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Guatemalan Brunch – January 29

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Assembly Room at 12:15 PM
Nassau Presbyterian Church

Since 2002, members of the Nassau Church community have found a variety of ways to help the children who attend New Dawn Trilingual Educational Center in Parramos, Guatemala. One is the program that provides nutritious daily breakfasts for approximately 250 primary students.

On January 29, we will once again host an authentic Guatemalan brunch in the Assembly Room after the 11 o’clock service. The menu includes fresh hand-made corn tortillas, fried ripe plantains, black beans, scrambled eggs with Guatemalan “chirmol” sauce, tropical-fruit salad, and Guatemalan sweet bread.  Please join us!

Tickets at $15 per person or $40 per family will be available during the January fellowship hours and at the door to the Assembly Room before the breakfast.  Checks may be made payable to Nassau Presbyterian Church, memo Guatemala Breakfast Fund.

For a donation of $80 you can become a Breakfast Patron and feed an entire class for a month.  And for a donation of $500 you can become a Breakfast Angel, providing every primary student with breakfast for one month.

Our mothers told us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Let’s give the Parramos students the benefit of a hot morning meal! For more information contact Jonathan Holmquist ()

 

January Concerts

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Conservatory Noontime Recitals Resume on January 19 with the Volanti Flute Quartet

On Thursday, January 19 at 12:15 p.m. Westminster Conservatory at Nassau recitals will resume with a performance by the Volanti Flute Quartet.  Jill Crawford, Ellen Fisher Deerberg, Katherine McClure, and Barbara Highton Williams are all members of the Westminster Conservatory faculty.  The recital will take place in Niles Chapel and is open to the public free of charge.

The program on January 19 comprises Paule Maurice’s Suite, Echoes of the Ancients by Sarah Bassingthwaighte, Cecilia McDowall’s Hotfoot, Variations on Tutú Marambá by Osvaldo Lacerda, and Faustin Jeanjean’s Ski-Symphonie.

On February 16 Westminster Conservatory at Nassau will present Dezheng Ping, violin, and Phyllis Lehrer, piano who will perform music of Johannes Brahms.

 

Mass Incarceration Task Force Brings Focus on Criminal Justice

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You can’t understand most of the important things from a distance. You have to get close. — Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

At the urging of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, on Sunday, January 22, Presbyterians across the country will focus on the topic of criminal justice. Nassau Church’s Mass Incarceration Task Force has answered the call by inviting Andre Thomas, a local Trenton resident, to share his story of incarceration and new beginnings. He will be preaching during both services of Sunday worship.

There will be a time for Q&A with Mr. Thomas following the services at 12:15 PM in Niles Chapel.

Andre J. Thomas, Sr., lives in Trenton with his wife Angie and children Andre Jr. and Drea. Mr. Thomas was released from prison in 1997 after serving five years of a 15-year sentence. He is the Training Manager for Isles’ Center for Energy and Environmental Training and a member of the Princeton/Trenton chapter of the Campaign to End the New Jim Crow.

Find out more about the Mass Incarceration Task Force under Mission Groups and Initiatives.

 

Small Groups – Bible Readings

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Week #1

Download the participant pages here: Session #1 (pdf)

Day Reading
Sunday Philippians 2:1-11
Monday Luke 1:26-38
Tuesday Mark 2:1–12
Wednesday Mark 4:35–41
Thursday Mark 6:1-6
Friday Mark 9:33-37
Saturday Mark 10: 17-31

Week #2

Download the participant pages here: Session #2 (pdf)

Day Reading
Sunday Matthew 5:1-12
Monday Luke 15:11-32
Tuesday Luke 11:1-13
Wednesday Mark 12:28-34
Thursday Matthew 6:25-34
Friday Luke 19:1-10 
Saturday John 13:1-20

Week #3

Download the participant pages here: Session #3 (pdf)

Day Reading
Sunday  Exodus 6:1-36
Monday  John 6:22-59
Tuesday  John 1:1-14
Wednesday  John 8:12-20
Thursday  Ezekiel 34
Friday  John 10:1-20
Saturday  John 15:1-17

