Wednesday, June 7, 2023

FROM THE PASTOR

Rev. Rebekah Abel Lamar

I have been intrigued by Joan Gray's book Sailboat Church since she published it in 2014. There are other books that get at the same idea that Dr. Gray does, but the image of the sailboat seems to be imprinted on my brain. In her first chapter, she writes that the boat was an early symbol for the church. You have probably been in sanctuaries in which the architecture is reminiscent of the inside of a boat. Her question is where does one's boat (one's church) get its power? Is the church a sailboat, which relies on the wind of the Holy Spirit for its power? Or is it a rowboat, which relies on the power of its members? Dr. Gray quotes Parker Palmer who writes about "functional atheism" and defines it as "the belief that ultimate responsibility for everything rests on us. This is the unconscious, unexamined conviction that if anything decent is going to happen here, we are the ones who must make it happen--a conviction held even by people who talk a good game about God (from Palmer's book, Let Your Life Speak)."

Sailboat churches work hard, but their attitude is one of dependence on a God who will "accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine (Eph 3:20)." The church that is functionally atheist (as Palmer puts it) or a rowboat (as Gray puts it will lose energy because they have lost the "why" behind their work.

As you begin reading and as our summer sermon series kicks off, I wonder how your life might be different if you were more "sailboat" and less "rowboat?" What kind of difference would it make for our church to cultivate a spirit of dependence on God?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts as we read together this summer!

Grace and Peace,

Rebekah

GSPC News

GSPC's Summer Intern: The Session unanimously voted to have our own Carrie Adams serve as our part-time summer intern. Carrie is a life-long member of GSPC, a graduate of St. Paul's School and the University of Alabama. Carrie is the daughter of Dan and Barbara Haas. She is married to Strickler Adams and is mother to Ma'on (5), Mary Ann (2), and Haas (8 mos). Carrie was recently enrolled as an Inquirer for Ministry with the Presbytery of South Alabama. She is exploring a call to ministry, and we look forward to being a place for her to learn as she serves the church this summer! Carrie will begin working about 25 hours per week on Monday, June 12 and serve through Sunday, August 20.

Sign up for VBS: Vacation Bible School will be June 19-23. Please register your children as soon as possible so that we may order T-shirts to arrive in time! Click here to register.

Summer Series: This summer, our church will read together Joan S. Gray's “Sailboat Church.” The sermons will loosely follow the chapters of the book. Books are available in paperback and Kindle online. To order, click here. A few copies are available in the church office for $13 each.

Baytreat is available for rentals this summer. Several of the rooms now have queen-size beds! For information, email Shelley Springer or call her at 251-605-0695.

Sanctuary Flowers: If you would like to place flowers in the Sanctuary in memory of or in honor of a loved one, please contact Ann Adams at Adams-marion@att.net or 251-591-8586.

Your Favorite Hymns: We want to include your favorite hymns in our music-based service on Sunday, July 2. To share your favorites, please fill out the form in the sanctuary or bulletin and put it in the offering plate, or email Heather Hamilton.

High School Youth at Montreat Youth Conference: Please pray for our senior high youth as they attend the Youth Conference in Montreat this week. Attendees are Jackson Boone, Mac Boone, Houston Jones and Sam Lamar, with Harley and Marlene Jones as chaperones.

This Sunday in Worship

The Rev. Rebekah Abel Lamar will begin the Summer Read and Sermon Series this Sunday with a sermon titled “Sailboat Church: Possibility,” with Ephesians 3:14-21 as the scriptural reference. This will be the Sanctuary Choir’s last Sunday to sing before their well-deserved summer break. Joining the choir will be two violins as they offer two movements from Franz Schubert’s Mass in G (Kyrie and Benedictus) and W.A. Mozart’s Sonata No. 13 (Church Sonata, K. 274) among other music.

Sunday Assistants on Sunday, June 11:

Lisa Goodloe

LeAnne Tamblyn

Bulletin for Sunday, June 11:

Sunday, June 18

Next Sunday, June 18, Rev. Rebekah Abel Lamar continues her summer sermon series “Sailboat Church: Seeking” and referencing Luke 11:5-13. While the Sanctuary Choir is on their vacation, musical guests will be Jarrett Callaway, Ashley Lamar and James Tamblyn.

Talking Heads

This Sunday School class meets each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the Heltzel Room on the second floor.

Sunday Book Study

9:30 a.m. in the Church Library. The group is studying the Interpretation Bible Series "Exodus."

Sunday School for Children and Youth

Sunday School for Children and Youth has recessed for the summer and will resume in August.

Spring Hill Women Bible Study

Tuesdays at 8 a.m. at the home of Ann Adams. The group is studying "Look Ahead" by George Sinclair.

