File - First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael

The Clarion
June 2015
First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael is an inclusive
community that provides opportunities for people to develop
an intelligible faith, share gifts through service to others, and
support one another on our sacred journeys.
A Message from the Pastor
Dear Friends,
We are making beautiful music together...
Literally, as in singing out loud with our
FPCSR Chancel Choir, Quartet and Bell
Choir on Pentecost Sunday and with the
Marin Lighthouse Gospel Singers on May
31, and as we enjoy our many gifted
musicians and vocalists each Sunday.
We are also making beautiful music in the
many ways we speak from our hearts and do
God’s work together in the world.
Inside this Clarion issue, please see the many beautiful
ways we “make beautiful music together” in our various
forms of service. Learn about upcoming events—“sing”
with laughter as comedians entertain us while we raise
money for our Youth Service Team program; attend
music concerts featuring John Steiner and Daniel
Berkman; and hear our friend Denise Wharmby perform
at the Geary Theatre!
On May 31, at the 8:30 service, I presented this Prose
Poem about music in worship. Does this strike a chord
with you?
A Music Poem
by Betty Lynn Schwab
(A poetic rendering of “A Theological Statement on Music
in The United Church of Canada.”)
The music of the spheres... Music
permeates all God’s creation and
embraces all humanity.
Music is rooted in and evolves from God’s
relationship with us and our relationship to God.
Music shapes who we are and who we are becoming
as people baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and
nourished at his table of thanksgiving.
Music is not inserted into worship; rather, worship is
inherently musical. We are a singing people. How
we sing together and what we sing together, reflects
our faith, our church, our union with fragile creation,
our thoughts and feelings about one another and all
humanity.
“We long for a deeper relationship with God.” Music
empowers us to listen for God’s voice.
All God’s Blessings to you this Summer. Relax, enjoy
and raise your voice in gratitude to God!
It enables us to praise God, who has created and
is creating. Music reminds us that we are loved by
God and made for God. The fullest expression of this
message emerges when a congregation sings.
Jan Reynolds, Pastor
“We long for deeper connections with one another.”
When we sing together, barriers and categories are
transcended. Gaps are bridged. Differences are
softened.
continued next page
2
Music unites us as the body of Christ, opening us to others in body, and in the Body. When we sing our common
heart song, we gain new compassion and mutual understanding. “We acknowledge the brokenness, pain, and fear
we carry.” Song enables us to admit our vulnerability. In our singing together, we call each other to account. We
lament falling short of unity and harmony in our lives. We have sometimes broken the melody, failed to be in tune
as individuals, as congregations.
Knowing this, we strive to join the chorus as reconciled people. We believe that our spirituality and our prophetic
voice spring from one source and are lived in one Body. Song connects us to the music of the universe and leads
us into new creation. When we sing together with one heart and voice, we ground ourselves in the spirit of, for, and
with the world.
The stewardship of our church’s song needs the discipleship, prayers, and voices of us all.
New voices are awakened and nurtured. And old voices are renewed. Thanks be to God!
© 2010 The United Church of Canada/L’Église Unie du Canada. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution
Non-commercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd) License.
FPCSR Community
Congratulations to Marin
Hayes and Michael
Marchesini to be wed on
July 25, 2015!
Denise Wharmbly and John Steiner
Jan Reynolds and Ginny Schultz
Spring Services
3
Kay Collette and Rev. Jan Reynolds on
Easter Sunday.
Rev. Douglas Huneke
Our “New” piano blessed.
New officers.
Lorna Wuertz, Kay Collette, Jan Reynolds
Thank you to Stephan Sarad and Sandra Fisk for the wonderful photos!
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Mission News
Revolving Emergency Shelter Team (REST)
REST+ Summer Pilot Program
During 2014 a group of Marin Organizing Committee
representatives (MOC), Marin County Health and
Human Services staff members, and homeless advocates
searched for a year-round location for an Emergency
Shelter. Although they were not successful much was
learned.