Week #4

Download the participant pages here: Session #4 (pdf)

Day Reading
Sunday  Isaiah 9:1–7 and 11:1–9
Monday  Jeremiah 23:5–8 and 33:14–18
Tuesday  Luke 2:1–38
Wednesday  Matthew 16:13–20
Thursday  John 4:1–42
Friday  John 10:22–39
Saturday  Luke 23:26–43

Week #5

Download the participant pages here: Session #5

Day Reading
Sunday  Psalm 8:1–9
Monday  Matthew 3:13–4:11
Tuesday  Mark 10:46–52
Wednesday  Matthew 17:1–13
Thursday  Luke 22:63–23:5
Friday  John 17:1–26
Saturday  John 3:1–16

Week #6

Download the participant pages here: Session #6 (pdf)

Day Reading
Sunday  John 3:1–16
Monday  John 5:19–29
Tuesday  John 11:1–44
Wednesday  John 13:1–35
Thursday  John 14:1–14
Friday  John 20:19–31
Saturday  John 21:1–19

 

Class on Britten’s “Rejoice in the Lamb”

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Sunday, January 29
12:15 pm, Music Room

On Sunday, February 5, Nassau Church’s Adult Choir will join forces with the choir of Trinity Episcopal Church for a performance of Benjamin Britten’s “Rejoice in the Lamb” at Trinity Church’s choral evensong. In preparation for this special event, Noel Werner presents an introduction to this inspiring and delightful choral masterwork.

Using the poetry of the 18th-century metaphysical poet Christopher Smart, Britten wrote “Rejoice in the Lamb” as an extended paean, or song of praise. Though he suffered from mental illness, Smart’s poetic genius nonetheless shines through with flashes of mystical insight, and Britten proved to be the ideal composer for integrating Smart’s poetry into a coherent and compelling whole.

Come learn more about this 20th-century choral work, and then join the choirs of Nassau and Trinity on February 5 at 5:00 pm at Trinity Church to enjoy the work during evensong.

Women’s Retreat Asks, Paul, Friend or Foe?

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  • February 10-12
  • Kenbrook Retreat Center, Lebanon, PA
  • Featuring speaker Frances Taylor Gench

The Bible is full of embarrassing, offensive, problematic texts that present serious interpretive challenges for contemporary Christian faith and practice. Should they be repudiated? Discarded? Silenced? Or are there perhaps more effective and faithful ways of handling them?

Come and tackle the importance of engaging them directly and publicly, with the expectation that we may encounter the living God in our con­versation with them. Passages in Paul’s letters that have proved oppres­sive in the lives of many Christian women will serve as test cases. Join us as we wrestle with them, consider strategies for engaging them with integrity, and reflect on our understandings of biblical authority.

Registration

The brochure and registration form is available in the literature rack outside the church office or via pdf. Forms are due to Derry Presbyterian Church by January 29.

Questions? Contact Joyce MacKichan Walker ().

About the Speaker

Frances Taylor Gench is Herbert Worth and Annie H. Jackson Professor of Biblical Interpre­tation at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Rich­mond, Virginia. Prior to joining the faculty of her alma mater in 1999, she taught for 13 years at Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary. She is the author of Encountering God in Tyrannical Texts: Reflections on Paul, Women, and the Authority of Scripture (WJKP, 2015), Faithful Disagreement: Wrestling with Scrip­ture in the Midst of Church Conflict (WJKP, 2009); Encounters with Jesus: Studies in the Gospel of John (WJKP, 2007); Back to the Well: Women’s Encounters with Jesus in the Gospels (WJKP, 2004); and Hebrews and James (WJKP, 1996). She is a parish associate at The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., where her husband, Roger J. Gench, is the pastor.

Mass Incarceration Task Force Celebrates First Success, Supports M.J. Rountree

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  • Our ongoing relationship strives to support Mr. Rountree, a successfully returning citizen after 23 years of incarceration.
  • After months of searching to find a replacement for temporary housing, an apartment was located.
  • NPC congregation met the challenge by donating items and $1,818 in cash to equip this apartment.
  • Mr. Rountree moved into his newly furnished apartment in early December.

