July 2022 Newsletter

Commit your work to the Lord, and it will succeed

-Proverbs 16:3

My daughter brought me a bouquet of flowers recently and informed me she'd picked it herself. I told her I was very grateful for the thoughtful gift, and encouraged her to find something to put them in, which she happily scampered off to do. 

As most parents can likely guess, the flowers in question were dandelions. Commonplace, invasive, difficult to get rid of, "weeds." But she didn't see them that way. She saw beauty. And she offered that beauty to me as a gift. Normally I'd try to write some profound reflection about this gift, how it made me feel, and the spiritual lesson to be found therein, but I'm not going to do that this month. Because someone else already has. So I'm just going to share it instead. Here are the lyrics to "Dandelions" by Five Iron Frenzy.

In a field of yellow flowers underneath the sun,

Bluest eyes that spark with lightning, boy with shoes undone.

He is young, so full of hope, reveling in tiny dreams,

Filling up his arms with flowers, right for giving any queen.

Running to her, beaming bright, while cradling his prize.

A flickering of yellow light within his mother's eyes.

She holds them to her heart, keeping them where they'll be safe,

clasped within her very marrow, dandelions in a vase.

She sees love where anyone else would see weeds.

All hope is found, here is everything he needs.

Fathomless, your endless mercy, weight I could not lift.

Where do I fit in this puzzle, what good are these gifts?

Not a martyr or a saint, scarcely can I struggle through,

All that I have ever wanted was to give my best to you.

Lord search my heart, create in me something clean.

Dandelions; you see flowers in these weeds.

Gently lifting hands to heaven. Softened by the sweetest hush.

A father sings over his children loving them so very much.

More than words could warrant, deeper than the darkest blue.

More than sacrifice could merit, Lord I give my heart to you.

Lord search my heart, create in me something clean.

Dandelions; you see flowers in these weeds.

Blessings,

Pastor Shea

 Shallow Wells are being built in Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia, even as the Covid crisis has prevented American volunteers from traveling to these countries. To build a well, the African village makes the bricks and provides the sand, stone and unskilled labor.  Marion Medical Mission provides only what the village cannot, such as cement, Mark V galvanized steel pump, PVC pipe and skilled African well builders. Once the well is built, the village agrees to maintain the clean water source over the years. Marion Medical Mission’s accomplishments are astounding.  Together with the Africans, they have built 42,205 wells in these three countries, providing an estimated 5 million people with a sustainable source of safe drinking water.  In one year, they build over 3000 wells covering over 60,000 square miles, providing 396,500 people, (237,000 children) with the safe water. The Well program is made up of dedicated, capable, passionate people.  They always say, “When we pray, we move our feet.” 

 I have had so much go on in these last few weeks; it’s been hard to pick one topic that I want to write about. Usually, I aim for the comical part of my life, because if you can’t laugh at yourself, you become a very sour person. Lately, it’s been a different kind of disaster that I’ve been dealing with (see picture above). One of those things where, you show up, see the chaos, and the only emotion you have is to cry. After a good cry, it’s amazing how quickly you start grasping for anything to make you happy. You start telling yourself, “It could have been so much worse.” or “At least no one was hurt.” It’s like I’m trying to grasp at the air around me to breath, because I want to be positive, I want to be upbeat, but I had a punch to my gut that has left me gasping. Once that feeling goes away and I start feeling better, I quickly try to look at the funny side of things. I want to laugh; I want other people to laugh, because “things could be so much worse”. I’m trying my best to deal with things that are out of my control. So that’s the stage that I’m at right now. I have a long road of chaos ahead of me, and I’m ready for it. We are told that God only gives you what you can handle. There are times when I would like to say to God, “Hey I really don’t appreciate this extra chaos that you’ve given me, so knock it off.”, but He does these things for a reason. Maybe I needed to take a step back in life and look at the bigger picture around me. Look at how people have gathered to help me. All these people are people that God has brought into my life. Maybe it’s to make me a stronger person. This is one of those stories where; when you’re ready to talk about it to others; you always end up saying “God had His hand in this.” And as long as I know that, it makes it easier to deal with the things that are out of my control. 

 Our church family is invited to celebrate Kennon's graduation on August 20th at 2pm.  It will be at our home at 884 County Rd 3, Redwood (Rossie), NY 13679.  You can RSVP to Jen at JenGardner1@gmail.com or 315-528-7303.  Hope to see you there! 

 The next Hammond Food Pantry will be Thursday. July 28th, from 9:30 top 11:00 at the Hammond Fire Hall. Everyone is asked to line up behind the Fire Hall and in turn, sign in and the food will be brought out by the volunteers. Food Sense program is the same day at noon or after. Food Sense has no income requirements. A monthly listing of the food is available and orders must be submitted and paid for ahead of time.  Anyone interested in either program may contact Joan Hadlock at (315)324-5517. 

