the tower - lovely lane united methodist...
TRANSCRIPT
VOLUME 16, ISSUE 5 January / February 2018
TOWER
THE
Lovely Lane United Methodist Church
MOTHER CHURCH OF AMERICAN METHODISM
† † †
2200 Saint Paul Street Baltimore MD 21218-5805
Worship 11:00 am
Office Hours
Monday — Friday 9 am — 2 pm
Phone 410-889-1512
Email [email protected]
Website LovelyLane.net
Pastor
Rev. Dr. Patricia Sebring
Lay Leader John Strawbridge
Organist
Bill Scanlan Murphy
Pastor Emerita Rev. Nancy Nedwell
Sexton
Ivan Reyes
Administrative Assistant Lena Leone
From the Pastor’s Desk …
Happy Spiritual New Year!
With all that was happening as we prepared for Christmas, we decided to forego the January edition of The Tower Monthly, in favor of a January-February combined edition. As you re-ceive this you may think a New Year’s greeting is an after-the-fact, since December 31st and January 1st are the days the New Year celebrations are in full swing. In the life of a Christian, however, there are always opportunities for new beginnings. Jesus offers us forgiveness and a fresh start anytime we want to start over.
In light of the fact that ours is the God of second chances, have you made any spiritual New Year resolutions? It’s never too late or too early for taking your spiritual life to a new level. Here are a few possibilities for spiritual new year’s resolutions.
* Read the Bible! A verse a day can make a major difference in your life. There’s no wrong place to begin. If you love the poetry of the Psalms, start there. If you just want to focus on Jesus, start with Mark, or Matthew, or Luke or John. If you are just not sure, you can open a Bible and read the verse that appears first to your eyes. If you prefer a paperless reading, sign up for a daily reading from a website—some will send an e-mail or text to you each day with a reading.
* Pray Daily! If you haven’t been praying daily, it’s a great time to start. Find a breath prayer you can say in a sentence to use often, like “Lord help me.” or “Jesus guide me.” or, “Come Holy Spirit.” Read a prayer in a book or devotional like The Upper Room, or find an online source to use. If you’ve been praying daily, add a minute or more, or add the prayer list print-ed in our weekly Prayer vine, or use a prayer calendar to lead you.
* Worship Weekly! Just as the sun and moon have a daily rhythm, our spirits have a rhythm of work and worship. As God created and then rested on the seventh day, we need to work and find a time to worship and rest in God’s presence. If you haven’t yet set your schedule for worship each week, start with once a month and then when you’ve achieved that goal, move to twice a month, and so on until you rarely miss a Sunday. Worship is our spiritual “reset button” and you will find a renewed energy in taking the time each week with God and the people of the congregation.
* Serve the Lord! As you are able, find a place of service to live out your faith: a greeter, usher, reader, or other worship task, or volunteer to serve on a church committee. Go be-yond the church and find a service opportunity within the community where living out your faith will make difference in the lives of others.
As you make spiritual resolutions, and try to live them out, you may find yourself stretched farther than you were able to achieve. The good news is you can declare a more modest set of goals and make another spiritual new year resolution any day. If as you live out your resolutions you find yourself longing for more, the good news is that spiritual resolutions can be made any day of the year so you can increase your commitment and stretch further.
Praise God who in Christ gives us a fresh start whenever we ask!!
Sharing your joy in Jesus,
Pastor Patricia
Please keep your pastor posted on needs for prayer & pastoral care (including hospital visits and shut-in visitation) by calling or texting her on her cell phone at 443-510-3308.
