THE SHEPHERD
March - April 2003
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Paul’s activities in March: Hospitality” is an invitation to
visit, often a meal together in another’s home or restaurant or welcoming
someone to our home.
• “Visitation” is when I meet with another to listen and share.
• Events in bold are community events. [‘Reaching out.’] You would
be most welcome and I would encourage you to consider coming with me
to these events. Just let me know or show up. If you have
community events [reaching out] that you wish to attend and wish to
suggest that I go with you, let me know.
• Meeting in italics are Shalom Community Church meetings
March 1 Visitation
March 2 practicing hospitality
March 3 Visitations
March 4 CLC
March 5, Membership Task Force
March 7 Central District Conference, Bluffton Ohio [one day]
March 8 MCC Great Lakes or visit Muslim Center.
March 9 Remembering the Holocaust, 7:30 pm Michigan Theater
March 9 Hospitality
March 10 Peach and Justice Interest group, 7:30pm
March 11 Round Table of Washtenaw Country, 12:30 pm
March 12 Middle East Task Force: Working to stop the rush to war on Iraq
and seek justice and peace in Palestine/Israel. 7:30 p.m. 730 Tappan.
663-1870
March 13 Worship Committee, 7:30pm
March 15 Anti-Christian/Christian dialogue, 2pm [place to be determined]
March 16 Canterbury House, Episcopalian worship meeting, 5:30
pm., 721 Huron St
March 18 Pastor Peer meeting at Versluis home
March 18 Visitation
March 19 Deep Springs, Buddhist Center, 7:30 pm., Washtenaw and Glenwood,
across from Arbys, Suite #2.
March 20 Visitation
March 22 Hospitality
March 23 Hospitality
March 26 Membership Task Force.
March ?? Service/Outreach Committeeospitality” is an invitation to visit,
often a meal together
n Ohio [one day]
Paul
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INTRODUCTION
Katherine (Regier), are still living in the only house I grew up in.
I have one sister, Jennifer, who is temporarily living with the folks after
having finished her MVS assignment in Seattle. My home church is Rainbow
Mennonite Church, which is closer to downtown KC, Kansas on Rainbow Boulevard
(hence the name – not because of their views on LGBTI worshipers, though
it shouldn’t matter). Things in my family are mostly constant.
My girlfriend, Mandy Hg, on the other hand, moved around a lot and just says
she grew up in the general area of Southeast Michigan with her folks currently
in Saline. She is now living in Chicago for her internship year of
residency in family medicine. This is my excuse for having missed a
lot of church lately. However, Mandy will be moving back to Ann Arbor
in June and will finish her residency at Michigan. I am very excited
about this.
Despite attending a large high school, I somehow ended up at small Bethel
College in central KS near where my folks grew up. There I was one
of the three David Kns, including Mike K’s younger brother. I got along
just fine studying physics, math, and Spanish, and playing my viola until
the other two Daves decided to graduate and no longer room with me.
That’s when I decided to move and somehow ended up at U of M in the Industrial
and Operations Engineering Department. I am currently working on my
Ph.D. dissertation in Operations Research, an applied math field that concentrates
on the optimization of business systems. As an example, I spent a summer
in Memphis at FedEx developing routing algorithms to automate their courier
pickup operations. Outside of my research, my main hobby is watching
the Jayhawks play basketball. I’m also currently building a pair of
efficient stereo speakers. If anyone has experience with veneering
and can offer tips, please let me in on them. Anyone ever built a tube
amp?
I’ve been attending Shalom regularly for about two years, but have been coming
off and on for a long while. I enjoy the fellowship more and more as
time goes on. I still don’t know as many people as I should in church,
but that is my fault since I have shied away from introducing myself to people
I don’t know or have only talked to a couple of times. Maybe this has
to do with the fact that I can’t remember peoples’ names. Once I get
a hold of a picture directory, watch out!
David Kn
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The Memorial Advisory and Planning Society (MAPS) IS HAVING ITS ANNUAL MEETING
Sunday, April 27 from 3-4:30 PM at First Presbyterian Church at 1432 Washtenaw
Ave. All are welcome. There is not charge. MAPS is a nonprofit,
nonsectarian association of consumers, dedicated to informing its members
and the general public about funeral practices. Members share the belief
that simple and affordable funeral and memorial arrangements—including anatomical
donations—can be achieved by careful planning. Call Sherry Thackrey
for more information (734-663-2581)
Sherry.
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Early May we will have a garage sale at my place to raise funds for IHN.
When we did this a few years ago, we raised over $400. It is soon spring
and time to clean and to notice if you have things you no longer need.
Look for announcements re time.
OPORTUNITY:
There is a exciting opportunity for someone to take over the editing of the
Shepherd. Call me gertrude
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On Living Simply
By Kathy Cr
I had the pleasure of reading a delightful book of excerpts from sermons
given by Saint John Chrysostom, compiled by Robert Van de Weyer. The
book is very small, just 84 pages, but packs a powerful message.
Saint John Chrysostom is a little-known priest of the early Catholic Church
in Constantinople around 368. The simplicity of his message, faithfulness
to the teachings of Jesus, and purity of heart drew common people to him
wherever he went. His preaching brought some peace and love to people
persecuted by church officials (continued on page 2)
ho were lining their pockets at the expense of common people. Several
members of the clergy were adamantly opposed to these practices and urged
the church to return to the message of Christ. John Chrysostom was
the most eloquent of these priests.
