Laurelton Happenings

Boots on the Street

2011-05-19T14:22:00.003-04:00

BOOTS ON THE STREET
“Boots on the Street” is a collective effort to make a difference – to serve the city and its neighborhoods and build community among Presbyterians. While what happens inside each congregation matters, “Boots on the Street” will demonstrate that “the church has left the building!”

Volunteers from the entire presbytery and beyond are welcomed. Contact Roderic Frohman (271-6537, ext 106 or rfrohman@thirdpresbyterian.org) for information or to volunteer.

Monday through Saturday, any 3 hour segment, Weekdays 9 AM to 1 PM Lunch provided
Serve a meal, organize pantry, organize the clothing house, clean up outside
Cameron Community Ministries

Monday, June 6, 9 AM to 4:00 PM Lunch provided
Neighborhood clean-up and neighbor visitation
Trinity-Emmanuel Presbyterian Church

Monday, June 6, 9 AM to 12:00 noon Lunch not provided
Food Cupboard guest service
Third Presbyterian Church

Tuesday, June 7, 9 AM to 4:00 PM Lunch provided
Neighborhood clean-up and neighbor visitation
Trinity-Emmanuel Presbyterian Church

Tuesday, June 7, 8:30 AM to 4 PM Bring your own lunch
Habitat for Humanity project in JOSANA neighborhood. Must be 17 years old. Contact John Smalt directly: jhsmalt@rochester.rr.com, or call him at: 924-8624

Wednesday, June 8, 8:30 AM to 4 PM Bring your own lunch
Habitat for Humanity project in JOSANA neighborhood. Must be 17 years old. Contact John Smalt directly: jhsmalt@rochester.rr.com, or call him at: 924-8624

Wednesday, June 8, 10AM to 3 PM Lunch provided
Light basement cleanup and painting
Brighton Presbyterian Church

Wednesday, June 8, 4:30 PM to 7 PM
Fix a fence for a disabled neighbor, paint a ramp, yard clean-up
Calvary St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Parish

Thursday, June 9, 9 AM to noon. Lunch not provided
Food Cupboard guest service
Third Presbyterian Church

Thursday, June 9, 8:30 AM to 4 PM Bring your own lunch
Habitat for Humanity project in JOSANA neighborhood. Must be 17 years old. Contact John Smalt directly: jhsmalt@rochester.rr.com, or call him at: 924-8624

Friday, June 10, 8:30 AM to 4 PM Bring your own lunch
Habitat for Humanity project in JOSANA neighborhood. Must be 17 years old. Contact John Smalt directly: jhsmalt@rochester.rr.com, or call him at: 924-8624

Saturday, June 11, 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Lunch provided
Dining Room Ministry- prepare and serve lunch,
Third Presbyterian Church

Saturday, June 11, 8:30 AM to 4 PM Bring your own lunch
Habitat for Humanity project in JOSANA neighborhood. Must be 17 years old. Contact John Smalt directly: jhsmalt@rochester.rr.com, or call him at: 924-8624

Saturday, June 11, 10 AM to 3 PM Lunch provided
Paint Sunday School rooms
New Life Presbyterian Church.

***
For further information on UPT, contact Judy Lee Hay (325-4950 or judyleehay@unidial.com) or John Wilkinson (271-6537, ext. 105 or jwilkinson@thirdpresbyterian.org).

Going to New Orleans

2010-08-16T20:54:00.002-04:00

Hi All,
A group from Laurelton and other local churches will be heading down to New Orleans on August 29th to help homeowners rebuild and to share hope. As a fitting beginning and remembrance of the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina we will lead an ecumenical worship service at the Rochester Airport at 10 am on Sunday the 29th. All are invited and parking is available in the Airport short-term parking lot.

offering

2010-04-01T07:33:00.002-04:00

At the beginning of this experiment I suggested we would chose a hunger related charity to donate to. Since we've been fasting weekly and saving our lunch money from those fast days now's a good time to decide where it should go. Please post a suggestion or email me if you prefer.
May the darkness of Holy Week prepare your heart for the new light of Easter dawn,
Sam

living by the light of the passion

2010-03-31T10:17:00.002-04:00

Happy Wednesday friends,
I hope that this Holy Week is bringing you closer to Christ's cross and showing you something you need to know. One thing I appreciate about fasting is that it gets me out of my head and leads me to worship God with my body. Sometimes my faith gets stuck in my head; I think too much about questions or doctrines or beliefs. God gave us our minds to question and explore, but sometimes we need to trust that God loves us and work from there. Today for our devotion I would like to share a music video with you. It seems like an appropriate word for this week as we walk with Jesus to Calvary.

