Love to you from Peace

Dear Friends of Peace,

Today, Maundy Thursday, is so named because of the mandate of Christ "to love one another as I have loved you."  We are sending you love today from Peace Church in the Spirit of Christ. 

The love we send to you is not some sweet syrupy love but the love that desires the best for you and the best out of you.   It is not a perfect love, because we fail to love as sacrificially as Christ, but we will not stop aiming to be Christ's faithful followers.   We strive for a love, so broad, so deep, so forgiving, that ALL people feel the loving acceptance of God and the loving challenge to become all that God created them to be.   Aim higher with us, will you?

We send you love and prayers on this day of the mandate, the day when Jesus stooped to wash the feet of his disciples, the day when he broke bread and said, "this is my body given for you."

We will break bread tomorrow evening, Good Friday at 7:00, as we travel through the Passion narrative "From Last Supper to Last Breath" with meal, scripture, art, music, and prayer.  We encourage you to be at Peace with us as we walk through the last day of Christ's life, when his sacrificial love and peace-loving Spirit is so very evident.

Then on Easter morning at 10:00, join us in moving from "Tears to Joy" with Mary and the disciples as they discover Christ is risen, risen indeed!   He is alive today.  Because he lives, we can face tomorrow.   So let all creation sing "Hallelujah forever and ever, forever and ever..."

Easter morning's joy will spill over into a time of peaceful fellowship with an egg hunt at 11:30.   Youth hide.  Children find.   Parents smile.   Easter story books will be presented to all the little ones.

May the deep love, peace, and joy of this Holy week fill your souls and transform your lives!

Pastor Elizabeth

Holy Week at Peace 2013

Good Friday at 7:00   From Last Supper to Last Breath This somber, reflective service will remind you of the gift of God’s “suffering-with-us” compassion in Jesus Christ.  It is appropriate for all ages to participate. We begin with a simple supper at 7:00, somewhat reminiscent of the Passover that Christ shared with his disciples.   We still have need of the following:  olives and grapes, baby carrots and hummus.   Please let me know if you can bring enough for two tables of eight or nine people.   Personal, confidential prayers of confession will be delivered to the base of the cross and burned at the end of the service.   A mini drama at the communion table will take us to the origin of the Sacrament.  Each elder will take the unleavened bread and the unfermented wine to serve his or her table after the communion prayer. Each reading that follows will walk us through the pivotal events of Jesus’ last hours.   The prayers, visual images, and music will guide our reflection on Christ’s suffering love.  We will end in silence and depart at 8:30.   We hope that by the end of the service you will be able to answer affirmatively the question of our opening spiritual, Were You There?  The joy of Easter is more bountiful for those who take time and energy to enter into the sadness of Friday.   (For the record, I do enjoy March Madness, and I will be recording basketball games for viewing later.) Easter Morning at 10:00 – From Tears to Joy We will not be able to gather at 5215 Lorraine Road for a sunrise service, because we have not sealed the deal. But of course we will be ready to worship at 10:00 at 10902 Technology Terrace (MAR). We will celebrate the good news of the resurrection with brass, chimes, and lots of Hallelujahs.   John 20:1-18 will take us with Mary from tears to joy as she discovers Jesus is alive.   The children will remind you of the wonder of baptism when we sing Lord of the Dance. After worship, at 11:30 we will have an Easter egg hunt and good conversation.  Free Easter story books will be provided for all young ones.   We look forward to celebrating the joy of Easter with you!   Remember, if you have been at Peace for more than month, we consider you family, so help us to welcome all guests on Easter.  Guide them to restrooms, nametags, to the nursery and to new friends.  Help them feel comfortable. With love and prayers for a growing vibrant discipleship in all of you, Pastor Elizabeth

Be at Peace This Holy Week 2013

Dear Peacemakers,

The heart of our journey with Christ into death and new life... Holy Week is here again.   Palm Sunday we will begin our worship with the choir singing “Prepare the Way” and a procession of palms led by Pastor Tricia and all the families with youth and children.   After worship, we will build authentic relationships over a potluck brunch.   Bring some food to share and if you can remember, save a tree by bringing some plates from home.   Kids club will meet at 12:30.

