Month: September 2014

 Sermon:  “Windows to Heaven”

At issue in this week’s passages are whether or not Jesus is a way of understanding and feeling God’s presence in the world (in an active way).  Is God active in the world?  How does this matter for our lives?
Scripture:  Matthew 21:23-32; Philippians 2:1-13

Join us for worship on Sunday, September 28th at 10:30 a.m., and for coffee and fellowship after the service.

Ministry Circle Fair
Sunday, September 28th: Ministry circle fair during coffee hour after the service. Last spring we put in place a new way to organize our ministry and operations in a way that will let us all thrive. Please come to the ministry circle fair to hear from the circle leaders about the exciting opportunities we have for you. You’ll get a chance to ask questions and find ways to engage in the work of the church.

Deacons Meeting
The Deacons will meet after coffee hour in the Green Room on Sunday, September 28th.

Conversations  on Eco-Justice:
Wednesday, October 1st: Introduction to Ched Myers’ Sabbath Economics
Gathering begins at 6:30,ending at 8:00 p.m. in the Green Room.
Public Welcome!!   Booklets available at the meetings.

Potluck Supper
At Sarah Donovan’s house, Friday, Oct 3rd, 7:00pm: Rev Karl Gustafson will be in town visiting and would like anybody who is available to come by and be part of the night. Please bring a dish to share, but if you are unable to bring a dish please bring yourself as I am sure we will have plenty of food/  We just ask that there be no nuts in the dishes that are brought due to allergies.
Please RSVP to Sarah and she will give you the address.
Sarah-sarahfdonovan@gmail.com
857-544-0394

October 4th – You’re Invited for dinner!!
The Boston Food Justice Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) Program has another Table Gathering fundraising dinner coming up on Saturday, October 4th from 4 -7 PM at Church of the Covenant in Boston. We will be introducing our new group of YAVs at this event! CHPC has two free tickets available, so please contact Allen if you would like to attendpastor@clarendonhillchurch.org  Additional tickets are $50 per person or $80 per couple.  Can’t make it to dinner, but want to help out the YAVs??

They are in need of several kitchen items at their Watertown apartment, including: uncoated, stainless steel pots and pans; a loaf pan; a glass measuring cup; and glass or plastic containers large enough to store flour/sugar/oats. Donations are greatly appreciated and can be brought to the church (leave in the Green Room or with Allen). Thank you!  More information about the Boston Food Justice Young Adult Volunteer Program, an initiative of the Boston Presbytery can be found at http://bostonfoodjusticeyavprogram.wordpress.com/about/

World Communion – Peacemaking Offering
On Sunday, October 5th, we will celebrate World Communion Sunday.  We will also collect the Peacemaking Offering.  The Peacemaking Offering funds the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, enabling us to bring in International Peacemakers, hold conferences, and advocate for active nonviolent solutions to conflict.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) views peace as a core part of our identity and calling as believers. It is a central declaration of the gospel, calling us to model our lives in the pattern of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

The offering is used to inspire new approaches to active peacemaking, to equip God’s people to be compassionate and prophetic peacemakers, and to connect communities of peace in accompaniment, mutual learning and shared action for the transformation of the world.

Our congregation receives 25% of the fund collected to promote local and global peace and justice efforts.  This year we will support Grassroots International (grassroots.org) and a fund to aid Syrian refugees in Lebanon, run by the Near East Theological Seminary, based in Beirut.

Please participate in this offering and make this a time to renew your commitment and reaffirm your called to peacemaking. Together we can transform cultures of violence into communities of peace.

Nave Gallery – Truth Telling: Art in Search of Social Justice
Special exhibit! The Nave Gallery, located in our building, will be holding a special show in October.  Celebrating the gallery’s 10th anniversary, it’s called Truth Telling: Art in Search of Social Justice and will be curated by our former pastor, Karl Gustafson. Please note Sunday, October 5th, from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. in your calendar, and plan to attend the opening!  Karl will be visiting the area for a week, and will be at the opening.

