The Clarendon Connection

News of Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church March 2008

Sunday Schedule


Choir rehearsal 9:45 a.m.

Worship 10:30 a.m.

Children’s Education 10:45 a.m.

Refreshments and fellowship 11:30 a.m.

Communion will be celebrated on March 2nd.

March Calendar

Orders for Equal Exchange items will be taken at church on March 2nd (for more info, see page 2)


Sunday, March 2nd, right after coffee hour, Adult Ed. (for more info, see page 3)


Joint Session and Deacon’s meeting on Wednesday, March 5th at 7:30 p.m.


Peace, Justice and Mission will meet on Thursday, March 6th at 7:30 p.m.


Sunday, March 9th, potluck and presentation from the Muslim American Society (for more info, see page 3)


Writing Group meets on Wednesday, March 12th at 7:30 p.m. (for more info, see page 3)


Sunday, March 16th, Palm Sunday – the One Great Hour of Sharing offering will be collected (for more info, see page 3)


Sunday, March 16th, right after coffee hour, Adult Ed. (for more info, see page 3)


Wednesday, March 18th, Worship Committee meeting at 7:30 p.m.


Maundy Thursday Service, Thursday, March 20th at 7:00 p.m.


“Ghost Town Planet” at the Nave Gallery, runs through Friday, March 21st (for more info, see page 5)


Sunday, March 23rd, Easter Service, 10:30 a.m.


Book Group/Bible Study on Wednesday, March 26th at 7:00 p.m. (for more info, see page 7)


Horizons Bible Study will meet at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, March 28th (for more info, see page 7)


Yoga, at 12:15 p.m. on Sunday, March 30th (for more info, see page 7)


War, Madness and Delusion runs through April 15th at Andover-Newton Theological Seminary, and is co-curated by Karl Gustafson, with a special talk on Thursday, March 13th (for more info, see page 8)

COMING IN APRIL:

ArtSomerville Yard Sale, Saturday, April 5th (for more info, see page 7)

RESPOND interfaith fundraiser concert, co-sponsored by Clarendon Hill, Temple B’nai Brith, First Congregational Church, Somerville, and the Muslim American Society, Sunday, April 6th (for more info, see page 8)


              Parish News

Congratulations to Branden and Tisha Brooks on the arrival of their first child! Alexander Grant Brooks was born on February 18th at 4:20 p.m., weighing 7 lbs, 14 oz. and measuring 19 ¾ inches long. We wish God’s richest blessings for Alexander.


We welcome Michelle Conley and Rachel Frazier in to the membership of Clarendon Hill. Michelle and Rachel were recognized in worship on Sunday, February 10th. We look forward to walking with them in faith, fellowship and mission.


Please keep Doris Fisher and her family in your prayers. Doris is not expected to live for much longer.


The Presbyterian Coffee Project

Orders will be taken for Equal Exchange COFFEE (drip or whole bean) and TEA (English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Green, Rooibos),hot cocoa mix, baking cocoa and chocolate bars ($3.00 per bar, or $30.00 for a box of 12), at church on Sunday, March 2nd. You can send orders to Katherine no later than the evening of March 2nd by phone (617-628-6716) or email (kath.gustafson@gmail.com)

Due to higher organic cocoas prices, Equal Exchange has had to increase their chocolate bar and cocoa prices. The 12 oz cans of organic hot cocoa mix and the 8 oz cans of organic unsweetened baking cocoa will now be $5.00 per can.

Remember that Equal Exchange makes contributions to the national Presbyterian Church

For every pound of fairly traded products that Presbyterians purchase, Equal Exchange donates $0.15 to the Presbyterian Church USA. For 2006, that amount totaled $21,012. The funds were used to support a reforestation and environmental sustainability project with a coffee cooperative in Nicaragua.


What is EQUAL EXCHANGE? In 1991, Equal Exchange became the first U.S. company to adopt international fair trade standards as guiding principles on 100% of their products. By working with democratic farmer cooperatives around the world and paying a fair price, Equal Exchange supports efforts to improve local communities, putting more control and greater income in the hands of impoverished, small-scale farmers in developing nations. We also serve freshly made Equal Exchange coffee at Clarendon Hill’s coffee hours!


