|
|
Northside Associated Ministries
|
|
Northside Associated Ministries St. Aidan's Officers Northside Officers NAM Officers
Download the Adobe pdf reader free! Download Open Office Download Firefox |
Pastor's Corner(click here for a printable copy The times they are a changing. That seems a pretty safe statement given the global environmental crises, the international economic crisis and international military tensions, the national economic crisis, the state of Michigan (still at the bottom), and our own congregations and families. Things are in a pattern of change. One might argue that we are always changing and therefore this is nothing new. While that is true, sometime there are particular moments of change. One of the Revised Common Lectionary texts for March is Gen. 17: 1-8, 15-16. It is the giving of God's second covenant to Abraham (probably by a different author) in which Sarah gets a covenant as well. The gravity of the covenant is represented by a name change for both parties. Abram (Exalted Father) becomes Abraham (Father of multitudes; explained as "many nations,"). Sarai (My princess or my perseverer) becomes Sarah (Princess or Noble Lady). In some sense this second covenant represents a status reduction since the emphasis is not longer on Abraham's greatness, or Sarah's specialness, but on the mission they have of progenitors and leaders of nations. Their personal fame is traded for a social purpose. The terms of the covenant are that Abraham, "Walk before me" otherwise translated as "Walk with me," or "Follow my ways." (AB 1, 124). God in return, promises to be God to him and his descendents. I think we are at a point of change in our lives as two congregations. The symbols are there. We have just finished a bit more than 40 years in our ministries, a good symbol of finishing our desert wanderings. We are also in a time ripe for ministry. Bishop Gibbs stated as much recently when someone was bemoaning the terrible state of things in the nation and in Michigan. We all know what stressors the economy and our worshippers own stresses puts on churches. Yet Bishop Gibbs rebounded with the comment, "There couldn't be a better time for ministry. So much is needed." It is no secret that our congregations have needs, for growth, for financial stability, and lots of other things. Yet, this is a time also for renewed ministry. Northside has just made a commitment to SOS for personal volunteer support of all the tremendous programs that they offer. St. Aidan's is narrowing down a list of mission programs in order to select one that can be offered. The leading candidates all involve sharing this great resource (warm building, beautiful view, fabulous natural habitat) with others. Next month our new neighbors will move into the "Broadway House." Our ministry of hospitality will certainly be offered by both congregations to those residents. The times are a changing, yet there is a constant. When we enter the covenant to "Walk before God, " God returns with the covenant, "I will be your God." When we choose to be part of the social mission, not just the exalted object, of God's love and care, we will make the right choices and we will always be supported by God's love and energy. The times are changing. What an opportunity! Faithfully, Susan In the News this month:
Answer to Last Month's Question:Last month, we discussed the merits of sand vrs. salt for road treatments in the winter. But wouldn't it be easier to just leave the snow all over the road, and have everyone drive hovercrafts all year long? Answer: Good idea (better than most of the ideas proposed here). Unfortunately, hovercrafts have one major shortcoming with their use for individual transportation: They are almost impossible to stop. Therefore, they are of little utility on Washtenaw avenue.Question of the Month: When are we going to stop talking about the weather and actually do something about it? Now back to the news. NAM Lent Spiritual Practices Series All are welcomed to the first session if you can commit for all six Wednesdays (Mystics) or five Wednesdays (Norris)
Mystics. 40-day Journey With Kathleen Norris. Guided by this devotional, participants commit to spending at least 20-30 minutes a day in prayer -- the book provides a daily quote from Norris, with related scriptures and meditation questions. Meets weekly for 2-2.5 hours to discuss whatever the practice brings up for us and to pray for each other. March 4-April 1. Church Office area. Also on Wednesdays in Lent, 5-6pm, the Lower (St. Aidan.s) Sanctuary will be open for Chapel Meditation. St. Aidan's Activity Calendar
Don't Expect to Get There Anytime Soon...
How do you get there? Well, you can start by going to www.michigan.gov
clicking on travel & recreation on the left, waiting for the next page to load, clicking on construction & travel on
the right, going out for a pizza while the flash map loads (this is a Cold Fusion page. Remember
what I said two months ago about flash? Well, a web page ending in .cfm does not mean, 'Cold Fusion'.
It really means, 'abandon hope of ever entering here'), and then finally clicking on the new construction & travel
box in the upper left.
Or, go to the (somewhat) intuitive site www.michigan.gov/mdot.
(I some how located it, but I cannot recall how that happened). Either this page or the previous one
one will give you a link to road and bridge projects, which is not what you are looking for. Instead, you need
to click on the 'News Releases', which isn't exactly what you want either, but if you then navigate to it's
index and make a Good Guess that what you want can be found in March, you will find what I started with.
Easy once you know the trick.
Book Group
Stonebridge Dr. N, Ann Arbor; phone 913-0420. The group will discuss the 2009 Ann Arbor read:
Seeing in the Dark, How Amateur Astronomers Are Discovering the Wonders of the Universe by Timothy Ferris.
The book selection for April is the novel Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. All are welcome.
Conference Mission Trips The Presbytery of Detroit Hands-On Mission Work Group is
sponsoring a Katrina Relief Mission Trip for March 21-29, 2009 to Pearlington, MS.
Cost is $225/week. More information is on the following websites: handsonmission.com, pbydetroit.com, and katrina8joyfullyserving.com. Flyers are available on the back table of the Northside sanctuary.
Iowa Hurricane Recovery Initiative 3:The Presbytery of Detroit Hands-On Mission Work Group
is sponsoring an Iowa Hurricane Recovery Trip for April 27 - May 1 to Iowa City.
Flyers are available on the back table of the Northside Sanctuary.
Wild and Wacky Videos The Usual Suspects |
