Today I am out on the back porch being serenaded by calling cardinals, chattering chickadees, trilling thrushes, and staring in wonder at the magic of cottonwood tree fluff filling the air. What a glorious day, indeed!
Here’s the news for the week:
Senior Recognition Sunday this Week
Our students have worked so hard this semester, and I can’t wait to celebrate some of their accomplishments. This Sunday we will be celebrating with Juster, Levi, and Terrence for graduating from college, high school, and grad school respectively!
Jeff Mitchell to preach, Sunday, May 21st
I will be off next week. I’m taking a week of continuing education leave to participate in the Festival of Homiletics (a dweeby conference for pastors who love the art of preaching)! Thankfully, our delightful lay preacher will be filling the pulpit in my stead. Thank you, Jeff!
Pentecost Sunday, May 28th
Two weeks from this Sunday, remember to wear your cheeriest red dress or shirt to church. Pentecost is coming!
June 4– Membership Class
A reminder to those taking the class– our first membership class will be held Sunday, June 4th following worship.
Roof Work Is Completed!
Hallelujah, praise the Lord! Jack and George wrapped up their work yesterday on the roof, and ended their time with us by filling in all of the tire-ruts with topsoil that their 66′ lift left behind in the grass. What a wonderful day for our church building and grounds!
(p.s. After the interior sanctuary work is completed this November, we will have a BIG party to celebrate these major accomplishments!)
Missing Communion Linens
Did someone take home communion linens after church one Sunday and forget to bring them back? Sharon Pickard has noted that a set of linens have grown legs and walked off. If you happen to have them, bring them back and you will be rewarded with cookies!
Celebrating with the Mitchells
Jeff and Susan Mitchell have been bouncing around from temporary living situation to temporary living situation for over two years now, and this last week they finally found a home to call their own! They will be moving into their new house in June, and we are thrilled for them. Welcome home Mitchells!
Prayers for DJ Jones
DJ lost his beloved cat Stormy this week to illness. Some of you who have very special pets realize what a devastating loss this can be. Please be in prayer for DJ, as he grieves the death of his closest family member.
Loving Our Church
I don’t know about you, but I am really enjoying our church community right now. I had the most wonderful time with you at last week’s potluck/communion meal, and worship has been extra meaningful lately. I appreciate how much you care about one another, and I can tell that you too are finding worship meaningful. After many years of struggle, are you noticing the joy and positive energy that now exists in our congregation?
Being Silly– the Need for Play
Last night we gathered together youth group once again. The six of us walked down to Scoops for ice cream and then meandered over to Ives Park to play. Our young people ran, skipped, played tag, threw rocks into the river, played with a puppy, and squealed with laughter.
Since I work part-time for the church, I also tutor math for kids with learning disabilities. Today was a particularly menacing day with algebra for my 15-year old student, so we decided to cut some of the tension by being silly. We spoke algebra with a French accent, and can I tell ya– it was hilarious! All of a sudden, something that seemed overwhelming and impossible became humorous and then…. possible!
We grown-ups take life far too seriously, don’t we? We forget the power of play and the strength in silliness. Any time I spend time with teenagers, however, I am reminded about the importance of taking time to be goofy, to explore, and play.
This week I challenge you to “make a joyful noise unto the Lord!” Sing a silly song, try on a French accent while doing something challenging, or throw a rock into the Raquette and revel in the splash.
Nehemiah knew what he was talking about when he said, “the joy of the Lord gives us strength!” It truly is our super-power.
Living foot-loose and fancy free in God’s joy, Pastor Katrina
It’s a gorgeous spring day outside– finally– and the dandelions and violets are coming into bloom. We’re predicted to have nice weather for most of this upcoming week. I hope you get to enjoy it!
Here’s the news:
Church Potluck and Communion This Sunday
Bring your favorite dish to pass to church this Sunday and we will share a meal together after our worship service.
During our luncheon, we will also celebrate communion together, folding it into our meal the way the early church did.
Clarkson’s “Take It or Leave It” Tent Event, May 4-14
Clarkson is hosting a “goods exchange” under a tent on the south lawn of the ERC for the next 10 days.
You can either drop off or take any of the following:
Appliances and electronics in good working order (hair dryers, microwaves, irons, printers, computers, etc)
Furniture (nothing broken)
Household goods (but no glass)
Textiles (dry and clean)
Office supplies
Electronic waste for recycling– must be labeled
This event is FREE and open to the public.
Youth Group, Thursday May 11
If you participate in our youth group, bring a few dollars with you this Thursday. We will walk over to Jernabi Coffee shop to get a treat and then mosey over to Ives Park for the rest of the evening.
Last Call to Sign Up for the Prison Tour
This is your last chance to sign up to visit Riverview Correctional Facility. Tours are being offered on Thursday, May 11th at 10am and 1pm. Email Dr. Nancy Lewis if you’d like to participate at lewishnl@potsdam.edu. (This tour is being offered both for people who have signed up to tutor student inmates at the prison and any local resident who is curious about what life inside a prison looks like.)
Membership Classes are Set
We currently have four people signed up to take the membership classes being offered later this spring. If you’d like to join in, we will be meeting for an hour after worship on June 4th and July 2nd.
Picnic at Lazy River, Sunday June 25th
Save the date! We’ve made reservations at Lazy River Playground and Retreat Center for Sunday, June 25th following worship. We will be joining folks from Trinity Episcopal Church for a potluck lunch, putt-putt golf, shuffleboard, corn hole, roller skating, swimming, fishing, and forest bathing. If you’d like to check out the venue, go to their website: lazyriverplayground.com. (More details to follow.)
Per Capita, $32
If you are an official member of our church and haven’t yet sent in a donation to cover the cost of your per capita, might you consider it? If so, write PER CAPITA on the memo line of your check.
Church Directory
We’re closing in on finalizing our new church directory. If you’re part of our congregation (even if you’re brand new) and you want your name and contact information to be included, just email Sue Waters and let her know. You’re welcome to share your name, email address, home address, and/or phone number. Whatever you feel comfortable with. The directory will only be shared with other church members, to allow us to contact one another at home.
This week Jack and George built a custom-made gutter and downspout and installed them over the bell tower door entrance into the church! It’s only taken us 150 years to make this happen, but it finally came to pass.
