The Pastor's Ponderings

A Time to Reflect

   We are quickly approaching another Lenten season. Lent is a forty day period (not counting Sundays) beginning with Ash Wednesday. It is an opportunity for preparation and reflection as we contemplate scripture texts on the life of our Lord. Lent is a necessary and sometimes painful journey, as we make our way to Easter.

   There is a somewhat complicated way to calculate the date Easter falls each year. I found these instructions on the Internet: “Find the date of the first full moon after the vernal equinox, March 21. Circle the first Sunday after that full moon date. This is Easter Sunday for the given calendar year. If the full moon falls on a Sunday itself, circle the following Sunday as Easter Sunday.” All I know is that Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25, and my way of calculating Easter’s date is to simply consult the calendar.

   Lent begins on Wednesday, February 6. We’ll begin on Tuesday evening, February 5, with a Shrove Tuesday pancake supper with the Logos participants. Then we have two opportunities to attend an Ash Wednesday service – the noontime service at Orange Baptist sponsored by the Ministerial Association or the service at 7:00 pm in our sanctuary. We will receive the imposition of ashes on our foreheads as a reminder “we are dust and to dust we shall return.”

   Lent calls us to reflect on our lives, to grow deeper in our spiritual faith, and to follow in the way of Jesus Christ. Richard Foster in his classic work, The Celebration of Disciple wrote: “Superficiality is the curse of our age…. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.”

Leaping into Lent,
Denise

Brrr!

• This month we welcome our new teacher, Erin Hemming and what an asset she is. Erin taught preschool in northern Virginia for several years and has a masters degree in child studies. We are grateful that she has joined our staff.
• The three year old children are becoming more independent each day. They’ve made shape pizzas, snowmen, snowflakes and read lots of books about animals in winter.
• In the four year old class we are getting down to the business of getting ready for kindergarten, though they’ve still found time to make biscuit bird feeders (Pastor Denise thought they looked good enough to eat) and salt paintings.
• Pastor “Nise” read a wonderful book to both classes this month. The children were spellbound.
• With all of the chilly weather we are especially appreciative of the basement area (or the “bike room”) and the fellowship hall where we do large group music activities, riding bikes, singing and dancing.
• As always a huge thank you to our preschool board for all of their constant support.

Happy New Year.
Kim Szydlowski, (Mrs. “Ski”)
 Preschool Director

Church Parking Area Improvement

At the congregational meeting on Sunday, January 6, 2008, the Orange Presbyterian Church Congregation voted to approve the Session's recommendation to exchange properties for the purpose of replacing the parking at the Madison Inn and expansion of existing parking area.

The Trustees of Orange Presbyterian Church are directed to survey 0.25 acres of the West Main Street parcel known as the Willis Property including the structure and exchange this lot with the Sherman family for their parcel on Brooking Street.

The Orange Presbyterian Church will be given the right of first refusal on a potential sale of the Willis property and will be given the authority to approve any commercial use of the Willis property through covenant/deed restriction.

Once the exchange is completed, the Trustees of Orange Presbyterian Church are directed to combine this parcel of land adjacent to the Church with the Church's property.

The Property Committee welcomes input from the Congregation in planning the parking area.
Lloyd Parcell, Chair
Property Committee

The 2008 Session

• Moderator: Denise Hall (denise@orangepc.org)
• Clerk of Session: Suzanne Sherwin (suzannesherwin@yahoo.com)
• Administration Committee: Suzanne Sherwin (suzannesherwin@yahoo.com), Barbara Packard (vabellringers@aol.com), Jean Berckman (jhberckman@adelphia.net), Joanna Davies (djdavies@verizon.net), Lynn Clements(lclements2@verizon.net) and Anne Somerville (ACsomer@verizon.net), Lloyd Parcell (lloydparcell@cs.com)
• Congregational Care Committee: Barbara Packard (chair)(vabellringers@aol.com) and Carole Sue Graves (csuegraves@aol.com)
• Finance Committee: Anne Somerville (chair) (ACsomer@verizon.net) and Mike Willis (mike@mgm-glass.com)
• Mission and Outreach Committee: Jean Berckman (chair) (jhberckman@adelphia.net) and Shirley Newman (shirleypnewman@yahoo.com)
• Property Committee: Lloyd Parcell (chair) (lloydparcell@cs.com) and Fred Sherman (fwsherman@hotmail.com)
• Worship Committee: Joanna Davies (chair) (djdavies@verizon.net) and Suzanne Sherwin (suzannesherwin@yahoo.com) 
• Youth and Christian Education Committee: Lynn Clements (chair) (lclements2@verizon.net) and Dianne Haberland (newwedlitz@aol.com)

