Clarendon March 09

The Clarendon Connection

March 2009

www.clarendonhillchurch.org

CHPC's Internet Marketing: We Need You!

by Jeff Bray

As the Outreach Committee begins its work for 2009 in earnest, I wanted to give everyone a rundown of our
current internet marketing program. First, I will begin with a brief description of how internet search works, and
then explain how we are using it to bring people to Clarendon Hill.

There are two types of internet search. The first, "natural search," is where a
search engine such as Google scours the web, indexing all of the websites
that it finds, providing links for you to click on. If you type "Clarendon
Hill" into Google, you will receive a list of websites ranging from our own
clarendonhillchurch.org to bus schedules and apartment listings. When our
website was designed, we (and when I say we, I mean Randy Winchester)
made it easy for Google to understand what kind of website we have,
which makes it easy for searchers to find.

The second type of internet search is "paid search." If you type something
like "Red Sox tickets" into Google, you will see a second set of listings that
are clearly advertisements for goods and services. Enterprises typically bid
in an auction for the right to display their ads next to searches for these "keywords," but really anyone can bid on
any keyword. For the last year, I have been bidding for keywords on behalf of Clarendon Hill. Fortunately, this
system is automated and easy to monitor and manage.

By studying search patterns, you learn a lot about what people are looking for on the internet. Right now we are
using dozens of keywords to try and drive people to our website. For example, during Febuary 2009, the terms
"Somerville Presbyterian" (10 searches) and "Somerville church" (435 searches) drew three visitors directly to our
website. However, some terms were even more productive. Last month, the term "Boston church" was Googled
7,622 times and drew 24 clicks on our link. "Boston worship" was Googled 1,146 times, and we received five
click-throughs.

What does this tell us? A lot of people are looking for churches in the Boston area.

Finally, let's take a look at what people see when they find our ads and our website:

Clarendon Hill Church
A welcoming, inclusive Presbyterian Church near Davis Sq. in Somerville
www.clarendonhillchurch.org

We have a limited amount space to say what we want to say -- only 70 characters below the title -- but I think it
generally captures what we are trying to convey. When you have the chance, make sure you check out our
website. Aside from the front page, the "worship" and "about us" pages are the most important. They are the
pages that people go to when they visit clarendonhillchurch.org.

So what else do we need to do? First, we can continue to add search terms. If you find one that you think we
should be using, please let me know. Also, we need help updating the web page. Aside from the main page, the
content has not been updated since it was originally written. If anyone would like to rewrite any pages or
sections of pages, let us know. Contact Jeff Bray, jb@kjkjb.com, or Kristy Graf, kgraf13@gmail.com, to volunteer
or with questions.

Introduction to Yoga

Come join our small class after coffee hour to
practice mindful breathing and gentle yoga postures.
Liz will be offering shorter yoga classes (to
accomodate the Adult Education Class) on March 1,
15, and 22. Great for stress release, improved
flexibility and strength. Contact Liz at
cavatorta1@hotmail.com for more information.

Writing Group

Everyone is welcome to join the writing group. We
begin with a group check-in, move through 1-2
writing exercises, and finish with a group check-out.
We will tailor each session to the interests of those
who attend. Contact Rachel, reichiru@gmail.com,
for meeting dates and more details.

Clarendon Happenings

Equal Exchange

Coffee orders will be taken on March 1 for delivery
on March 8. If anyone is interested in 2 lb. bags of
Breakfast Blend whole bean, Katherine has several
extra bags available. Email Katherine for more
information: kath.gustafson@gmail.com.

Women’s Horizons Bible Study

The Horizons Bible Study meets at Salam Lebbos's
house in Arlington on Fridays once a month. We
gather at 3:30 p.m. and Bible study runs from 4 to 5
p.m. All are welcome. Contact Katherine Gustafson
for meeting dates:

kath.gustafson@gmail.com.

Resident Acupuncturist

Ching Ling is a CHPC member and an acupuncturist
who has an office in the church building. She is
looking for new clients, so if you or someone you
know would like to try acupuncture, contact
chingling1943@yahoo.com.

Reminder: Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday, March 8,
so set your clocks forward one hour.

Taize Prayer Services

Join us Wednesday evenings during Lent (through
April 1) from 7 to 7:30 p.m. for Taize prayer services.
Taize is a meditative form of prayer and song origi-
nating with monks in Taize, France. All welcome.

Clarendon Hill’s Facebook Account

Missing Clarendon Hillers halfway through the
week? Want to make church friends digital friends?
Clarendon Hill has a Facebook account at
http://groups.to/clarendonhill/
For more information about how to set up a
Facebook account, contact Rachel at
reichiru@gmail.com. Come join us!

