So the crowds were asking him, “What then should we do?” John answered them, “The person who has two tunics must share with the person who has none, and the person who has food must do likewise.”
-Luke 3:10-11
On February 18, I was supposed to be responsible for our monthly "mission moment," where we highlight a mission focus for the coming month and invite you to make contributions toward that mission. My focus was to be the still-new Fuel Fund, which is an effort on the part of HPC to help defray heating costs for people in our community during north country winters. In a stroke of life-imitating-poetry, I was unable to do so due to our Sunday gathering being canceled as a result of north country winter weather.
Since establishing the fund at our annual meeting in 2023, we have yet to contribute to anybody's heating bills. We suspect this is due to a combination of people being unaware of the resource, and the irregular nature of this past winter. But if there's one thing I'm confident of after years spent managing assistance funds, it's that there's only a matter of time before people begin to access the resource and, once that happens, reaching the point where aid is going out faster than we can bring funds in.
Bitter cold is inevitable in this part of the world, and the cost of heating only seems to increase over the long term. At some point, there will be people who need assistance in with their heating costs, and we want to be well-positioned to assist them. If you have at any point been grateful for the comfort of a warm home this past winter, I invite you to consider enabling someone else to have that same comfort. Our mission focus for the month of March is the Fuel Fund. Will you help provide warmth to others in the cold days that are sure to come?
Blessings,
Pastor Shea
The next food pantry date for food pick up is Thursday March 28 from 9 to 11 and 1 pm for Food Sense pick up. Future dates for food pick up are Thursday April 25, May 23 and June 20. To qualify for the Hammond food pantry, you must live in the Brier Hill, Chippewa Bay, Hammond, Morristown, or Rossie areas and proof of residency such as a utility bill will be required. If possible bring bags to put your food selections in. We also have boxes and containers available. For questions or information about the Hammond food pantry, contact Jennifer Gardner at 315 528 7303; for Emergency food assistance, contact Diane Ayotte at 315 775 3557. The coordinator for the Food Sense program, is Judy Hayes and she can be contacted at 315 528 9067.
Food Sense is a monthly food buying co-op for anyone who wants to stretch their grocery dollars. For $20.50, the Food Sense program provides a monthly box of staple grocery items at a discounted price. For March, the in person and online order date is Monday March 18. For the March selections and details go to foodsense.foodbankcny.org.
The Hammond food pantry is a not-for-profit organization and relies heavily on donations from our community. If you wish to donate, you can send a check made out to the Hammond food pantry or to Hammond Presbyterian church with Hammond food pantry on the memo line. Send it to 217 Lawrence Ave., Hammond, NY 13646. Thank you to all who support this important work.
For 75 years One Great Hour of Sharing has provided an opportunity for our congregation to be a part of the single, largest way Presbyterians come together every year to work for some relief to many people who are in need. It is an example of how many small contributions can add up to make large differences. There are 3 parts to the program: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Presbyterian Hunger Program, and Self Development of People. If you would like to be a part of making a difference, donations can be made through envelopes available at church and put in the collection plate or by credit card online at pcusa.org/give-oghs
Easter Flowers and Memorials
For Easter anyone wishing to remember, and honor departed loved ones, please submit their names by March 24 to Tara or Liz Scarlett. Anyone wishing to donate money toward the purchase of Easter flowers to decorate the church sanctuary, please submit money or checks made out to Hammond Presbyterian church with Easter flowers in the memo to Tara.
Daylight Savings Begins on Sunday, March 10th. Don’t forget to SPRING your clocks FORWARD an hour so you’re not late for Sunday Service.
"His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’"
-Matthew 25:23
I've had reason to reflect on the parable of the talents multiple times this past year, and for two very different reasons.
At every funeral I lead, I include Matthew 25:23 in the readings, as an assurance that the person who is being remembered will be welcomed by God after finishing the work prepared for them in this life. In 2023 I conducted nine different funerals and graveside services, the first in April and the last in December, meaning for most of the year I didn't go more than a month without reflecting on someone's life, and God's promised embrace.
