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Surely

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Psalm 23
David A. Davis
May 8, 2022
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The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever (Psalm 23, KJV).

The shepherd. The green pastures. The still waters. What grabs your ear when you hear Psalm 23? Every time you say it, you read it, Psalm 23, what image do you linger on with your mind’s eye? Paths of righteousness. The valley of the shadow of death. Thy rod. Thy staff. What part of the promise of Psalm 23 is most helpful to you? What part of the comfort most meaningful? What part of Psalm 23 rests in your heart? A table prepared? Head dripping with oil? Cup runneth over? Goodness and mercy all the days of my life? Dwelling in the house of the Lord forever?

Psalm 23 forever etched into the collective memory of the people of God. Etched not in stone but in the heart. A singular psalm but with so many pieces, images, metaphors, words to grab unto. Etched. Engraved. Written deep within. Yet, still, a living word. For our experience, our found meaning of Psalm 23 so depends on when we hear it, where we hear it, and the goings on in our life, when and where we hear it. Psalm 23, like other well-worn but never worn-out pieces of scripture, not just living word. But a word that has a life of it’s own.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever (Psalm 23, KJV).

Surely. Surely. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Surely. Surely God’s goodness and mercy (God’s and surely not mine) God’s goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of life. God’s mercy and goodness all the days. God’s mercy and goodness shall dog me, pursue me, follow me. God who leadeth beside still waters will surely follow we with God’s goodness and mercy. Ahead and behind. Go before and come after. God’s goodness and mercy all the days. God’s goodness and mercy all around. God’s goodness and mercy always. Surely.

Not a common word to be drawn to in Psalm 23. Easy to pass over and skip altogether. Most translations keep it there. Surely. A few contemporary versions drop it all together. One translation has it as “yes”. “Yes, goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life”. A Hebrew dictionary provides several definitions of the Hebrew adverb: surely, indeed, only, however. Of course, and as the dictionary flat out states, the choice of meaning is determined by the context. How it is used in the sentence. Surely, goodness and mercy.

It’s sort of sounds like a bible word. Surely. Actually, it is more of an Old Testament word. Of course the word occurs in the New Testament. But it’s there a lot more in the Old Testament. “Surely the Lord’s salvation is at hand for those who fear the Lord, that the Lord’s glory may dwell in our land.” Psalm 85. “Surely God is my salvation: I will trust, and will not be afraid.” Isaiah 12. Isaiah 53. “Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. He was wounded for our transgressions.” Surely.

Interestingly, there is an abundance of “surely” in the Book of Job. Mostly in the conversation Job has with his three friends. Job in his suffering trying to understand why. “Surely God has worn me out.” Yes, God has worn me out. The friend convinced Job is to blame. “If you are pure and upright, surely then God will rouse for you and restore to you your rightful place.” If you are pure and upright, indeed God will rouse for you. The friend trying to convince Job and likely himself, that God is still faithful. “Surely God is mighty and does not despise any one; God is mighty in strength and understanding.” It has a twinge not simply of emphasis, indeed God is mighty. Yes, God is mighty. But a bit of reassurance and reminder. “Surely, God is still mighty and does not despise any one, right?” Surely, God! It has both an exclamation point and a question mark. “Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life!? Promising, steadfast, faithful God?”

Surely. Yes, how it is used in the sentence, the context of the sentence points to its meaning. But the context of your life impacts the meaning as well. The meaning of a word so easy to skip over in Psalm 23. You know the multiple contexts of Psalm 23 in our lives as well as I do. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” It’s not just when we are gathered over at the cemetery. It’s not just when it is your family’s term to sit in the front row at a memorial service. No, it is when it is memorized in a church school class. When it is a daily scripture for Vacation Bible School. When it shapes a family retreat weekend. When it is said around the family dinner table. When it is part of a child’s bedtime prayers. When it is recited with babe in arms who is just falling asleep. When memories come back of being taught Psalm 23 by a mother or a grandmother. When a loved one has trouble remembering anything but doesn’t miss a word of Psalm 23 when you say it together. When a congregation sings “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need” and “The King of Love My Shepherd Is” and “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want.” You know the multiple contexts of your life with Psalm 23 and you know the multiple seasons of your life as well. Surely, Psalm 23 is a psalm for all seasons.

