Pastor’s Pen

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” 

― Søren Kierkegaard

We are coming to the end of the summer and the beginning of the fall. The end of things is an excellent time to look back and reflect.  One way that people of faith do reflection is through the spiritual practice of “examen.” The most popular form of an examine is the Ignatiun Examen, but back in January, Cathy Peterson introduced me and the Session to another examen from the book “Seven Sacred Pauses” by Macrina Wiederkehr. Over the course of the next three weeks, I encourage you to consider some questions from this examen as the summer draws to a close:

Have I been a good memory in anyone’s summer this year?
Have the ears of my heart opened to the voice of God?
Have the ears of my heart opened to the needs of my siblings?
What do I know, but live as though I do not know?
Have I shut myself off to the blessings of this summer?
Is there anyone, including myself, whom I need to forgive?
When did I experience my heart opening wide this summer?
What is the one thing in my life that is standing on tiptoe crying,
“May I have your attention please?” What needs my attention?

Not only is it important for us to do this sort of reflection as individuals, but it is important for us to share these reflections in community.  Over the course of the next three weeks, the Worship and Stewardship Ministry (with the help of three wonderful lay preachers), will be leading worship that reflects on the question: How has my faith grown this summer? Worship for these three weeks will take place over ZOOM, and there will be space for you to share your reflections with one another.

While you reflect, I will also be taking some time away for reflection and rest. The first week I am away I will be doing some continuing education through the Presbyterian Board of Pensions and then I will be traveling to Michigan and Indiana for some backpacking and my brother’s wedding. While I am away, if you have a pastoral need, you can reach out to your deacon or elder or Lucy. I have also set up pastoral coverage with Rev. Laura Steele & Rev. William Stell, and Lucy will contact them as needed. In the event that there is a major emergency, Lucy will be able to get in contact with me.

As I look forward to this time and reflect on this summer both with and apart from you the words of a prayer of blessing (also written by Macrina Wiederkehr) come to mind:

“May you breathe in the beauty of summer with it’s power of transformation. May this beauty permeate all that feels unbeautiful in you.

May the God of summer give us beauty.

May you seek and find spaces of repose during these summer months [now weeks]. May these moments refresh and restore the tired places within you.

May the God of summer give us rest.

 May you feel the energy of summer rains penetrating thirsty gardens, golf courses, lawns, and farmlands. May these rains remind you that your inner thirst needs quenching. May our inner self be refreshed, restored, and renewed.

May the God of summer give us what we need for healing.”

(Excerpted from Joyce Rupp & Macrina Widerkehr’s The Circle of Life)

 As you examine and reflect on this summer, may God give you the beauty, rest, and healing needed to continue on our journey together this fall.

Prayerfully yours,

Pastor Melissa

Ministry Changes Name & Charge

On July 29, Session voted to change the name and charge of what was formally known as the “Community Engagement and Mission Ministry.” This came at the request of those on the the ministry. Here is a portion of the letter they submitted:

Formerly known as Outreach, or Community Engagement and Mission, this ministry of HPC is now seeks to work as “Engaging in Justice and Service” (EJS).

In thinking about the name, current team members wanted an action concept that avoids misconceptions...

More than just a new name, we hope Engaging in Justice and Service says exactly what this ministry hopes to be and do, expressed in action terms.

• Engaging means action that’s happening and continuing.

• Justice means choosing and promoting ways of treating all human beings as equally valued by God and amongst ourselves, per the teachings of Jesus.

• Service means finding needs and seeking to respond in love by caring, donating, giving, going, helping, listening, reaching out, spending time, stepping outside our comfort zones, maybe even washing feet.

As we seek to lead the church family in a rainbow arc of these actions, EJS wants to use three tools. First, we want to Educate about HPC’s calling to engage with the world this way, about the needs we find, and about organizations and projects (missions) in which we can participate. Second, we want to Communicate regularly with you, the church family. Third, we want to suggest and organize Opportunities for us all to engage in active justice and service…

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne Tonkin - Chair
Liz Blankstein
Molly Peterson
Martha Camp

In reflecting on this change, Liz shares, “Justice and service are central parts to the Christian life. As we seek to do justice in todays world it encompasses a lot of things, from issues related to hunger and housing and wage and privilege. As a part of this ministry I’m really looking moving to these conversations forward with the church.”

Adding Outdoor Worship

It’s been several months since we’ve worshipped in-person at Hopewell Presbyterian Church, and we can’t wait to be all together physically again for Sunday services. As we think about what it is that God is calling us to do, the leadership of the church (staff & Session) continue to explore new opportunities as we remain on this challenging journey together.

