Good Friday Service & Concert: April 19, 2019

 

On Good Friday, April 19 at noon, we will gather in the Sanctuary for a service. 

Then at 7:30 pm, we will have our Good Friday concert with the Chancel Choir and Chamber orchestra performing Luigi Cherubini’s Requiem.  Join us for this meaningful remembrance of Jesus’s sacrifice for us.

The Requiem in C minor for the mixed chorus was composed in Paris by Luigi Cherubini in 1816.  It premiered on January 21, 1817, at a commemoration service for Louis XVI of France on the twenty-third anniversary of his beheading during the French Revolution. Musicians such as BeethovenSchumann, and Brahms admired Cherubini’s great work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Written by Isabella Dougan

Honoring Larry Apperson with Chuck Inman Award – Saturday, April 13, 2019

On April 13 the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) will present the Chuck Inman Memorial Award to Larry Apperson. The annual award honors an individual who has made a significant impact on feeding hungry people in Mercer County. Larry will be recognized for his long-standing service at TASK and for helping set up the very active satellite at Princeton UMC.

TASK serves those who are hungry in the Trenton area and offers programs to promote self-sufficiency and improve the quality of life of its patrons. As one of 16 satellites operated by TASK, Princeton Cornerstone Community Kitchen serves 100 meals each week. On April 6, 2019, Cornerstone recorded its 30,000th meal served since beginning in June 2012.

“We are proud of the help and commitment of our partners such as at Princeton United Methodist Church,” says Charlie Orth of TASK. “It’s leaders like Larry that make change happen.”

Written by Isabella Dougan

Bible Presentation – Sunday, April 7, 2019

 

Do you remember your first Bible? Where is it now? On Sunday, April 7th during worship, PUMC repeated its beautiful annual tradition.  Each year, this church gives to each child in 4th grade their bible. The giving of Bibles is in service to their Biblical imagination while hearing God for themselves through the pages.

Every member of the congregation was asked to bring their first Bible to the church that Sunday. Those who didn’t have their first Bible brought their current Bible.

This Bible presentation is one of the climaxes of the Sunday School experience of the 4th Graders and their families with church members.

Written by Isabella Dougan

The Maker’s Place Launches “Diaper Depot”

The Maker’s Place of Trenton, a Greater New Jersey Hope Center, has launched the next phase of its ministry with a Diaper Depot. Click here to learn more about the new initiative and how you, your church or organization can take part.

Has this initiative inspired you?

Volunteer at the Diaper Depot

 

 

 

 

Help us distribute diapers and build relationships!

Sign up to help at one or more distribution days, happening every other week starting Saturday, April 13th. Join us at 1201 Greenwood Ave, Trenton, from 8:30am-12: 30 pm, on select Saturdays and Thursdays.

Register to volunteer at www.makersplace.org/volunteer.

Written by Isabella Dougan

PUMC New Parking Information

 

If you are confused by the new parking regulations, which require payment starting at 1:00 pm on Sundays, here is the official explanation.

Disabled persons in cars displaying a handicapped sticker do not have to feed a meter or pay for parking. Those who have difficulty walking can park in front of the church or anywhere without worry. For those who can walk, the Williams Street Lot is free on Sunday.

For the Park Place Lot and on the street, Sunday’s Cinderella hour is 1:00 pm. For how to use the pay station, click here. 

However, we can prepay. We don’t have to leave the church exactly at 1:00 pm to feed the meters or the parking stations.

We can prepay two hours ahead, starting at 11:00 am to 1:00 pm or download the app and do it remotely. 

Note that if you prepay, the paid time shown on the meter will include any amount of free time between when you prepay and when the meter begins operation. For example, if a meter begins operation at 1:00 pm and you prepay for one hour at noon, the meter will show that the meter is paid for two hours. This means that you are paid through 2:00 pm (one free hour from noon to 1:00 and one paid hour from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm for a total of the two hours shown on the meter).

Latest info:  if you ‘mess up’ and don’t put enough time on, at the pay station, no worries! Just start over. The pay station will remember your license number and add the extra time ‘on the top.’ 

