A Note from Pastor Ben
Dear Friends,
A month ago I was in Scotland. It was a wonderful—if somewhat hurried and last minute—trip, during which I spent time with dear old friends, made some fantastic new friends, visited several castles, worshiped in two churches, patronized more pubs than I can remember, conducted some important research into Scottish sectarianism (this for a book I hope someday to write), and learned more about John Knox and early Presbyterian History than I learned in three years of seminary at Princeton—all this in a week. In my spare time I wrote an opinion piece that was published in Edinburgh’s largest daily newspaper
One of the reasons I liked my trip so much is that I got to spend so much time with people who are committed to Scottish independence. There is a growing independence movement in Scotland; in two years Scotland will hold a referendum to decide if Scotland will sever it’s ties to the rest of the United Kingdom. Most of my Scottish friends will be voting “yes” as soon as they get a chance to do so.
What I love about the Scottish independence movement is not so much the politics, though I happen to share the political proclivities of the movement. Rather, I am attracted to Scottish independence because of the optimism that infuses the movement. My friends believe they can do something amazing—they believe they can be part of forming a newly independent nation. They’ve considered the words of pessimists and nay-sayers (to say nothing of the arguments of pro-unionists) and have decided to support an effort that, if successful, will be complicated and difficult and will require serious hard work.
Regardless of politics, I think the world needs more of the optimism that is supporting Scottish independence. We need it in our communities, we need it in our churches and schools, we need it in Washington and Sacramento. We need to believe we can solve difficult problems; we need to believe we can do amazing, wonderful and beautiful things.
This, after all, is the faithfulness to which we are called during Eastertide. Christ beckons us and we are reminded that the living God considered neither crucifixion nor a sealed tomb to be unmovable obstacles on the path toward resurrection.
So it should be with us. We must live in the hope that by faith we can do great things. We are, after all, children of the resurrection and heirs of the grace of life.
God’s Blessings be yours,
Ben
A Note From Rev. Maxine Millender
Hi all,
This incredible journey that has had many different paths was all God filled. God has been and continues to be awesome. I am now Rev. Maxine Millender and the ceremony this past Sunday was very beautiful.
My theological symbol is a towel and basin (John 13:1-17) and I was given a beautiful bowl and towel to put in my office.
I really do appreciate your prayers.
The following is an except from Life of a Chaplain, April 2012.
Ordination Ceremony
What an honor! What an incredible ceremony. I was in awe as the pastor preached her sermon based on selected Scripture passages. She used this Scripture to paint a picture into the world of Chaplaincy, most particularly explaining how I approach my visits with patients and bring comfort to them. The presenters spoke truly from their hearts as they presented me from different perspectives. When a letter was read from a professor, my heart felt great. The words were awesome, full of love, and I thought, is this really me they are talking about? When the soloist sang, “His Eye is on the Sparrow”, my heart skipped many beats-it was incredible. Having hands laid on me was a pivotal moment in the ceremony but the best part was presiding at the Lord’s Table. I gave a communion meditation and explained how I loved coming to the table, sharing the table with others, and the rich experience it gave me. Giving the words of Institution was emotional at one point my voice cracked. Walking down to hold the bread to serve others is a gift and blessings and it was an honor to do this. When one dipped the broken bread into the poured cup, it signified the broken body and new covenant that we all shared at this meal.
When the Regional Minister read the promises and I accepted them with the help of God, I felt very light because the heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders. As an ordained minister, I have been set apart for specific functions, entered into representative and collegial ministry, taken vows/promises and know that I have been called into ministry and will continue to be very diligent in all aspects of my Christian life. I take this to heart knowing that I am a Servant who will continue to carry the towel and basin, wherever I go.
I appreciate and thank you for all your prayers, gifts, and love.
The Church Office will close for Memorial Day
The Semibreve
Jay Jordana, Director of Music Ministries
CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR MAY 2012
Musici della Doria
Saturday, May 12th, 3 PM
Vocalist and lutenist Doris Williams, recorderist Jonathon Harris, and lutenist/archlutenist Howard Kadis present a program of Italian and English songs, arias and instrumental music from the 16th and 17th centuries. www.doriswilliams.com
South Bay Philharmonic
Friday, May 18th, 7:30 PM
Featuring Gerald Finzi’s Eclogue for piano and strings and Vassili Kalinnikov’s
Symphony No. 1.
www.southbayphilharmonic.org
Suggested Donation: $10 person per concert
Proceeds benefit the Foothill Music Series to provide future concerts to the community.
Thank you for your support.
