March/April CrossCurrents

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The March/April CrossCurrents is now online!  Apologies for the delay; technical difficulties made it a bit tricky this month.

March-April 2016 CrossCurrents

 

March-April 2016 Cross Currents (1) Pastor’s Perspective Have you ever attended a reverse dinner party or a backward meal? You eat dessert first, then the main course, salad, soup and finally appetizers. Sometimes each course of the meal is eaten at different restaurants or homes. It’s fun. So why don’t we eat that way all the time? We eat our food in the order we do, saving dessert for last, for several reasons. I suppose some of it is just habit. We were brought up that way. But there is no moral mandate making the order of our meals “right.” Yet there are some good common sense reasons for it. There really is truth to what our moms used to tell us about “spoiling your dinner” by eating dessert first. And after eating good, solid, nutritious food, a piece of pie really tops off the whole meal. Holy Week is like a full meal. Easter Day is the finishing touch, the sweetest of all desserts. Unlike that piece of pie, however, Easter is not merely an added bonus. It’s the reason for the whole feast. Yet without the rest of Holy Week, without the rest of the meal, Easter isn’t nearly as filling and satisfying. Lent, the season before Easter, gives us an opportunity to prepare for the feast of Easter. Some of us fast during Lent – give up an occasional meal, or cut out snacks, or don’t eat one day a week – as a physical way to focus on our spiritual hunger. Lent heightens our hunger and whets our appetite, for Holy Week and Easter. Holy Week worship begins with a Healing Service on Wednesday, followed by Maundy Thursday, where Jesus shares with us the gift of Holy Communion, and gives us not only an example but also a mandate to be servants to one another. Good Friday is a powerful pointing to our Lord’s passion, his suffering and death on the cross. Easter Saturday keeps our focus on the cost Christ paid to set us free and the hope that is ours in the coming morn. Together with Easter Sunday, they form a “Wholly Week” – a complete banquet of God’s bountiful grace. A lot of people miss out on the meal and only come for dessert. They worship on Easter but neglect the meat and potatoes of Holy Week. I know they enjoy the dessert, the festive worship, the celebration that is Easter Sunday. But I worry that they are missing out on the real spiritual nourishment that they need. I invite all of you to come for the whole meal that God spreads out before us during Holy Week. I promise that Easter Day will taste all the sweeter if you do. Wholly yours in Christ, Pastor Dave Please continue to hold in prayer those who cannot attend worship: Lillian Anderson, Jim Bone, Pat Budzius, Charlotte Hart, and Karen Hart, Leona Lenschow, Mary Moen, Gerry Pittenger, Jane Pittenger, and Norman Stromer. Holy Week Healing Service There will be a Holy Week Healing Service Wednesday, March 23, at 7 pm. Perhaps this year you carry grief or uncertainty that seems at odds with anticipating Easter. Or perhaps you love someone who is, and want to support them. Join us for this time of worship as we acknowledge the brokenness in us and the world and open ourselves to the healing touch of God's grace. Grief Ministry Group The Cross of Christ Grief Ministry Group meets every third Wednesday at 10 am in the Gathering Room (202). From Pastor Adrienne A pastor/poet colleague of mine serves a congregation in Ketchikan, Alaska. He recently wrote a poem about grief called "Grief is the Bear who Makes her Den." There have been a number of deaths in our congregation recently, which creates fresh sadness and also brings up older griefs as well. I hope you find this as comforting, challenging, and inspiring as I did. Pr. Adrienne Grief is the bear who makes her den Far too close for comfort, The beast famous For cornering his victims Then letting them live Without escape, Growling in their face. Grief demands honesty It will not be forgotten. Grief has 1000 faces And nearly as many masks. Grief is the most exquisite tormentor And the finest teacher, A builder of character Or a destroyer of humanity. If you love, Grief will find you. If you dare, Grief will catch you. But if you hide, Grief will lick her chops And say, "I win." Because grief is life, There is no way around Only through Into the dark With nothing but love for light No matter how dim it be. George Pasley Sanctuary Lighting Project Underway! The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter, and so is our Sanctuary! The long-anticipated lighting project is nearing completion as of the first of March. While most of the installation of wiring and fixtures has have been completed, ongoing aspects of the project include fine tuning the aiming of the adjustable lights, wireless programming, exploration of lens options for the main fixtures, and taking advantage of lift rental for cleaning of the now beautifully lit beams and ceilings. The project is