The images and sounds of Advent are unmistakable and deeply familiar. Pictures of the Nativity, hymns that have been sung for generations, and stories we know from memory all prepare us for the coming of our Lord at Christmas. This season, come learn how what we see, hear, create and sing combines into a rich theology of the incarnation.
Audio recordings will be posted below each class description.
November 27 | Karlfried Froehlich
Christmas Art in Florence
Shall we travel to Florence, Italy for the holidays? Christmas art and its theological roots in the City of Flowers and Light is an almost inexhaustible topic across many centuries. Since Florence was the birthplace of the cultural and religious movement we call the “Renaissance,” we will concentrate on that era and explore Christmas themes in the work of some well-known artists of the 14th and 15th centuries whose lives were lived in the historical shadow of the Florentine Republic: Giotto di Bondone, Tommaso Masaccio, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Fra Angelico, Hugo von der Goes, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Benozzo Gozzoli, Sandro Boticelli.
Karlfried Froehlich,a native of Saxony, Germany, moved to the United States in 1964, taught at Drew University and, from 1968 to 1992, at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he held the Benjamin B. Warfield chair in church history. Karlfried is an active member of the Lutheran Church (ELCA). His scholarly interests include the history of Christian art and the history of biblical interpretation, a field to which he has contributed significantly through his teaching and writing.
In Luke 1:26-38, Mary said “yes” to becoming a co-creator alongside The Creator. Saying “yes” to serving as a catalyst for the in-breaking of God’s Kingdom, forever changing the story of our collective humanity. What would happen if we each took a small step towards saying “yes” to becoming co-creators in God’s continuously unfolding
story? We will explore this question through the meditative practice of CreatioDivina hosted by BeauFolio Studio, an embodied creative practice of sacred art-making and courageous conversation.
Carmelle Beaugelin (she/her) is a Haitian-American visual artist, Human-Centered Design Consultant, and “holy cheerleader” based in Princeton, NJ. Her creative focus includes abstract impressionism/expressionism painting inspired by Afro-Latin Caribbean art styles and Christian spirituality. She is the Founder and Lead Curating Artist at BeauFolio Studio, an emerging arthouse at the intersection of sacred art, humancentered design, and restorative equity. You can find some of her work at carmellebeaugelin.com.
The Advent hymn by Ambrose (“Savior of the Nations, Come”) and the Christmas hymn by Prudentius (“Of the Father’s Love Begotten”) have in common the historical context and the doctrinal content of the Nicene Creed. It was and is a complicated question: “Is Christ really God?” We will sing together and learn how our faith is formed by what we sing.
Paul Rorem is Princeton Theological Seminary’s Benjamin B. Warfield Professor of Medieval Church History Emeritus. An ordained Lutheran minister, his courses cover the confessions and influence of St. Augustine, the Christian mystical tradition, medieval Christianity, and the spiritual and theological legacy of the Pseudo- Dionysian writings.
First read as a holiday sermon, Presbyterian minister Henry Van Dyke’s parable imagining a fourth Magi’s lifelong search for the King of Kings remains one of his most popular works. Storyteller Maria LoBiondo will share her version of “The Other Wise Man,” as well as a brief history of the author, who was educated at Princeton University and Princeton Theological Seminary and called Princeton home.
Maria LoBiondobelieves that a story is a heart-to-heart gift shared between teller and listener. She began practicing the oral tradition of storytelling when expecting her second child; her daughter is now 25 years old. In that time, she has shared stories at Princeton’s Littlebrook School and the Princeton Montessori School, at the Catholic Community of St. Charles Borromeo in Montgomery Township, at the Princeton Public Library, and at the New Jersey Storytelling Festival, among other venues. She is the editorial coordinator for Princeton University’s Office of Advancement Communications, and a former reporter and editor for The Princeton Packet.