Committee Meeting times: February 7

Cong. Care and Commitment   4:30      Library
Finance                                    5:30      Sr. Hi
Property                                  6:30      Library
Mission and Outreach              7:00      Sr. Hi
Worship                                  6:30      Study
Youth and CE                         7:00      Elem Class

Coffee Fellowship Schedule:

February 3: Youth and Christian Education Committee
February 10: Worship Committee
February 17: Luncheon after church – Mission and Outreach Committee
February 24: Property Committee
March 2: Finance Committee

Children’s Church beginning in February 2008

Beginning with the first Sunday in February, the kindergarten through second graders will have the opportunity to go to Children’s Church after the Time with the Children. They will meet in the Weekday School area and have a Bible lesson, sing, do crafts, and have a snack.

Parents can pick up their child outside the nursery area immediately after worship.
See Normie Sanford (672-5347) for details or to volunteer.

Interested in Confirmation Class? New Member class?

Some interest has been expressed in having a spring confirmation class and making a public profession of faith. Others may be interested in joining this congregation.
See Pastor Denise for more information: 672-4240 or email: denise@orangepc.org.

Presbyterian Men

The Presbyterian men will be in the church kitchen again Tuesday, February 5th to cook a pancake supper for LOGOS participants and guests. Men who wish to join the cooking team are requested to call Bill Chapman at 672-1794 or notify him in church.

Beginning February 17th, Presbyterian Men will meet for breakfast and a brief program at 8:00 a.m. on the third Sunday of each month. The speaker for February 17 will be Bugs Gardner, who will speak about his memories of Orange Presbyterian Church and especially the architecture and construction of the current sanctuary. 

All men are cordially invited and urged to reserve third Sundays in their calendars. We promise to adjourn in time for Sunday School.

Bill Chapman
Presbyterian Men

Presbyterian Women Circle Meetings

• The Morning Circle will meet Tuesday, February 5, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. at the home of Irwin Sherman (11435 Rapidan Road)  Any questions call Joyce Palmer at 854-8911.
• The Luncheon Circle will be meeting on Thursday, February 7, 2008, at 12:30 p.m. in the East Room at the church. Any questions call Elinor Vasquez at 672-3292.
• The Evening Circle  will meet on the Thursday, February 28, at 7:00 p.m. in the East Room. Any questions call Lynne Clements at 672-1120.

Prayer List of Churches: (churches in the Presbytery of the James)

Week of February 3: Campbell Memorial Presbyterian Church, Weems; Charlottesville First Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville; Chase City First Presbyterian Church, Chase City; Chester Presbyterian Church, Chester

Week of February 10: Christ Presbyterian Church, Richmond; Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church, Colonial Heights; Concord Presbyterian Church, Rawlings; Cove Presbyterian Church, Covesville; Covenant Presbyterian Church, Petersburg

Week of February 17: Crestwood - East Presbyterian Church, Richmond; Crestwood - West Presbyterian Church, Midlothian; Culpeper Presbyterian Church, Culpeper; Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Richmond

Week of February 24: Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Kenbridge; Emporia First Presbyterian Church, Emporia; Fairfield Presbyterian Church, Mechanicville; Forest Hill Presbyterian Church, Richmond; Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church, Fredericksburg

Treasurer’s Report as of January 27, 2008

We will continue to do the Lord’s work but need your financial gifts to carry them out. Please speak to me if you have any questions. 
Gail Chapman, Treasurer

Session Highlights

Highlights from the January 20, 2008, meeting of session:

• Approved a motion to transfer the membership of Travis and Dottie Tysinger to the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Staunton, Virginia.
• Approved the recommendation of the Mission and Outreach Committee to have the five major offerings this year: Pentecost, One Great Hour of Sharing, Peacemaking, Joy Gift, and the monthly Two Cents-a-Meal Offering.
• Approved the request for an Ash Wednesday Service on February 6, 2008, at 7pm.
• Approved a motion to donate old choir robes to another congregation.
• Approved a motion for Children's Church to begin on February 3, 2008, for children in Kindergarten through 2nd grade. 
• Elected Jean Berckman as an elder commissioner to the February 16, meeting of the Presbytery of the James.

Respectfully submitted,
Suzanne Sherwin, Clerk

Acolytes

Ellen Kendall

Bill and Gail Chapman    

Emily Frobom    

Melanie Lyon

If you are unable to help on the day assigned, you are expected to obtain your own substitute and call the church office so that the correct information will appear in the Bulletin each Sunday.
If you are unable to serve on your scheduled Sunday, please secure your own substitute.
Thank you for sharing in our common ministry.