T W H A 15,2015

Awake,ThouWintryEarth!

OnEasterSunday, theWesleyChoir sangananthemby J. S.Bach called, “Awake,Thou Wintry Earth.” Programming it was a gamble; I knew that the winter wehavealljustlivedthroughwasaheavyone,andwhenthechoirstartedrehearsingtherewasnoguaranteethatthesnowwouldbedonebyEaster.HowironicthosewordswouldhavebeenifEasterSundayhadseenyetagainafreshpeltingofsnow!

After all the shoveling, the sketchy roads, the schedules gone awry, Iwas all toohappywith the stroke of luck that led to a truly springtime Easter. Crocuses arepopping up seemingly everywhere, there is an intricate tapestry of bird song inthe trees,warm air is blowing through thewindows, and the community gardenis showing signs of people again. Awake, thou wintry earth, indeed! Rebirth ishappeningonsomanylevels.

We’ve inished our Lenten series exploring wilderness emotions, and it’s timetomove on to other focuses. Having started this series bywriting a cover letteraboutwilderness experiences and their plethora of challenges, I’d like to take anopportunitytobookenditwithanotherthoughtaboutwildernessemotions.

Sitting in the garden is a wilderness experience. Closing your eyes and listeningto the birds singing is awilderness experience. Even holding handswith a lovedone and going for awalk in the sunshine – that, too, is awilderness experience.The sun is the source of all our physical nourishment. Grains will not growwithoutitsenergy,andeventheanimalssomeofuseatultimatelyrequirethesunfortheirenergy.OurbodycannotmakevitaminDwithoutsunlight–howfunisittothinkthatsittingwithabookinthesunisactuallygettingyourvitamins!

The wilderness can challenge us and inspire, but it’s worth remembering thatoneofthegreatwildernessexperiencesissimplysittingamongplantsandanimalsandenjoyingeverybreathyoutake.It’sapleasantreminderthatweareconnectedtoallthislifeandbeauty.

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L A F ...

TheTowerlightingforAprilisgiveninlovingmemoryofMargaretA.(Swan)FullerbyDavid,Kathy,Nancyandgrandchildren.

TheRosewindowlightingforAprilisgiveninlovingmemoryofDorisL.TremblaybyTammy,Tracy,Allison,David,Nancyandfamilies.

ThealtarflowersonSunday,April12thweregiveninlovingmemoryofmymother,LoreeFagerstrom,byLisaFagerstrom.

ThealtarflowersonSunday,April19tharegiveninlovingmemoryofDorothyPalmgrenbytheUnitedMethodistWomen.

W L U P W ...PaulKeisterwaitingfor inaldiagnosisforpossible4thsurgeryonhisrightshoulderBabyBrooklyn,19weekoldgirl,facingamajorsurgery.JessePokuandothermembersinhisunitaredeployingtoGermanythisweek.Myfriendwhohadbothkneesreplacedatthesametime.Praythatshehealswithnocomplications.

RebeccaAidoocelebratingherbirthdaythisweek.MayGodgrantheragoodandfruitfullife.

BarbaraIngrassia’scousinwhoisfacingher2ndbattlewithbreastcancer.LibbyRobinsonwhoishospitalized.TheCroninfamilyastheygrievethelossofJohn.Bob&BillCardwellwhosemompassedaway.ThefamilyandfriendsofArmySpecialistJohnM.DawsonwhowaskilledinAfghanistan.

MymomwhopassedonFebruary1st,thatsheislivingwithinherfamilyandfriends.Johnwhoisfacingsurgery.Allstudentswhoarereceivingcollegeacceptances.Helpthemtodecidewhatschoolwillbebestforthem.

OnSunday,April19th,EvelynJohnsonishaveaMemorialServiceforherlatemother.AllareinvitedtoattenddinnerinBrewerHallfollowingworship.

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INFOABOUTRETAININGWALLPROJECTANDPARKINGATWESLEYUMCDURINGMAYANDJUNE

As mentioned in prior Herald articles, we will begin construction of a newretainingwall in the lowerparking lotonMay1.Thisproject isexpected to take8weeks. After demolition, a large blockwallwill be constructed ive feet closerfrom where the current wall is erected. The work will be done by the samecompany who constructed the retaining wall to the left of the warehouse –HammondConstruction.

This project will require the lower parking lot to be closed from parking andvehicle traf ic. However, GertrudeAvewill remain open, and all entrance doorswill be accessible as they arenow. Temporary fencingwill beplaced alongsidethe currentwall alongGertrude, but itwill still allow for cars and foot traf ic tomovethrough.