The phrasing in the parable of the talents is also something I often reflect on when considering what it means to be faithful stewards of and for the church. "You have been faithful with a few things" certainly feels like a worthwhile goal when trying to make diligent use of the resources of a small country church. Much of the work I did in 2023 was stewardship centric. The stewardship team and I have been slowly working to reimagine the way we present giving opportunities to the congregation; moving away from a single annual appeal that tries to encapsulate all we do, and toward an approach where one or two aspects are highlighted at any given time. At the same time, Finance and Session have been hard at work trying to reconfigure the church's small endowment to improve on the yields we see from our investments. And along with both of those things, I've had the privilege of meeting with several members about planned giving and how they want to remember the church in their estates. I hope to have more such conversations in the years to come.
Ultimately, while these two reasons are very different, I think they're much more connected than they appear at first blush. Experiencing loss and evaluating our finances are both areas that none of us is especially excited to do. Yet when we do, we often come away from both activities with an opportunity to assess our priorities, and to wonder what impact we are having on the world around us.
This annual meeting, as with every annual meeting, we will be reviewing our year's finances and approving a budget. We will also be receiving our annual necrology report. And along with those things, we will see multiple reports from various committee heads and church leaders recounting what 2023 looked like at Hammond Presbyterian Church.
Taken all together, this report invites us to reflect on our church's direction, on the legacy left by those who are no longer with us, and on the legacy we hope our actions will one day leave in turn. May this time of reflection enable us to say with confidence that we have been, are being, and will be faithful with that which we have been given.
Respectfully Submitted,
Rev. Dr. Shea Zellweger
The next Food Pantry date for food pick up is Thursday February 22 from 9 to 11 at the Hammond fire hall. To qualify you must live in the Brier Hill, Chippewa Bay, Hammond, Morristown or Rossie areas. The next dates for food pick up are March 28, April 25, May 23 and June 20. For questions or more information about the food pantry call Bob Gagnon at 315 323 7314, for emergency food assistance Diane Ayotte at 315 775 3557or for information about the Food Sense program call Judy Hays at 315 528 9067.
The Hammond Food Pantry is a not for profit organization and relies heavily on donations. Our community has been very supportive of our food pantry and we are grateful to all who have donated. If you wish to donate or continue to donate you can send a check made out to the Hammond Food Pantry or to Hammond Presbyterian church with Hammond Food Pantry on the memo line and send it to: Hammond Presbyterian Church PO Box 193 Hammond, NY13646.
KINDNESS
Within the last year we have experienced the loss of some very dear friends. To help me deal with grief, I often turn to poetry. The following poem “Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye reminds me that out of loss, sorrow and loneliness, I can better appreciate kindness and choose to live a kinder life. The images in the poem are from a different culture, but the ideas are universal.
KINDNESS
Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the windows forever.
Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you
how he too was someone who journeyed
through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.
Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.
Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to gaze at bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
It is I you have been looking for,
and then it goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.
Ash Wednesday Service will be held on February 14th at 7pm.
We would love to have you join us for a Sunday service or one of our events. Click below to plan your visit and learn more about what to expect when you come to Hammond Presbyterian Church Church.
“And Mary Said
‘My Soul exalts the Lord, and my Spirit has begun to rejoice in God my Savior.
Because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant, from now on all generations will call me blessed.
Because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”
-Luke 1:46-48
There are a lot of movies out there which center around the idea of “the true meaning of Christmas,” and they all seem to disagree over what that true meaning is. In A Charlie Brown Christmas, it’s about setting aside your own self-interest and joining in the Angels’ song of praise. In Elf and Frosty and the Polar Express, it’s about preserving childlike belief in the magic of Christmas. In It’s a Wonderful Life and Die Hard, it’s about defeating forces of greed and finding satisfaction in your life and comfort in your family. In Rudolph it’s acceptance and perhaps also the importance of making one’s scheduled deliveries.
