Second Sunday After Epiphany
The Arkive: Ark and Dove's Newsletter
Second Sunday After Epiphany!
Livestream worship, January 17, 2021, 10 am

Please connect on YouTube HERE
Message from Pastor Tim
Dear Members and Friends of the Ark and Dove Community,

January is church business month. Huh? In January we tend to the foundations that enable us to carry out ministry for the full year. What are some routine things we do during January?

The Session prays about Ministry for the new year, and they base a significant portion of their approach on the pledges that are received and the disciples who step forward to lead and help. We plan.

The Session prays for the disciples who are still praying about their pledge, because a ministry plan includes dollars in and dollars out. We pledge.

The ministries of the Church create their annual reports, and we cut and paste them together into a hard document called the Annual Report. We read the report(s).

The congregation gathers together for an annual meeting. We celebrate ministry accomplished. We ask questions for clarification.    

The Session reads (again) the Long Range Plan. We evaluate our progress.

The Congregation is asked to learn about Per Capita Special Offering, which goes to the Presbytery of Baltimore and the General Assembly of the PC(USA). The Presbytery resources and supports the local church. The General Assembly helps us to do together, as 1.7 million people, what we could not do alone or even as one church. We support mission co-workers in Costs Rica and Guatemala. We became a PC(USA) Matthew 25 church in 2020. We educate ourselves about the larger church. PCUSA.org  and Presbytery of Baltimore.

In the face of the triple pandemic--a reckoning with race; the attack upon democracy; the COVID-19 scourge (it has been a rough year)--I really do take comfort in partnering with you in redefining and rediscovering what it means to be a faith community, in the early 21st century. I am about the business of giving thanks for all of you who make up this community we call Ark and Dove. That is the business of church: to give thanks in the midst of despair; to live with hope in the midst of turmoil; to live with love in the midst of anger.

In Christ,
Tim
tstern@arkanddove.org

P.S. 29th Annual Meeting but first Annual Meeting of the Congregation by Zoom Jan 31, 2021, 7:00PM. We will use break out rooms in order to enjoy relationships and conversations.
Message from Pastor Jon
Dear Friends and Members of Ark and Dove,

The words of prophets sting. See these words from Isaiah 32:

For fools speak folly,
    and their minds plot iniquity:
to practice ungodliness,
    to utter error concerning the Lord,
to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied,
    and to deprive the thirsty of drink.
The villainies of villains are evil;
    they devise wicked devices
to ruin the poor with lying words,
    even when the plea of the needy is right.

They sting, and yet we have to bear them. Foolishness, ungodliness, deception, injustice abound--even under the name of God. Prophets point out such hypocrisy and point at us, who are guilty of the same.

This morning, I listened to words that echo Isaiah. Not from a pastor or professor, but from the ska-punk veterans Five Iron Frenzy. They released their first album in seven years and Reese Roper spits this on the second verse of the opening track:

To all the hungry
You locked the doors
You sunk the thirsty
Before their boats make the shores
To every stranger
You closed the gates
Your new gospel:
Spitting venom
Black with hate
You sold them out
Saying "Anything for sponsorships" -
A self-imposed, Orwellian, apocalypse
Your new god
He loves blind conformity
So pledge allegiance
And wave your flags in uniformity

The lyrics were written well before the riots at the Capitol last week, but they sound like they were written right after. Here we have to hear of the hypocrisy that endures in much of American Christianity: the gospel (lit. good news) proclaimed as bad news to the hungry, thirsty, stranger, and dispossessed.

While these words aim at a certain segment of American Christianity, we must remember what Pastor Tim reminded us last Sunday: as soon as we point the finger, we take on the responsibility of pointing out our own sin. We too spurn the hungry, thirsty, and stranger.

Let us listen to the prophets, ancient and modern, as much as they might offend. May we profess good news for all in our bodies and speech.

Peace,
Jon
jnelson@arkanddove.org
Verse and Prayer
The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Then the Lord said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle.
- I Samuel 3:8-11
Lord Open unto me
Open unto me, light for my darkness
Open unto me, courage for my fear
Open unto me, hope for my despair
Open unto me, peace for my turmoil
Open unto me, joy for my sorrow
Open unto me, strength for my weakness
Open unto me, wisdom for my confusion
Open unto me, forgiveness for my sins
Open unto me, tenderness for my toughness
Open unto me, love for my hates
Open unto me, Thy Self for myself
Lord, Lord, open unto me

