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Dear Fellow Travelers,
Holy Week is almost here. We are cooperating with our sister congregations Maplewood Presbyterian, Terrace View Presbyterian, and Calvin Presbyterian for services. Maundy Thursday service will be led by me and Rev. Janine Moriarty at Maplewood at 5PM on April 17th. Good Friday is at Calvin at 7PM on April 18th. All four pastors will lead this service. There will be a Sunrise Service at the Edmonds Waterfront at 6AM on April 20th. Bible Study is about C.S. Lewis’s “Reflections on the Psalms. Join us Sundays (11:30 AM in the Library and also on Zoom!) and Tuesdays (10 AM on Zoom). Log in information is on the back of this newsletter. If you haven’t already, pick up a copy of the book and the leader guides in the sanctuary or online. Games Night on the 2nd Saturday of each month continues. The next one is April 12th at 7 PM. Men’s Group is very active. They meet at 9 AM on Saturday Mornings. Women’s Association meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 11:30AM either at Pancake Haus or at the church. This is what I am planning for worship in April. Sunday, April 6th. In “Filled with Laughter and Shouts of Joy” I will speak about the touching scene in John 12 when Jesus is served by Martha and Mary. Mary wipes Jesus’s feet with an overwhelming amount of expensive ointment. She is invited into the space with the men, to show them what true devotion to Christ is. Sunday, April 13th. Palm Sunday is filled with so many contrasts. Joy and shouting. Fear and dread. Triumph and humility. Divinity and power politics. Jesus looks up at the walls of Jerusalem. In “Hitting the Wall” I describe the visceral dread of that moment and place, which shows Jesus’s incredible bravery and resolve. This inspires us to be brave and resolute as we face monumental challenges we encounter. Sunday, April 20th. “A New Creation” is about the Easter Story of resurrection against all odds. It was foretold and then it happened and we await the fruition of God’s promise of resurrection. Learn what resurrection really means in your life. Sunday, April 27th. Margaret Kulkin will lead worship and preach “Although Doors Were Shut” about the apostle Thomas who said he would not believe unless he saw and touched the risen Jesus. Questioning our beliefs is not bad. Deconstructing and rebuilding faith is a healthy and natural part in the life of a Christian. It is a joy to serve God with you! I look forward to worshiping with you in April! Grace and Peace, Pastor Rob EASTER BASKETS for CONCERN for NEIGHBORS FOOD BANK: We have received some very generous donations of candy and other needed items to fill the 200 Easter baskets requested for this year. The first 100 baskets will be filled on Sunday, April 6th after the worship service. Each basket has grass, a tissue paper base, a stuffed animal, a Scripture coloring book, and candy. The second 100 baskets will be filled on Saturday, April 12th, at 10 a.m. in the fellowship hall. The baskets will be delivered to the food bank on Monday, April 14th.
ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING: It is now the time of the year when we have a chance to share with people who are desperate for help. Natural and man-made disasters cause a lot of damage, leaving victims without homes and things necessary for every-day life. Some people are often hungry and need help to get supplies needed to provide for their families. Some people are victims of injustice, and need help to improve their situation. The “One great Hour of Sharing” offering provides some help for people with all of these problems. The Presbyterian Hunger Program receives 36% of the offering. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the Self Development of People each receive 32% of the offering. The offering will be given on Palm Sunday, April 13th. We will have readers for three weeks, sharing stories of how people have been helped by previous offerings. Eileen Otti will read on March 30th, Sue Scannell will read on April 6th, and Ruth Roberts will read on April 13th. People can put offerings in the collection plate through May 4th. Also, you can give on-line or by mail. After May 4th, the offering will be sent to the Presbyterian denomination so more people can receive help. EAGLE WINGS MINISTRIES: Eagle Wings disAbility Ministries builds relationships for adults with disAbilities, their families, and their caregivers. They provide various social, educational and devotional events throughout the year for their clients and caregivers. Eagle Wings will use our building on Saturday, April 5th for all-day activities. The mothers will have about 2 hours in the afternoon to look around or shop downtown or enjoy the waterfront. There will be various activities for the clients. We will provide a snack around 9 a.m. when guests arrive. Eagle Wings will provide lunch and dinner, but would like help with clean-up after dinner. They expect to be through by 7 p.m. MISSION RECIEPIENTS FOR APRIL: Renewal Ministries Northwest will receive the $130 tithe from the pre-school rent plus a $20 private donation to make a total amount of $150. Renewal Ministries provides workshops, retreats and worship services throughout the year to help people grow spiritually. Habitat for Humanity, Snohomish County, will receive the annual $100 donation. Habitat for Humanity provides housing for low-income people who could not afford a home otherwise. Each family works 500 hours on their home, and pays some of the cost of the house. Habitat for Humanity also does some repair work for people in need of assistance. On March 30, we start a study of Reflections on the Psalms, by C.S. Lewis that should take us through most of June. In this book, Lewis breaks out themes he sees in the Psalms, and addresses some of the common concerns that people have about the Psalms such as “What do we do with the cursing Psalms?” when the writer of the Psalm curses his enemy and wishes terrible things would happen to them; “Why does God want us to praise him?”; “Can we really relate to poetry written for a very agrarian culture?”; and “Is it appropriate to apply a New Testament understanding to Old Testament scripture?” Lewis can be challenging to understand as he is writing as a professor of English Literature at Oxford, but his insights and thoughts can help us look at the Psalms differently and find new meaning and understanding in familiar scriptures.
Adult Education classes are on Sundays (Except Easter) after worship at 11:30 am in person or by Zoom, or on Tuesdays at 10:00 by Zoom. Come join use and learn more about the Psalms and more about this very popular Christian author who makes it clear that he is not a theologian or a Biblical scholar. Eileen Otti, Elder in charge of Education and Outreach The March meeting was held at the Pancake Haus in downtown Edmonds with 6 women attending. Some of the topics discussed were the upcoming potluck lunch at the church on this coming Sunday, March 16, and the Easter Baskets we are making for the Neighbors-in-Need food bank. Some of us plan to attend the Quilt Show at the Monroe fairgrounds on Friday, March 14.
Our next meeting will be at the church on April 9 at 11:30 am. A speaker from Habitat for Humanity plans to come talk about their new plans for this year. Margaret Smith, Women’s Association Moderator |
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