T HE G RAPEVINE The Presbyterian C hur ch of Okemos Volume 16, Issue 11 November 2016 Some Thoughts on Faith On the last Sunday in October—a Sunday that Protestant Churches around the world set apart as “Reformation Sunday”—Pope Francis went to Lund, Sweden. Lund was the city where Christians built the first cathedral in Scandinavia, and it was the center of Christian missionary activity to Northern Europe. During the Reformation, the Lutheran Church became the predominate form of Christianity practiced in Norway and Sweden. Up until 1996, children born into a home with at least one Lutheran parent were automatically considered Lutheran by the state. Today, less than 4% of Swedish people attend worship each week, and as a nation, Sweden has one of the highest rates of atheism in the world. Nonetheless, Pope Francis went to Sweden as a place to begin mending a division that is almost 500 years old. In 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 theses—complaints against the Catholic Church and the Pope—on the door of the Wittenberg church. Next year will mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Pope Francis intends to “celebrate” the Reformation over the course of this year. That is causing some concern among many Roman Catholics. In 2008, Pope Benedict officially declared that Martin Luther was no longer a heretic. This summer, a statue of Luther was unveiled in Vatican City. And on his way to Lund, Pope Francis expressed some understanding for the protest led by Martin Luther: "The church was not a role model. There was corruption; there was worldliness; there was greed, and lust for power. He [Luther] protested against this… he was an intelligent man." Luther’s protest focused on what he called, “the economy of salvation.” He took aim against the practice of indulgences, and in so doing, he was attacking a hugely important institution. An indulgence was the sale of pious acts of contrition designed to insure salvation and shorten the length of time a loved one would suffer in purgatory. Priests, cardinals, and the Pope sold these indulgences; but this was also lucrative business for printing presses. Johannes Gutenberg printed indulgence certificates—printed papers that explicitly declared the terms and length of remission from purgatory attached to a pious act of charity. Martin Luther comes along in 1517 and argues that if the Pope can, by means of a letter, assure a person of life in heaven, why would not the Pope simply give this gift to everyone, free of charge? Luther derided a popular Catholic saying at the time: “When a coin in the coffer rings, another soul from purgatory springs.” Luther denied that the Pope actually held the power of such pardon. Such power belonged to God alone. So instead of increasing the faith of people, the sale of indulgences only increased the greed of corrupt clergy. Andrew Pettegree, a Scottish historian, makes a case that Martin Luther was in the right place at the right time. There had been a number of men and women of faith who had sought to reform the church in previous generations. But Wittenberg had a printing press, and there were a number of printers who were willing to publish Luther’s pamphlets for wide distribution. The artist, Lucas Cranach was nearby as well. Together, these printers and illustrators created what we call today, a “brand name.” Martin Luther became the most read, the most famous man in all of Europe. What began as a brief critique of Roman Catholic theology and practice soon became a revolution that effected not just the Church, but German statecraft, economic life and European society. There remain theological disputes today between Protestants and Catholics. Those disputes, however, are inching closer to consensus. Catholic, Protestant, and Evangelical Christians have gathered in the last two decades under the title of “The Princeton Project.” In 2003, this body proposed 72 theses toward Christian unity, culminating with a declaration that “Unity… will require our church to embrace a spiritual poverty that has the courage to forego genuine riches of a tradition for the sake of a more comprehensive unity in the truth of the gospel.” It is a word that both Martin Luther and Pope Francis might embrace. See you in church, Page 2 The Grapevine Congratulations: To New Members recognized on Sunday, October 23 Sarah and Brandon Hubbard Kent and Michelle Nessa Irene Yoder-Best On the baptisms of Luke James and Joseph Clifford, twin sons of Sarah and Brandon Hubbard, on October 30. On the birth of William Thomas to Ryan and Maggie Schaberg Walder, and their daughter Louise, on October 23. Grandparents include Tom and Jill Schaberg. Please hold in prayer those with health challenges: Glen and Delores Berkheimer, Burcham Hills Lowell and Jo Ewart Harriett