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Rector's Message: Saturday, 08 May 2021
Sunday, 09 May
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Included in today's update: A Mother's Day Prayer, Birthdays in the Week Ahead, High School Seniors Recognition, Annual Parish Meeting, Upcoming YOM Events, Celebration of LIfe for Jean Elizabeth (Lyon) Wood, A Note from Sue Phillips, Seeking Vestry Nominations, In Person Worship, Creative Angels Recipe, and Ongoing Updates
FROM THE RECTOR
Saturday,8 May 2021
Dear Friends:
A Mother’s Day Prayer
On this Mother’s Day:
we give thanks to God for the divine gift of motherhood in all its diverse forms.
Let us pray for all the mothers among us today:
for our own mothers, those living and those who have passed away …
for the mothers who loved us and those who fell short of loving us fully …
for all who hope to be mothers someday and for those whose hope to have children has been frustrated …
for all mothers who have lost children …
for all women and men who have mothered others in any way …
those who have been our substitute mothers, and we who have done so for those in need.
We pray this all in the name of God:
our great and protecting Father,
our gentle and loving Mother.
Amen. The Reverend Leslie Nipps
from Women’s Uncommon Prayers
May the days of your Easter season be filled with joy, health, and hope!
Blessings! Peace! Grace! And Love!
- Keith
BIRTHDAYS IN THE WEEK AHEAD
O God, our times are in your hands: Look with favor, we pray, on these your servants as they begin another year. Grant that they may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen their trust in your goodness all the days of their life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Pete Beaumont
Shannon Thornborough
Linda Unangst
CONGRATULATIONS
On Sunday, May 2nd, Hayden Dunlap was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout at the Troop 51 Cabin! Quite an achievement, earned by less that 6% of Boy Scouts! Hayden's Eagle Scout project was to plan and manage the construction of raised garden beds for the Morgan Log House, built around 1700 by Edward Morgan, maternal grandfather of Daniel Boone. Congratulations, Hayden!
HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS RECOGNITION
Next Sunday, May 16th, we will honor those members of the congregation graduating high school this year:
Hayden Dunlap - to attend Elizabethtown College
Sam Fogel - to attend University of Delaware
Alex Rasmussen - to attend Drexel University
Tristan Ryan - to attend Montgomery County Community College
Join us as these four young people are recognized in the midst of the 9:30 service, then celebrate with them and offer your congratulations at an outdoor reception following.
CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR
JEAN ELIZABETH (LYON) WOOD
SATURDAY, MAY 22nd
Daughters, Laura Wood and Nancy Fields, invite Church of the Messiah members and friends to join them in celebrating the life of their mother, Jean Elizabeth (Lyon) Wood, on Saturday, May 22,,2021, following her death at age 95 on April 4, 2021. The family will receive friends at the church from 12:00-1:00pm, with a Communion service to begin at 1:00pm. Burial at Messiah will be private.
Jean was married for nearly 60 years to her husband, Frank Wood, who preceded her in death in 2009. Her family expresses gratitude for the loving ministry their parents experienced through their church friendships over the past 16 years.
SAVE THE DATE - JUNE 13th
The Annual Parish Meeting, normally held on the first Sunday in May, has been postponed this year. The new date is Sunday, June 13th. As is the custom here at Messiah, the meeting will take place in the midst of the 9:30am Eucharist, and will feature presentations by the Rector on the highlights of the past year and proposed events planned for the year ahead, financial data from the Treasurer, and information from the Wardens on important developments for the parish. We will also honor Vestry retirements and approve a new class of Vestry members for three-year terms. Please plan to attend.
A NOTE FROM SUE PHILLIPS
The following was received in the church office,
addressed to the members of Messiah:
Dear Friends at Church of the Messiah:
I would like to thank everyone very much for the amazing goodbye party you hosted for me this past Sunday! It is indicative of the wonderful, warm fellowship and community there. I very much miss everyone and I wish Messiah great success in these times following the miserable time of pandemic from which we are just beginning to emerge.
I would like to thank you so much for the generous cash gift, which will be put to great use. It's going to help fund our putting a picket fence around our yard to keep our 16-month-old granddaughter from running into the street - which seems to be her greatest desire the minute we open the front door! It's something we didn't feel we could afford and your gift made it possible.
And thank you so much for the generous gift certificate to Maggiano's. It's been over a year since we have eaten out anywhere. What a wonderful treat that will be for our whole extended family to join together for a fabulous meal.
Messiah is such a wonderful, generous community and I wish you all the best in the months to come.
