The Arkive: Ark and Dove's Newsletter
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Communion Sunday!
Please connect on YouTube
HERE
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Dear Friends,
Presbyterian Pastor Graham Standish writes in his book "Becoming a Blessed Church" these statements:
- The Blessed Church sees itself as the Body of Christ
- The Blessed Church has a vibrant sense of faith in God, hope for the future and love for each other
- The Blessed Church depends on Pastoral and Lay Leadership
- The Blessed Church is filled with God’s purpose, presence and power
- The Blessed Church embraces the sacred
- The Blessed Church is not afraid to serve God in its own unique way
The
Blessed Church is not cocky, but intentional about serving God--my words. Part of being intentional is to listen to each other, as together we listen for God’s voice in the world, and God’s call to us. In a country full of declining churches, one reason we have remained healthy is because every three years or so we engage in an intentional process of listening to each other and planning for the future. It’s risky to listen, because you might hear things that are hard to hear. And we do. It has been called Long Range Planning, and we are at it again, and our team is filled with both newer and long time members striving to help us stay faithful to God, faithful in the world and faithful toward each other.
As you will read below our Long Range Planning will listen to you by using the Church Assessment Tool (CAT). Please watch for the CAT SurveyMonkey coming soon. Your voice is essential.
Peace of Christ,
Tim
tstern@arkanddove.org
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Dear Members and Friends of Ark and Dove,
Why Ark and Dove? Why do you worship as part of this community? Why do you participate in the life and ministry of the church? Why is this church important to you?
This week I participated in an exercise with a group of Baltimore Presbytery leaders asking, why? Motivational speaker Simon Sinek inspired many people, leaders, and organizations to ask this question in his famous TED Talk. For Sinek, it is crucial to the vitality of a group or organization that the people understand why they are a part. It is important to stay connected with your
why. Understanding why is necessary for anything we do, whether it is the reason you bike in the morning, do the work you do, or are part of a small group. If we do not know why we do something or are a part of something, we will lose our motivation to stay connected.
As we face this turbulent time, I think it is more important to be clear about the
why. As Ark and Dove shifts and maneuvers on account of pandemic and crises, we have to remember the reason we attend, worship, and lead. We will stay true to who we are in all this, if we understand why we are called to be the particular and peculiar community named Ark and Dove.
Recently, a Stephen Minister asked me why I chose and choose Ark and Dove. I have several reasons and they change all the time. But here is the gist: Ark and Dove is an engaged community of forward-thinking, broad-loving, all-affirming people ever willing to play their part in God's dream for the world.
Why did you choose Ark and Dove? Why do you choose this church today?
Peace,
Jon
jnelson@arkanddove.org
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As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
- Colossians 13:12-14
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God of life,
there are days when the burdens we carry
are heavy on our shoulders and weigh us down,
when the road seems dreary and endless,
the skies gray and threatening,
when our lives have no music in them,
and our hearts are lonely,
and our souls have lost their courage.
Flood the path with light,
turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise;
tune our hearts to brave music;
give us the sense of comradeship
with heroes and saints of every age;
and so quicken our spirits
that we may be able to encourage
the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life,
to your honor and glory. Amen.
—Attributed to Augustine of Hippo (354–430)
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The anthem this week is a 4 part treble arrangement of a beloved hymn, 'How Can I Keep from Singing?' The text was written in the 1850s by Anne Warner and an additional verse was added in the 1950s by Doris Plenn. The simple pentatonic melody and musical structure is a perfect companion to 'Amazing Grace', which is heard in the final verse. During this season of not being able to sing together, this hymn is a reminder of the missional role of music in worship; that we should and are meant to make a joyful noise as part of the new creation. Our postlude this week is a piano transcription of 'A Gaelic Blessing', by John Rutter. The choir sang this earlier in the year, and it is one of my favorite benediction texts. The music can also stand alone as a song and prayer in our hearts, as is evidenced by this gorgeous setting.
Peace,
Margaret
Director of Music
margaret.mcgillivray@gmail.com
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It wasn't easy to leave the beach, but I am happy to be back. This week Jordan gets to lead us once more, on 'Fierce' by Jesus Culture, before having to return to work. It is a newer hymn that was in rotation before the COVID-19 changes. Please listen a bit this week to get familiar with the tune, so you can sing and worship from your streaming location. I want to give a huge thanks to everyone for the nice compliments about the music recently. The musicians are doing so well with the recording process and with all the hard work we put into the music each week, it is very warming to know that you are enjoying worship services. I think the sermons have been astounding. We are blessed and grateful to have a wonderfully supportive congregation and are happy to share our talents with you each week!
Stay healthy and God bless!
