West New Bern Presbyterian Church
1701Lucerne Way, New Bern, NC 28560
Office: (252) 638-1005
Email:
FROM THE PASTOR
Happy New Year! It’s been quite a new year, I’ll tell you. For Jean, Frida, and me, we’ve experienced some major transitions this year. We moved from Atlanta to New Bern, from our rental house to our new home, from our old church to our new church, new school, new relationships, challenges, defeats, and accomplishments. Although change can be exhausting, even frustrating at times, it also brings rejuvenation and a fresh perspective.
Change, or at least a sense of renewal, is a popular theme in the Christian narrative. Jeremiah, Malachi, Zephaniah and Isaiah all prophesy of a new generation, and Mark reminds us that the birth of Christ is the end of the world… as we know it. Finally, in the Gospel of Luke, Mary sings not just of change but of reversals.
Along with Advent and Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Christ and the change he ushers in, we also celebrate Epiphany (the revelation of this change) on January 6th and the Baptism of Christ the following Sunday—more change and renewal themes.
As you can see, it doesn’t take much to make the connection between our Christian traditions of renewal with the “fresh start” traditions of New Year’s. I grew up under the impression that eating black-eyed peas and collard greens would make me a rich boy. Let’s not even get started with New Year’s resolutions. Jean shared with me the other day that she read that New Year’s resolutions typically have a 9% success rate! That’s not very good at all. I’m sure we’ve all experienced the short-lived motivation of a New Year’s resolution. I’m not sure when hope for the future became more about individual prosperity or self-improvement, but I do know that these traditions of a new-beginning or new year hope dates long before the birth of Christ. In fact, Romans would pay tribute to Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions between old and new. Janus was known as the gateway god. Even before that, and more related to our Christian tradition, is the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah and the rituals of Jubilee.
Throughout the narrative of the people of God we find moments of renewal, repurpose, reversal and rejuvenation. I’ve always thought these opportunities to begin-again, gives us a chance to recalibrate our lives. Whether we’re crashing at the bottom or soaring with success, we need time to readjust. The same goes with us as a congregation. My hope this year is that we start to recognize who we are as a community and find out what God is calling us to do—to explore with our collective imagination where adjustments can be made and new growth can be found.
HEALTH POINTS
Several years ago there was a hue and cry regarding BPA (and endocrine disruptor) is our containers. Bisphenol A was found everywhere, in all our bodies, food, and drinks. Most alarming, it was in baby bottles. The chemical was thought to be a factor in many diseases, among them obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The word was the our canned goods contained large amounts of BPA, since cans are lined with plastic, and heated; heat releases more of the chemical into foods. Baby bottles were immediately reworked, and many plastic containers now state BPA free. The only problem? The substitutes for BPA may be just as bad. The issue is complex, since many of the foods we ingest already have a load by the time we buy them. Phthalates (pronounced tha-lates) are another class of chemicals used in plastics and may affect IQ levels in kids and fertility in adults. So barring life on a farm where you control your food from start to finish, what can you do? The quick answers to cutting exposure are shown in the picture. I try to use are many fresh, frozen, and organic products as possible to reduce our chemical totals. I am gradually going to more glass containers and use waxed paper and tinfoil instead of plastic wrap. The complete article in on the Parish Nurse office door.
Condensed from Nutrition Action Health Letter, November 2017, “Kicking the Can.”
Submitted by Mary B. Slaughter, RN, Parish Nurse
Devotional for the New Year
Cynthia Bourgeault, one of the Center for Action and Contemplation’s core faculty members writes aboutkenosis(or letting go) as “the Jesus trajectory”:
“Do not store up treasures on earth,” [Jesus] teaches; do not strive or be afraid—“for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke12:32). All will come of its own accord in good time and with abundant fullness, so long as one does not attempt to hoard or cling.
It is a path [Jesus] himself walked to the very end. In the garden of Gethsemane, with his betrayers and accusers massing at the gates, he struggled and anguished but remained true to his course. Do not hoard, do not cling—not even to life itself. Let it go, let it be—“Not my will but yours be done, [Father]. Into your hands, I commend my spirit” [Luke22:42,23:46].
