The pastor reflects on discerning when to say "yes" and when to say "no" to commitments based on their experience recruiting confirmation mentors. While initially disappointed by receiving "no's", the pastor came to see the "no's" as part of a larger "yes" to community as people's responses revealed thoughtful discernment. The pastor was then inspired to restructure the mentoring program to foster community over individual pairings. Saying "yes" and "no" requires discernment with God and others about honoring one's self and priorities.
1. Having recently preached about the art of “making an ask,” it is perhaps not
surprising that my recent reflections have been on the Christian practice of
saying “yes” and saying “no.” Being in the position of recruiting confirmation
mentors has given me ample opportunity to reflect on the “yes’s” and “no’s” I
have received.
In her book, An Altar in the World, Barbara Brown Taylor muses
on how seductive the “yes” is. It’s an optimistic word, signaling the
beginning of something new. Progress depends on it.
It is how we step forward into the future. But “yes” has a shadow side, too. We
can say “yes” to something or someone out of a deep sense of God’s call or we
can say “yes” because we are people pleasers or workaholics or because it feels
good to feel needed or to feel chosen. Some people might feel obligated to the
person making “the ask,” or we want them to like us. We could be avoiding
another commitment or a feeling we’d like to keep tamped down. Others even
could say “yes” because we do not honor ourselves enough to pay attention to
the things that truly give us life, that connect us to God and to one another.
Likewise, we might say “no” because we do not think we are worthy or
capable of doing what is asked. We might be afraid. Perhaps, we have given the
wrong things priority in our lives. But we can also say no because we have done
the hard work of discernment and said “yes” to other things which are important
to us, which God has called us to do and/or which give us life. Such activities
include caring for a sick friend or relative, being present to our own families,
singing in the choir, teaching Sunday School, campaigning for public office, or
choosing work that is meaningful but demanding.
Once I got past my initial disappointment of “no,” I was moved by the
diverse, but often prayerful and gracious ways that people approached their
discernment. While it affirmed my initial thinking that they would make good
mentors, it also challenged me to listen for the ways that a “no” might be about
more than juggling commitments and checking calendars. A funny thing
happened. The more “no’s” I got, the more I wondered if God might be nudging
us to consider a different approach to mentoring. Rather than insisting that each
adult be paired with a specific young person, what would it be like to create
space and time for the youth to get to know several adults and vice versa? The
adults might feel less pressure to have all the answers, and the youth might be
more likely to find someone they especially admired or connected with. Thus,
everyone would benefit from the shared wisdom of the group. By our structure,
we would be reinforcing the idea that choosing to be part of the Body of Christ
Pastor’s Reflections
The
TidingsOctober 2010
Good news from
Pastor’s Reflections...1
Ask the Pastor............2
Urban Witness Update.3
Choir to Present
Fauré Requiem During
All Saints Sunday.......4
A Minus in the
Asset Column.............4
New Staff Member
Hired..........................4
Greetings from
Mbengwi, Cameroon....5
Dakota Pre-school
Learning Camps Receive
Doll House Gift..........5
October Responsibility
Schedule...................... 6
October Birthdays......6
Pardon Our Dust........7
WN@B and Handbell
Reminders..................7
October 2010
at BMPA......................8
In this Issue
By Rev. Emily Rose Proctor
emily@browndowntown.org
continued on page 3
2. Page 2 The Tidings October 2010
Ask the Pastor
Q: “What exactly does it mean to be blessed or for
something to be a blessing?”
A: A “blessing” is something that is imbued with
holiness. Like so much of Christian theology and practice,
blessing originates with Judaism. A “berakhah” (blessing)
is a word used in formal liturgies to acknowledge God as
the source of all that is good. So, for
example, most Hebrew blessings begin with
the formula, Berakhah Adonai Eloheinu,
melekh ha-olam. “Blessed are you Lord God,
King of the Universe.” If you ever have an opportunity to
worship with Jewish friends at Shabbat services or even
in someone’s home, you are likely to hear this address as
part of some formal blessing. Several Biblical characters
are named Baruch, most notably the right-hand advisor to
Jeremiah. (In case you were wondering, the “Barack” in
Obama’s name is from a different Semitic root, meaning
“lightening” or “shine.”)
