T he S pireThe Community Church by the Sea

FIRST PRESBYTERIANC H U R C H O F D E L R A Y B E A C H

September 2013

T he S pire

Beginning Sunday, September 8th, and continuing until we return totwo worship services on November 3rd, our Christian EducationProgramming will have the following schedule:

9 a.m. Educational Hour Sunday School

Birth through Kindergarten – Nursery1st through 4th Grades – CE Bldg. Room 203Grades 5 and up (The Reason) – CE Bldg. Room 205Confirmation Class – Youth HouseYoung Adults and Families (Friends & Fellowship) – The Parlor

10 a.m. Worship Hour Sunday School

Birth through Kindergarten – Nursery3-years-old through 1st Grade (Bible Bunch) – CE Bldg. Room 113

All of these classes will continue through the change to two worshipservices on Sunday, November 3rd, with the Sunday School classes movingto 10 a.m. and the Worship Hour classes held during both the 9 a.m. and 11a.m. services. Sunday Forum will move to 10 a.m. with the rest of theEducational Hour Sunday School classes*.

* The Sunday Forum Adult Class will begin on Sunday, October 6th at 11a.m. in the Christian Learning Center.

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World CommunionInvitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4

ConfirmationClass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4

INSIDE . . .

Our church is known for itsexceptional music program.Blessed with the talents ofOrganist/Director of Music, DonCannarozzi, and Associate Directorof Music, Jim Poch, every Sundaymorning we are treated tooutstanding organ and piano music.

Through the years, we haveadded additional pipes to our organto expand its musical range. But theyears have also taken a toll on theolder pipes and their integralcomponents of this delicateinstrument. In the past, we havemade temporary repairs to the organwhen mechanical breakdowns haveoccurred.

Now, we are looking to raise$20,000 to finish paying for thelatest pipe upgrade and make thenecessary permanent repairs to theorgan. If you would like tocontribute to this worthy cause,please mail your contribution to thechurch office, and indicate “organpipes” on the memo line. Thank youfor helping to maintain the quality ofmusic that First Presbyterian Churchof Delray Beach is famous for.

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Christian Education This Fall OUR ORGAN

Middle Schoolers, High Schoolers and TNT’s are invited to Night of

Joy on September 7th! We will leave the church parking lot no later than

noon that Saturday to head to Disney for this great musical opportunity.

Tickets are $60. If you’re interested in going, please contact the church

office and we will add you to our list!

This will be an awesome night of fun! v

by Rev. Jessi Higginbotham

Night of Joy

From My Heart to Yoursby Dr. W. Douglas Hood, Jr.Senior Pastor

“The most excellent method…of going to God is that of doing our common business without any view of pleasing men, and (as far as we are able) purely for the love of God.”

Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God.

I am reading again the wonderful small book, The Practice of thePresence of God. It is actually a collection of thoughts, sayings and variousconversations with a Roman Catholic monk known as Brother Lawrence ofthe Resurrection. Born as Nicholas Herman, in the French village ofHerimenil in the province of Lorraine, in 1611 his name was changed whenhe entered the monastic life. This book followed his death and was preparedas a guide for others in movement toward a deeper relationship with Christ.

Brother Lawrence’s life as a monk began with a difficulty common toeach of us - sustaining a period of prayer all the while being interrupted bystraying thoughts. This was a source of considerable frustration for him andone to which he gave considerable effort and reflection. His final solutionto this difficulty was a simple one: he developed the habit of continualconversation with God. Whether at prayer or at work or at leisure, it becamehis practice to focus his heart and mind on God. Throughout the day,Brother Lawrence acknowledged the continual presence of God, thankingGod, praising God, and asking God for God’s grace to do whatever wasrequired of him. Rather than prayer being something done at set timesduring the day, it became a continual conversation with God as BrotherLawrence went about his daily tasks.

For the first fifteen years of his monastic life, Brother Lawrence wasassigned “kitchen duty” for which he had a natural aversion. Yet, from his“practicing the presence of God” all during his waking hours BrotherLawrence resolved that he would seek to please God in whateverresponsibility assigned to him. He approached everything he did, includingkitchen work, prayerfully. The result was joy even in the smallest tasks.