Thus he came and thus he went, giving himself fully into life and death, losing himself, squandering himself. . . . It was not love stored up but love utterly poured out that opened the gates to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Over and over, Jesus lays this path before us. There is nothing to be renounced or resisted. Everything can be embraced, but the catch is to cling to nothing. You let it go. You go through life like a knife goes through a done cake, picking up nothing, clinging to nothing, sticking to nothing. And . . . you can then throw yourself out, pour yourself out, being able to give it all back, even giving back life itself. That’s the kenotic path in a nutshell. Very, very simple. It only costs everything.
From Cynthia Bourgeault,The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind—a New Perspective on Christ and His Message(Shambhala: 2008), 69-70.
PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN
Presbyterian Women’s Circle: Come join a Presbyterian Women’s Circle! Our Bible Study this year is Cloud of Witnesses: The Community of Christ in Hebrews. The morning circle will meet Jan. 3 at 10:00 am, and the night circle will meet Jan. 9 at 6:00 pm.
NOTICES
RCS OUTREACH: Please join us in providing and sharing a meal with the residents of the homeless shelter at RCS. We will meet at RCS at 6:00pm on Saturday, January 20th. Contact Jennifer Miller, 876-5457, for more information.
BOOK CLUB: We will meet January 30 at 7pm and are reading “Be Frank with Me” by Julia Claiborne Johnson.
LUNCH GROUP The Lunch Group will meet on Wednesday, January 17th (3rd Wednesday each month) at Famous at 11:30am. Point of Contact: Gerry Teple (637-7337).
YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT WINTER RETREAT: Join us Friday, January 12-Monday, January 15 for a trip to the mountains in Boone, NC, for some skiing, hiking, lounging, drinking hot cocoa, and shopping. Open to 6th graders through young adults. Contact Pastor David for more information.
Ministry Teams: The entire congregation is invited to join us for ministry night! All ministries (formally committees) will meet on the first Tuesday of every month at 6 PM. You are invited to pick a ministry to serve on or try a few out to see what is a fit for your talents and experience. The next ministry night will be Tuesday, January 2 at 6 PM.
70th Anniversary planning committee: In May 2018 we will celebrate of 70 wonderful years of ministry as West New Bern Presbyterian Church. If you would like to serve on a committee to plan the festivities, contact Tonya Cedars (252-229-2853).
Page 1 of 9Worship Assistant Schedule
Jan. 7
/Jan. 14
/Jan. 21
/Jan. 28
Elder of the Week
/Paul Miller
/Whit Morgan
/Jeff Chittick
/Beth Doran
Liturgist
/R. Stewart/J. Slaughter
/Beth Doran/J. Slaughter
/R. Stewart/J. Slaughter
/R. Stewart/J. Slaughter
Ushers
/ Paul MillerWhit Morgan
Pat Morgan
Tillie Jones / Whit Morgan
Trudy Nelson
Mike Kelley
Eric Cedars / Whit Morgan
Carolyn Caton
Tonya Cedars
Ric Evans / Beth Doran
Whit Morgan
Peggy Cuddington
Jane Armstrong
Communion Stewards
/ Paul MillerBeth Doran
Al Fowler
Jeff Chittick
Bob Griffin
Acolyte
/Esther Ku
/Samuel Ku
/Teresa Wah
/Aurora Glisson
January 2018SUNDAY / MONDAY / TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY / SATURDAY
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
9:15am Sunday School 10:30am Worship 1:30pm Myanmar Christian Fellowship New Year's Day / 1:00 pm PW Council7:00pm Karate / 10:00am Morning Circle / 9:30am Nifty Knitters 7:00pm Choir / Bill Haacker Daniel Ku
7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13
9:15am Sunday School 10:30am Worship 1:30pm Myanmar Christian Fellowship / 6:00pm Night Circle 7:00pm Karate / 9:30am Nifty Knitters 7:00pm Choir / 6:00pm RCS
14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20
9:15am Sunday School 10:30am Worship 1:30pm Myanmar Christian Fellowship
Michael Gray Kelley Austin McConnell / Martin Luther King, Jr. Day / 7:00pm Karate
Agnes Brock / 111:30 Lunch Group / 9:30am Nifty Knitters 7:00pm Choir
21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27
9:15am Sunday School 10:30am Worship 1:30pm Myanmar Christian Fellowship
Betty Lou Johnson Cheryl Powell / 7:00pm Karate / 9:30am Nifty Knitters 7:00pm Choir
28 / 29 / 30 / 31 / 1 / 2 / 3
9:15am Sunday School 10:30am Worship 1:30pm Myanmar Christian Fellowship / 7:00pm Karate 7:00pm Book Club
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