Sunday, March 2
9:30 AM Christian Education: "The Parables of Jesus"
11:00 AM Worship, Rev. Powers preaching
Noon Potluck Lunch
1:00 PM Cuba Presentation & Dessert
Wednesday, March 5
7:00 AM Lenten Meditation & Devotion
Thursday, March 6
7:45 PM Choir Rehearsal
Friday, March 7
Noon - 5 PM Christian Peace Witness for Iraq (Washington, D.C.)
Sunday, March 9
9:30 AM Christian Education: "The Parables of Jesus"
11:00 AM Worship, Rev. Powers preaching
12:15 PM Session Meeting
Wednesday, March 12
7:00 AM Lenten Meditation & Devotion
Thursday, March 13
7:45 PM Choir Rehearsal
Sunday, March 16
9:30 AM Christian Education: "The Parables of Jesus"
11:00 AM Palm Sunday Celebration, Rev. Powers preaching
4:00 PM Ordination of Susan Quass
Wednesday, March 19
7:00 AM Lenten Meditation & Devotion
Thursday, March 20
6:30 PM Soup and Bread Supper
7:45 PM Maundy Thursday Communion Service
Sunday, March 23
9:30 AM Christian Education: "The Parables of Jesus"
11:00 AM Easter Sunday Celebration, Rev. Powers preaching
Thursday, March 27
7:45 PM Choir Rehearsal
Sunday, March 30
9:30 AM Christian Education: "The Parables of Jesus"
11:00 AM Worship, Rev. Powers preaching
Noon-6 PM Deep Shift Consultation (tentative)
S.O.B.E.R. Sunday
LENTEN MEDITATION SERVICES
The Lenten season continues with Lenten Meditation services on Wednesday mornings at 7:00 a.m. through March 19 of Holy Week. We read a short devotion, have some quiet time, sing a hymn or two, and offer a short prayer before starting our work day. It's a simple way to go to work refreshed. All are welcome!
Teachings Of Jesus
Join us on Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. to study and gain insight into some of the teachings of Jesus. We are using the book "The Parables of Jesus" by Simon J. Kistemaker. Please come and join us for what has proven to be very interesting and informative discussions.
Building Bridges with Cuba - Sunday, March 2
Over the past few years, Light Street Presbyterian Church has been quietly nurturing a sister church partnership with a Presybterian Church in Cuba. The Cuban congregation just celebrated its 100th anniversary, and a small delegation from the Light Street Church waas present for the festivities.
Church members Bonnie Cosner, Carol Eshelman, and JoAnn Ruther, and Pastor Roger Powers, traveled to Cuba in late November to celebrate the centennial of the Presbyterian Church in Cabaiguan, a small town located in the central part of the Caribbean island nation. The church received a license from the U.S. Treasury Department allowing the church members to travel to Cuba for religious purposes.
The group will share their experiences in Cuba with the wider Federal Hill community at a public presentation on Sunday, March 2, at 1:00 p.m. Refreshments will be served, including typical Cuban desserts.
Members and friends of Light Street who come to worship that morning are invited to gather for a potluck lunch from 12 to 1, prior to the Cuba presentation. Please bring a dish to share.
Good News from Baltimore Presbytery
Three things happened at the January 24 meeting of Baltimore Presbytery, which will be of special interest to members and friends of Light Street Presbyterian Church:
First, the Presbytery examined Light Street member Susan Joan Quass on her statement of faith and her call to ministry and approved her for ordination to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament! The Presbytery also validated her call to be Co-Director for Program and Administration at Wellspring Conference Center in Germantown, Maryland. We celebrate this milestone in Susan's life and look forward to her service of ordination at Light Street, which is tentatively scheduled for Palm Sunday, March 16, at 4:00 p.m.
Second, the Presbytery voted 103-32 to send an Overture on Building Peace in Iraq to the General Assembly, the national governing body of the Presbyterian Church (USA), for its consideration. The overture was sent to Baltimore Presbytery by the Light Street Session, with the concurrence of the Sessions of the Govans and Catonsville Presbyterian Churches and the Presbytery's Peace and Justice Committee.
