September 16, 2020
Dear friends,
Our Christian faith is a simple religion concerned with ordinary objects. Animals, tables, and books. Bread, wine, and water. Wood and nails. The items that inhabit our holiest stories are also the stuff of everyday life. Communion bread comes from the grocery store or somebody’s kitchen, and the water in our baptismal fount comes from the same sink where I rinse out my coffee mug. Through and despite their humble origins, these elements become vehicles for the miraculous to occur.
I was reminded of this on Rally Day last Sunday when about 200 of you (not including dogs and a cat) drove through our church driveway to wave and say a quick hello. In our brief interactions there were no profound theological debates and the skies didn’t open up to reveal any heavenly choruses. There was only the simple pleasure of looking one another in the eyes and smiling – connecting face-to-face with the most elemental and profound of human gestures.
Simple though it may be, our faith is built on nothing less than the promise of God’s presence when two or three of us are gathered together. It took several long months of pandemic isolation and then seeing you again in person last Sunday to remind me of the fact that being with other people is fundamental to who we are as Christians and as human beings. Thank you to everyone who came out. Your presence was a sacred gift. I encourage you to think about this as you’re reading through this week’s newsletter. What follows is not just a catalog of events – it’s an invitation to encounter God!
Peace and blessings,
Alex
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Westminster This Week - Quick Links
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Last Sunday was a Rally Day like never before...and it was GREAT! About 200 folks (and fur friends!) came to our "Drive-Through Car Rally for a Season of Zoom" and donated 200+ boxes of cereal for Iglesia Emanuel's food pantry. Woo hoo! |
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TONIGHT at 6:30pm: Aperture Returns!
“In These Trying Times: A Class on Fearing, Coping, and Hoping” facilitated by Geoff Vaughn
2020 has been a year like no other in recent history. Our local, national and global communities have and continue to endure challenges in unfamiliar ways and at unprecedented levels. As this season of stress wears on, our abilities to cope with chronic fear and find some acute relief are increasingly strained.
We're excited to bring Geoff Vaughn, a Medical Family Therapist with the Duke Cancer Institute, Vaughn, to discuss via Zoom:
- The fundamentals of stress-inducing events, their origins and characteristics, and how we perceive and react to them as individuals and as groups
- The impacts of stress on our physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual well-being
- Strategies to better manage stress and ways to instill a sense of hope and strength during these times
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SUNDAY: Virtual Courtyard After Worship
Catch up with your WPC friends after worship on Sunday in the WPC Virtual Courtyard. Chris will be the host and looks forward to your visit!
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SUNDAY: Youth Group Fall Kick-Off
Our Youth Advisors, Youth Council, and Alex have been working up plans for a new year of WPC Youth Group. There will be a Youth Group Kick-off meeting for all parents and youth on Sunday, September 20, at 5:00pm, via Zoom. Come and hear about what Youth Group will look like this Fall. Check your email, or contact Alex for the Zoom details. In the meantime, check out the new Fall 2020 WPC Youth calendar!
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NEW: CommUNITY Groups Nurture Faith Together/Apart
Sign-Up by Monday, Sept. 21
Jesus’ ministry began with an invitation to two curious young adults: “Come and see.” Soon, a small circle of men and a few women followed Jesus, leaving behind their old ways of life and learning about and living into the Kingdom of God. Through this small group, lives far beyond its members were healed and transformed and the good and subversive message was spread.
Jesus’ followers today are also invited to “Come and see.” It is through deep, often challenging relationships that we experience the living Christ, that lives are upended, and the very world we inhabit is made new. Forming bonds of kinship, however, is difficult in normal times, even more so in this age of physical and social distancing. But it is clear that connection and supportive fellowship is more important than ever.
That’s why Westminster’s Christian Education teams for Adults, Children, and Youth decided that a primary goal for this fall needed to focus on nurturing faith in CommUNITY - together/apart. Key to this effort will be a new initiative that offers the opportunity to join a small group.
