Newsletter

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always with joy in every prayer for you, because of your fellowship in the gospel from the very first day until now, and I am confident that the one who began a good work in you will carry it through to completion at the day of Christ.

Philippians 1:3-6

As any maple producer will be happy to tell you later on this month, trees have a lot of water running through them. And when trees are cut down and turned into lumber, they continue to have a lot of water within them. So much water that the general rule of thumb is that a board needs to dry an average of 12 months per inch of thickness before it stops shrinking and moving, which can add up very quickly and leave some pieces having to dry for the better part of a decade.

There’s a process in woodturning, used mostly for large pieces like bowls and vases, called “twice turning,” which is a remedy for these long waiting times. In essence, you put a piece of wood on the lathe, and carve your piece to the point of being about 90% done. this is the first turn, and it leaves you with a bowl whose walls are at most an inch thick. Then you put that 90% complete piece on a shelf and let it dry (and shrink and warp) for just a few months before putting it back on the lathe and finishing the project with the second turn.

If you decide to just do the whole thing in one go before drying, that final bowl will warp and become lumpy and football shaped or worse, break apart while drying. If you leave the wood untouched and wait for it to dry naturally, you’ll be waiting a very long time and risk losing the whole thing to rot. By twice turning, you address both these problems and, in a fairly short time, find yourself with a finished, stable, functional bowl.

I think the work to which God has called the church requires the same kind of active patience as twice turning. When Christians seek to refashion the world according to God’s will all at once, history tells us the resulting image of the Divine Kingdom is ugly, warped, and broken. On the other hand, when we withdraw entirely from the world around us waiting for the perfect conditions to manifest on their own, we find ourselves waiting indefinitely.

When we follow the example of Christ, though, we find that we must first work to create the conditions in which it is possible for that kingdom to be built, and only then can we give ourselves to its building, just as is being done in each of us. Jesus “began a good work in you,” and is now waiting to “bring it to completion at the day of Christ.” This season, let us begin new good works, that they too might one day be brought to completion at their proper time.

Blessings,

Pastor Shea

Every morning, I have the same routine. Wake up and start breakfast for the kids, get their lunch packed up, and make sure that they haven’t forgotten anything before they head off to school. During the winter months, I am constantly keeping track of the weather. If I know there is going to be a storm, I tell the kids the night before to turn off their alarm clocks just in case there is a delay. If there isn’t a delay, then I will wake them up, but if there is a delay, I can easily fall back to sleep, and the house will stay quiet. This morning, just like any other morning, I get up and start getting breakfast done. I have everything ready; my son is eating his breakfast when I hear it. The plow is going by my house. My heart sinks. OH NO, I forgot to check the weather and if we have a delay, I’m going to scream into a pillow at myself for not checking my phone. My little fingers couldn’t type fast enough, the sweat was pouring from my forehead, and I was so annoyed with myself. Thankfully, there were no delays this morning and I was able to continue my day. Have I learned my lesson? Probably not, but I was definitely reminded that even though we have had some snow melting days, that winter is not over.

Today was one of those days where I feel like, God is a big jokester. Almost like He had a “gotcha” moment on me. No harm at all in the joke, but it does make me stop and realize, I’m not always in control of my day. And its those little things that happen in a day where you might stop and go, “well that’s not what I was expecting to have happen...” that I realize, God is behind what is going on every day. Even on quiet days, when nothing is out of the ordinary, its those quiet days where God is letting you rest. And on those crazy days, when God is joking around by sending the snowplow by the house and not knowing if there is school, God is always there, for a giggle, for support, for love and understanding.

The Hammond Food Pantry is looking for a new Director or Co-Directors. This fulfilling volunteer position involves 10-15 hours per month, with about 1/2 of those hours being on-site delivery, set-up, and food distribution. Director(s) of the Food Pantry will be responsible for ordering food, organizing monthly food distributions, managing volunteers, and working with volunteers to ensure smooth operations and financial sustainability.  A background check will be completed through our parent organization, the Hammond Presbyterian Church. Candidates from our service area preferred (Hammond, Rossie, Brier Hill, Morristown, and Macomb). If interested or if you have questions, please contact Jen Gardner at 315-528-7303 or JenGardner1@gmail.com.   

The March date for food distribution is Thursday March 27 from 9 to 11. This is a continuous thank you to the generous people who continue to support our food pantry. If you wish to donate, mail donations to
Hammond Food Pantry
P.O. Box 193
Hammond, NY 13646
or online Hammondpresbyterian.org
Click on Give Now
Option to designate gift for the Hammond Food Pantry

All are invited to Thursday morning Lenten meditations in the chapel beginning on March 6 at 11:00 am and continuing on Thursday mornings until Easter.  This is a beautiful opportunity to contemplate in our hearts and deepen our understanding of the events leading up to Easter and the miracle of the Resurrection.

Thursday morning Lenten meditations will include: 

• the scripture of the upcoming week,
• mindfulness practice with awareness of the breath,
• devotional repetitive song,
• a period of silence (in approximately three 10 minute segments each).  
• We will conclude with prayer. 

Our Lenten meditations will last approximately 30 minutes. If you have any questions, please see Joanie or Evie.