A Letter from M.J. Rountree

December 2016M.J. Rountree

Dear Nassau Presbyterian Church:

Today I went to work and returned to my new apartment; I am experiencing freedom in a real way. NPC members should know that the donated gifts leave me nearly speechless. Thank you from the deepest inner place of my being for giving me the opportunity to experience and enjoy life.

“Thank you” is not enough, but it’s all that I can say. I dearly appreciate everyone’s contributions, attempts, gestures, acts, generosity, and hospitality.  Thank you – every single one.

Marshall Justice Rountree

 

Return to Mass Incarceration Task Force

Adult Education – January 2017

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Download a copy of the print brochure here: Jan 2017 (pdf)

Cosmos–Colossians–Us

9:15 AM, Assembly Room

Join us in January for our annual all-ages education series in the Assembly Room with warm bagels with choices of spreads (nutella, grape jelly, cream cheese) along with hot beverages. Welcome, Middle School and High School students and adults!

In this series we will explore Paul’s letter to the Colossians, in which, in four short chapters, Paul charts a cosmic course from the creation of the universe to the congregation in Colossae (present-day Turkey). Learn about who these ancient people and the God who redeems them, us, and the whole cosmos.

January 8

Created through Christ
Mark Edwards

Christians often call God the Creator, but in Colossians 1, Paul says Christ is. How can this be? What role does he play? Using an amazing clip from Tree of Life, we’ll explore a cosmic vision of creation in Christ. Mark Edwards is Director of Youth Ministry here at Nassau, teaches at both The College of New Jersey and Princeton Theological Seminary, and is a Nassau parent.

January 15

The Mystery of Christ
Jacq Lapsley

  • Music Room

Paul calls Christ, “God’s mystery” and proceeds to try to solve the greatest problems of the Bible in light of the cross.  How does it all work? Join Jacq Lapsley for a session that collapses the Old and New Testaments into Christ. Jacqueline Lapsley wears many hats at Nassau, and in her spare time teaches Old Testament at Princeton Theological  Seminary. She is a fan of the intergenerational January education series and also
Star Wars.

January 22

Clothed in Christ
Nancy Lammers-Gross

Here Paul says our deaths and lives are “hidden in Christ.” What does this mean? And can the Christian really live in the compassionate way Paul suggests? Nancy Lammers-Gross is Associate Professor of Speech Communication in Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary and a parent of former Nassau youth.

January 29

Colossians (& Us) in Christ
Eric Barreto

Who were the Colossians anyway?  And what does Paul’s letter to this strange congregation have to say about Christ’s call to our church? Join Eric Barreto as he unpacks the names, places, and meanings in Paul’s closing chapter. Eric Barreto is Weyerhaeuser Associate Professor of New Testament at Princeton Seminary, an ordained Baptist minister, and a Nassau parent.

1st Corinthians In-Depth

George Hunsinger

9:15 AM, Maclean House

  • Ongoing through May 21
  • Class does not meet on January 1 or 8

George Hunsinger returns for the 20th year to lead this verse-by-verse examination of the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians. Bibles are available for use during the class. Find them on the Deacon Desk by the church kitchen. Class meets next door in Maclean House (Garden Entrance).

Living the Questions

Bill Phillippe

9:15 AM, Niles Chapel

Come and hear and discuss the ideas of a number of progressive contemporary theologians and scholars such as John Dominic Crossan, Amy Jill Levine, and the late Marcus Borg. The overall theme is transformation. During a 20-minute video, which includes conversation, sermon clips, and lecture excerpts by a number of thought-provoking speakers, we will stop the video 4 or 5 times to engage in facilitated discussion led by retired Presbyterian pastor, Bill Phillippe, a Minister of Word and Sacrament who attends Nassau Presbyterian Church.

William R. (Bill) Phillippe is a retired Presbyterian minister and author of The Pastor’s Diary. He says about his book   “….I got involved in the church during high school and college and discovered others had different myths than I did. This expanding awareness gave me the stimulus to take a hard look at my own myth.”  Bill has served a number of churches, was Synod Executive for 10 years, and has served as Acting Executive Director of the General Assembly Mission Council.