Yours most sincerely,
Sue
UPCOMING YOM EVENTS
Cemetery Clean-Up & American Flag Renewal
Come out and join us on Saturday morning, May 22nd, from 9:00-12:00noon, when we will be cleaning up the Messiah cemetery, doing some landscaping, and replacing the worn American flags on veterans' graves in advance of Memorial Day. Pizza and refreshments will be reward for all our hard work!
2021 Mission Trip: Local Ministry Week
We are excited to announce our Summer 2021 Mission Trip! This year our week of service will look a bit different. Our group will be working together for several consecutive weekdays during the week of June 21-25. We are coordinating with several different organizations and outreach programs in Philadelphia and Montgomery County, and our group will be volunteering at different locations each day. During a typical year we would be traveling out of state or out of the country, and we would usually be sharing some tight living arrangements with groups from other states. Although we are not travelling far this year, we recognize that there are many needs within our own community and those surrounding us nearby. This past year has brought a lot of challenges, not just financially but also emotionally and spiritually. We hope that throughout this week of service our ministry group can bring healing, love and hope to the people in our communities.
Dates: Monday, June 21st - Friday, June 25th
Who Can Go: Any Youth entering 7th - 12th grade who are currently in our YOM program or will be entering into the YOM program in the coming year. If any youth have friends who are interested in this great experience, we are always open to allowing our ministry to grow!
How Much Will The Trip Cost: The total amount for our week of service will be $100. This will help cover our costs for transportation, materials for some of our volunteer sites, evening meals, and our Friday activities. Some of the expenses are already being covered by our youth fund.
How To Sign Up: Please fill out a Mission Trip Sign Up form and turn it in along with $100 to reserve your space! If you have any friends who may be interested, please have them contact us so that we may provide information on the trip and answer any questions.
We hope you decide to join us for this unique ministry opportunity!
If you have any questions about signing up or our trip in general,
please contact Dave Reichley at:
dareichley@gmail.com or 267-664-2276
FORWARD DAY BY DAY
Copies of the next edition of this popular devotional for the coming quarter (May, June, July) have arrived and are available to be picked up in the narthex. Copies are free. If you are unable to pick one up in person, please contact the church office and one will be mailed to you.
SEEKING VESTRY NOMINEES
Each year, at the Annual Parish Meeting, held on the first Sunday in May, four parish members are selected to fill three-year terms on the Messiah Vestry. If you are interested in serving, or if you have someone you wish to be considered, please contact a member of the Nominating Committee: Vicky Fogel, Susan Miller, Charles Sudlow.
MULTIPLE WAYS TO JOIN US FOR SUNDAY WORSHIP
Thanks to the wonders of modern technology and the hard work of several parishioners, we are able to offer a variety of ways to participate in Sunday services:
IN-PERSON – COVID precautions strictly observed
LIVE-STREAMED - the service will be broadcast on YouTube – follow the link posted on the church website (messiahgwynedd.org)
BY PHONE – for those without computer access, dial 609-663-5164 to listen to an audio-only option on your phone
WEBSITE – at the close of the service, a video will be posted to the parish website (messiahgwynedd.org) for viewing at a time convenient for you
ON THE WEBSITE
Check the website each weekend for the video of the Sunday service. And make it interactive by checking out the service bulletin with all the responses, lessons, and weekly updates and information. A copy of the Sunday sermon is also available.
IN CASE OF A PASTORAL EMERGENCY AFTER HOURS
Should you have an urgent need to contact the Rector outside of Church Office hours, please use his cell phone: 215-692-2667.
CREATIVE ANGELS
NOTE: Barbara Stevenson continues to need recipes and craft ideas to pass along to the parish through the weekly email messages. You can send your submissions to Barbara at bebstevenson@yahoo.com.
With warmer weather, our thoughts turn to summer activities: outdoor gatherings with family and friends, burgers and hotdogs on the grill, ballgames, bocce, croquet. And backyard gardens and farmers markets with their abundance of locally-grown fruits and vegetables. This simple recipe is provided by the Rector. With its fresh, simple ingredients, it is perfect for a backyard picnic, or a great complement to take to a pitch-in barbecue. Enjoy!!!
FRESH CORN & TOMATO CASSEROLE (serves 6, easily doubled)
4 slices thick-cut bacon
8 ears fresh corn
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp salt
1 pound grape tomatoes, cut in half
optional: green onions, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until crisp; drain. Chop bacon and set aside.
Cut corn from cobs. There should be about 4-5 cups of corn kernels. Melt butter in same skillet as bacon was cooked in. Add the corn and cook about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stir in the chopped bacon and salt; remove from heat.
Using 1/3 of the corn mixture, spread a layer in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish; then layer with 1/3 of tomatoes. Repeat layers twice, ending with tomatoes. Top with green onions.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until corn is tender.