Parking update:

Use the Williams Street Lot (behind Thomas Sweet) to avoid parking fees that start at 1:00 pm. You can pay ahead of time, from 11:00 am on. Cars displaying a handicapped sticker can park for free anywhere without worry.

Written by Isabella Dougan

Cub Scouts Cook

Mike Babler, a Cub Scout den leader and PUMC member, brought his Scouts to PrincetonUMC’s kitchen to cook up some fun as a community service project for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK). TASK had received a number of baking mixes. “We divided the mixes among the Scout dens, and then Scouts, family and friends baked brownies, cakes, cookies and muffins at various locations around town,” says Mike.

Mike and Kristin live in Belle Mead and their sons, Ryan and Andrew, are active in both Scouts and the PUMC Children’s Choir. Ryan’s den of fourth graders  meets at the Otto Kaufman Community Center in Montgomery.  He is second from left in the pack photo. 

Both boys really enjoy Scouting,” says Mike. “They had a blast cooking for TASK!”  

Written by Isabella Dougan

PUMC Lenten Reflections March 12 – April 16, 2019

 

Journeying through Lent opens us up to see ourselves honestly, and to accept God’s grace in new ways. For Lenten Tuesdays, starting March 12, at noon in the chapel, PrincetonUMC offers 30-minute Lenten reflections followed by a light lunch. The entrance is on Nassau Street, at the corner of Vandeventer Avenue, and all are welcome. Invite your family and friends to join you.

 

United Methodist Lent Quiz

“How much do you know about the themes and practices during the season of Lent? Take this quiz and be sure to share it with others”. 

The United Methodist Church invites you to take a short quiz to test your knowledge of the season of Lent. Be sure to share the link to this page with friends so you can compare scores later.

Download, print and share this quiz with your church, family and friends! After you take the quiz, you can see all the answers and learn more about Lent and the season before Easter.

*Spoilers: Visit the Complete Answers page.

Try one of our other quizzes.

Posted by Isabella Dougan

“Period. End of Sentence” Wins 2019 Oscar for Short Documentary

A Netflix documentary on Menstruation stigma Period. End of Sentence is the 2019 OSCAR winner for best short Documentary.

In her acceptance speech after winning the Academy Award for best short documentary Period. End of Sentence” director Rayka Zehtabchi highlighted how the taboos around periods are a global issue, and not just in India where the film is set. Dedicating the Oscar to her students, producer Melissa Berton said the project was born because her students in L.A. and people in India wanted to make a “human rights difference.” Concluding, she said: “I share this award with the teachers and students around the world — a period should end a sentence, not a girl’s education.”

This Oscar-winning documentary, now streaming on Netflix, focuses on a group of women in a rural village outside Delhi, India, who, not having easy access to hygienic sanitary products, decide to manufacture them as cost-effectively as possible. “The taboos around menstruation in India and the lack of hygienic sanitary products lead to almost a third of Indian girls missing school during their periods”.

While lack of access to feminine hygiene products is usually associated with girls and women in third-world countries, we know that there is a need right here in the United States. This award helps shine a spotlight on the work of US charitable organizations trying to make menstrual products affordable and available to those who need them. 

Churches in particular regularly receive requests for feminine hygiene items. By bringing this unpleasant situation into the light of day via this documentary, the United States has the opportunity to play a crucial role in ensuring that the needs of millions of girls and women are met.

Right here in Princeton, at Princeton UMC, we have an opportunity to contribute through the Princeton Period Project. It provides feminine hygiene products (tampons and pads) for girls and women in our community and we need to keep it going. This project is part of the Princeton Cornerstone Community Kitchen (PCCK) at the Princeton UMC.  A donation box has been set up in the hallway outside the Clothing Closet in the Princeton UMC. Your donations are greatly appreciated. Click Here to Help princetonperiod.org/donate  

Written by Isabella Dougan

Sermon “The Bethlehem Trek: From Despair to Hope”

On December 9, 2018, the 2nd Sunday of Advent, Rev. Jenny Smith Walz preached a sermon titled “From Despair to Hope” from the series ‘The Bethlehem Trek’. Her text is from Malachi 3:1-4 and Luke 1:67-79.

