 from the September 2009 issue of The Spire
InSPIREd Dear Friends, As most of you know by now (how could you not – I brag about her constantly), my wife, Ramona, is a champion power lifter. I've learned a lot about the sport recently, and I've come to respect the physiology of weight lifting in general. Here's what happens: when a muscle is worked intentionally through a series of focused exercises it literally gets broken down and torn apart. This is why strenuous exercise leaves you sore and achy the next day. The muscle gets built up during the recovery phase when good nutrition, rest, and lots of water repair the tears in that muscle by filling in the gaps with new muscle material. The result of this tearing down and building back up is a larger, stronger muscle. And the key is the all important recovery phase, not the exercise itself. Intentional recovery is the key to strength. You can't go long and hard at anything effectively without taking time to recover. It's why we look forward to weekends, summer vacations, and naps. It's why Jesus took serious "alone" time to rest and pray. It's why nature has all of the glorious seasons, time to grow and time to hibernate. And it's why all of us should pay close attention to the cyclical rhythms of life. One of the nuns in the convent went to the kitchen one evening and was shocked to find Sister Theresa, later to become a saint, there gorging herself on chicken. Surrounded by scraps and bones, she looked up at the surprised sister and said, "When I pray, I pray. And when I eat chicken, I eat chicken!" Exercise hard. Play hard. Rest hard. Pray hard. You'll eventually get stronger. Sincerely, Welcoming the World to Pittsburgh –  This month, the world will come to Pittsburgh as our city hosts the G-20 Summit on September 24 and 25. The leaders and finance ministers of the world's most wealthy and powerful nations will come to Pittsburgh for talks on the global economy. Meanwhile, thousands of advocacy groups and protesters will also come to the city, seeking to make their voices heard. The summit provides an amazing opportunity for our congregation to extend our famous extravagant hospitality to people from all parts of the globe! Our plans include:
 Of course, all G-20 plans are subject to change due to last-minute security restrictions. If we are compelled to make adjustments, an updated schedule will be available on this website. Please plan to join us for these exciting events! 
Smithfield School, our education hour at 9:45 on Sunday mornings, is a time for growing in faith. And this fall, Smithfield School itself is growing! Our number of students has steadily increased since Smithfield School began in fall 2007. This year, there are 57 toddlers, children, and youth in our church family! To better serve our growing community, we are creating a new classroom for grades 4-6 and establishing new teaching teams. Beginning on Sunday, September 13, we will offer the following classes every week at 9:45 a.m.:
To sustain our programs, we need consistent, enthusiastic attendance. Students learn from one another just as much as they learn from the formal curriculum. Please be sure to bring yourself and your family to Smithfield School each week. Join us as we kick off the new Smithfield School year on Sunday, September 13 at 9:45 a.m. We will gather in the gym for upbeat music and reflection. Next, we will explore the labyrinth and prayer stations in the social hall before moving to our classrooms to begin a new year of friendship, faith, and learning. For children from age 3 through grade 2, the learning does not end with Smithfield School. During the worship service, these children will leave after the children’s sermon for Children’s Chapel and Pilgrim Adventures. The Children’s Chapel service is a worship experience on a child’s level, incorporating music, scripture, and prayers. Pilgrim Adventures is an educational activity period. This fall, our Pilgrim Adventures theme will be the Books of the Bible. We will learn that the Bible is like a library, with 66 books inside, and will explore a different book each week. Adult Seminars Continue Growing in faith is a life-long process. Our Smithfield School adult seminars offer opportunities for adults of all ages – from college students through retirees – to learn more about our church, our faith, and our world. The seminars meet each Sunday at 9:45 a.m. in the Women’s Fellowship room. Attend each week or choose the topics that seem most interesting to you. Our fall calendar includes:
We look forward to seeing you at Smithfield School! Hearing the Still-Speaking God in Washington, D.C.  Looking back at the recent youth group mission trip to Washington, D.C., the idea that God is still speaking is both compelling and clear. As we planned the trip, God spoke through the congregation in its support, both formal and informal, of the youth and this trip. He spoke through the careful planning and anticipation leading up to the trip. Most of all, though, God spoke through the youth and adults during the six days in Washington. He spoke loudly as we prepared meals, packed sacks of groceries, organized food bank shelves, and stacked meals in freezers. He spoke to nonprofits of the selflessness that a group of people can extend when called to do so, and He showed that the whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts. This was our mission – why we traveled to Washington, D.C., in the first place: to help those in need in any way we could. God spoke through the members of the trip loud and clear during those moments, but God also spoke through more subtle moments as well. God spoke through a kind