This past Saturday, it was time for the big one. Loaves and Fishes, the biggest volunteer event at Nassau Church, returned. We got up early, loaded up dozens of meatloaves, hundreds of bagged lunches and trays of brownies for the trip to Trenton. And while we were neither driving at Mach 2 nor flying with our hair on fire, we did arrive on time, and our work day volunteers kicked into action. Teams of people put together the take-home meals, cooked the main meal, and ultimately served a veritable feast of meatloaf, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy.
And although I tend to fly by the seat of my pants, our coordinating committee members, Sharyn and Dave Kerschner, Claire Mulry, Angie and Allen Olsen, and Sallye Zink managed to keep us out of the danger zone.
Dozens served, hundreds were fed, and ultimately the work of our Lord was done. Special thanks to ALL the volunteers who gave their time, talent and resources to make Loaves and Fishes 2022 a success.
The Refugee Coordinating Team is very happy to share an update on the members of the Afghan refugee family that Nassau Church has sponsored. We are so pleased with their progress since our last report and greatly appreciate the volunteer help provided by so many Nassau members.
The team is continuing to assist the members of the family living in Princeton in applying for asylum, as well the father in seeking “humanitarian parole” so he can join the rest of the family.
This summer has been a very busy time for the six children of this family, who range in age from adolescents to young adults.
The two sons continue to be very engaged in their support of the family and their education. The older son is working at a medical office in Princeton, while the younger son is re-starting his education at Mercer County Community College while continuing to work at a local grocery store.
The youngest daughter graduated this spring from elementary school. She is attending the YMCA summer camp and taking math classes at Princeton Middle School.
The next youngest daughter is also taking math classes this summer to prepare for the start of the school year. Her classes are at Princeton High School.
The third youngest daughter recently faced the challenge of aging out of the Princeton Public Schools, having almost graduated from her school in Afghanistan prior to her departure. She is working to complete her high school equivalency degree by passing the GED test, with ESL assistance from Beverly Leach.
The oldest daughter is working at Costco. She and her sisters rely on the support from volunteer drivers from our congregation for their transportation.
Angie Olsen organizes this group of drivers and provides a weekly schedule to keep everyone on track. Some additional help with this driving would be greatly appreciated. If you would like to be added to the driver list or can help in other ways, please contact Len Scales at the Church office (email).
As we hold this family in prayer, please especially pray that the father can be reunited with his family here in Princeton through the humanitarian parole process.
Join us, on July 10, 17, & 24, in the Assembly Room at 9:00 a.m. for a 45-minute, pre-service, pop-up small group, facilitated by Adult Education Committee member Louise Yang. Each week, we will gather to discuss the sermon text for that Sunday using questions provided by the Sunday preacher. Bagels, juice, coffee and tea provided. No registration necessary. All are welcome.
Trenton students head back to school – help us provide the supplies they need for success.
Every September the new school year brings excitement and lots of new goodies. This year students will be returning from virtual or hybrid learning during the pandemic to the more familiar routines of the schoolhouse. In any event, the supplies add up. In 2019 the average family spent over $200 per student, just too much for many families in our area.
We are joining with Westminster Presbyterian Church (WPC), our partner church in Trenton, to provide 150 backpacks filled with essentials for local kids. WPC will distribute the school supplies in partnership with Trenton Music Makers, the Apostalic Church, LALDEF, and Sprout University of the Arts.
Donations will be accepted through Sunday, August 14.
Please bring new backpacks to worship on Sunday mornings and place them in the marked basket in the narthex.
To fill the backpacks, we have found that monetary donations go the farthest so that Nassau can purchase grade-specific school supply packs in bulk. Thank you for giving as you are able to help make sure students in Trenton are better prepared for the academic year ahead.
School supply bundles:
Elementary Pack, $24
Middle School Pack, $32
High School Pack, $45
Monetary donations can be made by check or online. Make checks out to Nassau Presbyterian Church, noting “School Supplies” in the memo line and drop in the collection plate or mail to the church office. Use the button below to donate online, choose “School Supplies” from the drop-down Funds box.
Every gift helps better prepare children for the year ahead with needed school supplies and with the knowledge that the wider community is cheering them on. Thank you!