Adult Education Class

All adults are welcome to join the “Way of Discern-
ment” Adult Education Class, occuring Sundays after
worship and coffee hour. The class will run until
April 5. Contact Liz Leavitt for more information:
leavitt.liz@gmail.com.

Sunday Worship at Clarendon Hill

9:45 a.m.

Choir rehearsal

10:30 a.m.

Worship

10:45 a.m.

Children’s education

11:30 a.m.

Refreshments and fellowship

Communion will be celebrated on March 1.

Dates at a Glance

March 1

Coffee Orders; Yoga
Adult Education Class

March 4

Taize Prayer Service

March 8

Daylight Saving Time
Coffee Delivery
Adult Education Class

March 11 Taize Prayer Service
March 15 Yoga; Adult Education
March 18 Taize Prayer Service
March 22 Yoga; Adult Education
March 25 Taize Prayer Service
March 29 Adult Education Class

Thoughts from the Back Office

by Pastor Karl Gustafson

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Religious faith and expression has been on the defensive for
quite a while. The only voice of faith that many people hear
is from the fundamentalists of the world, and there are
millions of them. There are Hindu fundamentalists in India,
Christian, Muslim and Jewish fundamentalists all over the world, and they all seem to
share the same exclusivist, repressive, and repulsive characteristics. The dogmas may be different
between them all, but the personality is the same, and it’s ugly.

I recently came across a description of the fundamentalist worldview that summarizes all of my own
thoughts and feelings, and I want to share it with you. It’s from the Jan/Feb issue of Orion Magazine.
In John Landretti’s essay, “To the Dairy Queen and Back,” he makes this observation:

“Of the great literary religions of this world—Judaism, Christianity, Islam—many have noted that its
fanatics, among other things, are people who simply do not understand the poetry of their own
traditions. It’s as if God had shown them the interplay of mayflies and their shadows upon a wall of
evening sandstone and all they can see are bugs on a rock. They miss the invitation to find their own
way through the sorrow and beauty of the images to a spiritual perspective whose energy, always, is
love. Instead, their response is to fortify the rock and make proscriptions concerning the bugs.”

Landretti’s words give the best expression to my own inchoate feelings about the fundamentalist
worldview that I have ever found. I have long tried to articulate for myself why fundamentalism is
so profoundly alien to my feelings about religious experience and expression. Thanks to John
Landretti, I have found the right words. The heart and soul of the religious life is poetry, beauty, love
and sorrow. It has nothing to do with fortifications and proscriptions. The apostle Paul was clear
about that, as he said in 2 Corinthians 3:6: “God has made us to be ministers of a new cov enant, not
of letter but of Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

Learn more about Orion at www.orionmagazine.org.

ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING

Since 1949, Presbyterian congregations and millions of other Christians

have participated in the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) to impart God’s
love to people experiencing need. The funds received are directed to three
distinct programs.

Self-Development of People (SDP) provides grants in the U.S. and around

the globe to empower the poor, oppressed and disadvantaged by establishing
partnerships with low-income community groups. The Presbyterian Hunger
Program (PHP) includes Fair Trade, an economic stimulus program. One
undertaking is the Presbyterian Coffee Project (which we participate in!)
which guarantees farmers will earn the income they need to feed their
families, educate their children and improve their own community.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) provides financial, spiritual and
volunteer assistance to devastated areas around the world, including the U.S.
Gulf Coast, which was washed away by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

Our local OGHS will be collected on Palm Sunday, April 5. Look for your “Fish Banks” on the table at
the sanctuary doors. Please give as generously as you are able. Learn more at www.pcusa.org/oghs.

To volunteer to help with an event, contact Randy at rwinchester@artsomerville.org.

The Second Class

Selected Pieces from the

Mass Art/Fine Arts Work Center 2008 MFA Thesis Show

Exhibit dates: 20 February-20 March 2009

Adrien and the Fine Print, Tallahassee,
and Tea Not War

7 March 2009, 7:30 p.m., $5
www.myspace.com/adrienandthefineprint
www.myspace.com/tallahasseeband
www.myspace.com/teanotwarmusic

Adrien and the Fine Print are a five piece band out of the Back Bay area of Boston, assembled through happenstance
and circumstance at the music college all the members attend. With a rich sound and a sharp, intelligent focus on the
craft of songwriting, Adrien and the Fine Print have cut their teeth in charismatic performances all over the greater
Boston area.
In a sea of whispery indie folk acts and tired, old-timey pastiche, Tallahassee set themselves apart with infectious
melodies and impeccable craft. Formed in Providence, RI in early 2008, the band is comprised of a graphic designer, a
printmaker and a former NFL offensive lineman turned social worker. Together, with the help of a revolving cast of
musical friends, they use traditional instruments to craft catchy, folk and country inspired indie pop.