January 15

A Kingdom Without Walls

The good news of the gospel tells of a radical hospitality where boundaries, barriers, and walls are overcome by a grace that knows no bounds.

January 22

Social Justice: Realizing God’s vision

Being a person of faith demands balancing spiritual pursuits with action.  In a society which is often unjust and inequitable, we are compelled to pursue social justice as an expression of hope in realizing a better world.

January 29

Incarnation: Divinely Human

The meaning of incarnation has been debated since the beginning of Christianity.  Although often associated with Jesus alone, the notion of incarnation can be understood to also include Jesus’ followers, called, like Jesus, to enflesh the Spirit in divinely human ways.

 

Walking in Paul’s Footsteps

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On January 8 between services come to Niles Chapel for an informational meeting about our May 2017 trip to Greece led by Jacq Lapsley & Beverly Gaventa.

Registration information can be found here: Follow Paul’s Steps in Greece

Sponsored by the Adult Education Committee of Nassau Presbyterian Church

Larry Alphs, co-moderator
Lisa Burke, co-moderator

STAFF
Joyce MacKichan Walker

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
Lauren Yeh

Adult Education – December 2016

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Classes at 9:15AM in the Assembly Room unless otherwise noted.

Download a copy of the brochure here Dec 2016 (pdf)

A Colonial Christmas

December 4

A colonial-era Virginia Almanack once announced, “We may expect to hear of a great Mortality among the Hogs, Sheep, Geese, Capons, and Turkies.” Colonists claimed that even the deaf and blind could tell when they crossed into Virginia around Christmas just by the aromas — of spices, nutmeg, mincemeat, great roasts, cakes, and, of course, Martha Washington’s famous pies. We’ll look at the ways Christmas was celebrated (or not) in colonial
America as well as by the founding fathers.

Edward A. Mauger, founder and director of Philadelphia on  Foot, has been hailed as “America’s top tour guide” by the travel writers of USA Today and the Chicago Tribune. He is the founding president of the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides (APT) and has authored several books on historical Philadelphia. Mauger served as an associate dean and director at Rutgers University, Camden.

1st Corinthians In-Depth

George Hunsinger

9:15 AM, Maclean House, ongoing through May 21
the class will NOT meet on December 25 or January 1

George Hunsinger returns for the 20th year to lead this verse-by-verse examination of the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians. Bibles are available for use during the class. Find them on the Deacon Desk by the church kitchen. Class meets next door in Maclean House (Garden Entrance).

Christmas with the Classics

December 4: Maya Angelou’s “Amazing Peace”

9:15 AM, Music Room

In 2005 Maya Angelou presented her poem “Amazing Peace” at the White House tree lighting ceremony. In the wake of the election season and as we enter into Advent, come and hear a dramatic reading of this poem from Barbara Florvil, a Princeton Theological Seminary Senior, and discuss the theme of peace as it relates to Luke 2 and our responsibility as Christians in our communities.

December 11: “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry

“The Gift of the Magi” is a classic Christmas short story by O. Henry. First, hear the story as told by Michael Dean Morgan & Company. Then, ask the question, is it really better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35)? What is Christmas about — giving or receiving?

December 18: “It’s a Wonderful Life”

Following the guidance of Clarence Oddbody (Henry Travers), the bumbling angel in It’s a Wonderful Life, the 1946 classic Christmas film, come and wonder what it would be like if George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) had never been born. With the same sort of wonder, listen to the biblical story. What characters wondered about the coming of the Messiah? Is this wonder actually doubt? In the season of advent, is it ok to doubt? What would it be like if Jesus had never been born?

Melissa Martin is a third-year student at Princeton Theological seminary and an Adult Education intern at Nassau. She also works in the church office as the Administrative Assistant for Pastoral Care. Between her many responsibilities she loves to sneak in a good novel, because she finds that through them her big theological questions can be explored in a refreshingly human way.