At every step of the way,  the Session has worked hard to make decisions that will allow us to follow Jesus’ commands as we find them in Mark 12:30-31, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ and... ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’“ This means continuing to care for the health of our community, the health of one another, and the health of our individual selves. 

Virtual Gathering: With this in mind, we are working hard to provide a quality virtual space for all worshipers. And we are committed to doing so for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Each week, we will continue to share a link to this gathering through our website at hopewellpres.org/worship and in the emails of those who have signed up to receive our worship emails. (Additionally, the sermon will be posted after the gathering.)

Outdoor Gathering: On top of that, for the next two Sundays (August 9 & 16) we are going to test out launching hybrid worship—which means having BOTH our regular virtual gathering and an outdoor in-person gathering. (At the same time that we have been preparing the sanctuary, we have also been acquiring equipment that will help us in any space—indoor or outdoor.) The following is a little bit more information about these outdoor gatherings, including a covenant of conduct for those who choose to attend.

Where: To more comfortably accommodate people (and to provide for live music!), Charlie Ashton, our Minister of Music, has offered to host this in his side yard. Charlie & Demi write, “We are excited to have HPC worship in our side lawn this Sunday!  Thank you in advance for following the guidelines listed below that have been developed by our Staff and Session.”

Ashton Side Yard
123 W. Broad Street
Hopewell, NJ 08525

When: August 8 & 16, 2020 (depending on the weather) at 10:30AM. The rain plan will be to gather virtually as we have in previous weeks. Should this be the case, you will be notified at 8:30 AM, Sunday morning in the worship email. (So, please stay in the habit of checking that email!)

How: The team which has been planning for these services has developed the following Covenant for Conduct & Communication at Outdoor Services. This provides a list of what we hope are clear and reasonable expectations and practices.  They are designed to maintain the safest possible environment while providing the opportunity for an in-person gathering as a part of our worship.

All those attending outdoor worship undertake:

• To bring and wear a face mask at all times. For those who have forgotten, masks will be available.

• To bring your own chairs or blankets (and umbrellas, bug spray, water, and sunscreen if desired).

• To complete a morning self check (see below) and only attend outdoor worship if you are feeling well, have not been sick in the last 14 days, do not have underlying medical conditions that put you at greater risk from potential exposure to the virus, or are not in quarantine as a result of returning from a state on the New Jersey Travel Advisory list. Older adults remain at increased risk.

Self Check Questions:

Q. Am I (or anyone in my household) feeling sick? A little unwell?  Or even a little uneasy?

A. If you respond to any of these with “yes” or “maybe,” we invite you to gather using ZOOM.

Q. In the past two weeks (14 days) have I had: a fever? any respiratory or flu-like illness? any GI symptoms (nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea)? any loss of tase or smell? tested positive or had contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19?

A. If you respond to any of these with “yes” or “maybe,” we invite you to gather using ZOOM.

• To park along W. Broad Street, to respect any parking spaces set aside for those with mobility issues, and to arrive early enough to park, walk up, and be ushered to your “spot” on the lawn before 10:30AM.

• To use the single clearly indicated entry and exit point and to provide name and contact information to the greeter upon entry.

• To observe six-foot physical distancing at all times.

• To follow the directions of greeters/ushers and worship leaders and to stay on the driveway or side lawn (not crossing over to the part of the property by the house. 

• To sit at the locations marked with flags. The greeter will direct the worshiper to meet an usher who will then escort the worshiper to their location, which will be denoted by a flag for appropriate physical distancing. 

• To seek assistance and follow the guidance from greeters/ushers when needed (e.g. if wishing to change location, leave the service etc.)

• To use the bathrooms at the church (five minutes’ walk).  (You will see a Porta-Potty on the property, but it is reserved for the current quarantine of members of the Ashton family.)

• When the service is concluded, to follow the directions of the ushers and maintain physical distancing.

• To take out everything brought in.

• To be patient with us as we try something new!

What: In an effort to accommodate the physical needs of as many people as possible, the outdoor portion worship services for the next two weeks will last between 30-40 minutes and will include musical performances, Bible reading, preaching, and prayers. (The virtual gathering will happen at the same time and include some additional opportunities for reflection.)

Cards & Greetings Needed

Suzanne S. (our deacon in charge of card writing efforts) reached out to our contact at one of the institutions we’ve been sending cards. And they would love more! In her conversation she learned just how much the residents have enjoyed receiving cards from us. They have particularly loved the cards with some sort of personal message, uplifting quotes/pomes or creative activity (some have included DIY coloring pages and even Madlibs in these cards).