Taking Time to Smell the Roses
Ok, so we don’t have roses in bloom yet, but the tulips are popping, along with hyacinths, violets, and dandelions. Tree leaves are also starting to pop, and lilacs will soon be on their way.
And my question for you today is…. have you noticed?
One of the best gifts of community that God has given to us (aside from each other) is the earth we live upon. When we actively choose to live in communion with all of God’s creatures, great and small, it brings us into another beautiful form of worship and praise to God. Right now the earth is coming into her full splendor, and I encourage you to spend a little time out in our other church– the woods, your garden, a meadow, or down by the river. There are multiple ways to sing praises to God and endless places to encounter the Divine Presence. So spend some time close up with your flowers, listen to the birds chatter in the treetops, pay attention each day to the trees as their leaves begin to unfurl, and listen to the river flow and roar. Sit in awe, stand in splendor, smile with curiosity, and take notice of the fullness of God’s abundant Life! It’s all around us, if only we have eyes that see.
**Just make sure you check for ticks when you’re done!
Reveling in the Beauty and the Cheer of the Dandelions, Pastor Katrina
It’s a sunny spring day out here on my back porch and I’m enjoying playing with the birds. If you don’t know this already, it’s possible to mimic cardinals and chickadees (and maybe other birds too?). If you’ve got them in your neighborhood, and you learn to speak a little chickadee, they’ll call back to you! I certainly don’t know what I’m saying in their language, but they’re quite chatty if you engage with them.
Here’s the news for the week:
The Roof Work is About to Begin!!
We’ve been waiting and waiting for the weather to turn so that our roofing contractors can get to work on our roof, and the time has finally come! At the beginning of next week, RSI will be bringing in a 66′ lift to repair holes in our slate roof, replace rotting soffitting and molding, and build a giant gutter system to keep rain water from splashing onto the bell tower doors (which then rots them at an accelerated pace).
Some of this work is being paid for by insurance, but the majority of it is being covered by the $25,000 grant we received from the Northern New York Community Foundation and the Rock Charitable Grant! Thanks be to God!
*As a side note, the interior work in the sanctuary won’t be completed until this coming November. At that time, however, the ceiling will be repaired, chipping paint will be scraped, and the entire sanctuary will be repainted. (Yahoo!)
Session Meeting this Wednesday
For those who attend, our zoom session meeting will be on April 26th at 6:30pm.
Community Supper this Thursday
A big thanks to all of you who volunteer each week to make our monthly community suppers happen! And good luck to you all with your first “in person” meal since the pandemic.
Youth Group this Thursday
This week we will be meeting at our church at 6:30pm. I think we might need to crack out the ice cream this time too!
Rich Hinkle to Preach April 30th
Retired Presbyterian pastor Rich Hinkle will be back with us next Sunday, April 30th to preach.
‘Trio Crane’ in Concert in our Sanctuary on May 2
On Tuesday, May 2, at 5:30pm Brian Dunbar (professor extraordinaire of flute at Crane and husband to our beloved Keilor Kastella) will be playing a concert with two other Crane professors. You won’t want to miss this free concert being held right in our sanctuary!
Senior Recognition Sunday, May 7th
It won’t quite be the end of finals on May 7th, but we’re going to celebrate our seniors that day with recognition in the service and a cake during our potluck. (Fortifying them with our love and some sugar might get them through their finals!)
We will be celebrating with Juster Gicovi, Levi Stauffer, Terrence Summers…. and… anyone else? Am I missing anyone? Please let me know if I am!
Tour of Riverview Correctional Facility on May 11th
Have you ever wondered what the inside of a prison looks like? Are you still considering possibly joining the crew getting ready to tutor incarcerated men earning their bachelor’s degree from SUNY Potsdam at Riverview Correctional Facility? If you answer yes to either of these questions, RCF, a medium-security prison in Ogdensburg is offering tours of its facility on May 11th. These open-to-the-public tours will take place at 10am and 1pm. If you’d like to sign up to attend, email Dr. Nancy Lewis at lewishnl@potsdam.edu
Collecting Per Capita
I will mention a quick line (for a few more weeks) about per capita. If you’re a member of our church and have an extra $32 to cover this annual cost that we are required to pay for all of our members, we would greatly appreciate it! Just note “per capita” on your payment.
Interested in Joining the Church?
If anyone else is interested in taking a membership class at some point in May or June, please send me an email soon. We’re figuring out when to hold our membership class and your availability matters.
Beautiful Flowers from the Potsdam Agway
A big thanks goes out again this year to Daryl and the Potsdam Agway, who again donated flats of pansies to beautify our church grounds! If you happen to find yourself at the Agway in the next few weeks, will you let them know that our church appreciates them?
Also, another thank you to Joanne and Dick Partch who planted the pansies!
A Word from St. Teresa of Avila
This week a friend shared a poem with me written by a nun who lived in Spain in the 1500s. Her name was Teresa, and she lived in a troubled world– both socially and personally. The reformation (and counter-reformation) were in full swing during her life, and Teresa suffered greatly from illness in her life. In all of this trouble, challenge, and turmoil, she came to understand the importance of personal introspection and surrender. And through this surrender, she found herself living in mystical union with God.
Teresa wrote quite a few books, but she also wrote the following poem, which we will be singing as a hymn this Sunday:
Let nothing trouble you; let nothing frighten you. All things are passing; God is stable. Patience obtains all things. Whoever possesses God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.
Dear Hearts, my prayer for us this week is that we might come to know the meaning of these words deep in our hearts, and not just understand them as words in our minds.
What does it mean to you that ‘all things are passing and whoever possesses God lacks nothing?’
Holding you in the light this week, Pastor Katrina
p.s. Teresa is also famous for saying, “It is love alone that gives worth to all things.”
Today I am reporting to you from the sunny side of my back porch. Yahooo! If that weren’t enough to make me jump for joy, my daffodils started blooming today too. (Can you tell that I am one happy pastor?!)
Here’s the news for the week:
Bible Study is Cancelled for this Saturday
Diamante is having her bathroom renovated this week, so we won’t be able to meet for Bible Study tomorrow night. But we’ll be back at it on the 22nd.
