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The SPIRIT of Ridgefield-Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church   March 8, 2006
Click here to see the March calendar.

WORSHIP IN LENT CONTINUES…

March 12th, 8:00, 9:15, & 11:15, 2nd Sunday in Lent. Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16. We pick up the story of Abram and Sarai as God gives them new names—Abraham and Sarah—and promises to provide for them as they journey together.

March 19th, 8:00, 9:15, & 11:15, 3rd Sunday in Lent. Exodus 20:1-17. Here we look at the "Ten Commandments." Beyond the debates about whether or not they should be engraved in stone and planted in front of courthouses, we see that they should be engraved in our hearts because they promise us freedom, freedom that comes from living within gracious limits.

March 26, 8:00, 9:15, and 11:15, 4th Sunday in Lent. Numbers 21:4-9. A bizarre story that promises us that some (not all!) trials and tribulations can be transformed into moments of healing if we will look for God in them. The Rev Gendi Ibrahim Rizk, pastor of the El Saray Church in Alexandria, Egypt, will be joining us for worship.

April 2, 8:00, 9:15, and 11:15, 5th Sunday in Lent. The Rev. Fred Neuschel will lead worship and deliver the message while Richard basks in the Florida sun… There will be no communion this Sunday, in the spirit of fasting for Lent.

April 9, two services only: 9:15 and 11:15. Palm Sunday. The choir will share Ellingboe’s Requiem at both services as a way of leading us into Holy Week. There will also be a congregation-wide breakfast in between the services at 10:15. (Contact Tina Stipati for details.)

April 13, 6:30pm in fellowship hall. Maundy Thursday. We will commemorate Jesus’ last supper with his friends and remember his commandment to love one another. We will share a meal as part of the worship experience. Communion will be served.

April 14, 7:30pm in the sanctuary. Good Friday. We commemorate the death of Jesus with a service of tenebrae. Tenebrae means “shadows” and refers to the practice of extinguishing candles throughout the service. The service ends in darkness and silence.

April 16, four services: 8:00, 9:00 (NW), 10:15, and 11:15. Easter Sunday. Luke 24:13-35. The darkness and silence comes to an end with the rising sun and the joyful refrain of “Christ is risen!” We will retell the story of the road to Emmaus, where two disciples encounter the risen Christ through breaking bread and telling stories. That’s where we find the risen Christ, too: in the community gathered together around the table and in the stories we tell. Communion will be served at all services.

SESSION HIGHLIGHTS (FEBRUARY)

*Elected corporate officers: Lori Thompson, president; Karl Dencker, vice-president; Dale Prindiville, secretary
*Approved, with regret, Craig Robinson’s request to resign from session
*Approved baptism for Mason Powell, son of Dave & Tori Powell
*Removed the following people from the membership rolls, all at their request: Sally Cunny, Jim and Sue Nixon, Craig and Ginger Robinson
*Restored Paula Pena to the membership rolls, at her request
*Approved the following worship schedule:

March 1, Ash Wednesday, 7pm
March 5, communion will be served
April 2, NO communion (in the spirit of fasting for Lent)
April 9, Palm Sunday, two services only: 9:15 and 11:15, choir cantata at both services with brunch between the services (no education classes)
April 13, Maundy Thursday, 6:30pm, service & dinner in fellowship hall; communion will be served
April 14, Good Friday, 7:30pm service of tenebrae
April 16, Easter Sunday, four services: 8:00, 9:00 (NW), 10:15, and 11:15; communion will be served
April 30, Youth Sunday, two services only: 9:15 and 11:15

GREETERS ORIENTATION MEETING

There will be a Greeters Orientation Meeting Sunday, March 12 at 10:30am in the sanctuary. The meeting will last no more than 30 minutes, and will provide a basic orientation to the ministry of greeting. Specific guidelines and instructions will be passed out and discussed. If you have any interest in participating in RCLPC’s greeting ministry, we hope you’ll be able to attend the orientation. If you have any questions, please contact Karen Hutchings, Linda Peel, or Dorothy Vick.

