Cha Cha demonstration with Ms. Gena and Laela for our Wednesday Ballroom dance class.
Blog
Pastoral Message, October 2012
Come sing, O church, in joy! Come join O church, in song!
For Christ the Lord has led us through the ages long!
In bold accord, come celebrate the journey and praise the Lord!
The words to this familiar hymn (Come Sing, O Church, in Joy! — #430 in our Blue Hymnal), resonate for me as the cool evenings and dark mornings confirm that it is, indeed, fall.
Fall has always been my favorite season. I have always loved the anticipation of a new year of school, the fall holidays that came along with festive decorations, the color of the autumn leaves…For me, fall is punctuated with celebrations – my wedding anniversary, birthday, and ELPC anniversary to name a few – that cause me to look both forward and backward, while savoring, with gratitude, the present moment. These landmarks allow me to pause and realize that there is so much along my life’s journey for which I can rejoice – people, places, opportunities that have shaped and added meaning to my life.
We all can point to seasons of our lives that hold great meaning for us. Perhaps you note a season of the calendar year (winter, spring, summer, fall) which seems to carry within it cherished memories triggered by smells and sights and tastes that flood your heart with a rush of nostalgia. Perhaps the season you call to mind is one of study at an educational institution, or one of parenting small children who were still young enough to climb on your lap at the end of a long day. Perhaps the season you call to mind is a season of creativity or travel, of years lived with your Grandparents were nearby, of prosperity – materially or relationally. Perhaps the season you recall is one of loss or fear, of struggle overcome. Such a reflection can often spark a spiritual insight, where, with the gift of hindsight, we can see clearly that in good times and in difficult times, God was with us: comforting us, challenging us, inspiring us, caring for us – along each stretch of our journey.
Within the life of our faith, we have cause to celebrate together – giving thanks for the assurance that in each and every season of our lives, God is with us still. We celebrate the rich promise of our faith – that “in life and in death we belong to God” (A Brief Statement of Faith) and that Jesus meant it when he said, “And remember I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b).
Throughout the month of October we have an opportunity to celebrate the journey together. From World Communion Sunday (October 7) to Reformation Sunday (October 28th) we celebrate the rich, millennia’s-long season of being the church together – filled with the Spirit, reformed and always being reformed. We celebrate the community that God has called here to worship – in four different worship services, in 12 different Sunday School classes, in music and dance and mission opportunities and witness.
Mid-October, we also mark the end of a Sabbatical season in the life of Pastor Randy and his family, as Randy, Beth, Ian and Charlotte return from their three-month stay in New Zealand. On October 15th, Pastor Randy formally returns to the office, and he will preach at Journey and our Sanctuary service on October 21. Following worship on October 21, Personnel is hosting a Welcome Back reception to honor Pastor Randy, Beth, Ian and Charlotte and so that we can hear about this Sabbath season in their lives – please join us for this celebration! As we prepare for Pastor Randy’s return, I would like to offer a word of deep gratitude – to the Staff of this church, to the Session and Board of Deacons, and to each member of ELPC – for everyone’s hard work, wise insights, and joyful care of one another during Randy’s absence. It continues to be a privilege to serve among such gifted colleagues and such dedicated members and leaders of ELPC. This sense of gratitude for each of you has been magnified during Pastor Randy’s Sabbatical – I praise God for you!
As we settle into the fall, and welcome all that this season in our life brings, may we find moments to truly celebrate the journey – the journey of our own lives, and the journey which we share with others. Let us try, this month: to pause in prayer at the end of the day and give thanks that which has held special meaning; to cherish time with loved ones, noting the gifts tucked within the unique relationship you share together; to maintain a Sabbath-keeping practice of rest and restoration to sustain you through dark, chilly winter days; to try something new, remembering that there are – no matter what stage of our life’s journey we are on – opportunities for new beginnings and fresh starts.
And then let us bring our stories and questions, our hopes and our inspiration to this diverse and dynamic community of faith – so that we can bear witness to the good news all around us in the life of faith that we share together. In bold accord, come celebrate the journey and praise the Lord!
Pastoral Message, September 2012
Have you ever exclaimed “You learn something new every day!”? Whether your teenager taught you how to set up your own Facebook profile, or NPR news offered an enlightening insight into a legislative debate, there are opportunities for new learning in our midst every day. The recent landing of the Mars rover Curiosity reminds us that we live in an age of discovery. Technology has equipped us with an opportunity to explore neighboring planets (while watching the live-stream video of this exploration), and to find answers to our many questions with a quick Google search of our iPhones. With so many resources at our fingertips, 24 hours of every day, information is infinitely accessible, and the opportunity to engage in a virtual world to investigate virtually every aspect of our lives is constant.