Christianity has adopted “blessing” in many forms. In
some high liturgical churches (Orthodox, Roman Catholic,
etc.), a “blessing” is something bestowed by a priest who
can operate as an emissary of or intermediary to God.
Objects are “blessed” by a priest, sometimes with the
assistance of other objects such as a “blessing cross,” a
candle, or in the case of a bishop, a crozier
(shepherd’s crook).
During the Reformation, many Protestants, including
ancestors of Presbyterians, raised serious objections to the
role of a priestly class. The central concerns of many
Reformed Christians seemed to be the temptation to
idolatry – worshiping something other than God and the
role of a human being as intermediary, which in some
Protestant views was a role reserved solely for Jesus Christ.
While I have not seen specific information on the concept
of “blessing” in relationship to this concern, I suspect that
Reformers objected to the priestly practice of blessing on at
least a couple of grounds:
1. human beings do not have the power to imbue anything
with holiness (God does.)
2. objects deemed “holy” can quickly turn to idols –
misplaced objects of our devotion
The concept of blessing – thoroughly rooted in scripture
– was retained, but care was taken to make sure that the
agent of blessing was God, rather than human beings. So,
for example, the Westminster Catechism interprets “Give
us this day our daily bread” to mean that “we pray that, of
God’s free gift, we may receive a competent portion of the
good things of this life, and enjoy his [sic] blessing with
them” (7.104). For this reason, Presbyterians do not often
“bless” objects. I distinctly remember one Ash Wednesday
service at Corpus Christi when Father Rich casually asked
if I would “bless the ashes” to which I likely responded,
“Sure, but you are going to have to show me how to do it.”
To the extent that we “bless the food” or “offer a
blessing” we do so either as acknowledgement of the
goodness that is already there (i.e. “You have blessed us
with your grace,” or as a request (i.e. “Bless this food to the
nourishment of our bodies.”) It is important to remember
that churches with priests would object to the
characterization of their practices as somehow usurping the
power of God. They would acknowledge the source of all
blessing, just as we would, so differences in this area are
open to reconsideration.
With these objections duly noted, the Reformed faith is
careful not to argue that human beings are incapable of
acting as conduits for God’s blessing. The Brief Statement
of Faith says: “In everlasting love, the God of Abraham and
Sarah chose a covenant people to bless all families of the
earth.” (10.3) Likewise, at the end of each worship service
the presiding minister in our congregation offers a
“blessing” or “benediction” (from the Latin: “well” +
“speak”). The minister’s blessing is not a claim to convey
holiness, but an assurance to the people that God has
already blessed us to be disciples.
Back to the original question, it is not uncommon around
Baltimore to hear this exchange:
“How are you today?”
“I’m blessed, how are you?”
Or getting off the phone,
“Have a blessed day.”
To me, these greetings are simply ways of saying, “I’m
doing well because God is in my life” or “God has given
me so much to be thankful for” or “I hope that you might
experience the goodness of God this day.” I have found
these conversations to be more deeply rooted in
African-American culture, where faith talk is not quite as
taboo as it has become for many other parts of our society.
It brings into view the many ways that we experience God’s
grace in our daily living.
* “Ask the Pastor” is a new feature of The Tidings. You
may submit a liturgical or scriptural question to be
answered by one of the Pastors to Ellen Carter Cooper at
edccooper58@hotmail.com. The deadline for questions is
the 15th of every month.
?
By Rev. Andrew Foster Connors
andrew@browndowntown.org
3. October 2010 The Tidings Page 3
The Urban Witness Committee has been working
closely with BUILD and Maryland IAF to develop an
agenda for this year’s political season focused on
holding candidates accountable for supporting adequate
education funding, holding banks accountable for
interest rates on credit cards and building a strong jobs
strategy for Maryland. There will be several activities
during the month of October that we hope BMPA
members will participate in and let their voices
be heard.