funded through the generous donations of the Hansen and Lilleby families through bequests, as voted on by the congregation. The latest iteration of sanctuary lighting improvements actually began in earnest in 2012 when Cross of Christ contracted with Bassetti Architects to evaluate options for improving light levels in the sanctuary. Using a portion of the funds set aside for sanctuary improvements from the Hansen Bequest, Bassetti created a plan which identified a number of alternatives, from replacing our stained glass with translucent glass, installing skylights, and upgrading fixtures. We fairly quickly identified fixtures as the best path forward. Last year, we worked with Brian Hood Lighting Design to draw up the actual plans and specifications for the lighting project. This was a necessary step to validate light level estimates, apply new energy code requirements, and prepare the documents which would be required for permitting. One surprise when working on the final plans was the overall reduction in cost and increase in reliability of LED fixtures over the past several years. Every new fixture in the sanctuary will be LED, which will not only improve light levels, but also result in significant energy cost savings over the years! In February, Obot Electric and WiPliance installed the new fixtures and lighting control hardware to make the project a reality. The new lighting infrastructure will provide increased light levels at the pews, illuminate the ceiling above the sanctuary, provide more customizable and functional lighting in the chancel and transept, and allow for single-button on/off operation of the entire system. In the old system there were at least nine light switches to flip and three extension cords to plug in to turn on all of the lights in the sanctuary. Through the magic of lighting automation, all of the new switches and circuits are now connected wirelessly to one button, which turns everything on. We also have the ability to set some custom lighting scenes for special worship services, the Stewardship Play, and other times where we want to create a different look in the Sanctuary. We thank you and ask for your ongoing patience as we work to complete the project, learn its impressive capabilities, and fine-tune the new lights. For a while we know there will be some times when things don’t work correctly, or when lights aren’t aiming in the right spots. Together we’ll work all this out. Improving the lighting in the Sanctuary for to improve function and enhance the beauty of our worship space is something this congregation has talked and dreamed about for literally years. Now that dream is coming true – thanks to the generosity of the Hansen and Lilleby families, the leadership of staff and Council, and the support of the congregation. Thanks for you great feedback as we’ve progressed through the planning and now the installation stages. It’s so exciting to see – yes, really SEE – this much-need project coming together. If you have questions or comments, please contact Council Secretary and Project Facilitator Colin Walker at colin@colinwalker.org "NAMI Peer-to-Peer is a free, 10- session educational program for adults with mental illness who are looking to better understand their condition and journey toward recovery. Taught by a trained team of people who've been there, the program includes presentations, discussion and interactive exercises. Everything is confidential, and NAMI never recommends a specific medical therapy or treatment approach. The 10-week sessions will be held in the Conference Room (204) at Cross of Christ, starting Thursday, March 3 and ending May 5. Session run from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Call Dick Hanner (425 223-9810) if you have any questions. Church Work Party March 12 Contact Art Hill for more information at 425-747-6932 or ireland1946@hotmail.com. Join Us At the Ballpark The LARKS are organizing an outing to watch the Mariners play the Los Angeles Angels from our own private suite complete with great food! Sunday, September 4 1:10pm @ Safeco Field Carpools will leave from Cross of Christ. Sign up at the information desk. The cost is approximately $120 per person, payable to Jock McNaughton. Contact Jock at 425-641-1874 or jockandjudy@hotmail.com to learn more. Daylight Saving Begins in March Daylight Saving Time begins soon. Remember to “Spring Forward” to Daylight Saving Time on Sunday, March 13. Set your clocks ahead one hour before going to bed on March 12 so you won’t be late for worship! Goodbye, and God bless, Digby! On Sunday February 28, we blessed the Digby, the wonderful Golden Retriever Rick and Katherine Parkins have been helping to prepare to be a service animal. They’ve done a wonderful job, and it’s time for Digby to move on to his next phase of training. Digby is 16 months old, and is heading to Boring, Oregon, to train to be a guide for people dealing with blindness. It is a difficult training course and only about one out of three Golden Retrievers become guides. The Parkins will miss Digby – and we will