RCLPC RUMMAGE SALE

The RCLPC rummage sale will be held on Saturday, May 20th from 9am - 3pm. Mark the date and the week leading up to it. We will need a lot of helpers to set up, sort and price items that week. Also, lots of helpers the day of the sale. Hold on to the items that you want to donate until the week of May 15th. You can start dropping them off at the church Monday through Friday, 9am - 3:30pm. Make sure someone is at the church before you bring your stuff; although, I think I'll be spending a lot of time there that week! Remember, all proceeds will go towards the senior high mission trip to Egypt. We still need some help with organizing this. Please call Tina Stipati.

Please help support our Senior High Youth mission trip to Egypt this summer June 7—June 17

“FAITH: SOURCE OF CONFLICT OR PEACE?”

Thursday, March 23rd 7:30 pm
The Center for Middle Eastern Studies, North Park University
(Anderson Chapel; Foster and N. Spaulding Avenues)

CMES will celebrate its Tenth Anniversary as they welcome Bishop Elias Chacour, just appointed by the Vatican as the Catholic Bishop of the Galilee. Affectionately known as Abuna (Fr.), now Bishop Chacour returns to North Park, having helped CMES open the Center in 1995. He will address issues of faith and conflict in the Middle East with a particular focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Bishop Chacour (an educator and peacemaker) has established a remarkable educational model in northern Israel that brings together Palestinian Muslim, Christian, Druze, and Israeli Jews in a climate of mutual respect and study. Contact Alice Haznedl for more information.

ENCOUNTERING ISLAM TODAY:
BEYOND THE CLASH OF FUNDAMENTALISMS

An important conference on Islam will be held at North Park University sponsored by the Department for Middle Eastern Studies

Thursday, April 27, 2006 7:30 PM
Friday, April 28, 2006 9:00 AM- 5:00 PM

Mark your calendars now. More information to follow Or contact Alice Haznedl.

“IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN, BUT WE'RE TRYING!”
BUILDING & GROUNDS CORNER: Do we recycle at church?

Yes, thanks to the efforts of Jack Fankhauser, paper and cardboard has been recycled for many years. Jack has been picking up all the waste paper and cardboard, sorting and delivering it to an area-recycling center. Thank you Jack for all your time and effort, we appreciate what you have done for us so quietly behind the scenes! We have just negotiated with our trash hauler to provide us with a 2 yard dumpster just for recycling at no extra charge. Now we can put all paper and cardboard waste directly into the dumpster, no sorting required. However, glass, plastic, tin and aluminum cans need to be put in a plastic bag (co-mingled) prior to putting them into the recycling dumpster in order for them to be easily separated at their recycling center. Look for blue recycling containers throughout the church for paper and cardboard and in the kitchen only for the other materials. And Jack, please take it easy for a while, thanks again.

EASTER BASKET ITEMS NEEDED

It is time again for the children and youth in our church to prepare Easter Baskets for the children from Home of the Sparrow. This is such a great opportunity for the young members of our church to bring a smile to another’s face. The opportunity is also available to the adults in our church through various donations of items and/or time. This year we will be preparing the baskets on Palm Sunday, April 9th, from 10:00 – 11:00 AM. The following are some of the items needed: volunteers to assist, small Easter baskets, Easter grass, plastic eggs, candy, snacks, small toys, books and or coloring books. There will be donation boxes in the hall by the Sunday classrooms and by the office. If you are able to volunteer, please contact one of the following individuals. Thank You in advance! Cheryl Lilly or Jayne Zoerner.

FRIDAY MORNINGS OUT

Friday, March 17th… Spring Hill Mall play area...meet at the play area at 10:30
Friday, March 24th… buy popcorn at the train station and take a train ride to Arlington Heights and back to Crystal Lake: 10 am leave CL, arrive Arlington Heights at 10:32. Leave AH @ 11:16 arrive CL at 11:55. We can go for a short walk while in Arlington Heights.
Friday, March 31st… no activities due to Spring Break
Friday, April 7th… Leggee Elementary School, Huntley, 10 am for a free music class...bring your favorite stuffed animal.