              Adult Education

Jesus: The Man, the Myth, the Mystery. Join us this Lenten season as we explore the historical and spiritual significance of the person of Jesus Christ. All are welcome; all that is asked is that you come with an open mind and an inquiring heart. We will be using as a guide Marcus Borg and N.T. Wright’s book, “The Meaning of Jesus, “ which is available for purchase through the church. We will meet on two Sundays, March 2nd and March 16th , after coffee hour. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Glass.


              Potluck and Presentation

On Sunday, March 9th, the Peace, Justice and Mission committee will have a presentation from Ahmed Elewa of the Muslim American Society. The title of the presentation will be "Muslim - Christian Encounters at the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)"

Here is the bio of the speaker:

Ahmed Elewa is coordinator of the MAS Boston Outreach Center and administrator for the Boston branch of the Islamic American University. Ahmed has received his Masters Degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Massachusetts Medical School as a student of Nobel Laureate Craig Mello. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies with a focus on Islamic Law. At the Outreach Center, Ahmed is responsible for developing programs aimed at introducing Islam to the public, assisting new Muslims in their transition, and training Muslims to present Islam to others.

Please join us, and bring food to share (an appetizer, side dish, main dish, dessert or beverage), your curiosity and questions!


Writing Group at Clarendon Hill--all are welcome!!

After exciting and productive meetings in the fall and early winter, the writing group will meet on Wednesday, March 12th, at 7:30 p.m. in the Green Room. Please join us!! We will begin with a group check-in, move through 1-2 writing exercises, share as we feel moved, and finish with a group check-out. We are open to everyone, regardless of previous writing experience and will tailor each session to the needs and interests of those who show up. Contact Gusti or Liz for more information: gusti_newquist@yahoo.com or Cavatorta1@hotmail.com


One Great Hour of Sharing

The One Great Hour of Sharing offering will be collected at Clarendon Hill on Sunday, March 16th (Palm Sunday).

So what is One Great Hour of Sharing? If you’re like many of us, it’s one of those traditions you think everyone else understands, so you don’t ask. And a tradition it is—there are a fair number of congregations that will receive the offering for the sixtieth time this year. But even in those congregations I’ll bet there are people who don’t really know what it is.

It started in 1949, when a lot of Christian leaders, seeing the devastation that World War II had left in much of the world, recognized both a responsibility to our sisters and brothers and an opportunity to witness to a loving God. They organized an hour-long nationwide radio broadcast on the last Saturday evening in March in which some of the best-known stars of the day highlighted the needs and invited people to give through their church the next morning. The response was overwhelming, so the offering was held again the next year, as it has been every year since.

Over the years, the offering’s mission has grown from simply emergency relief and rebuilding after disasters such as wars, earthquakes, and floods to addressing many kinds of human suffering, from the sudden to the chronic. Increasingly it has included focusing on the root causes of this suffering, so that the solutions can be sustained after our attention moves on to other communities. At first most of this work was done through Church World Service, which was then the relief and development arm of the National Council of Churches.

Within the PC(USA), this evolution was accompanied by the addition of new programs to the offering. In the 1970s, both Self-Development of People and the Presbyterian Hunger Program were added as One Great Hour of Sharing ministries. Since that time the Presbyterian Disaster focus was reorganized as Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. As each of these programs has evolved, more of the ministry Presbyterians support with their gifts has been done by these three programs while we continue to work with other denominations through Church World Service. The ministries of these three programs address a wide spectrum of human suffering from the acute to the chronic, from offering short-term relief to addressing root causes.

Even today, however, the offering continues the tradition it has maintained throughout its history—standing with our partners in the face of suffering, walking with them toward a more hopeful future, and witnessing to the love of God in Jesus Christ in tangible ways that proclaim in word and deed that they are not alone. I invite you to join this great tradition of sharing resources that truly changes lives.

Remember your earliest lessons about sharing? At the time, sharing may have seemed like a burden, a needless sacrifice—giving up part of what you believed was rightfully yours.

Over time, however, we come to realize that all of our gifts come from God, and that sharing actually enriches us. In blessing others with our gifts, goodness and love flow from our hearts. And blessing returns to us, subtly but surely changing us, building that desire to respond even more generously to God’s call ‘to do good and to share what we have.’

One Great Hour of Sharing offers an opportunity for each of us to share with people in need around the world—giving them much more than a handout. When we share our resources, we help to ensure that children suffering from disease not only receive treatment, but enjoy the benefits of a community made safer with proper sanitation and clean sources of water. We partner with a family living in hunger, offering them not just food, but the tools and training to build a sustainable source of income for themselves—improving their world and ours.

