Lent, Holy Week and Easter Worship

Williamsburg Presbyterian Church

Our Lenten worship services will continue at 7:00pm in the sanctuary

on Wednesday evenings through Holy Week, which begins on

Palm Sunday, April 9.

The services during Lent are a wonderful way to prepare our hearts

and minds for the Passion and Resurrection of Holy Week and Easter

Sunday. Our services are open to all and we encourage you to invite

your family and friends to join us. Childcare is provided at all

worship services.

Palm Sunday - April 9

Palm Sunday services on Sunday, March 20, will began Holy Week.

This year we will celebrate Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem and

his Passion with music and scripture. Worship service hours are 9:30

and 11:00am in the sanctuary.

Interactive Prayer Stations - April 10 - April 12

9am - 7pm in the Sanctuary.

Indoor Walking Labyrinth - April 10 - April 14

9am - 7pm in Stevenson Hall/Narthex.

Maundy Thursday - April 13

On Maundy Thursday, we will offer a worship service beginning at

7:00pm in the sanctuary. The service will be somber and reflective as

we anticipate His betrayal and celebrate His Last Supper. There will

be special music and liturgy for this service.

Good Friday - April 14

On Good Friday a Service of Tenebrae will be held at 7:00pm in the

sanctuary. The service of Tenebrae or “shadows.” is a traditional

Good Friday service that provides a way to keep watch with Jesus

during the hours leading up to His Passion.

Easter Sunday - April 16

Easter services are scheduled for 8:00am, 9:30am and 11:00am in the

sanctuary on Sunday, April 16. All services will feature special music

and scripture readings of the Resurrection.

UPCOMING WORSHIP

March 12 Second Sunday in Lent

Romans 5:1-11

Without One Plea

Pastor Harold McKeithen is preaching.

March 15 7:00pm Mid-Week Lenten Service/Celebration

March 19 Third Sunday in Lent

John 4:5-42

Gushing Eternal Life

March 22 7:00pm Mid-Week Lenten Service/Simplicity

March 26 Fourth Sunday in Lent

Youth Sunday

March 29 7:00pm Mid-Week Lenten Service/Fasting

April 2 Fifth Sunday in Lent

Communion Sunday

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Dry Bones, Breath, Open Graves

April 5 7:00pm Mid-Week Lenten Service/Giving

April 9 Palm Sunday

Matthew 27:11-54

Compelled to Carry His Cross

April 13 7:00pm Maundy Thursday

April 14 7:00pm Good Friday Tenebrae

April 16 8, 9:30 and 11am Easter Sunday

John 20:1-18

You Have Been Raised With Christ

OUR PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVE

On March 1, we began our Lenten season with Ash Wednesday Service and the imposition of ashes. Those who came forward receiveed the sign of the cross on their forehead with the grey ashes from palms we waved on Palm Sunday. The pastor’s said as they placed their blackened thumbs on your head, “Remember from ashes you have come and to ashes you will return, remember you are always a beloved child of God.” We remembered this night that life is fragile and a gift of God.

Some of you may have had to take a child to the emergency room because somehow they undid the child-safety lock on the cabinet under the sink and decided the pretty blue liquid looked delicious. You broke all the speed limits, rushed into the hospital and the nurses immediately took your sick child back to a bed behind a curtain. The doctor would quickly administer a dose of activated charcoal. I read that “activated charcoal is made from burning coconut shells and hardwood at a very high temperature. The resulting ashes are injected with steam and acid to create this incredibly fine powder. Charcoal does not break down in the digestive system, and because the power is so fine, it can move through the whole system into all the little folds. A fifty-gram dose has the square-foot coverage of more than a football field. And as it moves through the system, the charcoal binds to the toxins and absorbs them out of the tissue so that healing can begin. Everyday lives are saved by this black, burned powder.”

Like activated charcoal, the ashes we receive on Ash Wednesday remind us that we are sick and need healing. The sickness we have is sin; the actions, attitudes and thoughts that separate us from God. We are marked with the sign of mortality and remember how Adam and Eve were banished from the garden and would die because of their disobedience. Yet we make the mark in the sign of the cross, because we know that the cross is the antidote for the poison of our sin. The ashes which remind us of our death, will be washed clean by our Lord in his self-giving sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection to bring us new life. Jesus absorbs our sin cleansing us from the inside out with his forgiveness so that we can learn how to live in his love and grace.