 In July we continue our coverage of Mission Support Opportunities for 2022 with a very close to home opportunity: The Hammond Food Pantry. It serves 90 families mostly from the Hammond, Morristown, and Rossie areas. Our church community and local people have consistently supported this organization, but with rising costs, donations would be greatly appreciated and put to good use. During our July 17 worship service Joan Hadlock will highlight this program and the good work it does. There will be envelopes available for donations. July 28 is the next food distribution at the Hammond Fire Hall.  

 Community Ice Cream social open to EVERYONE!!! Sunday, July 24th from 12pm-3pm at the Hammond Presbyterian Church. Please bring a donation for the food pantry, monetary or non-perishable items 

Come One, Come All to the Hammond Presbyterian Church Yard Sale on Saturday July 9

On Sat., July 9 (the date of the town-wide yard sale), there will be a yard sale at Hammond Presbyterian Church 8 AM-1 PM. Please come and check it out. You never know what treasures you may come across. 

If you want to sell your items at the sale, please contact Anne at (315)324-5485 or email thegasguys527@gmail.com soon for details and to reserve a spot. All sale items remaining at the end of the day will be taken home by the seller. There will be no fee for hosting your sale at the church, but monetary donations will be accepted if you wish to offer.

Hammond Presbyterian Church will be having their Famous Friday Fish Fry on August 5th. Pre-Order Pick-Ups will be from 4pm-5pm. To Pre-Order your meal, please call or text (315) 514-9233 (anytime) with your name, phone number and how many dinners you would like, and someone will contact you with a time slot, so you can have a nice hot meal ready. This dinner is TAKE OUT ONLY!!

Menu Includes:
Fish (with homemade tartar sauce), Salt Potatoes, Cole Slaw, and Dessert

Adult meals: $15
Kids meals: $7.50

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Tara at the phone number above.

In commemoration of the church’s 200thAnniversary, a memorial monument is planned to recognize the seventeen original founding members of the Presbyterian Church of Rossie, now known as Hammond Presbyterian Church. The founders started the church in April, 1821.

The monument will be located in front of the church where anyone passing by will be able to read the founders’ names.

This monument project will be fully funded by donations. All gifts are greatly appreciated!

Checks may be made out and sent to “Hammond Presbyterian Church” with Monument Fund noted in the memo. PO Box 193, Hammond, NY 13646.

The picture included here is a rough draft idea of what the monument will be.  

" the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people,"

-1 Samuel 13:14b

In a recent Bible study on 1 and 2 Samuel, one of the participants raised something that had startled her to discover. "I didn't realize King David was such a complex character," she mused. Several other people in the room agreed, remarking that the David they'd learned about in Sunday School and church services was an exceptionally good man who made a single regretful mistake. The David of Scripture, meanwhile, has plenty of flaws and shortcomings and mistakes. Yet he's still celebrated as a good man, a good king, and even "a man after [God's] own heart."

This led the group to consider the way we remember historical figures. If we think of them as "good," we scrub away all their flaws, foibles, and missteps until what we have left is a near-perfect hero. If they're "bad," we focus solely on their negative traits until a villainous caricature emerges. We do this not only with biblical characters, but kings and presidents, rebels and dissidents, religious leaders and artists, and even the members of our own families. We decide whether someone was good or bad, then emphasize the parts of their life which fit that predetermined narrative.

While it might seem like we're honoring our heroes by celebrating their good traits, I think it might actually work against us. If David was a great, near-perfect hero, then you or I can never measure up to him. We can never hope to be called people after God's own heart. All we can do is sit back in awe of his legendary greatness.

If, on the other hand, we can accept the entirety of how David is portrayed in Scripture - taking his foibles, flaws, and mistakes alongside his goodness, faith, and devotion - then suddenly he looks a lot more human. A lot more like us. 

So if, in his flawed humanity, David could strive to pattern his life after the heart of God, then maybe you and I can too. We will certainly fall short, err, and otherwise fail to live up to the ideals we profess. But we can profess them anyway, do our best to meet them, and trust God can make something good from our efforts. I think it's at least worth a try.

Blessings,

Pastor Shea 

 We were all anxious for Fellowship/Coffee Hour to start up again.  Now is your chance to take part.  Please sign up to host one Sunday. The refreshments can be very simple, just enough for us to snack on and visit with one another.  The Deacons  

Our mission co-worker in West Africa, Josh Heikkila writes about the following: Some time ago, the community of Saboba in Northern Ghana asked how the church could help them with community development. Area rice farmers were having to sell their rice at low prices to a middle man. It was decided that if the PC USA could provide funds to purchase a miller and grinder for the rice, the church could provide electricity and use the garage at the manse to house the equipment. In 2019, $6000.00 was provided to purchase the necessary macninery and by spring 2020, everyth8ing was up and running. Now the farmers, mostly women, can bring their rice directly for milling and grain grinding services before selling. The operation also employs several church members to run the facility and the church makes a small profit at the same time

to help with maintenance and upkeep of the operation. This project truly shows the church working the community to help meet an important need for the local people. The Saboba church

and community have put together a committee to oversee the operation and plan for the future.