When we share our resources through One Great Hour of Sharing, we make a difference in the lives of others. We reach around the world, giving shape to the heart of Christ.

And when we understand how the blessing of sharing changes lives, our own lives are never again the same.


“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have.”

Hebrews 13:16a


Sharing Resources. Changing lives.


When we give our gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing, we want to be confident that they will help our sisters and brothers around the world in every kind of need—the African girl looking for a source of clean water close to home so she doesn’t have to spend hours each day carrying it from miles away, the father whose home and fields were destroyed by flood who doesn’t know how to feed his children until the next season’s crops are in, the mother who has no means to earn money for her children’s books.

Working with our Presbyterian programs and their trusted partners around the world, we can indeed be confident that the resources we share will change lives—and not just the lives of those we think of as being in need. For we ourselves become more open to the transforming power of God’s love when we open our hearts to share that love with others through our gifts. As we contemplate the gifts we will share with those in need around the world, let us thank God for the power of sharing to transform lives—our own and those of all God’s children around the world.

Please give as generously as you can!


              Maunday Thursday Service

There will be a Maundy Thursday service at the church at 7:00 p.m. on March 20th. Come remember the last supper, on our way to Good Friday and Easter Sunday.


              The Nave Gallery

“Ghost Town Planet” runs through Friday, March 21st An installation at the Nave Gallery curated by Martha Friend and Marcella Ann Stasa featuring the work of: Andrew Child, Martha Friend, Alice Grossman, Michael Guertin, Erik Hansen, Gretjen Helene Hargesheimer, Connie Johnson, Adam Scott Miller, Leah Oates, Janie Owen, Thea Paneth, Eli Sidman, Marcella Anna Stasa, Carolyn Wirth and James Zall.


Ghost Town Planet, an installation at the Nave Gallery in Somerville, is a walk-through environment of our mother planet in a process of transformation. Life forms die and decay, creating sustenance for future generations. Civilizations fall, and others emerge slowly over time. Ruination lays bare the underlying structures of a limitless variety of life forms from the animal and planet kingdoms. Ghost Town Planet reveals the remnants of lives that were slowly being swallowed by the lives that will be. Nature is a powerful force that consistently through time had succumbed to death and destruction yet prevailed by its insistence on bring forth new life again. We humans build cities, gather together in villages, create homes, join with nature, defy her, live in awe of nature’s beauty and go to great lengths to annihilate it. Out of this elemental striving and conflict there at times comes a great deal of beauty and an understanding of the ephemeral nature of life as we know it. Fifteen artists come together at the Nave Gallery to explore ideas of ruination, decay, rebirth and spirituality.


Call for Work: "Rites of Passage: The Mortality of Time"

This exhibition will focus on art that explores issues of aging, time, mortality and death. All media are accepted, including video and animation. The exhibition will be held at the Nave Gallery, from March 29 through April 26, 2008.


April 5th Flea market 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Donations sought! Restore your Feng shui. Clean out your house, attic, studio. Gently used clothes, books, CDs, records, household items requested. Any unsold items will be donated to Goodwill; so sorry, please no TVs, computers or used children's plastic toys.


Reclaim some space and support the arts in Somerville. All proceeds go to fund the Nave Gallery.


Donations can be dropped off at the Nave Gallery any of these dates or by special arrangement (i.e. let us know what works for you): Sunday, March 30th, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m., or Friday, April 4th, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.


Plus NEW:

If you have enough stuff to warrant your own table, rent a table for $25.00 and sell your own goods. You keep 100% of the sales. You must man the table yourself and are responsible for removing everything brought into the building including trash at sale end.


Tables are limited, and distributed on a first come first serve basis.


Questions, email: info@artsomerville.org


For more information on the Nave Gallery and other programs of ARTSomerville, visit our webste: www.ARTSomerville.org


As always, thank you for your support.


The Nave Gallery is an important partner in Somerville’s vibrant arts community. It is a project of ARTSomerville, a volunteer organization that draws upon the talents of local creativity, strengthening communication among artists and the public by presenting exhibits, performances, and educational activities, in collaboration with the Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church. The gallery is a noncommercial art space featuring work of both emerging and established artists. Run and staffed completely by volunteers, the Nave provides an important exhibition space for both local and regional artists.

All exhibitions are free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Friday 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.