Join us in this Lenten season as we prepare our hearts and minds for the grand mystery and celebration that is Easter. Let this be a time of letting Jesus absorb all at separates us from him so that we may walk the way of resurrection living. ~Peace, John

New Sunday Morning Class during Lent

This Lent we will be offering a chance for each of us to deepen our understandings of the gGifts that make us who we are and the calls that God may be making in your life. Our Sunday morning Gifted and Called class will take 5 weeks to begin this process by looking at subjects that make us unique and uniquely qualified for the work of God that needs to be done here at WPC and throughout our lives. Some of the broad topics we will be looking at:

March 5 – How Has God Empowered You?

March 12 – Gifts Given, Gifts Discovered

March 19 – Motivations and Community

March 26 – Passions and Surprise Gifts

April 2 – Where Do We Go From Here

Each class can be attended as a stand alone, but are best used as a unit. This is a great chance to look deeper at who we are and what God is calling us to. If you would like more information, please pick up a flyer from the Welcome Center or Welcome Cart at the church. Classes will be held at 9:30am in LL049 each Sunday.

A WORD FROM PASTOR RACHEL

A New Thing

“I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” – Isaiah 43:19a

Back in January, the UKirk Leadership Council met for the first time of 2017. The Council’s leadership follows the calendar year instead of the academic year. This year, we have 5 women at the helm leading our college fellowship, 2 of whom are new to the council entirely. We spent one Saturday afternoon spending time talking through the characteristics of our current UKirk group, what they felt the “ideal” campus ministry looked like, and taking those two lists, what was their “vision” for what UKirk could look like.

They came up with this mission/purpose statement: “We strive to be a group of students who are well known both at William and Mary and WPC as faithful, diverse, open-minded, welcoming Christ-followers. We do this through fellowship, outreach, and hospitality, so that we can serve each other, the church, and the world with the love of God.”

Pretty powerful stuff, am I right?!

As part of doing this, of being witnesses both at William and Mary as well as at WPC, they decided that they wanted to “have a thing.”

They said this, and I looked at them like they were crazy. “You want a what?” I asked.

“We want to have a thing that we’re known for,” one student said.

“Yeah,” another chimed in. “The Wesley Foundation is known for cookies and puppies at finals, and Intervarsity has a pancake night that they’re known for. So we want to have a thing that we’re known for, so that students know who we are.”

I nodded along with them. “All right, so what can set our ‘thing’ apart from other groups?”

The students started talking. “Well, we’re actually part of a church,” one of them said.

“There has to be free food,” someone else added.

More ideas were tossed around until they came to the idea of a spaghetti dinner. But they didn’t want it to just be any spaghetti dinner—they wanted it to be homemade. “And we want the congregation involved, because that sets us apart as a ministry too,” someone remarked.

And thus March Midterm Madness was born. It’s going to be a home cooked spaghetti dinner, and we’re inviting as many students from William and Mary as possible. It’s going to be on Saturday, March 18th from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., and will be a “rolling” dinner, where people can come whenever is convenient for them, and can grab and go, or stay and chat for a bit.

It’s new. It’s different. It’s exciting. It’s a new thing. These students are thinking big, but also thinking of ways to let people know, “Hey, we’re a family who likes to fellowship together and eat together at this building right across the street from campus, and it’s filled with a community of people who want to love you like crazy and do life with you. So, come join us.”

Friends, I hope that even if you can’t provide food (but let’s be honest—if you wanted to bring some bread or dessert to share, there’s no such thing as too much of that!), that you’ll come at some point in time that evening to not just show our students that you support them, but to also be witnesses to our neighbors right across the street.