We’re Back in the Sanctuary Again
If you come to Sunday worship, remember to head towards the sanctuary instead of the Center. Winter is now over and we don’t have to worry about freezing our keisters off any longer! (Or paying a hefty heating bill to try to keep us warm.)
Girl Scout Cookies for Sale
This Sunday during coffee hour, our local Girl Scouts will be back selling their sweet treats for one more week. Come and get those thin mints and tag-alongs before they disappear for another year!
Masks are Optional
Friends, I know we said we’d wait until May to make masks optional for worship, but the cat’s already out of the bag at this point. So… starting this Sunday, feel free to decide for yourself about what works best for you. Masks are still available in the bell tower room and in the narthex, if you decide you want to wear one.
In this regard, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to you all. We have been wearing masks for a very, very long time– to try to keep some of our sick and vulnerable people from catching Covid. I know it’s not easy or comfortable to wear a mask, but you did it out of love. And I want you to know that I appreciate that.
Membership Class in May or June?
It seems that perhaps we have enough interest to hold a membership class this spring. If you’re thinking about joining the church as a fully-fledged member, this class is for you! We will meet for three Sundays following worship, for about an hour each week to learn more about the Presbyterian tradition, what it means to be a member of our church, and share our individual faith journeys.
After these classes, if you still feel committed to becoming a member, we will officially welcome you into the fold on a forthcoming Sunday during worship.
Being a member is important for a number of reasons. First, it shows your commitment to our particular congregation. Second, it allows you to serve our congregation in an important way– by having the opportunity to become a Session member (remember– “Session” is our funny name for a church board). Only members of the congregation can serve in this vital function, and we desperately need more people to step up and take on this leadership role in the coming years. So, if you are feeling like our congregation is the church family you want to commit yourself to for the foreseeable future, I ask that you pray about taking this membership class.
If you’re interested, please email me back and let me know you’d like to join in on the fun. We will plan to hold these classes sometime in May or June, depending on people’s schedules.
Interested in Picking Back Up with a Mid-Week Luncheon?
For a while last year, we had success with organizing monthly men’s and a women’s lunches at Jake’s on the Water in the middle of the week. It was a chance for folks to socialize and enjoy each other’s company. At some point though, we all got busy and the numbers dwindled, down to the point that the Pickards felt it was time to cancel them.
The Pickards are willing to revive these lunches again though, if there’s enough interest– either separately like they have been, or, we could hold a single lunch and invite all of us to the same table. (Dale Hobson’s comment was, “I’d be ok sitting next to a girl. At my age I’ve figured out that ya’ll don’t actually have cooties.)
If you’d like to continue with Lunch at Jake’s, find Sharon or Bob Pickard and let them know. If we get enough interest, they will set a date!
Per Capital
It’s that time of year again to start collecting per capita. Our denomination has wonderful resources to share with local churches (which we take full advantage of), but just like most things in life, it costs money to make those resources available. Consequently, every Presbyterian Church in our denomination is required to pay what is called “per capita” for each member of our congregation to help support the availability of those resources. This year that cost is $32/person.
Now, our church budgets money to cover most of this cost, but if you’re a full member and you’re willing to cover the $32 we pay for you, it would take a financial burden off our plate.
If you’d like to send in a $32 donation, make sure you indicate that it’s for “per capita.” (And thank you ahead of time for your generosity in this regard.)
If, however, money is tight for you, please don’t feel obligated to pay this. There is no shame in saying, “I can’t afford it.” There are some generous people in our congregation who, from time to time, offer to pay for other people’s per capita, and between that and money we have set aside in our budget, we’ve got you covered!
Dick Sitterly Passed Away
Some of you may remember Dick Sitterly. He and his wife Judy were very active in our congregation in years past. Dick has been in a nursing home for a while, and died this week at the age of 95. A graveside service is being planned for sometime this summer in Waddington.
If you’d like to send a card to Judy, here’s her address: 345 Arbuckle Pond Rd. Colton, NY 13625
Meeting Baby Octavier
Do you remember me mentioning to you a few weeks ago about Andre Williams– the homeless young man who is trying his darndest to finish high school? Tonight I am going to take him to visit a local family in Potsdam to see if perhaps it would work out for him to live with them until he graduates. (I think it’s safe to say that we would all greatly appreciate your prayers this afternoon.)
In the mean \time, earlier this week, I had the delight to meet up with Andre and his girlfriend Amy, who is in 11th grade at Hermon-De Kalb. Amy gave birth to their adorable son, Octavier, last Sunday, and I got the chance to hold him! (Since my kids are grown, I’ve forgotten how tiny, precious, and utterly magical newborns are. So, this was a real treat for me.)
Friends, having a child at any age is challenging, but doing so when you are young comes with many extra hurdles, so this week Session decided that our church would its support buy purchasing a stroller for the young family.
I can’t tell you what a beautiful thing it is for a church to stand up and offer love, support, and encouragement to young people trying to make their way in such a treacherous world. May we always be a congregation that offers grace, hospitality, and encouragement in this broken world of ours. For this, dear Hearts, is the way of Christ.
Despite the wind, today is a beautiful blue bird day! I hope you get a chance to go outside and enjoy it. The snowdrops and crocus in my yard have finally bloomed and the phoebe who insists on building her nest right above my front door returned yesterday.
Here’s the news for the week:
Tonight’s Tenebrae Service
This evening at 7pm we will be gathering together in the sanctuary to remember the events of Good Friday– the day when Jesus was crucified at Golgotha. It will be a short, but meaningful service lit by candle light.
Lynn Warden’s Memorial Service
If you’re planning to attend, the memorial service for Lynn Warden will be held next Saturday, April 15th at 4pm at Garner Funeral Home. Calling hours will be from 2-4pm.
Jewish Humor Night, Thursday, April 20th
This month, the Potsdam Interfaith Community has a fun-loving night of laughter to share. Folks from Beth-El Congregation will be offering a night of Jewish humor via zoom on April 20th at 7pm. I don’t know much about Jewish humor, do you? I’m looking forward to finding out what this means!
Session Meeting, Wednesday, April 26th
For those of you who attend, our next Session meeting will be held via zoom at 6:30pm.