BUILD and Maryland IAF want to hold the
Gubernatorial Candidates Gov. Martin O’Malley and
former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., to supporting the
following non-partisan agenda items:
• Create a job strategy that puts Marylanders back
to work by calling for federal support for public
works jobs.
• Ensure quality education for Maryland’s children
to prepare them for jobs in the future. Maintain
current levels of state funding for education and
invest a minimum of $250 million each year for
school construction. Ensure all residents, including
immigrant students who graduate from Maryland
high schools, have equal tuition rates to Maryland’s
universities and colleges.
• Hold banks accountable for charging 10%
interest on credit cards. If not, move state funds
out of usurious banks to state chartered community
banks to create more jobs. Maryland’s usury rate
is currently 24%. This means that banks chartered
in the state of Maryland cannot charge interest
rates higher than 24%. Unfortunately, this means
that most major banking institutions incorporate
in states like Delaware that have either high or no
interest rate caps. From the faith perspective, limits
on interest rates have been around since
Hammurabi’s Code. The Reformed Tradition has
been very strong in arguing that unregulated inter-
est rates are a great moral concern in that they
promote a never-ending cycle of poverty. BUILD
has worked with Del. Bill Frick (Montgomery
County) to introduce a bill that would require banks
doing business with public funds to abide by the
state’s usury law or risk losing public dollars.
• Support the creation of a non-profit health care
cooperative that will help fill in the gaps of federal
health care plan to help keep Marylanders working.
The Urban Witness Committee will be working on
several activities to support this agenda. We will be
signing up voters from BMPA to support the agenda.
Our goal is 500 signatures. We urge you to see the
Urban Witness Committee’s information tables after
church, to sign the Non-Partisan Voter Pledge, and
learn more about BUILD’s agenda.
Also, please save the date of Thursday, October 14 at
7:30 pm for BUILD and Maryland IAF’s Non-Partisan
Accountability Assembly, being held at Resurrection
Catholic Church; 3315 Greencastle Road;
Burtonsville, Maryland 20866. Hopefully, this
assembly will be attended by both Gubernatorial
Candidates Gov. Martin O’Malley and former
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. We will concentrate on
holding them accountable to supporting BUILD and
Maryland IAF’s agenda of supporting adequate
education funding, holding banks accountable for
interest rates on credit cards, and building a strong jobs
strategy for Maryland. The Urban Witness Committee
will have additional details as the event approaches.
Stay tuned for details for community walks to Get out
the Vote. We’ve done this in the past and it has been a
great community building experience. It is a way
to connect with people who live around us to, hear what
is on their mind, and to share what we are
working towards.
By David Miller
Urban Witness Update
Pastor’s Reflections
means choosing to be part of a community.
Suddenly, all the “no’s” began to sound together like
a bigger “yes.” By the time I had my fifth mentor, I was
convinced that God was at work, not only in providing
the right people for this year, but also in shaping the
larger process.
Saying “yes” and saying “no,” also known as
discernment or stewardship, is not an easy thing. I have
been the most impressed with the way that the Iona
Community in Scotland approaches it. They affirm, as
Jesus did, that as part of the Body of Christ, we do our
best discernment in conversation with one another and
with God. Their community has committed to a
structure and disciplines to encourage this, such as
daily prayer and reading the Bible, regular meeting
together, and mutual sharing and accountability for the
use of time and money in small groups. I am looking
forward especially to exploring together how to
discern what to say “yes” and “no” to in terms of our
time and money at Wednesday Nights at Brown
October 20 to November 10. I hope you will join us, but
if your answer is “no,” I will trust that God is working
in that too.
continued from page 1
4. Page 4 The Tidings October 2010
When Mary Mahony “retired” as Brown Memorial’s
financial secretary, we lost a valuable asset. At the service
marking her “retirement,” it was revealed that she just showed
up and started working. Actually, Barbara Ferguson, the
previous bookkeeper from 1980 to 2001, recommended that she
fill the position. Since Mary prepared the tax returns of Roger
Gench, he vouched for her. Jim Shuman, who was the clerk of
Session approved, also. Nothing more needed to be said.