On Good Friday evening at 7:00, we will recall with a simple meal, music, scripture, and prayer the last day of Jesus’ life from his last supper to his last breath.   You are encouraged to sign up to bring supplies for a very simple supper.   Jesus and disciples were having the Passover meal when he broke the bread, poured the wine, and began to say some very strange things about his body and blood.   Please sign up to bring some of the following:  cheese/crackers, hummus/carrots, grapes/olives, or grape juice/pita bread – enough for two tables of eight.

Easter morning at 7:00 we will have a short outdoor sunrise service at 5215 Lorraine Road, followed by the main service at 10:00 10902 Technology Terrace (MAR)  ending with the Hallelujah Chorus.   The youth will hide eggs for the children at 11:30 while Pastor Tricia shares with them the Easter story from the egg basket.   It will be a day of rejoicing.  Thanks to all the musicians who have prepared so well.

An update on the 5215 Lorraine Road Property:  We have extended the due diligence deadline to April 18 to negotiate with C1 Bank a lower price, due to the cost of mold remediation and the irreparable damage to the portable classrooms.   We are all eager to get into the building to make plans and start work, but that will have to wait until this issue is resolved.   We will keep you posted, and trust me, we will not move into the building until the air is clear!   Your Building Vision Team leaders are doing a great job and have the advice of a trustworthy real estate lawyer who is a member of First Presbyterian, Sarasota.

For those who may have missed Pastor Tricia’s email, she and her family will be moving the end of June as Clay has accepted a call to serve at Rivermont Presbyterian of Chattanooga, TN.  We will greatly miss Pastor Tricia and the whole family when they go, but we have to be happy for Tricia and Clay as they will be united in service to one church, and not too far from their extended family.

Come celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem this Sunday or the stones will be shouting!

Christ's grace and peace be with you,

Pastor Elizabeth

Saturday Building Assessment Cancelled....

Dear Peacemakers, I am sorry that we must cancel the assessment tour of the building this Saturday.   Because we have crossed so many hurdles in this process, it is easy to forget that the property still does not belong to us.   It is going to be impossible for us to get into the building on Saturday, even though we thought we had clearance when we set this date.   Please be patient and delay your gratification a bit longer.   We will keep you posted about next week-end’s possibilities. This Sunday’s scripture is Philippians 3:4b-14, which invites us to consider with Paul, the surpassing value of knowing Christ and his resurrection.  The challenge is that knowing Christ’s triumph involves knowing his suffering and death too.    This is our heavenly calling – to suffer with Christ and be raised with him.  As this is the last Sunday before Palm Sunday and Holy Week begin, so let me remind you of our schedule: Palm Sunday Worship will begin with a processional led by our families with children and youth.  The morning will conclude with a potluck brunch.   Children and youth will have classes after eating.   Adults will enjoy an extended time of relationship-building.   Please sign up to bring food or to help with set up or clean up. Our Good Friday service at 7:00 on the 29th is a journey from Last Supper to Last Breath.   We will begin with a very simple meal, reminiscent of the Passover meal Jesus would have had with his disciples.   Those who are able are encouraged to sign up to bring one of the following for two tables of eight:  pita bread, grape juice, cheese/crackers, grapes, olives, or hummus/carrots.   Assuming we can close on March 28th, we will have a brief sunrise service at 5215 Lorraine Road at 7:00 on Easter morning.   Our Celebration of the Resurrection, “From Tears to Joy” will be at the Realtor’s Building at 10:00.   An Easter egg hunt for children will follow at 11:30, with youth helping hide eggs.   You are invited to BYOF – bring your own flower (lilies or other flowers in pots) as signs of new life, and if you will let us know, we can include names in honor or memory in the Easter bulletin. Thanks to all who have been involved in many mission activities during Lent and to all our choirs who work hard weekly to lead our worship and fill our prayers with such inspiring music.  Peace to you, Elizabeth

Dear Peacemakers,

Sunday's  scripture is one of my favorites – the parables of the lost and found, most notably the story of the prodigal son, also sometimes known as the story of the loving father.    We continue our journey through Lent remembering the value of returning to the One who loves us best. 