Tips for writing cards when you don’t know your recipient: 

1. Introduce yourself! Say your name and/or how you learned about this opportunity to write cards. Maybe something like: “I’m Anne. I go to game night at Hopewell Presbyterian, and I wanted to share with you something that brought me hope today....” [NOTE: Because we don’t know exactly who is receiving these cards, we do not recommend giving personal details for safety reasons.  If you would like to put a “return address” you are welcome to use Hopewell Presbyterian Church’s. If we receive any correspondence back, we will notify you.]

2. Find a way to make your card fun and unique! For some of you this might mean making your own card, for others this might mean including a poem or saying or prayer that you find hopeful.

How to get cards from Point A to Point B!

Drop your cards off at Hopewell Presbyterian Church (office entrance off of Louellen Street), and we will post the cards in large batches so they can be widely distributed. Card pick-up usually happens each Thursday.

High School Community Service Hours:

• To get service hours for this work, please reach out to Hopewell Presbyterian Church Office (lducko@hopewellpres.org), and we will make arrangements so you can receive hours for this work.

Masks for Haiti

The first shipment of masks have arrived in Haiti! 

When checking in on our ministry partners at Friends for Health in Haiti, Bev Mills. learned that they were in needs of masks, so we got the crafty folks of our congregation on it! Check out the shipment and learn more about our Friends for Health in Haiti by visiting their Facebook page .

They have requested more masks, so if you are feeling crafty, Bev is coordinating a second shipment of masks. To contribute, drop off masks on her front porch (14 Burton Avenue) by August 4. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to Bev.

The mission of Friends for Health in Haiti is to improve the health of the people of Haiti in a caring, compassionate manner, as a reflection of our Christian faith. They use a community-based health model as they seek to have the greatest impact and the highest chance of long-term sustainability.  It is the “bottom-up” model that empowers communities to solve their own development problems and cultivate the relationships through which our faith can be shared.

Can you spot any familiar fabrics?

The drums that carried the masks from Milwaukee to Haiti.

Extended CCPS Hours

To the people of the Hopewell Valley and our neighbors in surrounding areas,

We hope that this message finds you in both good health and good spirits as we all navigate through these uncertain times. Each day our members and friends bring us news of the needs that people face within our local communities.

Many families are facing an increased need for care for their preschool age children while they work - and this need is coming at a time when many childcare facilities are scaling back operations due to budgetary concerns, or COVID-related restrictions on class enrollment size.

To help meet the needs of some of these families, we are enthusiastically announcing the expansion of our child centered ministry:

Creative Connections Play School will be expanding its operating hours to accommodate families that require full day care for their pre-school age children. 

The small, boutique setting includes a core 9am-5pm specialized preschool program plus 60 minutes of extended care both before and after school. 

If anyone in your community is currently facing this need for child care, additional information about Creative Connections Play School can be provided by contacting:

Liz Blankstein, Director/Head Teacher

Email: lizccps@gmail.com
Phone: 609-466-0110
Web: creativeconnectionsplayschool.net

Growth Groups

We’re getting ready to start a new cycle of Growth Groups this summer! There are three groups offered. Once you’ve registered, you can find more information on the Formation page

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"Big Questions in a Time of Crisis"

Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.

Scholars from Princeton Theological Seminary and Princeton University will offer talks on theology and faith in the global crisis.

Starting 7/14 - Contact Laurie Bleickardt to register.

"Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World"

Mondays at 3:00 p.m. (OFF UNTIL SEPTEMBER)

Using Max Lucado’s book, this growth group will discuss faith in an increasingly anxious world.

Starting 07/20 - Contact Barb Pauley to register.

So What?

Fridays at 7:30 a.m.

This group examines the lectionary reading from the previous Sunday and focuses on how it can inform our day-to-day lives.

Contact Dick Scheetz to register

ZOOM this week

This week in worship, we will be celebrating God's amazing faithfulness to this congregation.  Pastor Melissa and the Session encourage all those who are able to join us for the ZOOM Gathering this week where we will share a recent example of God's faithfulness. Trying something a little bit new for us this week, Pastor Melissa will be preaching her sermon live in the ZOOM gathering. Later in the day it will be posted to Youtube. (Details about how to access it will be in the Sunday morning email. The sermon is titled "What is Gratitude?" based on Ephesians 5:15-21 and Philipians 4:4-7.

Grocery Support

There are growing needs in Hopewell and New Jersey, and we want to meet those needs head-on. The Hopewell Council of Churches and Hopewell Gives Back is providing a grocery service for individuals who are isolated. If you or someone you know needs help picking up groceries, fill out the grocery service PDF and contact Margaret Fowler at (609) 306-7923 to place the order.