McDaniel Edwin Ortiz-Martinez, adult son of Judi Harris Kristin Phillips Phil Prygoski Maxine Thompson, Linda Sirmeyer’s mother Pete and Jean Weinert Our Sympathy to Eunice Creswell and family on the death of her brother, Larry Richards on October 16 in Raleigh, NC. Thank you! Some of the blessings for which I am thankful are the many, many helpful volunteers at PCO. Along with our Elders and Deacons, there are unsung heroes who help me in the office by proof-reading printed materials, “stuffing” the bulletins, and stocking the pew envelopes. We also have a team of offering counters who stay late most Sundays to make sure our giving records are in order. There are many others I have seen take care of our building and property: changing light bulbs, pruning trees and bushes, weeding our gardens, fixing the plumbing, keeping our kitchen tidy, setting up and taking down tables in Fellowship Hall, stocking the pantry… The list goes on and on, but be assured that your work is appreciated by us all, whether or not I listed it here. Thank you all so much! Laurie (a.k.a. Church Office) Agape Feast, Sunday, November 20 When Christians began to write down the life and teachings of Jesus, the Greek language offered them a number of choices of words that expressed the idea of love. Christians chose the word Agape, and defined it as a self-giving love; the sort of love Jesus had for his disciples—the sort of love that God has for human beings. It was a short time before Christians began to refer to their Sunday evening worship as an “Agape Feast” or, a Love Feast. The first Christian church used worship as a time to gather for teaching, reading of Scriptures, and sharing at table—not just sharing bread and wine of the Eucharist, but sharing breads, fruits, and ordinary, everyday foods within the liturgical acts of worship. It is a long standing tradition in our congregation to observe this worship practice every year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. So on Sunday, November 20, we are inviting all church members to bring some food that can easily be shared in worship: breads, muffins, fruits, and other foods that can easily be eaten. We will have three table buffets set up in Fellowship Hall, and before the end of worship, we will leave the sanctuary and go into Fellowship Hall to eat together, share conversation, and conclude our worship with prayer and song. Please bring your food items to share to the kitchen that Sunday morning before worship. We will also be dedicating our tithes and gifts for the 2017 budget year at that service. Baskets will be placed at the front of the sanctuary so that we can enact our giving by walking forward and placing our “Estimate of Giving Cards” as well as our Sunday offerings in those baskets. Both of these practices are ways that we live out our gratitude to God in acts of thanksgiving and praise. Christmas Poinsettias As we all enjoy our blessings, families and friends in this upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, it seems a bit early to begin our Advent and Christmas preparations… However, because our marvelous annual advent program, An Evening of Lessons and Carols, is scheduled for December 11 (be sure it is on our calendar), and we would like to have our sanctuary beautifully decorated for that evening, we need to collect our Christmas poinsettias orders earlier than usual. Please watch the November weekly bulletins for more information regarding poinsettia order dates, choices and prices. Thank you, Sally Belloli Volume 16, Issue 11 CROP Walk Report Once again, very good weather greeted walkers at the STEM Academy for the CROP Walk on Sunday, October 9: 60 degrees, sunny, bright, with a nip in the breeze. Between 35 and 40 walkers from our church participated. They seemed to be evenly balanced between adults and kids. The youth were trying to match a challenge of $2,000 by two anonymous donors. Thanks to all who walked, who prepared the wonderful lunch at church before the walk, and all who have contributed to this effort to combat hunger. Please collect the money pledged to you, put the money and names of donors in the donation envelope, and return the envelopes to Ron Dorr by Sunday, November 6. Page 3 2016 Has Been a Year of Generous Gifts and Growth for the Endowment Committee. Some highlights from 2016 include: Received generous gifts from the estate of Chris Doemel and Wayne and Barbara Scott Reviewed several applications and then approved and funded 5 separate projects this year including: --Support of the AFAR (All Faith Alliance for Refugees) event in May --Funding youth summer campers at Camp Greenwood --Funding laptops for Edgewood Village program --Funding website and technology initiatives --Funding the Christian Ed Art Room renovation Our committee is