Now let's pray together:
Lord you have called each of us by name and we are yours. You know us deep down inside: all our hopes and fears, all our scars and sins. You love us and nothing can stop you from loving us. Help us to trust your love, help us to know in our hearts and souls and minds that you are always there for us. From the foundation of your love help us to reach out to others with compassion and care, knowing that we are all forgiven sinners by your grace. In the name of the crucified and risen Christ we pray, amen.

food and fasting

2010-03-24T10:51:00.002-04:00

Good morning all,
I hope this Wednesday finds you well and open to God's Spirit within you. As we fast this lunch time I'd like to invite you to consider your food. A couple of weeks ago we talked about how the global economy has given rise to a global food system. In the US we reap some major benefits from that international situation, fresh fruit year-round, for example. At the same time, the availability of such a wide range of food sometimes keeps us from thinking about where our food comes from and how it gets to us. Someone grew the food on our table; do we know if they are able to support their family by the food they grow? Someone picked the fruit we enjoy; were they paid a just wage for their labor? Do they have access to health care if their child gets sick? Our food had to get from where it was grown to our table; what impact does that have on our world?

In food like in everything we buy we have many choices. Each of our choices can contribute to abundance for others or to hardship and difficulty for our neighbors. How do we bring our life choices and our consumption more in line with our faith? Are we part of the problem or part of the solution? Maybe both? What's the next step for you to eat and live a bit more faithfully?

Let's pray together:
God of font and table, we thank you for the abundance of your earth. We thank you for the rich variety of food to eat and the resources to feed our families. We ask your blessings on our lives as we chose not to eat this lunch. We pray that you would use this time to turn our hearts to you in dependence and love. We pray that when we break our fast you would use that meal to strengthen us for service. Pour out your blessings on all those who are a part of our meals: the farmers and laborers, the animals and fields, the drivers and pilots and salespeople and cooks. Bring us closer by your Spirit and fill us with your love for others. We pray these things in the name of Jesus, whose banquet we await in glory, amen.

hearth and home

2010-03-17T11:36:00.004-04:00

Happy Wednesday friends,

Our Lenten reflection comes today from an article you may have read in some form before. I remember seeing this recently and feeling challenged and inspired:
family sells home for charity

Let's pray together:
Loving God, you call us in many ways: in song and scripture, in the words of others and in the sights of everyday life. Guide us to open our hearts so that you might change us. Guide us to follow you on the road to the cross. Lead us by your Spirit's power in all our decisions every day. In Christ's name we pray, amen.

What does it mean to fast?

2010-03-10T10:43:00.003-05:00

The voice of God speaking through Jeremiah says:
"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

"Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in."

What's the next step for you in sharing your bread with the hungry?
What's the next step to let the oppressed go free?
What is our role in restoring the streets of our cities?
How does fasting help us discern our way forward?

Now let us pray slowly and contemplatively (with Rachel again):
http://faithandwater.blogspot.com/

Hunger and need

2010-03-03T10:10:00.002-05:00

Happy Wednesday friends,
One of the goals I have in mind for our Lenten fast is engaging with issues of hunger in our nation and worldwide. To that end I'm including a link to a PDF from the Presbyterian Church on the world food crisis. It's more cerebral than our previous reflections, and I'm hesitant about throwing a big piece of reading at you. At the same time food is such a part of our everyday lives that we often don't think about it beyond what to eat for dinner or what we shouldn't be eating if we want to watch our diets. But whether we think about it or not, we are part of a global economy in which some (especially in the US) struggle with too much food while others (40% of the world's population lives on $2 or less per day) struggle to have enough to eat. At the same time more of the world's food in controlled by large corporation making ever growing profits. It's easy to think that the problem is too big to tackle, and it is alone. But God never leaves us alone and even small steps together by the Spirit's guidance can make a difference. So take a look at this link: http://www.pcusa.org/foodcrisis/global-food-crisis0908.pdf and let us consider what God might be saying to us in this moment.