During this search a number of questions came up that
could not be answered: Would the homeless come
during the summer? Would the churches, synagogues,
non-profits continue to support a program when it was
not at their own facility? What types of programs should
be provided in a year-round facility? How would a yearround facility be funded? Can we expand the number of
volunteers?
In order to begin to answer these questions a Summer
Pilot Program will be held for from June 8-Aug 3. Each
night the men will be housed at the St. Anselm Catholic
School Gym, San Anselmo, and the women will stay at
the Health and Wellness Center in San Rafael.
REST Winter 2014-15
The program will operate the same way as the existing
program with volunteers preparing and then sharing the
evening meal except that, for the men, the location for
the men will always be at St. Anselm School Gym.
FPCSR has agreed to provide dinner on two Monday
nights during the Summer Pilot Program: Monday, June
15 and Monday, July 13. During the REST season we
have been housing and feeding only half of the men
needing food and shelter (the other half going to St.
Rita’s in Fairfax) so we could have as many as 40 men
on Monday nights. We’ll have a better estimate after the
first few days.
We hope that you will consider teaming up with some of
your friends or neighbors to help with one of these two
dates. There will soon be a sign-up in the Narthex or
you may contact Lorna Wuertz (lornawuertz@sbcglobal.
net, 382-8603) or Ralph or Leslie Purdy (rlpurdy869@
gmail.com).
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
The Revolving Emergency Shelter Team (REST) has completed another year and our guests are extremely grateful
for the many meals we provided and a warm place to sleep in our Chapel from November 15 through April 15.
We are grateful, too, to St. John’s in Ross for again partnering with this congregation by providing half the Monday
night dinners throughout this REST season.Whether you hosted, provided part of the meal, or did both, thank you for
participating in our congregation’s efforts to be Christ in the world by feeding and sheltering over twenty-two men in
our building on Monday nights.
The Mission Committee acknowledges there are many friends of the congregation, as well as members, who
contributed to this project. Thank you to those who worked behind the scenes, the following folks and anyone who
helped in any way:
Sarah Wolfe
Kay Collette
Justine Kuehle
Ginny Pabst
Barbara Royall
Sue Ragen
Ralph and Leslie Purdy
Lorna Wuertz
Bob and Barbara Hirni
Michael Vurek
Dan and Dori Crawford
Lisa Olson
Binny Fischer
Nancy Shehi
Amy Benjamin and her
Girl Scout Troop #31522
Sally Hanson
Susan Isler
Carol Farrar
Kate Martin
Marilyn Friedman
Bridgette Waterbury and her
Girl Scout Troop #30681
Bridgette Waterbury and her
SRHS Junior Rotary Club
Math/Science Dept. of Redwood High
School (Amy Benjamin coordinator)
Maureen Donohoe (and her daughter)
Lorna Wuertz, Mission Committee
Community News
YOTM Programs Continue
and
5
Expand
The YOUTH on the Move (YOTM) programs of FPCSR
continue to thrive and provide important services for
youth in our communities. The first program started
in Summer 2012, offered after school enrichment,
homework assistance, and recreation to Davidson Middle
School students. In cooperation first with the YMCA
and more recently with Service Learning students from
Dominican University this program just completed the
Spring semester
with 12 students
in attendance on
a regular basis.
The second
program, Youth
Service Team
(YST), was
first offered in
Spring 2014,
and is designed
for youth who
are fulfilling
mandated service work. This innovative program is
offered for four Saturdays in a row and includes an
introduction to community services, lunch, the work
assignment for that day, and concludes with a reflection
component. Church-member, Jeannine Curley, a licensed
Marriage and Family Therapist, is the lead counselor.
The service groups offer to work with well-respected
organizations such as Homeward Bound, the San
Francisco/Marin Food Bank, Glide Memorial Church,
and College of Marin Organic Garden. Church members
often participate in the day’s activities. The YST program
is held every other month and the next session will occur
in June. Marin County provides partial funding of this
program.
