News From the Steeple
September, 2009
The Newsletter of Hermon Church
Dear Family:
Dr. Ed Bauman, our highly esteemed interim
pastor, will present a sermon series this fall on The
Parables of Jesus - those simple yet profound stories with
sometimes surprising plot twists that survived orally before
being written and continue to speak authentically to us
today. Come join in the journey that begins this Sunday,
September 6.
Dr. Bauman writes:
The sayings of Jesus preserved in the Gospels
embody such profound truths in such a striking form that
Jesus has often been called history’s greatest teacher.
Unfortunately, much of what he said was never written down,
but the teaching which has come down to us in the Gospels
reveals his remarkable versatility. Included in his
recorded words are short sayings, longer discourses,
shocking paradoxes, arresting metaphors, and the
unforgettable parables. Like a skillful surgeon, Jesus knew
which instrument to use to do the work at hand most
effectively. Of all the methods which he used, the parable
is undoubtedly the one he used most often, and it is the one
most frequently associated with his role as a teacher.
According to the first three Gospels, Jesus
took this teaching form which had been used infrequently in
the Hebrew tradition and used it often in a great variety of
ways. As used by Jesus, a parable may be defined as
a simple story from everyday life used to
illustrate or convey a religious truth in a way that is
intended to bring us to a decision or change in the way we
are living.
IT MUST BE EMPHASIZED, however, that Jesus
came to proclaim the good news of God’s reign using every
opportunity to communicate the truth of this good news as
clearly and directly as possible. Whenever it was
appropriate he painted word pictures, the parables which
people remembered and treasured over the years. These
pictures, still as vivid and relevant as when they were
first used, continue to reveal truths that have been “hidden
from the foundation of the world,” truths that lead us deep
into our life with God and give us hope for our future and
for the future of our world.
Sermon Schedule for September and October:
September
6
The Lost Sheep James 2:1-10
Psalm 125
Luke 15:3-7
September 13 Guest
Preacher
September
20
The Seed Growing Secretly James 3:1-12
Psalm 19
Mark 4:26-29
September 27 Guest
Preacher
October
4
The Laborers in the Vineyard James 3:13-4:3, 7-8
Psalm 1
Matthew 20:1-16
October
11
The Unmerciful Servant Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
Psalm 26
Matthew 18:23-35
October
18
The Ten Maidens Hebrews 4:12-16
Psalm 22:1-15
Matthew 25:1-13
October
25
The Dishonest Steward Hebrews 5:1-10
Psalm 104:1-9
Luke 16:1-13
November
1
The Rich Fool Hebrews 7:23-28
Psalm 34:1-8
Luke 12:13-21
Pastor Search Update
We have prepared and sent to the Presbytery
the official paperwork for the position of a part-time
stated supply, such as Graham occupied, and we are receiving
many positive indications of interest from potential
candidates, which the Session is reviewing. As warranted,
from time to time certain applicants may be invited to
preach and the preaching schedule outlined above may be
adjusted.
Healing Ministry/Prayer Concerns
In an effort to provide timely and responsive
care to those in need, the Session requests that members
kindly contact Jeanne Edwards to provide her with the names
of individuals needing to be added to the list of prayer
concerns. Jeanne may be reached at 301 229-6155 or
psjeanne@verizon.net.
Children’s Corner
This evolving department of the newsletter
will be devoted exclusively to interests of Hermon children
from pre-kindergarten through high school. To begin the
conversation, the pre-K through 8th grade
children were asked to answer the question “What binds your
family together?” We were delighted to receive the
following answers: watching a movie together (Megan), love
(Emma), going places together (Emma), making memories
together, shopping together (Megan), names, insider jokes,
going to Six Flags together (Emma), and eating dinner every
Sunday night at Grandma and Grandpa’s house (Megan). We
were gratified to learn that these answers seemed to be
about shared experiences and feelings and not at all about
the acquisition of stuff, i.e., toys, clothes, video games,
etc.
A very busy 9th grader (Richard
K.) shared his experience of volunteering at least once a
month with his mom every winter for the past three years at
Rainbow Homeless Shelter, a shelter for homeless women that
helps them get food, clothes and a job. What a wonderful
service to others!
Now that school has started, let’s see if the
Bible can teach us about getting wisdom. Children in pre-K
through 8th grade can try to decode these three
messages, and then match the Scripture passage with the
messages:
Code:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P
Q R S T U V W X Y Z
W Y X W V U T S R Q P O N M L K
J I H G F E D C B A
SECRET MESSAGES:
1. W L B L F I Y
V H G.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __
2. P M L D D S Z G B L F X Z
M W L
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
3. F H V D S Z G B L F S Z E V.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _
Matthew 25:15-28; Romans 12:3; Colossians
3:23
[Source: Family Night At Home, Learning
and Sharing Activities for the Family, Kindred Press,
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Hillsboro, Kansas, U.S.A., 1985,
p. 102]
From the Field:
Those of us on the home front would love to
hear from our college students. Please let us know of
challenges that you are encountering on campus, your prayer
requests, and any help that your home church can provide for
you and your friends. Responses may be sent to
dd105@verizon.net.
Parking:
The Session is developing a parking policy
that will hopefully meet the needs of all while recognizing
the substantial investment in our improved lawn. Until
options have been explored fully, we are requesting that all
avoid parking at Adat Shalom. In the interim, Judy and
Jerry DeWitt continue to generously offer the use of their
beautiful, curving driveway, located directly across from
the church at 7800 Persimmon Tree Lane. If those with
particular parking needs could kindly park at the top of the
church driveway, that could help preserve the lawn. If you
have recommendations regarding parking solutions, members of
the Session look forward to hearing from you.
Urgent Pastoral Care:
Until the selection of Dr. Graham Bardsley’s
replacement, The Rev. Ms. Sandra Shaw is available to the
congregation for urgent pastoral needs. She can be reached
on her cell phone at (301) 580-4815. Ms. Shaw has
longstanding ties to Hermon Church and has preached to us on
many occasions. She is the minister at Crusader Lutheran
Church in Rockville.
Hermon Website:
Our Hermon website continues to be built and
will prove more and more useful to you in providing current
information about Hermon activities. Please check it out as
its construction continues at
www.thehermonchurch.com. The website is managed
by Captain David Stone,
capndave@verizon.net.
Finances:
Year to Date (as of August 31, 2009):
Income
$54,298
Expenses
$38,104
Budget
$63,496
Newsletter:
The Hermon newsletter is published monthly,
except for one combined summer edition for the months of
July and August. Inquiries, suggestions and input for the
newsletter may be sent to Deborah Davenport,
dd105@verizon.net.
Church Contacts:
Clergy:
Preaching
and Worship: Dr. Ed Bauman,
galatians220amen@aol.com
Urgent Pastoral Care: The Rev. Ms. Sandra
Shaw (301) 580-4815.
