The Messenger: May 2011

A Note From Pastor Ben

Dear Friends,

I’ve been complaining about the weather quite a lot lately, and not without cause. For weeks it’s been wet and chilly during what should be one of the nicest times of the year. The worst day was Saturday, June 4. On that dreary day I attended a presbytery meeting in Santa Cruz, where it was raining sideways. It was an honest to goodness winter storm in June. They should pass a law against that kind of thing.

Don’t get me wrong. I like the winter when it is wintertime, but in June I want to wear a Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts. I want to buy a watermelon, put it in the refrigerator, and eat it in the mid-afternoon heat while having a seed-spitting contest with my children. After the kids are in bed on a particularly warm night, I want to sit with Anne out on the back patio listening to a Giants game on the radio and drinking a glass of wine. Summer is lovely; or at least it should be.

But here’s what I know: it is easy to dream of hot days and balmy nights in the fog and drizzle of a late-spring-that-feels-like-winter; it’s much more difficult to avoid complaining when the mercury actually starts rising past 90 during the day and the nights are oppressive sweat and unmoving air. If I’m not careful, I could complain all of the time.

I don’t want to complain, however, and so this summer I will commit to being thankful for the weather, whatever may come. I will remember the rain in Santa Cruz when August seems unbearable, and if 2012’s June is as chilly and damp as the one 2011 has offered up, I will recollect my discomfort when August got hot and I will be glad.

At Pentecost we celebrate the day when the Holy Spirit enabled Jesus’ disciples to speak the languages necessary to communicate the gospel to people who didn’t happen to speak Aramaic, Hebrew, or Greek, which were the three languages in which the disciples may have been fluent. This summer my prayer is that the same Holy Spirit will enable me to speak a language with which I am not entirely fluent: the language of gratitude for every kind of weather. Furthermore, I pray that my fluency in the language of thanksgiving will increase in every part of my life, and I hope you will join me in this linguistic study.

I bid you peace.

Ben
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Peg Nickl, Office Administrator

We are now on Facebook. We need 25 people to "like" us so we can have our own custom Facebook user name. This makes finding Foothill on Facebook much easier for people. Just click the Foothill Presbyterian Church on Facebook link above to "like" us.

Each week we will post a video link to Pastor Ben's latest sermon. We will also post things like concert and special service announcements, worship and mission opportunities, and things we are celebrating.

If you have any suggestions, or would like to add content to our Facebook page, please let us know.

Pastor Ben and William watching The Amgen Tour

From the Treasurer
Sue Williams, Treasurer

It's June and we're coming to the end of our fiscal year. We have one more month to go before we begin the 2011/2012 fiscal year.

This is where we are in a snapshot at May 23rd:

Year-to-date general fund receipts: $288,000

Year-to-date general fund expenditures: $281,000

So here’s where we are regarding pledges:

Total general fund pledges: $173,000
Year-to-date pledges received: $147,600

As you can see, pledged giving is behind. Please prayerfully consider catching up your giving for the 2010/2011 fiscal year. We have June to catch up
We have been very fortunate with rents and other activities helping us meet our financial obligations. By catching up with your pledge, you can make the difference as we prepare for the upcoming repair of our roofs. Stay tuned for more about the roof project in the months to come.

And finally, help us plan our next year’s programs. We need your pledge of fiscal support to plan the next year’s activities. You can turn in your Pledge Card with the Sunday offerings. Or send an email, make a call or drop your card by the office. Your pledge is important. Through your faithful giving we can continue to provide the programs and services of the church and make a difference in this world.

Thank you so much for your support.
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What is That Unusual Towering Plant?
Marilyn Kromrey

Have you been wondering what is the name of the unusually tall plant by the fence near Fellowship Hall?

According to Udell Eby it is Echium wildpretii - or Tower of Jewels. The Sunset Western Garden book describes it as a "biennial, Zones 15-17 and 21-14. Striking oddity from the Canary Islands spends its first year as an attractive, roundish mass of long, narrow leaves covered with silvery gray hairs. In its second year, it starts to grow. By mid or late spring, it forms a column of countless little rose to rose red flowers 6 to 10 feet high and a foot or more in diameter. When all the flowers have faded, the plant dies, leaving behind a vast amount of seed. The resulting seedlings may grow and bloom the next year if they are not hoed out. " Sunset Page 323.

