by Office Manager | Apr 30, 2014 | 2014, Newsletter Articles
5/4/14 God Ordained a Worm (Jonah 4; Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19)
Theme: Each of us has a calling from God
…. a calling to shelter others,
…. or to introduce change,
…or even to introduce things that may bother people
… but each is a call and all are of God… the key is to answer the God-call with the God-gift for the God-moment.
Mother’s Day
5/11/14 Youth Sunday
5/18/14 Being the Beloved (Luke 3:21-22; Matthew 12:9-18)
Theme: YOU and I are the beloved sons and daughters of God.
Lest we remain distracted by the claims of “we are what we do,” or “we are what we have” or “we are what other people say about us,” we need to return again and again to the Good News that you and I are the beloved sons and daughters of God.
5/25/14 Becoming the Beloved (Luke 24:13-35)
Theme: Recognizing how we can “realize” that we are beloved of God.
Bread: Jesus Took, Blessed, broke it, gave it.
These four words summarize Jesus’ life and these same words summarize our lives as the beloved. (We are taken (chosen), we are blessed, we are broken, we are given)
And when we live this way the world will recognize Jesus in us (it changes how others see us). And when we “realize” this about ourselves it changes how we see others.
by Office Manager | Apr 15, 2014 | 2014, Newsletter Articles
Three weeks ago during church Pastor Chris gave five of us $50 with instructions:
Give it to someone who needs it;
Don’t take anything back from it;
Give it to someone you don’t know.
From the moment I got that money I began to think about it — a lot. I thought about the $50 as much or more than any money ever.
First I considered some homeless people in DC and some of the folks I know here in the local area. Next I considered the fact my travel was planned to Newton, North Carolina —an area on an entirely different economic scale than Oakton/Vienna. Three of the twelve months of year last year the Newton area lead all counties in the nation in unemployment. (Just let that statement sink in a minute.)
Soup kitchens and small shops struggle to survive as no one has money to spend. People have grown obese due to cheap food and the only thriving industry seems to be the medical profession. In addition the skilled craftsmen are thought of as slow instead of methodical in their work-ethic and the generation gap between young and old seems larger than in most places. So my mind was made up to take the money to that region and do “more good with it there.”
One of my best friends from high school and I still talk regularly. She volunteers at the soup kitchen in Newton. Asking her [to give away the money] would be easy but also kind of cheating as I wanted to figure out the best use of the money myself. So my daughter Hanna, my mother, and I went to meet my friend at the soup kitchen during lunch one day.
We sat down and they fed us. (Imagine my horror as we are being fed and I actually came to help out.) But by doing this we got to learn about some of the people who were there and what had happened to them. The day prior I had told my friend about the money and was hoping to help someone out at the soup kitchen. The best advice I got was when finished eating my lunch at the soup kitchen my friend saw me looking down at the $50 and said “You will feel when the time is right and when to give it away.”
After that comment it was easy to “see” a bit better. I noticed a couple with a newborn baby. You could tell a bit about them from looking even though we had never spoken prior. I got up and helped the servers with the others in the lunch room — a bright and cheery place because the staff has made it that way and people are constantly saying wonderful things and sitting with the customers and smiling. It was easy to like everyone regardless of what had brought us together. I served the couple with the child and asked about the baby and if there were things they wished they could provide for the child. They did not elaborate but said yes and I did not want them to elaborate either but left the money with them on the table as I cleaned up and told them to use it help. (To this day I do not know their names and I don’t need to.)
The next day my friend saw the family again at the soup kitchen. The wife had come back to tell her what they bought with the money. The couple had gone to the thrift store and bought an item for the baby to sit up straight (she was having problems with that) and a high chair type tray.
It also makes me think about how much I think about my bills and my lifestyle and if we have money for a DVD or something nice at the house that we likely have money to help others too. It made me think of the movie Schindler’s List where at the end even after doing so much for so many Mr. Schindler was distraught that he did not save enough money to save more people.
by Office Manager | Apr 11, 2014 | 2014, Newsletter Articles
This salad improves over time, so I usually make it a day ahead.
Serves 8 to 10
1 cup quinoa, rinsed in cold water and drained
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic or red wine vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ teaspoon sea salt (optional)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cooked or canned black beans, drained
1 cup whole kernel corn
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced (about 3/4 cup)
1 small red bell pepper, chopped (½ cup)
2 green onions, finely chopped (about ¼ cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
*Bring 2 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add the quinoa. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool completely.
*In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, soy sauce, basil, garlic, sea salt, if using black pepper, beans, corn, tomato, bell pepper, green onions, and parsley, if using. When cool, add the cooked quinoa and stir, mixing well.
*Serve at room temperature or refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
~Pearl Fruth Miller
Warrensburg, Missouri
by Office Manager | Apr 7, 2014 | 2014, Newsletter Articles
“What better joy is there than sharing a pot of tea with those that you love.”
Ladies of all ages, join us for the Ladies’ Afternoon Tea on Sunday, May 4 immediately following worship. The menu will include savories, scones, and sweets and endless pots of tea served by our fabulous Oakton men. Gluten-free items will be available. While not necessary, hats and boas are encouraged and add to the fun of this event. Watch for a sign-up sheet in the narthex.