Often I hear good church people make the comment that they aresimply too busy to pray. Perhaps Brother Lawrence has a helpful word:resolve to acknowledge the continual presence of God throughout your dayand speak to God as if God were standing right next to you. Further, withthe realization that God is ever-present, try completing every responsibilitygiven to you with the sole purpose of pleasing God. The result may beincreased joy throughout the day, even while cleaning the kitchen.

Joy,

The above was originally published on July 26, 2013 in Dr. Hood’s blog. v

If you or a family member

are hospitalized, please

notify the church office.

Even if you give the name

of the church upon

admission, the hospital

will NOT notify us.

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W. Douglas Hood, Jr., D.Min.Senior Pastor

Jessi Higginbotham, M.Div.Associate Pastor

Jo Garnett, M.C.E.Associate for Pastoral Care

Donald J. Cannarozzi, M.M., J.D.Organist / Director of Music

James K. Poch, S.M.M.Associate Director of Music

Nancy Fine, CAOffice Manager

Christine Davis Paula HareAccountant Secretary

Aaron Strippel Rita AveryHead Custodian Custodian

T he S pireEDITOR:

Tim Knapp

LAYOUT:Char Conklin

PROOFREADER:Barbara Vanderkay

SPECIAL THANKS:Printers Choice

C hurchS taff

First Presbyterian Church33 Gleason Street

Delray Beach, FL 33483phone: 561-276-6338fax: 561-272-8505

e-mail: administrator@firstdelray.comweb page: www.firstdelray.com

Five Minutes for Christian Formation

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challenge offered by Jesus is simply the pathway Herecommends for doing life differently, for claiming thepromised new life. Receiving the gift (new life) requiresliving life differently (the challenge). Poor eating habits arecorrected by eating differently, by healthy eating habits.

The finest guidebook, pathway or navigational deviceavailable today for living life differently is DiscipleshipEssentials by Greg Ogden. Some of you have completed thisstudy and have mentioned to me that it was a life-changer. Ifyou have completed this part of your new faith journey, Irecommend that you pick up a copy of the sequel, TheEssential Commandment, by the same author. Theseresources enable a person to claim the promised gift bycoaching him or her to meet the challenge. v

The gift is nothing less than the promise of new life,both now and in the future. The challenge is that the gift isoffered within the context of a relationship with Jesus; arelationship of radical trust and obedience to the way ofChrist. The gift and challenge come bundled together, muchlike various internet, phone and cable packages offered today.One is not offered apart from the other. Membership in thechurch has always meant more than simply having a passportto heaven stamped.

For the reasonable, thoughtful person, it is clear that bothgift and challenge must come “packaged together.” The gift ofnew life simply means you are not going to continue in the oldlife. It means that you are going to stop doing life one wayand try something else. The old life failed to satisfy. The

by Dr. W. Douglas Hood, Jr.Senior Pastor

A Basic Approach to Christian Formation & DiscipleshipFormative PracticesFormative practices, intentional disciplines or habits, are how we make our home in Christ rather than inthe world. They are lifestyle routines that help us keep on track in living into the life and character of Jesus.Five formative practices that are generally considered fundamental are, worship regularly, pray daily,learn and apply God’s Word, participate in a ministry and give financially to the work of the church.

Time in Solitude with GodChristian formation and growth require a growing attentiveness to God, to where God is active in ourlives, and to where we are being led. This attentiveness requires that we regularly make a place in ourlives to sense God’s presence and to hear God speak. This is a time for reading the Bible, prayer andsitting before God in silence.

Time in Community of a Small GroupThe Kingdom of God is relational. A decision to follow Jesus and grow in His likeness cannot beaccomplished alone. The Apostle Paul teaches in his letter of Romans that, though Christian discipleshipis intensely personal, it is corporate in character (Romans 12: 3-5). Regularly meet with a small groupand commit to the study of the Bible using this basic structure: Read, Reflect and Respond. Additionally,small group members hold one another accountable for spiritual growth and offer encouragement.

Time Sharing Your Faith with AnotherOur daily conversations do more than provide a running narrative of our lives; such conversationsshape our experiences, practices and life with one another. Ultimately, Christian formation is the qualityof life we live. That life develops positively in the manner of Jesus as we regularly make time to sharewith another our personal growth in faith.

© W. Douglas Hood, Jr.

DISCIPLESHIP MATTERS

“…the gospel Jesus proclaims contains not only a promise

but also a summons. It is both gift and challenge.”