For ten years Mary worked part-time at Brown Memorial.
She kept our books, arranged our budgets, tracked income and
expenditures, and handled some of our personnel paperwork.
According to Mary, she worried as much about the church’s
finances as she was concerned about her own.
Beckley, West Virginia, the coal mining capital of the
country, is where Mary entered this world. Beckley is the home
for the coal mining school, a ski resort, and whitewater rafting
galore. Mary has lived in Baltimore since her family moved
here when she was 14. Except for a period when her husband
was transferred to Des Moines, Iowa, this talented lady has
lived in the Baltimore area.
When Brick Bodies Fitness Centers first opened, Mary set
up their bookkeeping system. She was a co-partner in a
painting and wallpapering business, also. It was not necessary
to hire a crowd of people to do the work. Mary did the painting
and wallpapering herself! After working for several years at a
local accounting firm, she officially retired before arriving
at BMPA.
Sewing is one activity that will occupy Mary’s time now.
She owns two embroidery machines which enable her to
engage in another talent, heirloom sewing. Recently, she
completed an heirloom christening dress. Her current project
is making heirloom pillow cases. In addition to these
activities, she will spend time with her husband, Paul, her
children, and grandchildren.
Maintaining the books of Brown Memorial is not a simple
task, so Mary will assist in transitioning the task to her
successor. She says that, “Brown Memorial is the nicest place
to work and the hardest place to retire from.” Mary believes
that BMPA “is a family” and she couldn’t leave earlier because
of her love for the people.
From her vantage point as an employee of the church, Mary
has been in an excellent position to view Brown Memorial
objectively. She stated that during her tenure membership has
expanded every year. “Brown Memorial is growing so fast”,
and “It is amazing that [Brown Memorial’s] members
volunteer so much of their time,” she observed. Mary will
miss us and we will miss her!
A Minus in the Asset Column
By Ellen Carter Cooper
New Staff Member
Hired
We welcome to the staff Sharon Lucas, our new
financial administrator. She and her husband, Dave, live just
around the corner from the church with their two children,
Jake and Julianna. Sharon was looking for part-time
employment with an organization making a positive impact on
the community. We are pleased that her hopes aligned with our
church’s mission. Sharon’s references had glowing things to say
about her – “If I had an opening here, I’d hire her in a second;”
“Sharon is not the loudest person in a meeting, but when she
speaks, others quiet down to listen;” “I cannot think of a better
person to fill this position.”
In addition to the requisite skills, Sharon possesses the kind
of integrity and respect for confidentiality that a church needs
from someone in this position. Sharon’s arrival posed one
immediate challenge for the staff – two Sharons in one office!
She plans to work three days a week – Tuesday, Wednesday,
and Thursday. You can reach her by phone or email,
slucas@browndowntown.org
Choir to Present Fauré Requiem
During All Saints Sunday
In commemoration of All Saints Day, on Sunday, October
31st, during the morning service of worship, Joseph Kneer will
lead the Chancel Choir in the presentation of Gabriel Faure’s
Requiem with Lydia Beasley and Christian Waugh as vocal
soloists, and John Walker as organist.
Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) said that he saw
death “as a happy deliverance, an aspiration
towards the happiness of the hereafter, rather
than as a painful passing away”. Describing the
Requiem, he wrote: “altogether it is as GENTLE as I am myself!”
For this reason, Fauré’s setting is remarkably subdued, omitting
conventional texts of wrath, and adding the Pie Jesu (Blessed
Jesus) and In Paradisum (In Paradise) texts, emphasizing the
granting of eternal rest. This latter section closes the Requiem
with sublime and intimate assurance of God’s eternal protection.
As choirmaster at the Madeleine Church in Paris for twenty
years, Fauré well understood the role of music in worship. He first
presented his Requiem as part of a liturgical service in 1888. This
composition continues to speak to the heart and soul of the wor-
shipper today through its profound combination of text and music.
At the conclusion of the requiem, the congregation will be
invited to light candles in silent prayer for all the saints.