Community Supper Set for April 27th
For the first time since the pandemic hit 3 years ago, we will again be offering an in-person community supper! This month it will be taking place at Trinity Episcopal Church and we’re going to need extra volunteers to serve and help clean up.
Youth Group, April 27th
Youth group will meet again on Thursday, April 27th from 6:30-8:30pm at our church.
Free Piano to a Good Home!
Dawn Bartow has good news to share with the world. Seven years after moving in with her daughter’s family, Dawn is finally selling her home and has a piano to give away. It’s an upright in good condition, but will definitely need a solid tuning, as it hasn’t been played in many years. If you want it, you would need to come and move it. If you’d like more information, contact Dawn at dbartow@potsdasmlibrary.org
Congratulations to Sebrina Petrie
Sabrina was informed last week that she will be receiving a scholarship to cover an entire year’s worth of tuition when she heads to the University of Buffalo next fall to begin a Master’s degree in social work. Congratulations Sabrina!
Finding God Through Suffering
This week, during Holy Week, we turn our attention to the suffering of Christ, and what is often referred to as “the way of the cross.” Many people believe that one way to find God is through deep suffering– that somehow anguish and misery brings us closer to the Divine.
One thing I have learned through my own personal strife, is that this idea of suffering is a bit misplaced. It’s not the misery itself that draws us closer to the Holy One, it’s the surrender that often comes as a result of the suffering. As Eckhart Tolle suggests, it’s the relinquishment of our resistance to what is, which draws us near to God.
So much of the time we trick ourselves into believing that we are in control; that we have the power to shape the outcomes of our lives. When we live this way, and something that we consider to be “disaster” then strikes– something beyond our control, which bends us in a direction we do not desire to be bent– we then find ourselves suffering.
Strangely, it’s sometimes easier to find ourselves living in communion with our Redeemer in these situations than when things are going well. But this is not the result of the suffering itself which does this for us. Anguish can be the path that ripens us up towards relationship with God, but it’s our willingness to surrender that draws us in.
It’s when we fall to our knees and surrender our will, our wishing, our anger, our sorrow, and our hope of being able to control what “is,” that we find the peace that passes beyond all understanding. When we hit the point of throwing our arms in the air and crying out, “I can’t do this anymore! God, help me!” that we are ushered into a place of stillness and calm. And out of this calm, God gives us peace. And from this peace comes joy. And from the joy springs love and compassion, which becomes the seat of power we do have access to.
The apostle Paul is right. In 2 Corinthians 12 he writes, “I have plenty to boast about…. I will say this: because these experiences I had were so tremendous, God was afraid I might be puffed up by them; so I was given a physical condition which has been a thorn in my flesh….Three different times I begged God to make me well again.
Each time he said, “No. But I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people.” Now I am glad to boast about how weak I am; I am glad to be a living demonstration of Christ’s power, instead of showing off my own power and abilities. Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite happy about ‘the thorn,’ and about insults and hardships, persecutions and difficulties; for when I am weak, then I am strong—the less I have, the more I depend on him.”
~2 Corinthians 12:6-10
Friends, I don’t know what personal struggles you are facing right now, but I know that many of us have aching hearts, broken bodies, and worry in our guts. When this happens, may we relinquish our resistance to what is. May we be brave enough to cry out, “I have pain today! And that is ok.” May we be courageous enough to call out, “God, I can’t fix this! But you have promised your peace. You have promised your presence. You have promised your love. I surrender myself to your love.”
May the peace of surrender settle over us all this Good Friday, Pastor Katrina
It’s a beautiful spring day today with the promise of warmer, sunny days ahead as we enter into Holy Week.
Here’s the news for the week:
Palm Sunday Breakfast Potluck This Sunday!
Let’s arrive at church at 9am this week with egg dishes, potatoes, hot crossed buns, oatmeal, cinnamon rolls, fruit, bacon, and other delicious breakfast items to celebrate Palm Sunday!
We need someone to come in 8:30, however, to get the coffee brewing and set out tablewear. Dale and Terry have been the ones to do it every time we have a potluck, and this month they need a break. If you’re willing to jump in, please email me back and let me know. Thanks!
Good Friday Tenebrae Service
Next Friday, April 7th, at 7pm, we will join together in the sanctuary for a very special service of shadow and light to remember Christ’s death on the cross. During a tenebrae service, we tell the story of Holy Week by candle light, with one candle representing each of the disciples and Jesus himself. As the story unfolds, one candle is extinguished at a time, until finally we are left sitting in the dark and then exit in silence. It’s a powerful way to prepare for the coming of Easter.
This year, I’d love to have some of you take on some of the Scripture readings and the extinguishing of candles. If you plan to attend and would like to participate as a reader, please email me back and let me know and I’ll send you your readings.
Easter Sunday and Lilies
Easter Sunday we will then celebrate the risen Christ in the sanctuary– after having worshipped in the Center all winter long.
Some of you have written to request that a lily be purchased for our Easter celebration in the name of a loved one. If you’d also like to be part of this, there’s still time to get your order in! Just write me back and let me know how many lillies you’d like, and for whom they are commemorating. Lillies are $10.
If you don’t have the money for a lily, however, but would still love to participate, an anonymous donor has purchased extra lilies and invites you to send in a note for your commemoration. The person you are remembering could be a loved one who has died or just someone you care about who lives far away. Then, after Easter you will get to take your lily home (if you want it).
Lynn Warden’s Memorial Service, April 15th at 4pm
If you’d like to attend the memorial service for Lynn Warden, it’s being held at Garner Funeral Home on Saturday, the 15th. Calling hours will be from 2-4, and the service will follow.
Festival of Sacred Music and Text
Last Sunday afternoon, a handful of us sat in the pews of the Potsdam Methodist Church along with about 100 other Potsdam folks from St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Beth El Synagogue, the Quaker Friends’ Meeting, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Canton Unitarian Universalist Church, Potsdam’s masjid, and the Christian Science Church.
We listend to sacred songs from across all of our respecitve traditions, along with the Muslim call to prayer and readings from the Christian Science Church. Never in my life have I had the opportunity to witness something so special– people who normally hold prejudices and biases against one another coming together to share in their celebrations of God. I left with goosebumps!
A big thanks to Lora and Dick Lunt for representing us in the program, and for those who came to listen in the audience.