These are all great things, and certainly values worth celebrating. The world certainly needs fewer Hans Grubers and more Linus van Pelts.
But when we read the nativity stories found in the Gospels - as well as those in other ancient Christian texts - they don’t seem to share the same focus. Rather, they focus primarily on marveling at the idea that the God of the universe, who could have chosen to be born into any life, made the active choice to be made known among the poor and humble; to share in their lot; and to forever intertwin the story of the Divine with the story of the downtrodden.
I’m not going to make some bold declaration about “the true meaning of Christmas.” Christmas is just as much a cultural phenomenon as it is a religious one and doesn’t belong exclusively to any one group anymore. I am, however, going to suggest that we re-read the words of Mary, and let them inspire us to look for God’s hand at work in places where we would never expect it to be.
Christmas Blessings,
Pastor Shea
With many thanks for your generous donations, we are able to fund the following gifts for Heifer International, Presbyterian Missions and Food for the Poor: 4 sewing machines, 1 school supply, 2 100# rice and beans, 1 soccer ball, 2 flock of chicks, 3 share of sheep, pig or goat, 1 two burner propane stove, 3 farming tools, 1 feed a family of four, 1 share of heifer, 1 fruit tree. In addition, several plants were given to the sanctuary.
The list of donors follows:
In memory of the many departed loved ones especially John Scarlett, Rob Scarlett, Christopher Scarlett, Dorothy Bryant, Donna Chase, and Ann Root given by Elizabeth Scarlett
In memory of Alice and Robert Bickelhaupt, Dorothy and Robert Hunter, Maurice and Paul Young given by Gary and Marilyn Hunter
In honor of the Rev. David and Jo Serchak, Connie Wortman (In Memory of Pastor Cathy) and Tessa and Cole Zellweger family given by Doug and Joan Delosh
In memory of Fred, Lilian and Paul Saphier and Alice and Joseph Kaselow given by Evelyn Saphier
In memory of Malcolm and Roberta McGregor given by Jennifer McGregor
In memory of Milo and Eleanor Hollister, Grace and Lewis Paddock and Orphia Hollister given by Wayne and Lana Storie
In memory of Joan Hadlock given by Barbara Phillips
The next Hammond Food Pantry will be Thursday, January 25th, between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. All eligible clients are asked to stay in their cars and line up behind the Hammond Fire Hall. When it becomes their turn, they will come to the back door to register and the food will be brought out by the volunteers. The Food Sense program has no income guidelines and is held the same day, afternoon. Food Sense clients must order and pay for their orders ahead of time and come to pick up their orders at the Fire Hall. Food Pantry is supported by local contributions. Thank you to all who have contributed. If there are any questions about the Hammond Food Pantry or the Food Sense program, please contact Hammond Presbyterian Church at (315)324-5665
No one tells the oceans
Or the trees
Or the mountains that they’re too old.
They talk of how powerful,
How grounded,
How awesome they are.
Imagine if we thought the same way about
Ourselves as we got older.
Maybe we’d realize how spectacular we are.
When I returned from my week off, the most peaceful person the youth group knows informed me that the December newsletter was lacking a pastor's article and I needed to "get something written real quick." I suggested that since the members of the church handled service while I was away, they could also handle the pastor's article. She said they couldn't, but I disagree! Here is a pastor's article for you to write along with your friends, in the liturgical style of Mad Libs. Enjoy!
Blessings,
Pastor Shea
The next Hammond Food Pantry will be Thursday December 14. All eligible clients are asked to stay in their cars and line up behind the Hammond fire hall. When it becomes their turn, they will come to the back door to register and the food will be brought out by volunteers. We extend heart felt thanks to all who have donated to the food pantry. We hope to be able to provide Food Pantry families with gift cards for the holiday. Any donations are welcomed.
