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Laura Bratton’s “Grit and Gratitude”

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Laura Bratton.. formerly a seminary intern at PUMC, is coming back to Princeton to speak at Princeton Theological Seminary Library on Tuesday, November 15, 7 to 8 p.m. She will sign her new book, Harnessing Courage: overcoming adversity with grit and gratitude. 
“Living into daily grit gives us the ability to remain grounded as we experience those times of adversity and trauma as well as moments of joy and laughter,” she says. “Expressing our gratefulness — both when life is easy and when life is difficult — brings healing and strength.”
When Laura served as an intern at our church, many of us wondered how she mustered the courage and determination to succeed as a pastor. She had lost her vision, starting in middle school, and by the time we knew her she was blind due to macular degeneration.

We marveled at her portfolio of coping assets, which included knowledge of Braille, owning a guide dog, and a passionate faith in God. We rejoiced in her successes, learned from her insights, anbratton-headshotd were reluctant to say goodbye. After graduating as the first blind student to get an MDiv at Princeton Theological Seminary, she was a chaplain at the Cleveland Clinic and then senior pastor at Laurens Road United Methodist Church in Greenville, South Carolina.

Aiming to spread her message outside church walls, she has established herself as an inspirational speaker and coach. Her new book can speak to anyone struggling with a problem — whether they have a strong faith or don’t believe in God. Welcome back, Laura!

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Halloween Fun for Monday Morning Group

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Undaunted by the spectre of the trick or treaters on Halloween Night, the Monday Morning Group invites everyone to wear costumes to its regular Bible study from 10 to 11:30 on Halloween morning in the library at PUMC.

Afterwards they will troupe down Nassau Street, stopping at Panera for lunch. Who knows, maybe they will even score some candy, suggests Nancy Beatty, Chief Instigator of this caper. Whatever happens they’ll be having fun.

Anyone is welcome to join this group. It’s mostly women, but men are welcome.

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Safety Sunday: October 23

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Machaela Irving, director of Christian Education, offers this information about our Safe Sanctuary policy. 

Safe Sanctuaries is an overt expression in making congregations safe places where children, youth, and elders may experience the abiding love of God and fellowship within the community of faith.

Sunday, October 23 is “Safety Sunday,” so everyone should bring their jacket or sweater to class. At 10:18 a.m. all classes will evacuate the building and gather along the western wall of CVS. A monitor will block traffic from entering that section of the parking lot during our drill. We will return to our classrooms for ‘pickup’ after the worship service.

Also on Sunday, October 23, teachers will have a Background Check Breakfast immediately following Sunday School in the church office. For those who can’t attend, here is the link https://www.smart-trak.com/GNJUMC.aspx?code=GNJUM,aspcx,

All of these things have divine purpose, so thanks to teahcers and staff for taking the time to be an obedient servant of the Lord!

Machaela Irving

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When people hurt, United Methodists help

When people hurt, United Methodists help.

Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

We know what it feels like – fear, disorientation, grief. Because of Sandy we know what those who were in the path of Hurricane Matthew in the United States are going through.

We can only imagine the pain and fear the people of Haiti are facing after experiencing the brunt of the storm. The immense loss and mass devastation needs the full commitment of all our efforts to reach the hurting, the hungry, the frightened and the hopeless.

We also know what the United Methodist family is like. We are family, there for one another during our greatest challenges. It is God’s love in action.

I have been in communication with our bishops in the affected areas and this past Sunday I worshiped with our Haitian congregation, First United Methodist Church of Asbury Park. All are grateful to know that the United Methodists of GNJ are praying for them and will be sharing gifts of volunteers and money to assist with recovery from Hurricane Matthew.

I call all of our congregations to pray and to receive offerings for Hurricane Matthew relief and recovery over the next two weeks. You may send your gifts marked Hurricane Matthew made out to the United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey to the Mission and Resource Center 205 Jumping Brook Road, Neptune, New Jersey 07753.

We will send the money to the impacted areas through UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), and your church will be credited with the donation. Through UMCOR 100% of your gift will be sent to the impacted areas. None will be kept for administrative purposes.

United Methodists from across our connection have assisted us in our recovery from Sandy. In fact, they have sent more than 11,000 volunteers and millions of dollars that helped us to rebuild 247 homes and assist 450 families in their recovery. When people hurt, United Methodists help. I hope your congregation will be a part of helping our sisters and brothers in their relief and recovery so that all of us can have a future with hope.

Keep the faith!

John Schol, Bishop
The United Methodist Church
of Greater New Jersey

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Bagpipes and Colorful Dress: World Communion

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Chip Swartz, bagpiper and PUMC member, with Rev. Jana Purkis Brash, celebrating World Communion Sunday.