Tuesdays at Ten Bible Study

The Tuesdays at Ten Bible Study meets at 10 a.m. at the church. The group is studying the Book of Proverbs and the sermon text for the following week. For details, contact Mary Elizabeth Perry.

Men's Bible Study

The Wednesday night Men’s Bible Study meets on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in the church library and also via Zoom. The group will recess for the summer at the end of May. Contact: Bo Perry.

Opportunities for Service

Please remember the people our church is serving and those who work with them daily in your prayers.

Help for Ukraine

The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program is our denomination's means for helping in times of disaster and crisis. The PC(USA) is in touch with our partner churches in Ukraine, Russia, Poland and Hungary. While it is difficult to get funds into Ukraine, the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance workers are doing their best to meet needs. In addition, they are sending supplies to partners in Hungary and Poland to help with the mounting refugee crisis in those countries. If you would like to help, you may give online or by text. https://pda.pcusa.org/situation/ukraine/

PB&J for Meals on Wheels

Our 45 Meals on Wheels recipients receive a sack lunch each day, along with a hot meal. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are often on the menu, and donations of creamy peanut butter and grape jelly are needed to help fill the pantry. Our clients also receive an individually wrapped snack, and snack donations are needed: peanut butter/cheese crackers, chips, cookies, cereal bars, Cheez-its, etc. Please leave your Meals on Wheels donations in the donation box at the Jackson Street entrance.

McKemie Place

GSPC has agreed to provide lunch for up to 45 residents at McKemie Place on the second Friday of each month. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered for this mission over the last year. We are in need of volunteers to provide, prepare, and serve lunches on July 14 and August 11. If you can help with this mission on either of these dates, please contact Lisa deShazo at 251-591-1077.

In addition, the residents of McKemie Place are in need of luggage to carry their belongings when they are able to leave the shelter. Please bring your donations of gently used luggage to the church office.

Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies

How Can You Support Barton Academy?

Send monetary gifts to the church to provide assistance to families purchasing uniforms. Checks should have the memo "Uniform Assistance."

Bring the following items to stock a Hygiene Closet for the school: Clorox wipes, Tissue, Deodorant, Black socks, Paper Towels, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste.

The Mobile Area Interfaith Conference (MAIC) is a non-profit agency that provides services for inmates in Metro Jail and released inmates returning to the community. This agency was formerly known as the Council of Downtown Churches, of which GSPC was a major participant. MAIC currently has an urgent need for white underwear (see details in the listing below) and used glasses. Below is a list of needed items:

Personal hygiene products for men and women, including full size shampoo and conditioner (must be able to see through the containers), full size deodorant (no roller balls), full size soap, full size toothpaste, white cotton socks (no anklet style);

Clothing, including men's white cotton briefs or boxers (no snaps), white cotton T-shirts with sleeves (men and women use these, so all sizes welcome), women's white cotton underpants (all sizes), women's white cotton bras (all sizes);

Reading material, including Bibles (softbound only, large print editions especially needed), magazines with neutral content such as food, decorating, self-improvement, health, shopping, geography, history, etc., and books (soft bound only, with mild non-violent content, non-fiction also appreciated).

Small containers of shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and soap are also welcome.

If you have any questions about any of these missions, please contact Lisa deShazo, Chair of the Urban Ministries Committee.

Blanket Ministry: All are invited to donate baby blankets to be delivered to the Mostellar Clinic. Inexpensive items of any baby-appropriate washable fabric or yarn are appreciated. The babies we serve usually average 8 lbs. Store-bought or handmade items are welcomed. Donations may be left in the “Baby Box” at the Jackson Street Foyer, or you may order from Amazon and request delivery to the church, marked “Blanket Ministry.”

Habitat for Humanity SW Alabama here in Mobile is looking for volunteers to help out – just yourself, or a group. Our volunteers come out on Wednesday through Saturday. Hours are 7:45 a.m. to noon. What a great way to focus on team-building with your co-workers and friends!

Please email and let me know when you would like to be added to the Habitat calendar for 2023.

In Partnership,

Sue C. King

Habitat for Humanity SW Alabama

Development Coordinator

3712 Airport Blvd.

251-476-7171, Ext. 229

Parking lot

We suggest that all of our members park in the GSPC lot, double parking if necessary. If you wish to park in the lot next to GSPC's, you will need to pay $5 for 3 hours of parking.

The State of Alabama has begun issuing new tag plates with current year tag renewals. Please make sure that you update your new tag number by emailing it to the church office.

Premium Parking is handling our parking lot revenue. The company has added a service kiosk next to the Guesnard House patio entrance.

Please remember to update us if you have a new tag and or vehicle.

Please remember:

GSPC members park for free in the lot at all times.
If you have not registered, you may do so by emailing your license plate number to Heather Hamilton in the church office.
If you receive a ticket, do not pay it. Please bring the ticket or send a picture of it to Heather or Barbara in the church office and they will take care of it.

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