Help Needed for BPC Week of Summer Camp
Please consider whether you are able to help out with this summer’s BPC camp, July 9th-13th! We have a high estimate of registration of children and we do not wish to restrict attendance. So, if you can help out in a general way, assist with the arts and crafts, read stories, or with games, tell Kathy Lowe of your interest! Or, call the Church Office: 631-537-0863. You can make a difference in a child’s life this summer!
Remember the 2012 Pentecost Offering, Sun, May 27th!
The Pentecost Offering is traditionally received on the day of Pentecost, May 27, 2012. It provides a direct way to meet the needs of children at risk, youth, and young adults. Congregations are encouraged to keep 40 percent of the Offering to support ministries benefiting these age groups in their communities.
The General Assembly’s portion (60 percent) provides leadership development opportunities for Presbyterian youth and young adults and supports children-at-risk programs at the national level. Since 1998, Presbyterians of all ages have raised more than $8 million for these ministries that benefit younger members of God’s family.
More BPC News to Know ...
Bridgehampton Club Annual Golf Tournament, Wed, May 23rd
The Bridgehampton Association’ Annual Golf Tournament will be Wednesday, May 23rd (rain date: May 24th) at the Bridgehampton Club on Ocean Road. Call Pat at 631-749-5120.
“Come Sail the Sound,” Sat, June 2nd
“Come Sail the Sound” with the Parish Resource Center (PRC) on Saturday, June 2nd, 7:00 — 10:00 pm. A Benefit for the PRC, tickets are $45.00. See more info at: www.parishresourcecenter.org/lieast/ or call: 631-821-2255.
“Welcoming the Stranger” Workshops, Mon, June 6th
The Long Island Council of Churches is sponsoring workshops for clergy and lay leaders on how to help your congregation and community to become more welcoming of immigrants. The next one will be Wednesday, June 6, at 6 p.m. at the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary on Montauk Highway in Bridgehampton. A similar workshop is being scheduled on the North Fork at Sacred Heart Church in Cutchogue on Depot Lane and Main Road.
Youth/Confirmation Sunday to Be Celebrated Sun, June 17th
Confirmation will be part of Youth Sunday on Sunday, June 17th. Our Confirmation Class 2012 will be confirmed. Youth Sunday this year will have the theme of “Creation”. June 17th will also be the final week of Sunday School for the summer and it will begin again the Sunday after Labor Day in the fall. A hot dog roast and an ice cream social will follow the service on the church lawn. And, there will be a recognition of our fathers as the day will also feature Fathers’ Day.
Vacation Church Camp Dates Set: July 9-13th
The theme for this year’s popular Vacation Church Camp is: “The Moral of the Story.” It will be held Monday-Friday, July 9-13, from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm in the Parlors. The final day will include some fun at Splish-Splash! Registration forms are now available. Registrations with payment attached will be numbered and — without extra leadership help — registration will be closed when 25 applications are obtained. With an unusually high registration this summer, we are in need of volunteers! Please see Kathy Lowe. Without extra help, we may have to restrict registration. Get your registration in early.
Special Feature Story of the Week
A Joyful Noise
By Karen Russell
Women’s songs reflect God’s power to set things right. Read: 1 Samuel 2:1-10; Luke 1:41-55.
Scripture gives us the story of God’s interaction with humans and describes the relationship between God and humanity. In this ever-surprising story, women often are the bearers of a powerful witness to the greatness of God, and often bear that witness through song.
People in the Bible are always breaking into song or dance to celebrate a victory, to mark a significant event, to lament, to grieve or just to celebrate the gift of another day. Paul often inserts a hymn in the middle of his letters to the church, and Revelation has as many hymns to the glory of God as an episode of Glee has Top-40 song covers. Songs — music — can express emotions and engage us in ways that the spoken word cannot. Speech therapists who work with stroke victims often have patients sing in order to learn to speak again. Singing can provide a way to express emotion that is not easily articulated. When we want to express what we feel after an encounter with God, song can take us to the “highest of heights and the depths of the deep,” says Meg Flannagan, advocacy and relations coordinator for a new Presbyterian hymnal scheduled for publication next year.