It strikes me that when we recite Psalm 23 we almost always do it together. In congregation. In class. In family. If you’ve never done it, you ought to do it all alone. Just you and God. You pick the time and the place. Recite it. Say it out loud. It works pretty much any time, any place. And when you do, let “surely” hang in the air for just a bit. Ponder your “surely”. One day it will be an exclamation of praise and gratitude, emphasis, and affirmation. “Surely….goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” Surely, Great God Almighty! Another day it will come with awe and wonder like breathing in a fresh the grace of God, shaking your head, and saying, “my, my, my”. “Surely….goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” Surely, My sweet Lord! And some days, plenty of days and a whole lot more nights, it may be just the reminder, the reassurance, and honest prayer that you need. “Surely….goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” Surely, God!?

And when you can’t find the time and place, or you don’t have all of Psalm 23 on the tip of your tongue, or the pace of life is overwhelming, or the emotion of the moment is too much or the stress of the day, or the butterflies in your gut, or you just don’t want to be embarrassed saying it all out loud, just try this. It’s not much but it means a whole lot more than you think. Just say it under your breath and when you need it most.

Surely. Surely. Surely.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever (Psalm 23, KJV).

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible. Public Domain.

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Adult Education – May 15 & 22

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On Sunday, May 22, we will begin our summer schedule: one Service of Worship at 10:00 a.m., with Adult Education in the Assembly Room at 11:15 a.m.

Rev. Thomas Bayes: Presbyterian Theologian for a Pandemic-time

Rev. Thomas Bayes (1701-1761) has been described as a theologian who dabbled in mathematics. Following the “rediscovery” of his work in the 1950s, Bayes is now recognized as a leading mathematical thinker. While much of his work focused on the topic of theodicy (if God is all good and powerful, why does evil exist?), his most influential writing has far-reaching applications in econometrics, pharmaceuticals, and public policy. Join us in reclaiming Bayes as one of the most influential Presbyterian theologians in the last three centuries. No graduate level mathematics, statistics or theology required.

May 15 | 9:30am, Assembly Room

Gordon Bryant is a member of the NPC Adult Education Committee and joined NPC in 1997.  Bryant became acquainted with Bayes while employed at Wharton Econometric Forecasting Associates (WEFA) after completing a graduate degree in Germanic Languages at the University of Pennsylvania.  In 1984, Bryant completed an MBA at Wharton and began a decade-long career in investment banking, including serving as a Senior Vice President at Lazard Freres. More recently, while employed by Booz Allen, Bryant served as Senior Renewable Energy Project Finance Advisor for a US Department of Defense renewable energy program.

May 22 | 11:15am, Assembly Room

Cynthia Miller grew up in Northbrook, Illinois, and currently lives in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. She attended Hanover College (where she majored in economics and minored in French and German) and received her M.B.A. from the College of William and Mary where she focused on advertising and marketing.  Miller is the Vice President for International and Domestic Market Solutions with Braun Research, based in Princeton, and ‘dabbles’ in statistics and regression analysis daily. She is a novel- and article-writer in her spare time who grew up Presbyterian and has been a member of Nassau since 1997.She especially enjoys being a part of the Adult Education Committee at our church.

Larry Alphs received his BS from Michigan State University and trained as a neuropharmacologist (PhD) and psychiatrist (MD) at the University of Chicago.  He practiced psychiatry as an academic psychiatric researcher for 10 years before joining the pharmaceutical industry. He has led programs in numerous CNS disorders.  Alphs has been involved in introducing CNS clinical trials in resource limited settings through initiation and ongoing consultation related to evaluating the value of injectable antipsychotics in Rwanda.

Arm In Arm – Volunteers Needed

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Arm in Arm depends on volunteers to help us prepare and distribute bags of groceries through 3,000-4,000 food pantry visits and grocery deliveries per month.

We have been fortunate to have the help of students from The College of New Jersey and Rider University who have been volunteering in our Hudson Street and Hanover Street pantries about 45 hours per week. As they wrap up their semester this month, we will be left with a big gap in our pantries.

Especially now as we are serving at historic levels, averaging more than 4,000 pantry visits and deliveries per month, we need help. We are pro-actively outreaching to current volunteers, faith communities, and other groups with the potential to help us fill this gap and are also promoting a May Volunteer Challenge (below), encouraging individuals to volunteer, take an additional shift, and/or bring a friend with them to volunteer.

Food pantry volunteering 2022 — Signup Sheet

Criminal Justice Series: Chris Hedges on Sat. April 30, 1:00 p.m.

