Youth from Princeton and around the nation will talk about race on Saturday morning, April 23. Grace Penn, who attends PrincetonUMC, is the administrator for the Princeton Prize in Race Relations, which has its national conference here. Anyone may attend. Meanwhile students at Princeton High School discuss “See Me, Hear Me,” an open, honest dialogue with today’s youth. Reservations are needed. Details here.
Learning from Children and Trees
The Children’s Choirs will present their musical, The Tale of Three Trees, on Sunday, April 23, at 9:30 and 11 a.m. Written by Allen Pote and Tom Lang, and directed by Tom Shelton, this musical brings to life the traditional story of some trees with a dream and God with a plan.
The Youth Choir will present a series of skits, vignettes, solos, and anthems for Youth Sunday, April 30. Because of Communiversity there will be one service that day, at 9:30 a.m. Both choirs will reprise their musicals for Communiversity at 2 p.m.
The children’s musical follows the adventures of three trees — bringing to life the traditional story of some trees with a dream and God with a plan. The first tree dreams of holding great treasure; the second tree longs to beco
me a mighty ship, and the third tree just wants to stay in the forest and point people to God. Told through story and song, the congregation is reminded that even when we can’t see the forest for the trees, there is no prayer that is too small for God.
It’s a good story but trees can’t possibly have social relationships, right? We grownups would scoff at that idea and say merely that this musical is an imaginative way to present Christian truths.
Yet in “The Hidden Life of Trees,” an international bestseller, forester and author Peter Wohlleben convincingly makes the case that, yes, the forest is a social network. He draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries to describe how trees are like human families: tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers.
As we learn more about our world, we learn that God has amazing plans. We look forward to April 23, when the children will teach us about God.
John Kuhlthau: Faith and Works
The Honorable John S. Kuhlthau, a PUMC member, will speak at the breakfast sponsored by the United Methodist Men on Sunday, April 9, at 8 a.m. He will give a talk titled “Faith and Works — as Judge and Layman.“ All are welcome, a $5 donation is encouraged.
John is a Methodist through and through. A graduate of Princeton University (Class of 1958) he went to Wesley Foundation meetings at Princeton UMC, and later served as Trustee Chair. He and Carol Collier Kuhlthau were married here. He attended Drew Theological Seminary, earned his J.D. at Rutgers University Law School, and served as Public Defender and as Middlesex County Prosecutor. But he felt called to resign and devote full-time, on behalf of the Methodist Church, to the bipartisan ‘Casinos – No Dice’ campaign, working closely with Rev. Jack Johnson in church meetings and shopping malls with youth volunteers.”Casino gambling was defeated on its first referendum, but of course, it was re-designed and the voters approved,” says John.
Meanwhile his law firm helped shepherd the union of three UMC churches in New Brunswick. Returning to public service, he sat as a Judge for 22 years, most recently in Superior Court. He and Carol moved to Princeton and joined PrincetonUMC. when he retired. Among his current projects is the annual John Suydam Kuhlthau Bioethics Conference at New Brunswick Theological Seminary. His most recent honor is the Order of the Tower at The Pennington School.
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
For the Circle of Friends on Tuesday, April 11, at 10:30 a.m., Sandra Stein, Ed.D and Louise Weston, PhD will present an illustrated lecture on their pilgrimage to the Holy Land, relating sites in Israel and Palestine to Jesus’ life.
Sandra is an educational psychologist. She taught at the University of South Carolina, Northern Illinois University and Rider University. While at Rider she taught for 17 1/2 years in the undergraduate teacher preparation program and 17 1/2 years in the graduate program teaching research, statistics and measurements.
Sandra enjoyed traveling even early in her career, traveling with Louise Weston to Russia, China, & Denmark in the 1970’s. Since retirement she’s touched a Pacific gray whale mother & baby, seen the polar bears near Hudson Bay, seen the Big Five animals in South Africa, traveled in Europe, North, Central & South America & most recently on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville.
Louise Weston is a sociologist, working as a research consultant with a focus on population trends and consumer behavior. In her research and marketing career, she has held positions as Manager of Environmental Research at Kraft/General Foods in White Plains, NY and Research Manager at Response Analysis Corporation in Princeton.
Louise started as an academic, holding faculty positions at Fordham University in NY,Rider University and Slippery Rock State University in PA. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Fordham and a B.A. in English from Holy Family College in Philadelphia.
Louise has traveled extensively, including a few trips with Sandy over Christmas break when they were both teaching at Rider – including Russia in December ‘74 and China in December ‘79.
Based on their pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Sandra and Louise will discuss the geography of the area and in historical order present the places that follow the life of Jesus.