currently planning for 2017 as we review the application process and funding options and review plans to effectively manage the growth of the fund in serving our community. Please feel free to contact a member of the committee with any questions. Kelly Locke Another Way to Give Those of you either approaching 70 years of age or already over 70 know about “RMD” (required minimum distribution). This is the amount that you must withdraw each year from your traditional IRA or employer-sponsored retirement plans. (Roth IRA's are excluded). The money you withdraw gets added to your taxable income for the year it is withdrawn. Failure to take your RMD by year end can result in a stiff IRS penalty – 50% of the amount you should have withdrawn. If you're required to take a minimum distribution from your IRA, you have the option to make that distribution tax free by directing it to the charity of your choice. President Obama has signed a legislative package that included making permanent "qualified charitable distributions" (QCDs). These distributions can be a convenient way to support charitable causes such as the Presbyterian Church of Okemos and get a tax break while meeting tax requirements for IRAs. Under the renewed QCD rule, beginning at age 70½, you can have all or part of your distribution made directly from your IRA to a qualified charity (up to $100,000 per taxpayer, per year). Unlike conventional RMDs, QCDs aren't subject to ordinary federal income taxes. Be aware that you cannot also claim the qualified distribution as a charitable tax deduction—the amount is simply excluded from your taxable income. If you would like to avoid ever paying taxes on a portion of your deferred retirement savings, consider donating all or part of your RMD to the church. Contact Doug Paterson, our church bookkeeper, if you desire more information. Doug can be reached at 517-351-8325 or you can contact him by email at [email protected]. As you begin your year end tax planning, please consider this option. Page 4 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION The Grapevine November Adult Education Opportunities Adult Church School, Sunday mornings at 11:30am in Kehde Chapel November 6: Rev. Carlson will lead the 3rd part of a 3 week discussion-- Politics and the Church. What voice can the church claim in the public square? What stake does the church have in any election? What do we mean when we advocate "civil conversations?" November 13: Steven Keizer, our regional representative from The Presbyterian Foundation will be with us to talk about stewardship and creating a church budget. Mr. Keizer has been working with our Stewardship Team for the past 18 months. He will be with us to give a Minute for Stewardship in worship and then lead a follow-up conversation in the Chapel at 11:30 a.m. November 20: Writer’s Workshop for Lenten Devotional. We would like to compile reflections, poetry and art from our congregation to use during Lent. We will have questions to use as writing prompts as we begin this process. All are welcome. November 27: No Church School Other Adult Education Opportunities Conversation & Contemplation: Alice Townley facilitates this group which meets at 10:00 a.m. each Wednesday morning. This is a time for centering prayer, lectio divina and holy listening. All are welcome. Childcare is available on request. Thursday Morning Adult Bible Study We meeting each Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in Room 108 with Rob Carlson. Writing Life Stories will meet at 12:30 p.m. on November 6 in Room 108. Book Club will discuss Silence, by Shusaku Endo, at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 20, in Room 108. Copies of the book will be available at Schuler's bookstore. CE Staff Meeting Thursday, November 10—7:00 p.m. Youth & Children’s Ministries Women’s Connection meets 12:30 on Sunday, November 20 (third Sunday instead of our usual fourth because of Thanksgiving). Barbara Hansen, life-time Presbyterian and long-time member of PCO, will be the speaker. Please plan now to join us for fellowship, lunch, and to get to know more about Barb through her presentation. Women’s Supper Out Monday, November 21, 5:30 p.m. We will meet at the Cancun Mexican Grill, 1754 Central Park Dr., Okemos. Please contact Barbara Dorr if you can attend, so she can make arrangements. Youth Group calendar Sunday, November 6, 12:30 p.m.: Board Games Sunday, November 13, 12:30 p.m.: Youth Group Sunday, November 20, 12:30 p.m.: Make hats for refugees Sunday, November 27, 12:30 p.m.: Glaze bowls with Upper Elementary students for Souper Bowl Christmas Pageant Sunday, December 11, 12:30.p.m.: Practice Sunday, December 18, 11:30 a.m.: Dress Rehearsal Saturday, December 24, 5:00 p.m.: Pageant actors arrive! Volume 16, Issue 11 MISSION COMMITTEE