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Christian Education Committee Criminal Justice Series: April 30, 2022

Beyond Talking: Challenging New Jersey Mass Incarceration Practices and Policies

New Jersey continues to have the highest rate of racial disparities in its prison population in the country, with Black residents incarcerated at a rate of 12.5 times that of whites, even as the Black incarceration rate is 19% below the national average; more than half of New Jersey’s prison population is Black and, additionally, the state has the 10th highest Latino to white racial disparity in the nation.

In this the fourth and final program in our Criminal Justice Reform Series, our presenter is
Chris Hedges, noted Pulitzer Prize-winning author and prison reform activist. Hedges has worked for a decade teaching writing classes in prisons in New Jersey through a program offered by Princeton University and later Rutgers University. A class that Hedges taught at East Jersey State Prison in 2013 went on to collaborate in the creation of a play titled Caged. Hedges has become a fierce critic of mass incarceration in the United States, and his experience as an educator in New Jersey prisons served as inspiration for his 2021 book: Our Class: Trauma and Transformation in an American Prison. Available at Labryinth Books and Amazon.

Join the discussion with Chris Hedges this Saturday at 1:00pm on Zoom. Contact Witherspoon St. Presbyterian Church for the Zoom link (email).

Bishop Peter Storey at Nassau – April 21, 6PM

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Faithful Witness in a Time of Crisis

We are living through an age of compounding crises, with unrelenting racism, impending climate catastrophe, and the drumbeats of war producing great suffering and anxiety. Amidst these great challenges, Christians in the United States continue to disagree bitterly over the shape of faithful witness in the public square. Join us as Bishop Peter Storey, in conversation with Dr. Heath W. Carter, shares his insights about what the American churches have to learn from the remarkable life of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and other South African siblings engaged in the struggle for a better nation and world.

Join us in person or on livestream.

Livestream (link)

Co-sponsored by Office of Religious Life, Princeton Presbyterians, Nassau Presbyterian Church

Adult Education – April 24, May 1 & 8

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Faith ‘n Technology

From phones to drones; cars to Mars, technology is reshaping, indeed, remaking the worlds we live in. But what can our ancient and analog faith offer such brave new futures? These all-ages classes will plug into the big questions about belief in the digital age.  Gather around as we ask, “Should we have Faith in Technology?”

Audio recordings will be posted below each class description.


April 24 | 9:30am, Assembly Room

From Plato to Instagram: Truly Knowing the Shadows on the Wall

As more of life is spent online, and more knowledge is gained through digital media, how will we know what is true and real? This week explores the power of image, the nature of knowledge, and some ancient wisdom for escaping our computer caves.

May 1 | 9:30am, Assembly Room

Will Robots Pray to Electric Gods?: Machines, Cyborgs, and the Meaning of Humanity

Will organic people become obsolete hardware? This week we turn to questions of artificial intelligence and what it means to be human as we address the dreams and dystopias of robotic futures.

May 8 | 9:30am, Assembly Room

Beauty Great and Nano: The Brilliance of Nature

The heavens declare glory and beauty. But what about the nano scale cosmos below us? Our final session looks to the natural world for inspiration and hope as we contemplate the wonders our technology may achieve.

Mark Edwards

Mark Edwards is Director of Youth Ministry here at Nassau Presbyterian Church. In his spare time he teaches “Ethics and Technology” at nearby The College of New Jersey.

Refugee Resettlement Update (Mar. 2022)

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Thanks to the active support and assistance from church members, much progress has been made in the resettlement of the Afghan family that Nassau is sponsoring.

Over the past month, the family has made significant progress in settling into their new home and beginning their new lives in the Princeton community. As a first step in addressing their transportation needs, the family now owns a car that was generously donated by a Nassau Church member. The oldest son has successfully received his driver’s license, and this will allow him to commute to his new job working in a medical office. The other son has also found employment at a local grocery store. The mother and oldest daughter have been focusing on daily ESL classes, while the other daughters are doing well at their respective schools. Many Nassau volunteers are helping the family with transportation; we anticipate that as additional family members obtain drivers licenses, they will be needing a larger car so the whole family can travel together when necessary. If you are in a position to donate a minivan or other large vehicle, please contact the church office by email.

The family is enjoying social activities organized by Nassau staff and members. Two of the daughters recently enjoyed attending a Super Bowl party with Nassau Youth, while the two brothers had fun at a Princeton University men’s basketball game, which they attended with church members (where they watched Princeton beat Harvard).

