File - Sunnyside Presbyterian Church

Sunnyside Presbyterian Church Newsletter
The Sunnyside
February 2012
Online every month: www.sspchurch.org/current-newsletter.html
Pastor’s Note: Power of Prayer
One thing that people have been mentioning recently around the church is
that it is great that we have such a
large prayer list. Studies show that
people who are prayed for tend to experience better outcomes than patients for
whom no one is praying.
Inside this issue:
Evidence of Faith
2
February Birthdays
2
Faith and FireAntz
Celebrating Hymnals
3
Green is the new Purple:
An Eco-Conscious Lent
4
Valentines to give to your
Children
5
Doors open Wednesday!
Info about holy days
5
Calendar
6
“I still love my enemy…
but he’s pushing his luck.”
So yes, our prayer list may be a bit
long. But their names are on the hearts
of our congregation and are mentioned
countless times individually throughout
the week. And they are mentioned out
loud on Sunday as we gather to worship
the Lord.
But let us not stop with a list. Take
time to fill out a card to let someone
know that you care and are praying for
them. Give someone a call and spend
15 minutes or more talking to them instead of asking a few yes or no questions. Go visit someone who doesn’t get
out as much as they used to and have a
nice visit with them.
One of the most powerful things we can
do—elders, members and everyone in
our church family—we can offer to pray
with someone “right then.” This is different from saying “we’re praying for
you.” This goes beyond cards and prayer lists. It’s the most immediate and
powerful thing each of us can do for
each other and our neighbors in this
community. Let us begin our work with
the power of prayer!
Give up complaining — focus on gratitude.
Give up harsh judgments — think kind thoughts.
Give up worry — trust God to provide.
Give up discouragement — be full of hope.
Give up bitterness — turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred — return good for evil.
Give up anger — be more patient.
Give up pettiness — become mature.
Give up jealousy — pray for trust.
Give up gossiping — control your tongue.
Give up sin — turn to virtue.
Give up giving up — persevere.
for Lent
PAGE 2
Evidence of
T HE S U N NY S I D E
Faith
Bill Sessoms recently took the
adult Sunday School class on an
exploration of facts surrounding the
amazing story from the bible of God
parting the sea for the Hebrews to
escape from the Egyptians, while
being pursed from chariots.
Our Presbytery of Coastal Carolina
happily gave us use of their laptop
projector so that we could display
the images from Bill’s laptop onto
the wall beside him.
There is a place where chariot
wheels matching ancient Egyptian
ones, have been found—the gold plating perfectly preserved because it resists erosion. Pillars
stand on either side of this spot where King Solomon marked it some 900 years before Christ
(indicating Solomon’s understanding at the time).
The evidence excited us and affirmed our faith, but it didn’t remove all doubt. We still can’t
be SURE where they crossed the sea. Scholars have been piecing together the facts for years
and have come up with different possibilities. Read Exodus 14 and note the details.
Bill’s lesson teaches more than where the sea was parted by God. He helped us experience
much of what it means to be a Christian—having faith, and still not knowing the answers to
every question. Think about it: even the media, historians, scientists and archaeologists can’t
convince everyone about everything. They share experiences, stories and information that
swirls in our mind and spirit, which we use to believe what we do. Evidence requires that
people take a leap of faith to form beliefs and interpretations that seem the best to them.
Like historians and archaeologists, however, the more we explore things for ourselves, gaining
new information and experience (of God or geography)— the stronger our faith becomes!
February Birthdays
February 1—Marie Murphy
February 9—Laura Edwards
February 18—Edna Goodrich
February 20—Catherine Bolton
February 20—Gwin Carter
T HE S U N NY S I D E
PAGE 3
Youth + Faith = Fellowship + FireAntz
Sunnyside youth have adopted a new
“points” system to encourage their
growth as faithful young disciples.
They get points for memorizing the
Apostle’s Creed, Lord’s Prayer, and
naming the Books of the Bible. They
also get points for service hours to the
church and community, bringing
friends to church and church events,
and for getting A’s on report cards.
Ned Weeks helped the youth work towards these memorization goals, culminating in 80 points and the promised trip to a FireAntz hockey game!
Twelve of us went from Sunnyside and
made our presence known by shouting
the loudest when our name was called
with other groups after the second period!
How can I be part of our ministry to youth?