With the reduced number of parking spaces, Sundayparking will be limited to32 spaces in the upper lot. These spaces will be assigned to those memberswho are elderly orwho have a disability ormedical reason to park close to thebuilding. Spaces on the street (Harvard, State, Main) will be available on airst‐come, irst‐servebasisonly.Pleasenote thatonSundays, there isno chargefor parking at a meter. On Sundays, members of the Wesley Hospitality Team

I’dalso liketoaddthat listeningtomusic isalsoagreatwaytoenjoythespring!CominguponMay3rd, theWesleyChoirwillbe joiningseveralotherareachoirsforachoralfestivalatFirstBaptistChurchinWorcesterat4:00pm.Ifyou’relook‐ingforaconcerttokickofftheseason,pleaseconsiderthisone!Laterinthemonth,the annual Ghanaian Choir Festivalwill be coming toWorcester theweekend ofMay24th.Staypostedfordetailsonthatexcitingevent!

Mayyouallenjoyyourspringtime,andbreathedeeplyaswestarttoletgoofthehardshipsofthewinter.BrettMaguire,DirectorofMusic

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willbe in theparking lot andat theStateStreetentrance to the lot tohelpwithdirectionsforparkingandtraf ic low.

FromMondaythroughFriday,ofthe32spacesavailable,26willbereservedforourcustomerswhopaytopark.StaffwillparkinspacesrentedfromtheUnitarianChurch.

OnSaturdays,parkingwillbeavailableunless there isacommunitydinner.Thelotmaybe illedwithcarsfordinnerworkersandguestsfrom3:30pmto7pm.

With all of this said, please note the recommendations below for coming toWesleyMondaythroughFridayandparkingintheupperlot:

Mondays–someavailabilitybetween1and5pm

Tuesdays–someavailabilitybetween1and10pm

Wednesdays–noavailability

Thursdays–someavailabilitybetween3:30and10pm

Fridays–someavailabilitybetween12noonand6pm

(Therearenoguaranteesthatspaceswillbeavailable,butitismorelikelyduringthesetimeframes.)

Thisconstructionproject ismuch‐neededandhasbeenextremelywellorganizedbyLornaandtheTrustees.Therewillbeanall‐churchmeetingafterthe10:30ser‐viceonSunday,April26thtoprovideinformationabouttheprojectandtoaddressanyquestionsthatyoumighthaveabouttheparkingduringconstruction.

Theparking limitationswillbeachallenge forusall.However, Ihavecon idencethatworking togetherasa church family,wewillmeet the challengespresentedwithgraceandpatienceandhospitalityforneighbors,friends,staff,andmembers.

~PastorShandi

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M C B A

BudgetUpdate: Below are the results for the period ending March 31, 2015.Pleasenotethecapitalbudgetisbeingincludedasaseparateitem.Iwillcontinuetoreportthesenumbersseparately.

Pro it&LossStatementSummaryYTDthrough3/31/15:

Budget Actual Difference Income 136,139 131,645 ‐4,494Expense 183,955 172,862 ‐11,093NetLoss ‐47,816 ‐41,217 6,599

EasterResults: 5,900 5,384 ‐516

CapitalBudgetSummaryYTDthrough3/31/2015:

BudgetCarryoverfrom2014 10,5772015Incomefromendowment 30,000TotalIncome 40,577Lessorganmaintenance ‐5,000Availableforcapitalexpenses 35,577Expensestodate ‐833RemainingBalance 34,744

ProjectUpdates:Thecarpeting inthe lower level isbeing installedasthisgoestopress. Also, thenew carpet for the narthex is ready for delivery. I hope to schedule it for nextweek.Anewstovewaspurchased for theparsonage.Quoteshavebeen receivedfrom two vendors regarding the installation of an automatic door opener forStateStreet,andseveralotheritemsareinthepipeline.Pleasebesuretoreadthearticleontheretainingwallprojectwhich isbeginningonMay1,andmarkyourcalendarsfortheall‐churchmeetingonApril26afterchurch.

Asalways,ifyouhaveanyquestions,pleasegivemeacall.

Peace,Lorna

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S S THANKYOU to all who attended and helped with the Easter Egg Hunt hostedbySarahCircleandChristianEducation.Attendees includedseveral familiesfromFlorenceHouse,andaltogetherabout75children,parents,andWesleyvolunteers.