MISSING!

Have you seen little round silver discs with a hole in the middle without their "Jackets?" No not the Olympic medals! The choir room is full of CD cases for CD's that have disappeared. If you have any information about the whereabouts of any of these discs, please return...no questions asked! Thanks so much! The RCLPC Music Lovers

ADULT CHOIR PRESENTS ELLINGBOE’S REQUIEM
April 9th, 9:15 and 11:15 am

The Adult Choir will present Bradley Ellingboe’s “Requiem”, on Palm Sunday, April 9th during 9:15 and 11:15 worship services. Accompanying the choir is a chamber ensemble, organ, harp, cello, oboe, flute, and percussion. This relatively new work (2002) combines the Latin requiem texts with the English texts, “The Lord’s Prayer”, Psalm 22, and “Evensong” by George Herbert. The children’s choirs, Little Lambs and Sounds of Joy, will lead the beginning of worship. There will be an all church breakfast between services in the fellowship hall. All are invited to worship with us as we move from the jubilant mood of Palm Sunday to the more reflective days of Holy Week.

NEW BIBLE STUDY
Being Offered – Tuesdays, 7:30 – 9pm

Plenty Good Room is a six-week, small group Bible study based on six African American spirituals. Born in the context of slavery, these spirituals live on today, speaking powerfully to new generations. The dates are March 21, (no class on March 28), April 4, 18, 25, and May 2 and 9. Cost of the book is $7.50. Look for the sign up sheet in the Connecting Link. Questions, contact Sherri Dees.

NEW TUESDAY NIGHT DISCUSSION GROUP at RCLPC

Exploring the Way is the title of the new book that will be discussed on Tuesday evenings from 7:30 – 9pm starting on April 4th. Join us as we share our faith stories and ideas and come together to discuss our spiritual journeys. Cost of the book is $9. Contact Juanita Miller at 847-426-0552 or the church office 815-459-1132 to order your book. Look for the sign up sheet in the Connecting Link.

SPARE CHANGE for a BIG CHANGE program

If you missed a chance on Sunday, February 26th to pick up a Mission in Motion cardboard collection box, please feel free to do so from one of the tables near the entrances to the sanctuary. By plunking your coins into the cardboard box, you’ll be putting your spare change to work helping fund the church’s various mission programs. When your cardboard box is full, simply drop it in the collection plate at any Sunday service. Thank you for your help!

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE: AN OPEN CONVERSATION

For the past year, the Building Task Force has been studying possible options to accommodate the building needs of our congregation. To share with you what we have learned thus far and gain your guidance as to how we should proceed, we have planned a series of one-hour discussion forums. We encourage everyone to participate in this conversation about the future direction of our congregation. Please plan to attend one of the meetings listed below. Signup sheets are posted in the “Connecting Link.”

Saturday, March 11, 9:00 a.m.
Sunday, March 12, 12:30 p.m.
Monday, March 13, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 18, 9 a.m.

Thank you. – The Building Task Force: David Dees, the Rev. Richard Floyd, Carol Hoefer, Scott Iddings, Jodie LeFevre, Linda Peel, Andrea Pracht, Wayne Prindiville and Lori Thompson

NATIVE AMERICAN CONNECTION
The State of Indian Nations Address

To quote Joe Garcia, President National Congress of American Indians, “Our fates are bound together. This is where we belong. Just as the Four Directions show a way to live, these Four Great Steps show a way to grow. I look forward to seeing this progress for the benefit of us all.

The meaning of each direction varies among tribes; but consider the tradition of the Pueblos, North is blue or green – conflict and tension. West is yellow – and the condition of man – in darkness and danger – standing before the unknown. South is red – peace, resolution and rest. East is white – victory, sunrise, clarity. Man must turn to each of these four directions to solve a problem.