This month Hammond Food Pantry will be held Thursday, May 26 at the Hammond Fire Hall from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Cars will line up at the back of the Fire Hall and move up and income eligible clients will sign in at the back door. Food will be brought out to your car by volunteers. The same day, the Hammond Food Sense program will be held starting at noon. Food Sense is separate from Food Pantry and has no income requirements. Food Sense must be ordered and paid for ahead of time. A monthly Food Sense menu has a set unit of food, with meats, produce, family meals for $20.50, and several specials which can be ordered separately. Food Sense is a good value for the money. For information on Food Pantry or Food Sense, contact Joan Hadlock at (315) 324-5517.  

HAMMOND FOOD PANTRY

The next Hammond Food Pantry will be Thursday, June 23rdfrom 9:30 top 11:00 at the Hammond Fire Hall. Everyone is asked to line up behind the Fire Hall and in turn, sign in and the food will be brought out by the volunteers. Food Sense program is the same day at noon or after. Food Sense has no income requirements. A monthly listing of the food is available and orders must be submitted and paid for ahead of time. Anyone interested in either program may contact Joan Hadlock at (315)324-5517.

 The other day, my husband and I were driving down the road and I see a lump trying to cross the road as fast as possible and I quickly say to my husband, “Pull over, that’s a turtle.” My husband stops about a foot from the turtle and the poor guy saw his end coming because he just pulled everything into his shell and you can practically hear him praying to the turtle gods not to become road kill. Also, I am the one who always suggest that we stop to move the turtles, but once the car is in park, I look on lovingly to my husband to get out of the car and help the poor turtle on its way. Not today. I hopped out of the car and ran up to the little fella, realized my mistake and started to bargain with it. “Please don’t try to bite me or go potty on me while I move you, and I promise I will get you closer to your destination.” So I quickly picked up the turtle, brought him over to the side of the road, ran back to the car triumphantly and then remember what my husband does and say, “Do you want me to bring him over to you so you can see him? He’s a big guy.” (This is also why I begged the turtle not to go potty on me, because usually when my husband picks them up to move them, he always brings the turtle to the car for everyone to see and gets pottied on.) My husband told me that it was okay and to get back in the car and I was proud of the good deed I had done. And isn’t that mainly what Jesus told us all to do, to love each other as I have loved you. Maybe that’s why after doing a good deed, whether it’s something small or something big, you feel really good about it. And maybe when these opportunities present themselves, it God making sure that you don’t just drive past the poor little turtle on the road, but that you stop, and help and do as His Son has taught us to do and that’s why we feel so good. And it doesn’t have to be just helping a turtle cross the road. It could be the person in the store that can’t reach the item on the top shelf that you can, or when someone pays for your coffee in front of you at the coffee shop. It’s those little good deeds that God has placed before us to follow what Jesus has said. 

In our continuing coverage of PNNY Mission Support Opportunities for 2022, we focus in June on a church and community program: The Canton Second Chance Thrift Store and Food Pantry located at 30 Court St in Canton, NY. This organization also oversees The Richard Morrow Emergency Fund, The Giving Tree and The Back to School Program to help North Country residents with economic needs. Detailed information is on their website at www.ccpcanton.org. If you wish to support this group, donations can be sent to Church and Community, PO Box 55, Canton, NY 13617. This organization will be highlighted on June 19 and there will be envelopes available for donations during the offertory.

 Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the solemn truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain. The one who loves his l  

Season's Greetings

"There is a season for everything, and a time for every activity under the sky."

-Ecclesiastes 3:1

In ancient Rome, the first of May was part of Floralia; a festival marking beginning of Summer.

Among the Celts and their descendants, the first of May has been celebrated as Beltane; a spring festival that marks the beginning of fair weather and outdoor activity.

In the North Country on the first of May, there is no festival, and there's still about a 20% chance of another accumulating snowfall before we're done for the year.

Summer in the Mediterranean, Spring in the British Isles, and a credible threat of snow along the St Lawrence River, all on the same day. 

When we talk about seasons, we often do so with a certain air of universality. Sunday, March 20, the Vernal Equinox, was "The first day of Spring." But the truth is seasons vary from place to place, from year to year, and even from person to person.

The same is true for life's seasons. Some of them are near-universal, as in the days of the Great Depression. Others impact local communities, such as in our area when tourist season begins and the summer people arrive. Still others are deeply personal, experienced only by individuals or along demographic lines. What is a season of celebration and excitement for one person may be a season of sadness for another. One generation's season of having children is another's season of retirement.

We are witnessing a change of seasons this month. Temperatures will rise. Grass will grow. Flowers will bloom. Snow will (probably) stop falling. As we experience this change in season in the world around us, it is a good time to reflect on our own lives: What seasons am I currently experiencing? Are any of them changing? What is it time for me to be doing now?

Whatever your season may be, I pray it is a blessed one.

