News from Lutheran Church of the Resurrection

July/August 2019 | Volume 9 | Issue 7

Our Mission

Gathered by Christ. Growing in Faith.

Sent to Serve. Empowered to Witness.

Resurrection welcomes all individuals regardless of race, sex, gender identification, sexual orientation, economic status, age, disability, or family make-up. Child of God, you are welcome here!

We are pleased to present the July/August edition of our monthly e-newsletter.

We hope this publication is an informative supplement to the information found on our website. Submissions can be sent to [email protected] .

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Pastor's Note

Dear Friends in Christ,

As the final weeks of summer approach, perhaps you are looking for non-fiction that will stretch your faith, encourage your heart and challenge your thinking. Here is what is on my reading list for the rest of the summer and beyond.

Note: Not light reading but worth it. Or, so I’ve heard.

Holy Envy by Barbara Brown Taylor

(released by Canterbury Press March 2019)

Barbara Brown Taylor is an author, teacher and Episcopalian priest. In this book, one of several she has written, she writes of discovering the Holy “in unexpected places while teaching world religions.” She details the arrival of certain religions in the United States. Estevancio of Azamor, an expedition guide, the first Muslim to reach these shores, arrived in Florida in 1528. Nearly a third of the African slaves brought to the U.S.A. were Muslim. Following the Emancipation Proclamation, Muslims came from Europe, the Middle East, and India. By 1925, there were mosques in Main, North Dakota, Indiana, and Michigan. Six Asian Indians, Hindus, marched in the July Fourth parade of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1851. Buddhists came during the Gold Rush of the mid-1800s. By 1860, 10% of the population of California was Chinese. In 1654, 23 Shephardic Jews from Brazil arrived in the Dutch port of New Amsterdam (later: New York City). The first thing they did was form a congregation and petition for a burial ground. In 1664, the colony went over to British control and the first synagogue in the U.S.A. was authorized. (Taylor, Holy Envy , New York, Harper One, 2019, pages 15-16.)

If you have considered reading Holy Envy , now is an appropriate time considering our country’s immigration crisis.

Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans

(released April 2015)

The late Evans (dec’d 5.4.2019) writes 37 chapters or essays, two to seventeen pages in length, spread across seven divisions: Baptism, Confession, Holy Orders, Communion, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and Marriage. Evans finds grace everywhere. Evans, a self described “Wandering Evangelical,” “was driven by the image of Jesus constantly mingling with sinners, healing sick people and feeding hungry people…Jesus was about inviting people in, not shutting them out.”

Dear Church: A Love letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the US by Lenny Duncan

(released by Augsburg Fortress July 2019)

“Lenny Duncan is the unlikeliest of pastors. Formerly incarcerated, he is now a black preacher in the whitest denomination in the United States: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Shifting demographics and shrinking congregations make all the headlines, but Duncan sees something else at work--drawing a direct line between the church's lack of diversity and the church's lack of vitality. The problems the ELCA faces are theological, not sociological. But so are the answers. Part manifesto, part confession, and all love letter, Dear Church offers a bold new vision for the future of Duncan's denomination and the broader mainline Christian community of faith. Dear Church rejects the narrative of church decline and calls everyone--leaders and laity alike--to the front lines of the church's renewal through racial equality and justice.It is time for the church to rise up, dust itself off, and take on forces of this world that act against God: whiteness, misogyny, nationalism, homophobia, and economic injustice. Duncan gives a blueprint for the way forward and urges us to follow in the revolutionary path of Jesus.” Augsburg Fortress synopsis.

Let me know what you think….

Peace,

Pastor Kristina

WORSHIP SCHEDULE

Sunday, August 4th

10:00 AM Contemporary Worship Service with Service of Holy Communion

Sunday, August 11th

10:00 AM Classic Grace Traditional Worship with Service of Holy Communion

Sunday, August 18th

10:00 AM Contemporary Worship Service with Service of Holy Communion

Sunday, August 25th

10:00 AM Classic Grace Traditional Worship with Service of Holy Communion

Wednesday, August 28th

6:00 PM Picnic Dinner followed by

7:00 PM Worship Service with Holy Communion on Front Lawn

Please CLICK HERE to view LCR's August Events Calendar.

ADULT BIBLE STUDY

Please join us on Wednesday mornings for Adult Bible Study led by Barbara Merritt. This invigorating and inviting class is held in Fellowship Hall from 9:00am until 10:30am. We look forward to seeing you there!