Source: http://members.macconnect.com/users/j/ jimbob/
classical/Faure_Requiem.html.
By John Walker, Minister of Music
john@browndowntown.org
5. Greetings from Mbengwi, Cameroon
August 2010
“Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
from the congregation of the Mbengwi Presbyterian Church
and the Mbengwi Presbyterian Schools.”
– Rev. Christina Tantoh, Mbengwi Presbyterian Church
The Mary Daniels Taylor Fund Committee received a report
from the Partnership Committee that reflects all
of the activities of the Mbengwi Nursery School
and the Mbengwi Primary School. A couple of
highlights are listed below.
• The nursery school is growing. This year the
school had 62 children in attendance, 2 teachers and
1 assistant. Student teachers from the Presbyterian
Teachers Training College assisted during their student
teaching days. The children participated in many of the
church activities as well as their own instructional program.
On November 9, 2009, they participated in the Presbyterian
Church Day celebration and recited a Bible verse in front
of more than 2000 people. They also helped to celebrate
National Youth Day on February 11th (celebrated all over
Cameroon) by participating in several sports events with
6 nursery schools and they proudly placed first in two of
five events. The Mary Daniels Taylor Fund helped
to sponsor the 62 children with scholarships, new
materials and merry-go-round play equipment.
• A successful year was had by the primary school, also.
There were 163 students in attendance with
6 teachers. The students of the primary school
completed their studies and wrote their end of the year
exams. Those in the 6th level wrote the government
exams for either higher education or for entrance into
a technical program. The Mary Daniels Taylor Fund
also provided funds for scholarships to help pay school
tuition for 35 students. The criterion used for
receiving funding is for “those most in need” as well
as any children who have been orphaned. Additionally,
funds that we sent paid for teacher training sessions and
the purchase of materials and new books.
We were pleased to have received many pictures. They
will be displayed in the assembly room after October 1st.
The pictures were taken with the camera that we sent and
show the activities of Palm Sunday and the progress of
the building of the church and new primary school. We
look forward to a continued relationship with the people
of Mbengwi. If you are interested in joining this project,
please contact Julie Hanks, chairperson.
Dakota Pre-school Learning Camps
Receive Doll House Gift
Chrystie Adams, Whisper, Peyton and Tiona enjoyed a special time playing with the Doll House designed and built by
Court Robinson. The children really enjoyed this wonderful new toy, and many hours were spent playing with the new
house and beautifully made furniture. Little dolls were added and families created. It was and will continue to be a
blessing to the Preschool Camp. THANK YOU to Court Robinson. Photos courtesy of Julie Hanks.
October 2010 The Tidings Page 5
6. Page 6 The Tidings October 2010
If you have a conflict with this schedule – please call others on
the list to make a swap. Then inform the church office of these
changes at 410-523-1542 or sharon@browndowntown.org.
Acolytes
3rd Aaron & Adam McNabney
10th Annika Brockman & Eva McNabney
17th Anna Connors & Julia Luljak
24th Katie Egan & Annie Schindler
31st Warner Brockman & Peter Luljak
Audio Engineer
3rd Don Peeples
10th Bud Graves
17th Adrienne Williams
24th Brantley Davis
31st Bud Graves
Children’s Church Volunteer
3rd Ken Mills & Elena Kirkpatrick
10th Grace Peng & Mehran Armand
17th Elizabeth & Charles Reichelt
24th Rachel & Daryl Smith
31st Jim & Theresa Veatch
Coffee Hour Hosts
3rd T.B.D.
10th T.B.D.
17th T.B.D.
24th T.B.D.
31st Jason & Michelle Setty
Communion Preparation
3rd T.B.D.