Pastor Shea

 We will at long last resumed fellowship time after Sunday services. A signup will be located in the social hall for those wishing to provide refreshments. We ask that anyone doing so please follow good food safety practices. Food can be individually portioned in advance, or served on request by the person who prepared it. Gloves should be worn while serving food. Please do not serve food if you are feeling sick.  

 Our Easter Memorial gifts this year totaled $425.00 for our missionary in West Africa, Josh Heikkila, along with several beautiful spring plants for the sanctuary.  Many thanks to all who contributed.  The listing follows:    In memory of Milo and Eleanor Hollister, Lewis and Grace Paddock and Orphia Hollister given by Wayne and Lana Storie    In memory of Malcolm and Roberta McGregor given by Jennifer McGregor    In memory of Edwin C. Hadlock, Linda Gardner and Dawn Waiculonis from the Gardner family     In loving memory of my departed loved ones given by Elizabeth Scarlett    In memory of Robert and Alice Bickelhaupt, Robert and Dorothy Hunter, Maurice Maloy and Paul Young given by Gary and Marilyn Hunter    In memory of Mrs. Philip S. Decker and nephew, Phil given by Doug and Joan Delosh    In memory of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Delosh and daughter, Linda from Doug and Joan Delosh    In memory of the Cuthbert family and the Root family from Ann Root and Allison Barrigar    In memory of Paul Saphier. Alice and Joseph Kaselow and Frederick Saphier given by Evelyn Saphier    In memory of Wayne Weber given by Dot Weber    In memory of Ed Hadlock and other deceased family members given by Joan Hadlock    In memory of deceased members of Hammond Presbyterian Women   

We will be holding Blanket Sunday on Mothers’ Day, May 8th. Each Church World Service blanket is $10.00, providing warmth and shelter, comfort and privacy to families in need in our country and throughout the world. As you did it for the least of these...for those left homeless by tornados and hurricanes, for women’s shelters, for those facing war, for those living on the street...you did it for me. We will be collecting blanket donations the next two Sundays, so please give as many as you can. Checks should be made out to our church with “blanket fund” on the memo line. Thanks for your continuing generosity. Joan Hadlock

This month Hammond Food Pantry will be held Thursday, May 26 at the Hammond Fire Hall from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Cars will line up at the back of the Fire Hall and move up and income eligible clients will sign in at the back door. Food will be brought out to your car by volunteers. The same day, the Hammond Food Sense program will be held starting at noon. Food Sense is separate from Food Pantry and has no income requirements. Food Sense must be ordered and paid for ahead of time. A monthly Food Sense menu has a set unit of food, with meats, produce, family meals for $20.50, and several specials which can be ordered separately. Food Sense is a good value for the money. For information on Food Pantry or Food Sense, contact Joan Hadlock at (315) 324-5517.

In commemoration of the church’s 200thAnniversary, a memorial monument is planned to recognize the seventeen original founding members of the Presbyterian Church of Rossie, now known as Hammond Presbyterian Church. The founders started the church in April, 1821.  The monument will be located in front of the church where anyone passing by will be able to read the founders’ names.  This monument project will be fully funded by donations. All gifts are greatly appreciated!  Checks may be made out and sent to “Hammond Presbyterian Church” with Monument Fund noted in the memo. PO Box 193, Hammond, NY 13646.  The picture included here is a rough draft idea of what the monument will be.  

There are times where I find myself saying, “I can do it myself, but thanks for offering.” to friends and family. The other day, there was a leak from my toilet. Now, I know I’m no plumber, but I was told, “Its easy, just change the hose, turn on the water slowly, look for more leaks and tighten the hose and your done.” So my husband went away to visit his family and I had to stay home and I thought, “I can do it myself.” This is like something out of an “I Love Lucy” episode. Everyone can see the chaos coming except for the main character and that main character being me. Now, let me explain a little more that the water shut off valve is outside. I’m sure you’re already giggling knowing what’s going to happen next. So, I bravely went into the bathroom and disconnected the line to the toilet. Simple, done. I grab the new hose and connect everything. Another simple, done moment. I was so proud. I did it myself. I go outside where a friend asks, “Do you need any help?” to which I replied, “I got this.” Famous last words right there. I slowly turn on the water, go walking into the house and I hear the water filling the toilet. SUCCESS!! That was until I see a couple drips coming from the hose. I can’t have that, so I tighten the hose. Water starts spraying all over. OH NO! Tighten more, more water. Panic starts setting in and my brain goes, “TURN OFF THE WATER YOU FOOL!!” I run past my friend who asked to help me, quickly turned off the water, walked up to her and I say, “Yeah, maybe I could use a little help.” After looking at things for another minute, I said, “This is my husband’s problem when he comes home.” and left it at that.   “I could use a little help…” has been the start of many prayers I’ve had to God and I’m sure I’m not the only one to do that. He must have had a good chuckle at me the other day when I was trying to fix the hose saying, “You may not have asked for help, but I sent your friend out there for a reason.” and of course the subtle signs God sends me, I brush off. When will I learn that God is there for me for the big issues and the small issues that I think I can do myself. There’s so many times that God is there answering us, whether it’s a friend stopping by to say hi and offer a hand, a bright pretty flower that you have to stop and smell, or your favorite song that comes on when you need a pick me 