CommUNITY Groups connect two to four households (8 to 12 members) around a shared interest. Groups meet at least once a month and may choose to meet on CommUNITY Sunday which typically falls on Communion Sunday, the first Sunday of the month, during the Church School hour (Our first CommUNITY Sunday will be October 4). CommUNITY Groups may also choose to meet at a different time that is convenient to the group. Try a CommUNITY Group this fall to “come and see” where Jesus will lead us together/apart!
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Chancel Choir is BACK (via Zoom)
A special invitation from Monica
The pandemic has brought us to the start of a choir season unlike any in our lifetimes. But we plan to approach it with positivity and creative energy. Rehearsals will be held via Zoom on Thursdays at 7:30pm.
Why should you join us now, of all times? There are many reasons! Here are a few:
- We will be singing wonderful music together. I am aiming for comfort, beauty, and peace in the midst of the chaos our world continues to throw at us. The anthems and hymns we will focus on this fall fit the bill!
- It is true that choir rehearsals via Zoom will be different, but I am working hard to make them as engaging, educational, and fun as they can possibly be. Rehearsals won’t be lengthy but will be quite varied. From time to time I’ll also give background information about musical styles or composers, or even bits of music theory, history, and interpretation that influence how we approach music. We’ll also take some time to discuss how a particular piece strikes us, what it means, what music means generally in our lives. We will learn so much from one another!
- Getting to church on Thursday evenings is no longer a barrier, no matter what weather or other conditions are thrown at us. Just sing along and participate in our discussions from the comfort of your home. It couldn’t be easier!
Please let me know if you would like to join us in choir this season, so I can send you a music packet. You’ll need it to be fully engaged in rehearsals.
That’s it...now plan to sing with us! We look forward to welcoming you to our fun-loving group of music-lovers! Please contact me with any questions.
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Fall Church School Elective: “In These Trying Times”
Continue the conversation from tonight's Aperture event in this three-week Fall Church School elective, also facilitated by Geoff Vaughn. Two separate groups will meet for three Sundays each.
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Confirmation Class starts Sept 20 This class will be for parents and caregivers of our 2021 Confirmands. During these sessions we will discuss spiritual perspectives, confusion, challenges and growth of our eighth graders and how we can better support them on their spiritual journeys. We will also devote time to discussing specific challenges they are experiencing in this season of the pandemic, of the social and political unrest in our world, and their resultant uncertainty, frustration, and fear.
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“In These Trying Times” Class starts Oct 11 This class will serve as an extension of the Aperture Class facilitated on September 16 (but attendance at that initial session is not necessary). We will continue our investigation of how the myriad current stressors in our communities continue to generate significant internal stress, as well as ways we can find relief, comfort, and support as this season of uncertainty wears on.
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Responding to Disasters During the Time of COVID
From the Global Missions Committee
What can we do in the face of hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and other disasters that tear people’s lives apart while we are social distancing? This is the question your Global Missions committee has been addressing. For a few frenzied days, the news is full of the latest disaster, our hearts go out to the people affected, and then the news and our lives move on. However, the people at ground zero must still deal with the devastation for months or years to come.
In the past, we have collected contributions for a particular disaster and even sent teams of volunteers to places such as Tarboro and the Gulf coast. We may do both of these things again in the future, but we also wanted a way to support you in individual giving or volunteering during the pandemic. Below we have identified three organizations you may want to consider. Please prayerfully reflect on how God is calling you to respond.
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The Red Cross is always one of the first organizations to provide food and shelter for disaster victims.
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Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is our denomination’s disaster program through which you can both give and volunteer. Click here to read an update on how PDA is responding to victims of Hurricane Laura.
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All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response is a nonprofit that works globally and has received the highest ratings from Charity Navigator for finance, accountability, and transparency. According to its website, All Hands and Hearts comes early, stays late, and listens to the local people to understand their needs. The organization’s focus is rebuilding homes, schools (which are often neglected by other disaster relief programs), and infrastructure that are disaster-resilient.
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