Third, our pastor, Rev. Roger Scott Powers, was nominated from the floor to be a Commissioner to the General Assemby as was elected as a "write-in" candidate! So, he'll be going to the national meeting in San Jose, California, in June as a voting Commissioner!
One Great Hour of Sharing
What is One Great Hour of Sharing? If you're like many of us, it's one of those traditions you think everyone else understands, so you don't ask. And a tradition it is - there are a fair number of congregations that will receive the offering for the sixtieth time this year. But even in those congregations, I'll bet there are people who don't really know what it is.
It started in 1949, when a lot of Christian leaders, seeing the devastation that World War II had left in much of the world, recognized both a responsibility to our sisters and brotehrs, and an opportunity to witness to a loving God. They organized an hour-long nationwide radio broadcast on the last Saturday evening in March, in which some of the best-known stars of the day highlighted the needs and invited people to give through their church the next morning. The response was overwhelming, so the offering was held again the next year, as it has been every year since.
Over the years, the offering's mission has grown from simply emergency relief and rebuilding after disasters such as wars, earthquakes, and floods, to addressing many kinds of human suffering, from the sudden to the chronic. Increasingly, it has included focusing on the root causes of this suffering, so that the solutions can be sustained after our attention moves on to other communities. At first most of this work was done through Church World Service, which was then the relief and development arm of the National Council of Churches.
Within the Presbyterian Church (USA), this evolution was accompanied by the addition of new programs to the offering. In the 1970s, both Self-Development of People and the Presbyterian Hunger Program were added as One Great Hour of Sharing ministries. Since that time the Presbyterian Disaster focus was reorganized as Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. As each of these programs has evolved, more of the ministry Presbyterians support with their gifts has been done by these three programs while we continue to work with other denominations through Church World Service. The ministries of these three programs address a wide spectrum of human suffering from the acute to the chronic, from offering short-term relief to addressing root causes.
Even today, however, the offering continues the tradition it has maintained throughout its history - standing with our partners in the face of suffering, walking with them toward a more hopeful future, and witnessing to the love of God in Jesus Christ in tangible ways that proclaim in word and deed that they are not alone. I invite you to join this great tradition of sharing resources that trly changes lives.
Light Street will receive the One Great Hour of Sharing offering on Palm Sunday and Easter.
Christian Peace Witness for Iraq
Friday, March 7, 2008
The Baltimore Peace Witness Invites you to Take a Day Off For Peace
Christian Worship in D.C. Churches
Prominent Preachers - Witnesses of War
Diverse Styles and Traditions
Interfaith Witness for Peace on the Mall
On March 7th, travel to D.C. with fellow peacemakers from Baltimore
9:30 a.m. Buy your MARC train ticket by 9:30 a.m. at Baltimore's Penn Station
Train #521 Departs 9:50 a.m. - Arrives Union Station 10:50 a.m.
11:00 a.m. Walk or take Metro to worship service of your choice (Metro map will be available)
12:00 p.m. Worship Services (see www.christianpeacewitness.org for details)
2:15 p.m. Upper Senate Park (gather with the Baltimore group with B'More Peaceful hats at Constitution Ave. & Delaware Ave. N.E.)
2:30 p.m. Interfaith Service & Witness*
Return trips available hourly on MARC until 8:40 p.m.
MARC Tickets: $14 round trip
*For those interested in Civil Disobedience and nonviolence training
Nonviolence trainings are offered Thurday evening, 6:30-9:30 p.m., and Friday morning, 8:00-11:00 a.m., at New York Avenue Presbyterian. If you are considering risking arrest and have not trained before, training is HIGHLY recommended.
Contact for more information: Bmorepeaceful@gmail.com.
RSVP by February 29th and receive a free B'more Peaceful Hat.
Ecumenical Advocacy Days - March 7-10 - Washington D.C.