 The desire to support mission beyond the doors of our church has always been an especially important part of our church’s life both locally and globally. The Coordinating Council of the Presbytery of Northern New York provides churches in our region opportunities to continue this strong mission emphasis through a Presbytery Mission Pledge as well as direct support to Regional and Malawi partners in 2022. Hammond Presbyterian Church session has committed donations to several of these Presbytery mission partners for 2022. Our Presbytery Mission Pledge Initiatives include:  MINC (Ministry in the North Country) and the Watertown Multi-Ethnic Community. Our Direct Support to PNNY Regional Mission Partners include: Watertown Urban Mission, Helping Hands of Potsdam, Inc., Church and Community in Canton, and Renewal House also in Canton. Our Direct Support to PNNY Malawi Mission Partners include:  Women of Grace Widow’s Fund, Malawi Early Literacy Team, and Mzuzu Crisis Nursery. Hammond Presbyterian Church budgets money each year in support of all these worthy missions.   During the next several months as part of our Sunday morning service, we will spotlight each of our pledge partners to give everyone a better understanding of their mission and hopefully inspire others of our church’s commitment through additional individual support.   Please consider your personal commitment to these worthy mission partners.  HPC Session 

 Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the solemn truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain. The one who loves his life destroys it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards it for eternal life. If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow me, and where I am, my servant will be too. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

-John 12:23-26

The first biology lesson I ever remember being given was on the idea of the life cycle - the never ending turn of the wheel from seed to maturity to death and back again. My teacher, his voice deep and rich, made the whole thing sound beautiful, saying "When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life."

On second thought, I may not be remembering a biology lesson so much as a bit of dialog from The Lion King. Still, the message is biologically accurate. Life - all life - is sustained by that which used to be alive. 

As Jesus confronted his own imminent death, he appealed to this same cycle, comparing himself to a grain of wheat, which has to die for new life to spring up. He then goes a step further in his metaphor, describing death and life in an apparent paradox in which those who cling to their lives destroy them, while those willing to give their lives will save them. 

As Holy Week nears, there will be a lot of Christian messaging focused on Jesus' death - its brutality; its injustice; its agony; its merit. And understandably so. But that's not where Jesus' focus was in his final weeks. Rather, he was intently focused on his life's purpose, believing it was something worth giving his life. Along with this belief came the hope that death would not be the end of his purpose. It would rather be another stage in the life cycle. One which made it possible for new life to spring forth.

Jesus' focus on his purpose empowered him to face and accept his coming death because he knew something significant. Something which he tried repeatedly, in this passage and many others like it, to communicate to his followers:

The best thing to live for is something you're willing to die for. 

Jesus knew what he was living for was worth his life. This Holy Week, I encourage you to ask yourself whether the same is true for you.

Easter Blessings,

Pastor Shea

 Holy Week Schedule Holy Week is coming quickly, and HPC has several special services and activities planned to conclude the season of Lent and welcome Easter.  Palm Sunday, April 10 - Kick off Holy Week with our Palm Sunday processional. Children are especially invited to distribute palms and lay them in the aisle at the start of worship. Members of our children's Sunday School class will also serve as liturgists for the service. Maundy Thursday, April 14 - 7 PM, join us for a communion service, concluding with a Tenebrae (literally "service of shadows") recounting the "7 last words of Christ." Good Friday, April 15 - Our outdoor labyrinth will be open all day for a guided Stations of the Cross prayer walk. Booklets providing directions for the walk will be present at the entrance to the labyrinth. Come on your own or with a group at whatever time works best for you. Easter Sunday, April 17 - Resurrection Sunday will begin with a 6:00 AM Sunrise service at the Black Lake Boat Launch (26 1st St, Hammond, NY 13646), with church serving as a rain location. There will also be an Easter Breakfast before the regularly scheduled 10:30 worship service, and a children's Easter Egg Hunt after it.  

After Service Fellowship Beginning on April 24, we will at long last be resuming fellowship time after Sunday services. A signup will be located in the social hall for those wishing to provide refreshments. We ask that anyone doing so please follow good food safety practices. Food can be individually portioned in advance, or served on request by the person who prepared it. Gloves should be worn while serving food. Please do not serve food if you are feeling sick.  