This past winter, FPCSR was invited to create a
partnership with Short School, a public elementary
school located close to the church. The school primarily
serves students from the Canal neighborhood who are
bused from their home. In March, with help from the
Marin County School Volunteers organization, we began
offering after school enrichment activities once a week
to first, second and third graders. Classes included art,
science, cooking and nutrition (in cooperation with Kids
Cooking for Life), and sports (with help from Marin
Academy students).
The program has been
so well received that
the School Volunteers
Association presented
a Community Advocate
award to Jan Reynolds
and the FPCSR for
the program. Church
volunteers help
with teaching class
lessons and providing
enrichment activities.
The program has ended
for this school year, but plans are being made to expand
the program in the fall.
All three YOTM programs are over-seen by an Advisory
Committee, a sub-committee of the church Mission
Committee. Program costs are covered by grants from
the San Francisco Community Foundation, Marin
Charitable funds, and donations from church members
and community supporters.
Volunteers and donations are needed! If you are
interested in joining the Advisory Committee or working
on any of these programs, talk to Jan Reynolds or
committee members Leslie and Ralph Purdy, Bill and
Ginny Schultz, Carol Farrer, Jeannine Curley, Nancy
Boyce, Lorna Wuertz, Ann Pope and Sophie Marchant.
Community Advocate Award
Marin County School
Volunteers, a nonprofit
volunteer tutor program,
recognized local
volunteers at their annual
appreciation event in May.
The Community Advocate
Award was given to our very
own Jan Reynolds and Adopt-A-School Volunteers from
the First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael.
Kendra Woodglass (center) with the Youth on the Move team.
Congratulations Jan!
Mission News
PDA MISSION TRIP
APRIL 2015
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wheel barrows, then into tractor scoops to be
hauled away.
Thursday, it was snowing so hard that all
volunteer work was halted for the day. So, we
went to visit the Loveland Sculpture garden.
This multi-acre garden was filled with beautiful
sculptures. The photo is of two best friends
having a great laugh together. Note the snow
on the friends. We nearly froze while walking
the first half of the garden. So, we drove and
got out of the vans a few times in the second
half.
We are grateful to the whole congregation for supporting
us and sending us to Colorado for our PDA Mission trip,
in response to the devastation caused by the floods in
September 2013. Our team flew into the Denver airport
and rented vans with the money raised by the Crab Feed
(Thank you!). We drove together to Loveland, CO and
were housed by the Mountain View Presbyterian Church
(MVPC). The photo is of us all in the dorm of the church.
The MVPC people were wonderful hosts, including
preparing a supper for us; and we were pretty good
chefs, fixing all the rest of our own meals.
This trip was different in that we were not primarily
rebuilding houses. We spent much of our time in the
small community of Big Elk Meadows in the mountains
northwest of Loveland. This and other mountain
communities were the last to receive assistance from
the County, State, and the Federal Government, as
well as volunteers like us. As we approached the
Big Elk Meadows, we were driving on temporary dirt
roads as the highways were still washed out. Our work
involved building sheds, sanding drywall and, mainly,
fire mitigation in the form of cutting down and limbing
trees, raking pine needles and putting all the debris in
big trailers for hauling away. Many of us became quite
good with chain saws and some got to use a power log
splitter: what fun! One day, we worked in the nearby
town of Lyons at a several acre large campground and
outdoor concert theater. During the floods, it was under
four feet of water and ended up under four feet of silt
and rocks. By the time we got there, all the silt was gone,
but there were still small rocks all over the field. Our job
was to rake the rocks and other debris and put them in
On Friday, it was still snowing, but we received
an urgent text message asking if we could
make it to Estes Park, about an hour’s drive. There was
an 18-wheel flat bed truck loaded with shed parts, and
no one to unload it. We decided to try, and fortunately,
the snow remained slushy so we made it. The shed parts
were so heavy that it took all 12 of us to carry each part,
but we did it. We went to Starbucks to reward ourselves
and sent a text to the volunteer supervisor that we had
succeeded. He was so grateful, he texted back, “Praise
God, thank you so very much.” I guess we were in the
right place at the right time.
We all feel a sense
of gratitude for
the opportunity to
do this work and
to spend the time
together. We all
started off as good
friends and ended
up as best friends.