Sign up to help with youth group one Tuesday during the month

Sign up to be part of a new after-school initiative helping give people time to study and work on
areas of improvement in school
Time for Celebration
The new Celebration Hymnals have enhanced our worship throughout January
and look great in the pews.
To make sure we take advantage of the
hundreds of songs in our new hymnals,
the pianists have agreed to have a
“hymn of the month.” The hymn of the
month is a hymn that was not in our old
red hymnbooks, and it will be sung every
Sunday during worship so the congregation can become familiar with it.
January’s hymn was “Here I Am Lord.”
The hymn of the month for February is
“Spirit of the Living God.” Check out
website’s “worship” tab to see bulletins
and hear hymns at www.sspchurch.org.
PAGE 4
T HE S U N NY S I D E
Lent is the fourth season of the Christian year. Its length is the 40 days
preceding Easter Day, not counting Sundays. This means Lent always
begins on a Wednesday, known as Ash Wednesday.
Lent commemorates Jesus’ fast and temptation in the wilderness
of Judea Province, which, according to the Gospel, lasted 40
days. Just as Jesus confronted his temptations during these 40
days, Lent helps Christians focus on our most basic need as
sinners: forgiveness.
The only way our Lord’s forgiving power can become effective
in our lives is by our taking the initiative to confront our sins,
confess them and repent of them.
Let us engage Lent by treading lightly on God’s creation!
When we care for God’s good earth, we do so through both action
and reflection. We are called to engage in intentional and
thoughtful “doing” as well as “being.” As we anticipate the lengthening of daylight during Lent, we are invited to long, deep reflection. This reflection will shape our action. Likewise, our actions
shape how we reflect—on ourselves, our world and our Creator.
In what spirit might we enter a season of reflection and action?
Consider the spirit of fasting and feasting. We fast, refraining from
things that do not foster life. Yet we also feast, remembering God’s
grace and power in the world.
Let’s try a new way of living into Lent this year. Let’s reflect and
act. The PC(USA) has created a simple calendar that will provide new
ways for us to participate in this season each day. Most reflections
and actions can be done in less than 10 minutes, or they can take as
long as you like. Guiding themes for the weeks in this calendar are: creation, water, land, air, people, diverse species, and lifestyle commitment.
February 22
February 23
February 22
February 25
Ash Wednesday: Reflect on
the idea that you are made of
dust and to dust you shall
return. What feelings and
thoughts rise in you? How
might this shape your relationship to God’s creation?
Download the Lenten devotional resource from
Presbyterians for Earth
Care and share it with others in your congregation and
community:
www.presbyearthcare.org
Prayerfully consider how
the earth itself informs
your Lent. How is your spiritual journey influenced by, or
reflected in, the lengthening of
days; the hard, barren ground;
the frozen water?
Order Eco-Palms for
your church’s celebration of Palm Sunday:
www.pcusa.org/ecopalms.
This action supports fair
labor and sustainable harvesting practices.
February 26 1st Sunday in Lent
February 27
February 28
February 29
Celebrate God’s creation by
taking a walk outdoors,
spending time with a favorite
pet or telling stories with
loved ones about favorite
“sacred spaces” in creation.
Say a prayer of gratitude
every time you sip water
today.
Do a “water fast” by flushing your toilet half as often.
Most people on earth have
access only to the amount of
water each day that Americans use in one toilet flush.
Remember your baptism
today. What does it mean
to you? What happens to
this sacrament when the
world’s water becomes polluted/inaccessible?
T HE S U N NY S I D E
PAGE 5
Valentines to Give Your Children
Acceptance – Teach kids that you love them for who and what they are. Give this gift with a kiss.
Self-confidence
– Help children understand that they can trust themselves. Give this gift with a hug.
Life without needless fears
– Don’t let your kids see you as a worrier. Give this gift with laughter.
Appreciation – Help children acquire a spark of gratitude & enjoy all of life. Give this gift as they go
out the door.
Faith – Introduce your children to God, the best friend they’ll ever have. Give this gift by taking them to church
every Sunday.
All over this magnificent world, God calls us to extend his kingdom of shalompeace and wholeness — of justice, of goodness, of compassion, of caring, of
sharing, of laughter, of joy, of reconciliation. God is transfiguring the world
right this very moment through us because God believes in us and because God loves us.
What can separate us from the love of God? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And as we share God’s love with our brothers and sisters, God’s other
children, there is no tyrant who can resist us, no opposition that cannot be
ended, no hunger that cannot be fed, no wound that cannot be healed, no hatred that cannot be turned
into love, no dream that cannot be fulfilled.
-from Desmond Tutu, God Has a Dream
Doors Open All Day Ash Wednesday!
On Wednesday, February 22nd, Sunnyside will be opening its doors
to the community for a time of prayer and reflection 8am-8pm.
Special music and readings will be playing on our sound system
throughout the day until shortly before our Ash Wednesday service
that evening at 7pm.
We believe as Christians that there is great purpose for our life—for
every day. We also believe that God loves humankind so much, that
God’s word became flesh in Jesus Christ to defeat death and grant
people new life in God. Deep in our heart, we all want to matter. We
want to experience the joy of making a positive difference in the lives
of others. There is a God, and that God loves us and wants us to have
a hand in the goodness of creation. With God’s Holy Spirit, we can!
Come and take a moment for your spirit and your Lord. Sunnyside would be honored to serve you and
join you as you continue your life’s journey and begin the 40 day journey toward Easter.
3997 Sunnyside School Road
Fayetteville, NC 28312
Proud member of PC(USA)
Everyone is Welcome!
Phone: (910) 483-5758
Sunday School: 10 AM
E-mail: pastor@sspchurch.org
Sunday Worship: 11 AM
website: www.sspchurch.org
Bible Study: Wednesdays 7-8 PM
*Fellowship Dinners: Last Wed of month 6:30pm, all are welcome!*
Sunnyside Presbyterian Church, as a body of believers in Jesus Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit, seeks to glorify God through worship, prayer,
nurture and care, education, fellowship, service to others, and good stewardship of the blessings God has bestowed upon us as we seek to do
God's will in our daily lives. We seek to share our faith with others
through every aspect of our life, following the words of St. Francis:
“preach the Gospel without ceasing, and if necessary use words.”
Visit us online at www.sspchurch.org
Serving Christ from the heart of Vander
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February 2012
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Elder Training
10am-2pm
12 session
meeting 6:30
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
24
25
PW Circle 7pm
@ Marie’s
21
22
23
Open 8am- 8pm
Service: 7pm
26
27
2pm
28
29 Fellowship
Dinner 6:30pm
Date in Green = Ordinary Sundays
Dates in Purple = Lent (preparation for Easter)
Printed on recycled paper