FROM THE DESK OF “A”, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION MINISTRIES

While teaching my Supper Seminar session on February 1, I “mistakenly” included a slide from a previous presentation. Yet when asked “What are the practical things we can do to live well in the new paradigm?” it seemed like a good starting point. So this month I share something with you that was created a while back. About 2-3 years ago there was an internet article by a Christian leader giving his rules for his college aged daughter, I can’t remember who it was or what was on the list, but I do remember that the list bothered me a lot, and the idea there are “rules” we can give each other also bugged me, so the following list is made by me with the assistance of college students and recent grads and are “suggestions.” More importantly they are in no way meant to be something that only applies to a certain demographic, I truly believe we would all be more healthy, more loving, more human, more Christlike, more connected, and more in the image of God if we took these things seriously and tried to live them out. So without further ado, 20 suggestions for living life in the world today by people who mostly only have lived in it:

1. Surround yourself with people who you can trust and who want the best for you.

2. Think before you act, every actions has consequences.

3. Don't let anyone make you feel damaged, you are in the image of God.

4. Set boundaries you are comfortable with, and make others stick to them no matter what.

5. Always have a person who you can tell EVERYTHING to.

6. Be careful how you let someone into your life, but make sure to risk yourself when you feel it could be worth it.

7. If you think someone may be putting you at risk in any way, step away from them.

8. If someone hurts another person, go out of your way to take care of them and show them love.

9. Communicate with God, do this via words, art, music, whatever. And listen for responses in the world.

10. Take time away from all of the distractions of the world, it will help you hear truth.

11. Be nice to those who seem concerned about you. Listen to them, and sometimes trust them even when you disagree.

12. If you find yourself lying to those in #1 or #11, you may be in a place you really don't want to be. Step away.

13. Say No when in doubt. If your Yes can't be enthusiastic, take time to think about what's really going on before moving forward.

14. Don't stop just because you feel like you failed or are stuck, keep swimming, stuff happens, figure out what you're going to do next and do it.

15. Write. Tell you story and put it down in words or art regularly. We are not just in a moment, we are our stories.

16. Find community. Not just like minded people, not just people your age, gender, race, orientation, politics, etc. Find diverse people you can trust and who will push you to change.

17. If it doesn't build up others, don't do it.

18. Don't think you have all the answers or the right way to do something. When you feel this way you can devalue and judge others, and make it easier for others to do that too.

19. Wait, think, dialogue before forming opinions. Your immediate reaction may be right, but the emotions involved in that moment may cause more problems.

20. Think before you post. Nothing is private, all we do is shared, see #2. Also, remember not everyone may understand your context if they are distant from it.

UKIRK HIGHLIGHTS

Pictured here: UKirk students enjoying the view while attending the Montreat College Conference and at the Second Families/Kickoff Dinner with second families, and members of the Campus Ministry Team.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

Home Use Christian Education Books Available for Review

Sparkhouse, who supplies all our Children’s Sunday Educational products has recently created some at-home books and other pieces for our youngest children and are offering them at a discount to members of some congregations. I (“A”) was lucky enough to be part of the creation and vetting process of these new materials and think they are great, simple ways to share faith with families at home. So from March 19-April 2 we will have samples on hand of some of these faith formation pieces in the upstairs lobby area. If you are interested in any of them, let

“A” know and book fair style, we will place an order.

Alpha Class Spring Study

"God Loves Us" is the title of the Alpha Adult Sunday Bible study for Spring 2017. Using texts from books as varied as 1st John, John, Ephesians, Joel, Romans, and Jonah, we will examine God's incredible love for his people from different points of view. In March and April, God's love is described as eternal, preserving, and renewing, and then as caring, saving and upholding.

In May, our texts focus entirely on Jonah, where we see how God's love is shown even for seemingly unlovable and disobedient people like the Ninevites and Jonah himself.

The Alpha Adult Church School Class meets every Sunday morning (but skipping Easter) at 9:30am in room 011. We use our denomination's "Present Word" curriculum that is based on the Uniform Series of International Lessons. We have a rotating team of teachers who emphasize discussion and sharing while looking both at the original context and at current applications of God's Word in our lives. We invite all to join us, for a Sunday, a month, or forever. Coffee is available.