Requires full sun and little to moderate water.

We first noticed the pale silvery grey plant when pruning the roses. I decided to let it grow to see what it was. It wasn't a weed I was familiar with seeing in the gardens. We did not water it - we just watched the plant as it grew larger. It seemed to thrive in a small crack in the asphalt. In March we noticed the plant getting very tall and it kept getting taller until the first part of April when we started seeing flower buds in between the leaves. It has been fun watching it grow taller and taller. Udell has had several plants in her garden and has tried to start from seed with not much luck. The plant seems to thrive on neglect.
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The Semibreve
Jay Jordana, Director of Music Ministries

MANY THANKS
To Carol Tillman, Patty Potter, Jerry Siegfried, Kraig Williams for help with concert production. I would especially like to thank Darlene Ristrim, Carol Tillman, Jane Wallace, and Don Village for their above-and-beyond help at the South Bay Philharmonic concert. It does take a village! Thanks again.

FINAL CONCERT OF 2010-11 SEASON

The Peralta Consort
Saturday, June 11th, 3 PM

From Bach to Quantz, the Peralta Consort’s break-out concert presents a program of mostly Baroque with a savory surprise in the center! Join recorderists Kraig Williams and Stevie White, recorderist and flutist Michael Megas, recorderist and percussionist Greta Haug-Hryciw, keyboardist William Andersen, cellist Carl Myers, harpist Carol Tillman, and guitarist Bruce Perkins for an afternoon of “Kings, Canons, and Fugues!”

Suggested Donation $10

Proceeds benefit the Foothill Music Series to provide future concerts to the community. Thank you for your support.

MUSIC RECOGNITION SUNDAY
We are blessed with so many talented folks who share so generously of themselves and their time to glorify God and to create a meaningful worship experience. Join us at the June 12th worship service to honor our FPC musicians.

Read More Semibreve

DIXIELAND HYMN SING AT FOOTHILL!
Members of the South Bay Jazz Society will be coming to Foothill on July 17th to provide special worship service music to be followed by a hymn sing after the service. They will be playing traditional hymns that we all love. Stay tuned for more info. In the meantime, mark your calendars for July 17th. You won’t wanna miss this!

WHAT’S UP IN THE HOOD?
It was only four months ago when the Vivace Youth Chorus started an East side contingent here at Foothill. On May 21st, Vivace Youth Chorus East successfully produced a concert with stellar performances from the Prep and Intermediate groups. Founder and Head Director of Vivace conducted the Prep group, which included our own Nellie Daniel who sang beautifully! The Peralta Consort played with them on one of their pieces. I directed the Intermediate group who sang very well. I’m so proud of those kids (sniff, sniff) :D

Vivace Youth Chorus will have their final concert of the season on June 5th , 4 PM at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Performances will include Nellie Daniel singing with the Prep group, and the Peralta Consort playing with them on one of their pieces.

SUMMER MUSIC
The following folks have generously volunteered to provide special music while the choirs are on summer hiatus:
June
6/19 –Joanne Reinecker
6/26 – Grace Takeda

July
7/3 – Friends of Taiwan International (Brass ensemble)
7/10 – Ronn Ealy
7/17 (Dixieland!) – Jim Harget and members of the South Bay Jazz Society
7/24 – Libby Moore
7/31 –Anne Marie Daniel

Stay tuned for August.

MAY TIDBIT
Congratulations to John Belz for getting the correct response to the question:

Who was the first female musician named in the Bible?

The correct response is “Miriam.”

Exodus 15:20
(After the Israelites crossed the Red Sea):
“Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and with all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. And Miriam sang to them: ‘Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.”

-The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version

More on Miriam…
A descendant of Levi, she watched as her mother laid her brother Moses in a basket in the reeds. She persuaded Pharaoh’s daughter, who found Moses, to let his own biological mother nurse him. Considered a prophet along with Aaron and Moses, she became a leper later in life but was healed by God after seven days at Moses’ request. She died and was buried in the Zin desert at Kadesh, which is in modern day Syria.

-del Mastro, M.L. All the Women of the Bible. New York: Castle Books, 2004.

JUNE TIDBIT
What is the third partial in the harmonic series? Explain.

Please email me your response. If yours is correct, you get to choose the closing hymn of the final worship service this month. First one to let me know the correct answer gets the prize! Hurry!