OPEN HEARTS
OPEN DOORS THE TOWER January / February 2018
Jan 7 Cathy Dryden Jan 14 Craig Smith Jan 21 Mike Rouse Jan 28 Sefi Abedoh
Feb 4 John Strawbridge Feb 11 Lenore Baier Feb 18 Carol Curtis Feb 25 Linda Webb
Mar 4 Eleanor Packard Mar 11 Lee Enos Mar 18 Sarah Scribner Mar 25 Cathy Dryden
January 7 Epiphany Sunday
Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 (UMH 795) Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12
Baptism of the Lord
Genesis 1:1-5 Psalm 29 (UMH 761) Acts 19:1-7 Mark 1:4-11
January 14 Second Sunday After the Epiphany 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 (UMH 854) 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 John 1:43-51
January 21 Third Sunday After the Epiphany
Jonah 3:1-5, 10 Psalm 62:5-12 (UMH 787) 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Mark 1:14-20
January 28 Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany
Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Psalm 111 (UMH 832) 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Mark 1:21-28
February 4 Fifth Sunday After the Epiphany
Isaiah 40:21-31 Psalm 147:1-11, 20c (UMH 859) 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 Mark 1:29-39
February 11 Transfiguration of the Lord
2 Kings 2:1-12 Psalm 50:1-6 (UMH 783) 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 Mark 9:2-9
February 14 Ash Wednesday
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 Psalm 51:1-17 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
February 18 First Sunday in Lent
Genesis 9:8-17 Psalm 25:1-10 1 Peter 3:18-22 Mark 1:9-15
February 25 Second Sunday in Lent
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 Psalm 22:23-31 Romans 4:13-25 Mark 8:31-38
January 7 Elizabeth, Sean, Liam & Owen Hines
January 14 Dennis & Angie Ferguson
January 21 Susanna Maddox & Mike Rouse
January 28 Jackie Noller & Betsy Fisk
February 4 Cathy Dryden & Dean Uhler
February 11 Susan Preston & Craig Smith
February 18 Abedoh & Enos Family
February 25 Marisa, Johnny & Daria Olszewski
March 4 Carrie Harnick & Linda Webb
March 11 Carol Curtis & John Hutchinson
March 18 Aimee & Ken Delaney
March 25 Nancy & Emora Brannan
January 7
In Memory of Daniel B. Curtis,
By Carol Curtis
In Honor of Martin Enos, for his birthday
By Carol Curtis
January 14
In Honor of January Birthdays
January 28
In Honor of Neill Curtis III, for his birthday
By Carol Curtis
February 11 Happy Valentine’s Day!
In Honor of Dorothy Krug, for her birthday,
By Carol Curtis
February 18
In Honor of Ivan Reyes, for his birthday
Caitlin Brauer, Marlene Henderson, Charles & Nadine Kilmon, John & Marisa Olszewski,
Susan & Henry B. Peck, Jr., Iris Rees, W. McCarl & Kimberly Roberts,
Robert & Anne Seeger, St. Andrew’s UMC Thrift Shop,
Craig T. & Donna Hamilton White
In Honor of Emora & Nancy Brannan By Sally Knapp
In Honor of Dolores Shaw In Memory of Wilton & Bob Shaw
By Robert & Shirley Coffman
In Honor of Andrew & Thomas Fenselau By Catherine F. Cotter
In Honor of Nancy Nedwell By Dale Gorsuch
In Honor of Nancy Nedwell By Sara Hale Henry
In Honor of Emora Brannan By David P. & Gretchen LeKites
Roy Bailey & Paul Cassarino by Daniel & Sasha Bailey
Nancy & Emora Brannan by Henry & Linda Chen
Nancy & Emora Brannan by Joanna & Donald Kann
Nancy Brannan by Dorothy Krug
Our Children & Grandchildren by Nancy & Emora Brannan
Gloria Dague by Carol Curtis
My Fabulous Family by Betsy Fisk
Jim & Linda Fullerton by Mary Ann Saar
Katelyn Fullerton by Mary Ann Saar
Ryan Fullerton by Mary Ann Saar
Morris L Gamble by Laura Gamble, Rob, Eve & Quinn Gillison
Sally Knapp by Dorothy Krug Rev Nancy Nedwell
by Henry & Linda Chen Rev Nancy Nedwell
by Joanna & Donald Kann Marlene O’Laughlin by Dorothy Krug Eleanor Packard by Dorothy Krug Frances Munn Roberts
by Eleanor M Packard Sarah Scribner by Dorothy Krug
Faith, Hope & Love by Sarah Scribner
Dee Shaw by Henry & Linda Chen Rev Dr Patricia Sebring
by Joanna & Donald Kann Friends & Family
by Charlotte Shrewsbury Dee Shaw
by Charlotte Shrewsbury Dolores Shaw
by the Coleman Family Dolores Shaw
by Joanna B & Donald R Kann Dolores Shaw
by Rev & Mrs Carl Ford Peterson Evoyne Sinclair
by Carol Curtis
Poinsettias Have Been Given in Honor of
Poinsettia Dedication Prayer
Lord of Life, The poinsettias before us are a symbol of your steadfast love bringing beauty in the midst of winter’s bleak days. The green leaves remind us of the gift of everlasting life made possible by Jesus’s sacrificial love. The red flowers are a reminder of Christ’s humanity and the white flowers are a reminder of Christ’s divinity. As these flowers have been given to your glory and in honor and memory of people who are close to our hearts, may you bless the individuals who are remembered and may you bless those who have given these flowers to add beauty to our worship. May we let these glorious blooms, blossom with your love and be a sign for the world that the Christ of Christmas is alive in us. Amen.
