Author: barbarafox

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Hands On in Christ’s Service

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Cindy Bennett and Anne Fikaris were “hands on for Christ when they baked cookies for Womanspace

This is a personal post. In the several decades I’ve been at Princeton United Methodist Church, one of the congregational traits I value the most is an understanding attitude regarding personal schedules. We don’t play the blame game. If something comes up and you can’t do what you signed up to do, we’ll manage somehow. If you say you don’t have time to do a particular task, we won’t guilt you into doing it.

But perhaps we aren’t reaching everybody with the right message. The opportunity to be “hands on in Christ’s service” can be so exhilarating, even life changing. It’s just a matter of finding the square holes for the square pegs.  Maybe we aren’t being savvy about offering volunteer opportunities.

So I was intrigued by a post in the national United Methodist weekly digest: How to recruit volunteers when begging and badgering doesn’t work. And was delighted to find that at least one committee is already using one of the tips.

Take a look at the article (click here) and see what you think. If you think one of these strategies will work at PUMC, email the communications committee at communications@PrincetonUMC.

But how you are “hands on in Christ’s service” is up to you — and Jesus! We promise — you won’t have to take charge of your idea unless you want to!

Barbara Fox

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How can fear be healthy?

bill-hader-pixar-inside-out-pic

Fear is a healthy emotion, says Bill Hader, who plays the character Fear in the Disney Pixar movie Inside Out. He explains it in this clip.

On Sunday, January 17, Scott Sherrill will preach on how the emotion of fear can be part of everyone’s search for healthy spirituality. How will he tie it in with the scripture passages, Isaiah 41:8-14 and Philipians 4:4-9 ?

His sermon is part of January’s series Healthy Spirituality: Inside Out.  On January 24 Rev. Jana Purkis-Brash will preach on “Joy,” while Catherine Williams talks on January 31 about “The Gift of Sadness.”

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Anger: Healthily Spiritual?

How can anger be spiritually healthy? On Sunday, January 10 at 9:30 and 11, with Ephesians 4: 26-31 as her text, Rev. Jana Purkis-Brash continues the sermon series “A Healthy Spirituality: Inside Out,” referencing the Pixar movie. Her texts will be Ephesians 4: 26-31 and Mark 3:1-5. The Youth Choir, directed by Tom Shelton, will sing “Sanctuary” and “Gift of Love” at the 9:30 service, and Hyosang Park will direct the Chancel Choir in “Inscription” by Z.R. Stroope. Catherine Williams will speak to the children at Children’s Time. All are welcome! Join us for coffee and finger food after each service.

 

 

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Eat Right, Feel Better: Breakfast on January 10

Dorothy Mullen
Dorothy Mullen

Changing your diet can turn your life around says Dorothy Mullen, founder of The Suppers Program. She will speak at the January 10 breakfast sponsored by the United Methodist Men on Sunday, January 10 on “How You Feel is Data! An experiential workshop on brain health and food.”

Dorothy founded the Suppers network of nearly free-to-users programs — where people cook, eat, and develop a palate for the kind of food that can often turn around chronic health problems. Suppers hosts 30 – 40 events per month and serves people with diabetes, autoimmune diseases and addictions as well as those who simply want to learn to prepare delicious fresh food from scratch. The program has no bias of its own about which whole food eating style is healthiest, and members are taught to do their own experiments to discern which way of eating benefits them the most.

Dorothy has a master’s degree in addictions counseling from the College of New Jersey and uses addiction models to help people turn around entrenched eating behaviors that have placed them at risk for chronic disease. She is also a garden educator, having created garden based-education programs for the Princeton Public Schools for 13 years.

Enjoy a hot and tasty breakfast at 8 a.m., and the program starts at 8:30. A $5 donation is requested.

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How does “disgust’ contribute to healthy spirituality?

