Dear Ark and Dove Community,

 

Recently two members of Ark and Dove received an award for their leadership in our church. I am inviting and encouraging you to view the Lobby, this Sunday, to get the scoop. I think you will find this edition of the Lobby a lot of fun. Probably safe to tune in at about 10:10. Of course it will be saved for later viewing, and we are noticing that many of you check in on Sunday afternoons and evenings, and on Mondays. It is exciting to see so many people taking advantage of our YouTube channel options, especially during these times that we have not been able to gather in the sanctuary. The pandemic, while physically separating us, has unexpectedly widened our understanding of church, and we now have people from several states joining us every Sunday.

Although two people in our congregation have received an award, I am aware of scores and scores of people at Ark and Dove that pour heart and soul into ministry in this place, and we are grateful to you all. Part of being in a church community is saying thank you to your fellow members for their spirited contributions to the life of our church.

We have outdoor worship scheduled for this Sunday at 9:15 and, as of 3:00 pm, the weather forecast does not look good. Be sure to check our homepage on Sunday, at 8:00 am, to find out if we need to cancel. Livestream is on for sure.

Worship in the sanctuary will begin again on Sunday, June 20, at the 10:30 service. We will begin by asking that people register ahead of time, wear masks and refrain from singing.  As more and more people get vaccinated in our nation, and our county, we will continue to follow the science with an eye toward returning to worship practices (before the pandemic).  For now, for the health of all people in our church, we will move forward  with and in safety.

 

Peace of Christ,

tstern@arkanddove.org

Dear Friends and Members of Ark and Dove,

One of the books I am currently reading is Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant. The book argues that the most important skill we ought to develop, in our rapidly changing world, is the ability to rethink what we have learned. Grant tells his readers to make a list of the things of which they are most ignorant, in an effort to understand where there might be growth. It is important to know what you do not.

What are the elements of Christian faith, or its Presbyterian form, that you do not know or understand? The Trinity, which we contemplate this Sunday? The book of Lamentations? How Presbyterian government works? What one of the letters in LGBTQIA stands for and means? What the Presbyterian tradition says about political responsibility? What do you not know about your faith?

The Adult Education team has been working hard to offer fun classes that explore matters of Christian faith we ought to rethink. We have come up with some classes that teach these matters in interesting ways. What do Asian Americans, now often discriminated against, teach us about liberation? Katie Nilsen Johnson will lead us in an exploration of Asian American theologians next week. What does it mean to have hope, in the middle and after so much suffering? Achsah Callahan will lead you to rethink hope in her class on Lamentations, which involves listening to a podcast. What is the image of God you have when you pray? A couple of leaders will lead you through that question in the first installment of "Mythbusters" on June 20 at 9:15 am.

Faith seeks understanding, Anselm of Canterbury once wrote. We may not come to any full sense of understanding, but it is crucial to understand what you do not know. That will lead to deeper faith. I hope to see you in one of the many offerings listed below.

Peace,

jnelson@arkanddove.org

PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT for Patty and Steve Plander; Margaret Floyd; Alex Strobel; Ardeth and Bob Johns; Steven Kirby; Arlyce Lohr; Krista Klohr; Christa Kronser; Michelle Schoonmaker; Dick Paronto; Richard and Edie Budd; Vaughn Brown; Camille Dubois’ parents; Debbie Saylor’s sister, Christine; Ryan Stavely’s father, Brian; Sue Hanburger’s daughter, Megan; a member of the Tardiff family; Dionne Whitby's daughter and niece, Jannah; Brooks Emrick and her sister, Susan; Amanda Crose’s mother, and grandmother, Betty Davis; Dotty Kaufman, her son, Bill, daughter-in-law, Carol, granddaughter, Sarah, and grandson Nathan; Donna Anderson's brother-in-law, Tom Brown; Steve Debus' cousin-in-law, Stephan; Kathy Miller’s brother-in-law, Jeff Miller; Lewis Shorter and Lewis Shorter’s niece, Jennifer Schwandt-Gayle; Bob Fuller’s brother, Joe Fuller; Dot Forloines’ family, granddaughter Melisa Tucker Saatthoff and her great-grandson Luke; Debbie Arey’s sister; Debbie and Bruce Arey’s family in Connecticut and daughter, Allison, and niece, Naomi; Linda Taylor’s mother, Izola; Kennon Bauman’s uncle, Dan Johnston; Amy Goldberg’s grandmother, Ruth Cooper; Christy Yeager’s mother, Linda Jordan; Linda Jordan’s niece, Bonnie; Diane Johnson's Uncle Ed, Aunt Janet, and cousin Richard; Shelley Franklin's father; Hollis Butterworth’s daughter, Rachel Mershont; Amanda Wehage’s sister and father, Dave; Laurie Barrow’s nephew, Gunther Kurtz; Sabonna Keeney’s mother; Bernabe and Griselda Solano, and Griselda's sister, Irma; Laura Doughty’s brother-in-law, Carl Hahn, and Paul Doughty’s mother, Ruth Doughty; Laura Willoughby's father, Norman; Bill Ruble’s mother, Mary Jane Weathers; Ann Hirschy’s aunt, Cindy, and brother; Christina Nelson’s grandmother, Pat Dole; Kelly Burnett’s nephew, Justin; Patriceo Green’s cousin, Philip Brown; Lou Kareha’s aunt, Judy Kochis, and cousin, Thomas; Cheryl and Doug Walcutt’s grandchild, Gray Adacutt; Cheryl Walcutt’s mother, nephew, and sisters; Erika Sealing's grandmother, Margaret Schade; Lourdes Cordero's granddaughter; Linnie Girdner and Jan Hof’s friend, Grace Ligon; Paula Griggs’ friends Char and Jackie Pullen; and Kim Young’s friend, Kurt Kost.

PRAYERS OF HEALING for those with COVID-19 including: Kelly Burnett’s cousin, Laurie; Dot Forloines’ granddaughter, Abigail; and Jennifer Roman's aunt, Laura Clay, and grandmother, Louise Nothdurft.

PRAYERS OF LOVE, SUPPORT AND PROTECTION for all essential workers around the world, including: Mike Stiegler; Bill Gaurin; Tricia Gray’s mother, Sabrina Johnson; Becca Distad; Jack Burnett; Caitlyn Bussey; Emily Sanders; Audrey Miller; Linda Jordan’s nephew, Russell; the Ralston’s family members and friends; Simone Stiegler’s friend, Jean Marie; 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.