HANDEL’S MESSIAH
We are very grateful for the generosity of members of the congregation who made the service on Sunday, April 15th a very special one. Through their very generous donations, the chancel choir, alongside professional and semi-professional musicians were able to successfully present part 3 of Handel’s Messiah.
We are very blessed to be able to create the Psalm 150 fund that allows us to provide special music to enhance the worship service. We welcome donations to this fund for the longevity of this endeavor.
THANK YOU!
We are very grateful to John Belz for fixing the lectern mic 2 months ago. Because of his efforts, the reliability of our sound system has improved.
WHAT’S UP IN THE HOOD?
* Vivace Youth Chorus Intermediate Choir (Central) will be presenting its end-of-the-year concert on Sunday, May 20th, 4Pm at Campbell Methodist Church. The concert will feature all the Vivace Youth Chorus choirs.
* Vivace Youth Chorus Intermediate Choir (East) will be presenting its end-of-the-year concert on Sunday, June 3rd, 4 PM at Foothill Presbyterian Church. The concert will feature our very own choristers here in the East side. Come and support this new program!
*Vivace Youth Chorus Intermediate Choir performed at the Kodaly Festival last Saturday at Holy Names High School. Youth choirs from all over the Bay Area received a clinic whereby guest conductor Margaret Clark shared tips with each choir on how to improve their performance on a chosen piece. Moreover, choirs performed for and with an audience of peers, parents and friends. It was very fun and full day!
* Rising Notes is up and running! Curious? Stay tuned…
* Members of the FPC Brass Ensemble have been invited to play at a Santa Clara Countywide Ceremony in celebration of Memorial Day. Attended by local dignitaries, this ceremony will be held on May 28th at Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose.
MAY TIDBIT
The Yang quin is a type of ________, that has evolved into many different versions in many parts of the world.
Hint: Persia
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!
Critic's Corner
Ronn Ealy
A well-diversified concert was presented by the South Bay Philharmonic on March 2nd. We had representative works by Mozart, Sibelius, Vaughan Williams, Vivaldi and Dvorak. The orchestra, as a rule, was in rare form and played a wonderful program of music not often heard. Of course, there were the odd times that revealed that more rehearsal was necessary, but as a rule, they rose to the occasion.
My notes for improvement are as follows:
By doing such an outstanding job on the Mozart
Symphony # 34, I expected the balance of the program to be the same. There were good dynamic changes, and great work by the strings especially on the rapid passages. However, it was in the Sibelius Symphony #3 that things began to unravel a bit. The lower brass seemed unsure of their entrances. The pizzicato rhythm was not together, and more was needed by the first violin solo section. The woodwinds gave a good show for themselves, but there were intonation problems from both the flutes and the cellos. The strings, however, redeemed themselves with a very nice muted section.
The Wasps by Vaughan Williams seemed to not have been sufficiently well-prepared. The opening woodwinds faded much too soon; the french horn needed obvious work; more was needed from the solo violin, and the complete orchestra lacked cohesion. However, the strings showed that they had worked since the last concert on their intonation problem. It was good to hear.
The Mozart
String Quartet #4 revealed problems that would have not otherwise been seen: 1st violins needed to play with more assurance in the upper register; more was needed from the violas and 2nd violins, but the shining star was the cello (great job!).
The Vivaldi featured a young soprano with orchestra accompaniment. It was a good vocal choice for the soloist, but the orchestra was much too loud in many sections. I would like to hear more from this young lady. Finally, the Dvorak
Czech Suite featured good work from the viola and cello sections. The oboe needed more time for practice. The overall interpretation was excellent and featured good work from both the flutes, lower brass, and lower strings. Unfortunately, there were intonation problems with the horns. Dvorak is one of my favorite composers and I thoroughly enjoyed this piece even with its shortcomings.
It is obvious to me that this orchestra is on the rise. Their repertoire is becoming more advanced, and their individual work is reaching a much higher level.
I look forward to their next production to see how much they have improved.
This is One Man's Opinion from the Critics Corner.
A Note from Virginia Mignogna
March 17, 2012
Dear Foothill Family,
A year has passed since we left you, lots of changes, lots of new experiences, lots of adjustments for all three of us, and the dog.
I am very surprised that things are falling into place. (Moving isn’t for the weak hearted!) Living in a retirement community is a good thing for lots of reasons: outside maintenance and gardening taken care of, a pool and regularly scheduled social activities that we attend at our own leisure.
Establishing medical care after many years with Kaiser has been a significant challenge. Obtaining referrals and locating specialists spread out geographically instead of under one roof or campus takes some getting used to.