Howard Thurman (1900-1981)
For this week's postlude, I chose a piece by one of my favorite composers, R. Nathaniel Dett. Dett (1882-1943) is one of history’s greatest musicians of African descent, and multi-talented as a composer and as a choir leader, pianist, teacher, poet, and writer. As a seminal figure in the preservation and study of spirituals, both as a writer and choral leader, and as a great teacher and inspirer of African-American musicians in later generations, he is acknowledged to be one of the most important musicians in American history. Dett was also the first black musician to graduate from Oberlin College and was born on the Canadian side of the border at Niagara Falls, making him a fellow Canadian by birth. Eight Bible Vignettes is the culmination of Dett’s style, outlook, philosophy, and life. Each movement is related to a Biblical episode, four from the Old Testament; four from the New. “Desert Interlude” depicts the story of Abraham’s slave, Hagar, in which Dett presents her as the matriarch of the African diaspora.

Peace,
Margaret
Director of Music
margaret.mcgillivray@gmail.com
This week we get a much needed reminder in equality and justice for those who have been oppressed with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day on Monday. The band hymn is 'Let Justice Roll Down.' I think this is a familiar hymn that can speak for itself in message, but justice needs to roll down like a mighty river. The offertory this week is a guitar piece written by Frederic Hand, who teaches at the Mannes School of Music. The piece is an elegy, a lament for the dead, and is a somber piece that really captures the emotion of losing someone so important to the civil rights movement, equality, and justice.

I hope you all have a blessed week,
Pat
Director of Contemporary Music
psise11@gmail.com
Generosity!
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You will be enriched in every good way for your generosity….
- 2 Corinthians 9:11
29th Annual Congregational Meeting
January 31, 2021, 7 pm
We will celebrate 2020 at our Annual Congregation Meeting on Sunday, January 31, 7:00 pm by ZOOM, where we will break out into small groups, at least twice during the meeting, so we can talk with other people in the congregation.
Second Sunday After Epiphany bulletin
Lent
Jesus and the Disinherited
Who was Jesus, and who would he identify with today? What does he say to encourage us in the ongoing struggle for justice in our world? Do his teachings apply to the fear, deception, and hate we experience today? Howard Thurman, the great spiritual guide of the civil rights movement, answers these questions in his classic little book, Jesus and the Disinherited. Martin Luther King Jr. studied it during the Montgomery bus boycott and drew much from it. We can learn so much from Thurman today.
 
As we journey in faith through this Lenten season, let Howard Thurman be your guide. He will help us see Jesus more clearly and follow him more closely. Pick up Jesus and the Disinherited wherever you buy books, and we will discuss each short chapter during Lent in small groups. Small group offerings will be made available in the coming weeks. Please contact Kim Champagne (kim.champagne@gmail.com) or Pastor Jon (jnelson@arkanddove.org) with any questions.
GLEAM
God’s Love Embraces All Ministry
The next event the God’s Love Embraces All Ministry (GLEAM) team will be hosting will be a book club. We will read the book “Outside the Lines: How embracing Queerness will Transform Your Faith” by Mihee Kim-Kort on February 16, 7:30 pm on ZOOM. Contact Amanda at amanda.rose.crose@gmail.com with any questions or to RSVP.
Christian Education
Lectionary Bible Study

Every Wednesday at 10 am, we gather online for fellowship, Bible study on the upcoming Sunday scriptures, and prayer. This has been and continues to be a great way to deepen friendships and faith. Please join us, there is no commitment or homework. Contact Pastor Jon for the Zoom invitation (jnelson@arkanddove.org).
Youth Christian Education
Godly Play
Our Sunday school program for grades K-5 takes place via Zoom each Sunday from 9:00- 9:40 am. Our host welcomes the child(ren), the storyteller tells a story and then leads the children in reflection and wondering. If you have any questions about Godly Play or would like to be put on our list to receive zoom invitations, please contact Julie Devers, Christian Education Elder, at jbdevers@gmail.com.
LOGOS Weekly Lessons and Activities
Check your emails each Tuesday! LOGOS is Ark and Dove's midweek intergenerational experience for children and youth up to 8th grade. If you’d like to get on the weekly emailing list, please contact Amy Goldberg at amygoldberg.2010@gmail.com. If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact Jen Roman at jroman8414@gmail.com.
Growing With Each Other
Sunday Fellowship!
Sunday Fellowship after the live-stream church service continues! Via a ZOOM meeting, of course. If you'd like to join in for some light conversation and have a chance to see some familiar faces, simply send an email to fellowship@arkanddove.org to request an invitation. We will then send you a link to the Zoom meeting. You only need to do this one time, and you can use the same link each week. The meetings begin around 11:15 each Sunday. It will be great to "see" you! Nicole Howe, nicolehowe123@gmail.com.
Tea at Three
Friendly Seniors
Thursdays at 3:00 pm on Zoom. Please contact Pastor Tim (tstern@arkanddove.org) to receive an invitation.
Prayer Requests
Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:

PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT for Patty Plander; Krista Klohr; Gary Myers; Wren Suggs; Merlin Berry; Dick Paronto; Bob Johns; Camille Dubois; John Mikeska; Richard and Edie Budd; Vaughn Brown; Frances Keyes; Brooks Emrick and her sister, Susan; Dotty Kaufman, her son, Bill, daughter-in-law, Carol, granddaughter, Sarah, and grandson Nathan; Lewis Shorter and Lewis Shorter’s niece, Jennifer Schwandt-Gayle; Bob Fuller’s brother, Joe Fuller; Dot Forloines’ family and her great-grandson Luke; Donna Anderson's brother-in-law, Tom Brown; Debbie and Bruce Arey’s family in Connecticut and daughter, Allison, and niece, Naomi; Linda Taylor’s mother, Izola; Grant Kirby’s mother, Caroline, and Julia Kirby's mother, Margaret Floyd; Clarke Beaudry’s mother, Judy LaMarque; Kennon Bauman’s uncle, Dan Johnston; Amy Goldberg’s grandmother, Ruth Cooper; Christy Yeager’s mother, Linda Jordan; 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; Amanda Wehage’s mother, 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; Cindy Knott’s mother, Madeline; 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 Walcutt’s mother, nephew, and sisters; Erika Sealing's son, Trip, and grandmother, Margaret Schade; Kathy Miller’s friend, Sandee Dickson; Sue Hanburger's friends, Barb, Phyllis, Martha and Craig; Linnie Girdner and Jan Hof’s friend, Grace Ligon; Ylonda Fauntleroy’s friends, Alma Hinton and Tanya; Rob Yeager’s friends, Lisa and Kearston; Amy Hagemann’s friend, Marie Canaday’s mother; Scott Howe’s friend, Jen Miller; the Gaurins’ friends Nyla and Danielle; and Kathy Emmert's friend, Patty.
 
THE LOVE AND PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION go out to those who have lost a loved one to COVID-19:
The Burnett family on the death of Kelly’s aunt, Pat.
The Fenstermacher and Scott family upon the death of Annetta's brother-in-law Billy Scott.
 
LOVE AND PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION go out to the Beaudry family upon the death of Clarke's stepfather, Gerald LaMarque.
 
PRAYERS OF SAFEKEEPING for Stone and Donna Ashwood’s son, Jason, who was deployed to Washington, DC.
 
PRAYERS OF HEALING for those with COVID-19 including: Amanda Crose's grandparents, Doc and Betty Davis; Zach and Hayden Brecheen's grandfather, Mike Brecheen; Robeya, Terrance and Ariana Johnson; Michelle Schoonmaker's Auntie Bernice; Josephine Girdner; Paul Doughty’s uncle, Dan, and cousin, Elizabeth; Emily Crose's grandmother, Lois Echhorn; Doug Walcutt’s father, Chuck Walcutt, and stepmother, Linda Walcutt; Diane Johnson’s grandson, Avery Woods; Ed Barrett's friend, Joe Bogner; Julia Kirby’s great niece, nephew, his wife, and friends, the Speer family, the Coffey family, and April and Sam; Amy Hagemann’s friend, Mary Hurt Werner; Rob Yeager’s friends, David Palombo, and Jeff and Ana Siegel; Robert and Marissa Lyle; Lisa Marino, Jay Mulholland, and their 4-month-old daughter Lily; Ylonda Fauntleroy's family, Annette and Leah Turner, and friends, Sandra and Elijah Williams; Margaret’s neighbor, Wayne; Adell Gaurin’s friend, Ed; Michelle Schoonmaker's colleague, Ajita Robinson and friend Rusty; Stephanie; Andrew; Yeni, her husband and their six children; Jennifer Roman's aunt, Laura Clay, and grandmother, Louise Nothdurft; and Lori Kronser’s friend Debbie  and her family.
 
PRAYERS OF LOVE, SUPPORT AND PROTECTION for all essential workers workers around the world, including: Bill Gaurin; Tricia Gray’s mother; 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; 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.
Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church | 410-674-6400 | admin@arkanddove.org | www.arkanddove.org | 8424 Piney Orchard Pkwy. Odenton, MD 21113