We will be collecting donations for various mission projects from Heifer International, Food for the Poor and Presbyterian Missions, in lieu of or in addition to poinsettias for the sanctuary. Some gift ideas and donation amounts are listed below. Thank you so much! Sewing Machine $50.00 Kitchen supplies $25.00 School Supplies 30.00 Fishing Net 15.00 10 Jerry (water) cans 25.00 Farming Tools 10.00 100 # Rice and Beans 40.00 Feed a Family of Four 25.00 Soccer Ball 10.00 Beehive 30.00 Flock of chicks 20.00 Sheep 120.00 Share of sheep, pig or Share of Heifer 50.00 Goat 10.00 Share of Alpaca 20.00 Two burner propane stove 20.00 Fruit tree 10.00 Please let me know your choices by Dec. 17th Checks should be made out to the church with Christmas Mission on the memo. If you wish to give honorary or memorial gifts or plants, please list names on the sheet. There will be more mission sheets at the back of the church and in the dining room.
HONORARY OR MEMORIAL NAMES TO BE
LISTED:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your Name: _________________________________________.
And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight so that you can decide what is best, and thus be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.
-Philippians 1:9-11
On Saturday, there were six roughly equal size sections of butcher block sitting on the table in my workshop, awaiting their final assembly into the island for my wife's bakery. Yesterday, I glued two of the pieces up and clamped them together. This morning when I removed the clamps, about half of the seam immediately separated.
I know It's possible to fix this problem, and chances are good I have the tools to do it. But as I was attempting to diagnose the issue this morning, it struck me how much of woodworking is fixing things I used to not even know needed fixing.
When I first started building things with two by fours and plywood, I thought of the process as simple: You cut pieces of wood to certain dimensions, assemble them into the desired shape, sand the whole thing smooth, and maybe paint or stain it. Nobody was impressed with the things I built back then, but they did their job just fine.
Now I make things I'm proud to show off, and people like enough that sometimes they want to pay me to make them one. The difference is not that I've gotten any better at cutting and assembling pieces of wood. That part's pretty much the same as it ever was. I think the main difference is that after the pieces are put together, I go over the whole project and identify all the minor flaws and errors and correct them. I fill in tiny voids and cracks. I go over the whole thing with a straightedge and a level and eliminate any high spots or dips. I sand, and sand, and sand some more until the whole project is smooth to the touch, then spend several days oiling and varnishing.
(Reading that last paragraph back to myself, it's no wonder my daughter's first bed took me two hours to build and her second took closer to eighty.)
To me, being a Christian is a lot like being a woodworker, and not just because in both cases you familiarize yourself with the words of famous carpenters. It's very easy to grasp the basics - so easy, in fact, that we teach them to very young children, who expect to understand and adhere to them. But the more we practice, the more detailed and nuanced our understanding becomes. And with that comes the ability to make corrections we didn't even know were necessary before, becoming ever more loving and insightful as we grow.
Blessings,
Pastor Shea
The next Hammond Food Pantry will be Thursday, Nov.
16th, between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. All eligible clients are asked to stay in their cars and line up behind the Hammond Fire Hall. When it becomes their turn, they will come to the back door to register and the food will be brought out by the volunteers. The Food Sense program has no income guidelines and is held the same day, after noon. Food Sense clients must order and pay for their orders ahead of time and come to pick up their orders at the Fire Hall. Many thanks to all of you who donated to the Hammond Food Pantry. We are hoping to provide Food Pantry families with gift cards during the holidays. We would appreciate any help you could give toward this goal. Our Lady of Grace Parish of the Roman Catholic churches in Rossie, Hammond and Morristown held a food drive and donated bags and bags of food for the Food Pantry. We are so grateful to them for their help and support. If there are any questions about the Hammond Food Pantry or the Food Sense program, please contact me. Joan Hadlock 315/324-5517
New volunteers for Marion Medical Mission arrived in Malawi, W. Africa, on Sept. 10th to begin a new well season, with a goal of having 3500 wells in place in rural West Africa. The following are the thoughts from a volunteer from Illinois: We had hiked down a long hill from the village. The team had installed a well, and we were waiting for more villagers to arrive for the well presentation. I noticed an elderly woman making her way to the well site. She was dressed in the bright colors of Africa with lines etched in her face. She stood silently with me, staring at the well. Did she think her village would ever receive the gift of clean water so the children would no longer fear death from bad water? She began to sing, soon joined by other women nearby. The song they sang, spoken in their language, used the words, "The hands that give are the hands of God". The hands in the village had prepared for the well through digging, brick making and site preparation. The hands of generosity in America have given so the well could be completed with pumps and pipes. Surely a gift from many hands.