 Immerse: Kingdoms The second installment of Immerse will begin gathering on April 24, and continue through June 12. Kingdoms is a reading Bible volume which works through Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1&2 Samuel, and 1&2 Kings. This eight week unit takes a fast paced, book club style approach to Scripture, and invites participants to approach the text as readers, not scholars. Adults are invited to gather in the Pastor's Study at 2 PM, while youth will meet at 5:30 in the youth room. Learn more, access the audio book version, or order your copy of the book at https://www.immersebible.com/kingdoms/  

EASTER BREAKFAST sponsored by the Deacons, will be held Easter morning at 8:30 a.m. in the church dining room. Menu: Breakfast quiche casseroles, hot cross buns, mixed fruit, juice.   We hope everyone will join us for delicious food and fellowship on Easter morning.  

 EASTER EGG HUNT will be held following the 10:30 worship service  Join in the fun.. 

 I like to think of myself as a patient person. I never was when I was younger, but I’ve learned that sometimes I just need to sit back and wait and everything will work itself out. Now, sitting back might not be my strongest quality, because if I’m waiting for something, I need to stay busy or I will go insane. And let’s face facts for a quick second; if you’ve been a regular reader and know who I am, insanity isn’t a long walk for me at all. I walk the fine line of crazy town some weeks (my friends would tell you I live in crazy town, but they aren’t writing this article, so I’m going to make myself sound a little normal). Right now, I am waiting for something important and I’m trying very hard to keep myself busy. My husband always tries to show me how quickly he can make time fly when he’s waiting for something. “You say it’s ten days away, but today is almost over, so that’s nine, and tomorrow doesn’t count because it’s the weekend, so there’s two more days, and then a week of work which goes by in a day, so really your ten days is just 3 days from now when you look at it.” Remember I was saying my insanity isn’t a long walk for me, he’s one of my reasons I have an eye twitch. My husband is a big fan of telling me this though, “There’s no point in obsessing on the wait time. God has it in His hands and only He is in control of when that time is done.” And right now, that’s what I’m trying to do, let God do His job, and when He’s ready for me to fill in, I will get the information that I am waiting for. I’m sure God has His hands full with everything going on in the world, and if He prioritizes everything like us parents do, I can understand why my little want is at the bottom of His list of concerns, but it’s on His list. God has never forgotten anything we ask help for; He makes us wait though because even though the road is paved out in front of us, He’s trying to make things look beautiful so the waiting is completely worth it.  

 Beeswax Food Wraps are an easy to use and earth friendly way to use less plastic wrap and zip lock bags. Wrap bread, cheese, sandwiches, vegetables, or cover a bowl. Natural bee’s wax wraps are sustainable and a natural alternative to plastic wrap for food storage. Use the warmth of your hands to soften the wrap and create a seal. When cool, the wrap holds its shape. To reuse, just wash in cool water, let dry, and it’s ready to go. Handmade by us.  This workshop will include everything you need to make a set of 5 wraps: 1 large enough to cover a 9 x 13 pan, 2 for wrapping sandwiches or smaller casseroles, 1 large enough to wrap a loaf of bread and 1 small enough for wrapping cheese. A sample wrap is available in the church office.   Martha Cline, Hammond resident, will be leading this workshop and providing all the materials needed. She and Steve Goobic made these for Christmas presents this past season, as well as using them in their own kitchen.   For an all-inclusive cost of $25, you will make 5 wraps and take them home at the end of the workshop. It will take approximately 1 1/2 hours to make your wraps.  There is a limit to how many people can make their wraps at once (basically, 2 people at a time). We encourage people to pick a time so we can stagger participation and accommodate everyone.   Times are available on April 27th at 9 to 10:30 a.m., 10:30 to noon, and noon to 1:30. This makes room for 6 participants. A minimum of 4 people are required to offer this. If the mentioned time slots fill up, we can keep going into the afternoon!  Please call (406) 260-5036 to register. If you can pre-pay in the church office that would be very helpful. Make checks payable to Martha Cline.   

 The desire to support mission beyond the doors of our church has always been an especially important part of our church’s life both locally and globally. The Coordinating Council of the Presbytery of Northern New York provides churches in our region opportunities to continue this strong mission emphasis through a Presbytery Mission Pledge as well as direct support to Regional and Malawi partners in 2022. Hammond Presbyterian Church session has committed donations to several of these Presbytery mission partners for 2022. Our Presbytery Mission Pledge Initiatives include:  MINC (Ministry in the North Country) and the Watertown Multi-Ethnic Community. Our Direct Support to PNNY Regional Mission Partners include: Watertown Urban Mission, Helping Hands of Potsdam, Inc., Church and Community in Canton, and Renewal House also in Canton. Our Direct Support to PNNY Malawi Mission Partners include:  Women of Grace Widow’s Fund, Malawi Early Literacy Team, and Mzuzu Crisis Nursery. Hammond Presbyterian Church budgets money each year in support of all these worthy missions.   During the next several months as part of our Sunday morning service, we will spotlight each of our pledge partners to give everyone a better understanding of their mission and hopefully inspire others of our church’s commitment through additional individual support.   Please consider your personal commitment to these worthy mission partners.  HPC Session 

 Food Pantry for this month is Thursday, April 28th  from 9:30 to 11: at the Hammond Fire Hall. Guests will be asked to stay in their cars and line up behind the Fire Hall. As the line moves up, please come to the back door to be signed in.  The food will then be brought out to your car.  The Food Sense program is the same day as Food Pantry, and is open to anyone, regardless of income. Food Stamps may be used for Food Sense orders.  Each month there is a Food Sense menu with a unit of food for $20.50 and specials at various prices. Foods include meat and fish, fresh produce, some canned goods and family meals. Food must be ordered and paid for ahead of time. This is a great way to stretch your food dollars. For further information, contact Joan Hadlock at 315/324-5517.  