Our Christmas Altar We thank our members and friends for placing poinsettias on the Lovely Lane Altar,
remembering the birth of the Blessed Babe of Bethlehem, and the birth of American Methodism,
at the Lovely Lane Meeting House Christmas 1784.
Poinsettias Have Been Given to Honor the Memory of
My Parents, Meriyamoh & Momoh Abedoh, by Sefi Abedoh
Bea Badders by Carolyn Harnick
Beatrice Badders by Dorothy Krug Norman & Evelyn Baier
by Danny & Lenore Deborah Bailey
by Daniel & Sasha Bailey Marilyn Bailey & Phylis Cassarino
by Daniel & Sasha Bailey Dr Frederick S Barkalow
by Joanna & Donald Kann Mrs Joan M Barkalow,
by Joanna & Donald Kann Mrs Joan M Barkalow,
Mother of Joanna Kann by Irvin & Joan W Cohen
Carol Bates by Dorothy Krug Mrs Janice C Boore
by Helen E Boore Our Parents
by Nancy & Emora Brannan Robert Castadot, My Husband
by Jackalyn A Noller Louis Coleman
by Jack & Laura Coleman Alberta & W. LeRoy Conklin
by Carole Conklin Quinan & Family Mr & Mrs Antonio Curiel
by their daughter, Dolores Shaw Adele Daly by Henry and Linda Chen Mr & Mrs C Sherman Denny Sr
by Susan Denny Conner & Family Mr & Mrs C Sherman Denny Jr
by Susan Denny Conner & Family Walton & Winifred Douthat
by Mary E Schruefer Dorothy Douthat
by Mary E Schruefer Henry C Eliason
by Carl J Kircher Katherine R Eliason
by Carl J Kircher Mary R Eliason Kircher
by Carl J Kircher Henry C Eliason
by Mr & Mrs Richard T Kircher Katherine R Eliason
by Mr & Mrs Richard T Kircher Mary R Eliason Kircher
by Mr & Mrs Richard T Kircher
My Husband, George Fisk by Betsy Fisk
Louise A Gamble by Laura Gamble, Rob, Eve & Quinn Gillison
Beth Glasgow by Linda & Henry Chen
Beth Glasgow by Dorothy Krug
Mary Purdy Hannaford by Ann E Fried
My Beloved Grandparents by Carolyn Harnick
The Three Holmes Sisters: Ethel Holmes Mathews Martha Holmes Tracey Edna Holmes Brown
by Etzie S Heyl Frances M James
by David H James Harry D James
by David H James Jean Hugg by Dorothy Krug Esther Hughes by Dorothy Krug Julia Hooper by Dorothy Krug Theodore & Clarissa May Kammar
by Roger & Barbara Tinius Elizabeth Kennedy by Dorothy Krug Eleanor H Kilmon by C William Kilmon Linton E Kilmon Jr by C William Kilmon Linton E Kilmon Sr by C William Kilmon Nadine M Kilmon by C William Kilmon For Kit Kat Elizabeth Konig
by the O’Laughlin & Spurling Family Louis & Dorothy Lloyd
by the O’Laughlin & Spurling Family Berta Lucas, Grandmother
by Lenore & Roberta Raymond & Virginia Lucas
by Lenore & Roberta Mr & Mrs Edwin Rigby McDorman
by Susan Denny Conner & Family George & Gladys Morrison, My Parents
by Gladys Cunningham Mr & Mrs Albert Rogers Munn
by Eleanor M Packard Mike Griffin
by Marian Munn Griffin Albert Munn Jr by Marian Munn Griffin Dalton Munn by Marian Munn Griffin Frances & Albert Munn
by Marian Munn Griffin
Daisy Munn Trobaugh by Marian Munn Griffin
Robert & Twyla Noller, My Parents by Jackalyn A Noller
Family Members by Jackalyn A Noller
Margaret E Nonemaker by Her Family
Loved Ones of Dennis M Nonemaker by Dennis M Nonemaker
Dear Friends of Dennis M Nonemaker by Dennis M Nonemaker
Mr & Mrs Charles Earl Packard Sr by Eleanor M Packard
John Neal Packard by Eleanor M Packard
Leland Keith Peterson, Brother, born on Christmas Day, by Rev & Mrs Carl Ford Peterson
Dr Burwell F Powell by Helen E Boore
JoAnn Rose by Dorothy Krug Joseph & Marie Schruefer Sr
by Mary E Schruefer Bob Shaw by Linda and Henry Chen Friends & Family
by Charlotte Shrewsbury Bob Shaw
by Charlotte Shrewsbury Wilton Shaw
by Charlotte Shrewsbury Wilton & Bobby Shaw
by Dolores Shaw William R Shrewsbury
by Charlotte Shrewsbury Alice Shugars by Dorothy Krug John and Hannalore Tinius
by Roger & Barbara Tinius Marjorie Watchorn by Dorothy Krug Dick Wilson by Henry and Linda Chen Mr & Mrs L G Yongue
by Eleanor M Packard
Daniel & Lenore Baier
Melvin & Helen Boore
Emora & Nancy Brannan
Gerald & Pearl Lee Brown
Carol Curtis
GJ Dague
Elizabeth Fisk
Michael R. & Susan Ford
A. Dan Gleckler
Carolyn Harnick
David & Judith Hughes
Berkley A. & Peggy H. Langford
Robert Ann McCormick
Roger & Monica Munn, Sr.