PUMC truly is a diverse community, and this is never more evident than on World Communion Sunday.  As has become tradition, members are invited to to attend these services wearing the native dress of their countries of origin, transforming our Sanctuary into a colorful quilt of textures, designs and styles.  For several years our Communion table dismissals have been given by church members in a variety of languages, Korean, Spanish and Swahili, among others. This year, members were also invited to come to the altar area during the singing of hymns, and place a sticker on their country of origin on a large world map.  What a blessing it is to be part of such a diverse church family!....by Lori Pantaleo

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All ages sang rousingly, directed here by Hyosang Park. See the PrincetonUMC Facebook page for videos!

 

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Jana Purkis-Brash celebrating World Communion Sunday with, among others, Theresa Cann, Ina Early, Isabella Dougan, Catherine Williams, Christine Shungu

 

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Susan and Vasanth Victor celebrating World Communion Sunday.
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Reggie and Theresa Cann: Reggie did the projection

 

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Scot with tartan tie: John Macdonald supervised the AV system
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Scot with tartan scarf: Iona Harding, who, along with Lula Crawford, offered international food for coffee hour.
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Everyone, including each child, could put a sticker ‘heart’ on their native country or the country ‘close to their heart’
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Meanwhile, in Sunday School, everyone was learning about Abraham and Sarah, here the smallest children glimpsed the story told by Marie Griffiths and Mae Potts
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Kindergartners learned that story, and Christine Wong and Christine Shungu taught the delightful song -“God is so good — to you and me.” Just right for World Communion Sunday!
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Nora and Daddy
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Musical Highlights

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La Fiocco, a period instrument ensemble that has scheduled a series of concerts at Princeton United Methodist Church, presents “Golden Age of the Countertenor” on Saturday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m. It features international opera star Ray Chenez and emerging artist Daniel Moody in bravura arias and duets of Handel, Vivaldi, Vinci, and Telemann.  Ray Chenez was a 2014 first-prize winner of the prestigious George London Award and was recently profiled in Opera News. Daniel Moody recently completed his masters degree at Yale, and has been a featured young artist at Tanglewood.  La Fiocco will be performing on period instruments including baroque strings, recorder, and harpsichord. Tickets are $25, $10 for students, children 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult.

Other musical events with PUMC connections:

Christopher McWilliams plays in Bristol Chapel of Westminster Choir College on Saturday, October 15, at 7:30 p.m., in a free faculty recital “Tea for Two and Beyond.” He is the organist at PUMC.

PUMC’s handbell choir, directed by Hyosang Park, leads worship on Sunday, October 16 at 9:30 and 11. 

PUMC’s children’s choirs, directed by Tom Shelton, sing on Sunday, November 6, at the (:30 a.m. service.

 

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‘Saying Hello’ to Donald Lasko in the Kelsey Review

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Editor’s note: last October we celebrated Donald Lasko’s poem “Saying Goodbye.” This same poem was read at his memorial service today (February 10, 2016). We are all so sad that he is no longer here to teach and write. Here is the entry from October, 2016. 

“Saying Goodbye,” a poem by Donald Lasko has just been published in MCCC’s the literary journal Kelsey Review, a 30-year-old publication that has just gone digital. To read the poem, click here. 

At left, Don reads his poetry at MCCC, but PUMC members recognize him as a member of Chancel Choir; he also sings with Pro Musica. A retired public high school English teacher (married to Kate, who also teaches English), Don graduated from Oberlin College and has an MA with additional doctoral studies in English at SUNY Stony Brook. He received an NEH grant to study with Galway Kinnell and Sharon Olds from NYU School of Creative Writing and taught creative writing and poetry for many years at Summer Institute for the Gifted on numerous college campuses. For more than 50 years he has had numerous poems published in “little” magazines and is a co-editor of a two-volume anthology This Is Just To Say: An Anthology Of Reading For Writers for use at the high school level.

 

Here is more poetry by Don. “This is” was published in U.S. 1 Newspaper in July, 2015. 

 

Here is the published obituary: 

This page can link to more of Don’s work; just email communications@PrincetonUMC.org. 

The most recent poem published in U.S. 1 was “Note to Myself” last July. In part, it is a hymn to his baby granddaughter. The final lines:

that this ever came to be is still a mystery we stand before

unknowing, swaddled as we all are from the beginning

in the arms of what some call God. Just sing!

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One day at @PrincetonUMC: #SocialMediaSunday

In many churches around the world September 25, 2016, is “Social Media Sunday,”  the day set aside to use digital devices intentionally to share their life of faith with the world. In that spirit, here are some of today’s videos and pictures taken at Princeton United Methodist Church.

In worship, the Ensemble (Charles Hayes, Harran Williams, Michael Andrew Cabus, Eileen Francisco-Cabus) sang Charles Hayes’ God’s Hands.

Cindy Gordon, in the Children’s Time, illustrated how Jeremiah challenged God’s people to take risks. Machaela Irving read the scripture, and  Rev. Jana Purkis-Brash preached on the Jeremiah selection of this week’s lectionary (Jeremiah 32:1-3a; 6-15) in a sermon entitled “Step Out in Faith.”