CARE CARDS

Please remember to take a few moments to sign the care cards that are located in the narthex. You can also add the names of those who could use extra thoughts, prayers or praise to the sign up sheet.

YOUTH VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

One of LCR's members needs assistance with yard clean-up. If you can lend a helping hand or have any questions, please contact Bob Heitman.

Welcome Church Worship

Lutheran Church of the Resurrection will be hosting the time of hospitality with The Welcome Church on Sunday, August 25th. The Welcome Church is an ELCA Congregation, serving those experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia. We are partnering with Reformation Lutheran Church, Media and they will be providing hospitality and all drinks. We will be providing hospitality and snacks. Please consider joining us as we worship with the community. Additionally, please consider donating individually wrapped baked goods, granola bars and fruit (bananas and oranges). We will carpool from LCR at 1:00pm and the service will begin at 3:00pm. A sign up sheet is posted on the bulletin board and it will help us plan if you can sign up. However, if you find you are available at the last minute, please do join us!

FPLB Seeks Volunteers

Family Promise of Lower Bucks (FPLB) is open to Lower Bucks families experiencing homelessness. If you would like more information or would like to become a Family Promise volunteer, please contact Kathy Fitchett at [email protected] . Family Promise is also in need of van drivers. No commercial license is required. If interested, please contact Maryanne at [email protected] .

Shared Meal Update

LCR's August Shared Meal with our neighbors will take place on Sunday, August 18th. The set up begins at 2:30pm and the meal will be served at 4:00pm. Our menu will include hot dogs, side dishes and dessert. The hot dogs will be provided but extra help would be appreciated for set up as we will have a lot of hot dogs to steam! Please join us to help serve our community and consider sharing a dish if you are able. The sign up sheet is on the bulletin board, which helps with our planning. Jesus calls us to feed the hungry - join us!

July Fun and Fellowship Event

Pristine water and mid-day warmth tempered by low humidity and plenty of shade set the scene for a relaxing suburban adventure on the Raritan and Delaware Canal. On Saturday, July 27th, an enthusiastic crew of eleven cheerful souls rented kayaks or trundled their own boats down to a small dock and disembarked with paddles-in-hand. The pace of the flotilla quickly self-assimilated to that indescribable sweet spot at the intersection of optimum effort and maximum relaxation.

Banter joyfully flew around the group like the damsel flies that were darting among the bows of our watercraft. With about a 50 year span in age among the paddlers, the conversation touched on stand-up paddle boarding as an alternative to kayaking; marvel at the immense effort needed to actually build and commission canals 200 years ago (had to cover a little history with Clyde Beury and Jerry Stanley among the delegation), engineering of kayak design (with Tors Ahlman and Dave Fitchett in the group), and the beauty of the excursion. The turtles sunning on driftwood along the shore may have been listening, but the blue heron perched in the distance seemed to barely take notice. Voices of hikers, runners, and bikers along the shore path added to the sense of community, along with other kayakers and canoers, of course. All-in-all, Ruth DiDonato’s latest initiative to bring LCR members and non-members together for fun and fellowship in our community was a tremendous success. Keep your eyes out so you can join in for upcoming events!

Service Opportunity at TASK

On Monday, July 22nd, LCR youth and adult volunteers assisted with dinner service and cleanup at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. Special thanks to our volunteers Sam Estey, Aidan Moxham, Eddie Bossler, Pastor Kristina, Liz Young, Lindsey Shennard, and Hannah Rosmus. Your kindness and generosity were a blessing to those you served.

Blessing of LCR Graduates

LCR's Class of 2019 graduates were recognized during our service on Sunday, June 16th. Our sincerest congratulations go to James Elwell, Alicia Lorantas, Dominic Panaia and Lilly Ries on their high school graduation. Best wishes to Michael Elwell, Leah Fitchett, Lindsay Fitchett, MacKenzie King and Amanda Moxham as they begin the next chapter in their lives as college graduates. Best of luck to all in their future endeavors!

Council Members Recognized

On Sunday, June 16th, outgoing Church Council members Sue Hess, Candy Stanley, Alysann Pettinati, Alan Chinnici, Hank Merritt and Jens Rosmus were recognized for their service. Welcome to Haddi Bergstrom, Eddie Bossler (youth), Kent Elwell, Tim Moxham and Karla Lerie, who will be joining continuing members David Fitchett, Sandy Rook, Cheryl Varga, Jim Wohlhueter and Liz Young on LCR's Church Council. Pictured above are Sandy Rook, Cheryl Varga, Sue Hess, Candy Stanley and Alysann Pettinati in the front row (left to right). In the back row (left to right) are Alan Chinnici, Pastor Kristina, Hank Merritt, Liz Young, Jim Wohlhueter, and Jens Rosmus. To learn more about those serving on our Church Council, please visit https://lcr-yardley.org/church-council/.