In Honor of Dorothy Krug John T. & Marlene O’Laughlin
In Honor of Dorothy Krug Jackie Noller
Susan T. Preston
Katheryn Vitarelli & Gregory Coates
Patricia & Robert S. Welch II
Linda Webb
January 2018 Update Many thanks to those kind donors who have kicked off the 13 month challenge by making contributions towards raising $100,000 by the end of December 2018 to match Dorothy Krug’s pledge to donate up to that same amount. These funds will be used to maintain the Lovely Lane church building and to renovate parts of the church in need of modernization for increased use by the congregation and the community. Over 40% of the goal has been reached by Month #2! Please send checks made out to "Lovely Lane UMC" marked “Dorothy Krug Matching Challenge” in the memo line to the Church (2200 St Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21218) or use envelopes found in the sanctuary chair backs to put donations into the offering plate. Donations online at the Lovely Lane website (www.lovelylane.net, click on "Donations/Offering" tab) using PayPal are also encouraged. Together we will will continue to make this beautiful church a welcoming spiritual home for all United Methodists and the larger community.
Leadership Team 2018 THE TOWER January / February 2018
Nancy Brannan Chairperson
Patricia Sebring Pastor
John Strawbridge Lay Leader
Sarah Scribner Secretary
Jack O’Laughlin Treasurer
Carol Curtis
Duncan Hodge
Jackie Noller
Marlene O’Laughlin
Eleanor Packard
Linda Webb
All members are encouraged to attend Church Council meetings.
Carol Curtis Co-Chairperson
Jackie Noller Co-Chairperson
Patricia Sebring Pastor
Marlene O’Laughlin Finance Secretary
Jack O’Laughlin Treasurer
Laura Gamble
Duncan Hodge
Dorothy Krug At-Large
Linda Webb Chairperson / Membership Secretary
Jack O’Laughlin Chairperson
Laura Gamble
John Olszewski
Betsy Fisk
Linda Webb
Sefi Abedoh
Nancy Brannan
Lee Enos Youth Representative
John Strawbridge Lay Leader
Patricia Sebring Pastor
Patricia Sebring Pastor / Chairperson
Duncan Hodge Vice-Chairperson
Dennis Ferguson Secretary
John Strawbridge Lay Leader
Dan Bailey
Carol Curtis
Marisa Olszewski
Elizabeth Brannan
Lenore Baier
Cathy Dryden
Karolina Tittel
Sasha Bailey
Dorothy Krug At-Large
One of the great things about being Lay Leader of Lovely Lane is that it is very good for the ego. This congregation is generous with its gratitude and praise, and I am lucky to be the recipient of both these things. So it is important to me that I share with you something you may not know; you are my heroes.
Each of you, in very unique ways, inspire and teach me. In you I see what it is to be a Christian and to be part of a church family. You have so many wonderful qualities. But each of you also has a special gift that truly shines.
One of you has proven to me how Faith works. Whatever challenges you face, you meet with renewed faith. You radi-ate a confidence and peace that has shown me how real it is that through faith, we can have trust and live without fear.
One of you has shown me what commitment is. You give gen-erously and without complaint. You have shown me that when one is engaged in God’s work, God will lift you up and shine through what you do.
One of you has shown me what it is to have a personal rela-tionship with God. That for all the study… all the debate… all the controversy and all the complications that Christians have engaged in over the centuries; That it really can be quite sim-ple, too. It can be just you and God walking together and meeting life together.