2017 Vacation Bible School Coming Soon!

VBS planning is already underway. The theme for this year’s VBS is Hero Central: Discover Your Strength in God, from Cokesbury, and we are ready to get started! VBS will take place at WPC, coordinated with our covenant church, St. Bede, and our neighbor church, Williamsburg Baptist, during the week of June 26-30, 2017, from 9am to noon. Many volunteers are needed to make this a dynamic, fun-filled week for our youngest church members and guests. You do NOT need to have children attending VBS to volunteer! ALL church members are welcome and encouraged to spend some time with our fun and energetic kids!

Volunteers are needed to:

Direct and assist in the following areas: Car Line, Nursery, Opening and Closing, Preschool (3 year olds), Arts and Crafts, Science Lab, Drama and Storytelling, Games, Snacks, Decorating, and the rising 6th grade Mission Project.

We also have important “behind the scenes” work to be done before, during, and after VBS, if you are not able to be there during the week.

Registration information (for volunteers and kids) coming soon! Check your weekly bulletin, future issues of The Kirk, and our Facebook page for updates!

If you would like to volunteer to help plan VBS 2017, please contact Jodie Davis (jdavis@mywpc.org).

CHRISTIAN OUTREACH

We Choose Welcome for Refugees

We are excited to announce that Session unanimously voted to

support Williamsburg Presbyterian moving forward to support

resettlement of a Refugee family. The Refugee Resettlement team

is working with Commonwealth Catholic Charities in Newport

News to locate a family to settle in Williamsburg. We are unsure

exactly when we will receive a family due to the current

government restrictions but we are moving forward with

preparations. We have formed the following teams to support

this mission: Pre-arrival, Arrival, Welcome Meal/Stock Pantry/

Kitchen, Apartment/Housing, Health, Conversation, Financial

Education, Job Development, Transportation, and

Acculturation/Hospitality. Thanks to those that have already

joined a team and are jumping in and helping with this welcoming initiative. If you are interested in getting more

information or joining one of the teams and participating in this mission, please contact Deidre Lenderking

(dmlender@cox.net or 229-2018).

An Update on the Refugee Resettlement Project:

Friday, February 24, Ms. Suheir Diyab,

representing Commonwealth Catholic

Charities in Newport News, spoke to our

WPC refugee resettlement team. We learned

that the picture is currently discouraging due

to the huge reduction in refugees being

allowed into the USA. Last year's 110,000, for

example, has now been cut to 50,000 and

many of these have already arrived. It appears

that no new refugees will be admitted between

March 3 and at least July, while the government reevaluates the vetting process.

Commonwealth Catholic Charities and Church World Service have both been hit hard by this reduction and have

now had to lay off multiple staff members and reduce the salaries of those remaining. This also means there will

be fewer services such as tutors, medical care and employment assistants for those refugees in our area who have

recently arrived. Realistically, we will be fortunate to get a family of our own before summer. The WPC team is

now seeking ways to provide some assistance to those who need it now. Suheir has agreed to supply us with a list

of needs and also to keep us updated on any changes in circumstances.

If you would like to help out financially, please send a check to either Commonwealth Catholic Charities

(CCCofVA.org) or Church World Service (CWSglobal.org), our Presbyterian partner, or speak to any member of

the refugee resettlement team. Your gifts will always be appreciated.

One Great Hour of Sharing 2017

“Then the king will say to those on his right hand, Come, you are blessed by my Father, inherit he kingdom

prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you

gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” Matthew. 25:34-36

On Sundays, April 9 and 16, we will have the opportunity to help

meet the needs of our neighbors through One Great Hour of

Sharing. As we hear about disasters here and around the world and

peoples living in poverty, many of us wonder how we can help.

One Great Hour of Sharing is one program of the PCUSA which

provides aid to those in need.

One well known program which receives support from One Great

Hour of Sharing is Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. This

organization works with congregations and mission partners to

care for communities affected by crises and catastrophes. (See

www.pcusa .o rg/

pda). A second

recipient is Presbyterian Hunger program

(www.pcusa.org/hunger) and the third is Self-

Development of Peoples (www.pcusa.org/sdop).

Many of us are wondering how to respond to the

suffering of Syrian children and families In 2017,

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is helping them.

This year they are donating $127,000 to support

refugee schools in Lebanon and to rebuild homes

in Homs, Syria. In this edition of the Kirk

Courier you will find an offering envelope for One Great Hour of Sharing. Please join us in

demonstrating our Christian commitment by making a generous contribution.

