A Note from Pastor Ben
Dear Friends,
October is a month that ends with an important holiday--and I'm not talking about Halloween. Rather, October 31st marks the 495th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. On the last day of October in 1517, a German monk and scholar named Martin Luther suggest 95 points of debate with the Catholic Church. The trouble is that people weren't allowed to debate the church in those days, and so Luther was kicked out of the church.
Luther was hardly the fist person to be excommunicated by Rome for suggesting the possibility of change in the church, but unlike those who went before him, Luther enjoyed the protection of the local prince, who was tired of taking orders from the Pope. Thanks to this allegiance of religion and politics, the reformation was born.
17 years after Luther started the reformation, John Calvin took up residence in Geneva and the Calvinist, or "Reformed," branch of Protestantism came into existence. For the followers of Calvin, it became important to understand that the work of reformation--work started by Luther--was never really finished. In our tradition, we believe we are called to be "reformed and always reforming according the word of God."
That means that questions need to be a integral part of our life as a faith community. Change must be a constant. When we stop questioning and evolving, we cease to be faithful.
So as we live into the Fall, as the warmth of summer gives way to the wintery weather, I hope you will join me in seeking to practice a faith made alive by questions and by an openness to change. It is how we honor the legacy of Martin Luther and our own Calvinist heritage within the Reformed Tradition.
Yours in Faithful Inquiry,
Ben
Bible Study
Wednesday, October 17 & 24
7:30PM
Join Pastor Ben for a two part study of Corinthians.
Everyone is welcome.
Take A Minute – (excerpts from recent meetings)
Darlene Ristrim, Clerk of Session
- Congregational Meeting – September 15, 2012Elected Navin Veerapal to serve as auditor, class of 2014
- Community Garden fees increase approved. Plot deposit increased from $20 to $50. Water fee from $40 to $60
- Web site refresh project proceeding slower than expected
- First meeting scheduled for Saturday, October 6 at 10AM
- Bible Study scheduled for October 17 and 24. First Corinthians
- Dates of Rev. Daniel’s sabbatical discussed
Saturday, October 20, 9:30AM-1:00PM
It's time again to roll up your sleeves, grab your rake, shovel, clippers, or whatever your favorite tool is, and join your friends at Foothill for the Fall All Church Service Day. There is plenty to get done. look for a sign up sheet in the narthex. Contact Marilyn Kromrey for more information.
The Semibreve
Jay Jordana, Director of Music Ministries
MANY THANKS…
to Dawn Imada, Dana and Benjamin Marino, and Patty Potter for the successful production of the Jon Roblin Quartet concert. Thanks so much for all your help!
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SCHOLA CANTORUM SAN FRANCISCO IS COMING TO FOOTHILL!
Sunday, October 28th, 4 PM
Under the direction of Paul Flight, Schola Cantorum will present ‘Tes beaux yeux’ – Your Beautiful Eyes
A woman’s eyes – and their furtive glances – were the inspiration for many poets and musicians of the Renaissance. This poetic notion, along with other themes of love and loss, will play out in a varied program of Italian and English madrigals by Monteverdi, Rossi, and Weelkes, French chansons by Passereau and Jannequin and Spanish villancicos by Juan Vasquez.
Schola Cantorum San Francisco has caught the attention of audiences and critics in and beyond the Bay Area for its stunning artistry, fine blend of voices, and beautiful choral sound. Under the direction of Paul Flight, the group, especially known for its interpretations of Renaissance polyphony, is at home in a broad range of musical styles, from Gregorian chant to contemporary works. The choir’s first two CDs, Pilgrimage and This Christmas Night, have been critically acclaimed, garnering praise for a sound “equal to the best of the mixed voice choirs in Great Britain.” As guest artists, they have appeared with Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and the New Century Chamber Orchestra performing music by Dietrich Buxtehude and Clarice Assad, and with Alasdair Neale and the Marin Symphony Orchestra. They have been featured artists on the concert series of the San Francisco Early Music Society in performances of Victoria’s Missa O magnum mysterium and Spanish and New World Villancicos, and also at the 2010 Santa Cruz Baroque Festival. Recently, the group gave a concert at Mission Santa Clara as guest artists of the Santa Clara Chorale, performing Domenico Scarlatti’s ten-part Stabat Mater and Antonio Caldara’s sixteen-part Crucifixus. They were a featured choir in the performances of Alessandro Striggio’s Missa Ecco sì beato giorno given at the 2008 Berkeley Early Music Festival and on the 2012 Cal Performances series.