Nassau volunteers helped the family engage a local lawyer with experience in immigration issues and they are now working toward getting approval for their father to reunite with the rest of the family in Princeton. The church’s Refugee Resettlement Fund is assisting with a portion of the legal expenses. The resettlement team continues to be deeply grateful for the enthusiastic response to our requests for assistance and asks for your continuing prayers for the family.

Adult Education – Lent ’22 Linked-In Learning Series

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Reading Luke Backwards

Some stories are not meant to be read once and in order. Some stories are meant for us to revisit over and over again. The Gospel of Luke is such a story and our yearly journey through Lent provides an ideal opportunity to remember and learn anew the story of Jesus’s cross and resurrection anew, afresh, and perhaps from a different vantage point.

And so we invite you to read the Gospel of Luke backwards this season. In a world turned upside down by pandemics and politics alike, how might we approach Easter if we start at the foot of the cross, at the threshold of the empty tomb? And what if we end the story where it starts, in the arms of Mary? From the end to the beginning, Luke narrates a good news that transforms a ruptured world.

Audio recordings will be posted below each class description.

Eric Barreto is Weyerhaeuser Associate Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary, an ordained Baptist minister, and a Nassau parent. He earned a BA in religion from Oklahoma Baptist University, an MDiv from Princeton Seminary, and a PhD in New Testament from Emory University. Prior to coming to Princeton Seminary, he served as associate professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary, and also taught as an adjunct professor at the Candler School of Theology and McAfee School of Theology.

March 6 | Luke 23:26-40

An Unjust Death

Lent and Easter invite us into multiple stories of the cross and resurrection. Luke’s account of the cross focuses on Jesus’ innocence and his unjust death at the hands of an empire that saw him as a threat to the order it had established. At the foot of the cross then, we meet a Jesus who stands alongside others unjustly and cruelly executed by the machinations of various empires. Thus, we stand at the foot of the cross grieving what we have seen: an innocent person whose life an empire tries to take but whom God redeems. 

March 13 | Luke 20:20-26

Confronting Caesar

In light of Luke’s account of the cross, we can turn afresh to a number of well-known Lukan passages, including Jesus’ famous and often misinterpreted call to “render unto Caesar.” Often, this verse is deployed to encourage us to keep separate the political and the religious. Instead, the story calls us to count carefully what actually belongs to God and how much is left for a Caesar who claims to possess the world. What belongs to God if not everything! And if that’s true, then what is left to give to Caesar?

March 20| Luke 14:15-24

The (Not So) Great Dinner

Luke loves stories about food, about gathering around tables with sinners and righteous alike. Here, Jesus tells a story about what a gathering usually deemed a great dinner, a picture of the feast that awaits us all in paradise. However, the Jesus Luke narrates consistently goes to the margins to find his dinner companions, not as a concession after all his friends have turned down his invitation. That is, this (not so) great dinner teaches us more about what a feast in heaven will not be like.

March 27 | Luke 6:20-26

Blessed Are…

Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain promises nothing less than a reversal of the order of a world that privileges raw power, excessive pride, unrestrained greed by highlighting the poor, the meek, the disinherited as beneficiaries and exemplars of God’s promised reign. Alongside blessing, Jesus also names woe to those who have already received their “consolation.”

April 3 | Luke 4:1-13

Power & Justice: Temptation in the Wilderness

Following on the heels of Jesus’ baptism and a voice from heaven naming him God’s beloved child, the Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness. There, Jesus faces temptation, supported by the Spirit and the belief that God was with him. At the center of the temptation account is Satan’s promise to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, kingdoms Satan now controls. Jesus’ faithful response is an invitation to ponder the shape of power and how we might hone our expectations of God’s good reign.

April 10 | Luke 1:39-56

A Believer, A Prophet

We end where Luke’s narrative begins: with Mary’s faithful consent and her prophetic declaration. Typically, we read about Mary’s choice and her song in the Christmas season. In light of Good Friday’s cross and Easter’s promise of resurrection, how might Mary’s bold belief help us meet Jesus once again? This story will remind us of Mary’s faithful teaching of Jesus, the anguish and grief she must have experienced throughout Jesus’ life, as well as one of the sources of the prophetic and prayerful proclamation of God’s transformative kingdom that marked Jesus’ own ministry.