8:30 a.m.WORSHIPNURSERYCARE … We are now happy to announce thatnursery/preschoolcareisavailableduringthe8:30a.m.worshipservice.

HEIFERCOLLECTIONARKBOXESOur ieldtriptotheHeiferfarmiscomingupsoon,sobeonthelookout‐wewillannouncethedateforcollectionofthedonationboxessoon.Stillneedone?Boxesare on both children's tables (Narthex, Brewer Hall), and in the of ice. If yoursisalreadyfullandyouwouldliketoturnitinearly,pleasegiveittoJeanGrantorputitinhermailbox.THANKYOU!

S F O

“O B ,O C ”The second “One Book, One Church” book for this program year is OneDayat a Time: Discovering the Freedom of 12‐step Spirituality by Trevor Hudson.All are invited toparticipate in reading thisbook inApril/May. Ifyouwould likea copy of the book and have not already received one, please see Lisa at churchthisSundayore‐mailLisa@wesleyworc.orgorcallheratthechurch(x106).

Ifyouarereadingthebookandwouldliketobepartofanon‐linediscussiongroup,pleasecontactLisawithyournameandpreferrede‐mailaddress.Also, therewillbe an in‐person small group discussion after the 10:30 a.m. worshipserviceinEastHallonSunday,April12thforallinterestedpersons.Thediscussiononthe12thwillcenteraroundtheIntroductionandfirstthreechapters(Steps1‐3)inthebook.

Youarewelcometoattendthein‐persongroupaswellastheon‐linegroupifyouwouldlike.

T Y ,T Y ,THANKYOU!MyteamandIwant to thank you for your generousdonations for the people ofGuatemala. The vitaminswill be given out at the self‐made clinics aswell as thehealthkits.PleaseprayforusforasafetriptoGuatemalaandalsoforthepeopleofGuatemala. ServantofGodandthischurch,GerardPiscitelli

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S G S M A Thank you to everyone who donated socks, snacks, or personal care items toWorcester shelters during Lent. This year, you donated enough items to givecartons toAbby'sHouse, theHomelessVeterans'Shelter,SMOC(thenewPeoplein Peril shelter), and Worcester Fellowship (an outdoor ministry which meetsSundays onWorcester Common for ameal, fellowship, and aworship service).Thesocksandbaseballcapswerescoopedup irst! ~BetsyPennino

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M 17 E W ~I N M (INM)isanationwideeffortoftheUMCtowipeoutmalariainAfrica.WiththeUMC'sprogram,$10wouldsavealifebyimprovingprevention,treatment,andeducation.This ightcanbewon,aswas shown by 11 African countries' succeeding in maintaining zero cases in2013.Thus,onSunday5/17,theMissionCommitteewillsponsoraneventofbriefvideosaboutthechallengesfacedbyINM,followedbyafree‐willlunch.TherewillalsobesingingbyourGhanaianchoirandINMitemsforsale.

A new feature is that the irst $50,000 raised in April, May, and June will bematched.WehavesetaWesleygoalof$2,000whichwillsave200lives(or400,with the matching funds!) The INM event is also Wesley's project for ChangetheWorldWeekend,whenUnitedMethodists try tobuildcommunitywithsmallactsofkindness.Pleaseplantoattend!

C S L J …All months (starting with July 25) are available for you to volunteer with yourgroup! Suppers are on last Saturdays, except for Oct. 24, and Linda D'Acri hasvolunteered for Nov. 28. Quite thorough guidelines have been developed andwritten,basedonexperienceswiththe irst18suppers,andneededsupportwillbegiven. Foodpurchaseswillbe reimbursedby theMissionCommittee. If youcanvolunteer,pleasetellPastorShandiorBetsyPennino.

A C S OnApril25,KimberlywillbeleadingtheWesleyChoirinproducingamealofham,mashedpotatoes,mixedvegetables,salad,rolls,beverageanddessert.Donationsofcupcakes,brownies,orcookiesarerequested.

A …AttheEasterEggHunt,welearnedthattheFlorenceHousemomsandchildrenhavebeengreatlyenjoyingourCommunitySuppers.