Pictured here: The teachers are Syrian Christian teachers who cannot receive any wages for their work as refugees are not paid for jobs that Lebanese citizens can fill. It is an interdenominational effort in Beirut to educate, provide food and care for refugee families with disabled children, and provide for early childhood education in a safe setting in churches.

Children singing and worshipping at a Syrian Presbyterian Church of

WPC Sustainable Practices Highlight: The Flower Guild and Worship Committee

Did you know that our church is in its fourth year of being a certified Earth

Care congregation? An Earth Care church takes to heart the responsibility of

being good stewards of God’s creation. Each year we report what our

congregation has done to further the congregation in integrating Earth Care

practices and to seek new ideas. Many of these come from ministries or

individual congregational members.

One of our most active groups to take on this challenge is the flower guild.

These members have donated significant funds for our beautiful Earth Care

Banner, which can be seen at various locations this year including the Sanctuary

when our worship is centered on an Earthcare theme. For the chancel harvest

display, the flower guild bought locally grown pumpkins and squash, then gave

them away to parishioners to make meals. They also purchased locally grown

poinsettias and Christmas greens. For Lent, the flower guild purchased fair

trade palms that were harvested to become our ashes on Lent and Palm fronds

on Palm Sunday. The palm suppliers grow and harvest with a focus on

protecting the environment by using several varieties of desert palm instead of the over-harvested tropical

Chamaedorea Palm. The palm supplier’s workers are treated with dignity and paid fair wages.

A huge thank you to the Flower Guild for taking the initiative to integrate Earth Care goals into the church

culture! Stay tuned as we highlight other ministries’ contributions in coming issues of the Kirk Courier. The Earth

Care Committee is a small but blessed band of folks that welcome new people with creative ideas. If

environmental concerns and eco justice issues are your passion, please join us! We try to offer interesting trips and

activities as well as learning opportunities. Please contact Dorothy Geyer (dorothygeyer@gmail.com) or

Rachel Hébert at (rhebert@mywpc.org) for more information.

News from the Kirk Knitters

The knitters, some pictured here, have just finished their winter project of hats for the homeless. They donated the knitted hats to the following local community agencies: Avalon, Fish and The Harbor.

West Virginia Mission

Last June a devastating flood hit the state of West Virginia leaving many people without homes. Therefore, our church is planning a mission trip to help with the repairs and reconstruction of homes in the Lewisburg area.

We will be working with working with PDA and West Virginia Ministry of Advocacy and Workcamps (WVAMW)

Plan to stay with friends in the Ronceverte Presbyterian Church. You will be sleeping on cots, and "yes" they have showers.

COST: Each person is asked to give no higher than $240 (likely to be less). Includes food, lodging, transportation and contribution to WVAMW. Funds are available for those who can use a little help.

SIGN-UP: If interested then contact the church office or Jim Kirkpatrick (757-903-7241 or jkirkpatrick4@juno.com).

MOPS in MARCH AT WPC!

MOPS Mission/Vision statement: “MOPS International encourages and equips moms of young children to realize their potential as mothers, women and leaders, in relationship with Jesus, and in partnership with the local church.” It’s hard to believe that our second year of MOPS at WPC is almost over! But we still have a few months left! Our speakers and programming for March and April are still in planning stages, but the goal will be to fill us with “Wonder, Hope and Kindness.” In May, we will celebrate the conclusion of our second year of WPC MOPS, and we will look ahead to the fall. The 2017/2018 theme is expected to be released soon, so keep your eye on the Kirk, the electronic message boards, and our Facebook page for updates! ALL mothers of preschoolers (birth through kindergarten!) are welcome to join us! Our March meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 15, from 5:30-7:30pm. As always, childcare is provided, and dinner will be available for all!

Consider Joining a Presbyterian Women’s Circle

The study guide for this year has been wonderful. Who is Jesus? What a Difference a Lens Makes has provided every Circle with lively discussion, and new insight into the life and death of Jesus. Lessons are primarily stand-alone, so it is not necessary to have read the previous lessons to become engaged with the current month’s lesson.