Catherine Williams answered the question “What’s so spiritual about disgust?” in her sermon on January 3. In the movie “Inside Out”  the “Disgust” character protected Riley from social danger (making choices that would endanger her popularity) and physical danger.
She told the story of David’s wife Michal recoiling in disgust when he danced before the Ark, based on the text 2 Samuel 6:12-17, 20-23.  In David’s case, however, he was rightfully objected to Michal’s disdain. David had been ordered by God to build the proper temple for the Ark and at long last he had achieved that goal — so his joyful dancing was justified.
Here is the complete text and her conclusion:
It is a good and spiritual thing when we can respond with disgust to the things God finds detestable – situations that contaminate our humanity, situations that endanger our connectedness to God and to one another.
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For January: Inside Out

disgustIt is no secret that some of the pastoral staff have a passion for Disney (sneak a peek at Jana’s phone case or her computer sometime, or ask Scott how many days until his next family trip to Disney World [388 days as of writing]). So it is exciting when we can take an important topic and wrap it in a Disney package. In the recent Disney movie Inside Out, we receive a glimpse of the emotions inside the mind of the young girl Riley, and how her emotions and shape who she is. We will use the movie as a starting point for our sermon series.

Starting on Jan 3rd the new sermon series is entitled Healthy Spirituality: Inside Out. Catherine Williams will preach on “What’s So Spiritual About Disgust?” using the texts from Samuel 6:12-17, 20-23 and Matthew 2:7-12. (For Catherine’s sermon on December 20, The Unopened Gift, click here.)

Later in the month the pastoral staff will help us look at Anger, Fear, Joy and Sadness and consider them spiritually. No one ever thanks God for anger or fear but these are emotions that God has provided. Why did God give them to us? How do we embrace these gifts from God? How do we use them in a way that is honoring to God and to others? What does healthy spirituality really look like?

(This was taken from a post written by Scott Sherrill for the January newsletter). 

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Community Conversation at McCarter

TwitterMcCarterLogo_400x400McCarter Theatre’s next production, the acclaimed  “The Piano Lesson” by August Wilson, is set for January 8 to February 7. McCarter will partner with Not in Our Town  to facilitate a 90-minute Community Conversation after the matinee on Saturday, February 6. For tickets to the play and reservations for the free Community Conversation call 609-258-2787 or go to www.McCarter.org.

The Community Conversation will be an opportunity to engage in a conversation that focuses specifically on the story of The Piano Lesson “as an articulation of black American experience through which issues and themes pertaining to race, racism, and racial oppression and injustice can be shared and explored for meaning and understanding.”

NiOT (to which PUMC belongs) is the interracial, interfaith social action group united to advance the cause of racial justice in Princeton. NiOT holds a monthly Continuing Conversations on Race, held on first Mondays at 7 p.m. in partnership with the Princeton Public Library. These forums offer a safe and friendly atmosphere to talk about issues of relevance to our community and nation. Or, “continue the conversation” by perusing Not in Our Town Princeton’s blog, which offers commentary from various points of view.

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Christmas Eve Family Service: 4 p.m.

2015 Christmas EveThe celebration of Christ’s birth on Christmas Eve, is such a magical night for all of us. Yet it can also be a hectic evening, as we juggle family traditions, rehearsals, gift giving, dinner, travel, and more.

This year the family worship is early, at 4:00 pm. This change in time is to help families with young children attend worship and still have the kids fed and ready for bed in good time. We are hoping to lessen the stress on families by moving earlier. This year Pastor Jana will tell the story of Christ’s birth at an informal family service with the theme “Christmas ABCs.” Can you guess where to find the Z in Christmas? The children’s choir will sing, directed by Tom Shelton.

The 8:00 pm worship is a traditional Lessons, Carols and Candlelight service. We will hear once again the beautiful Christmas story told through song, scripture, prayer and soft candlelight. Hyosang Park directs the Chancel Choir, Bell Choir, and instrumentalists. If you are an alumni of the youth choir, you are invited to “sing-in. Meet at 7:15 p.m. in Room 203 with Tom Shelton. Bring your family and friends!

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Longest Night: Solace for the Solstice

The Longest Night Service is Monday, December 21, at 7:30 p.m.
The Longest Night Service is Monday, December 21, at 7:30 p.m.

When Christmas is just not the same — because of the loss of a loved one, illness, aging, depression, loneliness, unemployment, loss, or broken relationship, — the Longest Night Service offers a peaceful, healing solace — away from the frenzy of the season.  Join us on Monday, December 21, at 7:30 p.m. as we allow the light of Christ to shine through our dark winter night.

In this way people of faith can honor the birth of Jesus away from the dazzling festivity and cheery excitement of crowded holiday gatherings. Stephen Ministers from PUMC will be available to help individuals who would like someone to pray with them. Scott Sherrill will preach.

As Christians, we believe that God is with us, even on the darkest of nights.

(Photo by Tom Tong)