The Chancel Choir, directed by Hyosang Park, sang Michael Burkhardt’s The Lord is Beautiful 

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Andrew Hayes doubled as Ensemble musician and  SS teacher, with Anita Tong, for middle schoolers

Meanwhile, in Sunday School, The toddlers experience Christ’s love with delight-filled play, and they also practice the habit of simple prayer, with Mae Potts and Marie Griffiths.

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4th and 5th graders met with Barbara Sageser, Janis McCarty, and Lorie Roth

First to third graders, led by Yvonne Macdonald and Sharon Distase, helped praise God with a cheerleading chant. 

Skitch Matson, in the Youth Room, had teens working in small groups on the concept of Sabbath, as in Exodus 16. 

One of the two adult classes, Contemporary Issues, met in the library to discuss Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers by Kwame Anthony Appiah.

The Heart of Our Faith class met in Fellowship Hall, where Rev. Don Brash led a discussion on Persevering Hope. 

After church, the Handbell Choir practiced. From noon to 1:30, church doors were open, and the Tiffany Task Force gave a half dozen families (from Iceland to Venezuela) the stained glass window tour.

That evening, the youth choir practiced for their anthem next week, followed by dinner and fellowship.

PUMC didn’t call attention to Social Media Sunday this year, but we are trying to use every media possible to welcome visitors and help each other grow as Christ’s disciples. We  believe that with more than 1 million new social mobile users added each day, we need to use new tools to be where people are. If you would like to help — taking videos and photos, using media like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and more, email the Comm Team, communications@PrincetonUMC.org. Smart phones at the ready!

 

 

 

 

 

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For Women in the Congo: October 1 and 9

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In this disturbing time of unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, woman leaders who empower women in the Congo are visiting Princeton. Princeton United Methodist Church traditionally supports two charities based in the Congo, the United Front Against Riverblindness, founded by our own Daniel Shungu, and Woman, Cradle of Abundance.  a non-profit organization that empowers women in the Congo, founded by Professor Elsie McKee of Witherspoon Presbyterian Church and Princeton Theological Seminary.

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MISENGA MONIQUE Ngoie MUKUNA

So we are especially glad to welcome two leaders of Woman, Cradle of Abundance on their visit to the United States this fall. Their visit begins with “Pour Femme,” an all-French concert performed by local singers and pianists on Saturday, October 1, 2 p.m. in Miller Chapel at Princeton Theological Seminary. Tickets at the door or online are $35 for adults and $15 for students. Free offstreet parking is available across Mercer Street (in the library lot) and an anonymous donor will match each donation up to $2,500.

At Princeton United Methodist Church, we have a special welcome for Maman Monique, who will speak at a PUMC breakfast on Sunday, October 9, at 8 a.m. She will be accompanied by Maman Antoinette.

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MULEKA ANTOINETTE Mukanya TSHISUAKA

The United Methodist Men serve up a hearty meal, and everyone is welcome. A $5 donation is requested.

Other speaking dates: Sunday, October 2, at 10 a.m. at Witherspoon Presbyterian Church, followed by conversation with church members after worship. Wednesday, Oct. 5, 7 p.m. at Haddonfield Friends’ Meeting, Haddonfield, NJFriday, October 7,  noon, Princeton Theological Seminary, Main Lounge of Mackay Campus Center, sponsored by the Center for Theology, Women and Gender.Sunday, Oct. 16, noon, Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton

Vive les femmes!

 

 

 

 

 

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Sermon: Lessons from 9/11

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Like a sharp medical instrument, anger sometimes has its legitimate purposes said Rev. Jana Purkis-Brash in her September 11 sermon. Just dispose of it properly. Based on the lectionary reading for this week, Matthew 5:21-26,  her topic was “Lessons from 9/11.”
“What are the long term implications of a society dominated by anger? For a family dominated by an angry style of relations?  For a community?” Jesus reminds us that anger is in the same category as murder.
But aren’t there occasions where anger is truly righteous?
So much of our anger rises unbidden, programmed as the ‘flight or fight.” Adrenaline can be a positive advantage, preparing our muscles to run fast or thrust hard.
 
Yet non lethal slights trigger anger too. It is not sinful to have angry feelings. Feelings are not something we can easily control (Eph 4:26). Assume that anger is going to happen. Decide not to go to bed angry. Seek reconciliation.
In medical offices, the red sharps container is a safe repository for sharp things. Rather than stuffing angry feelings (which seems to be a Christian response but can lead to physical illness or depression) or rage (which can develop into an addictive need to feel angry with little or no provocation) choose a safe disposal method.
 
Here are four steps to dealing with anger — the emotional equivalent of the red sharps box 
  • Name the anger
  • Claim it
  • Own it
  • Send it on the way
Naming is powerful.