Father

A poem written by Scott Kukowski in honor of his recently deceased father, Michael Kukowski

Dear Father

I hope you are well

Did you have a good time here?

Its hard for me to tell

For you got sour with age

and got a bit more needy

We didn't mind at all

For together we were happy

You can unite with my brother

and rekindle the bond between you

You two can catch up

while having an otherworldy view

So now just please rest

while we deal with this matter

We'll meet up again one day

I look forward to that, dear father

Youth Car Wash

On Sunday, June 9th our youth held a car wash which raised over $400. Proceeds from this event will go toward the Fall 2019 Youth Beach Retreat. Special thanks to our hard-working youth and those who participated in this event.

Welcome New Members

Lutheran Church of the Resurrection welcomed our newest members Jerry Blauth and Jeannette Hallack during a lovely Sunday service in June. Welcome to your new church family!

ELCA Churchwide Assembly

The ELCA Churchwide Assembly , the primary decision-making body of the church, is a process of communal spiritual discernment. This year's Assembly met August 5th - 10th in Milwaukee and was filled with important votes and actions including the election of our Presiding Bishop and the ELCA Secretary. Please CLICK HERE for a detailed summary of last week's Assembly .

Diakonia Program

T he two year Diakonia program provides spiritual formation and theological education for baptized members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America or anyone wishing in good faith to study the teachings. The program consists of 12 subjects, each completed in five weeks, meeting once a week for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Taught at about a high school level, it is not necessary to commit to the entire program up front.

The program will resume in the fall. If you are interested or would like further information, please contact Hank Merritt at (267) 907-4628 or via email at [email protected] .

Summer Fun at Vacation Bible School

This was LCR's second year together with Bear Creek Camp, offering a full day VBS day camp. We had fifty children registered to start their summer "step by step". Our ten, half-day preschoolers were taught by Berni and Karla. Our student volunteer Caroline taught songs with the guitar, and Megan assisted with the crafts.

The four camp counselors led the children from kindergarten to sixth grade. Our student volunteers Sam, Aidan, Melanie, Patty, Chase, Lindsey, Marlena, and Sarah assisted in keeping everything moving smoothly. Of course, the morning snack break was always ready when needed thanks to Susan and Candy.

The campers memorized Bible verse songs with as much joy as a great game of pew battleship! Taking a break after lunch for Bible studies with Pastor was the perfect kind of break. They finished the day up with all-camp activities of water day, tie-dye tee shirt day, and even a fabulous talent show!

Thank you to all who helped. Thank you Elaine for all your support!

IFA August Donations

For the month of August, t he Interfaith Food Alliance (IFA) is collecting donations of applesauce as their highlighted item. Donations can be dropped off in the gray tubs in front of the church office. In addition to food, there are many important and necessary items which the families the IFA serves are in need, if you would like to make a monetary donation, please CLICK HERE . F or more information on how you can help fight food insecurity, p lease call (215) 595-5623 or email [email protected] . Your generosity is greatly appreciated by those in need!

The IFA is continuing their collection of school supplies for children in Morrisville which will be distributed throughout the month of August. Your donations can be dropped off in the container provided outside the church office. Most needed items include: backpacks, binders 1½ inch or larger, marbled composition books, crayons – box of 24, #2 yellow pencils, highlighters, combination locks, loose leaf paper – though any and all items are appreciated. A complete list of the most needed items is available at the container. We encourage you to take a list and shop for an item or two. Thank you for your generous and caring hearts!

Sonshiners' Summer News

Due to the stormy month of June, our scheduled trip to Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve on the thirteenth had to be cancelled. However, all who signed up for the tour were still willing to honor our lunch reservations at Bowman’s Tavern. Seventeen people came out on a rainy day and enjoyed a delicious lunch together minus a tour of wet wildflowers. At this point the Wildflower Tour has been postponed until September which we have been assured is also a pretty time to enjoy the fall flowers. Watch for more information on this in the weeks to come.