UPDATE Thanks to everyone who helped with the CROP Walk lunch and took part in the walk itself, either by walking or by making donations. Our youth more than met their challenge, and the weather was beautiful. It was wonderful that Ron Dorr, who has contributed so much to this event over the years, was this year’s marshal. Great leadership, Ron! Extra food from the luncheon was taken to Haven House by Wayne and Barbara Scott. At the most recent Mission Committee meeting, we were guided by 1 John 4:7-- Behold, let us love one another, because love is from God. This prayerful command led us into these conversations: The Committee spent some time talking about the impact of the hurricane in Haiti, a concern we have heard from a number of members, and how we can best help. We determined that unless members provide specific direction, donations for Haiti relief should be divided equally among Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (directed to Haiti), Haitian Artists for Peace (HAPI, the site of Alice Townley’s recent trip) and the Haiti Nursing Foundation. Please be ready to sign up to help with the Thanksgiving baskets of food that our church delivers to Meridian Township families in need. November 20 is the date that donations will be gathered up for delivery, under the careful guidance of Becky Gillespie. Alternative Christmas Market is not that far away, December 4. Barbara Scott heads up a subcommittee that will be bringing us some exciting new items. The Mission Committee will have the “giving” tree up the following Sunday, December 11, thanks to the work of Becky Gillespie and Andrea Kaitany. Our church received a thank you note from St. Vincent’s for the 12 boxes of diapers, 18 boxes of baby wipes, and two plastic storage tubs for the program for foster children. The gift certificates were sent separately and somewhat later. Judi Harris mentioned that the admission passes for Impression 5 were given to a mother who was being reunited with her child, so we have added joy to an already happy event for one family. Other gift cards contributed included three for Potbelly sandwiches and six $25 Meijer’s cards. Thank you to members for again helping others! The Mission Committee has finalized a date for a Cass Community mission trip for Saturday, February 18— Sunday, February 19, Presidents’ Day weekend. In December, Rev. Sue Pethoud will let us know what project she would like us to tackle. She did indicate that we can still “overnight” at Mom’s Place, where there are beds for 18 available. Our plans are to leave from our church on Saturday morning and return Sunday afternoon; however, members who wish to participate for one of these two days are welcome to do so. Cass’s executive director, Rev. Faith Fowler, is being inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame this month. It is great to see this recognition of a religious leader who has devoted her life to helping people in need in Detroit. Many of us had an opportunity to hear about Alice Townley’s work in Haiti. One unanswered question that the Mission Committee discussed is how the other half of the education program can be made available so that Haitian pastors can Page 5 complete the coursework and become certified. They decided to prayerfully consider how PCO can help make that happen. Please be sure to put on your calendars the fundraiser for the Global Institute of Lansing (GIL) on Saturday, November 5, 5:30-7:30 at the AA Creative Corridor in Reotown; tickets are $25 apiece. Ethnic food and live music will be featured, and we will hear from a young refugee, on his way to become a doctor, thanks to GIL and to our church for providing him funding to pay for an exam required for admission to medical school. GIL is the program that provides high school to refugees who arrive in the US too old to attend public schools. If anyone has an item to contribute to GIL’s auction, there is still time to let Paula Franz know at [email protected]. The committee also discussed where it would like to make future contributions, should the church’s budget permit. Priorities included contributions for Haiti’s hurricane victims, funding to purchase much needed furniture from Habitat’s resale store for incoming refugees, a second installment on funding for Edgewood Village’s “scholars program, and our mission co-partners in Niger (Rev. Michael and Rachel Ludwig, who were recently Skyped into a Christian education class). However, the committee recognized that none of these additional contributions will be possible unless the summer lag in PCO donations is caught up. When our youth did the “Souper Bowl Supper” much earlier this year, they raised $735. This money has been sent to the Greater Lansing Food Bank, with instructions to divide “credit” among three local