April 7, 2010 Newsletter
Hi all,
I want to express
how much I enjoyed Easter Morning!It was a Joy and very powerful. I particularly want to thank Todd Jolly for his great direction and music leadership. Todd is kind, smart, theologically sound, flexible and a great professional. I really enjoy working with him. Leon, as usual, was powerful. Thanks to Nellie and Mark Coplan for picking up flowers, setting tables and a host of other things. Fred organized the egg hunt. Karma lined up food and a bunch of people helped bring food, set up and clean up. Kathy Pratt painted our "tomb" and Jason and I had a good time shaping it all into a worshipful set. And terrific, the bells, choir. Tamara, Linda, and the kids all came together under Todd's leadership for a great celebration of the resurrection of the Christ. Awesome!
Semi-secret news flash: A birthday Party for Feliciana will be held Saturday, April 24, 3:00-6:00pm (come hungry!), at Gail Peterson’s house: 951 Colusa Avenue (between Marin and Solano Avenues in north Berkeley. I don't think I can keep the whole thing secret but I don't want Feliciana to know how big this party will be. So don't tell her you are coming, but come! No worries about gifts, just come to show my wonderful wife a great birthday.
Love,
Max
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Women at the Well will meet Saturday, April 24, 8:30-10:30am.
in the church office. Come enjoy the company of St. John’s women whom you know or don’t!
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Flick Flak will meet on Friday, April 30, at 6:30 pm, in the Fireside Room for a potluck. Note date and place -- fifth Friday instead of fourth. The movies to see are "The Sun" currently at the Shattuck, and "How to Train Your Dragon" currently in 3D at the Grand Lake Theater.
Sunday Forums (Note changes from previous listings)
It has just sort of happened that our Forums for the next couple of months are devoted almost entirely to Social Justice themes. Perhaps because of how Bruce Willats ended our series of classes on the atonement by a call for action as a response to however we understand God's work in Jesus Christ this is action we take or action we enable others to take.
David McPhail, Chair, Education Commission
April 11 Carole Ng speaking about the Near East School of Theology
April 18 Max Lynn leading us in a study of the Jerusalem Kairos confession
April 25* Crop Walk! To help end hunger and poverty worldwide.
Overture on Afganistan, a report back from those who attended April 13
Presbytery meeting and background on the issues that will arise at General Assembly.
May 2 Car Wash!
And Sunday Forum—Haiti: a video and presentation by Diana Bohn. Given Haiti’s history as a country already devastated, it’s critical to
understanding how we can truly enable recovery this time.
May 9 Mother’s Day— A showing of a short video on the work of GRIP, Greater
Richmond interfaith Project which is a family homeless shelter, and talk by
Gillian Clarke, Outreach director.
May 16 Pentecost
Homelessness and Housing issues for the poor in East Bay. EBHO (East Bay
Housing Organizations). A representative of EBHO will come with a former
homeless person to address the issue of housing for the poorest among us.
May 23 St. John’s Annual Retreat
May 30* “Not My Priorities” with Ellen Augustine and Barry Hermanson of Network
Ministries. A specific action we can take as individuals to redirect military
spending.
June 13 Anti-Semitism: An old topic that some of us feel Christians have never adequately addressed, but comes today in new forms as well as old ones. We will be guided by Pastor Max and Glen Hauer of Jewish Voice for Peace. Glen
Hauer was a founding board member of Jewish Voice For Peace, and has played numerous roles in that organization for the last ten years. He has
participated in several international Healing from War workshops in Warsaw
and the former death camps at Auschwitz and Birkinau, Poland. He now
serves as country coordinator of that event for the western United States.
He worked for fifteen years as civil rights attorney, and is an active member
of his San Francisco Synagogue. Talk: The system of anti-Semitism: how anti-
Jewish oppression serves power. We'll explore the system of anti-Semitism
paying particular attention to the struggle for peace and justice in Israel/
Palestine. How does this system support the status quo? How can gentile
allies help end it?
July 11* Report back from our Overture Advocate at General Assembly.
* These three sessions might be seen as ways to get in touch with everything behind reaction this summer to various overtures making their way to General Assembly. If we want to enter into dialogue with our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters we will need to be prepared in heart, mind, and soul.
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Plan to attend St. John's All-Age, All-Church Retreat, May 21, 22, 23!
Pastor Max and Intern Pastor Jason Guy will be our leaders on "Your Spiritual Journey: Psychological and Spiritual Growth. The retreat will be held at the Monte Toyon Conference Center near Aptos (about 1½ hours from St. John's). For the layout, please see the brochures available in the church office. Plan to arrive on Friday, May 21 after 5pm / Dinner's at 6:00. Price includes 2 nights lodging and 6 meals. Costs: Adult $160, youth 5-17 $90, children under 5 free, maximum family charge $396. No one will be left out! (Scholarships available. See Max.) Contact Linda Bostjanick for more information, and let her know if you can drive or need a ride.
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Unless you feel your eternal life has already kicked in: Consider an Advance Directive (also known as a Living Will) to advise your loved ones on your wishes. You can spare your family confusion and heartache by specifying how you would like to be treated in any event that might prolong or end your life against your will. See this website for a downloadable California form, and start the conversation with your folks now: Download Your State's Advance Directives.
While we’re on the subject, does St. John’s have your emergency contact information? Check for forms in the office if you don’t see them in the narthex.
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Please help St. John’s honor your presence by paying your own per capita tax:
$28 per member. 60% goes to operating costs of the SF Presbytery; 22% to General Assembly; 18% to the Synod of the Pacific. Please mark “per capita tax” on your check and drop it in the offering plate or mail it to the church office. Thank you!
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What to do if you think you’re having a heart attack while you are alone? Recommended, tested procedure: cough CPR. If you suddenly experience severe pain in your chest which starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw, and if you begin to feel faint, you may as little as 10 seconds before losing consciousness. However, you can help yourself by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as that which produces sputum from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again. Deep breaths get oxygen into lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital. Pass it on!
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New email address for Bob McConnell: same address, but at comcast instead of aol
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Prime Timers Events for April
13 10:30 Blood pressure screening by Roma Arellano
11:00 Shirley Pan will show slides from her trip to Armenia
20 To be announced
27 Volunteer Recognition Luncheon. Y’all come and honor our volunteers!
2727 College Avenue
Berkeley, California 94705