To see a schedule of events, which is updated often, please look at the website: www.artsomerville.org/upcoming.html


Easter Flowers

Please purchase and bring your choice of Easter flowers to decorate our sanctuary on Easter Sunday. Daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths are all lovely and colorful. The Deacons can coordinate any brief message of dedication that anyone who buys flowers may want to be included in the bulletin.


Book Group/Bible Study

There has been a simmering desire for more bible study opportunities at CHPC. The book group of the past few years is now a bible study that will be reading and listening to the Gospel of Matthew. We will go through it chapter by chapter at whatever pace we

need. Although meant to be more about listening for God's voice through this gospel, we will certainly also be ready to look at issues of interpretation and history. If you have been looking for something like this you are invited to join us on Wednesday evening March 26th at 7:00 p.m.


Friday afternoon Horizons Bible Study

On Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m., March 28th, all interested in a once a month Bible Study are invited to come to Salam Lebbos' house in Arlington. We will be using the 2007-2008 Horizons Bible Study: Above and Beyond - Hearing God's Call in Jonah and Ruth, published by Presbyterian Women. If you are interested in participating, please contact Gusti Newquist, Katherine Gustafson, or Salam Lebbos. Get in touch with Katherine if you need a ride or directions.


Introduction to Yoga

Come join our small, half-hour class during coffee hour (12:15 p.m., on Sunday, March 30th) to practice mindful breathing and gentle yoga postures. Great for stress release, improved flexibility and strength. If interested, please email Liz at cavatorta1@hotmail.com for more info.


We Need Your Help!

Flea Market - Joint project of CHPC and Nave Gallery: Here is the information:

Saturday, April 5th Flea market 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Donations sought! Restore your Feng shui. Clean out your house, attic, studio. Gently used clothes, books, records, household items requested. Any unsold items will be donated to Goodwill; so sorry, please no TVs, computers or used children's plastic toys.

Donations can be dropped off at the Nave Gallery any of these dates or by special arrangement (i.e. let us know what works for you): Sunday, March 30th, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. or Friday, April 4th, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Plus NEW:

If you have enough stuff to warrant your own table, rent a table for $25.00 and sell your own goods. You keep 100% of the sales. You must man the table yourself and are responsible for removing everything brought into the building including trash at sale end.

Tables are limited, and distributed on a first come first serve basis.


The Church will have its own table. We also will be selling coffee and baked goods. What do we need? We need:

1. Volunteers – please sign up for a 2 hour period on Friday, April 4th for set up and/or Saturday April 5th for the sale and clean up.


2. Donations of gently used items for our table (All proceeds go to CHPC.)


3. Donations of baked goods (These always sell well at the flea market!)


Interfaith Fundraiser for RESPOND

Sunday, April 6th, at 7:00 p.m. Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church, Congregation B’nai Brith of Somerville, First Congregational Church of Somerville and the Muslim America Society invite you to an interfaith concert to benefit RESPOND, Somerville’s domestic violence program. The concert will be at the First Congregational Church, 89 College Avenue, Somerville. The church is handicapped accessible. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The suggested donation for tickets is $10.00- $20.00. (If you are interested in purchasing tickets, please speak with Ellen.) There will be a reception following the concert. The performers are members of the Arev Armenian Folk Ensemble, A Besere Velt: The Yiddish Chorus of Workmen’s Circle and The Noor Ensemble, a Moroccan spiritual chorus.

Please plan to come and hear wonderful music as well as supporting this interfaith event!


              War, Madness and Delusion

A Juried Exhibit at Andover Newton that runs through Tuesday April 15, 2008. Karl Gustafson is a co-curator for this exhibit.


Andover Newton Theological School will host the art exhibit "War, Madness, and Delusion", through April 15, 2008, in the Meetinghouse and Wilson Chapel Galleries. The purpose of the show is to address the experience and contested morality of war in our times. It will be displaying works from 33 selected artists (featuring several Somerville artists) whose work directly addresses the nature and meaning of recent wars, and the challenges facing those committed to making peace in the midst of the conflict of war.


On Thursday, March 13th, there will be a special symposium featuring Bill Schultz, former executive director of Amnesty International USA, which will bring exhibiting artists into conversation with activists, politicians, veterans, etc. in an attempt to understand both the complexities of war and the moral and political arguments involved in its justification. It is the presumption of this show that art holds a peculiar ability to confront the public with the complexities and moral ambiguities of war.

