Three mantras to shape your day

Reverend John Zehring
April 21, 2015

Good morning, Park Avenue Congregation!  This Sunday’s message is “Three mantras to shape your day” to guide us to a deeper and richer relationship with the Divine.  For the Children’s Corner, Jeffrey Brody will pull out all the stops and demonstrate for the children some of the organ’s magnificent capabilities and share what goes on behind the screen.  New members will join Park Avenue Congregation Church during the service.  Here is a tune from the red hymnal #257 to be humming to yourself as you prepare yourself spiritually for our next worship together:

This is the day, this is the day
That our God has made, that our God has made;
We will rejoice, we will rejoice and
Be glad in it, and be glad in it.
This is the day that our God has made,
We will rejoice and be glad in it;
This is the day, this is the day
That our God has made.

I look forward to our being together again on Sunday.

Rev. John

Rummage Sale

Saturday, April 25, 2015
9:00am – 2:00pm

Park Avenue Congregational Church United Church of Christ
50 Paul Revere Road (at southwest corner of Park Ave.)
Arlington Heights, MA

We sell almost everything! We sell all manner of clothing for men, women, and children with better women’s clothing featured in the Ladies’ Boutique. We sell accessories (hats, scarves, belts, gloves, wallets, pocketbooks), linens (sheets, blankets, bedspreads, pillows, cushions, towels, tablecloths, napkins, place mats, table runners, curtains, shower curtains, bath mats), and housewares (dishes, mugs, glasses, utensils, cookie tins, pots and pans, bake ware, vases, lamps, and small appliances in working order. We also sell jewelry, books, records, tapes, videos, CDs, DVDs, pet items, toys, games, puzzles, sports equipment, shoes, baskets, yarn, fabric, baby items, paintings, prints, frames, tools, gardening items, and small pieces of furniture. Church members are already expressing an interest in donating to the sale, and we expect the usual large assortment of quality merchandise.

Admission to the event is free, and the popular bag sale begins at 1:00 p.m. Shoppers are reminded to bring small bills for quicker sales and to arrive early for the best choices. Shop and see for yourself why this sale is such a favorite among our faithful customers. For more information call 781-643-8680, and see maps and directions to the church at www.pacc-ucc.org/rummagesale.

Earth Day

Good Morning Park Avenue Congregational Church!  This Sunday we will consider how we are stewards of God’s earth.  The sermon:  “Pangea is the Lord’s.”  Earth Day comes this week.  Following worship, I invite you to meet with Tim Durning, Kathy Fink and me to converse about the possibility of forming a “Green Team.”  If you have any interest in the environment, climate change, reducing our carbon footprint, or practical concerns like helping the church to be more “green,” please join us.  As we think about the care of God’s earth, consider:  The most important apostrophe-S (‘s) in the bible, the possessive case, is in Psalm 24:1.  I encourage you to read Psalm 24 in preparation for your worship of God on Sunday.  See you then,

Rev. John

 

Psalm 24

1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,
the world, and those who live in it;
2 for he has founded it on the seas,
and established it on the rivers.

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord,
and vindication from the God of their salvation.
6 Such is the company of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory.

(The Earth Day Flag by John McConnell at the top of this post is in the public domain at Wikipedia.)

Evening Bible Group

April 22, 2015

Join us on our journey into the Upper Room’s The Way of Grace from the Companions in Christ series. You can get caught up by reading the Introduction to The Way of Grace and visiting the Companions in Christ website.

We decided to continue the EBG’s schedule of meeting on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month.

Evening Bible Group To Meet Wednesday April 22
at 7:30 p.m. in PACC’s Fireplace Room

At our first substantive week of our “group experience in spiritual formation” using The Way of Grace, to be held on Wednesday evening, April 22, Hans Gramm will lead us in sharing reflections, and various learning and prayer experiences to move deeper into the content of The Way of Grace Week 1 readings and exercises.

No Bible knowledge is required. Please feel free to join us at any point of our journey. We only ask that, to make the group meetings as participatory as the Companions in Christ series envisions, you spend time on at least 6 of the 14 days between now and April 22nd, you spend some time reading and doing the exercises in Week 1 of The Way of Grace participant’s book. We will help you get caught up between meetings or at the beginning of each meeting.