J U ‐H C :J 6:25‐59(notesfromtheBrewerHallStudyGroup,April12,2015)

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AChallengetoJesusatCapernaumontheOtherSideoftheSea(6:25‐31)(vv. 25‐27) Typical of John, the question put to Jesus in v. 25 has a doublemeaning:(1)stereotypicalstatusrankingbybirthfamily/location;and(2)hiddenpossibilities in his origin as the result of seeing great deeds from a low‐bornperson – in this case the feeding of themultitude the previous day. Food as ametaphor for the divine gift of life was widespread in antiquity, especially insituationswhere the vastmajority of people lived at the bare subsistence level.Havingbreadmeanthavinglife.

(vv. 28‐29)Working forbreadwasa given, so thequestionof v. 28 (respondingto Jesus’ command in v. 27) was an inquiry into what type of work would berequiredforbreadofeternallife.Jesus’answerwasthattheybelieveintotheonesentbyGod,i.e.,thattheyexhibittrustratherthansimpleassent,extremelydeeployalty,andlong‐termsolidarity.

(vv.30‐31)Thecrowdrespondsbyaskingforasigntoelicitbelief,buttheyusedthe simple present tense of “believe” instead of the present perfect continuous(progressive) tense that Jesus used in v. 29, verbally signaling that theywantedto avoid the long‐term loyalty implications of Jesus’ demand. Jesus had in factgiven them just thedaybeforea sign (themultiplicationof the loaves), atwhichtime they had acknowledged Jesus as “the prophet who is to come into theworld” (v. 14). Now, he is just a teacher (“Rabbi”; v. 25), expected to upgradeyesterday’s sign to “everlasting bread”, so that theymight believe him to be theone sent by God. This is a serious public honor challenge to Jesus {perhaps areaction tohis criticismof them in v. 26}. The crowdwouldhavebeen familiarwiththestoryofbreadfromthesky(Ex16). HadnotMosesprovidedthemwithsecurityandsustenance?WhyshouldtheyswitchtheirloyaltytoJesus?

JesusExplainsthePassageCitedfromExodus16byHisChallengers(6:32‐59)(vv. 32‐34) Overall, Jesus’ response to his challengers is a modulating andrepetitive explanation of Exodus 16, pointing out that God was the patronproviding the manna and the quail to the Israelites, not Moses. Moses was abroker.JesusisassertingthatheisthenewbrokerofGod,forlife‐givingbread.

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(vv. 35‐40) This is the irst of the seven “I am” statements in John’s Gospel.Becausebreadprovided50%ofthecaloric intakeformostnonelitepeople,Jesusis saying thathe is thesustenanceof lifeat itsmostbasic level. Theparallelismof v. 35 equates the phrase “coming to” with “believing into”, both of whichare coded for UHC interpretation. Verses 38‐40 nearly summarize the centralmessageofJohn’sGospel.

(vv. 41‐42) The crowd returns to the issue of Jesus’ origins (as in vv. 25‐27).If Jesuswere “from”his earthly parents,whom they knew to be village nonelite,thenhecouldnotbe“from”theskywithallofthehonorstatusthatwouldimply.

(vv.43‐46)JesuscarefullycounterstheirobjectionbydeferringtoGodthedrawingpowerthatbroughtthemtoJesusinthe irstplace,i.e.,thattheircomingtoJesushasbeenlearnedfromandtaughtbyGod,quotingIsaiah54:13(v.45).

(vv. 47‐51) Jesus repeats as before (vv. 29 and 40) that those who place theirloyalty in himwill be rewardedwith new (i.e., endless)life. His second personplural phrasing of the phrase “your fathers” (i.e., ancestors) places considerablesocialdistancebetween Jesusandhisopponents. Thebread that theirancestorsate in thewilderness did not produce the quality of life available to those whoformadyadicbondwithJesus.

(vv. 52‐59) The controversy introduced by Jesus’ use of the UHC term “ lesh”(v.51)isviolent,assuggestedbytheverbinv.52–Emáxonto(“fought”;“disputed”in the RSV & NRSV). However, for his insiders, to eat Jesus’ lesh and drinkhis blood is synonymous with UHC verbs such as towelcome, accept, receive,and believeinto. The metaphorical meanings offered in vv. 55‐57 rede ine theterms for the later Johannine insiders, and serve to create the kind of dyadicrelationshipwithJesusthatbringseternallife(v.56).

Marshall, A. TheR.S.V.interlinearGreek–EnglishNewTestament.TheNestleGreekTextwithaliteralEnglishTranslation.London:SamuelBagsterandSonsLtd.,1958.

Malina BJ, Rohrbaugh RL. Social‐ScienceCommentaryontheGospelofJohn. Minneapolis:FortressPress,1998.pp.129‐135.