The Sonshiners are currently on a summer “hiatus” for fellowship activities and will not be meeting again until September. At that time, we plan to present a new calendar of events filled with programs and activities for all to enjoy in the coming 2019-2020 season. We hope that you were pleased with our programs this past year and that you will plan to join us in the fall for more good times, good food and good fellowship!

We've continued our regular worship service at Pickering Manor Nursing Home this summer despite the construction/parking issues. We believe we've resolved the problem by carpooling and have proven that when there’s a will, there’s a way! It is such an important ministry and the residents at Pickering are always so appreciative and happy to see us. Clyde Beury led the service assisted by Barbara and Hank Merritt, Donna DiCesare, Kay McCorkle, Julie Scott and pianist Betty Berner. Our next service will be on August 21st at 10:30am. Please join us if you can . Pickering is located at 228 North Lincoln Avenue in Newtown. Contact Betty Berner if you need a ride.

DWSN August Event

Plan to join us at LCR from 7:00pm to 8:30pm this Friday, August 16th when Mike Casey will show you how to create your own painted masterpiece to take home. Light refreshments will be served. Please wear old clothes or bring an old shirt for a paint smock as we don’t want you to ruin good clothes.

The cost will be $5 per person. If you will be joining us, please remember to email [email protected] or call (215) 493-2018 to RSVP. This really helps us plan for supplies and refreshments.

Missions Update

Did you know that YOUR LCR Missions team is responsible for determining how 2% of our annual offering is distributed each year? The Missions and Finance Team have determined that of the 2%:

$1,500 is available to Pastor Kristina for her discretionary distribution. She often receives requests from LCR members, or community members and often provides gift cards to local gas stations or grocery stores to assist those in need.
$600 of the Missions budget is available to the Resurrection Gardening team. Their budget is used to purchase supplies and materials, in addition to “seed” money – pun intended as they purchase seedlings and seeds at the beginning of each growing season!
$750 of the Missions budget is available to the Shared Meal team to purchase needed items to host the monthly shared meals, in addition to the generous donations we receive from our members. The Shared Meal team serves between 50-80 people each month!

The team votes quarterly as to how to distribute the remaining funds from the 2%. In June, the team met and voted to provide $600 to a local nonprofit, the FIARIA PROJECT. The organization provides children entering foster care in our county with essential clothing, toiletries and other basic items by partnering with area foster agencies and organizations. 300 children are placed in foster care annually in Bucks County and nearly 25,000 children are in foster care in PA. These children often enter foster care on an emergency basis, coming to their foster care families with only the clothing on their backs. Within 24 hours of placement, this organization provides the child with a “Transition Kit” backpack filled with 5 clothing outfits, pajamas, toiletries, diapers and formula if applicable etc. Please CLICK HERE to visit their website for additional information and perhaps consider a personal, direct donation as well.

Wednesday Evening Summer Worship Services

LCR will be hosting our final Wednesday Evening Summer Worship Service on August 28th. Food and fun festivities begin at 6:00pm on the front lawn. Hamburgers, hot dogs and soda will be provided for all. Please bring a side dish or dessert if you can as well as folding chairs to sit on. Most importantly, bring your friends along for a really good time! Worship Service with Holy Communion will follow at 7:00pm. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

A Mother’s Mutterings… By Christie Paton

Worst. Mom. Ever.

Megan plays softball. I help the team out by keeping the score electronically during games, so that parents who can’t make it can follow along with the play by play, literally.

At these softball tournaments, after each game the team chooses an MVP on the opposite team and awards her a medal. Oftentimes, it’s the pitcher, since that’s the player you are seeing the most. The best teams though, really pay attention to the game and make a good choice. So most of the time, Megan – who plays catcher – is accepting of the fact that probably the pitcher will get the MVP, but occasionally in the car when it’s just the two of us, I do have to hear about it: “I’m never going to get the MVP… it always goes to the pitcher.” (“Always” being taken with a grain of salt, of course!)

Well, a couple weeks ago, our pitcher was struggling a bit. The game wrapped up, and so I finished up my electronic scoring and headed to the ladies room.

You know where this is going, right?

I came back and Megan handed me something through the fence… I asked, “What’s this?” She replied, “The MVP award!!!” I was like, “WHAT? I went to the bathroom! I can’t believe I missed it!!!” {sigh} I had completely forgotten about the post-game award. Big ding-dong.

I guess Megan didn’t think I was the worst mom ever, because she would have told me. Of course, needless to say, Megan was happy about getting the MVP. And because she’s happy, that makes me happy… and so maybe just that fact implies that perhaps I’m not the worst mom ever...