The Companions in Christ series recommends and we would encourage you to obtain a journal, make notes in it during your exploration of The Way of Grace and bring your participant’s book, a Bible and your journal with you to our EBG meetings.

For more information contact the church office.

Maundy Thursday

Reverend John Zehring

One of my favorite parts of Holy Week is Maundy Thursday, which I think is one of the most beautiful services of the year.  We will celebrate Holy Communion and then the engaging service of Tenebrae which, in Latin, means “shadows.”  The theme is light and darkness.  The power of scripture speaks for itself as the Deacons read us passages about Jesus’ last moments and then extinguish a candle.  Darkness falls over our spirits on Good Friday as we remember the His crucifixion and death.  And then, EASTER!  “He is not here.  He is risen.”  We are people of the Resurrection.  Come to celebrate, praise, worship and join in our community of believers as we lift our voices to proclaim Hallelujah!

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body.  While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them.  The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here, but has risen.”  (Luke 24:1-5)

Rev. John

Project Bread’s Walk For Hunger
Transforming Hungry to Healthy

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Mark your calendar and join the PACC Walk for Hunger team!  Walk all 20 miles or join Jill and Kate for 10 miles– from the start to Cleveland Circle and back.  On Sunday, May 3, 2015, tens of thousands of people from all walks of life will raise both hunger awareness and much-needed dollars to help combat hunger in our state. Join us as a walker, sponsor, or both! As the largest public fundraising walk in the Commonwealth, the Walk is a powerful example of what’s possible when we join forces to create, advocate for, and support meaningful change.

If you’d like to donate to the PACC walking team, we’ll have donation forms at coffee hour in April. See http://www.projectbread.org/walk-for-hunger/ or contact the church office about walking with or sponsoring the PACC team.

Open and Affirming Congregation Anniversary

May 3, 2015

This is the 7th anniversary of our declaration of our congregation to be an Open and Affirming congregation. During the Worship service and in Coffee Hour afterwards we will be remembering PACC’s Covenant with the Open and Affirming (ONA) Coalition of the United Church of Christ.

The Shout Heard ‘Round the World

April 19, 2015

On April 19, is a bike ride that is being organized by faith communities along Paul Revere’s route to sound the alarm about climate change.  A biker will start in Charlestown at 10:30 a.m. and stop at participating faith communities along the way to pick up riders.  The ride will end at First Parish in Concord.  There are stops at First Parish UU in Arlington (at about 11:00) and Follen Church in Lexington (at about 11:30)  Would anyone like to join the ride?  Let us know and we can give you more details.  The ride will be passing through Arlington Heights on Mass Ave shortly after 11.  It would be great to have a group from PACC walk down to cheer the ride on.  If you’d like to join in the PACC cheering section or join the ride, please the church office.  Thanks!

14th Annual Walk for Affordable Housing

Housing Corporation of Arlington
April 12th, 2015, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

The walk starts and ends at Jason Russell House. Help raise awareness for HCA’s affordable housing and homelessness prevention programs. Ensure our community remains diverse and stable. For more information about walking or other ways to help, contact the church office, an HCA Board Member, or see www.housingcorparlington.org.

One Great Hour of Sharing

One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) is the refugee, relief and development offering of the United Church of Christ. This year’s theme for OGHS is “Give and Change the World.” Gifts given through this special offering empower people in poverty to learn a trade, raise their own food, and grow in faith. United in Christ, we help to provide access to healthy food, good education, excellent health care, and shelter after devastating storms.

PACC will accept donations through April 13.  You can make your donation by check payable to PACC with OGHS on the memo line, by putting cash in an OGHS envelope or a blue pew envelope labeled with OGHS on the special occasion line or online at https://unitedchurchofchrist.nationbuilder.com/one_great_hour_of_sharing.  If you donate online, be sure to check that it is an “individual gift,” that the UCC Affiliation box shows “yes” and list Park Avenue Congregational Church, Arlington, MA as your congregation.