June 2014 Crossroads

Deacon’s Corner
If you have any concerns or prayer requests during this time of transition, please feel free to call one of the deacons or the office. We are here to help you or find someone who is able to help.

Thank you to all who have been bringing George to church every Sunday. His birthday is coming up again on the 22nd of June. There will be cards and labels on the table in the front of the church so that you can send him a card.

The Food Pantry is in need of tea and coffee. They would also be grateful for personal hygiene items, such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo, individually wrapped bars of soap, razors, baby food and diapers.

Pentecost Offering
One of the very special offerings of Presbyterian Missions is to the annual Pentecost Offering. This offering is focused on youth-oriented activities. Here at Burlington Presbyterian, we have been blessed this year to experience one of those programs – the Young Adult Volunteers. Our YAV, Alex Haney, jumped right into church activities in the fall by working with the Community Supported Agriculture Program (Farmer Dave’s)and now in the Spring is continuing that plus adding teaching of classes for adults (Lazarus at the Gate) and for children (Manna Mondays). His enthusiasm and fresh perspective add a new dimension of service to our church life.
The Pentecost Offering also supports children at risk and various youth events which encourage discipleship engagement and youth worker formation. One of our youths, Angela Wantate, will be attending a week-long event this summer and we look forward to seeing what she will bring back to our congregation.
This year’s offering will be gathered on June 8th, the Day of Pentecost. We send 60 % of the funds to the Presbytery, but keep 40% to use for our own programs. Please give generously to support this vital part of our church mission.

Thank you,
Millie Wiegand & Sue Hadsell
Stewardship Committee
Christian Education

On June 15, we will be honoring our teachers and celebrating the end of our regular church school program. The Sunday School classes will participate in the Worship Service. Following worship there will be a cookout. Hot dogs and hamburgers and rolls will be provided but we are asking that others provide some side dishes such as potato salad, pasta salad, chips etc. See the sign-up sheet in Fellowship Hall.

Beginning June 22 our younger children will attend a Sunday activity called Summer Celebration. The Christian Education committee organizes this to educate and entertain these children, and to promote peaceful summer church services. With Summer Celebration in place, parents are free from the stress of keeping young ones quiet, and the rest of the congregation benefits as well.

We give our regular Sunday School teachers a summer vacation and ask that YOU (yes, YOU reading this right now if you don’t regularly teach!) sign up as a leader or assistant. You will receive a folder with a program module and a bag with resources for that module. There are 10 Sundays so we need ten leaders and ten assistants. Please help on more than one Sunday if you can!

See Marti Huff with the sign-up sheet, or call her to sign up or ask questions. (978)667-3892

YAV Report from Alex
Eating Together
This year has been full of experiences that show how important a shared meal is, and I share some with you here. Most of these thoughts are inspired from reading Eat with Joy by Rachel Marie Stone (InterVarsity Press, 2013). I’d recommend that for further reading. She is very good at connecting her experience with food with her faith in Christ. She talks all about her eating disorders, dieting, feasting, and fasting and references the Bible at least every 2 pages. It’s very good.

Stone says on page 67, “Our English word companion comes from the Latin for ‘with’ (com) and ‘bread’ (panis)—a companion is one with whom you eat your bread.”

Our companion Rod moved away, but two of my fondest memories were at a meal with him; one at his house, one when he met me at True North. How many of your stories with Rod involve a meal? How many of your stories with other people? I only have one with Rod that didn’t involve food in some form. Most of the stories we told about my friend Gus at his memorial service involved eating together in some way: Gus struggling to cook a bear arm in his college dorm, Gus getting Long John Silver’s every time he had a day off from camp, Gus falling down while salsa dancing in his socks at Tony’s house holding a slice of pizza, I could go on forever. He was a funny guy and taught me a lot, mainly about edible wild plants and how he understood God. I would guess many of your memories of family and friends both living and past involve food. We remember these times because we need food often, and when we share it we realize how much we need each other; how much we need God.

Eating together has a special healing power. After my cousin Sarah’s recent death, her husband Mark and my other cousins have identified making family dinner with her kids as a priority. We all know that’s important. Eating dinner with their dad every night can bring them closer in this tragic, sad time. In Eat with Joy by Rachel Marie Stone there is an entire chapter on the healing power of communal eating. For anorexia, family-based-treatment or the intentional act of eating family meals and making patients eat their food with others has had success rates around 90%. Communal eating has healing power!

Most of Jesus’ conversations were at meals with people of various economic and social statuses. Eating with the “unclean” is mostly what upset the Pharisees. If you remember the stories after the resurrection, the disciples, and others didn’t recognize Jesus until they were sharing a meal with him. They could see who God was when they ate together. God reveals himself during shared meals and shares the meal with us.