Lent 2022 Small Groups

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Old rhythms and routines are returning in new ways. Small Group fellowship is also adapting to the new normal. This Lent brings a wonderful diversity of topics, leaders, and platforms, all designed to deepen your knowledge, faith, and community. Whether you opt for in-person or virtual groups, the promise that the Holy Spirit is present when two or more are gathered in God’s name remains a constant.

Click on the Small Group Name to read more.

Start
Time

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU
10 a.m. Reading Luke
11 a.m.
12 p.m. Cradling Abundance
4 p.m. Art of
Faithfulness		 Reading Luke
(grades 4-7)
7 p.m.
 Movies – Backwards Reading Luke Reading Luke
  Christ is Time
7:30 p.m. Photographing Lent Photographing Lent

Reading Luke Backwards

Linked In Learning Series
Some stories are not meant to be read once and in order. Some stories are meant for us to revisit over and over again. The Gospel of Luke is such a story and our yearly journey through Lent provides an ideal opportunity to remember and learn anew the story of Jesus’s cross and resurrection anew, afresh, and perhaps from a different vantage point.

And so we invite you to read the Gospel of Luke backwards this season. In a world turned upside down by pandemics and politics alike, how might we approach Easter if we start at the foot of the cross, at the threshold of the empty tomb? And what if we end the story where it starts, in the arms of Mary? From the end to the beginning, Luke narrates a Good News that transforms a ruptured world.

Join us each Sunday morning as Eric D. Barreto, Weyerhaeuser Associate Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary, leads us (backwards) through the Gospel of Luke, examining not only the Biblical and historical context of Luke’s narrative of Jesus’ life and ministry but also its timely and timeless impact on our lives today. Get linked-in for Lent! Each week small groups will study these Lukan texts from a more personal and contemplative point of view, and Pastor Davis will preach them in worship.

Mondays, February 28 – April 4, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
In-person and outdoors at the home of Corrie Berg in Princeton, NJ.

This group is full
Corrie Berg, is the Director of Educational Ministries and always delighted to talk about Bible stories, whether it’s with grown ups or with children. She finds that she often learns the most by discussing the stories of our faith with the people of our church.

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Reading Luke Backwards – just for Kids (4th-8th graders)

Mondays, February 28 – April 4, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
In-person and outdoors at the home of Corrie Berg in Princeton, NJ.

Register Here
Corrie Berg is the Director of Educational Ministries and always delighted to talk about Bible stories, whether it’s with grown ups or with children. She finds that she often learns the most by discussing the stories of our faith with the people of our church.

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Tuesdays, March 1 – April 5, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
In-person at the home of Thomas and Trevor in Kingston, NJ.

Register Here
Thomas VanWart and Trevor Thorton have been attending Nassau Church for two years, becoming members just before the pandemic started, and now they are Deacons. Relocating to the area from Kansas City, they are currently building their small homestead in Kingston with a Corgi (Luna), 11 Chickens (Emmy Lou, Queen Elizabeth, Reba, Dolly, Stacey, Fran, Abby, Iris, RBG, Marily Robinson, and Nina), and a growing garden.

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Thursdays, March 3 – April 7, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Virtual on Zoom

Register Here

Mani Pulimood has been worshiping at NPC for a long time, with his wife, Monisha, and two sons, Nikhil and Philip. He enjoys participating in and leading small groups at Nassau. He has authored a book, Spiritual Dimensions – Musings on Life and Faith. One of his favorite ministries is online evangelism (https://twitter.com/ManiPulimood). He also enjoys biking and hiking.

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Additional Small Group Options

Art of Faithfulness

Sundays, March 6 – April 10, 4:00-5:30 p.m.
Virtual on Zoom

This group is full

This spring the Art of Faithfulness continues! Join us as we look at the creative arts as a pathway to experiencing God’s presence in our lives, individually and collectively. We will explore a variety of creative art forms, including the creativity that God has given each of us, to reflect and discuss how they relate to and express our faith.

Kim Kleasen is a long time member of Nassau and the Adult Choir, is currently on Session and working on our Forward in Faith Together initiatives. During the pandemic she completed a course of study on Spiritual Direction at General Theological Seminary where she deeply explored the connections of our creativity and faith.

Noel Werner is in his 16th year as the Director of Music at Nassau and currently serving as Dean of the Central NJ Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. He enjoys discovering the power of music, poetry, and visual arts on our virtual platforms during the pandemic.

