is a good time to be alive! I finished seminary this month and I am getting ready for ordination. It is a very exciting time for Carol and me. Thank you so much for inviting us into the church family. It is truly a privilege to serve this wonderful congregation.

Our Bible Study using Toward the Kingdom of Heaven by Amy-Jill Levine has kicked off and now we are ready to dive into the Sermon on the Mount. It has been a real joy to study and pray with you. If you haven’t already, pick up a book at the church and join us! You can join us in-person on Sundays after worship and Tuesdays at 10 AM on Zoom.

As we emerge from COVID restrictions, we will begin doing more fellowship activities. Keep your eye out for announcements over the summer as we develop more opportunities for fellowshipping together.

We continue to offer an alternative worship option via email and YouTube. Please contact the office to get on the email list.

Here’s the plan for worship services in May. I will preach along with 3 guest preachers.
May 1, Heidi Greider will lead worship. Heidi preached last summer, and I am delighted that she will be preaching again. She is the Manager of Spiritual Care at Seattle Children’s Hospital. She brings us a wonderful spiritual perspective as a chaplain.
May 8, “The Lamb of Heaven.” Psalm 23 gives us an amazing picture of God’s character. I will do a deep dive into the text of Psalm 23 in Hebrew and English. Then I will compare it to the vision of heaven in Revelation 7.
May 15, “All Are Welcome!” Peter recounts the vision of seeing the sheet come down with all kinds of animals to eat. His eyes are opened to see that Jesus is for all humanity. I preach about how this is a vision for the peaceable kingdom of God.
May 22, Rev. Alan Beasley will lead worship again. He will bring a soulful and uplifting message to us.
May 29, Worship will be led by someone new to us, Sao Uamoto. He graduated from Seattle Pacific University seminary several years ago. He has served in several ministry positions in Presbyterian and Episcopalian churches and is a chaplain at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. I am excited to have Sao lead worship!

As Pentecost approaches on June 5, prepare your hearts and mind for coming of the Holy Spirit.
With the Peace of our God,
Pastor Rob

Women’s Association News

4/28/2022

Six members of the Women’s Association met in the Friendship hall at the Edmonds Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, April 13. After prayer, the meeting started with coffee and reading of correspondence from our mission partners. A letter from Jan Griffith stated that she is mostly recovered from her episode of chronic fatigue, and is mostly back to work. She now has a new sponsor and mailing address for contributions. Her letter is posted in the Friendship Hall.

Letters from several other mission recipients were read and discussed, then pizza and salad was served along with delicious cookies furnished by Jean G. Our next meeting will be lunch at the Pancake Haus in Edmonds at 12 noon on Wednesday, May 11. Please bring your offering for the Least Coin Collection.

Our June meeting will be our spring picnic at the church on June 8 at which time we will collect our contributions to the mission fund. All women and their guests are invited to attend.

Margaret S, Women’s Association Moderator

Missions News

4/28/2022

On March 2, the One Great Hour of Sharing campaign began. This is one of the Special Offerings sponsored by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in support of ministries of compassion, justice, hunger, education, peacemaking, and global witness. Funds raised during the season of Lent are sent to Presbyterian Mission Agency where they are divided with 36% to Presbyterian Hunger Program, 32% to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and 32% to Self-Development of People.

In 2020 the Disaster Assistance granted $6.5 million as more than 500 grants in the United States and 56 countries. Of that, $3.5 million was for COVID-19 response. Find an interactive world map with OGHS recipients may be seen at pcusa.org/oghsmap. Also, to find out more about the ongoing work of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, go to presbyterianmission.org/pda.

A BIG Thank You to all who contributed either cans of soup or cash to Souperbowl Sunday. On Monday, 24 cans of soup, 3 bags of nonperishable food, and $14 cash was delivered to the Neighbors in Need Food Bank.

Margaret S, Mission Elder

Education and Outreach News

4/28/2022

Our Bible Study based on the book “Wholehearted Faith” by Rachael Held Evans and led by Pastor Rob Christ was completed the week of April 3.