Finding a church presented its’ own special process and prayer. We visited several Presbyterian Churches and no place felt like HOME, (FPC). But God and time prevail and we three joined Great Bridge Presbyterian Church. The church takes its’ name from the area of Chesapeake where the first battle of the American Revolutionary War took place in 1775, at a crossing of the southern branch of the Elizabeth River, which is now part of the Intercostal Waterway. Great Bridge Presbyterian has over 1,000 members, two ministers and a 60-voice choir. There are three Sunday services, two of which are contemporary and one traditional in format. You know where Ray and I fit – the traditional. Jason attends the late Sunday AM contemporary. The church family includes many small group activities, which we are still exploring. Can you imagine Ray, an anonymous face in the pew on Sunday? He is, though the outreach to us has been enthusiastic.
I have joined the choir and will participate in a music mission trip to Scotland in June. The highlight will be singing in the monastery in Iona. Thank you Ben for worship and stories and pictures of Iona.
Good news! Jason is full-time employed with health-care benefits at a car dealership in the collision department.
Being with family has been a blessing on many levels, celebrating the good days and the not so good days. Being here for “hands-on” is so much better than long-distance calls. My 91-year-old father has had two hospital admissions mostly related to the chronic-age issues. My youngest disabled sister is so happy for increased social activities, which provides much needed relief to my middle sister Judy who was the primary care person for both Dad and Mary.
I have transferred to a PEO chapter here in the area, which is a Christian philanthropic sisterhood. It is good to be embraced by this stable fellowship of women.
Ray is starting to “putts” with a few of the old fogies in the retirement community doing small projects and hanging out. Not the same as the Tuesday work crew at Foothill, (no doughnut holes and coffee break), but an easy companionship none-the-less.
So life goes on, new places, new faces, but heart felt memories are who we are and you are the forever part of us.
Easter blessings everyday,
Love,
Ray, Virginia and Jason
*Bible Lesson*
Chapel
Wednesday, May 2nd
Message
*Faith*
And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.
Acts 15:8-9
Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.
2 Corinthians 4:13-14
*Spiritual Message*
*Special Days in May*
5/4 Fieldtrip-Happy Hollow Park & Zoo
5/10 Mother’s Day Lunch
5/11 Crazy Hair Day
5/24 Alum Rock’s Fire Station 2 will visit
*Preschool Closed*
~Memorial Day~
Monday, May 28
Which shall it be?
Heaven and Hell -the Astronomers-
By Joanne Reinecker, Inspired by "Heaven and Hell" Vanqelis record album
Ethereal voices winging across the skies
Tinkling bells echoing their message
Drifting sinking into the hear and soul;
Reminiscent of ages past exploding suns.
Meteors, splinters, expanding universes,
Colored gasses flung out in spectacular galaxies
Past and future come together.
Where, how, what, we know some of the answers
But the quest of the who and why is
Still for us to find.
The Soul still continues its search seeking
For the great Master of all this handiwork;
Which is to be? Heaven or Hell?
Does the latter even exist?
The choice is our -The Consequence
Of it all is in the Far Beyond- is that Heaven
Or is it in that step-by-step, moment-by-moment
We know that He Lives
In all Eternity - and
We can live with Him Forever
We've, after-all, only just begun.
Green Business Renewal
On April 19th Foothill was officially re-certified as a Bay Area Green Business. We received compliments on the wonderful job that we are doing. Thanks to everyone who has helped with keeping up green.
The Spare the Air smog season starts Wednesday, May 2.
The following is an email sent by AIRNow. For more information about U.S. EPA's AIRNow Program, visit http://www.airnow.gov.
During the summer months, the Bay Area Air District will issue Spare the Air Alerts on any day when concentrations of ground-level ozone, or smog, are forecast to reach unhealthy levels.
Reduce air pollution and stress by hopping on a bike, joining a carpool or taking transit instead of letting smoke come out of your tailpipe! Get some “me time” back and enjoy your commute instead of driving alone.
Visit www.sparetheair.org for more information about air pollution and commute alternatives in the Bay Area or to download the Spare the Air iPhone or Android App. Connect with Spare the Air this summer on Facebook, Twitter or Google! Thank you for re-thinking your commute and doing your part to improve air quality in the Bay Area!