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Critic’s Corner
Lawrence R. Ealy

The Doris Williams Ensemble

I don’t know what I was expecting at an Early Music concert having never previously attended one or spent much time listening to or studying music from this era so I went into it with an open mind and willingness to learn.

The instruments were various lutes and recorders which accompanied Ms. Williams as she sang. She has a very interesting sound and color to her voice. Very little vibrato was used and, at times she sounded almost boy soprano. She has good command of her program. I would have preferred, however, that she had not used music and preformed the pieces from memory. This seemed to take away from her connection with her audience.

Her program was quite diversified and represented the four basic musical language groups (French, German, Italian, and English). She seemed most at home with the Italian literature. Maybe because it was a bit more up temp and ore story telling in nature. Of the multi languages I had most difficulty understanding her German.

Ms. Williams has a very pleasing light soprano voice, not suited for the operatic stage but worked perfectly in interpretation of this early period’s style. If she needs to concentrate on anything I would suggest that she pay attention t her pitch on the upper notes and her breath control at the end of soft phases.

The two gentlemen (Howard Kadis and Jonathan Harris) gave tremendous support to Ms. Williams throughout the program. Most thrilling were the recorder solos. I can just imagine a young man in the early 16th century sitting under a chestnut tree while watching his flock of sheep playing songs to pass the time of day. Also, the lutes were very subtle in nature and gave a solid support to the soloist.

All in all it was a very tastefully diverse and complete concert. I appreciated the narration between songs which gave us a sense of the story about to be sung. It was a great learning experience for me and an afternoon well spent. I only wish there had been more attendants.

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*Bible Lesson*

Chapel Day with Pastor Ben
Wednesday, June 8

*Spiritual Message*
Patience

You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming near
James 5:8

*Special Days in June*

Tuesdays & Thursdays
Kid’s Jazzercise

6/3
Pre-K Grad Night

6/9
Happy Hollow Fieldtrip

6/16
Father’s Day Lunch

6/24
Ice Cream Sunday
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Opportunity to Help Organize a 5K Cancer Walk/Run

Jason Fromoltz is a teacher at Rocketship Sí Se Puede Academy in East San José. He is looking for help in organizing a charity 5K walk/run to raise money to benefit lung cancer research. Jason lost his father two years ago to lung cancer. The following is a letter that Jason sent to Anne Daniel requesting help from the Foothill Community. If you are interested in getting involved and helping with this event, please contact the church office and we will put you in touch with Jason.

I’m writing you (seemingly out of the blue) because I have a favor to ask of you and Ben. My father passed away two years ago due to lung cancer. In order to honor his life and help in the fight against lung cancer, I’ve decided to organize a 5k Walk/Run to benefit lung cancer research through the organization LUNGevity (www.lungevity.org). The walk is tentatively scheduled for October 23rd in Downtown San Jose.

Right now I am in the very early planning stages and am looking to put together a planning committee to help organize the walk logistics, recruit sponsors, fundraise, and find/manage volunteers.

Because I’m still relatively new to San Jose (been here 2 and a half years), the network of people I know is very small (consisting primarily of Rocketship teachers and parents). I am wondering if either of you know any people who might be interested in getting involved with the planning of the event. These might be people you know who have been affected by lung cancer in some way or just people who really want to be involved with something like this.

If you do know anyone, could you please spread the word and give them my contact information or put me in touch with them via e-mail/phone? I would really appreciate your help with this. I’ve attached* a timeline for what the planning will entail over the next six months and a description of responsibilities that individuals on the planning committee might have based on their subcommittee assignment.

Thanks so much!
Jason
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2011 Vacation Bible School
August 8-12 time TBA

Volunteers Needed for games and lunch
Contact the church office for details
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Community Supported Agriculture
Foothill CSA
Local Produce Direct from the Farm to You

We are starting our 6th month of CSA and the produce is only getting better. The picture above is of a full share from June 7th. Included are the following from left to right: 1 bunch chard, 8 plums, 1 bunch celery, 3 zucchini, 1 basket snap peas, 3 onions (purple and yellow), 3 shallots, 1 garlic, 2 Armenian cucumbers, 8 apricots, 1 bunch green onions, 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, 6 large yellow and purple potatoes, 4 avocados, 6 carrots, 1 bunch oregano, 1 leek, fava beans, and salad mix. All this for only $25 a week (cost will increase to $30 per week in July and August)

Give it a try and sign up for July. See what eating seasonally, locally, and sustainably is all about.