One of you has taught me how to live with grace and dignity. That if you can live true to God, you can face a challenging world without letting it bring you down. That if you live the life God would have you live, you can live with assurance and compassion.
One of you has shown me the power of joy. That God has created a beautiful world, and Christ has redeemed us – so there is no reason not to celebrate. I don’t know why so many of us hold back – almost afraid to be seen as happy. You have shown me it is OK to be be joyful.
One of you has shown me greater strength than I knew was possible. When the world knocked you down, you stood back up stronger and more sure footed. You taught me that when I am feeling unsteady – reach out and God’s hand will be there to hold onto.
One of you has made me see the great gift that humanity is. As Christians, we work so hard to see the divine, that we for-get that being human is a gift from God. A temporary one – and one that is all the more special for its fragility. You have shown me that being human – showing humanity – is a treas-ure.
One of you is the mustard seed. You think that you are small, but I have seen that all the power of heaven is in you.
One of you has made me believe that there is no force on earth greater than kindness. We sometimes think kindness is soft and delicate. It is not. It is a rock. It is a tornado.
All of you have taught me what church is for. For years… most of my life maybe… I thought church was where you went to learn how to get into heaven. You showed me that church is so much more. For one thing, it is where you go to learn how to live on earth. Peace, joy, grace, strength, confi-dence… vital skills for getting by in this life, and there is no place better to learn these skills than at church.
But more importantly, you have helped me learn that the best thing about church is not you what get, but what you can give. Because when we learn how much we each have inside of us, it makes it easy to give.
And if I have anything to show you, I hope it is this; That you have so much to give – and that you do give, even when you may not know that you are doing it.
Peace, John Strawbridge,
lay leader
OPEN MINDS THE TOWER January / February 2018
“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” -Ecclesiastes 3:20
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the Lenten Season and the traditional 40 days of fasting (Sundays not included!). It calls to mind the forty days that Christ spent in the wilderness in fasting following his baptism by John. It is a time for Christians to contem-plate their own sinfulness and to prepare for the cleansing and healing that will come with Easter. The words “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” recall Genesis 3:19 when Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden for their sin.
Ash Wednesday will be observed at Lovely Lane on Wednesday, Feb 14th at 6:30 pm with a service of communion and the placing of ashes. Please make every effort to join us for this important observance in our year. Afterward, you and your special someone can have that Valentines Dinner, having been reminded what a great gift God’s love is!
From the Lay Leader…
OUR MISSION: To celebrate the vision of God’s Good News in Jesus Christ in liturgy, learning, and life, through the revitalization of our congregation, the restoration of our building, and the strengthening of our traditions, while recognizing our unique presence and mission in Baltimore City.
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 2200 ST. PAUL STREET BALTIMORE, MD 21218-5805 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Non-profit Organization
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Baltimore, MD Permit No. 6575
TIME SENSITIVE MATERIAL Thank you for prompt delivery!
THE TOWER January / February 2018
Every Sunday
Worship Service - Sanctuary, 11 am Fellowship Hour - LL Hall, 12 pm Guided Tour - 12 pm
Every Monday
BLS Basketball - Gym, 3:15 pm Mother Seton Academy Basketball - Gym, 5:30 pm Baltimore Tai Chi - Hall, Conference Room & Gym, 6:30 pm
Every Tuesday
BLS Basketball - Gym, 3:15 pm
Every Wednesday
Mother Seton Academy Basketball - Gym, 5:30 pm Baltimore Folk Music Society Dance - LL Hall, 7:30 pm
Every Saturday
BLS Martial Arts - LL Hall, 8 am RoC Youth Basketball & Evangelism - Gym, 10 am
Tuesday, January 9
Building Renovation Task Force Meeting - Library, 5:30 pm
Wednesday, January 17
Finance Committee Meeting - Library, 5 pm
Wednesday, January 24
Trustees Meeting - Library, 7 pm
Friday, January 26
BLS Winter Show Performance - LL Hall, 1 pm
Saturday, February 3
Church Work Day - 9 am
Monday, February 5
BLS Spanish Cooking Club - Kitchen, 3:30 pm
Wednesday, February 14
BLS Black History & Women’s History Month Celebration - LL Hall, 9 am Ash Wednesday Worship Service - Sanctuary, 6:30 pm
Friday, February 16
BLS Winter Show Performance - LL Hall, 1 pm
Monday, February 19
President's Day - Office Closed
Sunday, February 25
Church Council Meeting - LL Hall, 12:30 pm
Saturday, March 3
Church Work Day - 9 am