GIFT BAGS: The Deacons will be giving holiday gift bags to our elderly. If you would like to contribute small items for these bags, please bring your donations to church by Dec. 10th. Many thanks for your help.
We will be collecting donations for various mission projects from Heifer International, Food for the Poor and Presbyterian Missions, in lieu of or in addition to poinsettias for the sanctuary. Some gift ideas and donation amounts are listed below. Thank you so much! Sewing Machine $50.00 Kitchen supplies $25.00 School Supplies 30.00 Fishing Net 15.00 10 Jerry (water) cans 25.00 Farming Tools 10.00 100 # Rice and Beans 40.00 Feed a Family of Four 25.00 Soccer Ball 10.00 Beehive 30.00 Flock of chicks 20.00 Sheep 120.00 Share of sheep, pig or Share of Heifer 50.00 Goat 10.00 Share of Alpaca 20.00 Two burner propane stove 20.00 Fruit tree 10.00 Please let me know your choices by Dec. 17th Checks should be made out to the church with Christmas Mission on the memo. If you wish to give honorary or memorial gifts or plants, please list names on the sheet. There will be more mission sheets at the back of the church and in the dining room.
HONORARY OR MEMORIAL NAMES TO BE
LISTED:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your Name: _________________________________________.
I have two and one half 9X13 pans of Tiramisu in my freezer. If anyone is interested, please let me know. Joan Hadlock
REMEMBRANCE POTLUCK NOVEMBER 5
Traditionally we celebrate All Saints Day the first Sunday in November which this year is November 5. During the service we light candles for each person who has passed within the last year. This year we are adding a Remembrance Potluck during Coffee Hour to remember and honor our departed loved ones. Bring a favorite family dish and pictures and stories you would like to share. We will place the pictures on a decorated table and if you wish you can tell us something about the people in the pictures.
For many years our church has sponsored an Angel Tree project coordinated with the Food Pantry families. We bought a toy or toys matched with a gender and age. However, because of the increased number of families with children from throughout the area, this is not manageable. This year through the Food Pantry every family will receive a $25 gift certificate for Christmas. There is continued need for donations to Food Pantry to be able to do this.
Since the need for toys is so great, we have also decided to partnership with the Hammond Central School Angel Tree Project directed by the HCS Guidance Counselor. The teachers and staff know the needs and wishes of the children in the Hammond school district better than we do so we will donate money to their program.
During the month of November there will be envelopes marked Angel Tree or you can send your donation marked Angel Tree to Hammond Presbyterian church, 215 Lawrence Ave., Hammond, NY 13646. The deadline for donations is November 26. A check will be sent to the Guidance Counselor Renee Breault to support their Angel Tree program. As a retired teacher of HCS, I am very proud that the teachers and staff have created this project.
Elizabeth Scarlett
Election Night Turkey Dinner
Tues. Nov. 7 from 4:30 to 6:30 Menu: Turkey, mashed potato, gravy, dressing, squash, cranberry, pumpkin pie and apple crisp, cider and coffee. Adults, $15., children under 12,
$5.00, under 5 free. Eat in or Take out.
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