Month: April 2014

Sermon: “Faith and Doubt”  

Scripture: John 20:19-31

Join us for worship on Sunday, April 27th at 10:30 a.m., and for coffee and fellowship after the service.

The Men’s Bible Study Group
Wednesday, April 30th at Panera Bread at Porter Square at 6:30 p.m.  For more information, please contact Kevin, Josh, Solimar or Pierre.

Somerville Community Chorus: Spring Concert 2014
The Somerville Community Chorus will present its Spring Concert for 2014 on May 3rd, featuring a variety of American choral music from many eras — including traditional American spirituals, songs by Stephen Foster and William Billings, and popular music from the 60’s.  And featuring the Missa Brevis by Somerville-born Alan Hovhaness. It’s a program that highlights many facets of the American musical tradition — don’t miss it!

It will be held in the church sanctuary at 3:00 p.m. Tickets available at the door.
Suggested contributions: $15 General, $10 Seniors, $6 per person for families with children under 18

The Nave Gallery’s Semi-Annual Flea Market
Mark your calendars for The Nave Gallery’s semi-annual flea market, to be held at the church on Saturday, May 10th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

You can: Clean out your closets and donate items. Please note that we cannot accept the following items: USED PLASTIC TOYS. USED PLASTIC KITCHENWARE, ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT (TVs, VCRs, DVD players, COMPUTERs). Items for the Flea Market can be dropped off at: The Nave Gallery in the Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church (Teele Square) on:Wednesday, May 7th 6:00-8:00 pm and/or Friday, May 9th, 3:00-7:00 pm..

You can:  Help price and sort items on Friday or Saturday morning and/or help to sell the items on Saturday.  To help, contact Susan (sberstler@navegallery.org).

You can:  Come and buy items!  Tell your family and friends to come and buy items!  Find things for your spring wardrobe, or your kitchen, or cool gifts.  A large portion of the profits will be donated to the church.

Maundy Thursday Service:   April 17th, 7:00 p.m. in the church sanctuary.
We will have a fellowship/last supper type of worship service, with readings surrounding the last night of Jesus before his crucifixion.  Various food items will be available as part of the service and fellowship time (nut-free only).   After our time together we will cover the cross and shut off the lights in the sanctuary, and leave in silence.

Good Friday Prayer Time:  April 18th, 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. in the church sanctuary.
Anyone who wishes to come by the church for private prayer is welcome during this time period (covering the traditional time of day that Jesus died on the cross).

Easter Flowers and Snacks to Church
Please bring your Easter plants and flowers to church on Sunday, April 20th. Easter lilies, hyacinths, tulips, daffodils or other spring flowers would all be welcome decorations for our sanctuary as we celebrate Christ’s resurrection.

If you would like to bring a sweet or savory snack to supplement our coffee hour spread for Easter Sunday, we would love to have you share them with us.  Due to serious allergies, we have to ask for NO NUTS in your treats.  Unless it needs to be refrigerated, the dish can be left in the Nave Gallery.

Sermon:    “It’s Better to be Seen than to be Viewed”

Scripture:  John 20:1-18; Colossians 3:1-4 

In the passage from John this week, we have 3 disciples of Christ doing a lot of running, and then peering into an empty tomb on that first Easter morning.  As they peered into the darkness of the tomb, what did they see?  What did they discover about themselves and their lives after an encounter with the Risen Christ?
Join us for worship and the celebration of Easter on Sunday, April 20th at 10:30 a.m., and for coffee and fellowship after the service.

The Men’s Bible Study Group
Wednesday, April 23rd at Panera Bread at Porter Square at 6:30 p.m.  For more information, please contact Kevin, Josh, Solimar or Pierre.

The Nave Gallery’s Annual Flea Market
Mark your calendars for The Nave Gallery’s annual flea market, to be held at the church on Saturday, May 10th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  More information to follow soon!

Sermon:  “Challenging Our Status Quos”

Scripture:  Matthew 21:1-11

Join us for worship and the celebration of Palm Sunday on Sunday, April 13th at 10:30 a.m., and for coffee and fellowship after the service.

One Great Hour of Sharing Offering
On Palm Sunday, we will be collecting the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering. The donations to this offering support the work of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program, The Self Development of People program and the Presbyterian Hunger Program. Please give as generously as you are able.

Palm Sunday, April 13th – Guest Speaker
Rima Rassi, who is Senior Program Coordinator, International Affairs and Refugees Research, at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, American University of Beirut will be attending the service, doing the focus on Mission, and speaking during the coffee hour after church on the plight of Syrian and Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.  Please mark your calendars, and  come to hear more about this devastating issue.

Session Meeting
On Monday, April 14th, the Session will meet at 7:30 p.m.

Easter Plants and Flowers to Church
Please bring your Easter plants and flowers to church on Sunday, April 20th. Easter lilies, hyacinths, tulips, daffodils or other spring flowers would all be welcome decorations for our sanctuary as we celebrate Christ’s resurrection.

The Men’s Bible Study Group
The Men’s Bible Study Group will meet on Wednesday, April 16rd at Panera Bread at Porter Square at 6:30 p.m.  For more information, please contact Kevin, Josh, Solimar or Pierre.

The Nave Gallery’s Annual Flea Market
Mark your calendars for The Nave Gallery’s annual flea market, to be held at the church on Saturday, May 10th.  More information to follow soon!

Sermon:  “Alms for an Ex-Beggar”

Scripture:  John 9:1-41; Psalm 23

In studying the passage of the beggar who regained his sight, try looking besides and beyond the physical miracle of the healing.   Consider what kind of new journey this man was beginning with the gift of new sight (and insight).  He must learn to live in new ways, with a new perspective.  He had a previous identity in that culture as someone who was blind as a punishment for some imagined sinfulness on his part (or his parents).  His role in life before Jesus came was to ask for alms, and by so doing, remind others of what would happen to them if they did not live sinless lives.  What is it like for all of us when we have encountered the life-changing Christ?  What does it mean for any of us to truly live like an “ex-beggar”?

Join us for worship on Sunday, March 30th at 10:30 a.m. and for coffee and fellowship after the service.

Church Work Days
Church work days will be held on Saturday, April 5th and Saturday, April 12th, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., but if folks wanted to come earlier or stay later that would be fine. We are looking to dust, wash windows in the sanctuary, do general cleaning in the common spaces, and especially in the children’s room, kitchen and overall basement area. We want to spruce up the church for Palm Sunday and Easter.  Mark your calendars now.  If you have questions, please contact Craig (craze@mit.edu).

Lenten Season Adult Education:   “Deepening Our Faith” – Led by Rev. Fairfax
During the Lenten season, we will gather in the Green Room at 12:15 p.m. for a 3 session focus on enriching and deepening our faith.   I am drawing on a Lenten study from 2008 by Paula Gooder (“Lentwise  Spiritual Essentials for Real Life”), but I will be adapting her work for our needs and expanding on her offering.  Materials will be available for class preparation (read as you can), and will include various sermons that can be found online (e.g. youtube, watch as you can!) and that relate to the scriptures and topic for the week.  The sessions do not “build on each other” in a direct way, so please attend any (or all) that you can, and enjoy the richness of faith that we share with one another.

• Third Gathering (April 6th):  “Living Water” – John 4:5-18

The Horizons Bible Study
will meet on Friday, April 11th at 3:30 p.m. at the home of a member.  For more information, please contact Salam. (salamlebbos@hotmail.com)