pantries: the Okemos Community Church pantry, the Haslett food pantry, and the one operated by the First Presbyterian Church of Lansing. Some sources indicated that food banks can purchase a dollar’s worth of food for a five cent donation. On October 22, the youth served at Advent House; this together with their great participation in Crop Walk exemplifies their energy and desire to serve. Dar Si Hmad, a Moroccan nonprofit previous supported by our church has recently received recognition and a prize from the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). They were recognized for their project in helping rural women in an arid part of that country collect fog for water to reduce reliance on distant wells. The Mission Committee sent a letter of congratulations to Representative Sam Singh, who is the state representative for many members of our congregation. Together with a legislator from another part of the state, he sponsored legislation that expands the exemptions from prosecution for possession of controlled substances if an individual is seeking medical attention for substance abuse. Previously, state law had age limitations and limited exemptions to situations where the individual is seeking help for himself/ herself and not for others. These two bills remove the age limitations and extend the exemptions to situations in which a person is acting as a “good Samaritan,” and are a great example of lawmakers working in a bi-partisan manner for social justice. Rep. Singh’s bill was HB 5650, now PA 308. continued on Page 6 Volume 16, Issue 11 Page 6 Sweet Sounds of American Spiritual Music Lessons and Carols 2016 Dr. David Stowe, from MSU's Departments of Religious Studies and English, visited us last year to discuss Psalm 137. On November 3 at 7:00 p.m. at PCO, Dr. Stowe will discuss ideas from his book How Sweet the Sound: Music in the Spiritual Lives of Americans, which examines how our cultural diversity has contributed to a rich tradition of sacred and spiritual music. He includes discussion of many musical traditions including spiritual music of Indians, Shakers, Mormons, African-Americans, Jews and others to trace the threads of American spiritual music through time and culture. The presentation is open to the public, so please invite a friend or neighbor. Christmas is fast approaching and the PCO musicians are busy preparing for the 2016 Festival of Lessons and Carols which will be presented Sunday, December 11th at 7:00 p.m. This year in addition to our own Chancel and Handbell Choirs, we are delighted to welcome back the MSU Children's Choir. Each year the King's College Festival of Lessons and Carols introduces new music for Christmas. In keeping with that tradition, PCO has commissioned a work by Dr. Philip Rice in memory of Chris Doemel. Please mark the date on your calendars, and invite friends and family to attend this very special service. Parish Life November Events Parish Life invites you to join us for a Chili Night in November! We will gather at 5:30 on Sunday, November 13th to sample a variety of chili recipes prepared by members of our congregation! Following dinner, we will enjoy a musical performance by several of our new choir members from MSU! Please sign up to bring your favorite chili, salad, or dessert. The sign up sheet can be found on-line at www.perfectpotluck.com (Coordinator Name: Stokes; Password: Chili). We hope to see you there! On Sunday, November 20th, we will give thanks for all of you who were born in the month of November! Cake and punch will be served immediately following the worship service! Please check the list on the kiosk to ensure that your name will be included on the cake. All are welcome to stay for this time of fellowship! New Organ Music During the next several months you will be hearing organ works by the contemporary Canadian composer Denis Bédard. Born in Quebec City in 1950, Bédard began his musical studied at the Conservatoire de Musique where he excelled in organ, harpsichord, and composition. He later pursued study in Paris, Montreal, and the Netherlands, and joined the faculty at the Conservatoire in Quebec and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. In addition to teaching and composing, Bédard served as organist and music director at Saint-Roch Church in Quebec and Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver. His compositions include many organ works and chamber works as well as orchestral and vocal music. He has received commissions from many countries, and his compositions are performed internationally. Many of Bédard's organ works are based on familiar hymns which makes them ideal for the worship service. While his style is essentially tonal, melodic, and structurally formal, there is a contemporary edge which adds freshness and vitality