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Celebrate Our Faith
This is the season of Easter in our church calendar, and that is a time to celebrate our faith! Up until the actual resurrection of our Lord we had very little identity as a religion, but were in fact a small cult of the Jewish faith. Then our leader was arrested and executed on the Cross and it seemed for a while that our movement had died with Him. Then on the third day the miracle of the Resurrection occurred and the religion known as Christianity was born. So it is appropriate that we celebrate our faith during the time known as the Easter season.
The resurrection event becomes the thing that shows that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. No one had ever overcome such a horrible death by returning to life. The Romans were well trained in how to kill a person and the crucifixion was a very public event. Many people from many different faith traditions witnessed the long agonizing process that led to Christ’s death. There was no doubt that He had died and there were plenty of people who could testify to the fact of His death. The fact that the crucifixion was so public was an important factor in the formation of the church as we know it. Had it not been so public there may have been some lingering doubt surrounding the fact of His death. For instance if only a few people had witnessed the execution, one could make the argument that Jesus had not in fact died, and so the miracle that is the resurrection could come into question. A few of His followers could have gotten together and made the whole thing up!
Jesus’ death was a certainty, and so it was a real miracle when he rose from the dead on Easter morning. Not only had His death been very public, His resurrection was very public as well. The Roman soldiers assigned to guard the tomb were witnesses. His disciples were witnesses to His returning from the dead. He appeared on the shore and ate fish and bread with many of His followers and their fellow fishermen (John 21:12-14). It was clear that He had come back from the dead. He even showed them the wounds in His hands, feet and the wound in His side, so there was no doubt that it was in fact Him.
So we celebrate the Easter season by wearing white and singing joyous songs and proclaiming praises to our God. This is why we proclaim the “Alleluias” in our services during this season. We are expressing our joy over the fact that our Lord and Savior has risen from the dead and in so doing death has been defeated on our behalf. Our sins will no longer lead us to death. Death has been defeated because the One who was without sin has been killed for our sake and rose from the dead, also for our sake. Anyone who calls on the name of our Lord will be saved (Acts 2:21). So this is a time when it is worthwhile to celebrate our faith, because we know that our Redeemer lives. We know that God loves us and gave Himself for our sake so that we would have eternal life (John 3:16). So we celebrate our faith in the Easter season and our joy knows no bounds!
Joyous Blessings,
Fr. John+
Financial Report March 2010 By Bill Parsons
March’s finances continued negative, with a deficit of $(15,936) for the year. Total income from all funds for the month was $18,276, while total expenditures were $21,833. For the year, income was $47,889 with expenses of $63,825. There were no significant unusual items in income or expenses.
Operating funds for March included $16,566 of income and $21,616 in expenses for a loss of $(5,051). Income was derived from parish giving at $8,061 (49%), investment income at $ 5,239 (32%), nursery school receipts of $3,206 (19 %) and other incidental items. Operating expenses for the month included $9,984 for salaries (46 %), $3,445 (16 %) for utilities, $4,218 (20 %) for maintenance, $512 (2%) for worship expenses, $647 (3 %) for office and administrative expenses as well as $3,208 (13 %) for the nursery school. Included in maintenance costs was the payment of $2,260 for snow removal as a result of the major snowstorms in February.
Allocated (special) income for the month was $1,710, including $504 in income for Easter flowers and $1,067 for the church window renovation program. Expenses of $217 were incurred for flowers and pastoral care expenses..
Our investment portfolio continued to flow with the market, with some positive change in value. We continue to evaluate the portfolio and to make incremental changes to increase income while protecting the asset base.
Flee Market Memorial Presbyterian Church of Fox Chase Flea Market - May 15, 8am - 2pm (raindate May 22), 7902 Oxford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111. Vendor spots are limited, reserve your space now. $15 if you bring your own table; $20 if you need to use one of ours. Please call Yvonne Schwiker for more information or to reserve your table at 215-632-1345. All proceeds will benefit Vacation Bible School 2010. Please come out and shop!
Brownie Troop Activities
Our Brownie troop finally had our "Baby Bundles" baby shower. It was a great success!! We were hosts to nine troops from our service unit, including Daisys, Brownies and Juniors. We played baby bingo and had to match Nursery Rhymes. We also divided the girls into four groups and each group took their turn at other games. Our Junior troop helped chaperone these games. The games included "toss the diaper", relay, "get baby ready for bed", and "taste the mysterious baby food". Each group also made a craft, "rock a bye baby". We made paper flowers (trees) and then had a baby in a cradle that was hung from the tree. Each troop brought refreshments which we all shared. The gifts that were brought were amazing!! We received a "gently used" crib, highchair, stroller and bouncy chair, along with almost everything for a baby or young child. We donated all of the gifts to an organization called Young Lives. We hope Young Lives gets as much enjoyment out of receiving as we did of giving.
Our Brownie troop also planted the flowers that were on the altar at Easter. Look for them to bloom again next spring. We have also walked around our compound and picked up trash and debris that we found. Our meetings for the year will be ending very soon. We will be having a fly-up ceremony with our sister scouts at Abington Presbyterian Church in May.
