The Weekly Word at Western Boulevard Presbyterian Church

Thursday, March 31, 2022

Life Is Fragile

That phrase has been resonating with me over the last several days. Watching the news and seeing the destruction in Ukraine, and the suffering that millions are enduring. Members of our congregation experiencing the sudden loss of loved ones, or others getting news of diagnoses of illness that are life-altering. Seeing first-hand the desperate living conditions many who are poor are facing every day. Just as soon as we believe that life is stable, we learn that in fact life is a fragile gift which we should never take for granted.

There are echoes of that sentiment in the scripture we will hear this Sunday. Soon before Jesus would enter Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he went to the home of Lazarus. It is there that after dinner, Mary kneels down and anoints Jesus’ feet with oil and wipes his feet with her hair. When Judas questions why this was done, Jesus rebukes him, saying: “You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me” (John 12:8). I hear Jesus saying in that statement that he recognizes that life – even his earthly life – is fragile.

While life might be fragile, what is not fragile is the promise which is at the end of this Lenten Journey. We do have to walk through the uncertainty, the pain, the struggle of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. But the promise of Easter is that through those struggles we endure, God has defeated death through the empty tomb. That gives us hope, assurance, and peace to know that no matter the trials we face in this fragile life, we are always and forever in the hands of our living, loving Lord.

As you near the end of your Lenten Journey, may you hear that promise once again through the fragility of life you experience.

With a full and grateful heart,

Frank

THIS SUNDAY AT WBPC

Parlor Class – 9:30am

Sunday School – 9:30am

Worship Service – 10:30am – Click HERE for the bulletin. We will celebrate the sacrament of communion in worship, and there will be no Children's Chapel this Sunday.

Session Meeting – 11:45am – Meeting in the Fellowship Hall.

@The Table Worship – 5:00pm – The Zoom link may be found on the bulletin that’s available for download HERE.

Youth Group – Planning for Youth Sunday

BREAKFAST! – APRIL 10

Sizzling bacon, fluffy eggs, creamy grits, hot coffee...hungry yet? Please join us Sunday, April 10 at 8:45am in the Fellowship Hall for a hot breakfast to kick off your day of worship. No need to RSVP, just show up with your smiling face and hungry tummy.

LENT AND HOLY WEEK

AT WESTERN BOULEVARD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Lent Adult Study on the Lord's Prayer

Frank Mansell and Beth Ware are leading a Lenten Study on The Lord’s Prayer on Tuesdays at 11:00am. We are meeting in a hybrid manner: for those who wish to join us in-person, you are welcome to meet in the Fellowship Hall. For those who would prefer to meet on Zoom, click HERE for the meeting link. If you are planning to attend, you are invited to read the lesson materials by clicking HERE. We also are recording the study each week - click HERE to watch a recording of the study from March 29. Please feel free to talk to Frank (frank@wbpresbyterian.org) or Beth (bethware52@gmail.com) if you have any questions!

Lenten Devotions

You are invited to utilize the devotions “Making the Road: Walking Through Lent,” by Teri McDowell Ott, for your spiritual nourishment this Lenten Season. Click HERE for the downloadable version of the Lenten Devotional.

PALM SUNDAY – APRIL 10

At our morning worship service, we will celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem with the children leading the palm procession at the beginning of our service. Join us for worship at either 10:30am or 5:00pm (@ The Table Service on Zoom).

MAUNDY THURSDAY – APRIL 14 – 7:00PM

We will mark this evening with a service that includes scripture, special music, reflections, and the Lord’s Supper which our Lord instituted on this night.

EASTER SUNDAY – APRIL 17

We will celebrate Christ’s victory over death in our worship services at 10:30am and at 5:00pm (@ The Table on Zoom). We will also dedicate the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering on Easter, one of the four special offerings of the PC(USA). After the morning service, there will be an Easter Egg Hunt for children on the church lawn!

Light: Lenten Prelude Series

Music during Lent is often more solemn, a bit more reflective and somber to represent the 40 days of wandering in our own spirits as we journey from Ash Wednesday to Resurrection. We put away our jubilant “Alleluias” and replace them with more introspective “Kyrie” in reflection of our own need for God. Each Sunday in Lent, the prelude music for Sunday worship will be based on one of the beautiful stained glass windows in the sanctuary. Look for a brief description each Sunday in the bulletin or insert, and as you worship, take time to enjoy the beautiful light streaming through the brightly displayed colors around us.

Join the Easter Choir!

If you have missed singing hymns during the pandemic and would like to give choir a try, now is a great time to join us! We will be preparing accessible and worshipful music for the Lenten season and would love to have you join us. Choir meets on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings prior to worship. No prior experience required- just bring yourself and we’ll provide the robes, music, and fellowship. Questions? Contact Elizabeth at music@wbpresbyterian.org.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION NEWS

Please click HERE for the Christian Education brochure.

CALLING ALL KIDS . . ..

Palms for Palm Sunday – April 10

We need kids, nursery through 8^th grade, to help us with worship on April 10, Palm Sunday. We want to begin the service with a procession of palms, reminding us of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Please have the children meet in the hall outside the pastor’s office at 10:20am. From there we will pass out fresh palms, and then walk to the sanctuary. At the beginning of the service the kids will process to the front of the church waving their palms. They will place the palms on the communion table and then they can join their parents in the pews or return to the nursery.

Easter Egg Hunt – April 17

After the worship service on Easter Sunday the youth invite all children to an Easter egg hunt on the front lawn. Bring your baskets and see what treasures you can find. Children are encouraged to invite their friends to join us for this Easter tradition.

Vacation Bible School

Knights of North Castle: Quest for the King’s Armor invites children to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of God’s power by exploring how we put on the armor of God. Join us at the North Castle June 13-17 from 9am to noon each day that week for Vacation Bible School (VBS).

