Messenger | June 21, 2023

This week's release at a glance:

Pastor’s Message

Summer Worship Schedule

Celebrating Charlie Phelps' 105th Birthday

Sing in the Family Summer Choir

Youth Summer Gatherings

VBS Updates

New Sunday Classes

We're Looking for a New Youth Director

Pastor's Message

Dear friends and family of Woods Church,

A note from Pastor Nancy: Pastor Randy's surgery has been postponed until Friday, June 30, due to an emergency surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. We will still welcome the Rev. Jack Carlson to the pulpit this Sunday, June 25, and ask that you continue in prayers for a successful surgery for Pastor Randy next week.

Science fiction writers often do literary "thought experiments." These are when they imagine what a particular future scenario might look like and write about it, even though it has not yet come to pass. Sometimes they imagine dystopian realities in which law and order has collapsed and people exist in a bleak, "every person for him/herself" society. Others imagine a future of technological advances, interplanetary travel, and "paradise regained."

People of faith routinely imagine what the future should be like, shaping their daily lives now according to the goals of what God's world might possibly resemble in the years to come. Sometimes this is just wishful thinking, focused on our personal dreams for the future without considering the needs of others. But when we're guided by scripture, our faith prognostications are built upon several core principles.

First, the God of yesterday and today is the God of tomorrow. This is not a passive reality, but an active one; God is aware of what is to be and is working now to make that future come about. Second, the God of today and tomorrow is consistent in love, mercy and grace. The necessity of caring for all creation and loving our neighbors as ourselves will still be a guiding principle for "future me" as it is for "present me." Third, the future waiting to be born requires our active attention and engagement now, since we are the wombs from which it will be birthed. In this we are intentional, faithful partners in God's ongoing acts of creation.

So if you feel inclined to send a message to your future self, you can simply say this: "Hope things are going well." And rest assured—the God who has begun a good work in all of us will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).

Peace in Christ,

Pastor Randy



Remarks From Pastor Randy on Recent Events

Pastor Randy shared the following comments during worship last Sunday, June 18.

If you watch the evening news, it has not been an easy week—and I wanted to offer a pastoral word on some of these recent events.

First, the trial is starting for the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh. We lived about four blocks from the synagogue and I did a joint wedding service with the rabbi who was shot that day. It is a sad reminder of the need for us to be ever watchful against all forms of anti-Semitic words and violence.

Second, the Southern Baptist church voted to bar any women pastors from their conference, affecting the ministries of over 1900 congregations. It is a flawed misogynist act—and a direct affront to us who have benefited from the caring pastoral leadership of pastors like Susan and Nancy and others over the past decades. We pray that in time the Roman Catholic and Baptist churches will correct their theological error of believing anatomy determines fitness for pastoral service.

Lastly, the indictment of former President Trump unleashed a wave of incendiary language, including threats of retribution and gun violence. Kari Lake insisted that “Now is the time to cling to our guns and our religion.” Let me be clear: there is no passage in the Bible that supports the pairing of those two things. When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and Peter starting wielding a sword, Jesus directly told him to put it away. The linking of personal weapons of violence to the service of the Prince of Peace is a heresy and contrary to the Christian faith. We cling to the cross, not an AK-47.

During this service we are ordaining officers and commissioning WoodsWork members. This is not a superficial act of conferring awards, but one asking for God’s grace as they go forward by faith in these challenging times. To whatever extent any of us encounter messages of Christian nationalism and partisan violence supposedly wrapped in piety, we need to speak up for what is true, peaceable, and biblical.

As it says in the Brief Statement of Faith of the Presbyterian Church (USA): In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of people long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom and peace. May it be so.

Church News

Summer Worship Schedule Begins June 18

We are into our summer worship schedule. As of last week we have only one service at 9:30AM on Sunday mornings. These summer services will have a blend of traditional, contemporary, and special music offerings with some opportunities for "post-worship sermon conversations" in Fellowship Hall afterwards.

Celebrating Charlie Phelps' 105th Birthday

This Sunday, June 25, 10:30AM, the congregation will honor our hero and legendary REHABBER, Charlie Phelps. He will be 105 years young!

Charlie and Helen Phelps joined Woods in 1964. Charlie, Alan Lupfer, and Bill Mechesney founded the Retired Handymen's Breakfast Society (REHABS) in 1993. This group of talented plumbers, electricians, painters, and carpenters cook a hearty breakfast each Thursday morning and volunteer for hours to make repairs and generally keep Woods Church in fine condition.

Join Charlie and his family in Fellowship Hall following worship for cake and punch, and to wish Charlie the happiest of birthdays.

Sing in the Family Summer Choir

Come and sing with our Family Summer Choir on any of these Sundays: June 25, July 2, July 16, July 23, August 13, August 27, or September 3. Rehearsals are on Sunday mornings, 8:45AM, in the Sanctuary Choir loft.

For more information, please email David Merrill at dmerrill@woodschurch.org.

Finance Update

June is the last month in our fiscal year, an important time to complete any annual pledge commitments.