FUN DAY!!
Youth of Holy Nativity, we are having a Fun Day on Saturday May 15th from 3 pm to 5 pm. Are you 4 years old to 18 years old? Well then you are welcome to come. Bring a friend if you would like. Wear clothes that you would wear to play outside. Come and have a wonderful time and get closer to God. If you have any questions please feel free to call Trisha Wallace @ (215) 758-2709
The Strawberry Festival and Car Show is just around the corner on June 5th. Please volunteer to help at one of the tables, donate some baked good, and used books, cut strawberries on Friday June 4th and have fun at the festival. For information about what you can donate contact Joe Madison.
New Vestry Congratulations to the newest members of the vestry. Elected this year are John Thompson, Rob Richardson, Dave Campbell, Linda Fischler, and Joe Madison. They join Jack Alexander, Jessica Brown, and Bill Parsons to make up our new vestry. At the meeting to be held on May 18th they will reorganize their assignments.
May is a month full of Church Holy Days
Ascension Day May 13th Which is observed on the 40th day of Easter. It commemorates Jesus Christ's ascension into heaven, according to the New Testament of the Bible. Ascension Day is one of the earliest Christian festivals dating back to the year 68 AD. According to the New Testament in the Bible, Jesus Christ met several times with his disciples during the 40 days after his resurrection to instruct them on how to carry out his teachings. It is believed that on the 40th day he took them to the Mount of Olives, where they watched as he ascended to heaven. Holy Eucharist 7:30 PM
Pentecost Sunday May 23rd is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ. The feast is also called Whitsun, Whitsunday, Whit Sunday, or Whitsuntide, especially in the United Kingdom. Pentecost is celebrated seven weeks (50 days) after Easter Sunday, hence its name. Pentecost falls on the tenth day after Ascension Thursday. Pentecost is historically and symbolically related to the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot, which commemorates God giving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai fifty days after the Exodus. Among Christians, Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus as described in the New Testament Acts of the Apostles 2:31 during these Jewish "fiftieth day" celebrations in Jerusalem. For this reason, Pentecost is sometimes described as the "Birthday of the Church".
Trinity Sunday May 30th is the first Sunday after Pentecost it celebrates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, the three Persons of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Trinity Sunday has the status of a Principal Feast in the Church of England and is one of seven principal feast days in the Episcopal Church. Thomas Becket (1118-70) was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury on the Sunday after Whit Sunday, and his first act was to ordain that the day of his consecration should be held as a new festival in honour of the Holy Trinity. This observance spread from Canterbury throughout the whole of Christendom.
Visitation of the blessed Virgin May 31st After the angel Gabriel had announced to Mary that she was to become the mother of Our Lord, Mary went from Galilee to Judea to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth, soon to be the mother of John the Baptist. This visit is recorded in Luke 1:39-56. Elizabeth greeted Mary with the words, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." Mary burst forth with the song of praise which we call the Magnificat, beginning, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord." We are told that even John the Baptist, still unborn, leaped for joy in his mother's womb. Thus we are shown, side by side, the two women, one seemingly too old to have a child, but destined to bear the last prophet of the Old Covenant, of the age that was passing away; and the other woman, seemingly not ready to have a child, but destined to bear the One Who was Himself the beginning of the New Covenant, the age that would not pass away. Holy Eucharist 7:30 PM Crafters The crafters will start to use Argo Hall as their meeting place. This move was designed to allow them the flexibility of leaving their unfinished projects out without being disturbed and gives us a reason to use the building for none commercial activities.
Sunday School Projects
Our Sunday School children will be undertaking two projects that will make us all very proud.
As an on-going project, we will be collecting items to send those in the Armed Forces for whom we pray each week. Some are parishioners, or friends of parishioners and even a parent of one of a child attending our week-day nursery school. We need the following items: FOOD ITEMS Powdered drink mixes (hot or cold) Tea bags and coffee packets Cup-a-soup and Ramen noodles Granola bars and power bars Trail Mix and raisins Candy and gum (wrapped) Nuts (any kind) Dry cereal (individual servings) Fruit or applesauce cups Cracker Jack and popcorn Fruit roll-ups and fruit snacks Peanut butter & jelly Beef Jerky Seasonings and condiments Cookies Canned tuna Canned soup or stew PERSONAL HYGIENE ITEMS Baby Wipes (50 count) Kleenex (pocket size) Eye Drops (0.5 oz) Hand lotion (Travel Size) Chap Stick Sun Block Cough Drops Soap (Hotel size) Toilet paper Deodorant (1.7 oz size) Tooth Paste (Travel Size) Disposable cameras We will also need cash donations to cover the cost of mailing for each package which will be $10.50.
Our hope is to be able to send each member of the Armed Forces for whom we are praying a package monthly with our thanks for what they are doing for us. The Sunday School children will pack and ready the boxes. Our intention is to keep this going until they are home again. But we need your help by picking up a few of the items listed above each time you are shopping. Keep the items small because our boxes are small. It is the thought that counts and knowing that there are people at home who are grateful for the sacrifice they are making for us.
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