Please join us for the sixth annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days conference! The theme, "2008: Claiming a Vision of True Security," promises to inspire an expected gathering of over 1,000 religious advocates. Experts will train participants on policy issues and advocacy, culminating on Monday with lobby visits on Capitol Hill. Issue Tracks are offered on Africa, Asia-Pacific, Domestic Issues, Eco-Justice, Peace & Global Security, Jubilee & Economic Justice, Latin America, and the Middle East. The conference is sponsored by more than 45 organizations, including the American Friends Service Committee, Children's Defense Fund, Church World Service, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, National Council of Churches, Pax Christi USA, Presbyterian Church (USA), Sojourners, United Church of Christ, and World Council of Churches/Decade to Overcome Violence. This year's gathering is at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, 5000 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA. Conference Fee: $175 (includes 2 lunches and Sunday dinner). To register, or for more information, visit www.advocacydays.org.
New Lending Library Features Books About Being Presbyterian
What does it mean to be a Presbyterian? What do Presbyterians believe? What is is the history of the Presbyterian Church (USA)? These are questions that many members and friends of Light Street may ask from time to time, since so many did not grow up Presbyterian. We come from a variety of religious backgrounds. Even church members who have been Presbyterian for a long time may not have delved into their denominational identity in any depth.
To help address these questions, Light Street has a new lending library of 12 books about being Presbyterian. They are available at the book table downstairs to borrow, read, and return. (Please borrow only one book at a time, and be sure to note the title on the sign-out sheet.) Available titles are:
Faith in Words: A Celebration of Presbyterian Writers
A Brief History of Presbyterians
Presbyterian Beliefs: A Brief Introduction
This We Believe: Eight Truths Presbyterians Affirm
Witness Without Parallel: Eight Biblical Truths That Make Us Presbyterian
To Be A Presbyterian
Living Water: A Guide to Baptism for Presbyterians
How To Spell Presbyterian
Presbyterian Creeds: A Guide to the Book of Confessions
Being A Presbyterian in the Bible Belt: A Theological Survival Guide
Calvin for Armchair Theologians
Presbyterian Questions, Presbyterian Answers: Exploring Christian Faith
Bread Ministry Rising At Light Street
During Advent, Sunday morning visitors to Light Street received a home-baked loaf of bread as they left worship! Deborah Szostak and Audrey Jewett initiated the project as another way of welcoming newcomers and helping them to feel at home at Light Street. If you'd like to help, please let Deborah or Audrey know.
Help Lead Worship
Volunteers are needed to help lead worship each Sunday. This usually involves leading the congregation in the "Call to Worship" and "Prayer for Illumination" and reading the scripture lesson(s) for that Sunday. There is a sign-up sheet on the downstairs bulletin board.
Fellowship Hour Volunteers Needed
It's wonderful each Sunday morning following worship to be able to gather downstairs for a time of fellowship and refreshment. But it means someone needs to take responsibility each week for making coffee, providing refreshments, and cleaning up afterwards. If everyone in the congregation signed up to do this just a few Sundays a year, we would have it covered. Many hands make light work! Please sign up on the downstairs bulletin board.
S.O.B.E.R. Sunday - March 30
S.O.B.E.R. stands for South Baltimore Emergency Relief. Two dedicated people, John and Elizabeth, staff the operation, caring for the homeless and others in need of special help. They stock supplies in the small basement of Holy Cross Church at 110 E. West Street. On the last Sunday of every month, we collect non-perishable food items (soups, peanut butter, tuna, and one-dish meals) for their food pantry. Flip-top cans are especially helpful for homeless persons who don't have access to kitchen facilities. Personal hygiene items, gloves, and socks, as well as financial contributions are also welcome. Checks made payable to Light Street Presbyterian Church should be clearly marked for SOBER.
SERMONS
Copies of Roger's sermons are available on the downstairs hall table. A few selected sermons are posted on this website. If you are visiting our church, please feel free to pick up a copy if you missed a Sunday. Or, pass one on to a friend!
DEADLINE FOR APRIL NEWSLETTER: March 15
Send all newsletter material to John Ginovsky at jginovsk@aba.com