To make this VBS week a success, we need LOTS of volunteers to help with snacks, crafts, games, music, bible story time, set design and creation. Please email Blythe (blytheclifford@gmail.com) or Allisen (lettography@gmail.com) if you are willing to help. We will hold a volunteer meeting once we have a group of folks ready to go. Youth in grades 6-12 and college students are welcome to volunteer (preferably those with experience working with children). Come ready to work. Even if you can’t volunteer every day, we can find a place for you to help. Attendees can register HERE.

YOUTH FELLOWSHIP

Chaperones and Dinner Volunteers Needed!

Our Safe Child policy requires two adults to be present when children/youth gather. Anna is having a hard time filling in the youth advisor team. She is in need of parental/adult assistance for the rest of the year. We’ve also brought back dinner for youth group – which they’re thrilled about! If you’re interested in serving as an adult chaperone once or twice this year, or helping with providing dinner, please sign up to help out HERE.

Summer Trips

Mark your calendars for these summer trips now! Anna will be looking for extra chaperones for all of these trips. Adults, take a look at your calendars and let Anna know if you're interested in joining us!

Massanetta Middle School Conference - June 21-24
Montreat Youth Conference (High School) - July 24-30
High School Mission Trip - August 7-13

If you are interested, please contact Anna at youth@wbpresbyterian.org.

WAYS

TO

GIVE BACK

MARCH MADNESS FOOD BAG CHALLENGE

The amount you have donated to our web site at Urban Ministries reached $2544.92! Our March Madness Food Bag Challenge ends today. If you wish to give, please click HERE to make a donation. Then if you would like to credit your college, please email clittlefield43@gmail.com and say you have made a donation and which school you are supporting. Thank you for caring!

RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS IN UKRAINE

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has created an enormous refuge crisis in Eastern Europe. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is working with partner reformed churches in Ukraine and Europe for how best to meet the ever-increasing humanitarian need. To learn more about their efforts, click HERE. If you wish to make a financial donation to support these efforts, you can do so directly through PDA or you can make a donation to WBPC and mark it "Ukraine Relief," and we will forward it to PDA.

THE PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY

The Prayer Shawl Ministry at Western Boulevard is alive and well. Heartfelt thanks to all who have donated shawls as they are a wonderful and well appreciated gift when given. Recipients know they are truly surrounded in prayer when they receive one. We encourage anyone who wishes to contribute to continue to do so. We would also like to remind all who want to contribute that there are four bins of available thread in the closet where the shawls are stored so please feel free to look and see if there is anything you would like to use. Again thank you for this labor of love. If you have questions, please call Deacon Martha Barrick at 919-851-2249.

FREE Prayer Shawl Patterns, Instructions, and Yarn

There is a file box in the parlor closet with free patterns for shawls, baby blankets, and hats and handouts on how to crochet for your use. We also have bags of yarn you can use (not for baby blankets - they need soft yarns like “Pound of Love” brand). If you want to contribute yarn or patterns, please leave donations in the church office.

Baby Ministry Needs Baby Blankets

Calling all crochet/knitting masters! We are having a lot of fun making prayer shawls and now we have another fun project -- baby blankets! The Baby Ministry wants to present these blankets to babies who are baptized in our church. We have a few patterns you can use and instructions on the type of yarn to use (soft!). We only need a few each year. Please email Yevonne if you are willing to make one of these special gifts from our church (ybrannon@gmail.com or 919-244-6243). Once completed, you may leave your blankets in the church office.

Got Leftover Yarn?

If you are making shawls or other knitting/crocheting projects, you know how you always have a small ball of yarn left over?! Here is your answer! The Food Drive Kids have been putting knitted/crocheted beanie hats (and gloves) in the food pantries. They are very popular and much needed. We do not need these items until next fall. If you have some time this summer and yarn left over, please consider making some hats for next fall. You may leave your creations in the church office and email or call Yevonne (ybrannon@gmail.com or 919-244-6243).

WAYS

TO GET INVOLVED

50+ IN APRIL

It is time for us to get together again, folks. Our plans are to meet in the Fellowship Hall at 11:30am on Friday, April 8. Again, please bring your own lunch. Drinks will be provided. We have a special treat for our first meeting in 2022. Pastor Frank will share with us some of the experiences he and Debbie had during their time in Scotland. Mark your calendar and plan to join us!

BIBLICAL JUSTICE FORUM – APRIL 4

During Lent, Biblical Justice Forum is studying the Lenten Devotional from Presbyterians Today: A Matthew 25 Lenten experience, accessible HERE. On April 4, we will begin with discussion of the devotionals for March 29 - April 4. BJF meets via zoom on Mondays at noon to 1:30pm. Click HERE for participating in Monday's meeting via Zoom.

3, 2, 1 SMILE!

Please gather your smile and make your way to Pastor Frank’s Office this Sunday, April 3. We need your picture to make our directory complete. Take advantage of this low fuss no cost option to be known by our congregation.

NOTES FROM THE ADMIN DESK

If you would like your birthday included on the monthly birthday list, please update your personal information on Realm or contact the church office. Please refer to the Calendar if you have questions about meetings. If you want to reserve a room, please email admin@wbpresbyterian.org. If you have photos from Church events this year, please share them with us. You may upload your pictures directly to our shared Church album by clicking HERE.

PRAYER CHAIN REQUESTS

If you have a prayer concern, please contact Frank Mansell (frank@wbpresbyterian.org), Marcia Bennett (sen1969@hotmail.com), or Betty Dean (betdean@nc.rr.com) and request that it be added to the Prayer Chain. Please note that any confidential prayer requests will not be added to the Prayer Chain.

Click HERE for a list of March birthdays and HERE for April birthdays!

Visit our Website