Food Justice Sunday
Sunday, October 12th, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Discussion with the Young Adult Volunteers working for food justice throughout the Presbytery of Boston this year.  Public welcome.  More about the program at http://bostonfoodjusticeyavprogram.wordpress.com

HONK!Fest Parade in Somerville
October 12th:  Join us to walk from the church to view the parade in Davis Square.  More information at http://honk.fest.org/2014-festival/schedule/

Prayer Meeting
Sunday, October 19th:  We will meet in the Green Room after coffee hour. Jesus said, ‘When two or three are gathered in my name, I am there.” Bring your prayers about whatever joys or concerns you may have on your mind and in your heart. All are welcome to attend.

Talk Poetry – Hear the Truth! 
Sunday, October 19th, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Poetry Jam hosted by Clint Smith, National Poetry Slam Champion. A high-energy evening of poetry on today’s critical social justice issues.
5:00 p.m.:  Community reception to meet the artists (free)
6:00 p.m.  Performance by Clint Smith and area poets ($10 suggested donation)
Public welcome!  More information about Clint Smith at www.clintsmithiii.com

Conversations on Eco-Justice:
Wednesday, October 22nd: Introduction to the Watershed Discipleship Movement
Gathering begins at 6:30,ending at 8:00 p.m. in the Green Room.
Public Welcome!!   Booklets available at the meetings.

The Blues as Truth-Telling:  Scott Ainslie in Concert
Sunday, October 26th, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Reflect on the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and civil rights today with noted blues historian and musician, Scott Ainslie.
5:00 p.m.:  Community Reception to meet the artist (free)
6:00 p.m.:  Concert and discussion ($10.00 suggested donation)
Public welcome!  More information about Scott Ainslie at http://scottainslie.com/

Greeting Card Collection
The Deacons are collecting greeting cards to send to church members/friends in need. We can especially use sympathy cards, and friendly “thinking of you” cards. We would like to create a collection so we can respond to needs more immediately. Please bring in unused cards and leave them in the container in the copy room if you would like to donate.

Sermon:  “Go into the Vineyard”
I believe in this passage Jesus is trying to get at the heart of what it means to be a Christian.  We are invited to go work in the vineyard, apparently with little thought of reward (or at least more reward than needed to survive).  It is somewhat problematic to equate the landowner with God in this parable, but the landowner (actually house-despot in the Greek, usually a title for a foreign landowner) does seem to be trying to make real something about the new relationships we enter into as part of the church universal.  I think Jesus was also trying to reveal to his listeners something about our fallen nature, and how we can overcome it.
Scripture:  Matthew 20:1-16

Join us for worship on Sunday, September 21st at 10:30 a.m., and for coffee and fellowship after the service.

Church Work Day
Collecting and disposing of random items spread throughout the church. The work day is on Saturday, September 27th from 9:00 a.m.- noon. If you plan to attend or have any questions please contact Josh Herzig (joshua.herzig@gmail.com).

Ministry Circle Fair
Sunday, September 28th: Ministry circle fair during coffee hour after the service. Last spring we put in place a new way to organize our ministry and operations in a way that will let us all thrive. Please come to the ministry circle fair to hear from the circle leaders about the exciting opportunities we have for you. You’ll get a chance to ask questions and find ways to engage in the work of the church.

Deacons Meeting
The Deacons will meet after coffee hour in the Green Room on Sunday, September 28th.

Conversations  on Eco-Justice:
Wednesday, October 1st: Introduction to Ched Myers’ Sabbath Economics
Gathering begins at 6:30,ending at 8:00 p.m. in the Green Room.
Public Welcome!!   Booklets available at the meetings.