              Donations for Somerville Early Head Start

We are still accepting donations for Somerville Early Head Start. Those items most needed include:


crackers

cereal

macaroni

canned black beans

rice in boxes ( rather than plastic bags)

Baby Formula

diapers

peanut butter


Thank you in advance for your donations!

Per Capita and Initial Envelopes

The offering envelopes for 2008 have arrived, and you will find them on the table at the back of the church, near the door. Please pick yours up.

The amount of per capita for this year has been calculated as well: It is $60.79. This is the amount our church will be sending to the national church for each member of our congregation. Please do all that you can to help us send the full amount – we must send it whether or not we are reimbursed from you. Please remember when figuring out your per capita that it includes all members of your family who are members of the church, even if they are away at school or living and working elsewhere.

Due to diligence, we have been able to cut back on the amount of envelopes that we have ordered in recent years. The initial offering envelope is to help with the cost of the giving envelopes.

If you don’t currently have envelopes, and would like to have some, please contact Ellen.

Rental Space Available!

Teen Empowerment has recently left their rental space at the church, so there is room available! If you know of a group or organization that is in need of office space, please have them get in touch with the church right away.


What Would Jonah Do?

A Call to Repentance and Action Against Torture

Presented by Gusti Newquist during the Minute for Mission, on Sunday, February 24th

What do you think of when you think of the Book of Jonah? Do you think of a whale? Jonah in its belly? A fun children’s story of adventure on the high seas?

That’s what we in the women’s Bible study thought when we first start studying the book of Jonah a couple of months ago. But we’ve read a bit more about Jonah. After our last meeting, we now think of Jonah going into the heart of the great city of Nineveh, a military power that tortured so many of Jonah’s people. We now think of Jonah as someone used by God to cause a fearful people with hardened hearts to change their minds and repent of their crimes against humanity. Because of Jonah’s very small effort, the king led the people of Nineveh in repentance for their torturous tactics. Even the animals repented for their complicity.

I couldn’t help but think of Jonah when I attended a conference sponsored by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program on the use of torture by the United States. By us. A modern-day Jonah spoke to us, calling us to repentance, calling us to change our country’s attitude toward torture. Eric Fair, who is now a student at Princeton Theological Seminary, shared his experience of participating in “enhanced interrogation techniques” as a defense contractor at Abu Ghraib. After three hours, he knew he had crossed a line. He spoke to us of the monster he had become, how it still affected him, and his fear for the long-term repercussions against our nation. He begged us, as a church, to speak out against torture tactics used by our government and sanctioned by public opinion in a post-9/11 world.

He and others at the conference were convinced that we had to sway public opinion, which has been significantly influenced by television shows portraying torture tactics as a desirable method of obtaining information. Before September 11, 2001, primetime television displayed an average of 4 scenes of torture per year, usually by “bad guys” (e.g. Nazis, communists, etc.) against us. Now, more than 100 scenes of torture are presented, usually by American “heroes” against “terrorists.” Conference leaders focused specific attention on the television show “24” and asked us to write letters to the producers of the show expressing our concern. Fox Television has been responsive to the moral outrage of the churches in the past; perhaps they will be responsive again.

A February 2, 2008 Wall Street Journal article describes “24” this way: “During its first five years on television, the terror-thriller "24" built a huge fan base by creating the first true superhero of the post-Sept. 11 era: special agent Jack Bauer. Ruggedly handsome and righteously defiant, Jack was willing to do anything to defend his country. That ‘anything’ has always included torture. Jack has snipped off fingers, poisoned associates, shot through kneecaps and faked executions, all in the pursuit of national security.” Furthermore, the show ridicules critics of Jack Bauer’s tactics and is planning a new season in which Bauer “go to Washington to address head-on the accusations that his [interrogation] tactics were out of line.”

The international human rights organization “Human Rights First” has provided the following sample letter for us to send to Peter Liguori, Chairmain of FOX Entertainment. Let’s join the Jonah movement and do our small part toward repentance and action.

Sample Letter

Mr. Peter Liguori

Chairman of FOX Entertainment

Fox Broadcasting Company

P.O. Box 900

Beverly Hills, CA 90213


Dear Mr. Liguouri:


As a Presbyterian and an American, I am concerned about the way torture is portayed on 24. The program consistently portrays torture as an effective interrogation technique when it is employed by Jack Bauer and other U.S. security agents.