Read More About Foothill CSA

How much does this cost? $30 per week in the summer. Cost will drop to $25 per week after the summer season.

How do I pay? Produce shares are on a pre-payment, monthly subscription basis. Total prepayment is due the last Tuesday of each month. We accept cash or checks. Checks should be made payable to Foothill Presbyterian Church with CSA in the memo, or set up direct payment from your bank.

How much do I get? You will get between 17 and 20 different fruits and vegetables. Each week you will fill approximately 2 large grocery bags.

Can I buy half a share? We only purchase full shares from the farm. If you would like to split a share and do not have someone who you can partner with, please let us know and we will try to find a partner for you. Half share people are required to coordinate payment and splitting of the share with their partner. You must pick up a full share and then divide with your partner.

I’m here to pick up my share. What should I do?
Please bring your own bags or boxes including small bags for items such as salad greens.
Check off your name on the sign in sheet.
The produce is set out in boxes in the narthex. The amount you should take and the name of the item with be marked clearly on the box.
Look for great recipes ideas to take with you.

What if I don’t want an item? Look for the “Barter Box”. You can trade the item you don’t want for something in the Barter Box.

What happens to the leftovers? Unclaimed produce is taken to the Lord’s Pantry, a local food bank located on White Road.

What if I can’t pick up my share? You can have a friend or neighbor pick up your share for you, or you can donate your share to the food pantry.

When do I pick up? Every Tuesday from 10:30AM to 9PM.

How do I register? Email or call Peg: foothillpc@gmail.com or 408-258-8133.

What can you tell me about the grower?
Name of farm: Field of Greens
Owner: Peter Trembois
Business license: M15770

Farm land and history: 86 acres in San Benito County and 25 acres in Madera County; approximately 100 miles from San Francisco. Pete’s family has been farming as far back as he can research.
Farm specialty: Over 200 different varieties of vegetables, specializing in root crops and leafy greens.
Philosophy and growing practices: Although not certified organic, Field or Greens practices sustainable agriculture to provide the highest quality, freshest and most nutritious produce possible. They use mulch, compost and cover crops to produce fertile soil. The soil on this San Benito County farm is Class 1, the most fertile soil in the area. The crops are hand weeded. Soap is used to discourage insects. Beneficial insects are introduced. A 300-foot well supplies 86 acres, and river water is used as a backup source.
Farm Staff: Field of Greens is primarily a family-run business. There are 11 family members working for the farm, as well as nine other full time workers and 15 seasonal helpers.
Contact information: Farmer Pete: Psemcd@aol.com, 650-948-0621

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Presbyterian
Disaster
Assistance

Disaster relief donations can be made to Foothill and we will forward your money to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.

Disaster Relief--USA Disasters & Emergencies DR000015

Disaster Relief--Japan Earthquake and Tsunami DR000117

These designated accounts supplement the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) offering to enable a significant response for relief and disasters in affected areas. Your faithful giving is deeply appreciated. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) shall honor the requests of donors concerning the use of their gifts for PDA programs; however, if the need for the funds for that specific project no longer exists, then those funds may be applied to a similar project or need at the discretion of PDA.

For more information regarding the PDA their efforts go to http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/pda/

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The Life of a Seminary Student & Chaplain
-Maxine Millender

God does not save us by grace so that we may live in disgrace. —Faber

The month of April was busy but not as bad as March. There were deaths (4), strokes (7), stabbings (2), crisis calls (13), motor vehicle accidents (9), heart attacks (4), miscarriages (3), code blues (2), assaults (3), falls (2), stabbings (2), gunshot wounds (1), and a multiple stabbing. During this month I have had many issues with family dynamics where the family members want to argue with the nurses and among themselves about who can sign consents, make medical decisions or not, and when I am called, I politely inform the family that the patient is most important. The cases I share are ones which have resonated with me for specific reasons such as what was on my heart when looking back, wanted to let you know the difficulties I faced during the month or wanted to share my deep concerns about something.

The Messenger

Friday, May 20, 2011

June 2011

Read More Semibreve

Read More About Foothill CSA

Read More Life of a Seminary Student & Chaplain

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