Now a new Bible Study is scheduled to begin on Sunday, April 24 following church service, with a repeat class on Tuesday mornings at 10 AM. Books for the Bible Study are “Toward the Kingdom of Heaven” by Amy-Jill Levine and are on the table by the church entry. This is a collection of 40 readings based on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5-7 and designed to tie the old and new testaments together and help us understand how the Jewish faith influences and enhances our Christian Beliefs. These classes will have rotating leaders with Pastor Rob taking part as he can.

Easter Sunday gave us the privilege and opportunity for our church choir to sing and our guest musicians including Nicole E to perform during the service. Following the service we had coffee and refreshments provided by Kathy M and Gina Z. We are indeed blessed to have them share their presence and talents.

Margaret S, Education and Outreach Elder

From the Desk of Pastor Rob

3/31/2022

Dear Fellow Travelers,
Wow, it’s Spring and Holy Week is just about here! I am so happy that we get to do some of the things we love to do in person again. We will do Easter baskets on April 9. We will have a Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services in partnership with Calvin Presbyterian on April 14 & 15. And then the big event, Easter on April 17! The choir will bring us the joy of Easter.

In other joyful news, I was called by the congregation on March 20 to be ordained as your installed pastor! Stay tuned for information about the installation service sometime this summer. I could not be more thrilled and grateful for your trust in me and your support as I begin my ministry with you!

Our Bible Study using Wholehearted Faith by Rachel Held Evans continues for two more weeks. It has been a great experience learning a new way to have faith and to learn what it means to be a Presbyterian. Don’t worry if you have miss a few. Just pick up a book at the church and join us! You can join us in-person on Sundays after worship and Tuesdays at 10 AM on Zoom.

We continue to offer an alternative worship option via email and YouTube. Please contact the office to get on the email list. Here’s the plan for worship services in April. I will be preaching for the whole month.

April 3, “There Is Something About Mary.” The story Martha and Mary is so rich with meaning. Along with their brother Lazarus they were personal friends of Jesus and they played a pivotal role in Jesus’s preparation to enter Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

April 10, Palm Sunday, “Of the Same Mind.” Palm Sunday is at once joyful and harrowing. Jesus knew the danger of entering Jerusalem, but he emptied himself and became an example for us all.

April 14 & 15, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday in coordination with Calvin Presbyterian Church, 18826 3rd Ave. NW, Shoreline. Both services will be at 7 PM. Maundy Thursday at Edmonds, and Good Friday at Calvin. Please try to attend both, as you are able, to show support for our brothers and sisters at Calvin.

April 17, Easter, “Can You See the Real Me?” No one recognized the real Jesus on the road to Emmaus until he broke bread. Just like the song from The Who, it is a cry for identity. What will the church become? How will the real Jesus be revealed in us?

April 24, “We Must Obey God.” Peter just can’t help himself when he is told by the High Priest to stop preaching the good news. He is bursting with the Holy Spirit when he exclaims “we must obey God!”

As the temperatures warm and the sunlight returns, prepare your hearts and mind for renewal.

With the Peace of our God,
Pastor Rob

WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION NEWS

3/31/2022

The Women’s Association for March was held as a lunch meeting at the Pancake Haus in Edmonds on Wednesday, March 9. For the first time in 2 years we are again making Easter Baskets for the Neighbors In Need food bank. This year we have enough baskets and filling material except we need candy to put in the baskets. Ruth R, mission chairman, requests small individually wrapped candies that can fit into a small plastic Easter egg. The candies can be the size of Hershey’s kisses. Otherwise we also have candy donated by Ruth from coupons she has saved. We plan to put the baskets together on Saturday, April 9. All who would like to help with this project are invited to come to the church at 10 AM and meet in the Friendship Hall. Hope to see you there.

Margaret S, Elder

Holy Week Schedule

3/31/2022

Maundy Thursday, April 14th, 7PM
On Maundy Thursday, we remember Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples and his commandment to love one another.

Good Friday - April 15th, 7PM Calvin Presbyterian Church, 18826 3rd Ave. NW, Shoreline. On this sorrowful day of remembrance, we will gather to remember the events of that day in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified.

Easter Sunday - April 17th, 10AM
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Come join us as we joyfully celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The choir will enrich our worship with Easter music.