Nassau’s Mission & Outreach Committee has been impressed over the last few years with the developing HomeWorks program in Trenton.
With the help of Nassau members and the ingenuity and dedication of recent grads from local institutions, HomeWorks was created to offer a free, community-based, after-school residential option for high school girls in Trenton. HomeWorks empowers young women and supports their families as they invest in education and life-building skills.
The Bending the Moral Arc video, Facing the “unpretty things” about our country’s history,was produced for the Bending the Moral Arc Webinar nationally screened on November 30. 2021, has been awarded the 2021 Associated Press Church Award of excellence in The Video Educational Category. This award, presented annually, highlights the best of faith-based journalism produced for the year, and is presented in 78 categories, with 67 groups participating and, for 2021, had 885 entries.
The video was filmed on Saturday, October 9, 2021 in the sanctuaries of The Witherspoon Street and Nassau churches. The participants from WSPC: were: Barbara Flythe, Pamela Johnson, Denyse Leslie, Audi Peal and Cameron Stout; from NPC : Tom Coogan, Bill Katen-Narvell, Claire Mulruy and Pam Wakefield. Pastor Lukata Mjumbe, and Elder Jeffery Mascoll, Chair, WSPC Building and Grounds Committee, were particularly helpful in providing a COVID -Safe environment for the filming. Rev. Paul Seebeck,, Presbyterian Mission Agency, produced and wrote the script for the video. The videographer and director on-site at the two churches was Michael Fitzer, Presbyterian Mission Agency.
It is both gratifying and rewarding for us to be recognized among a group of many talented, courageous and committed journalists. For our part, the work of the Bending the Moral Arc continues and is successful to the extent, we are transformed as individuals and churches, authentically living out in action, the intent of the Matthew 25 call as we continue to build on and nurture the relationship between our two congregations as “Partners in Faith.”
Read more about the Associated Press Church Awards online including a YouTube video of the award ceremony and other relevant details about the awards.
In cooperation with the Adult Education Committee of Nassau Presbyterian Church, the Mass Incarceration Task Force presents:
After Incarceration: Bending the Moral Arc Toward Justice in the season of Juneteenth
In the season of Juneteenth this year we will hear from survivors who are now thrivers. As they work to bring justice to a system in need of reform three speakers will share their stories and, to round out the series, those taking part in the Bending the Moral Arc series will provide an update on their progress. Through activism, education, trauma treatment and community involvement our teachers this month will show us ways we can respond to mass incarceration through action in our communities.
June 5 | 11:15am, Assembly Room
The Necessity of Prison and Reentry Education
Come learn how the presence of educational resources within the correctional system not only changes the lives of the ones directly impacted by incarceration but the people those individuals encounter on a day to day basis. College classrooms on the inside can be a direct bridge to a university education on the outside.
Een Jabriel is currently acting as the Regional Manager for The Petey Greene Program of NJ. He is responsible for recruiting and training college students and community volunteers to go inside of state and federal correctional facilities to tutor incarcerated students. Jabriel has been directly impacted by the criminal justice system and was able to take advantage of prison education through NJ STEP. This experience later led to his graduation from Rutgers University in 2016.
June 12 | 9:00am, Assembly Room (note change in time this week only)
Mass Incarceration and People of Color: Trauma In, Trauma Out
Exploring the dynamics of mass incarceration, the trauma it has disproportionately inflicted on People of Color and how that reconciles with the Word of God.
Kimme Carlos is the CEO and Founder of Kimme Carlos Motivational Consulting LLC., Co-Founder and Lead Facilitator of Sister Wellness Retreats: Healing Spaces for Black Women, and author of The Window of Grace: Living in Recovery through Christian Faith. She is a graduate of Regent University with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and a minor in Psychology. Carlos is the proud daughter of Dr. John W. Carlos, 1968 Olympian and civil rights activist, mother of two children, six grandchildren and lives in Pennsylvania.
June 19 | 11:15am, Assembly Room
Transformative Justice: Helping the formerly incarcerated find their way home
Antonne Henshaw is Director of the Transformative Justice Initiative, a non-profit community service organization that helps formerly incarcerated people enter society. He will share his own experience with incarceration, his return to Camden, New Jersey and how the experience shaped his important work today.