Listed are the Circle meetings for March. Try one out this month! For those Circles that meet in member’s homes, please contact the church office for more information. Childcare is provided for Circles 1 and 5.

Thursday, March 2: 9:30—Circle 1 (Ruth) relaunched in September! Childcare provided upon request.)

Tuesday, March 7 6:30—Circle 5 7:00—Circle 4

Wednesday, March 8 10:00—Circle 14

Thursday, March 9 10:00—Circle 7

Monday, March 13 1:00—Circle 3 1:30—Circle 11

Tuesday, March 14 10:00—Circle 2 12:00—Circle 8

PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN

PW will be sponsoring a presentation from Latisha’s House

Sunday, April 2, after the 11:00 service, join Presbyterian Women for a reception-style program after church. A representative from Latisha’s

House, PW’s local mission project for this year, will be our speaker. In this issue of the Kirk you can find more information about Latisha’s House and how to support the PW’s project. Please attend to find out more about this very important program. Watch the bulletin, the Kirk, and our Facebook page for further information as the event draws closer. Please sign-up in the Welcome Center, so that we have enough food for all!

PRESBYTERIAN MEN WPC Presbyterian Men April Fellowship Breakfast

The featured speaker at the Presbyterian Men’s Fellowship April meeting will be our own Pastor Harold McKeithen. Pastor Harold topic will be: Beyond Originalism (the not-so-plain-meaning of biblical and national texts). Men from the First Baptist Church and Williamsburg Baptist Church will be our guests. The breakfast meeting begins on Saturday, April 1, at 8:00am. Look for more details in the March 19th weekly WPC e-newsletter. All members of our church community are welcome.

This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know our brothers and sisters in Christ at our neighbor churches. Please make your reservations by Wednesday, March 29, at the WPC Welcome Center so that there will be enough home cooked breakfast for all who attend. A donation of $5.00 will be requested at the breakfast.

Men’s Bible and Bacon Breakfast

On Wednesday March 8 and 22, men of our church will meet at 7:00am in Stevenson Hall for bible study and breakfast. The study is over at 8:00 am to encourage participation by men must work that morning. This spring the men are studying Paul’s Letter to the Romans using an excellent study guide by N. T. Wright. This is an excellent opportunity for newer members of our church to get to know longer term members. Join us for coffee, fellowship, a home cooked bacon and eggs breakfast and lively bible discussion. See the weekly announcements bulletins for more details.

Endowment Committee Workshop

Do you have a will and/or estate plan? You do? Awesome –

you are on top of caring for your and your family’s future.

But, how old is it? Does it comply with Virginia laws? Do

you have the appropriate powers of attorney? Or, you don’t?

No worries, come and find out what to do and hear answers

to the above questions at the annual Workshop,

sponsored by the Endowment committee. The

Workshop will be at 9:30am on March 25, 2017 in

Stevenson Hall. We are pleased to have local attorney,

Helena Mock present information relevant to all ages.

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Worshipping from Wherever God Leads You!

For those days when you cannot attend Sunday morning

worship services, you can LIVESTREAM from mywpc.org

the 9:30am service (or watch it at your convenience until

the following Sunday) or LISTEN to the 11:00am service

on two stations, FM 97.7 and AM 740. The worship

bulletin is available on our website to view or print.

New Submission Date for Announcements

Effective immediately, announcement requests must be

submitted to the Church Office by COB on Monday prior

to the Sunday of publication. These announcements will

also be included in our weekly online e-Newsletter. The

subject line should only read “BULLETIN

ANNOUNCEMENT” and nothing else. Please include in

your email the dates you would like your announcement

printed in Sunday’s insert. Announcements without a

date will only be printed once. Items for the Kirk Courier

Newsletter should be sent in a separate e-mail with the

subject line reading “KIRK COURIER NEWSLETTER.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Glorious Easter Morn at WPC

Consider donating an Easter lily in honor/memory

of someone while helping to decorate our church

on Easter Sunday. Envelopes to order an Easter

lily for a donation of $13.00 will be in the welcome

center and in the friendship registers. Drop your

completed envelope in the offering plate or in the

welcome center. Orders must be turned in by

Sunday, April 2.