You won’t wanna miss this!
ONE TWICE?!
Foothill Presbyterian Church will be presenting Part 1 (Advent) of Handel's Messiah twice this coming December!
Sunday, December 2nd, 4 PM - The Foothill Music Series will be presenting its first Annual Foothill Messiah Sing-a-Long. YOU (yes, you!) and your friends get to sing along with a professional orchestra! Rehearsal with the orchestra for the sing-a-long will be on Saturday, Dec 1st at 11 am. We encourage you to attend.
Suggested Donation $10
Sunday, December 9th, 10:30 AM – With the help of generous donations into the Psalm 150 fund, professional and semi-professional musicians will once again present Handel’s Messiah (Part 1) at the worship service.
Rehearsals are on Thursdays from 8-9 PM during chancel choir rehearsals. We encourage you to attend.
2012-2013 MUSIC SERIES CONCERT SEASON*
Schola Cantorum – Oct 28th , 4 PM
South Bay Philharmonic – Friday, Nov 2nd, 7:30 PM
Kathy Sherman and the Good Folk Collective – Nov 11th
Foothill Messiah Sing-a-Long – Dec 2nd, 4 PM
12th Annual Festival of Carols – Friday, Dec 14th, 7 PM
Albany Consort – Saturday, Feb 9th, 3 PM
Lawrence (Ronn) Ealy – Feb 10th
South Bay Philharmonic – Friday, Mar 1st, 7:30 PM
Flauti Dolci & Amici I – Saturday, Mar 9th, 3 PM
The Bradshaws with the Ragnolia Ragtette – Mar 10th
Flauti Dolci & Amici II – Mar 23rd, 3 PM
Monteverdi Brass Quartet – Saturday, Apr 13th, 7 PM
National Association of Composers USA (San Francisco) – Apr 28th
South Bay Philharmonic – Friday, May 10th, 7:30 PM
Musica Della Doria – Saturday, May 11th, 3 PM
Jewish Music & Poetry Project – May 19th
Travis Band, June 9th
*May be subject to change, all concerts are on Sundays at 3 PM unless specified otherwise.
WHAT’S UP IN THE HOOD?
*Jay (yes, that’s me) completed Level II of Kodály training at the Kodály Summer Institute held last July at Holy Names University. For those who, like me, were unaware of this fact, Holy Name University is known as one of the schools that provides exemplary Kodály training in the world; the foremost being Hungarian schools where Kodály system of education is built into all school curriculum from preschool onward. That’s not a surprise considering Zoltan Kodály who invented the system was Hungarian. For this reason, it was also not a surprise that some of our professors at the Institute were Hungarian.
The three-week Kodály Summer Institute at HNU was very intense and required a lot of hard work. Every day, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (with only a 45-minute break throughout the day), we were required to attend conducting, music theory, Kodály pedagogy and practicum classes and a choral class where we sang a variety of classical choral repertoire - not easy music, mind you. On the other hand, the fun part for me was that just like last year, I was chosen to conduct at the final concert, and this time around, I was also chosen to sing in 2 small chamber ensembles during the concert. I was also fortunate to be chosen as one of the 2 scholarship recipients to attend the Institute. Thank God for blessings because schooling was not cheap! Overall, I survived it and was grateful that I did. Maybe this will be my last time. Whew!
* Jay will be a guest on KKUP 91.5 on Friday, October 26 at the Gaylord Fischer show sometime between 1 and 3 PM. I will be talking about the Foothill Music Series and the upcoming Schola Cantorum concert on October 28th. Tune in to KKUP, 91.5 on Friday, October 26th between 1 and 3 PM.
? LAST MONTH’S TIDBIT
True or False: Dixieland is a kind of chocolate-covered Twinkie.
And the reason for this is...
Answer: False. Sometimes referred to as Hot jazz or Early Jazz, Dixieland is a style of jazz that developed in New Orleans. A standard Dixieland band will usually consist of the “front line” of trumpet or cornet, trombone, clarinet, guitar or banjo, upright bass or tuba, piano and drums. Unlike the bebop style, Dixieland employs group improvisation whereby all the other instruments improvise simultaneously over the chord changes of a recognizable melody that the trumpet plays.
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixieland
Congratulations to John Belz for getting the correct answer.
OCTOBER TIDBIT
Schola Cantorum is a:
a) music school
b) place where people chant
d) gastrointestinal disorder
e) singing group
f) Buddhist monastery
Please email me your complete 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!