too! - but they recognize that it is like letting your children go to make their way in the world and make it a little bit better place. The Parkin’s new puppy, Scully, is a black lab female who loves to “talk’ and sometimes even “sing” in worship. Like Digby, however, she’s very sweet and more importantly, is taking her first four-footed steps towards being a blessing as a service animal. Welcome, Scully! Goodbye, Digby! And thank you, Rick and Katherine for living out your calling to “Serve Others” in this wonderful way. Third Saturday Hikers We took a break for s e v e r a l months, and then came back together to re-energize and discuss our purpose, guiding principles and direction. We will be: Welcoming; Exercise, and show Service to our community. We will do that by: • participating in at least one community service project a year, • pe r sonal ly invi t e members of all ages to join in the hikes; and • extending invitations to our neighbors. We encourage all that are interested to join us on one of the hikes; young or old. It is a great time of fellowship and an opportunity to see some of the wonders that God has created. If you have any questions, please contact Erik Paulson. Here’s what we have planned through September. March Chambers Bay, Tacoma April Lime Kiln Trail, Granite Falls May Eastern Washington June Service Project July Icicle Creek, Leavenworth August Mt. Baker, Artist Point September Goat Trail, Stevens Pass Skagit Valley Tulip Tour Sponsored by the LARKS Thursday April 14 Pickup time from church 8:30am return by 5:30 - 6pm We will visit the tulip fields at Roozen Gaarde and have lunch at the Kiwanis Salmon BBQ. After lunch we continue on to the historic waterfront village of La Conner, Tulip Town, working our way through the tulip fields and Snow Geese sightings, with a final stop at Snow Goose Produce (time permitting) for their “Immodest” ice cream cones, flowers and jams. Everyone is welcome - families, friends, photographers. The cost of the tour is $70 per person. Lunch is not included in the price of the tour and prices range from $8 - $15. A signup sheet is available at the Information Desk. For more information please contact: Heidi Fine 425 885 6750 or email finealso@comcast.net I think I always start with some pithy musing on the weather, but the seasons do seem to drive our lives in some ways. Whatever season your life is in right now, I hope all is going well. The season that just passed, though, was pretty awesome around here! Our fantastic December Coat Drive led into a fantastic January Food Drive that collected over 140 pounds of food and $394 dollars for Hopelink via the Souper Bowl of Caring! Our MLK Day service project at Westside Baby let us really get our hands dirty (and in some cases, smelly!) while helping the organization fill its mission to support families in need in Seattle. Coming up, those of you attending the YouthQuake in March will have the opportunity to help pack meals for Harvest Pack, an organization that works to get complete and nutritionally-balanced meals into the hands of people who need them, both in the US and worldwide. Speaking of YouthQuake, if you’re not going, you’re missing out! You might be able to squeak in: March 11-13. Cost is $50/ person for everything, and friends are free! Crazy Dress Night is optional. ;-) Also coming up: Easter! And sometime in April, a hike to a yet-to-be-determined location. Email me if you have any suggestions! Blessings to you all, Kristie Walker Director of Youth Ministries The MaaSAE Girls School (MGLSS) is now fully solar powered! The MaaSAE Girls School (MGLSS) is now fully solar powered! Thirty-two solar panels have been installed on the chemistry lab roof and are generating power for the entire campus. Cross of Christ partnered with St. Andrews Lutheran Church last November to celebrate the anniversaries of the both MGLSS and Operation Bootstrap Africa. Thank you to everyone who participated in this event and helped raise a portion of the funds for this project. Books for the Peace Corps Thanks to everyone who donated books to Cross of Christ or contributed to Book by Book. Your efforts and kind generosity are sending several thousand books to the schools of Gulu, Uganda. This is truly AMAZING! Katie Giseburt, Peace Corps Volunteer Tanzania Mission Team Preparations are now well underway for Cross of Christ Tanzania Mission 2016. While 21 people are traveling as representatives of Cross of Christ, they represent the whole congregation which supports our work in Tanzania with significant financial and prayer support. To learn a little more about the team members, visit the display on the West Wing Art. There you’ll not only be able to put names with faces, but learn which team member’s secret talent is hair braiding, which identifies the elephant as her favorite safari animal, and which two were born outside of the US. The team members, who covet your prayers as they prepare for their journey in July, are Alex and Celia Aiken, Cheryl and Emily Buettemeier, Barbara Dykman-Thomas, Beth Elness-Hanson, Anya