John Chrysostom practiced what he preached. Born to wealthy aristocrats,
he turned from his family’s wealth and lived a life of simplicity and poverty
retaining only his self-assurance from his upbringing.
Some key points John Chrysostom made are things we as Christians today still
need to remember when we consider our goals and values through life:
1. Air, water, fire and sunshine are free. God gives these
to all life regardless of race, tradition, wealth or class. The wealthy
have an opportunity to use their blessings to help the quality of life for
others; to be good stewards of God’s gift. If air, water, fire and
sunshine were not given freely to all, the greedy “haves” would take even
that away from the “have-nots”.
2. Charity and generosity bond the wealthy and poor alike
by acknowledging our unity to one another.
3. Money is not the root of evil but the love of money
is. Money is a tool that brings power and responsibility to its holder.
God alone provides material things to us and can take it away just as easily.
Wealth is bestowed on us to give us the ability to help others, not to waste
on luxury. Responsible stewardship of our wealth makes us rich in spirit,
as well as those we help.
4. There is an art to being poor. The poor person
who envies the wealthy or who cheats, lies and steals to take money from
others is just as guilty of sin as the wealthy person who hoards his money.
The art of being poor is to trust in God for everything, to demand nothing
and be grateful for all that is given.
5. When we see a family fall into poverty and loan them
money, we should not charge interest. That would put the family in
greater debt that they may not be able to rise above. Rather the money
we loan on earth reaps a greater reward in heaven than interest could ever
reap on earth.
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SOME MORE OF OUR FOLKS:
I was born in Illinois, but spent most of my school years in Grantham, Pennsylvania,
where both my parents teach at Messiah College (a Brethren in Christ school).
As an undergrad I spent a year at Penn State, then finished up a physics
degree at Wheaton College (near Chicago) in 1998. I spent the following
year in Zambia with MCC teaching math at a rural Brethren in Christ high
school and working at a hospital. It was neat to work at places I'd
heard about in Sunday School as a child! I lived with a local family
and feel privileged to have had the opportunity to live as a Tonga woman.
This is my fourth year at Michigan. I completed an MPH in International
Health (while teaching Astronomy) and am now doing dissertation research
for a PhD in Epidemiology. This semester I'm looking forward to a 10-day
trip to Morocco with the Public Policy school!
I'm an excellent nshima cook, and I'd love to prepare a Zambian meal for
anyone interested in trying it! (It's finger food, so kids generally
like it.) Let me know if you're interested and I'll have you over for
lunch after church sometime soon!! --Kate Jn
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Welcome to:
Luka, born to Ken and Manami Si on Dec. 19, weighing 6 lb. 15 oz..
Akex Jordan, born to Jon and Patti Sr on Dec. 24, weighing in at 7 lb. 4
oz.
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Below are some of the lyrics and tunes from the Christmas pageant presented
by the Young People on Dec. 15:
76 TRombones
We are three kings from east bearing rich-est gifts
and we've come from a-far to give them to you.
We have followed a star real far with-out so much as a car
so you know, that's killer for our shoes.
Here in my left hand there is a box of myrrh
There's the purest of gold dust right there in his
and then he's got some frank-in-cense if that ma-akes any sense
I don't e-ven know quite what that is.
Habanera
Shep-herds sit-ting out in the night
We have a sto-ry-y you just can-not miss.
Sor-ry if we gave you a fright,
But we can't just sit a-round with news like this.
A child is born
in Beth-le-hem
It's Je-sus Christ, and he's the son of God.
Now blow your horns
and go see them
no time to waste let's see you move your bod.
Annunciation--to the tune of toreador
You are now pregnant
with God's own true son
He will be born
with great exultation
and he will save all of humanity
with great mercy and peace.
Peace on Earth
Good will to all
is the resounding call.
Travel to Bethlehem--to the tune of I am 16 going on 17
Mary:I've been riding this dumb donkey
for days and weeks on end.
Why did Augustus order a census
and send us to Bethlehem?
Joseph: You've been riding, I've been walking
Why do you always whine?
Mary: You can't be indignant, you are not pregnant
This marriage is losing
shine.
Being rejected---to The Sound of Music
Joseph: We need a room
For the night
is chilly.
Innkeepper: I have no room
For my
inn is full
Joseph: Please give us room, she will have a baby
Innkeepper: All my beds are full and my food is sold
but I have a stable in the backyard
And you can sleep there.
The manger is soft and the cattle warm
against cold night air.
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More Folk:
Hello everyone! My name is Sarah Rd, and I'm currently a graduate student
in the School of Education at University of Michigan. I grew up in
enemy territory, relatively speaking (East Lansing), but am blessed with
a wonderful family there-- a mom, dad and two little brothers. My formative
years were shaped largely by time spent with family and on my grandparents'
dairy farm in northern Indiana.
Since birth I've been a part of the MSU Mennonite Fellowship, a close
community that reminds me a great deal of Shalom. I love creative writing,
reading late into the night with a flashlight, spending time outdoors trying
to identify plants, and running.
I attended Grinnell College (majoring in English and German), then worked
with AmeriCorps in Chicago for a year, doing after-school programs at a high
school. I am happy to be back in Michigan student teaching at Pioneer,
and I feel particularly lucky to have found Shalom
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