Church Directory
Sue Waters has been working away, getting our new church directory together! We’re just waiting on our snowbirds to return, to include their information, and then we will be rolling out the presses on this directory. And I can’t wait! I often get emails from you asking for how to contact one another, and this new directory is going to solve that need. (Thanks Sue, for your work on this!)
A Fun Story from Youth Group to Make You Smile
Last week our small youth group met at the Methodist Church to make pizza and celebrate Isaiah Stauffer’s 14th birthday. In the church’s basement kitchen, the kids stumbled upon a machine they’d never seen before: a touch-button telephone with a receiver and the curly cord that connects its to the phone’s base. “Is this a …..telephone?!” one of them asked. “How does it work?”
While they were looking at the phone, they noticed a 2012 edition of the Yellow Pages sitting next to it. “And what’s this?” they wanted to know. They cracked the book open and found an ad for Sergi’s Pizzeria, with their entire menu and the phone number written in large print at the top of the page.
I explained that, back in the day, before anyone had a smartphone or Google, this is how people located phone numbers and addresses. The kids looked at us adults with wide, confused eyes. “Seriously?!” they asked. They couldn’t even imagine this strange world we lived in, in the 20th century.
I then told them a story about the fun of being a kid in the 1990s. “When I was a kid, my best friend Holly and I would sneak the phone in her mom’s room into the closet (because the cord was that long). Then, we’d take this very book, open it up to a random page and call a phone number. If someone answered, we’d sing them Mary Had a Little Lamb, laugh our heads off, and then hang up. “It was called prank calling,” I explained.
“Can we try that too?” someone asked.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work to prank call people anymore,” Pastor Hattie told them. Because of Caller ID, people would know right away who you are, or where you’re calling from.”
The kids faces drooped with sadness. “But that sounds like so much fun!” They pouted for a little bit, until I got an idea. I secretly texted my brother, who lives in Illinois, to tell him he was about to receive a prank call, and to play along.
“Ok guys,” I said. “I’ve got an idea. We can’t prank call a random person, but we can prank Uncle Ben– my brother!” I said.
It took them six tries before they figured out how to dial out on a touchphone telephone, but eventually the phone rang and my brother picked up the phone.
Isaiah pretended to be someone interested in small town life in Illinois, and asked this “stranger” all sorts of questions for a good 3 minutes before hanging up. The kids were in stitches! “We did it!” they shouted, dancing little happy dances all over the kitchen.
Five minutes later our phone rang. They stood their with pale faces and round, searching eyes. “What do we do?” they asked in fear.
“Well, you could answer it.” I suggest.
Isaiah picked up the received. “Hello?” he said, with a waiver of uncertainty in his voice.
There was a deep, serious voice on the other end. “Hello, is this the Potsdam Methodist Church, of Postdam, New York?”
Isaiah looked at us with wide eyes. “Yes, it is,” he replied.
The voice on the other end continued. “This is the Federal Communications Commission— the FCC. We’ve received a complaint that prank callers have been dialing numbers from this line to the state of Illinois.”
All the blood drained from the teens faces as fear set in. “Are we in big trouble?” one of them whispered to me.
Isaiah did his best to sound grown up. (He did just turn 14, you know!) He respectfully answered the man’s questions until, in a flash, he recognized something fishy.
“Are those kids screaming in the background?” he asked the mystery voice. “Are those the three kids you just told me about on the phone a few minutes ago? This is Uncle Ben, isn’t it?!”
Everyone burst into fits of laughter. The kids had made their first 20th century prank call, and then experienced being pranked themselves, all in the same night!
May your April Fool’s Day (tomorrow) be filled with such silliiness and laughter, Pastor Katrina
It’s a beautiful early spring morning– the temps are mild, the snow is melting, the sap is running, the mud is mudding, and there’s an earthy, spring smell in the air. What’s not to love?!
We have a busy, fun few weeks ahead of us. Here’s the news for the week:
This Sunday
This Sunday, our own Jeff Mitchell will be preaching for us!
Festival of Sacred Music and Text on Sunday at 3pm
And this Sunday is the day! You are invited to join folks from congregations all over Potsdam at the Potsdam Methodist Church for an afternoon of special music and spoken word. Come hear what the Muslim call to prayer sounds like, and Jewish singing in Hebrew, along with some more familiar tunes. Seven different congregations will be sharing sacred aspects of their traditions for all to hear, followed by a reception with goodies and time to visit with friends and neighbors alike.
Breakfast Potluck for Palm Sunday, April 2nd
Friends, pull out your favorite breakfast recipes! Palm Sunday happens to fall on our potluck Sunday this year, and so we’re going to have some fun with it. Instead of having a lunch potluck after the service, plan to arrive at church at 9am for a delectable breakfast spread. We’re going to need some people to bring gluten-free options, meat and egg options, vegan options, and maybe just maybe someone will have fresh maple syrup!
Special Note: For this potluck, we are hoping that two people might be willing to come a little early to help set up, and then stay afterwards to clean up. Terry and Dale have been doing it every time we have a potluck, and it’s time to share some of the work. Might you be willing to jump in and help your church family in this way? If so, please send me an email and let me know.
Good Friday Service
Friday, April 7th, at 7pm, we will hold our 2nd annual Tenebrae service for Good Friday. Come join us in the sanctuary for this sacred and reflective service lit by candle light.
Easter Sunday
We will celebrate the risen Christ and God’s New Life together in the sanctuary on Sunday, April 9th. The choir will be singing and the sanctuary will be decked out with lilies. We will not be having coffee hour following the service, however, to allow you to return home and prepare for your family Easter celebrations.
Donating a Lily in Someone’s Memory for Easter
Would you like to remember someone special for Easter this year? For $10, you can purchase a lily for our Easter celebration in the sanctuary, and then take your lily home with you later. Beth Grace has offered to purchase and arrange our lilies, but we need to know how many to order, and for whom they are dedicated.
If you’d like to participate, reply to this email and let me know how many lilies you’d like to order, and for whom they are in memory of. (You can also share a short story about why this person was important to you, if you’d like.) Then, when you come to church, bring a check or cash in an envelope with a note that it’s for “Lilies.”