The Life of a Chaplain, March 2012
Maxine Millender
We see in part; God sees the whole. Fraser
During the month of March, I had the opportunity to work a total of 15 nights. There were many pastoral care visits that I made, in addition to various calls. Some of these calls that I visited were strokes (9), deaths (12), heart attacks (4), crisis calls (5), withdrawals/deaths (1), overdoses (1), motor vehicle accidents (6), gunshots (2), baby deaths (1), code blues/death (1), rapid responses (5), and stabbings (1). There were several misc. calls due to falls, bleeding, aneurysms, and helping to execute the medical power of attorney.
Even though I am handling the death of a baby much better, there are still times when it is so difficult. When I was called to visit with parents because their 5 wk old baby boy was on life support, the RNs wanted me to discuss end of life with them. When I arrived, introduced myself to everyone as the Chaplain, I was informed that they did not want a visit from the Chaplain.
Before leaving, I asked if I could pray for their son and they said yes. The baby’s aunt wanted to pray with me. Because the baby was in isolation, I had to put on a gown, mask, and gloves. Being in the room and praying over the baby, the aunt became overwhelmed and fainted. She fell to the floor and I called for help. The RNs called for a rapid response team and they tried to revive her. It was difficult, they were unable to do it, and she had to be rushed to our ER’s trauma bay. They worked on her for a while and she finally regained consciousness but could not remember a thing. I went back to L&D to check on the baby and his parents. They said they were fine and did not need anything. I explained that I was available all night if they changed their minds. An hour later, I received a call from the RN stating that the baby had died. When I arrived, they said they only wanted to hold him. I completed the paperwork and proceeded to speak to the parents so that I could explain the process to them. They said they had closure and wanted to go home. Before leaving they thanked me for not crowding them and the husband stated that he wanted an autopsy but his wife said, “no way.” I explained the autopsy process to them but they decided it was not what they wanted. They left the hospital and the next day called to say they wanted an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death and understand the infection their son had. Since they had not selected a funeral home, it was not a problem to process the paperwork for an autopsy.
On March 4th, a lady (57 yrs) was having dinner with a friend. Her ex-spouse came to the restaurant and as they were leaving, he shot her, shot her friend, and then took his life. She was careflighted to our hospital for critical care. I contacted the police but they were too busy to stop their investigation but later came to the hospital. This lady’s daughter arrived and was distraught. She did not want to discuss anything but I did inform her she would have to speak with the officers to give them a statement, which she did.
It’s that time of year I guess. ATV’s are popular. During my nights, I had several ATV rollovers and some were pretty serious. Most of the riders had been drinking and when they were sober, could not remember what happened to them.
A 13 yr girl was rollerblading on a busy street and her GrandMom informed her not to try and cross the street. She decided she could do it because the cars were far enough away. She mis-judged and was hit by a car travelling 45 mph. Fortunately they stopped, called 911 and waited for them to arrive. She is still in critical condition but expected to have a complete recovery with some physical therapy.
A young man (37 yrs) had been sick for a week, refused to go to the hospital because he did not have health insurance. His girlfriend called 911 because she found him on the floor. He is in critical condition due to a serious infection and has difficulty breathing. He was intubated to help him breathe.
A 49 yo woman came in because her husband did not want to listen to her explain that she could not be intimate with him. It had been three weeks since her hysterectomy. She explained to her RN that her husband pushed himself on her. She said she tried to stop him and had to call 911 for help. He would not come to the hospital with her. She had to have surgery due to the massive amount of bleeding it caused.
When a man (78 yrs) died, his large family spent time with him, telling stories and crying. After reading Scripture and praying they informed me that wanted to go to the meditation garden. I had never been but said I would love to take them. God knows when we need time to console and comfort and will give us what we need in order to get it done. During the 45 minutes I spent in the garden with them, the pager did not go off and I had time to relax and have a great pastoral care visit with them.
I am truly grateful to have a vocation where I can give to others and be a servant each time I visit a patient, their family and medical staff. My theme that I continue to carry with me is a towel and basin, which means I try to carry a servant’s heart, all the time. Whenever I leave a patient, I ask myself, whom did I serve and am I serving with humility.
Preparation for Ordination on April 29th at 3pm
Pretty soon I will be celebrating the culmination of seminary, several internships, and work as a Chaplain to become an ordained Minister. I am continuing to plan and complete the bulletin, with help. It is a delight and honor to know that God has been with me through the trials, given me the tenacity to keep going, and finally the triumph of completing it all with joy. I heeded the call, was obedient to serve, and have been sustained by the grace of God. There were many tears but God said, I will never leave you nor forsake you, and I will comfort you.