December 4 – January 8, Assembly Room, hosted by Presbyterian Women in the PC(USA)
Decorate our Christmas Tree with items needed for the Haiti clinic: muscle rub, antibiotic cream, gauze, tape, Band-Aids, ACE bandages, thermometers, wooden tongue depressors, non-latex gloves, hand lotion, small cakes of soap, packaged toothbrushes, small children’s toys (matchbox cars, jump ropes, etc.), barrettes, and hair ribbons.
Gathering at 7:00 p.m. in Niles Chapel on the following Thursday evenings: December 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd.
There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself. It is the only true guide you will ever have. ~Howard Thurman
Join us this Advent for a series of explorations on contemplative prayer. As a season of anticipation and hope, Advent is an ideal time to delve into the longings of our hearts through the inward journey of contemplation.
Over the course of four weeks, we will explore a simple method of contemplative prayer or meditation practiced among early Christians and preserved in various Christian communities around the world. Along the way, we will discover that contemplation draws us into deeper relationship with God, others, and ourselves − and that the discipline of contemplative prayer empowers us to respond to Jesus’ call to follow him and serve the world.
Each short exploration will be followed by a time for contemplative prayer. New and experienced meditators alike are welcome. No registration necessary.
The Mass Incarceration Task Force is collecting 2023 calendars to send to East Jersey State Prison in Rahway. This gift from NPC is greatly appreciated as expressed in the thank you card for last year’s calendars. The calendars must not have wire, but staples are fine.
Drop off in the Main Office on Sundays by January 8.
A cool bus full of kids, day trips to the best swim and splash spots, and a ton of sun ’n fun. It’ll be a summer week done right.
Lodging: your home
Location: Greater Princeton Area
Transportation: Bus, pick-up/drop-off at Nassau Church
Cost: $100/pp (bus, snacks), Bring Your Own Lunch
Appalachia Service Project
Registration Deadline: February 5, 2023
July 9-15 (Sun-Sat) | Rising 9th Grade and up
Home repair in central Appalachia has repeatedly opened our eyes, expanded our skills, helped others and done some work on us too. Come along as God does a little fixing on us all.
Lodging: cots/air mattresses in school auditorium/gym
Transportation: 15-passenger vans
Cost: $450/pp (transportation, lodging & meals on site)
Meeting after the 10:00 am Confirmation Service, join the discussion of Innocence Abroad by Mark Twain. From a contemporary review of the book by William Dean Howells, “The idea of a steamer-load of Americans going on a prolonged picnic to Europe and the Holy Land is itself almost sufficiently delightful, and it is perhaps praise enough for the author to add that it suffers nothing from his handling.” (The Atlantic, December 1869). Bring a sack lunch and something to share, coffee & tea provided.
Meeting on the 3rd Sunday of the month due to Easter, join the discussion of Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver. This novel is divided by about 120 years, involving two different multigenerational families, who move to Vineland, NJ. Both families need to deal with living in a house that is falling apart. Bring a sack lunch and something to share, coffee & tea provided.
Join the discussion of Horse by Geraldine Brooks (available at Labyrinth Bookstore). A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history. Bring a sack lunch and something to share, coffee & tea provided.
Join the discussion of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (1997), by Anne Fadiman (available at Labyrinth Bookstore). This is a story based on events in Merced, California between a Hmong family and the doctors at the local hospital’s ER. Bring a sack lunch and something to share, coffee & tea provided. All who have read the book are welcome to the discussion.
The Nassau Book Group will next meet on January 8 in the Conference Room at 12:15 pm. We will be discussing Ross King’s book, Leonardo and the Last Supper(available at Labyrinth Bookstore). This story weaves together history, biography and art criticism. Leonardo da Vinci’s completed fresco–The Last Supper, was completed in 1494–the masterpiece that would forever define him.
This month the group will discuss American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins, a New York Times bestseller and Oprah Book Club pick (available at Labyrinth Bookstore). This 2020 story tells the ordeal of a Mexican woman who was forced to leave behind her life and escape as an undocumented immigrant to the United States with her young son. Themes include survival, grit, freedom of the press, trust, current events, and grief.