Antonne Henshaw is a Rutgers Camden School of Criminal Justice Graduate School Student, Executive Director of CANDO (Camden African Neighborhood Development Organization), Community Organizer, and founding member of the NJSTEP (New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prison) program. Henshaw has dedicated himself to eradicating mass incarceration and changing legislation to end the structural violence that disproportionately threatens the health of our Black and Brown communities.
June 26 | 11:15am, Assembly Room
Bending the Moral Arc: a partnership between Witherspoon Street and Nassau Presbyterian Churches
Following the death of George Floyd, groups of deeply concerned members from Nassau and Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Churches decided to meet weekly to talk openly about race and social justice. This month we are celebrating the two year anniversary of the Bending the Moral Arc Courageous Conversations.
Members from both congregations will share this joint and transformational journey.
The Refugee Coordinating Team is excited to share developments with the Afghan Refugee Family—they are investing in work, school, and extended family in the region. We couldn’t be more pleased with the progress of their transition to the States, and we deeply appreciate the continued support of the Nassau Church Family. Together, we are helping make a home for this family away from their homeland.
With a large family of adolescents and young adults it has been an exciting season of planning for summer jobs and coursework. Three family members have found rewarding employment, one is enrolled in Mercer Community College for the fall, and others are planning for summer school and activities.
The family is now a two-car household! We are grateful for the generosity of the congregation in donations from funds to vehicles and, of course, time. With the summer months approaching and the need for more transportation not provided by the school system, we are looking for additional drivers. This requires a background check and willingness to sign up for driving shifts as you are available.
We are looking for a few additional household items as well: lawn mower, picnic table(s) and chairs, wifi compatible printer, and dvd player.
If you would like to be added to the driver list or have possible donations, please contact Len Scales (email) for next steps.
As you hold this family in prayer, please especially pray for the reunification between the father and the family. Nassau is working with an immigration attorney to navigate the process to bring the father to the states as soon as is possible. Through all the trauma of the last eight months, one of the most difficult situations has been the distance it has put between loved ones.
Thank you for surrounding the Coordinating Team with support and the family with love!
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.
The Refugee Coordinating Team is very happy to share an update on the members of the Afghan refugee family that Nassau Church has sponsored. We are so pleased with their progress since our last report and greatly appreciate the volunteer help provided by so many Nassau members.
Join us, on July 10, 17, & 24, in the Assembly Room at 9:00 a.m. for a 45-minute, pre-service, pop-up small group, facilitated by Adult Education Committee member Louise Yang. Each week, we will gather to discuss the sermon text for that Sunday using questions provided by the Sunday preacher. Bagels, juice, coffee and tea provided. No registration necessary. All are welcome.
Every September the new school year brings excitement and lots of new goodies. This year students will be returning from virtual or hybrid learning during the pandemic to the more familiar routines of the schoolhouse. In any event, the supplies add up. In 2019 the average family spent over $200 per student, just too much for many families in our area.
Nassau’s Mission & Outreach Committee has been impressed over the last few years with the developing HomeWorks program in Trenton.
Een Jabriel is currently acting as the Regional Manager for The Petey Greene Program of NJ. He is responsible for recruiting and training college students and community volunteers to go inside of state and federal correctional facilities to tutor incarcerated students. Jabriel has been directly impacted by the criminal justice system and was able to take advantage of prison education through NJ STEP. This experience later led to his graduation from Rutgers University in 2016.
Kimme Carlos 
Antonne Henshaw is a Rutgers Camden School of Criminal Justice Graduate School Student, Executive Director of CANDO (Camden African Neighborhood Development Organization), Community Organizer, and founding member of the NJSTEP (New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prison) program. Henshaw has dedicated himself to eradicating mass incarceration and changing legislation to end the structural violence that disproportionately threatens the health of our Black and Brown communities.
Following the death of George Floyd, groups of deeply concerned members from Nassau and Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Churches decided to meet weekly to talk openly about race and social justice. This month we are celebrating the two year anniversary of the Bending the Moral Arc Courageous Conversations.