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As part of our celebration of Easter Sunday, we experienced the lightingof the Paschal Candle, symbolizing the triumph of Resurrection over thedarknessof sin anddeath.Did you everwonder about themeaningof theword paschal? In both Greek and Latin the word Pasch is used for theobservanceofthecelebrationoftheresurrection.ThisinturnderivesfromtheHebrewpesachfor“Passover”.ThereareofcoursemanylinksbetweentheChristian celebration of Easter and the Jewish observance of Passover,not only in chronology, but also in symbolism.According to LaurenceHullStookeyinCalendar:Christ’sTimefortheChurch:

“The irst Christians…inescapably saw a symbolic continuity between theslaughtered lamb of the Passover Seder and the cruci ied Lamb of God.Further, as Moses led the Israelites through the sea into freedom frombondage toPharoah,so JesusChrist throughtheresurrectionprovides ‘theway out’ (the literalmeaning of exodus) of bondage to sin and death. Tospeak of Christ as ‘our Pasch’ can be an af irmation that Christianity is adevelopmentoutofJudaism,notadrasticdisplacementoftheHebraicfaith.”

In contrast, theword Easter is derived from secular sources (as is Lent ).ItisbelievedtobeavariantofEastre,aTeutonicgoddessofspringtimeandfertility. Certainly in the climate of the Northern hemisphere (especiallyafter this winter!) the metaphors of spring and new life do reinforce thethemes of Easter, but the true meaning is better embodied in the wordPasch.Infactinmanyotherlanguages(e.g.Spanishpascua,Frenchpaques,Italianpasques,Welshpasg)thewordfortheobservanceoftheresurrectiondoesderivefromPasch.

Wehaveonlybegunourcelebrationoftheresurrection,whichiscommemo‐rated by a day of the week (Sunday), a special day of the year (EasterSunday) and a liturgical season (the Great Fifty Days). Wishing you all ajoyousPasch!

Submittedby, DeborahO’Driscoll

D Y K ?

2015H S BelowarethenextHeraldmailingdatesalongwiththedeadlinedates.

ArticleDeadline HeraldMailing Date Date

Mon.,April27 Wed.,April29

Mon.,May11 Wed.,May13

Ifyouhaveanarticle,pleaseemailitasaWordattachmentto:

of ice@wesleyworc.org

2015A F calendar is nowavailable in theWelcomeOf ice. If youwould like to donate lowers on aparticularSundayinhonor,celebrationor inmemoryofa lovedoneor friend,stopbytheof iceandreservethedate.You can reserve the chapel or thesanctuary. After church you arewelcome to take the lowers home toenjoy or you may leave them to bedeliveredtoashut‐in.Thecostforthetwoarrangements ineither the chapelor sanctuary is$50. Pleasebe sure tocomplete a form with the dedicationandreturnittoDebiwiththepaymentassoonasyouareable.

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W S L T Pastor ShandiraiMawokomatanda

DirectorofMusicMinistries BrettMaguire

GhanaianChoirMaster KwakuDankwa

MusicAssistant DeborahO’Driscoll

DirectorofChildren’s JeanGrantChristianEducation

DirectorofChristian LisaFagerstromFormation&Discipleship

ToddlerCareLeader LoriConlon

BuildingSuperintendent PhilJohnson

BusinessAdministrator LornaMattus‐Merrill

ChurchSecretary DebiRitacco

Custodians CarolFlionis, GerardPiscitelli, SteveBoyns

HeadUsher DavidDagle

AdministrativeCouncil RonRamsay

BoardofTrustees AnnelleBenson

CartyCupboardFoodPantry NancySpencer

CommunionSteward EarlFlagg

EducationWorkArea ChrisFlagg

Finance&Stewardship MichaelEdmunds Co‐Chairs WilliamWong

GhanaianAssociation EmmanuelOkrah

Events&Fellowship

Layleader DeborahO’Driscoll

MedicalMinistry RonRamsay

MemorialGifts CarolynBellil

MissionCoordinator BetsyPennino

Staff‐ParishRelations BrentDrajesk Co‐Chairs MarkMuncey

YouthDirectors Phil&EmilySmith

UnitedMethodistWomen BarbaraIngrassia Co‐Chairs AllisonHansen

ChurchPhone:508‐799‐4191Fax:508‐799‐3725E‐M

ail:ofice@wesleyw

orc.orgWebpage:w

ww.wesleyw

orc.org