Communion Servers
3rd Luke Clippinger
Gareth Imparato
Monica Rakowski
Henry Taylor
John Warmath
Greeters
3rd Tom Hall & Linell Smith
10th Tom & Micheline McManus
17th Rob & Susan English
24th Wendy & Chip Davis
31st Larry & June Fletcher-Hill
Liturgist
3rd Nannette Mitchell
10th Page Campbell
17th Martha Bishai
24th Brantley Davis
31st W. Court Robinson
Offertory Counters
Ken Mills & Andy Ross
Ushers
Sarah Buikema, Charlie Obrecht, Peggy Obrecht,
& David Rollison
October Responsibility Schedule
11 a.m. Worship Service
October Birthdays
10/01 Brantley Davis
10/03 Bill Wilson
10/07 Katie Artes
10/07 Violet Noel Schanbacher
10/08 Chris Saudek
10/09 Bill Bishai
10/10 Tom Maser
10/11 Will Fletcher-Hill
10/12 Gayle Barney
10/12 Darin Crew
10/14 Anne Holland
10/17 Cal Jackson
10/18 Paul Dagdigian
10/19 Hedley Abernethy
10/20 Hannah Loring-Davis
10/21 Julia Christen Luljak
10/21 Peter Christen Luljak
10/21 Matt McNabney
10/23 Paul Fletcher-Hill
10/24 Yani Robinson
10/24 Caitlin Schneider
10/27 James Logan
10/28 Mary Peeples
10/31 Julie Hanks
Note: If you wish to have your birthday listed in The
Tidings, please contact Sharon Holley, church secretary, at
410-523-1542, or via e-mail at Sharon@browndowntown.org.
7. October 2010 The Tidings Page 7
Published monthly for members and friends of Brown
Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church by the
Membership Committee. Andrew Foster Connors, Pastor.
Emily Rose Martin, Associate Pastor. 1316 Park Avenue,
Baltimore, MD 21217. 410.523.1542.
www.browndowntown.org. Send contributions by
the 15th of each month to Ellen Carter Cooper, editor
(edccooper58@hotmail.com) or to Sharon Holley,
church secrectary (sharon@browndowntown.org).
Good news from
The
Tidings
Go GREEN with your copy of THE TIDINGS!
Now that our new website is complete and we have a direct
link to the most recent Tidings publication help us go
GREEN by receiving your copy online. Receiving email
notification of when the latest Tidings is available for
reading will help us cut down on the environmental and
financial costs of printing and mailing paper copies. If you
would like to receive e-mail notification of when the latest
Tidings is available, please send Sharon Holley an email at
sharon@browndowntown.org. She will need your name
and email address. Also, check our website
directly for updates at www.browndowntown.org/index.
php?s=newsletter to download the latest Tidings. Thanks
for helping us to be better stewards of God’s
magnificent creation.
Take Note
Pardon Our Dust...
At the insistence of our insurance company, Brown
Memorial has begun an upgrade of our emergency
exit lighting. The project will bring much needed
modernization to our buildings and better prepare us
to handle potential emergencies. For the first time
we will have proper exit lighting in the sanctuary
and all exit signs will be updated to LED models.
The work will be split into two phases, with the
sanctuary building getting upgrades first, then the
church house. In the sanctuary, our longtime
contractor, Miller Electric, will install 11 emergency
lighting and lit exit signs that will be wired into the
building’s electrical system. The cost for the first
phase is $6,870. The second phase, in which similar
upgrades will be made to the Church House, will
cost $4,100.
On a separate note, Marathon Roofing is nearing
completion of our roofing repairs. This spring the
repairs to the sanctuary roof were finished. The
repairs included the planned installation of more
than 250 feet of copper gutter and skirting around
the perimeter of the roof and replacement of more
than 450 slate tiles. Upon removal of the slates it was
discovered that some roof decking needed to be
replaced and a portion of a cornice needed to be
repaired. In addition, roughly $60,000 in repairs
was required because of damage from February’s
snow. During the summer the flat roof portion of
the Church House roof was replaced. In the next few
weeks Marathon will repair skirting and
gutters around the slate portion of the Church House
roof and replace the copper roofing over the Bride’s
Room. The total cost of all these repairs is just
under $200,000.
By Bill McConnell,
Chair of the Trustees
Don’t Forget!
WN@BWednesdays
5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
and
Handbell Ringers
Needed for Handbell Choir!