–– James V. Brownson,

Storm Front: The Good News of God

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What is Confirmation?

Confirmation is a class set up

for those baptized as children who

desire to become members of our

congregation. Fifth graders and up

are invited to participate, starting

on September 8th at 9 a.m. in the

Youth House. In this class, youth

will learn about the church and

what it means to be a member of a

congregation. This 16 week course

will be taught by Rev. Jessi

Higginbotham.

Why Confirmation?

Confirmation is a greatopportunity for younger youth toget to know about their church aswell as get to know other youth.The curriculum for this class iscalled Re:form and is all about newunderstanding of church life. Is thisclass hard? No way! This class isfun! It is creative and exciting. Howdo you get to participate? Let Rev.Higginbotham or the church officeknow if you are interested and wewill sign you up for the class.

Do you have to be baptized toparticipate? No, in fact it is acommon practice to baptize youthafter they have completed the

confirmation class. At theconclusion of this class, baptismand church membership will beoffered to all those who haveparticipated.

We believe that afterparticipating in this class, youth areable to make a decision on theirown about baptism and churchmembership. We are pleased tooffer this class to anyone interested.Please let us know if you have anyfurther questions; we would behappy to answer them and help youfigure out if this class is right foryou or your youth.

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World Communion InvitationSunday, October 6th – 10 a.m.

“People will come from east and west, north and south, and sit down to eat in God’s kingdom.

Look! Those who are last will be first and those who are first will be last.”

(Luke 13:29-30 CEB)

We come to Christ’s Table aware of our human frailty and our sin. Our world has been shattered byselfish and foolish pride. We also come knowing that God’s healing love can restore wholeness and welcome us home.

At Christ’s Table, we are made one with Christ and one with each other. Wealso are united with the Church in every time and place. The unity of theLord’s Table is a sign of the unity that God wills for all of creation. FromChrist’s Table, we can go out with joy as witnesses of God’s love to work forthe healing and the reconciliation of God’s world.

Join Christians around the world at the great celebration. Take your placeat the Lord’s Table on Sunday, October 6th, at 10 a.m. and know the feelingof what it is like to be one with Christians everywhere.

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Confirmation Class

Youth Group is a time of fellowship, fun and learning for our youth of grades 6-12. In the Youth House on Sunday evenings from 5 p.m.to 7 p.m., we spend time learning and growing together. Youth Group has been an amazing tradition for years and we want to share thistime with you. Come and try out this weekly meeting with Jessi and our youth advisors. v

by Rev. Jessi HigginbothamYouth Group

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Celebration ofEternal Life…

Our Deepest Sympathies as acongregation is extended to thefamilies of the following members upon the death of theirloved ones:

Charles Gibson

July 23, 2013

Byron McKinley

August 15, 2013

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Family Firstby Bob Teninga

The Dykstra family, father, Dan,mother, Kim, daughter, Taylor andsons, Devin and Blake, reside innearby Manalapan. On Sundaymornings, you will see them sittingtogether in a front pew in front of thepulpit.

When I first met Dan, he was aDeacon and was outgoing andfriendly to everyone who walked inthe door, like all Deacons. He lovesmusic, plays the piano, has sung inour Choir and was a WestminsterRinger.

Kim, I am sure, is busyevery day keeping up with allactivities of the family, but she alsofinds time each Sunday to teachSunday School.

Taylor recently graduated fromHigh School and preached thesermon last February on YouthSunday. She headed to college, but Iam sure will be with her family onSunday mornings when she is homeon school breaks.

Devin and Blake are alwaystalkative at Children's Time eachSunday and full of energy. They arevery musically inclined and havepleased us during special events inworship through the years. v

The DyKstra Family

Senior Selectby Bob Teninga

Mary Jane Sickel: we allknow her, but do we really? Waituntil you read this article.

Do you run many miles every otherday, and then do a power walk the otherdays? Mary Jane does this in themorning. Many of us sit in the samepew or close to it; her favorite is a fewpews right of the center aisle lookingdirectly at the Pulpit.

Mary Jane and her late husband,George, moved from New Jersey to Ft.Lauderdale and then to our Church in1996. She met George when she was 5 �

years old inSunday school!Her son,Tim, volunteersin disaster recovery and hasapproximately 500 volunteers to help ata moment’s notice.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, youwill find her at the Holly Houseworking at her specialty, which issewing. She also serves on the ChurchImprovement Board. She is alwayshelping out and organizing things at theHolly Days Bazaar and the RummageSale, where she enjoys selling in theMen’s Tent in the Courtyard.