Sunday, October 2, 2022, 12:15 pm, Conference Room
Join those interested in re-starting a book group at Nassau! Come with a list of books you have enjoyed and would like to discuss. We will meet and greet newcomers to this fun activity.
There are many ways to help hungry families set the table this Thanksgiving and throughout the year. Learn about new developments with Arm in Arm and how you can get involved below.
In order to distribute Thanksgiving food in time for the day, please make sure these donations are here at the church by Wednesday, November 16. Use the wooden box outside the door near the playground.
I am excited to share with you that we are embarking on a transformative chapter in Arm In Arm’s history: we are moving our headquarters to Mill One at One Johnston Ave. in Hamilton as of October 1st. Arm In Arm is on the move!
We will continue to serve and even deepen our service to people in Trenton, continuing and enhancing our presence at 48 Hudson Street, and at our Sustainable Garden on E. Hanover St. In fact, through pioneering mobile delivery, using our new state of the art food distribution center at Mill One and new refrigerated truck, we intend to deepen our presence in Trenton, executing more off-site Grab ‘n Go grocery events and reaching community members in their own neighborhoods, at times that are convenient for them. Using data collected by the Trenton Health Team, we have already begun forging partnerships with institutions such as Capital Health, to deliver food where the need is the greatest in a more equitable way.
As you well know, we continue to see an unprecedented increase in our level of service. We are serving more people than ever before, and our current home simply cannot accommodate the storage and efficiency needs we now have. Mill One will essentially operate as a “distribution hub” and offer us more and better space for food storage, including a loading bay so our truck can load and unload easily, as well as space for volunteers to prepare bags for mobile delivery. While families will not come to Mill One for food, as is the case at our other pantries in Trenton and in Princeton, families will come by appointment to meet with our Housing Stability Team to receive help with rental and/or utilities assistance and longer-term case management and/or for financial fitness, nutrition and parenting classes. Our Housing Stability Team will combine in person and virtual meetings to provide the most professional, compassionate and convenient ways to help families in need.
Finally, we will be downsizing our administrative space to provide more in service to our families. We have learned a lot during the pandemic and are incorporating more efficient, best practice use of space in which our staff will have safer, more professional space that they will share as they flex time between being in person and working remotely. Our board, leadership, and staff are all in agreement that this move will enhance our work and increase our impact by providing better space for our services and administrative functions, and by providing a safe and welcoming environment for clients, staff and volunteers, which better embodies our values of dignity and hospitality.
We want to assure you that our mission will remain unchanged as we continue to focus on securing basic needs of food, housing, and work to promote longer-term stability. Our plans are being clearly communicated with our clients, so they know where and when they can find us, ensuring we are meeting their needs.
Thank you for your support and your partnership. Once we are settled in, I will invite you to visit us in our new home.
Let’s continue working better together, helping our community thrive.
In a September Adult Education class, Elsie McKee shared how Nassau’s gift of a roof has helped sustain and grow the work of Woman, Cradle of Abundance (WoCA) as they house people in need and empower women with income-generating skills. Listen here:
Join us in the work of empowering women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo! Below is our current list of volunteer opportunities.
Fundraising – help brainstorm on approaches, work on fundraising events
Publicity – ideas and implementation
Website maintenance – help update pictures, events, newsletters, etc
Social media presence – post pictures and write-ups on social media sites to maintain a dynamic presence for WCoA
Grant application writing – combing through potential sources of grant money for appropriate grants and writing the application
The sewing school store – help sell sewing school goods at various school/church events, come up with additional ideas for selling the merchandise and implement them.
Office management – help with general administration, focus to depend on time and interests
Finance/bookkeeping – maintaining records in Quickbooks, also specifically looking for help preparing WCoA and conducting an internal audit of financial records
Run an alternative gifts program at Christmas
Develop/conduct Christian education programs about the Congo for WCoA’s church partners