2 Quick Stories: Why You Don’t Let Megan In On The Gifts and My Guardian Angels

Megan and I were at the outlets, and we saw 2 good t-shirts to get for Jim for his birthday. One was in a large, and the other was only in stock in a medium… but it looked big, so we decided to chance it. When Jim opened the first t-shirt, he asked, “What size is it?” and proceeded to look at the tag. “Oh medium.” “Yeah,” said Megan, “the other’s one’s a large.” Oooops! Guess what your next present is, Jim???! {sigh}

The other story is about something that happened while we were vacationing in Maine. My lovely children, who will throw me under the bus at the first opportunity, when asked “How was Maine?”, will inevitably reply, “Good. Did you hear about my mom’s phone?” So, I’ll just proactively tell you what happened.

We were hiking down Cadillac Mountain (we had already hiked up it). I am the slowpoke in the family and so the other three were a ways ahead as I was taking my time, enjoying the gorgeous views and thinking about what lovely pictures I was going to be able to share. I was ready to take yet another picture looking out over the ridge trail, and I reached for my phone… and it was gone. I started panicking, but thought, I had taken some pictures relatively recently, so I must have lost it not too long ago; I think as I was sitting on the large rocks to slide down them, it must have fallen out of my back pocket. I started retracing my steps back up the mountain, searching frantically for it… did it fall into some blueberry bushes along the side of the trail? About 15 minutes later, I heard Megan call “Mommy!” and I told her what had happened. She helped me look, and the boys showed up 10 minutes later or so. We would have called the phone, but I was trying to conserve batteries and had put it on airplane mode. There wasn’t a whole lot of service in the area, and we didn’t have any luck trying to log onto the iCloud.

So, Jim and Megan speed-hiked (as Megan likes to tell it) down the mountain to the car, and Daniel and I hiked back up to the top and waited for them.

On the plus side, I talked to a whole lot of really nice people, asking if they’d seen a phone in a blue case. One guy (on his way up) said if he found it, he’d “…turn it into the visitor’s center. I think anyone would do that.” Another (on his way down) said he’d leave it at the trailhead. The millennials I spoke to were mortified – losing your phone is the end of the world! Then one older couple was slowly hiking down. I talked to the woman first for a little bit. When the man passed me, he asked, “Is this the trolley stop?” I replied, “No, but if you tell me you have my phone that fell out of my pocket, I’ll give you a piggyback down the rest of the mountain.” He replied in turn, “Oh, you lost your phone? Well, that stinks. But, it’s not the worst thing that can happen.” After he reframed the situation for me, I realized he was right.

When Jim and Megan picked us up in the car at the top of the mountain, I said, “Let me just go into the visitor’s center and see if anyone turned it in.” It was the longest 5 minutes of my life, but the lady finally held up my phone and I was like, “That’s IT!!!!” She said that a little kid had turned it in.

So, clearly my Guardian Angels were looking out for me that day. You may think I mean the fact that some honest person turned my phone into the Visitor’s Center, and trust me, I am certainly grateful for that, and it is a part of it. (That allowed me to avoid a lot of hassle, for sure.) But, I feel the real Guardian Angel came in the form of an older man looking for a trolley stop on the way down the mountain. He reminded me about what was really important, and it wasn’t the phone: Jim, Daniel, Megan and I were all together as a family, enjoying a vacation when our availability to do so is getting harder and harder because of everyone’s activities and involvement as the kids get older; we are healthy; we had good weather… and in the end, that evening, we still had enough time to go to our favorite pizza restaurant in the whole world.

Maintenance Issue Reporting

Over the past several months, we have experienced extremely high water and sewer bills here at LCR. It has been determined that the cause of the high bills (nearly $2,000) is that there was a toilet running in each of our ladies rooms and our property team was not made aware. The issues have been corrected, however, please notify Mike Casey if you notice dripping faucets, running toilets, etc. so they can be promptly repaired as running water can be very costly! Thank you for your diligence and assistance.

Fun Times at Funzilla

On Sunday, August 11th LCR Youth including Aidan Moxham, Lindsey Shennard, Eddie Bossler, Angelo Panaia, Sam Estey, Hannah Rosmus and Kenzi Hamer had a bouncing good time at Funzilla in Fairless Hills. All enjoyed an evening of fun on the trampolines, obstacle courses, climbing walls and go karts.

LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION

(215) 493-2018 | [email protected] | lcr-yardley.org