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Let’s Begin at the End; at the Movies

Sundays, February 27 – April 10, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Virtual on Zoom

This group is full

Throughout art and literature we find stories told by using reverse chronology narratives, telling a story in reverse order of events on a timeline. Cinema plays more than a bit part in that mix. We will look at six films that employ a variation of this ancient storytelling technique while enjoying film classics that begin with Mank, a 2020 film about the making of the 1941 masterpiece Citizen Kane. We will conclude the series with a screening of Citizen Kane. On the first Sunday we will talk about ourselves and get to know each other and dip our toes in the reverse chronology story pool. The next six weeks we will see the above films listed in the order shown ahead of our scheduled time together. We will then discuss that week’s movie during our time together.
Movie selections include: Mank; Slumdog Millionaire; Into the Wild; Forrest Gump; Amadeus; Citizen Kane.

Marshall McKnight, a lifelong movie buff, has been a Nassau Church member since 2011. He is a deacon and is active on the Mass Incarceration Task Force. He also serves on the Adult Education and Membership Committees. He was a journalist for seven years and for the last 17 has worked for the State of New Jersey.

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Christ is Time

Mondays, February 28 – April 4, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Virtual on Zoom

Register Here

Get “Barth Smart” as we encounter Mark’s favorite volume in the Church Dogmatics. Addressing our understanding of humanity and temporality, Karl rethinks and arguably solves the meta-question, “What is time?”  First-timers and experts are welcome as we gather around this rigorous challenge to mind and heart, church and world, and clock and calendar. Reading is ~40 pages/week.

Mark Edwards joined Nassau as Director of Youth Ministries in September of 2013. He is a lifelong Presbyterian and holds a PhD in Philosophy and Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. He has taught at Princeton University, The College of New Jersey, and Princeton Theological Seminary. His Christ is Time: The Gospel according to Karl Barth is forthcoming in ‘22. Mark is married to Janine, and they have two great kids, a dog, a cat, seven chickens, and a bunch of bikes.

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Cradling Abundance

Tuesdays, March 8 – April 5, 12:00-1:00 pm
Virtual on Zoom

Register Here

Join friends from Witherspoon Street Presbyterian for conversations on Cradling Abundance: One African Christian’s Story of Empowering Women and Fighting Systemic Poverty by Monique Misenga Ngoie Mukuna & Elsie Tshimunyi McKee. Each week we will take a section of the book and consider specific questions pertaining to the text and spend time reflecting generally as well. We hope participants will invest in friendships with one another and Maman Monique through her writing.
A limited quantity of books will be available for purchase at Laybrinth Books on Nassau Street beginning Thursday, February 17 (ask at the check out counter). These can also be ordered from Amazon, Christianbook.com, or from the publisher InterVarsity Press.

Len Scales is the Part-Time Pastor for Mission & Outreach at Nassau. She and her husband Andrew are in their sixth year serving as the Presbyterian Chaplains at Princeton University and Executive Co-Directors of Princeton Presbyterians of the Westminster Foundation at Princeton.

Elsie McKee retired from teaching history at Princeton Theological Seminary last year. She was born and grew up in Congo, and for many years has supported theological education there. Since 2010 her primary focus has been working with her dear friend Maman Monique; in 2013 Elsie and friends established a small non-profit Woman, Cradle of Abundance, to assist Maman Monique’s ministry.

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The Sacred Art of Photography

The theme of Sacred Art of Photograph this spring will be Photographing Lent. Each group will prepare a Lenten photo journal that will consist, in the aggregate, of two photographs each group member produces during the week prior to the group meeting on Zoom.

The stimulus for these photographs will come from various scriptures and Lenten meditations provided daily at Nassau beginning on March 2, Ash Wednesday. You can sign up for this email list here:

Members will present two of their photographs for discussion on the evenings in which the group meets.

Photographing Lent (Tuesdays)

Tuesdays, March 1 – April 5, 7:30-8:30pm
Virtual on Zoom

Register Here

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Photographing Lent (Thursdays)

Thursdays, March 3, 17, 31,  and April 14, 21, 28, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Virtual on Zoom

Register Here
Because of the “wonky” schedule, we are asking participants to register by email with Ned Walthall by clicking the box above.

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Ned Walthall is a photographer based in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He received his MFA from the Institute of Art and Design at New England College (formerly the New Hampshire Institute of Art). His work has been shown throughout the United States and abroad.

He and his partner, Mari Walthall, are currently at work on a photo book entitled Covid & Faith, in which they explore in some depth the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed individuals’ spiritual practice and beliefs.

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