If you have questions about your giving status or want to submit a pledge for the 2023–2024 fiscal year, call the church office or email our Finance Coordinator Ada Sell.

Also, any funds donated to our Special Offering for June go to support our church's Flower Ministry.

Ministry Announcements

Youth Summer Gatherings

Our Youth Group will next gather at Rita's Italian Ice on Wednesday, June 21, 5–6PM. Stop by for a free Rita's ice!

VBS Needs You!

Be part of the Mission to Bee called a child of God. The Mission Committee is gathering children's books for Marian House and canned goods for SPAN. You can drop them by the mite baskets during the week OR better yet, join us for supper during the week (Monday through Thursday) and bring them then. Thursday evening we will conclude VBS with Holy Communion. We'll save you a seat at the table.

VBS Supper Club

VBS—it’s what’s for dinner! Join your church family for dinner June 26–29, 6:15–7PM. You will get to see the "day's doings" from VBS. Please sign up for dinner with Kat or Frances in Fellowship Hall on Sunday. Let us be called children of God!

Continue the Conversation at Home

I HOPE you are having a good week. Do you want to continue the conversation at home? Sunday, we talked about HOPE, God's HOPE. God's HOPE is a light in our hearts that helps us when we are in one place, that might be sad. God's HOPE reminds us that God loves us and helps us to look forward. It's got us covered.... Just like a BIG UMBRELLA.

Our resource to Continue the Conversation at Home this week is Amy June Bates' book, The Big Umbrella. There's room for everyone under the Big Umbrella! Just like there is room for all of us under the Big Umbrella of God's HOPE. We remembered that we all carry God's HOPE inside of us. WoodsWork youth and adults are taking that HOPE to South Carolina to build houses with Habitat for Humanity. The new classes of deacons and elders are taking God's HOPE to members of Woods Church and beyond. We can take God's HOPE to our homes, our playgrounds, our schools, and all of our activities. There's room under the Big Umbrella of God's HOPE for everyone!



New Bible Basics Class Starts July 2

In Adam Hamilton's Making Sense of the Bible, you are invited into an honest conversation about the Bible. We begin with foundational questions such as, how and when was the Bible written? Who decided which books made it and why? How literally must we read it? And, is the Bible ever wrong?

We will consider the real questions people frequently ask that continue to divide Christians including:

• Were Adam and Eve real people?
• Why does God seem so mean in the Old Testament?
• Why would Paul command women to "keep silent in the church"?
• Is Jesus the only way to salvation?
• How does God view people with different sexuality?

In approachable and inviting language, we will try to address these often misunderstood biblical themes leading readers to a deeper appreciation of the Bible so that we might hear God speak through it and find its words to be life-changing and life-giving.

No prior experience in Bible study is assumed; come with what you know and explore what you are not sure about.



Classes begin on Sunday, July 2, 11AM, in the Office Conference Room and on Zoom.

New Bi-Weekly Faith Connection Group Starting July 2

What: We Make the Road by Walking Discussion Group

Details: Join us to discuss We Make the Road by Walking by Brian McLaren. This book's 52 readings will guide us through growing our faith together. Each chapter is 3–4 pages. If you are seeking a faith connection, come. The book can be purchased on Amazon.

Location: Boone Station Gazebo (Inclement weather: Room 150)

Time: 11AM - noon

Beginning: Sunday, July 2, bi-weekly

POC: Reach out to charitymatta@gmail.com.

Childcare is available.

We're Looking for a New Youth Director

The primary responsibility of the Director of Youth Ministry is to direct, train and recruit a team of youth leadership and adult volunteers to serve the spiritual needs of young people (grades 6–12) and their families by creating an environment where youth, their families, and their adult leaders can engage in life-long Christian growth and discipleship. The Director of Youth Ministry will plan for and provide for a robust program of Christian Formation for youth and their families.

Send resumes to clerkofsession@woodschurch.org.

In Our Community

Coed Softball

 Our next game will be on Sunday, June 25, 2PM, against Heritage Church at Cypress #1.

No experience required! Players must be at least 16 years of age by December 31, 2022. Play as your schedule permits

If you are interested, contact Andrew Wiley at 443.867.8803 or wileyas1@gmail.com.

Thank You From Pastor Nancy

 Dear Friends at Woods Church, thank you so very much for the lovely anniversary celebration of my time at Woods and of being an ordained minister. Your words and thoughtful gifts of appreciation are most welcome and appreciated by me. It has been my privilege to be so blessed with being a part of this church family. I look forward to what God has in mind for us in the coming days…and trust that we will navigate the future confidently and gracefully together.



Death Notice

 A Service of Witness to the Resurrection for Woods member Glenn Bell will be held at Woods Church on Thursday, June 29, 11AM. A reception will follow in Fellowship Hall.

Please keep Glenn's wife, Kathy, and all of their family and friends in your prayers.

Congregational Prayer

Gracious God, we praise your holy name. Your mighty acts are matched only by your compassion, which softens our hard hearts and turns them toward your people wherever they may be. Give us strong voices to speak up for truth and loving hands to spread forth your good tidings through all the earth; in the name of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.