Today, we face four areas of great challenge and we must meet each of them in order to move our nation forward: 1 – Public Safety-Law Enforcement; 2 – Healthcare; 3 – Education and the Economy and 4 – The Trust Settlement. Just as the Four Directions provide a map for the soul, the Four Great Steps define the challenges we face as tribal governments - the needs we must meet and overcome to improve the lives of those of us of the Indian Nations.

The National Museum of the American Indian is just a few blocks from here, on the Mall. The exhibits inside tell our story, but the Museum’s presence on the Mall, in the last unoccupied ground before the Capital, shows the world the unbreakable bond between the Indian Nations and the United States of America”. To see the entire speech, please check out the newspaper article in the Connecting Link. Interesting and revealing reading!

Joy Martin, Alice Haznedl, Ann Legg, Janet Pearce, Ginger Robinson, Rod Russell, MJ Towne, Gloria Thorson.

OPERATION PRAYERS AND COOKIE LIFT

Barb Turley recently informed me that a friend of RCLPC and a member of the Caring Crafters, Marian House, has a son serving in Iraq. Please stop by Fellowship Hall on Sunday, March 19, 2006, to sign Easter greetings to Jason House and Matthew Trummel, son of Chris and Betty Trummel. I will post a sign up sheet in the Connecting Link if you would like to donate supplies that soldiers request. If you have a loved one serving in the military in the Middle East, please contact me.
Thanks, Mary Moltmann

McHENRY COUNTY PEACE GROUP presents
“War Profiteering: Stop the Merchants of Death”
Thursday, March 16
at McHenry County Conference Center at 7pm

G. Simon Harak,S.J. is a peace activist who has dedicated his life to following Christ’s call to work for justice and nonviolence. As co-founder of Voices in the Wilderness he has traveled to Iraq, at the risk of arrest, to bring urgently needed medicines to the innocent Iraqi people. He has authored many books that relate Christianity to the responsibility of working for the common good and recognizing the worth and dignity of every person.

IN and AROUND RCLPC WITH BARB

Good morning! As I am writing this little article there is just a small bit of snow on the ground and the weather is nice. Do you think It will stay that way? I’m pretty sure it won’t.

* For those Seniors out there, don’t forget to go to the plays at the High Schools in Crystal Lake. It is not only enjoyable to watch these musicals, but very “fulfilling” (they feed you afterwards), and the best part is that It is FREE! Just one of the pluses to getting old.

* Speaking of high school musicals, I failed to let you know that ANN VORNSAND (daughter if STEVE and DORY, SISTER of ELIZABETH) was performing in The Pirates of Penance at Jacobs High School. Ann was a daughter of one of the pirates and also sang in the chorus. The play ran from the 2nd to the 4th of March. I love it when our young people are in things that we can go see and also enjoy.

* I’d like to say a big THANK YOU to the wonderful gentleman and ladies who delivered Meals on Wheels this month. They are: ALICE HAZNEDL, JANET PEARCE, CHERYL BRINCKS, LAURIE JENSEN, JOAN BLACK, DAWN CONDILL, TINA STIPATI, CHERYL LILLY, ANN LEGG, and DAVE WOODRUFF. This is the first time I didn’t have to deliver and I do thank you for that, also. It is great to have so many volunteers and to have them sign up without being prodded. Again, thank you!

* This month we find the Jamisons and the Baileys off to Kenya for a trip of a lifetime. RICK and GINNY BAILEY along with LARRY and MARY LLOYD JAMISON are part of a program to “spread the word” and will be working with the Methodist Church of Kenya. They will be there 3 to 4 weeks helping to give children an opportunity to learn as well as trying to meet their human needs. They may be constructing homes and schools, or maybe painting, reading and playing with the children, and just sharing God’s love. These are children with AIDS or whose parents have Aids and either abandoned them or they died. This program was founded in 1994 and helps many homeless and/or destitute children. If you would like to know more about this program just talk to JOAN BLACK (wife of JACK), as she has access to a video.

Thank you for spending this time with me. I am Barb Turley.

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