We will include the names of our special loved ones in an insert in our Easter bulletin.
Making Masks Optional
Friends, I am absolutely delighted to report that Session has been in discussion, and decided that beginning in May, we will no longer require people to wear masks during worship. Covid numbers have remained lower and relatively stable the last few months, and with good weather on the way– it’s finally time to change our policy! Huzzah!!
That said, you are certainly more than welcome to continue wearing a mask for as long as you want or need, and we will make sure to continue to provide them for people who still desire one, but beginning May 7th you will have the option to show your beautiful smile to your neighbors in worship.
A Special Request
A couple of weeks ago, Kristin Weitz-Brown, who now works as a mental health counselor at Potsdam Central School, called me. She has an extra special student in dire need of love and support.
Last week I had lunch with Kristin and this student, Andre Williams, to talk about Andre and his situation. Andre is an 18-year old, young Black man living in the area, whose mother could not take care of him when he was little and gave him up to her father and step-mom to care for him when he was 2 months old.
For most of his life, Andre’s grandmother cared for and raised him, but a few years ago she got lymphoma and died. Unfortunately, from what it sounds like, Andre and his grandfather do not see eye to eye on many things, and so, when his grandmother died, Andre made the hard decision to leave home.
For the past 2 years he’s been homeless– couch surfing when possible, and living outside in better weather when he hasn’t been able to find a place to live.
Right now he’s staying with some people on the Jingleville Rd. in Canton, near De Kalb, but he’s still able to attend school in his home district of Potsdam because of his situation. (They send out a van every morning at 6:30am to pick him up and bring him to school.) Andre doesn’t know how long this living situation is going to last, however, and what he really needs is a steady, consistent home to live in for the next two years, until he graduates from high school.
Back when he was younger, Andre made some bad decisions for himself and dropped out of school, so he’s currently only in 10th grade. But, in his own words, he said, “I had to learn the hard way about what’s important in life. And now I know that finishing school and being a good person are what’s important.”
He’s doing everything he can to hold himself together, but because he isn’t 21 years old yet, there’s not much the state can do to help him besides give him SNAP benefits and Medicaid. (The reasons for this are long and involved.)
When I talked to Kristin on the phone a few weeks ago, she told me that he’s a very special kid, and last week I saw for myself what she was talking about. Even though he’s homeless and raising himself, Andre has only missed 2 days of school this year. He’s kind and thoughtful. He really cares about finishing school. He would love to get a job either working at the animal shelter in Potsdam, or cooking or doing dishes at Maxfield’s. He’s smart. He’s trying to be as responsible as he can with the little money he has– making sure he keeps enough minutes on his phone so that he can stay in touch with the school and with Kristin, and buying socks and underwear, instead of candy and video games. And he’s doing what he can to support his girlfriend in Hermon, who will be having their baby in a month. (His girlfriend is a senior at Hermon-De Kalb School and lives with her mother, who is supporting her daughter and trying to be a positive influence in Andre’s life too.) Andre can’t live with them full time, but he stays there on the weekends.
Andre showed up to lunch the day we met with a notebook, so that he could take notes, and asked if I needed help being wheeled out to my car in my wheelchair after lunch was over. (He was proud to say that he used to push his Granny around and knew how to do it.)
When I asked him what he would want to do with his life when he graduates– if there were no barriers in the way– he said, “Honestly, I have no idea. I’m just trying to stay alive and get through school right now. But,” he paused to think, “I want to be there for Amy (his girlfriend) and for my son Octavier. I want to do my best to help take care of my son. That’s what I would want– whatever that means.”
Andre has given me permission to speak with you– with people who might be willing to consider having him live with them in the Potsdam School District. This is a big ask, I know, and I don’t expect that many of you would be able to take this on. But perhaps you are. If this is something you might be open to, I’d love to discuss it more with you in person, and perhaps have you meet Andre yourself.
He is fairly independent– having to grow up really fast. He said that he can’t pay for rent, but that he would help contribute to the food bill with his SNAP benefits, and he would be delighted to help out around the house in whatever ways people might need– mowing the lawn, taking out the trash, helping with household chores, etc. Also, he doesn’t drink, “party,” or involve himself in criminal activity, and has a quiet, shy personality.
This young man has never caught a break in his entire life, and with God’s grace, hopefully we can help him to find a loving family to take him in for up to 2 years, to support him, and help him carry the load of getting through high school — until he’s got his feet under him and a diploma in his hand.
Andre and me at lunch last week. That day I paid for Andre’s meal, but I asked him to help me figure out how much to tip the server. He knew right away how to figure it out with the calculator on his phone!)
Swimming in the Same Sea
There’s a country song that’s popular on the radio right now. The lyrics sing, “We’re all in the same boat. Fishing in the same hole
Wondering where the same time goes. We’re all in the same boat.”
The song is meant to suggest that we’re all struggling in life– that everyone is just trying to get by– and so we need to help each other out. Like a good country song, the moral of the story waxes with these words: “So share them peaches, if you’re holding…. help somebody who might be struggling; Spread a little love, gotta give back something. If the ship keeps rocking, we’ll all go overboard!”
The sentiment of the song is great, I’ll admit. And I appreciate it for that. Only, there’s a grave blindness to injustice built into the lyrics.
Friends, we’re not actually all in the same boat on the seas of life. Some of us are riding the waves in sturdy, steady vessels, while others of us are holding on for dear life in dingys, and still others of us are being tossed about in the tumult of the waves with water up our noses and no idea of which way is up and the other way is down.
This reality is exactly why God requires those of us with resources to share those resources. Salvation comes to God’s people, not as individuals, but in community. When we live in a way that pulls the most vulnerable of us out of the crashing waves, so that we are “all in the same boat”– that’s when the family of God is made manifest in the world.
When that becomes reality, and Andre, and kids in foster care, and incarcerated people, and people with disabilities, and people who struggle with mental health problems– when those of us who live on the margins of society have the chance to make it in life like those of us who ride in “the sturdy boats” of society– that’s when the end of this country song becomes real.
The final verse of the song sings this:
“We’re all in the same boat,
Fishing in the same hole, Wondering where the same time goes, (And money too). Tryna’ fix the same broke hearts, Wishing on the same stars,
We’re all hoping hope floats And we’re all in the same boat Yeah, we’re all hoping hope floats
We’re all in the same boat.”