The Bruno Raberg Nonet

27 March 2009, 8:00 p.m.

$12, $10 students with ID

www.brunoraberg.com

Innovative bassist/composer Bruno Raberg will present a night of original music written for his

all-stellar nonet. Raberg is a mainstay on the Boston scene and has 6 recordings in his name

featuring Mick Goodrick, Donny McCaslin, Matt Wilson, Ben Monder, Chris Cheek and others.

Featured in the nonet are trumpeter Phil Grenadier who’s currently a member of guitarist John

Scofiled Sextet and Allan Chase formerly with drum legend Rasheed Ali.

Bob Franke & Martin Grosswendt

28 March 2009, 8:00 p.m.
$15 door; $12.50 advance; $10 students and seniors
www.bobfranke.com
Bob Franke (it rhymes with "Yankee") is at the peak of his considerable craft;
brimming with the wise and spiritually generous songs for which he is best known,
along with wrenchingly convincing topical songs. Martin Grosswendt is a master-
ful, soulful player, top-notch teacher, and musicologist. Music courses his veins,

and its authenticity is conveyed effortlessly in the music that comes through his hands and heart.

www.artsomerville.org

the nave gallery

Zefiro

29 March 2009, 4:00 p.m.

$15 ($10 for students/seniors)

Zefiro, a new professional vocal ensemble based in Providence, Rhode Island, will offer three

concerts featuring settings of the four Marian Antiphons. The octet specializes in the perfor-

mance of Medieval and Renaissance a capella music by composers such as Byrd, Gesualdo, and

Palestrina, performing at numerous venues in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

scripture

focus on mission

coffee hour

nursery

March 1

C. Milanesi

S. Donovan

Camelio/Braga

K. Gustafson

March 8

J. Auger

R. Winchester

Reynolds/Graf

V. Donovan

March 15

P. Beran

S. Lebbos

Glass

E. Schemerhorn

March 22

M. Reynolds

A. Kwaa

Chapman-Adisho

N. Jirmanus

March 29

J. Bray

K. Graf

Donovan

K. Gustafson

April 5

H. Rantisi

T. Siggers

Gustafson/Cavano

V. Donovan

April 12

R. Liberace

M. Reynolds

Schemerhorn

N. Jirmanus

April 19

K. Graf

R. Liberace

Siggers

E. Schemerhorn

April 26

A. Kwaa

J. Auger

Jirmanus

K. Gustafson

If you would like to be added to the rotation for any of these ministry opportunities, please contact
Ann Crews Melton, editor@clarendonhillchurch.org or 617.646.9690.

The Clarendon Connection is edited by Ann Crews Melton. Articles for the April issue are requested
by March 22. Email editor@clarendonhillchurch.org with news, photos, tidbits, corrections or suggestions.

Church Assignments

Lectionary Readings

March 2009

March 1 (1st Sunday in Lent)
Genesis 9:8-17
Psalm 25:1-10
1 Peter 3:18-22
Mark 1:9-15
March 8 (2nd Sunday in Lent)
Gen. 17:1-7, 15-16
Psalm 22:23-31
Romans 4:13-25
Mark 8:31-38
March 15 (3rd Sunday in Lent)
Exodus 20:1-17
Psalm 19:1-14
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
John 2:13-22
March 22 (4th Sunday in Lent)
Numbers 21:4-9
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Eph. 2:1-10
John 3:14-21
March 29 (5th Sunday in Lent)
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Psalm 51:1-12 or Psalm 119:9-16
Hebrews 5:5-10
John 12:20-33

April 2009

April 5 (Passion/Palm Sunday)
Liturgy of the Palms:
Mark 11:1-11
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Liturgy of the Passion:
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 31:9-16
Philippians 2:5-11
Mark 14:1-15:47
April 9 (Maundy Thursday)
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14
Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
John 13:1-17, 31b-35
April 10 (Good Friday)
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Psalm 22:1-31
Hebrews 10:16-25 or Hebrews 4:14-16;
5:7-9
John 18:1-19:42
April 12 (Easter)
Acts 10:34-43 or Jeremiah 31:1-6
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 or Acts 10:34-43
John 20:1-18 or Mark 16:1-8

April 19
Acts 4:32-35
Psalm 133:1-3
1 John 1:1-2:2
John 20:19-31
April 26
Acts 3:12-19
Psalm 4:1-8
1 John 3:1-7

Luke 24:36b-48