~ to be continued~ Worry is pulling tomorrow’s CLOUDS over today’s SUNSHINE-Adrian Rogers
The Life of a Chaplain, April 2012
Maxine Millender
We are at our best when we serve God by serving others- Unknown author
During the month of April, I had the opportunity to work a total of 12 nights. There were many pastoral care visits that I made, in addition to various calls. Some of these calls that I visited were strokes (9), deaths (4), crisis calls (6), withdrawals/deaths (5), motor vehicle accidents (2), code blues (2), rapid responses (6), stabbings (1), regular pastoral visits (18), autoped (2), and domestic violence/assaults(3). The pastoral care visits included providing a service to administer and serve communion, explaining and executing the medical power of attorney, and baptizing a baby.
On the night of April 27th, a baby who was 2 days was not doing well. The RNs had called the parents to let them know and they informed her they wanted their baby baptized. When the call came, I had just finished visiting a patient who was in a motor vehicle accident.
I am always with a smile when I arrived at the RNs station and when I walk into a patient’s room. I explained that I was looking forward to the baptism but the RN said she thought the parents would take my happiness and smile as negative. I explained to her that I was not bringing any negatives to this room and everything would be alright because God was with us. When the parents arrived, they were in tears. I introduced myself as the Chaplain and explained my role. I had already been given the sterilized water and shell to use. I then explained the service that I would have for them. I also explained their baby was a gift who would be baptized and I asked them to take some time with the baby before we started. After 5 minutes, they were ready. I spoke about God’s love, how God cries with us, how God sometimes uses suffering as a showcase for compassion and HIS glory. I explained this meant we would give glory to God on this night for the wonderful gift they have brought into this world. {Scripture informs us that tragedy and sorrow has many causes and the reasons are not always obvious} After the ceremony, I hugged both of them, encouraged them to continued speaking to their baby. They expressed their gratitude for my visit.
The visit that I mentioned before I visited the baby was of a 33-yo policeman who had crashed while driving to respond to a call he had received. He was from a small town and most of the policemen/women arrived, in addition to his family and many friends. He was in pain, had many cuts and the Doctors were concerned about what they saw on his x-rays. When we have a high profile patient, we call public relations to let them know and we don’t talk to any news reporters. Sometimes it’s difficult to inform the policemen that they have to limit their visits to two at a time but they were very good about adhering to the hospital policy. All of the visitors were in 2 family waiting rooms. When he was transferred to our trauma floor, his spouse asked me if she could stay in his room, all night. After speaking with the charge RN and the hospital supervisor RN for the night, it was approved. The trauma floor now has open visitation, which is 24-hour visitation.
When a family member is suffering, I always offer prayer and I don’t assume prayer is wanted. My prayer always includes the words, “They will be done.” Jesus endured the suffering and won the victory and I try to share this with families to let them know that God is always there. We often have conversations about whether God is listening, whether God will respond, and whether God will heal their loved one. What I share with people is we can trust God to help us no matter what we face. I share that God can bring the ultimate resolution to our suffering but it is frustrating for us to wait because we want it NOW. It is explained the God relates to our suffering and mourns the deaths, knows our pain and this is what should give us our ultimate peace and grace.
Ordination Ceremony
What an honor! What an incredible ceremony. I was in awe as the pastor preached her sermon based on selected Scripture passages. She used this Scripture to paint a picture into the world of Chaplaincy, most particularly explaining how I approach my visits with patients and bring comfort to them. The presenters spoke truly from their hearts as they presented me from different perspectives. When a letter was read from a professor, my heart felt great. The words were awesome, full of love, and I thought, is this really me they are talking about? When the soloist sang, “His Eye is on the Sparrow”, my heart skipped many beats-it was incredible. Having hands laid on me was a pivotal moment in the ceremony but the best part was presiding at the Lord’s Table. I gave a communion meditation and explained how I loved coming to the table, sharing the table with others, and the rich experience it gave me. Giving the words of Institution was emotional at one point my voice cracked. Walking down to hold the bread to serve others is a gift and blessings and it was an honor to do this. When one dipped the broken bread into the poured cup, it signified the broken body and new covenant that we all shared at this meal.
When the Regional Minister read the promises and I accepted them with the help of God, I felt very light because the heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders. As an ordained minister, I have been set apart for specific functions, entered into representative and collegial ministry, taken vows/promises and know that I have been called into ministry and will continue to be very diligent in all aspects of my Christian life. I take this to heart knowing that I am a Servant who will continue to carry the towel and basin, wherever I go.
I appreciate and thank you for all your prayers, gifts, and love.
~ to be continued~ Worry is pulling tomorrow’s CLOUDS over today’s SUNSHINE-Adrian Rogers
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