On Sunday July 19, prior to worship, there will be a prayer walk in the neighborhoods surrounding the Oakton congregation. This is an opportunity to spiritually connect with God, each other and to develop a sensitivity to our neighbors. Anyone is invited to participate—adults, children and youth.
We will gather at the church in the basement at 9 a.m. sharp. There will be some light refreshments, a brief instruction, a prayer and then we will go for a walk (about ½ hour). We will then return to the church by 10 a.m. to process our experience and observations. We will be finished by 10:30 in order to transition to worship. This opportunity is being sponsored by Christian Education Committee, Worship and Music Committee and Action Reflection Committee.
If you have questions, please contact Pastor Randy via email or by phone 847-849-0205.
From church suppers to holiday gift giving, my mother and I have made this colorful salad on mnay occasions. You don’t have to be exact, and if you don’t like a particular vegetable, leave it out and add more of another.
Serves 16
SALAD
1 (15-ounce) can cut green beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can yellow wax beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can light kidney beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced red onion
1 cup sliced zucchini
1 cup sliced yellow squash
1 cup sliced bell pepper (any color)
DRESSING
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 cup vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
* For the salad, combine all the beans into a large bowl. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onion, zucchini, squash, and bell pepper and set aside.
* For the dressing, combine the oil, vinegar, pepper, salt, sugar and mustard in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour over the salad mixture while still hot.
* Stir to mix dressing with beans and vegetables. Cover and refrigerate at least overnight. The longer it sits, the better it tastes!
I have some thoughts on song birds and Sunday School Teachers that I would like to share with you. I did a little research on song birds on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and here’s what I have found:
Song birds, are a worldwide group of more than 4,600 species known for their beautiful singing. Unlike other birds, all songbirds that have been studied so far must learn to sing.
Classic studies of the White-crowned Sparrow showed that a nestling taken from a nest at eight or nine days of age and raised alone in a laboratory would develop an abnormal song. However, young White-crowned Sparrows housed with a “tutor” (a singing adult White-crowned Sparrow), learned their songs from that bird.
Young White-crowned Sparrows don’t just learn any song they hear, however. It is as though they are predisposed to learn their own species’ song. If housed with a Song Sparrow and a White-crowned Sparrow, the young bird will learn the song of its own species. If only housed with a Song Sparrow, however, White-crowned Sparrows sometimes learn to sing as a Song Sparrow does.
Song birds are like Sunday School students. From a very young age they learn from their Mentors, their Teachers, the songs they will sing for a life time.
Sunday School teachers are like Song birds, carrying the songs of the Bible with them to adulthood and teaching them to the other songbirds, students, to carry on the music of Christ’s message.
Window of learning
Most songbirds seem to have what is called a “sensitive period” for song learning. It is during this brief period that birds are best equipped to memorize details of a tutor’s song. For the White-crowned Sparrow, this period is between about 15 and 50 days of age. After that, learning becomes more difficult.
We students have sensitive periods of our own lives. When we teach our children we are equipping ourselves to carry on in those difficult times through out our life.
Fledgling White-crowned Sparrows begin to practice singing shortly after leaving the nest, at about three weeks of age. Apparently, they recall the sounds they heard during the sensitive period, and try to match it with their practice singing, called a sub song.
When we as adults come to Sunday School we sharpen our skills as Christians to meet life’s challenges. Our Sunday School teachers help us hone our own sub-songs so that when we are away from Christ’s nest we recall his teachings.
Subsongs begin very quietly and become louder, more persistent, and more structured over time. Corrections to the practice song eventually result in a perfect copy of the remembered song. Like humans, songbirds must be able to hear themselves vocalize during the developmental process in order to sing properly.
Today we are here to honor those whose sub song has matured into remembered song, into the shared song of Christ’s life.
Thank you, Missy Burket and Leah Landes for teaching PreSchool.
Thank you, Karen Richardson and Hannah Wilkerson for teaching Kdg to 2nd grade.
Thank you, Carolyn Strong and Kelley Wine for teaching third to fifth grade.
Thank you, Brian Bachman and Jan Fischer-Bachman for teaching Junior Highs.
Thank you, John and Colleen Eddy for teaching the Senior Highs.
Thank you, Harry Biddle for teaching Sojourners Adult class.
Thank you, Mark Phillips for teaching Pathfinders Adult class.
Thank you, Michelle Gill, Missy Burket, and Karen Richardson for teaching Children’s Church.
To all you Songbirds out there:
Encourage each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord. Ephesians 5:19
By Debbie Seidel
Children’s Ministry Coordinator
June 6, 2015
Michael Biddle graduates from Forest Park High School June 6. Michael played varsity lacrosse all four years of high school and received district recognition awards in each of those years. He was a member of our District Cabinet, and planned Youth retreats for the past several years. Recently, he made the decision to attend Bridgewater College in the fall. Michael is the son of Harry and Sharon Biddle and brother of Stefani.
Stefani Biddle graduated May 9 from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. She was a member of Sigma Alpha Lambda honor fraternity and a member of the American Institute of Architecture Students. She also was awarded President’s list in her fall semester of her Junior year and Dean’s list fall semester of her senior year. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture with a minor in Studio Arts. Stefani is the daughter of Harry and Sharon Biddle and the sister of Michael.