Friends, hope floats when we choose for hope to float for everyone. And God’s realm becomes real when we decide to share it with everyone.
Hoping that Hope Floats, Pastor Katrina
p.s. Here’s what to email me back about: 1. Can you help out with our Palm Sunday potluck? 2. Would you like to buy a lily in memory of someone for Easter? 3. Might you be able to share your home with Andre until he finishes high school?
It’s a dreary early spring day– yes, it’s overcast, slushy, and muddy outside, but it’s warm enough for the snow to be melting and spring is genuinely on its way. And I can’t wait!
Here’s the news for the week:
A Call for Volunteers at Riverview Correctional Facility
We’re still looking for people interested in volunteering as tutors, knitting instructors, drawing instructors, and AA and NA facilitators at Riverview Correctional Facility. If you’re curious to learn more or have questions about what this might entail, we will be having an informational night this coming Thursday at 7pm (March 23rd) at the Potsdam Library. The director of the program, Nancy Lewis, will be there to explain how things work, and the first “graduate” of the program at Riverview, Brandon Rodriguez, who is now a full time student at SUNY Potsdam, will be there to tell some of his story and explain why this program matters so much.
If you think you might be interested in attending, shoot me an email so I can put you on the list. Or, if you forget to do that, just show up this Thursday night.
Community Supper this Thursday
For those of you who volunteer, this is your reminder that this coming Thursday evening is Community Supper night. Jane Wells will be running things this month, if you have any questions.
Jeff Mitchell to Preach Sunday, March 26th
Join us for worship next Sunday, as Jeff brings us a word from the Word.
Festival of Sacred Music and Text, March 26th
Sunday, March 26th at 3pm we will be joining our PIC neighbors for a wonderful concert of music and spoken word at the Potsdam Methodist Church. I hope you’ll consider joining us!
Lynn Warden’s Memorial Service
If you’d like to attend, calling hours for Lynn Warden will be held on April 15th from 2-4pm at Garner Funeral Home. A memorial service will follow at 4pm.
Our Gift for Ron Kaiser
Every week, on Thursday afternoons, I meet with our custodian, Ron. We sit down together and discuss what’s happening in the building, and what needs extra attention and care. Ron, for his part, is always on top of things, and often takes care of problems even before I know that they exist. For over 20 years he’s been the glue that has held our building together.
This past Thursday, however, I had the privilege of talking with him about something other than the leaking roof, when and where to set up chairs, or issues that Head Start might be encountering. This week I was able to hand him a white envelope with a big, fat check inside– the love offering that we have been collecting for him over the course of this past month.
As you know, the last couple of years have been hard on Ron. He’s had serious problems with his heart, and nearly died. Thanks be to God, he pulled through, but the financial result of all of the medical care he needed meant that he and his wife had to drain their entire savings in order to cover Ron’s medical bills. This meant that the money they had earmarked to someday be able to make a down-payment on a house disappeared into thin air.
This year, Ron is doing somewhat better, but he still has expensive medical bills to pay, and he and his family are putting their best efforts into starting over again with saving up enough money to afford buying a house.
When Ron opened the envelope with a check for $3,235 inside, he nearly fell out of his chair. He said that nothing like this has ever happened to him before, and sat there utterly speechless for a little while.
Ron has worked as a custodian for congregations all over Potsdam for most of his adult life, and his remark to me was, “Your congregation has the most loving, compassionate people I have run across. Thank you for caring about me. I can’t express in words what this means.”
Friends, thank you for your generosity in helping to support Ron. Sometimes we overlook the people closest to us who are struggling, even though they’re right there in front of us. Thank you for giving of yourselves to make life a little easier for Ron and his family. You may not see him on Sunday mornings, but he’s an integral part of our church, and I am delighted that we could love on him in this way.
Ron, goofily trying to express his shock at our gift.
This week, in my own life, I was reminded that all of us need each other. We need help, and support, and encouragement– because that’s part of what it means to be human. This week it was Ron who needed an extra dose of support and love, but I’m wondering if you might need a little extra care this week, yourself.
If you do, my prayer for you is that you will be brave enough to ask for what you need– be it from your church family, from a neighbor, a friend, or someone at work.
God created us to be interdependent upon one another. That’s how God designed us to live in the world! And there is no shame in ever needing to ask for help from those around us. In fact, asking for help means that you are inviting the Kingdom of God into the world, both for yourself and for those you are inviting to help you. When we do so, and others respond, we are building loving relationships of mutuality and care, and that’s the place where God’s light shines brightest.
May you know this week that you, just like Ron, are worthy of care and support.
It’s a typical March day in the NoCo– the icicles are dripping, the snow is s-l-o-w-l-y melting, and the sap is a runnin’. Has anyone tapped any maple trees this year?
The news for the week is short:
A Special Opportunity
Two years ago, SUNY Potsdam dipped their toe into radical justice work: they started offering a bachelor’s degree program to men incarcerated at Riverview Correctional Facility in Ogdensburg. Since then, the program has exploded in popularity, and now, nearly 20 professors are teaching classes there to over 45 students.
The morale among these men, and the pride they take in being SUNY Potsdam students is growing, and quite a few of them are considering coming to Potsdam to finish their degrees when they are released. (This summer 3 of them will be transferring to Potsdam, and possibly 4 more will be coming later in the year.)
Most of these men have never been to Potsdam in their life, but their education, and the relationships they are forming with their professors are important enough to them to consider moving to an unknown place in order to continue improving their lives.
In the last few months I have been working with the director of this program to create an opportunity for local citizens to get to know some of these men and support them on their journey of finding new life. We’ve put together a tutoring program, and are looking for local folks to go to Riverview two nights per month for a semester to encourage our soon-to-be neighbors in their educational pursuits. Tutors, knitting instructors, drawing teachers, and AA/NA facilitators are needed at this time.
If you know how to take notes while reading a chapter in a textbook, if you know how to use Microsoft Word, or you can proofread a paper; if you’d like to teach men how to knit or draw; if you’ve come out the other end of addiction and want to share hope with others; or if you just have a desire to offer positive encouragement and friendship to men seeking to rebuild their lives– you have the chance to make a profound impact on the world.