I understand that, in its first six seasons, 24 has shown eighty-nine scenes of torture and that torture is shown again and again as the best way to obtain crucial information in life and death situations. Moreover, it seems that every time a person of conscience objects to Bauer’s techniques on the show, that character is belittled as weak or naïve. In your show, you put these arguments in the mouths of politicians, but in real life they also come from religious and moral leaders among others. The program’s presentation simplifies, distorts and mocks the arguments against torture.


24 is one of the most popular and influential shows on television; thousands of children and young adults turn to Jack Bauer as a hero and an ideal of American patriotism. As the Chairman of Fox Entertainment, you have a responsibility to make sure your show does not become an effective advertisement for torture. I sincerely hope that, in the future, 24 and Jack Bauer can represent the ideals of America more faithfully and realistically.


For Further Action


A Prayer Related to Torture

by The Rev. Mark Koenig, Coordinator of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program:


God for all the world,

We pray for our brothers and sisters

Throughout your world

Who endure torture

Physically,

Spiritually,

Emotionally.

In their pain

May they experience your presence and care

Binding their wounds

Supporting them.

We pray for our brothers and sisters

Throughout your world

Who inflict torture

Physically,

Spiritually,

Emotionally.

May they experience your presence and care

Binding the wounds they bear

Wounds they receive as they wound others.

Open them to see the dignity of each person.

Strengthen them to seek ways

To break free from violence.

We pray for our brothers and sisters

Throughout your world

Who authorize torture

Physically,

Spiritually,

Emotionally.

Break the hold of fear and anger upon them.

Inspire them to seek other ways to advance their causes.

We pray for ourselves

Confessing our responsibility for acts of torture

Which violate our sisters and brothers

And degrade us and our values.

Guide us to pray and study,

Dialogue and speak,

Come together and advocate

For an end to torture.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ,

Whose life, death and resurrection

Reveals that God's love

Is indeed stronger than torture and fear.

Amen.


              Book Review

Thank God for Evolution! How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Tranform Your Life and our World by Michael Dowd

ISBN –13: 9781571782106


I have not read this book, but a good friend heard Michael Dowd at a speaking engagement recently, and was very impressed. Although I was a little bit skeptical, I check out his website (noted below) and I think this would be a very interesting topic for us to pursue.

Synopsis

Finally, the war between science and religion is over. The winner? All of us. With supporters from an incredibly wide spectrum of backgrounds and beliefs, including five Nobel laureates, Thank God for Evolution! builds bridges, provides guidance, and restores realistic hope for humanity and the body of life as a whole.

A movement has been growing over the past few decades that takes our common creation story -- the epic of cosmic, biological, and human evolution revealed by science -- as the basis for a meaningful view of our place in the universe. Reverend Michael Dowd, America's evolutionary evangelist, is at the forefront of this movement. This well informed, thoroughly researched, and inspired book proclaims a gospel billions of years old.

Thank God for Evolution! presents in a lively and accessible manner the reasons why it is now possible to view evolution as a divine process; how current science shows that evolution is not meaningless blind chance; practical methods for using evolutionary insights to achieve greater personal fulfillment and thriving relationships; and how aligning with evolutionary trends can guide activists and others hoping to make our world a better place. As a Christian minister, Dowd especially addresses the concerns that Christians have about evolution, but this book contains insights that will appeal to people of all faiths and of no faith. Fun and uplifting, Thank God for Evolution! goes beyond the current debate to offer up a whole new way of thinking about science, religion, and the meaning and purpose of our lives.


Jennifer Kuncken - Library Journal

Part science lesson, part motivational speech, and part sermon, this book has it all. A former Young Earth creationist minister, Dowd came to the realization that it is possible to believe both in God and in evolution. To many, this is far from earth-shattering news; to Dowd, it is groundbreaking information he has taken on the road with his wife, acclaimed science writer Connie Barlow. This book is their presentation in print form. It starts with an excellent overview of Darwinian evolution, then goes a bit off track as Dowd uses terms like "Lizard Legacy" and "Monkey Mind" in trying to explain what evolution means to human psychological development; this motivational section is complete with self-help exercises to assist readers in bettering their interpersonal relationships. Next, the book goes into a sermon about how we need to tame our Monkey Minds with religion, or "Higher Porpoise," whatever religious tradition we choose to follow. It wraps up well with an ecological call to stop global warming. A well-written work that presents some interesting concepts; recommended for larger libraries.