Hammond Presbyterian Church will be going digital with our Newsletter next month. All contents of our Newsletter are already posted monthly on our website at www.hammondpresbyterian.org, but with your help, we would like to be able to email everyone their Newsletter. This is where you come in. If you would like to be on our Newsletter email list, please email Tara at HPC215@gmail.com with your name and she will add you to our growing list. If Tara doesn’t hear from you, you will no longer receive a newsletter, so PLEASE make sure to get in touch with her. You don’t want to miss out on everything. For those who still want to receive paper copies, copies will also be available inside the church unless other arrangements have been made with Tara.  

 In commemoration of the church’s 200thAnniversary, a memorial monument is planned to recognize the seventeen original founding members of the Presbyterian Church of Rossie, now known as Hammond Presbyterian Church. The founders started the church in April, 1821.

The monument will be located in front of the church where anyone passing by will be able to read the founders’ names.

This monument project will be fully funded by donations. All gifts are greatly appreciated!

Checks may be made out and sent to “Hammond Presbyterian Church” with Monument Fund noted in the memo. PO Box 193, Hammond, NY 13646.

The picture included here is a rough draft idea of what the monument will be.  

 Does anyone remember who received the Deacons’ Award in 2016?  It was the year that we also honored Pastor Norma Murphy, who was leaving. The Deacons’ plaque is being updated and we cannot find the 2016 name anywhere. Joan Hadlock 

This year for our Easter Memorials, we will be supporting our Missionary in West Africa, Josh Heikkila.  Josh works in several West African countries, , bringing Christianity to the communities, while helping to improve their education, health and well being.  Those wishing to provide spring plants in addition to or in lieu of donations may do so.  Please let me know your wishes by Sunday, April 10th. Checks should be made out to Hammond Presbyterian Church with “Easter Memorials” on the memo line. Please list memorial/honorary names on the sheet. Additional sheets will be in dining room. Thank You So Much!  Joan Hadlock  

EASTER MEMORIAL/HONORARY GIFTS– 

Your Name ____________________________

Donations to Josh Heikkila Amount _____________________________ 

Names to be listed _____________________________

Offering of plants _____________________________ 

Names to be listed _____________________________

 Calling all Youth in grades 7-12! Our Youth Group is always welcoming new members!  Our ecumenical group takes part in a mix of fun and service (which is also fun!)  Recently, we have put on our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner, and enjoyed dinner and a movie.  We will take part in the church's roadside clean-up on April 2nd, and will begin our Spring Bible Study on April 24th.   Please contact Pastor Shea (revsheazellweger@gmail.com) or Jen Gardner (JenGardner1@gmail.com or 315-324-5940) for more info!   

Again we keep this solemn fast A gift of faith from ages past These forty days that year by year Bid contrite hearts to Christ draw near -Gregory the Great  If you're like a lot of church-goers, you've probably already been confronted with a question that always arises at this point in the Christian Calendar: "What are you giving up for Lent?" It's a question worth pondering, but it's also one that's incomplete. When "Great Lent" was included in the liturgical calendar, it was introduced as a season with not one, but three purposes: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These purposes were not thrown together at random. Rather, they were seen as interrelated.  In a world where all food was scratch made, fasting from meat, dairy, oil, and alcohol meant far less time had to be committed to meal preparation, which gave people more time for prayer and reflection. For those who could afford them, going six weeks without those luxuries also represented a significant financial savings, which could be dedicated to the giving of alms. Combined, these three practices represent a reorientation away from selfish interest and toward the love of God and love of neighbor which are the foundation of Christian teaching. In contemporary America, the original practices of Great Lent don't necessarily translate. It's believed US consumers spend fewer resources on food than at any other point in history, and are preparing fewer of our own meals than ever before.  So the question "what are you giving up for Lent?" is a reasonable one, as we are faced with considering what practices we could abstain from in order to gain the same savings of time and resources. Fasting in 21st century America is going to look different than it did in 1st century Judea. But let's not stop at "what am I giving up?" as though this season is all about the fasting. Let's remember the threefold purpose of Lent and dig a little deeper, asking ourselves "how will this fast draw me closer to God and my neighbor?"  Blessings, Pastor Shea

 HAMMOND FOOD PANTRY Food Pantry for this month is Thursday, March 24th  from 9:30 to 11: at the Hammond Fire Hall. Guests will be asked to stay in their cars and line up behind the Fire Hall. As the line moves up, please come to the back door to be signed in.  The food will then be brought out to your car.  The Food Sense program is the same day as Food Pantry, and is open to anyone, regardless of income. Food Stamps may be used for Food Sense orders.  Each month there is a Food Sense menu with a unit of food for $20.50 and specials at various prices. Foods include meat and fish, fresh produce, some canned goods and family meals. Food must be ordered and paid for ahead of time. This is a great way to stretch your food dollars. For further information, contact Joan Hadlock at 315/324-5517.  