To hear the sermon live, go to the Princeton United Methodist Church Facebook page

Also, the sermon will be podcast soon on this webpage under the category “worship”.

 

 

 

 

Zechariah’s Song

Luke 1:67-79

Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

   for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them. 

He has raised up a mighty savior for us

   in the house of his servant David, 

as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 

   that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. 

Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,

   and has remembered his holy covenant, 

the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,

   to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,

might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness

   before him all our days. 

And you, child, will be called the prophet of The Most High;

   for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 

to give knowledge of salvation to his people

   by the forgiveness of their sins. 

By the tender mercy of our God,

   the dawn from on high will break upon us, 

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

   to guide our feet into the way of peace.’

Are you sitting in darkness? Are you sitting in the shadow of death?

When does despair creep into your life? Maybe it’s a constant companion – especially if you suffer from depression. It’s there more often than not, no doubt. But most all of us have these moments where we just aren’t sure that the future will be positive, that there’s any way out of this mess, that good things can and will happen, that there is a future at all.

  • After a loss of relationship or job
  • death
  • in any sort of storm in life
  • after listening to the news
  • politically things don’t go your way

Zechariah sat in some darkness for a while himself. In Zechariah’s case – there were some reasons to be less hopeful – his own childlessness, and ongoing occupation by Rome, to name two. 

Do you remember Zechariah?  A priest, whose turn it was to offer incense in the sanctuary. Older, childless – social, spiritual implications if no children.

When Gabriel comes – angel catches him in a moment of despair. Uncertain about the future, that there would be a positive outcome in the future, at least for him and Elizabeth. Angel Gabriel – you will have a son! name him John! You will have joy and gladness! He will be filled with HS!  He will turn hearts to God, make people ready for this new thing God is doing.

“How will I know? – my wife and I are getting on in years. Yeah, I’ve heard this sort of things before – these prophecies about a savior. I’m afraid Can I trust? Hope? for Elizabeth and I? for my people? Struck mute.

The next time we hear from him is here. John has been born, and upon his birth, when others want to name him Zechariah after him, he writes, affirming his wife Elizabeth’s pronouncement, that his name was to be John. At that moment, he is able to speak again. And this song is his response. And it’s vastly different than when Gabriel meets him in his darkness. I wonder what happened to him in his silence. There are several things I think he did in that time.

Acted – he and Elizabeth acted as if the angel’s predictions were true. It’s an act of courage and strength to do hope-filled things. Jeremiah – bought a field as the nation was falling to the Babylonians.

Remembered – the ways God has acted and continues to act. God is trustworthy. God keeps God’s promises. This is part of why we worship, we read scripture, we study and pray with one another – to remember. God is the beginning and the end, the alpha, and omega. Christ was born, Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. Abraham, Noah, Moses, prophets, God will do a new thing, God is doing a new thing.

Patience found – Patience is the assurance that it is worth it, it is worth the frustration, worth the setbacks. “We are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder” verse: “the struggle is long, but the hope is longer.” Suffragettes – took 70 years to secure the vote for women: song: “we shall not, we shall not be moved, just like a tree that’s planted by the water, we shall not be moved.” Wild patience. Anne Lamott – hope begins in the dark. It depends, not on sight, glimpses, and glimmers, but on waiting, watching, and working.

Community engaged –  when we cannot, others will hope on our behalf (like belief, prayer.) We have each other, we are accompanied by these saints, and we carry candles to light at least a little of the way. We are the church.

Envisioned – in what ways are your Christian hopes too limited? If our life together as the people of PUMC was made into a wonderful movie with a happy ending, tell me what that last part of the movie would look like?  Our world history?  Or your life?

Zechariah was transformed in the silence. He was refined and purified in these months. He became hopeful, joyful!

Anne Lamott – Hope begins in the dark, it is not dependent on sight, glimpses, and glimmers, but on waiting, watching, and working.