The practices of our faith affirm that we are called to be a people of discovery. As we trust that God is continually at work in our lives and in the world, we humbly acknowledge that there are always new lessons to learn, new insights to gain, new invitations of the Spirit to discern. These same practices redefine discovery for us, reminding us that our exploration is not limited to that which is new or even to that which is external.
Discovery includes the thoughtful, honest exploration of ancient texts; candid evaluation of history and culture; opportunities for internal, quiet reflection; intentional engagement in community. Discovery includes reading and listening and sharing and acting, praying and helping and worshipping–with a spirit of openness. Learning something new may simply, and radically, mean discovering something that is new to us: a new teaching in a familiar biblical passage; a new awareness to a neighbor’s need; a new aspect of our personal or corporate identity. Embarking on a path of discovery affirms that the God who created us is continually creating new things: around us, within us, through us.
We know that within our church life, September marks a time of new beginnings. As the church school year and regular worship schedule resume, we have an opportunity to enter into a journey of discovery together. This edition of the Reaching Out is full of opportunities for discovery together in study, in worship, in fellowship and in mission. These pages will point you toward the stories of partners on our faith journey: of delegates from our sister church in Malawi, of a missionary from our congregation serving in Bolivia, of the witness of a faith leader in our community sharing God’s word in worship. As you read more about these opportunities, prayerfully consider which experiences will enable you to learn new things on your journey of faith. Join us on this path of discovery so that together we might, with new awareness and intention, “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.”
Fall Term Registration is Open!
Hope Academy’s fall term begins on September 17. Classes fill quickly, so return your registration form with tuition payment and registration fee as soon as possible to make sure that a place is reserved for you. The deadline for scholarship applications has been extended to September 4!
More classically-inclined musicians – of all ages and abilities – are invited to participate in EL CEO(East Liberty Community Engagement Orchestra) under the direction of Alia Musica’s Artistic Director and Conductor, Federico Garcia on Saturdays from 4 to 5:30.
HAT Co (Hope Academy Teen Theater Company) is accepting applications from singers, dancers, actors and musicians who are interested in becoming part of a more intensive learning and performing experience. Download the HAT Co application and return it as soon as possible to be considered. We have a few slots to fill so we are extending the deadline. If you have any questions, send us an email and we will get back to you.
There is something for everyone, from Musical Theater Workshop, Shakespeare and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre dance classeson Saturdays, private music instruction (all instruments and voice) all week, Ballroom Dance, EL CEO (our free community orchestra), Dance Together and Make Music Together (for 3 and 4 year olds with a parent or guardian), and Recorder Karate.
HAT Co Teens Do It All!
If you, or someone you know, is interested in becoming part of a performing ensemble (singing, dancing, acting and rock band) please download and fill out this HAT Co Application.
HAT Co is an intensive training program that requires a high level of commitment — not necessarily experience. Selected members take courses, participate in ensembles and receive private coaching and lessons in acting, movement, singing, dance and music (guitar, bass, keyboard, drums). This program is uniquely suited to multi-talented teens who are motivated to study and perform across a range of disciplines; and who have an interest in being part of an inclusive, supportive, non-competitive group.
We have extended the deadline and will accept applications until all of our slots are filled.
Fill out the application completely… the more information you give us about yourself, the better.
If you would like to have an electronic version of this application emailed to you (so that you can fill it out on your computer) please call Norma at 412-441-3800 x11.
Quantum Theatre at ELPC: “Ainadamar”
Pastoral Message, August 2012
As I write this letter for Reaching Out, it is now just over 24 hours since Randy, Beth, Ian and Charlotte landed in New Zealand. Facebook updates confirmed their family’s safe arrival, and shared news of settling into their three-month home. As is to be expected, their first 24 hours in New Zealand was full of the kind of up front work that will allow them to rest in New Zealand: things like renting a car, buying school uniforms, and figuring out the Wi-Fi in their house.
As Randy and his family settle into this sabbatical time, we also are settling in to a new, temporary routine of church life without Randy immediately present. But, this time of “settling in” for us is not just a time of responding and adjusting to a sabbath time in our pastor’s life. There also is an opportunity for each of us to settle into a space where, together, we can explore the biblical notion of Sabbath, and individually and collectively discern the potential for Sabbath to hold meaning in our lives.
For many of us, Sabbath is a word we’ve heard from the time we first learned the Ten Commandments in Church School. Yet it is a word that in reality takes on little meaning in our contemporary lives. Modern amenities, such as 24-hour grocery stores and smart phones, make sabbath more of a sought-after hope than a daily, weekly, or even monthly reality. Expectation is ever before us: to be available, to be connected, to be busy. With tasks and responsibilities, and even opportunities, before us, we simply cannot stop. In his bookSabbath Wayne Muller writes: “In the relentless busyness of modern life, we have lost the rhythm between work and rest.”