Thanks again to the
congregation for
the opportunity to
represent you on
such a worthwhile
mission trip.
In gratitude, Linda Adams, Dan Crawford, Dori
Crawford, Glen Dickey, Chuck Fischer, Binny Fischer,
Mary Lu Graham, Dina McClure, Ralph Purdy, Leslie
Purdy, LaurieTelder, Lorna Wuertz.
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Community Events
It’s
Three comedians, one HILARIOUS evening at FPCSR.
!
JUNE 13 @ 7 pm Tickets $45 (with a drink), please make your reservation with the church office. Our YOUTH SERVICE TEAM and OPENING THE WORLD are pleased to present comics: Dhaya Lakshminarayanan,
Nick Stargu, and MC Chris Burns.
Good laughs and tasty food! What else could you ask for?
Australia’s Acoustic Voice, which
claims to be the world’s only
musical theater company dedicated
to the exclusive use of unamplified
voices, will occupy the Geary July
8-19 with the North American
premiere of “Call Me Miss Birds Eye: A Celebration of Ethel
Merman.” Denise Wharmby stars in the musical bio, belting
some 30 standards Merman made famous—by the Gershwins,
Irving Berlin, Cole Porter et al.—from “I Get a Kick Out of You”
and “Anything You Can Do” to “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.”
What
has happened to the
Sunday, June 14
5 pm @FPCSR
Marin CROP Hunger Walk?
FPCSR has regularly supported
the annual Marin CROP Hunger
Walk, a national effort organized
by Church World Service to raise
funds to support programs addressing hunger and poverty, locally,
nationally and internationally. Not
only have we had a team which participated in the threemile walk around San Rafael, but we have served as a host
site for the 125-plus people who gathered on our patio for
the kick-off event. The 2014 Walk raised $18,000. Due to
changes in staffing at the regional level and changes in the
membership of the local planning committee, Marin County
will not have a Hunger Walk in 2015. But, even without
a physical walk, you have an opportunity to support the
important and effective programs of Church World Service
by making a contribution online. Remember that 25% of
the funds raised help support local programs---the Interfaith
Street Chaplaincy, the Marin Food Bank, and the St. Vincent de Paul free dining room. The rest of the funds go to
help Church World Service address emergency needs and
also long-term development efforts around the world. The
web site is www.crophungerwalk.org/sanrafaelca/. Several
FPCSR members are working to re-organize the Marin Walk
and hope to be able to announce plans for a 2016 Walk
soon. If you have suggestions for local sponsors, committee
members, or partners, please contact Leslie Purdy.
June – July
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Summer Calendar
Date
Time
Activity
Tuesday, June 9
7 pm
Session Meeting
Saturday, June 13
7 pm
Comedy Night Fundraiser
Sunday, June 14
5 pm
Koracopia with John Steiner
Tuesday, June 16
7 pm
Mission Meeting
Sunday, June 21
5 pm
SoulSong
Monday, June 22
5:30 pm
Sustainable Food Collaborative Presentation
Wednesday, June 24
7 pm
Women’s Book Group
Thursday, June 25
8:30 am
Men’s Book Group
Tuesday, July 2
7 pm
Deacon’s Meeting
Thursday, July 9
8:30 am
Men’s Book Group
Tuesday, July 14
7 pm
Session’s Meeting
Sunday, July 19
5 pm
SoulSong
Note: The Spirituality group is taking a break for the summer.
Location
Geneva
Canoles Hall
Chapel
Library
Chapel
Sanctuary
Chapel
Library
Library
Library
Geneva
Chapel
In June, FPCSR hosted
thirty-four Marin Academy
Students and five teachers
for two mornings of Service
Learning. They learned
about hunger in Marin and
nation wide in the U.S. then
cooked two huge pots of
soup for the Summer REST
Program!
First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael
1510 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael, California 94901
Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 10 - 3 PM
415.456.6760 | [email protected] | www.fpcsr.org
Pastor: Rev. Jan Reynolds – [email protected]