Lunch Bag Program, Socks for the Homeless, and Other Things
Peg Nickl, Office Administrator
Foothill is working with Greg Plant and First Presbyterian Church to feed the homeless and provide them with items such as new socks and toiletries. Volunteers are needed to assist Greg with making and distributing about 100 lunches during weekdays, except Thursday, from 9:00AM – 11:30AM. This is an ongoing program that Greg manages on his own when no one volunteers to help. If you are available during the week between 9AM and 11:30AM we ask that you prayerfully consider volunteering one or two days a month.
The program also provides hygiene and clothing items when possible. Foothill has collected and distributed over 80 pairs of new socks since we began collecting in mid-September. The homeless spend most of the day on their feet, and having new good quality socks is a great comfort for them. We will continue to collect and distribute socks. Other items that are needed are toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, razors, deodorant, laundry soap, feminine products, and lotion. Rain ponchos will be needed soon.
For more information, contact Greg Plant at First Presbyterian 49 North 4th Street, San Jose, CA 95112, (408) 297-7212.
St. Jude Children's Hospital Fundraiser
Marlene Rossman, a neighbor of the church, is raising money for St. Jude Children's Hospital by selling
handmade Christmas decorations. Marlene works year round making these items. She has many to choose from, and no two are alike. Last year Marlene raised $2,328 for St. Jude.
Christmas decorations will be sold on Sunday, October 7 during coffee hour. Marlene will return once more on a Sunday before Christmas. The exact date will be announced in the Sunday bulletin.
Halloween Family Festival
Peg Nickl, Office Administrator
It's time to get planning for the Halloween Family Festival. We need a lot of helpers. Please let us know how you will be able to help. Look for the sign up sheet in the narthex. We also need donations of hot dogs, buns, small bags of chips, ketchup, mustard, relish, and of course lots and lots of candy.
Do you have an idea for a fun activity that we can add to our annual line up? Let us know. For more information contact Nancy or Peg in the church office.
Help Save a LifeThe Chris Mahoney Invitational Golf Tournament
Please join us to help raise money for a life-saving liver transplant! Golf tournament proceeds will benefit Chris Mahoney by expanding his reach to numerous transplant facilities. With all of the proceeds going to directly to Chris’ life-saving effort, our goal is to get as many foursomes as possible on the course.
Please consider buying a foursome for your family, friends or co-workers. If you do not have a foursome, but would still like to play, we will happily match you up with other players and make sure you have a great time. This tournament will be a lot of fun and we will have some great prizes.
When: Monday, October 22nd, at 9:00 am.
Where: Half Moon Bay Ocean Course , 2 Miramontes Point Rd Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
Cost: $250 per play or $1,000 per foursome
Time is short so please do not delay in returning the attached player form today If you or your business would be willing to donate prizes for closest to the pin, long drive or overall team scores, please let us know right away. Sign-up forms can be found at www.SanCarlosBlog.com. Donations can be made at www.ChrisNeedsaLiver.com
Thank you for your support!
Chris Mahoney’s Story
Chris Mahoney is a father, a husband, a teacher and Director of the Charter Learning Center in San Carlos. He has devoted his life in the service of helping others. His efforts over the years have made a positive impact on children from Massachusetts to California.
Chris has many more years to give. He wants, more than anything, not only to spend time with his family, but also to use his time to continue to help others. He needs your help now, more than ever. In 2003, Chris was diagnosed with a rare liver disease. In March 2012, Chris’ blood suddenly stopped clotting and he was rushed to the Emergency Room at UCSF Hospital. After two weeks and multiple tests, the specialists at UCSF Hospital informed Chris that his liver was failing. Chris’ only option now is a liver transplant. Without a liver transplant in the next six months, Chris will most likely die.
All proceeds from the golf tournament benefit Chris by expanding his reach to numerous transplant facilities
Art Night
Friday, November 9
5PM in Room 9
Julie Cline will lead us in making window clings and wrapping paper. Dinner will be served. We will collect a free will donation to cover the cost of food and supplies. Everyone is welcome, so tell your friends. Please RSVP to the church office so we will know how much food we will need.
Part-time Employment Opportunity
If you know someone who is looking for work, please pass this information on.
"Clerical Help Needed! Local, small but busy, travel business needs a part-time person for 10-12 flexible hours per week for general clerical work. Needs good computer skills, organized, good phone manners. Contact Ann Thomas at vacations@aol.com "
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