My prayer is that we join Randy, Beth, Ian and Charlotte in the pursuit of recapturing this essential rhythm to life, that we might explore a biblical mandate so essential to wholeness that it was enjoyed by even God.
So, what does this look like? While there are no prescriptive answers, there are a range of traditional practices that might help us open a space in our lives for holy rest, to “a way of being in time where we remember who we are, remember what we know, and taste the gifts of spirit and eternity.”
In the coming months, the Spiritual Life Committee will offer a range of opportunities at ELPC for us to engage in an exploration of these practices together. There will be two book groups that will meet (one in August and one in September) to read, study and discuss two contemporary books on Sabbath. There will be opportunities for prayer, opportunities for retreat, and opportunities for Spiritual Direction. Additionally, there will be opportunities to rest from the routine of your life through mission, as well as through fellowship and worship together.
We are reminded that we are companions on this journey together, and we share the need for Sabbath-keeping in our lives. So let us share this time together. Let us encourage one another in the reclamation of sabbath space in our lives as we continue to encourage one another in faith, hope and love. Let us share our insights that we might learn from one another: with joy, with creativity. And with gratitude, let us remember the Sabbath.
Hope Academy Teaching Artists Reprise “For the Girl Who Sleeps in Snow”
Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Park: “The Tempest”
Pastoral Message, July 2012
The fourth commandment is one of the longer ones. It says this: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son or your daughter, your manservant or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.” We tend to shorten this commandment down to a few words—Honor the sabbath—but that misses out on the emphatic character of this word of the Lord.
As most of you know, a few days after this newsletter arrives in your mailbox (or computer inbox), my family and I will be on a plane heading for a three-month sabbatical in New Zealand. It will be a time of travel and seeing a new country. It will be a time for music study for both Beth and me, finally having the opportunity to learn new repertoire and daily practice on the piano (me) and voice (Beth). It will be a time of study for the children, as they are graciously forgoing a good chunk of their summer vacation to be enrolled in an intermediate school in Auckland for 10 weeks. It will be a time to see new things, visit other church congregations, learn about the multicultural nature of New Zealand society, and make contacts at the University of Auckland. Mostly, it will be an important time to be together as a family, sharing unique experiences in this precious period before the kids enter high school and the “merry-go-round of life” picks up the pace considerably.
Even while I’m on this sabbatical (a time of sabbath rest and study), I will need to be careful about honoring the fourth commandment. It is possible to be even busier away from home than we are in our regular routines. How many times have you returned from a vacation feeling like you need a vacation?! There will be the temptation to take advantage of every possible moment to see all there is to see in New Zealand, since it is doubtful trips of this distance will occur more than once in a lifetime. Fortunately, the kids being in school will keep us grounded in the “mundane,” even as we carve out moments for the “exceptional” and keep our eyes open for the “surprises of God.”
In truth, that is part of the formula for honoring the sabbath and keeping the fourth commandment in all our daily lives. To be “grounded in the mundane” does not mean that we are stuck in ruts and frazzled from trying to maintain impossible work schedules. It means that we are “grounded,” standing on firm foundations that are related to the spiritual and personal priorities in life, which allows us to do the mundane details, confident that our words and deeds are making a difference. And to carve our sabbath “moments for the exceptional” means that we take care to truly notice what is happening around us, to look people in the eye, to listen when they speak of pain or joy from their hearts, as well as to find time to breathe, to walk around, to listen, to “be still and know that God is God.” When those two things happen, then we are able to glimpse the “surprises of God”: the providential way things come together for the good, the transformative way we are able to see people around us as women and men with real stories, real passions, real humanity as sibling children of God with us.
“Surprises of God” happen when we drive through the Fort Pitt tunnel and see our hometown skyline with renewed appreciation–or when a dolphin leaps in a harbor outside Auckland. “Surprises of God” happen when we remember how enriched we are to have friendships that cross racial-ethnic-economic barriers, whether here or overseas. “Surprises of God” happen when a prayer is offered for someone else, whom we trust enough to ask them to pray for something in our lives as well, whether that involves Pittsburghers or New Zealanders.
While I’m away, I will send back some dispatches from abroad to let you know how things are going, even as I will receive occasional e-mail dispatches from Gloria and the staff. Heather, Patrice, Christiane and Mary Lynn will be leading worship and providing pastoral care, and you will continue to be a caring, active, God-directed congregation. My family flies back home on October 6 and I will resume work on October 15. My sincere prayer is that this upcoming season will provide many opportunities for all of us to re-learn how to honor the Sabbath, to rest and be renewed, and to be uplifted by the grace and “surprises” of our loving God.