Pat
Director of Contemporary Music
psise11@gmail.com
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TEXT your donations! 410-983-3481
Text
give to get started. Text
commands for more options.
- Text an amount followed by stream to contribute
- Text an amount followed by GoodSam to contribute
You will be enriched in every good way for your generosity….
- 2 Corinthians 9:11
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Eighth Sunday After Pentecost
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Long-Range Planning Team: Church Survey
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Every three to five years, Ark and Dove engages in a process of review, assessment and goal-development. This year we will be using the Church Assessment Tool (CAT) to help gauge the strength, vitality and trends at Ark and Dove. The information gathered from this assessment will be essential to planning the future of our church, and the long-range team is looking for your input to complete this work! You will receive an email, in early August, with a unique link to the CAT. (To request a paper copy, please email admin@arkanddove.org.) In completing the survey, we ask that you resist the temptation of discussing it, or your answers, with anyone else, as this may influence the candidness of the responses. All answers are strictly anonymous, so please feel free to honestly share your perceptions, opinions and experiences. How we plan our future is dependent on your involvement, so the long-range planning team looks very forward to your full participation! Questions? Please contact Chris Fox via email at foxychris3@gmail.com.
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The Call to Love One Another
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The LOGOS planning team sent out an email this week to families and volunteers about the upcoming 2020-2021 year. If you or your family is interested in participating in
LOGOS
(our weekly children and youth program), please fill out this brief
survey
by July 28th. Thank you!
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Through August 14, 2020
This summer, Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church is holding a virtual Summer Bible Club.
Registration
is open to K-8th grade students (grade completed). The program "On Earth As in Heaven" invites us to (re)-experience the
Lord's Prayer
and to see the connections between prayer and service in the world. Weekly videos starting on July 13 introduce the theme with a skit, music, and Bible story. On Thursday nights, children will meet with their age group for a live Zoom call featuring activities and conversation relating to our theme.
Register today
! Questions? Christina Nelson, christinajoy87(at)gmail.com or Linda Lewis, lclewis022(at)gmail.com.
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Middle School Summer Book Club
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As part of our Summer Bible Club, Ark and Dove Middle School youth are invited to join a discussion of the book
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. We will meet weekly for five weeks to discuss the book from a faith perspective. Several are already in. Want to join? Please contact Pastor Jon (jnelson@arkanddove.org).
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Summer Sunday School for elementary aged children will continue using the Holy Moly program from 9am to 9:30am on Sunday mornings. If you are interested in teaching or being the second adult on zoom, please contact Julie Devers at jbdevers@gmail.com.
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Pastor Jon and I have picked a novel for this summer's book discussion that we are certain you are going to love: James McBride's "Deacon King Kong." NPR described this novel, which is set in the south Brooklyn projects in the late 1960s, as "a narrative about flawed, poor people navigating an ugly, racist world and trying their best with the help of God, each other, or the bottle; their stories are unique, but the struggles are universal — and that makes this a novel about all of us." The Zoom discussion will take place on
Tuesday, August 4, 7pm
. Please email Kim Champagne at kim.champagne@gmail.com for the meeting code.
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Antiracism and Social Equity
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Jesus and the Disinherited: A Retreat
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The late Congressman John Lewis called Howard Thurman the “patron saint” of the Civil Rights Movement. Both Pastors Tim and Jon have preached on Rev. Thurman in the past. The
Shalem Institute
is now providing their course on Howard Thurman for free to help people be grounded spiritually in the fight for racial justice. Contact
info@shalem.org
with questions. Enter the self-guided retreat day
here
.
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Money: Consider a Value-Based Path to Where PC(USA) and You Put It
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SURJ Annapolis and Anne Arundel (SURJ 3A) is offering a free workshop entitled
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: Decolonize Your Finances
on
Monday, July 27, 6:30 pm
. Join Jennifer Roman, Linnie Girdner and other SURJ 3A folk for an online workshop to examine our finances, so that together we channel our banking, investing, borrowing and spending into tools of healing, love and belonging. More info
here
. Register
here
. Questions or comments, please contact Linnie Girdner, girdnerlinda@gmail.com.
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You’re invited to "Sunday Fellowship" Zoom meeting after our Sunday worship
livestream
! It will begin at approximately 11:15 am. Since we cannot meet in person yet, and we miss our Sunday morning snack and chat time, we thought we'd see if this could be a sort of virtual substitute! Sorry, you'll have to supply your own coffee and snacks. ;) If you'd like to log onto the Zoom session for this fellowship opportunity, please contact fellowship@arkanddove.org before 11:15am Sunday mornings to receive a link to join in.