She has worked with the Presbyteryof Tropical Florida in differentcapacities. Additionally, she has servedon several Pastor and Associate PastorSearch Committees. On top of all that,she is a trained Stephen Minister.

She serves on the Board ofDirectors for C.R.O.S. Ministries (TheCaring Kitchen and the Food Pantry ofDelray Beach), which is supported byour Mission Outreach. Several yearsago, she was honored by Governor JebBush as Volunteer of the Year for a fivecounty region. She has also receivedthe JC Penney Volunteer Person of theYear award.

“Be kinder than is necessarybecause everyone you meet isfighting some kind of battle.”

Heath Brogowski, Womansday.com, August 2013

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Yes, it’s still hot, but schoolsare back in session, and so we canthink about cooler fall weatherbeing just ahead, even in SouthFlorida.

Labor Day comes early thisyear and so does our Holly DaysBazaar which actually begins onThursday, October 31st, theearliest ever. Because the saleopens to the public on Friday,November first, I declare we maycontinue to call it the NovemberHolly Days Bazaar and lo! ourname will lead all the rest in thechronological newspaper listings.

I don’t want to intimidateanyone, but we do have a weekless then usual to get things done.However, we will do it just fine,not “for the Gipper” as they usedto say, but for Regie.

Church Improvementby Barbara Vanderkay

We have had a very busysummer with generally a goodturnout at Holly House Tuesdaysand Thursdays (9:30-11:30). Ournew project during the summervacation involved inviting ouryouth, beginning at age ten, tocome on Thursdays at ten o’clockto make special craft items for thebazaar, or perhaps learn how toknit or sew. Several mothers alsocame and were interested to seewhat went on and to appreciate thework the youth did. Both boys andgirls came and enjoyed their timewith us and we enjoyed havingthem.

Unfortunately, the schoolcalendar has now forced theclosure of that activity, so we’lljust “wait till next year”. We lookforward to seeing this year’sworkers again as well as a goodgroup of new recruits. v

by Rev. Jessi Higginbotham

Youth Sunday School ClassWhile our Middle School

students are working their waythrough confirmation, our HighSchool Sunday School Class is takinga new direction. Throughout theschool year, our class will focus onservice.

Each month, the High SchoolSunday School Class will take on anew service project that will help outin our community as well as in ourcongregation. From Holly Dayscrafts to hygiene kits for the CaringKitchen, we have many diverseprojects ahead.

Our first project begins onSeptember 8th. We are collectingtravel-sized hygiene items andputting hygiene kits together onSunday mornings. Please considerdonating the following items to ourcause: soap, razors, lotion,toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo,deodorant and women’s sanitaryitems. Baskets for donations arelocated in the Narthex and in thechurch office through the end ofSeptember. v

by Rev. Jessi Higginbotham

The Best ChristmasPageant Ever!

Wow, aren’t we a talentedcongregation? We have so many greatactors, singers and leaders we thinkputting on a Christmas Play is a must.This Christmas season, how aboutbeing a part of The Best ChristmasPageant Ever!?

Written by Barbara Robinson,this play is about a church that triesto put on a traditional ChristmasPageant but is put to the test when thetown outsiders decide to participate.These kids are the worst! They lie andsteal, they skip school and cheatwhen they come, they are trouble andthey’ve just landed all the lead rolesin the Christmas Pageant! Come andsee how this adventure concludes.Our first practices begin in lateSeptember. In addition to ourchildren and youth, there are severaladult roles in this pageant.

Please consider joining us!

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Estate PlanningOur Endowment and

Remembrance Funds are twoexcellent opportunities for yourgiving consideration, be it yourwill, stocks, or as a named beneficiary of an insurancepolicy. This financially wisemethod of stewardship helpsensure the long-term financialstability of the church andprovides a planned means forthe church to continue its rolein the lives of our members andthose to whom we reach out, inour community and beyond.For more information on long-term giving, call the churchoffice (276-6338). v

Distributing Funds from an IRA

For 2013, anyone over 70½can distribute funds from an IRA(Individual Retirement Account)directly to the church (or anycharity) up to $100,000. This willnot be included in income andwill not be deductible, but it canbe counted as part of the requiredminimum distribution (RMD).This is a great way for many ofour congregants to support thelife and work of our church. Ifyou are interested in doing this,please call Christine Davis (276-6338, ext. 16). And as always,for financial matters, please alsoconsult with your financialadvisor. v

Remember the Church When . . .