In March, I volunteered at “Hearty Meals for All,” where volunteers cook a healthy community meal from scratch with as many local ingredients as possible at the Somerville Community Baptist Church. They open it up to anyone who walks in the door. They don’t check to see if you’re homeless before you get food, or if you “deserve” it. Anyone can come and dine together. Eating there, I conversed with some volunteers and a homeless guy named Eliot, but there was something powerful about the table that put us all at the same level. It was just as awkward to talk with the homeless man I didn’t know as the other volunteers I didn’t know. We could all share something intimate trying to talk with a mouth full of food, and talking about the weather. The same thing happens every day at the Women’s Lunch Place downtown on Newbury Street where another YAV, Audrey works. No need to distinguish class, race, just come and get food if you need it, if you want it, if you’re hungry. And when you sit at a table with other people you are all the same vulnerable people who depend on this earth and food and God for sustenance, nourishment, and survival. We all share equally in that place of feeding and conversation.

Jesus’ table is open to us a lot like that, but better. We are all invited. We are all sinners. We don’t have to show proof of income, check the box with race, and check if we’ve been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor. He knows us, takes us as we are, feeds us and makes us whole; makes us who he created us to be. We can remember our welcome place at God’s table when we eat with others, and we can get closer to them and to God when we break the bread.

Because it’s so important I have a challenge for you. For the rest of this week or this month have more meals with other people than meals alone. Invite someone from your job or church out for coffee or for lunch. Take a meal to a shut in and eat with them; or even to a neighbor who isn’t shut in. Sit down with everyone in your family for dinner around a table. We know it’s important. Let’s eat bread with our companions in Christ. We may even recognize him among us like the disciples.

For more on food and faith check out the Presbyterian Hunger Program website blog where the YAVs post regularly (http://www.pcusa.org/blogs/foodfaith/) , the YAV program website (www.bostonfoodjusticeyavprogram.wordpress.org) , or just ask me, Alex, to get a meal with you and we can talk about food and faith. I’ll even help you cook it!

Other Food Reminders:

Want to eat healthy local Massachusetts food this summer AND get it delivered to you at the Church? Want to get your food from a farm that takes care of the workers and God’s creation? Don’t forget to sign up for the Clark Farm Egg CSA, Lilac Hedge Meat CSA and/or Farmer Dave’s Fruit and Vegetable shares starting in June! Local eggs raised on pasture and fed soy-free organic grain, and pasture raised beef, pork, lamb, and poultry will all be available this summer right here at the church with Farmer Dave’s fruit shares and vegetable shares. Place your order today for enough food to replace most of your grocery shopping!

For Clark Farm eggs fill out a form from the table at the church or talk to Alex, Jane, Kathleen, or Mary Lou to sign up. E-mail the church (burlpres@aol.com) with questions.

For Lilac Hedge Farm’s meat CSA, and Farmer Dave’s fruit and veggies, order online: http://www.lilachedgefarm.com, http://www.farmerdaves.net.

For more information on the quality of the food, farm practices, etc. contact our farmer friends:
Kristen Cummings Tom Corbett Bethany Bellingham
Clark Farm Lilac Hedge Farm Farmer Dave’s
(978) 369-0308 (978) 257-2207 (978) 349-1952
info@clarkfarmcarlisle.com lilachedgefarm@gmail.com farm@farmerdaves.net
http://www.clarkfarmcarlisle.com http://www.lilachedgefarm.com http://www.farmerdaves.net

Yard Sale!
June 21, 9am-3pm

If you have items to donate you may bring them to the church during the week of the 15th. Sunday is all right if that is the only good time for you. Monday the office is not open but if you have a key you could drop items then. If you are dropping things off, please put your name on them so in case there is a problem we will know whose “stuff” it is. We need volunteers to help sorting and pricing items for the sale, Tues – Fri. On the day of the sale, we need helpers to set up, tear down and we need cashiers and general staff. There are sign-up sheets at the front of the church. Please help, if you are able!!!

We have enclosed “Yard Sale Donation Suggestions”.
Yard Sale Donation Suggestions

Appliances Radios, mixers, bath scales, CD players, (must be
in good working order). No TVs, no computers or
computer components.

Arts & Crafts Pictures, supplies and/or creations.

Baby Furnishings Pac-n-plays, potties, porta-cribs, safety gates,
back packs, baby monitors.
No child safety seats.

Books Children’s books are good sellers…

Camping Equipment Tents, stoves, lanterns, sleeping bags, back packs.

Clocks & Watches In working order or only needing a battery.

Household Items Lamps, rugs, chairs, kitchenware, wall hangings,
curtains, dishes, pots and pans, crystal, etc.

NOTE: Do not bring large items to the church until a few days before the sale. Any large items that do not sell must be picked up by the donor after the sale.

Jewelry Earrings, bracelets, cufflinks, necklaces, tiaras. Please separate items into plastic baggies..

Musical Instruments From Kazoos to Trombones.

Pet Supplies Toys, beds, crates, leashes, collars.

Plants All sizes, fresh (indoor or outdoor) or silk.

Records, CDs, In good condition.

Sports Equipment (Small Items only), tennis rackets,
basketballs, footballs, baseball
gloves, roller blades, . No
weight benches or barbells. No skis, poles or boots.
No hockey equipment.

Tools Hand and power, garden, mechanic, tool boxes.

Toys Fisher-Price and Playskool items, dolls, balls, board
games, puzzles, outdoor play equipment, sleds,
video games.

Vehicles Bikes, trikes, big wheels, wagons.
!