 MISSIONS Marion Medical Missions reports that for the second year, no American volunteers have been able to travel to Malawi, Zambia or Tanzania because of Covid. Yet in 2021 over 3,379 new wells were built, covering 60,000 square miles in these countries. This means that 400,000 people now have sustainable, safe drinking water. They will be able to work in their fields longer lessening starvation and the children will no longer die from contaminated drinking water. Villagers are told that their wells are special because Christians shared the love of Jesus with them. Over several years, Hammond Presbyterian Church has funded eight shallow well, at $450.00 each. This is a remarkable record of our love and generosity towards this program. Many thanks to all of you who have donated toward the shallow well program. As an African proverb states, “When you pray, move your feet.”  And we have.  Joan Hadlock   

 Ash Wednesday Service will be held Wednesday, March 2, at 7 PM in the chapel. This brief service of song and reflection will conclude with the traditional imposition of ashes. For those who wish to participate but have concerns about direct contact, Pastor Shea will offer the opportunity to self-apply your ashes.   

 Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt Lenten book study It's not too late to join in our Lenten book study, reading a novelization of a year in the life of a very young Jesus. Gatherings begin on March 6, and Pastor Shea has a limited supply of spare copies of Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt available while you are waiting for your own to arrive. Our reading plan for the season is as follows: March 6 - Chapters 1-4 March 13 - Chapters 5-10 March 20 - Chapters 11-15 March 27 - Chapters 16-19 April 3 - Chapters 20-22 April 10 - Chapters 23-26 (end)  

 Immerse: Kingdoms The second installment of Immerse will begin gathering on April 24, and continue through June 12. Kingdoms is a reading Bible volume which works through Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1&2 Samuel, and 1&2 Kings. This eight week unit takes a fast paced, book club style approach to Scripture, and invites participants to approach the text as readers, not scholars. Adults are invited to gather in the Pastor's Study at 2 PM, while youth will meet at 5:30 in the youth room. Learn more, access the audio book version, or order your copy of the book at https://www.immersebible.com/kingdoms/  

 I was giggling as I wrote that title because it’s 7 outside and no sign of greenery anywhere, but this was a conversation I had with my daughter when we got on the topic of Groundhogs day. She got all upset thinking that winter will never end because 6 more weeks is a life time to a 6 year old, but I had to keep telling her, Spring is coming and no cute animal who thinks it can predict the weather can stop it from happening. But it’s still very cold outside and I have no plans on pulling my shorts out anytime soon. And I think that’s the problem here, my kids are starting to get cabin fever and want to be able to run around outside and do all the fun things that we do when the weather is warmer. I usually take the kids on a cabin fever break mini vacation out to Syracuse for an overnight (which will be in a couple weeks still) just so we can enjoy not being stuck in the house anymore. By the time the weather gets nice, a pack of wild dogs couldn’t keep us inside anymore.   Spring is already here though with God. Spring is about being warm and growing and with God’s help in our lives, that’s what we continue to do. That warm feeling in your soul is Gods own personal spring that He has given just for you to grow and become something beautiful. It doesn’t matter if its 7 or 70 God will always know when it’s the right time to have a change in the weather to show you that there is always room for growth. The trees and the grass that He helps grow with the warmth of the sun, is there helping you grow with the warmth that God puts into your soul.   

Hammond Presbyterian Church is looking to go digital with our Newsletter. All contents of our Newsletter are already posted monthly on our website at www.hammondpresbyterian.org, but with your help, we would like to be able to email everyone their Newsletter instead of mailing out paper copies. This is where you come in. If you would like to be on our Newsletter email list, please email Tara at HPC215@gmail.com with your name and she will add you to our growing list. With luck, we will be able to cut down on our paper copies and save a few trees in doing so. For those who still want to receive paper copies, we will still be mailing out copies and copies will also be available inside the church.  

In commemoration of the church’s 200thAnniversary, a memorial monument is planned to recognize the seventeen original founding members of the Presbyterian Church of Rossie, now known as Hammond Presbyterian Church. The founders started the church in April, 1821.

The monument will be located in front of the church where anyone passing by will be able to read the founders’ names.

This monument project will be fully funded by donations. All gifts are greatly appreciated!

Checks may be made out and sent to “Hammond Presbyterian Church” with Monument Fund noted in the memo. PO Box 193, Hammond, NY 13646.

The picture included here is a rough draft idea of what the monument will be.