“With the passion of a revival preacher, and with grounding in mainstream evolution, Dowd has written a visionary book. It reveals that spirituality is not only compatible with a science-based worldview; it is integral to it.”



http://thankgodforevolution.com/home/


The Rev. Michael Dowd is an itinerant "evolutionary evangelist" and the author of Thank God for Evolution! How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World (Tulsa: Council Oak Books, Nov: 2007). His previous book, written in 1991, was EarthSpirit: A Handbook for Nurturing an Ecological Christianity (Twenty-Third Publications, ISBN 0-89622-479-1). It was inspired by the writings of cultural historian Thomas Berry, physicist Brian Swimme, and deep ecologist Joanna Macy. During the 1980s and 90s, Michael pastored three United Church of Christ congregations, worked with Unitarian Universalist, Jewish, Roman Catholic, Protestant, New Thought and Evangelical leaders across America on environmental, peace, and justice issues, and he managed government-funded Sustainable Lifestyle Campaigns on both coasts.

Since April 2002, Dowd and his wife Connie Barlow, an author of popular science books, have lived entirely "on the road," teaching and preaching what they call "the marriage of science and religion for personal and planetary well-being" in churches and living rooms as well as in public and private schools all across North America. Their Great Story website is a resource in sustainability, the epic of evolution, deep ecology, and evolutionary spirituality movements. Dowd's Thank God for Evolution website was launched in the summer of 2007 to support his book.































The Clarendon Connection is edited by Ellen D. Schemerhorn

Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church

155 Powder House Boulevard

West Somerville, Massachusetts 02144-1613

Telephone: 617-625-4823

www.clarendonhillchurch.org



The Rev. Karl Gustafson, Minister…………………………..John Adams, Music Director

Augustus Kwaa, Parish Associate/Evangelist……………………….. Arnie James, Sexton

Sarah Glass, Seminarian

LECTIONARY TEXTS

Mar. 2: 1 Sam. 16: 1-13; Ps. 23; Eph. 5: 8-14; John 9: 1-41

Mar. 9: Ezek. 37: 1-14; Ps. 130; Rom. 8: 6-11; John 11: 1-45

Mar. 16: Matt. 21: 1-11; Ps. 118: 1-2, 19-29; Isa. 50: 4-9a; Ps. 31: 9-16; Phil. 2: 5-11; Matt. 26: 14 – 27:66 OR Matt. 27: 11-54

Mar. 23: Acts. 10: 34-43 OR Jer. 31: 1-6; Ps. 118: 1-2, 14-24; col. 3: 1-4 OR Scts 10: 34-43; John 20: 1-18 OR Matt. 28: 1-10; Isa. 25: 6-9; Ps. 114; 1 cor. 5: 6b-8; Luke 24: 13-49

Mar. 30: Act. 2: 14A, 22-32; Ps. 16; 1 Peter 1: 3-9; John 20: 19-31

Apr. 6: Acts 2: 14a, 36-41; Ps. 116: 1-4, 12-19; 1 Peter 1: 17-23; Luke 24: 13-35

Apr. 13: Acts 2: 42-47; Ps. 23; 1 Peter 2: 19-25; John 10: 1-10

Apr. 20: Acts 7: 55-60; Ps. 31: 1-5, 15-16; 1 Peter 2: 2-10; John 14: 1-14

Apr. 27: Acts 17: 22-31; Ps. 66: 8-20; 1 Peter 3: 13-22; John 14: 15-21

Church Assignments

Scripture

Focus on Mission

Coffee hour

Nursery backup

Mar. 2

K. Graf

T. Siggers

Reynolds/Graf

N. Jirmanus

Mar. 9

D. Anderson

E. Schemerhorn

POTLUCK

K. Gustafson

Mar. 16

J. Auger

R. Winchester

Newquist/Glass

V. Donovan

Mar. 23

M. Jirmanus

M. Reynolds

Gustason/Cavano

E. Schemerhorn

Mar. 30

S. Otami

M. Nickey

Donovan

N. Jirmanus

Apr. 6

P. Auger

S. Lebbos

Schemerhorn

K. Gustafson

Apr. 13

L. Cavano

P. Beran

Siggers

V. Donovan

Apr. 20

J. Bray

G. Newquist

Jirmanus

E. Schemerhorn

Apr. 27

S. Donovan

A. Kwaa

Augers

N. Jirmanus