STEPHEN MINISTERS:by David Fellows

skips right over theword “not” and hears,“I am going to worrytoday.” The reason is simple. Inorder to not think about something,you have the think about the thingyou are not going to think about,before you can try to not thingabout it. Think about that! In otherwords your first thought is “I amafraid I am going to worry today.”From that point on, your wholefocus is on the worrying.

So how do we not think aboutsomething? We must choose as oursecond thought to think aboutsomething else. No matter howintelligent we are, our brain is onlycapable of entertaining one thoughtat a time. The good news is we getto choose the thought! If a three-year-old child starts to play withsomething you don’t want them toplay with, what is the easiest way tointerrupt the behavior? We simplyredirect them by giving themsomething else to play with.

Paul is telling us that we needto treat our brain like that three-year-old child. If it starts to dwellon things that are unhealthy, Paultells us to make the spiritualdecision to redirect our minds andto “focus your thoughts on” thatwhich is excellent, admirable, orgood. Fra. Giovinni echoed thissame thought 1,500 years laterwhen he wrote, “No peace lies inthe future which is not hidden inthis present little instant. TakePeace.” Both of these menrecognized that, while we have nocontrol over the first thought tocross our mind, we do have controlover how we choose to respond to itwith our second thought. Simple,yes! Easy, no! But with practice(remember “Practice, notPerfection”) we can develop theability to make the choice leadingto Peace more consistently. v

This month is Part II of our lookat Philippians 4: 4-9. If you wouldlike to refer back, Part I wasfeatured in the June Spire.

“From now on, brothers and sisters,if anything is excellent and if

anything is admirable, focus yourthoughts on these things: all that istrue, all that is holy, all that is just,all that is pure, all that is lovely andall that is worthy of praise. Practicethese things: whatever you learned,received, heard, or saw in us. The

God of peace will be with you.”

Philippians 4: 8-9

If you ever wondered whatpsycho-therapy might have lookedlike 2,000 years ago, you arelooking at it right here! Paul knowsthat we have control over our ownminds. Throughout his letters, Paulis encouraging (i.e. to place couragewithin) us to exercise that controlwith our emotions (verses 4-7) andour thoughts (verses 8-9). Both ofthese passages bring us to the samedestination: God’s peace.

As spiritual beings goingthrough a physical experience, it isimportant for us to understand howour physical body works. Our brainis simply an organ of our body. It isnot “US.” It does not define whowe are. How we choose to use ourbrain is an expression of ourspiritual selves. We need torecognize that our brain is a goaldriven computer; it is designed totake us somewhere. If we arehungry, it searches for food. If weneed shelter, it searches for it.

Because our brain is goal drivenit must have some place to go. Itcannot “not go” somewhere. In thisrespect, our brain is incapable ofrecognizing the word “not.” If wesay to ourselves, “Paul is right, I amnot going to worry today,” our brain

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The Community Church by the Sea

FIRST PRESBYTERIANC H U R C H O F D E L R A Y B E A C H

33 Gleason Street, Delray Beach, Florida 33483

This newsletter is available online at www.firstdelray.com. Ifyou are interested in receiving an electronic copy of thisnewsletter, please email Nancy Fine at nancyfine@covad.net.

This is our ministry of connecting people with Jesus Christ and the church.Jesus’ priority for the church is to share the Christian faith in such a way thatpeople place their trust in Jesus and participate with Jesus in His ongoingwork through the local church.

We were never intended to remain the same. Through this ministry, weengage people in intentional processes for growing in the character of Jesus.

Implanted deep within the nature of men and women is the hunger to serveothers. Through this ministry, we engage people in a process that helps themdiscover, develop and deploy their God given gifts for service to Jesus in thelocal church and community.

One of the distinctive teachings of the Christian faith is that we are called tolive in community. In community, we support, encourage, hold accountableand care for one another so that no one has to make the journey of life alone.

The Pathway of Ministry & Mission

Sunday MorningWorship Service

10 a.m.Please join us on Sunday morning as we worship the living God together.