word shared with a stranger, and a song sung with a friend. He spoke during moments of silent contemplation and reflective speaking. He spoke at the Holocaust Museum and during Holy Communion in the common area. God spoke during the shared preparation of meals and through the fellowship gained in sharing those meals, through laughter and through tears. God spoke a lot, but God also listened. God listened to our prayers, our joys, our frustrations, and our shared experiences. There was little, if anything, about the mission trip to Washington, D.C., that was easy; not much that is worthwhile happens without struggling at least a little. Being challenged was all part of the trip, but in the midst of that challenge, a common identity began to form, and we got to see just how much we could do with God's help. We even had fun as we listened to God speak and let him speak through our actions. God is certainly still speaking. We heard that lesson loud and clear. The question now is how can God continue to speak through you? – Rebecca Flowers Would you like to see more photos and hear more stories about Washington, D.C.? Come to the Youth Group Shareholders' Meeting in the Women's Fellowship Room on Sunday, September 27, at 9:45 a.m. Watch the slide show, enjoy a pancake breakfast, and yes, even see video evidence of your Minister of Christian Education learning hip-hop dance moves. Admission to the Shareholders' Meeting is free for those who purchased shares of stock in the D.C. MIssion Trip last spring. If you did not buy stock but would like to attend, tickets cost $10 each, with proceeds benefiting future youth group events. See also Smithfield UCC - Youth group Generosity and Commitment: the 6th in a series of columns on stewardship Bob and I believe that the amount of energy and effort that we give to Smithfield United Church of Christ, in the form of our time, comes back to us many times over, in so many ways. Our gift of time to the church has become a gift to ourselves. We have made some friends that we probably would not have gotten to know very well if we had elected to only attend services. It is especially important to "find your way and a place of belonging" in a church that is not geographically surrounded by a built-in community. Because we have both worked in the past on the consistory, or council, of other churches, we have seen first hand how difficult it can be to make the hard financial decisions that every congregation faces from time to time. Our challenge: how can we better our contributions each year while acknowledging the reality of living on a fixed income? Our day to day expenses, for necessities such as utilities and maintaining our property, are on the increase. There is an exact parallel at our church. What the church required in 1959 or even 1999 has not remained static. We choose to donate via electronic transfer because it allows the church to create a more accurate budget based on real income numbers. And it insures that when we are unable to attend the contribution still is received. God never takes a vacation, and we shouldn't cheat his church when we are away on ours. We recommend electronic transfer to everyone! As for any talents we may have; that love 'im or hate 'im guy, Rush Limbaugh, uses a phrase "Talent on loan from God." When you look at your abilities in that light how can you not use your talents at Church? – Mary and Bob D'Angelo Heinz History Center Exhibit Features our Lincoln Window  Smithfield visitors to the Senator John Heinz History Center's exhibit "Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War and Lincoln Slept Here" will see a familiar image. A photograph of our stained-glass portrait of Lincoln is included in the portion of the exhibit commemorating Lincoln's 1861 visit to Pittsburgh. The window (located on the left side of our sanctuary, closest to the entrance doors) depicts Lincoln giving a speech from the balcony of the Monongahela House Hotel, which once stood on Smithfield Street. The exhibit will remain on display through Jan. 3. (See also Smithfield UCC - Our Stained Glass Windows)  Stay and Enjoy Lunch After Worship  Many thanks to Rebecca Senkowicz for the great surveying and organizing over the past few months. From her work, we have had several"Smithfield Smorgasbord" events where the culinary gifts of many folks have made it to our banquet table. Rebecca's surveys of the congregation underscored how much many of us appreciate the lunch as an ample meal as well as a time of fellowship. As we approach the new church year this September we plan to continue offering a potluck lunch on the first Sunday of each month. So on Sunday the 6th of September, we are planning a Picnic Buffet for that holiday weekend. Bring your favorite picnic treats to share! On subsequent Sundays we will continue with the "Soup + Salad or Sandwich" approach. We are hoping to work with some students from the Culinary Institute to help some with the lunch program. We would also like to add a few new folks to the preparation team. This will only require heating the soup and putting out the salad or sandwiches and the desserts. All the shopping will be done ahead of time to minimize the Sunday morning labor and maximize the enjoyment of all. If you are interested at giving this a go, please contact Rebecca Senkowicz, John Canning, or any of the pastors. We are all looking forward to many great Sunday lunches. 
To help with set-up, food preparation, serving, or clean-up, please call John Canning. Also save the date for our second annual German Christmas Market, December 2-4! (see the sitemap for earlier issues)
9/30/09 |
– through you and me!