How are you doing with drawing nearer to Christ through your Lenten discipline?   I have aimed in Lent to give up complaining as well as all meat, poultry, and fish.   The food adjustment has been far easier than the attitude adjustment.   I’m so thankful that the forgiving, loving God welcomes me home, despite my wayward spirit.

This Sunday some of us will be feeding the 125 who are “walking for fair food” with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers from March 3-17.   Lunch will be at 1:00 at Pride Park in Bradenton.  Come, build relationships and mile a mile or two in the farmworkers moccasins, if you feel so called.

Would you like to hear about the medical work of Presbyterian missionaries in Bangladesh?   Please reply to me and let me know if you can attend at Church of the Palms in Sarasota at 9:00 Tuesday morning.   I need to send a headcount.

Saturday, March 16 at 10 and Sunday, March 24 at 1:00 are our Building Assessment Dates.   All are invited to participate in assessing the space to guide the Building Vision Team and Session in decision-making about renovation at the Faith Church site.

Holy Week Schedule:

• Palm Sunday Worship followed by Brunch (sign up to bring food)
• Good Friday Service at 7:00   (sign up to bring simple food)
• Easter Sunrise Service at 7:00 at new property
• Easter Worship at 10:00 and Egg Hunt for kids at 11:30

Remember that we lose an hour early this coming Sunday morning.   Go ahead and spring your clocks forward at dinner time on Saturday.   It helps with the loss.

Peace be with you,

Elizabeth

Dear Peacemakers,

At the quarterly meeting of Peace River Presbytery this week, a unanimous decision was made to guarantee Peace’s loans, one more positive step toward the closing on March 28!   Seven Peace ministers and elders were present to celebrate with Presbytery, and to connect on other business and worship at First Presbyterian in Sarasota.

Our fabulously fun kickball picnic (March 2) has been postponed, due to conflicts.   Stay tuned for a re-schedule.   Also, in news from the Fellowship Team, you have probably noticed the simpler snacks of late.   This is an experiment to see if less might be more!   Less eating, more relating.   So if you are on a snack list, please ignore it.   There will be opportunity to sign up for a Palm Sunday Potluck on March 24 and to bring snacks for kids and drinks for adults, but on a volunteer basis.   Your input is valued as the Fellowship Team evaluates this new strategy.

All for the hungry… sing, walk, or give:  The Voices and Peace and the Men’s Octet will be singing at 6:30 Saturday night at the Harvest Music Festival on Lorraine Road.   Come support them and give an offering.   The CROP Walk is this Sunday at 2:00.   If you’d like to walk, speak to Jim Padula or Pastor Tricia.   If you’d like to sponsor walkers, write checks payable to Peace with CROP in the memo line please.   This week we Deiberts are taking the Lenten Challenge by saving our food receipts to see how much we beyond $93 we have spent so we can compassionately assist those who are struggling to make it on $31/person/week.

The Building Vision Team is scheduling two building and grounds assessment days in March – probably Saturday morning, the 16^th and Sunday afternoon, 24^th.   Ministry teams and other volunteers are invited to come and take part in figuring out what needs to be done.  All final decisions rest with the Ministry Teams, the Building Vision Team and Session.  But all ideas are welcome, because when we close, we will want to be ready to take action in April and May.

Sunday morning we will focus on Isaiah 55 and what it means to live with peace, joy, and love – an abundant life with God! Sunday night it will be interesting to watch the first of five episodes of “The Bible” on the History channel at 8:00.  This ten-hour series culminates on Easter night with the story of Christ’s resurrection.
Peace, joy, and love to you all,

Elizabeth