Let's pray together:
Loving God we thank you for the abundance of the earth and the joy of sharing food. In this time of fasting let us listen to your voice in the growling of our stomachs. Let us hear you in the emptiness of the fast. Help us remember our sisters and brothers around the world for whom this is everyday life, for those whose fast is seldom broken. Guide us to be grateful and thoughtful about what you have given us and show us how to reach out to others with your abundant love. In Christ's name we pray, amen

fasting and laughing

2010-02-24T11:39:00.004-05:00

Let's start by taking a moment to pause. Give thanks for the gift of time, for a few minutes to reflect on our lives and on God's calling...

Our devotional reading comes from a favorite singer of mine named Regina Spektor; it's part of a song called "Laughing With" from her latest album:

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
When they’re starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God
When the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one’s laughing at God
When it’s gotten real late
And their kid’s not back from that party yet…

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or
Or when the crazies say He hates us
And they get so red in the head you think they’re ‘bout to choke
God can be funny,
When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way
Or when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
When they’ve lost all they’ve got
And they don’t know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize
That the last sight they’ll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one’s laughing at God when they’re saying their goodbyes…

No one’s laughing at God
No one’s laughing at God
No one’s laughing at God
We’re all laughing with God

What do the lyrics say to you?

How can laughing with God bring us closer?

Where do you think God is leading you this week?

Our prayer for today isn't original to me either but instead comes from my friend Rachel's lenten blog. Rachel has a gift for crafting prayers so let's pray along with her

http://faithandwater.blogspot.com/2010/02/lent-7.html

Blessings on your week,
Sam

Not by bread alone

2010-02-17T12:29:00.003-05:00

Here's our first lenten devotional reading:Luke 4:1-4
1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. 3The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." 4Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"
I thought about this passage a lot when I first became a vegan. A big part of my experience was doing without foods I liked and generally having less to eat. This passage was a source of encouragement to me and a reminder that sometimes the things we enjoy keep us from seeing the other blessings we have. Often our lives are cluttered by things we don't need; giving something up can help us see our reliance on God and trust God's love more intentionally. What does your body tell you when you're hungry? What do you live on besides bread? What might God be trying to tell you today?

Prayer: Loving God, help us to pause, to rest in your presence, and to trust you. Thank you for the gift of food and time. Thank you for the chance to reflect on our blessings and to explore our lives. Guide us by your Spirit as we take this Lenten journey and open our hearts to you. Amen.

Ash Wednesday

2010-02-17T12:16:00.000-05:00

I'm starting a new Laurelton experiment, or just continuing one of the church's ancient practices: we're fasting for Lent. This fast is a simple one; low-impact fasting if you will. I'll be skipping lunch on Wednesday (sometimes maybe a different day, pick whatever works best for you). I'll be taking the money I would have spent on lunch and setting it aside for a hunger-related group (feel free to nominate one). I'll spend the time I would have spent eating in prayer and devotional reading. Each week I'll share a short reading and prayer so you can join in.

You will be surprised at how powerful fasting can be in bringing you closer to God. Being hungry reminds us how dependent we are for the basics of life. When we clear away everything else, at root we are dependent on God. We also remember how many of our neighbors are hungry all the time. Take up this ancient practice with me and watch how it can change your life. Our first devotional reading will follow in the next post.

If you want to make this an even more powerful experience invite a coworker to join you. Read together and talk about the reading; fast together and talk about that experience; pray together and open your life to God and to someone else. Respond to the posts and share with others how this experiment is going for you. I would love to read about what God is doing in your life. If you would like, I can come to your workplace and lead a fasting discussion session at lunch with some of your coworkers. Just let me know and we'll figure out the details.

Blessings on your Lenten journey,
Sam