to his music. Mission Update continued The Michigan legislature is in session very briefly until after the election. All 110 House seats are “up” and the House will be in session only one day, October 19 until November 9, the day after the election, when bleary-eyed members stumble in to elect their leadership teams. The Senate, which is not up for re-election, is in session October 18-19 and, like the House, back in session on November 9. While the state senate is not “up” for re-election (serving concurrent four year terms), all 110 members of the state house are “up” with a number of members being term-limited. Volume 16, Issue The Book Nook: MACBETH, by William Shakespeare The words are as fresh and original as they were when I first read them 60 years ago in Mrs. Floy Johnson’s English class. “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” “Double, double toil and trouble.” “Duncan is in his grave, / After life’s fitful fever he sleeps well.” “Out, damned spot! out, I say.” Some sayings have become commonplace: “At one fell swoop.” “This is a sorry sight.” “But like a man he died.” The granddaddy, of course, is Macbeth’s reaction to the death of Lady Macbeth: Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. On September 18, I joined 40 students, faculty, and staff members from James Madison College on our annual trip to the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario. The performance of Macbeth was exemplary. The theatricality was spectacular, even stunning. “Instruments of darkness” prevailed. Few daytime scenes appeared. Thunder and lightning lit up the stage. Knocks on the palace door as well as on a guilty conscience reverberated throughout the theater. Instead of crowded military scenes, colorful sets of two soldiers fighting each other darted around the stage. At one point a boy’s head appeared as an apparition in the cauldron of one of the witches. By the time that Macduff had beheaded Macbeth, however, I felt that the horrible deed was tamed and not faithful to the tradition of the time, which was to put such heads on pikes and display them publicly. The acting was solid, solid, solid. Lady Macbeth’s cruelty, dismissing “the milk of human kindness,” was more forceful than Macbeth’s initial indecisiveness about killing King Duncan. The appearance of two Banquos as ghosts at Macbeth’s palace was an original touch. The ghost of Banquo walking on the table was chilling, sending shivers down my spine. Malcolm’s speech, quickly switching from selfflagellation to revenge to be wreaked on Macbeth, showed how quickly human nature changes. In the most humorous part of the performance, Macduff’s boy stole the show with his witty response to mistaken news that his father had died. The death of old Siward’s son, who “paid a soldier’s debt,” someone said, “must not be measured by his worth, for then / It hath no end.” “Why then, God’s soldier be he!” Siward— the English general—responded: “Had I as many sons as I have hairs, / I would not wish them to a fairer death.” Oh, how I wish Shakespeare had written as well about peacemaking as he did about death, grief, and the making of war. Two impressions about this performance stood out. First and foremost, Shakespeare is a master of the English language. Look at his figures of speech. Witches are “weird sisters.” Macbeth is a “fiend of Scotland.” Seasons have fits. Page 7 “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!” Macbeth confesses. Here is “vaulting ambition which o’er leaps itself” and conquers conscience; there is “thriftless ambition,” which devours greedily the goods of life. Here is a simile fragrant with ambiguity: “Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye, / Your hand, your tongue: Look like the innocent flower, / But be the serpent under ‘t.” And here is an extended metaphor: Macbeth does murder sleep—the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the ravel’d sleave [unraveled thread] of care, The death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, Chief nourisher in life’s feast. Alliteration is as brief as “tempest-tost” and extensive as “there shall be done / A deed of dreadful note” and “nine times nine / Shall he dwindle, peak and pine.” Personification appears: time is never overtaken. Oxymorons such as “joyful trouble” surface. So does a chiasmus involving “foul” and “fair.” I especially enjoy Shakespeare’s balanced sentences: “What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.” “False face must hide what the false heart doth know.” “The night is long that never finds the day.” “All is the fear, and nothing is the love.” “That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold.” All of these sentences balance four syllables on the left with six syllables on the right, or vice versa. My second