The Song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10) and Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) are powerful examples of women using song to offer praise, and both bear witness to the power of God to set things right. Like the psalmist in Psalm 141:2, these women let their songs arise before God “as incense.”
Hannah’s song of thanksgiving and Mary’s song of praise have much in common. Both recount the ways God reverses the order of things and brings new life and hope out of injustice and despair. In Hannah’s case, her song/prayer comes as she dedicates her child to God and prepares to leave him in the care of the priest. This child, who becomes the prophet Samuel, is God’s gift to Hannah, reversing her barrenness and restoring her self-worth in a time and place where a woman’s worth was measured by her marriage and her offspring.
Echoing Hannah, Mary praises God for looking out for her in her situation. Mary’s pregnancy may have created a perilous situation for her, a betrothed bride who had not yet gone to live in her husband’s home. Pregnancy out of wedlock could have subjected her to various punishments, ranging from public humiliation to death. Luke tells us that Mary set out for Elizabeth’s house “with haste” (Luke 1:39), which could imply that Mary was facing trouble. It’s possible that the first time that Mary was able see herself and her situation as “blessed” was when she was greeted by Elizabeth. Mary’s song in the midst of so much uncertainty bears witness to the power of God to set things right and to bring hope in our darkest hour. The song itself reminds us that hope often comes when we remember and give thanks for the promises of God that the way things are is not the way things will be. Our hope is not based on our current situation, but instead on the certainty of God’s ability to redeem our situation.
Pray: Mary’s song
Mary’s song is a prayer of gratitude for the goodness of God. Use Luke 1:46-55 as a model for your own prayer of thanksgiving and praise for the promises of God. You can sing this prayer as well: “Song of Mary,” The Presbyterian Hymnal, no. 600.
Study: Compare words of Jesus
The reversals described in Mary’s song (the mighty brought low, the hungry filled) are similar to the “blessings and woes” in Luke 6 and the Beatitudes in Matthew 5.
How are those pronouncements of Jesus like Mary’s Magnificat and the Song of Hannah? Where do you find hope in these words?
Remember: Luke 1:47
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
Live: A life of praise
As followers of Christ, we are to be thankful and to live a life that is full of praise for God (1 Thessalonians 5:18), even in times of uncertainty. Mary’s song of praise can provide the words of thanksgiving in times when our gratitude is deep and spontaneous, and in times when our words of praise come with difficulty.
News from Previous E-pistles ...
Four Ways to Stay Connected ...
In the age of the Internet, BPC has four new ways for you to connect and keep current with your church family:
- Receive the weekly E-pistle! The E-pistle is a mid-week email that goes out to the congregation and friends with all the news and announcements. Make sure the Church Office has your email or write it down and place it in the offering plate!
- Become a FaceBook friend! To become a Friend, follow this link, make sure you’re signed in, click on the word “Like,” and you are a “Friend” of the “Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church.” Tell your friends!
- Enjoy “live” streaming on those days you can’t make it to worship. All of worship can be heard live on your home computer — as it happens — on the Internet at the BPC website. Visit: media.bridgehamptonpc.org and find several different ways to connect to the live stream. Or, hear the service during the week in the archive.
- Of course, the fourth way is to check out the church website: www.bridgehamptonpc.org.
Check Out the PCUSA’s Web Site!
You can find our denomination’s web site at www.pcusa.org. Spend some time exploring it! There are lots of interesting places to visit. Can you find out where you can sign up to receive the lectionary daily devotional scripture passages? What area of global mission are you interested in? Or, perhaps you want to see what the church is doing in theology and worship? You can also find places to have the latest PCUSA news briefs sent to your email. Have fun and spend some time there!
Do You Need Offering Envelopes?
If anyone is in need of a box of church offering envelopes, see BJ Schreier, place a note in the offering plate, or call the Church Office: 631-537-0863.
Share Pastoral Care Needs with the Church Office
If you are aware of any pastoral concerns please call the church office so that we may notify the pastor and the deacons contact: 631-537-0863.
To receive this weekly announcement by email, click here or phone the Church Office.