This call for volunteers has been sent out to all of our PIC neighbors, and we are hoping to find a small group of people across town who are willing to travel to Riverview at least twice a month for a 4-month block of time. The tutor room and computer lab will be open Monday-Thursday from 5:15-8:30pm for our volunteers to come and help out in a timeframe that they are able to commit to (even 90 minutes would be enough to make a difference) and a knitting or drawing class could be built around your schedule.
Attached is a document explaining more of the details of the programs and what you would need to know if you decided to sign up. An informational meeting is also scheduled for later in the month to organize volunteers, answer any of your questions, and for you to meet the first student to come to Potsdam from Riverview (his name is Brandon, and he’s a spectacular human being with an incredible story to share).
America’s prison system is a corrupt, unjust part of our society which is often hidden from the public eye, but which plays a major role in upholding poverty and racism in our country. Eight years ago I stepped into a prison for the first time and got to know men who reside there, and I will tell you– my experiences there have had a deeply profound impact on my life. I have made some very important friends who have taught me more about America, our culture, and even myself, than just about any other experience I’ve ever had. I can’t encourage you enough to consider giving this a try. I guarantee that you won’t regret it if you do.
Will you pray about this opportunity? It’s a chance for us to put into action our Christian belief in second chances, social justice, and compassion.
Lynn Warden Died this Week
For those of you who knew him, I am sad to report that Lynn passed away earlier this week down in Albany. I don’t have any contact information at this time to send a card. If any of you knows how to contact Lynn and Shirley’s family, please let me know and I’ll pass that information along.
Crossing Boundary Lines
One thing that Jesus was known for was crossing over social boundaries– of going to places to meet people he wasn’t supposed to know or befriend. This Sunday we will look at how Jesus went out of his way to go to Samaria, to offer hope to people who were supposed to be his enemy. And next week at church he will be talking with a blind man (a sinner)– another individual he’s not supposed to fraternize with.
Friends, our salvation is a communal salvation, and a major part of “the good news of the gospel” has to do with befriending people we’re not supposed to know or care about.
James talks about this very thing. He writes, “
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
~James 2:14-17
Whether it’s getting really brave and deciding to step foot in a prison, talking with a homeless person, befriending people with disabilities, or reaching out a hand to someone across the political divide– Jesus asks us to step outside of our comfort zone and welcome people into our lives that don’t win us social status with our peers.
It’s a lonely, despairing place to live on the margins of society, and when those of us who live comfortably in the middle can step outside of what makes us comfortable, we create a small spark that brings to life the Kindom of God.
This week I challenge you to reach out beyond the boundaries of your normal life. Who could you be kind to? What friend might be waiting for you to get to know?
You never know what treasure is waiting for you when cross over a social boundary designed to keep you from knowing someone!
Today is a beautiful, bright sunny March day– the sort that gives you hope for the coming of spring! Yesterday I heard cardinals singing and saw a bald eagle flying over Crary Mills, and today you can hear the “drip, drip, drip” of icicles melting into watery pools below.
Here’s the news for the week:
All Church Potluck This Sunday!
Bring a dish to pass and we will spend time visiting together after the service this Sunday. Last month we had venison stew, quiche, homemade focaccia bread, and lots of delicious dessserts . What do you think we’ll have this month?
PIC Festival of Sacred Music and Text set for March 26th
Join us at the Methodist Church on Sunday, March 26th at 3pm for a moving service of music and spoken word. Once a year the Potsdam Interfaith Community hosts this very special concert of music and texts from the many religious faiths that exist in Potsdam. Last year we heard music from the Synagogue, the Mormon Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Catholics, Quakers, and our Church, and we listened to spoken prayers and readings from our Muslim and Christian Science neighbors. It was one of the most moving services I went to all of last year and I encourage you to come this year and experience faith from many places.
The Roof to be Repaired!
Our roofing contractor came this week to take measurements and assess the repair work that needs to be done. As soon as enough snow melts on the ground to get their 66′ lift on the lawn, they will be back to do the work!
Medical Fund for Ron Kaiser
I have great news to share with you! Over the last three weeks we raised $2,735 to gift to our custodian Ron, who is still dealing with expensive heart problems. We will give this gift to him quietly in the coming weeks.
This is not something I have ever done before– offer a free will offering to a specific individual– and unfortunately, we did not go about it this time in a way that will allow those of you who gave to deduct your gift as a tax-deductible contribution. I deeply apologize for this.
We have learned, however, how to do this legally in the future, to allow you to make this sort of donation tax deductible, and will make sure to set it up differently if this sort of situation ever arises again.
Shifting Faith
This week I had the honor to hear from two different people who are wrestling with their faith and spirituality. One individual is asking questions outside of the religious expectations that they grew up with– and is experiencing discomfort, fear, and sadness because neither God, nor the world they live in, seem certain right now. And another individual has moved beyond seeing relevance in believing in God.
Friends, I want to remind us today that our faith journey is never a static or straightforward path, and doubt, anger, and disbelief are ok. God is bigger than the human constructs we have built around the Holy Mystery, and there is no place we can go, no thought we can think, that does not live within the realm of Life.
I myself have gone through periods of doubt and questioning, and I’ll tell you something– every time I have cracked that door open, I have found God in those places too. Maybe not in the ways that some people would “define” God, but after going through them, I have realized that those experiences, also, were encounters with the Holy One.
May you know today that asking questions and “wandering” around (or even away) does not mean that you have lost your faith or are falling into darkness. Sometimes, as Jesus says, we have to let go of what we have in order to find what we don’t.
In Mark 8, after Peter has challenged that Jesus should not have to suffer, Jesus says this to the crowd:
“He called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?”
(Mark 8:34-36)
Friends, there are days when “taking up our cross” means standing up against injustice and cruelty in the world, but other days it means challenging our very own religious beliefs and shaking up our assumptions and expectations about who and what God is.
When you wrestle with the Divine, and sit with darkness, may you find life there, too. And may you come to know blessing– even in this. Faith, dear Ones, is never a straight line or an assured thing. Sometimes it comes in shapes, colors, and designs that you never once imagined possible.
Honoring Your Doubts and Questions, Pastor Katrina