Hanson, Elise and Julie Hockett, Luciana Lastre-Conceicao, David and Mary Mehlum, Andrea, Erik, KristineKristine, Kyle and Matt Pohle, Pete Stewart, David and Pastor Dave Thomas, and Anneliese Youngs. CFH Luncheon Moving Beyond Homelessness You are invited to the 7th Annual Congregations for the Homeless (CFH) Luncheon, on Friday, May 6, at Hyatt Regency Bellevue (900 Bellevue Way NE.) Experience the journey homeless men undertake to develop independence and identity beyond their circumstances. Keynote Speaker Tom Miles will share his personal recovery from homelessness to becoming the lead Outreach Case Manager at CFH. A Coffee Social begins at 10:30 am. The luncheon is from 11:15 am - 1 pm. Visit www.cfhomeless.org and click on the luncheon link to register. If you would like to sit with fellow Cross of Christ members you can express this preference on the online registration form. For more information, contact Nadine or Sterling Bentsen. When: Friday May 6 from 10:30 am to 1 pm Where: Hyatt Regency Bellevue 900 Bellevue Way NE Winter Shelters Serving the Eastside: Cross of Christ Hosts Women in March and Men in May Cross of Christ is answering an emergency call for a new congregational host when permitting issues arose at the site planned to house the Women’s Emergency Shelter in March. With more than 20 years of experience working with Congregations for the Homeless sheltering men, members at Cross of Christ stepped up when called upon. Ann Huseby, Sharing and Serving Core Team Leader, is serving as Cross of Christ’s coordinator with Eastside Winter Shelters, the Sophia Way, and Catholic Community Services in this effort. The Eastside Winter Shelters, which will be open through April 2016, are run by Congregations for the Homeless (CFH) and the Sophia Way in partnership with Catholic Community Services (CCS). CFH’s shelter is for single, adult men, is located at 1899 120th Avenue NE, Bellevue, and currently serves about 80 guests per night. The Sophia Way/CCS operate a shelter for women at various locations in addition to Cross of Christ in March, as well as a shelter for families at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church. Each of these shelters serve approximately 25 and 30 guests per night. Those who visit the Eastside Winter Shelters receive a hot meal and a safe place to sleep. Trained staff at each location also helps connect the homeless to resources, which will help them move toward permanent housing. You can help by providing meals. To sign up or to lean more, visit: www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0f48adaf2ba02-winter Other Ways to Support The Sophia Way The mission of The Sophia Way is to help end homelessness for adult women in King County by providing shelter, life skills training, social services and supportive permanent housing, offering a path from homelessness to stable independent living. You can support this mission by donating time and needed items. Clothing donations can be dropped off at Value Village in Kirkland, 12515 116th Ave NE. Value Village has a program that gives shopping vouchers to the Sophia Way clients. Stewardship Play Are you ready for some fun? Do you like to laugh? Do you want to see your friends give an important message? The Stewardship Play, Angels on a Mission, is coming for you and all of your invited guests on Friday, April 15, at 7pm and Saturday, April 16, at 1pm. Refreshments will be served to treat your tummies afterwards! Reasonably priced tickets on sale soon for a mere 99 cents per individual and group rates of $2 per family, gathering of buddies, or anyone you bring along. Come to a performance ... or come twice to keep you smiling two days in a row! Adult Faith Formation Please join Pastor Dave as he leads Adult Faith Formation this spring. We meet in the Library between worship services, beginning at approximately 10:15 and ending at 10:55. Here’s the upcoming schedule: March 6-20 Ephesians: A Study in Unity March 27 Easter Break May 1-22 Grafted Into the Olive Tree Christianity’s Jewish Heritage News From the Ark Things have been pretty busy at the Ark. Our enrollment is full, praise God! Staffing is good and we finally have a substitute available to us. Our Christmas Basket Fundraiser went very well. Our wonderful Board Members and parents were a big help. We earned $2,600! Half of this went to scholarships to help our families in financial need, and the other half is going to curriculum and equipment as needed. Now we are in the middle of cold and flu season. Many children and staff have been out due to one thing or another. This too shall pass…just not soon enough! We’ had a great time at our Valentine’s Day Party February 12. This month of March, we will try something new, a card fundraiser. We will be selling boxed sets of 30 beautiful, all occasion cards from Usborne. The proceeds will go toward replacing outdoor equipment. Join in the fun and look for us March 6 between services. Thanks for your prayers and support, Jan Galbraith Ark Director

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