Potluck Supper
At Sarah Donovan’s house, Friday, Oct 3rd, 7:00pm: Rev Karl Gustafson will be in town visiting and would like anybody who is available to come by and be part of the night. Please bring a dish to share, but if you are unable to bring a dish please bring yourself as I am sure we will have plenty of food/  We just ask that there be no nuts in the dishes that are brought due to allergies.
Please RSVP to Sarah and she will give you the address.
Sarah-sarahfdonovan@gmail.com
857-544-0394

October 4th – You’re Invited for dinner!!
The Boston Food Justice Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) Program has another Table Gathering fundraising dinner coming up on Saturday, October 4th from 4 -7 PM at Church of the Covenant in Boston. We will be introducing our new group of YAVs at this event! CHPC has two free tickets available, so please contact Allen if you would like to attendpastor@clarendonhillchurch.org  Additional tickets are $50 per person or $80 per couple.  Can’t make it to dinner, but want to help out the YAVs??

They are in need of several kitchen items at their Watertown apartment, including: uncoated, stainless steel pots and pans; a loaf pan; a glass measuring cup; and glass or plastic containers large enough to store flour/sugar/oats. Donations are greatly appreciated and can be brought to the church (leave in the Green Room or with Allen). Thank you!  More information about the Boston Food Justice Young Adult Volunteer Program, an initiative of the Boston Presbytery can be found at http://bostonfoodjusticeyavprogram.wordpress.com/about/

World Communion – Peacemaking Offering 
Collected on Sunday, October 5th

Nave Gallery – Truth Telling: Art in Search of Social Justice
Special exhibit! The Nave Gallery, located in our building, will be holding a special show in October.  Celebrating the gallery’s 10th anniversary, it’s called Truth Telling: Art in Search of Social Justice and will be curated by our former pastor, Karl Gustafson. Please note Sunday, October 5th, from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. in your calendar, and plan to attend the opening!  Karl will be visiting the area for a week, and will be at the opening.

Prayer Meeting
Sunday, October 19th:  We will meet in the Green Room after coffee hour. Jesus said, ‘When two or three are gathered in my name, I am there.” Bring your prayers about whatever joys or concerns you may have on your mind and in your heart. All are welcome to attend.

Conversations on Eco-Justice:
Wednesday, October 22nd: Introduction to the Watershed Discipleship Movement
Gathering begins at 6:30,ending at 8:00 p.m. in the Green Room.
Public Welcome!!   Booklets available at the meetings.

Greeting Card Collection
The Deacons are collecting greeting cards to send to church members/friends in need. We can especially use sympathy cards, and friendly “thinking of you” cards. We would like to create a collection so we can respond to needs more immediately. Please bring in unused cards and leave them in the container in the copy room if you would like to donate.

Sermon:  Keeping the Faith
Why is God so interested in forgiveness?  In this story, a continuation of last week’s gospel lesson, we find another image of the relentlessness of God in defending the norm of reconciliation/forgiveness.  As people of faith, do we realize how God has forgiven us (freed us may be a better term here)?   Do we realize what it means to enact a culture of forgiveness with our neighbors?
Scripture:  Matthew 18:21-35

Join us for worship on Sunday, September 14th at 10:30 a.m., and for coffee and fellowship after the service.

Welcome Back Sunday Potluck
Sunday, September 14th::  We want to welcome back everyone from their summer vacations, jobs, internships, and adventures!  We will have several speakers for our program.  Regina Baiden worked at the United Nations Women’s Peace and Security Unit in New York City this summer.  A Ghanaian graduate student at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, she is especially interested in policies related to the rights and economic empowerment of women and girls.  Her internship focused on research and communication for several programs. Rev. Allen Fairfax   attended a conference in June that covered Sabbath Economics and Watershed Discipleship.  He’ll introduce both concepts, and then detail the Adult Education programs focused on them that will begin in October. After graduating from the College of Wooster in 2013, Catherine Gillette worked for a year as a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) in the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. In Texas, she did community organizing with low-income workers in the construction industry.  Last month she moved to Boston to work as the Site Coordinator of the Boston Food Justice YAV program.  We’ll hear more about the specific churches and groups for this year from Catherine.  Mark Hoover, who is also a student at the Fletcher School, spent his summer in the West African nation of Burkina Faso.  We’ll hear about his work there. For the potluck, please bring an appetizer, soup, salad, side dish, main dish, dessert or beverage to share.  No nuts please, as we have folks with severe nut allergies.  If you have questions, please contact Ellen. (ellends1313@gmail.com)

Work Day at Church
Church work day to collect and dispose of random items spread throughout the church. The work day is on Saturday, September 27th from 9:00 a.m.- noon. If you plan to attend or have any questions please contact Josh Herzig (joshua.herzig@gmail.com).