major impression was the vigorous discussion on the bus ride from Stratford to Sarnia. Students and faculty picked up Shakespeare’s doubleness, ambiguity, and multiple interpretations appearing simultaneously. Power appeals, yea, it beckons, until, blinded by ambition, it corrupts. Love works best in partnership, even conspiracy—partnership that ends, unfortunately, in death (e. g., the Macbeths, Macduff’s family, young Siward). Prudence has its place but, oh, at what a cost (Macduff abandons his family, and Macbeth’s thugs kill the Macduffs). Fear abounds: fear of oneself (Macbeth), fear of another (Banquo’s ghost), fear of fate (the weird sisters’ prophecies). Fate is fickle: where is the place for free will? Wit, truth, and wisdom come from the mouth of a boy. Death, darkness, and deceit—all these prevail until the very end when tempered love of country (and 10,000 English troops) restore the reign of Duncan’s family and call for “grace of Grace.” In my lifelong writing about Colombia, death, grief, and renewal, the teaching of writing, Abraham Lincoln, and Shakespeare’s plays, I have been faithful to Floy Johnson. She taught hundreds of us to diagram sentences, to stretch our minds, and to love the English language. I am deeply grateful to my high school teacher for what she has meant to me and my family. “Continue to think clearly and you will live your life wisely. A plan for life needs a foundation just as a diagram does,” Floy Heinrich Johnson wrote my mother in August of 1936. Her words —like Shakespeare’s—live on. The Presbyterian Church of Okemos 2258 Bennett Rd Okemos, Michigan 48864-3233 November 2 Interfaith Thanksgiving Service Monday, November 21 , 7:00 p.m. St. Thomas Aquinas Church 955 Alton Road, East Lansing (across from Patriarche Park) We are blessed in East Lansing by the cooperative interfaith collaboration between our many communities of faith! Come celebrate this connectivity, mutual support, and witness of unity as we gather on Monday evening, November 21 at 7:00 p.m. for our annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. This year’s service will be held at St. Thomas Aquinas Church and will feature a community choir, refreshments and fellowship, and expressions of thanks from a variety of faith traditions. Our speaker this year is Rev. Andrew Pomerville, the senior pastor at The Peoples Church. A special offering will be collected to benefit “Connect for Kids: Feeding Lansing’s Children.” All are welcome! The Grapevine is a monthly newsletter of THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH of OKEMOS Phone: 517-349-9536 Email: [email protected] Website: http://okemospres.org Sunday Worship: 10:00 a.m. Staff: PASTOR: Rev. Dr. Robert T. Carlson, Jr. ASSOCIATE FOR PARISH LIFE Rev. Alice Fleming Townley DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN & YOUTH MINISTRIES Sue Schnackenberg ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Laurie Horstman Office Hours: Tuesday—Thursday, 9:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m. Friday, 9:00 a.m.—12 noon MONDAY Sunday TUESDAY 1 PCO Events November 2016 6:45am Men’s Group 1-3pm Artist Way class 6 All Saints Day 10am Worship & Communion 11:30am Church School Hour 12:30pm Endowment Committee 12:30pm Writing Class 12:30pm Youth Group 13 10am Worship 11:30am Church School 12:30pm Youth Group 5:30pm Chili Supper and New Choir Singers 20 10am Worship & Agape Feast Pledge Cards Due Thanksgiving Baskets 11am Birthday Cake Fellowship 11:30pm Church School 12:30pm Women’s Connection 12:30pm Youth Group 27 First Sunday of Advent 10am Worship & Communion No Church School 7 6:45pm Monday Mallets 8 – Election Day 6:45am Men’s Group 1-3pm Artist Way class 14 6:45pm Monday Mallets 15 6:45am Men’s Group 7pm Worship & Music Committee 21 Grapevine Deadline 5:30pm Women’s Supper Out 6:45pm Monday Mallets 7:00pm Community Thanksgiving 28 6:45pm Monday Mallets 22 6:45am Men’s Group 29 6:45am Men’s Group WEDNESDAY 2 10am Conversation & Contemplation 7pm Parish Life Committee 9 10am Conversation & Contemplation 7pm Mission Committee 16 10am Conversation & Contemplation 6pm Administration Committee 7:30 pm Session 23 10am Conversation & Contemplation 30 10am Conversation & Contemplation 7pm Personnel Committee THURSDAY 3 9:30am Adult Bible Study 6:15pm Level I Bell Choir 7pm David Stowe presentation 7:30pm Chancel Choir 10 9:30am Adult Bible Study 6:15pm Level I Bell Choir 7:00pm CE Staff meeting 7:30pm Chancel Choir 17 9:30am Adult Bible Study 6:15pm Level I Bell Choir 7:30pm Chancel Choir 24 - Thanksgiving FRIDAY 4 2pm Prayer Shawl Group SATURDAY 5 5:30 – 7:30pm GIL “Fund the Future ”AA Creative Corridor, 1133 S Washington, Lansing 11 Veterans Day 12 18 19 25 26 2pm Prayer Shawl Group
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