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Thursdays at 3:00 pm
on Zoom. Please contact Pastor Tim (tstern@arkanddove.org) to receive an invitation.
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If you are looking for some fun on Saturday night, join the Deacons to play Codenames over Zoom! Codenames is like a board game that is very easy to play virtually--it's not a video game. Get an invitation to the Zoom meeting from eemakar@aol.com. Get the game at www.horsepaste.com/deacons. There is no sign up, download, or registration. You will need to tile your screens, to be able to see Zoom and the game at the same time. It is best to play on a computer, for size. Saturdays at 8 PM.
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Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:
PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT
for John Rolewicz; Adell Gaurin; Wendy Wellington’s father, John; Linda Jordan; Stone and Donna Ashwood; John Mikeska; Sean Futch; Diane Johnson's Uncle Ed, Aunt Janet, and cousin Richard; Shelley Franklin's father; Hollis Butterworth’s daughter, Rachel Mershont and brother-in-law, Brian Smith; Joan and Merlin Berry; Mike Davie’s brother, Steve Davie; Amanda Wehage’s mother, sister and father, Dave; Ben Rollins’ sister, Caroline; Zach Murray’s father, Kelly Murray; Becky Marcus; Fred Barrow; Carlton Jackson; Sabonna Keeney’s mother; Pattie Plander; Richard and Edie Budd; Daryl Sensenig; Amy Grimm’s sister and grandparents and Amy’s father; Laurie and Fred Barrow’s niece, Hope Simeone, nephew, Samuel, and Fred’s aunt, Lee; Bernabe Solano; Griselda Solano's sister, Irma; Kathy Miller’s sisters, Patty and Beth; Dotty Kaufman, her son, Bill, daughter-in-law, Carol, granddaughter, Sarah, and grandson Nathan; Laura Doughty’s brother-in-law, Carl Hahn; Bob Johns; Cindy Knott’s mother, Madeline; Laura Willoughby's father, Norman; Bill Ruble’s mother, Mary Jane Weathers; Stan Houck and Ann Hirschy; Christina Nelson’s grandmother, Pat Dole; Chip Burnett; Kelly Burnett’s nephew, Justin; Dot Forloines and Dot’s friend, Mary Hiett; Dorene Chen’s family; Lewis Shorter and niece, Jennifer Schwandt-Gayle; Patriceo Green’s brother and sister; Jennifer and Shawn Ralston’s niece; Archer and Honor Bauman’s grandfather, Larry; the Tardiff family; Cheryl Walcutt’s mother, nephew, and sisters; Ylonda Fauntleroy's aunt, Bernice Taylor, and friend, Tanya; Brooks Emrick and her sister, Susan; Vaughn Brown; Frances Keyes; Julia Kirby's mother, Margaret Floyd, and cousin, Judy; Erika Sealing's son, Trip, and grandmother, Margaret Schade; Amy Benson's family and Amy’s friend, Brian Shriner; Lou Kareha’s friends, Thomas and Judy Kochis; Margaret McGillivray's friend, Kim Nolet; Jesse Penabaker, Michelle Schoonmaker and Michelle's Auntie Bernice; Linnie Girdner and Jan Hof’s friends, Grace Ligon and Skip Dorrell; Kim Young's friend, Joyce Miller; the Yeager’s friend, Karen Schell; Steve Debus’ cousin-in-law; Lori Kronser's friend, Barbara Noonan; and Doug Mattingly’s mother.
PRAYERS OF HEALING
for those with COVID-19: Alta Paronto’s friend, Marilyn.
PRAYERS OF LOVE, SUPPORT AND PROTECTION
for all hospital staff, patients, clinics, grocers, essential workers and hourly workers around the world, who are working bravely and arduously to protect our loved ones and our communities. Including: Tricia Gray’s mother; Becca Distad; Jack Burnett; Caitlyn Bussey; Emily Sanders; Audrey Miller; Linda Jordan’s nephew, Russell; Diane Johnson’s grandson; the Ralston’s family members and friends; Simone Stiegler’s friend, Jean Marie; Mike Stiegler; Amy Grimm’s mother; Jeff Grimm; Amy Goldberg’s brother, Joseph Alexander, and parents, Michael and Maryann Cooper; Judy Cooper’s daughter; John Mikeska’s son, Jonathan; and Hollis Butterworth’s sister-in-law, Cyndie.
If you have prayer concerns or blessings that you would like to share, please contact Deacon Patriceo Green at patriceobgreen@gmail.com and he will add your concern to the prayer partners email chain.
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Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church | 410-674-6400 | admin@arkanddove.org |
www.arkanddove.org
| 8424 Piney Orchard Pkwy. Odenton, MD 21113
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