Ministry Circle
Sunday, September 28th: Ministry circle fair during coffee hour after the service. Last spring we put in place a new way to organize our ministry and operations in a way that will let us all thrive. Please come to the ministry circle fair to hear from the circle leaders about the exciting opportunities we have for you. You’ll get a chance to ask questions and find ways to engage in the work of the church.

Conversations  on Eco-Justice:
Wednesday, October 1st: Introduction to Ched Myers’ Sabbath Economics
Wednesday, October 22nd: Introduction to the Watershed Discipleship Movement
Gatherings begin at 6:30,ending at 8:00 p.m. in the Green Room.
Public Welcome!!   Booklets available at the meetings.

World Communion – Peacemaking Offering 
Collected on Sunday, October 5th

Nave Gallery – Truth Telling: Art in Search of Social Justice
Special exhibit! The Nave Gallery, located in our building, will be holding a special show in October.  Celebrating the gallery’s 10th anniversary, it’s called Truth Telling: Art in Search of Social Justice and will be curated by our former pastor, Karl Gustafson. Please note Sunday, October 5th, from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. in your calendar, and plan to attend the opening!  Karl will be visiting the area for a week, and will be at the opening.

Deacons Greeting Card Collection
The Deacons are collecting greeting cards to send to church members/friends in need. We can especially use sympathy cards, and friendly “thinking of you” cards. We would like to create a collection so we can respond to needs more immediately. Please bring in unused cards and leave them in the container in the copy room if you would like to donate.

Sermon:   “Learning to Talk”
Our scriptures this week highlight a theme that is the focus of our October Peace with Justice series — learning to talk with one another.  As people of faith, we are called to “put on Christ” when we are encountering difficult situations.  Conflicts in this world are inevitable, but the mark of a Christian seems to be about how we act to be peacemakers in whatever the situation we face.  I think this applies to situations with others, but also to internal conflicts we face.
Romans 13:8-14
Matthew 18:15-20

Join us for worship on Sunday, September 7th at 10:30 a.m., and for coffee and fellowship after the service.

Men’s Bible Study
The Men’s Bible Study Group will meet on Wednesday, September 10th at Panera Bread at Porter Square at 6:30 p.m.  For more information, please contact Kevin, Josh, Solimar or Pierre.

Session Meeting
The Session will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 10th.

Sunday, September 14th: Welcome back Sunday potluck
We want to welcome back everyone from their summer vacations, jobs, internships, and adventures!  The program for this potluck will be announced shortly.  For the potluck, please bring an appetizer, soup, salad, side dish, main dish, dessert or beverage to share.  If you have questions, please contact Ellen. (ellends1313@gmail.com)

Truth Telling: Art in Search of Social Justice
Calling all artists!  The Nave Gallery, located in our church, will be holding a special show in October.  Celebrating the gallery’s 10th anniversary, it’s called Truth Telling: Art in Search of Social Justice and will be curated by our former pastor, Karl Gustafson.  If you have art that you would like to submit, please see http://navegallery.org/wp/truth-telling-art-in-search-of-social-justice-cfe/ for more details.  If you’re not an artist, but have friends who might be interested in submitting pieces for this show, please have them get in touch with the Nave Gallery.  And be sure to note Sunday, October 5th, from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. in your calendar, and plan to attend the opening!

Greeting Card Collection
The Deacons are collecting greeting cards to send to church members/friends in need. We can especially use sympathy cards, and friendly “thinking of you” cards. We would like to create a collection so we can respond to needs more immediately. Please bring in unused cards and leave them in the container in the copy room if you would like to donate.