All are welcome. Bring your own lunch. Dessert, coffee, and tea will be provided. Please RSVP by April 9 to Beth Perrine or Carline Kimble.
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Mission Project for Sunday School
Sunday School students will work on a mission project to support people in the local Princeton area. We will prepare Hygiene Kits that will be distributed to people who visit Cornerstone Community Kitchen.
The Cornerstone Community Kitchen (CCK) offers a free and nutritious meal every week, even on holidays. Volunteers from the community serve the meal from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. In partnership with the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), this ministry of PUMC now serves more than 100 people each week. Some come for the food, some for the fellowship and friendly atmosphere. All are welcome, no questions asked.
Teachers will introduce the Mission Project on Palm Sunday, April 9. On the next two Sundays after Easter (April 23 and 30) children will bring in the supplies. They will make cards on April 23 and assemble the kits (always exciting) on April 30. The kits will be blessed, tentatively, on May 7 during the Children’s Sermon. Everyone is welcome to contribute any item (you don’t have to bring all the items). There will be a basket in the Sanford Davis Lobby.
- bar of soap
- a wash cloth (new)
- a small hand towel (new)
- shampoo (regular size, not travel and not extra large)
- conditioner(regular size, not travel and not extra large)
- toothbrush
- toothpaste (regular size, not travel and not extra large)
This is a great way for our children to learn about helping others in a very hands-on way. Questions?Contact Tracey Feick-Lee or Rachel@PrincetonUMC.org
Fourth Grade Bibles
Director of Christian Education Machaela Irving — along with teachers Barbara Sageser, Janis McCarty, and Lorie Roth — presented each fourth grader with a NRSV Bible on February 12. They were curious and delighted!
Letter from Jana: February 19, 2017
Dear Friends,
I’m writing to share with you the news that the Bishop is appointing me to serve as the Executive Director of the GNJAC Stewardship Foundation beginning July 1st.
One of the principles of the United Methodist Church is our Connectionalism; we do not stand alone as a congregation but are part of a network of congregations that all work together to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Connectionalism has always been a part of my DNA as a UM and so to serve in the wider church of the Annual Conference it will allow me to fully live out one of the values that has been so important to me as a UM pastor.
Her letter continues here
For the letter from Bishop John Schol, here.
Welcome back, Tom Lank
Welcome back to Rev. Tom Lank! He and his family return to PUMC on Sunday, February 12 so that he can speak at the breakfast served by United Methodist Men. His topic: United Methodist Volunteers in Mission. He will also preach at both services, on the sermon series topic “Life in Community,” based on Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Tom is a United Methodist Deacon and a product of Princeton UMC, where he discerned his call to ministry as a layperson, and served on staff as the Associate Pastor from 2008-2010. Tom led the mission trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo that launched PUMC’s strong support for United Front Against Riverblindness. He currently serves as the Coordinator of the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission program for the Northeastern Jurisdiction, covering United Methodist congregations from Maine to West Virginia to Washington, DC. Tom, his wife Gretchen Boger, and their two children, Edith (11) and Alice (8) currently live in Philadelphia.
UMM cooks the tasty hot breakfast, and it’s not ‘just for guys.’ Everyone is invited; a $5 donation is suggested.
On immigration policy
“Give me your tired, your poor,
your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, . . .
These words, written by poet Emma Lazarus and posted on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty have, for decades, welcomed the foreigner to the shores of our land. They are words that have described the position of our country, a place that has welcomed the immigrant into a land of hope where a pathway to a better life could be found.
The words “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses,” sound very similar to a message that the church has proclaimed for generations:
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28)
The bishops of the Northeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church offer this statement on immigration policy — and it comes with a prayer. Link here to read this, provided by Bishop John Schol of the United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey..
Here is another link to a prayer, this one for the immigrant and refugee.
Refugee and Immigrant God, who came wanting to dwell among us.
Hear our prayers. Amen.
Sunday School: Not Just for Kids
In addition to Bible studies that meet during the week, two adult classes welcome newcomers on Sunday at 9:30 a.m.
The Contemporary Issues Class is starting a new study based on The Unwinding by George Packer. Through a series of glimmering short essays, Packer has put together a story of how wealth has concentrated itself in the United States in the second half of the twentieth century, and the first decade of the 21st. “We meet every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the Library. We welcome new class members,” says Charles Phillips.
The Heart of Faith class meets in Fellowship Hall on Sundays at 9:30. Led by Rev. Don Brash, it will study the differences between the Word as Jesus of Nazareth, the word as the preaching of the preacher, and the Word as the messages of the Scriptures. “We will explore the possible ways of understanding God’s relationship to the words of the Bible and the words of the preacher,” says Don. He is associate professor of historical theology at Palmer Theological Seminary. Everyone is welcome.