1. Art and Diseño

February 2015
Notes from the Clergy
"The train is late again!" she shouted at
no one in particular. I wondered how
many "agains" there had been for her. It
was clear to me she was frustrated but not
alarmingly so. A late train must not have
been extraordinary. It was not difficult to
imagine she would have been surprised
had the train been on time. Regardless,
there was not one thing she could do to
make the train run according to a schedule.
Belden Lane (retired theology professor) offers the following insight. He says
that according to Russian poet Yevgeny
Yevtushenko, "Justice is like a train that is
nearly always late." He's right, too, isn't
he? Women's suffrage and desegregation
came after much begrudging opposition
and long, vicious struggles. Against enormous resistance President Theodore Roosevelt brought the Bureau of Corporations
(predecessor to the Federal Trade Commission) into existence in 1903. In the
face of massive push-back (that continues
to this day) the Environmental Protection
Agency was established in 1970. The list
could go on and on and on…
Yevtushenko is right; justice is like a
train that is nearly always late. Much like
that woman who could do nothing to make
the train run according to a schedule, it
seems there is not much we can do to
make the justice train run on time, much
less ahead of schedule. And if we are
honest we have to acknowledge the
church has often stood on the track to
slow justice.
“The arc of the moral universe is
long, but it bends towards justice.” Martin
Luther King spoke these words during the
march from Selma in 1965. He was quoting words from an 1853 sermon by Theodore Parker who was an abolitionist minister. Their observation does not encourage
passivity or despair. It encourages hope
and trust in the One who will have justice.
As we who are the church face the
great issues of our day there is something
we can do. It behooves us to regularly
ponder whether we are doing our best to
slow the justice train or helping it arrive on
time. Surely, that is one of the tasks facing us today and in every day. May God
give us (the church) the courage and vision to be and do who and what God
needs us to be and do to prove Yevtushenko's observation invalid.
L'Chaim (To Life),
A Service of Prayer for Wholeness and Healing
You are invited to attend our monthly Service of Prayer for Wholeness
and Healing. This service is held the first Sunday of the month at 5:00 in the
evening. This 45 minute service will be led by one of your pastors and will include prayers both general and specific, scripture reading, singing, and silence.
For those who may be so inclined, there will be opportunity for the laying on of
hands. Everyone interested is invited to attend the February 1 service.
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Preaching Schedule for February
February 1
4th Sunday after Epiphany
Texts: Ps. 42:1, Rev. 22:17, & Jn. 6:35
Preacher: William M. Klein
Sermon: Longing
February 8
5th Sunday after Epiphany
Texts: Mk. 1:29-39 & Is. 40:28-31
Preacher: William M. Klein
Sermon: Prayer Prepares
February 15
Transfiguration Sunday
Texts: Mk. 9:2-9; Prov. 9:10; & Eccl. 12:13
11:00 a.m. Service-Communion
Preacher: William M. Klein
Sermon: Marvel-filled
February 18
Ash Wednesday
February 22
1st Sunday in Lent
Texts: 1 Pet. 3:18-22 & Ps. 25:1-10
Preacher: Deborah H. Klein
Lenten Services
The Rockbridge Area Ministerial
Association (RAMA) will offer
Lenten services again this
year.
Each Thursday during
Lent an ecumenical service will
be held at 12:10 in the sanctuary of Manly Memorial Baptist
Church. All services will be approximately 30
minutes in length. There will be two ministers responsible for each service. One will provide the
order and structure for worship and the other will
preach. Make this ecumenical time of worship a
part of your Lenten discipline this year.
Preacher: William M. Klein
Sermon: On Letting Christ
Sympathy
to:
The family of
Thelma Dwyer
David Dugan (his nephew)
Ash Wednesday Supper and Service – February 18, 2015
I read recently that the Christian Church year revolves around three sacred mysteries – The Incarnation (Christmas), the Resurrection (Easter) and
the gift of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost). In the wisdom of the early Church these
central and formative events became the basis of the church moving through
the seasons of each passing year. Four weeks are allotted for preparing for
Christmas (Advent), but six weeks (Lent) are given to preparing for Easter. And
so we begin our journey to the joy of Easter with Ash Wednesday. We gather
in Dunlap, beginning at 5:45 pm for a simple soup, salad and fruit meal, and an
informal worship service begins by 6:40 pm. If you would like child care during the service,
please contact Sarah Hill. Joining the practices of disciples since at least the 8th century, making the sign of the cross on our foreheads with ashes is a part of the service for those who wish
to do so. But so is singing and praying and listening to scripture read and reflected upon. It is
a very quiet beginning for a very sacred journey. Please join us.
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News Items for
the March 2015
Newsletter
A heartfelt thank you to
Jim and Marian Rohne
for their years of faithful
work helping to collate the
Newsletter.
People like to
know what is going on in the
church. Write an article for the
newsletter and share the information. Please email to Mary
Atthowe by February 15th at
<[email protected]> in
Word format please, or leave your
information in the church office.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Meetings
Alcoholics Anonymous has proven to
be a life-giving tool to many folks
seeking to manage alcohol addiction.
But in order for AA to be useful, people must be self-reflective enough to
know when they have a problem with
alcohol. If you would like the support
an AA group can provide, you are welcome to attend one of many meetings
that occur at RE Lee Episcopal
Church. AA meets:
Sundays: 6:30 PM (women only)
Tuesdays: 8:00 PM (step meeting)
Wednesdays: noon (open meeting) &
8:00 PM (closed meeting)
Fridays:
8:00 PM (open meeting)
Saturdays: 10:00 AM (open meeting)
11:15 AM (Step Al Anon)
8:00PM(big book meeting)
Sundays at the hospital at 8:00 PM
(open meeting)
Open Door Al Anon Meeting at Stonewall Jackson Hospital Conference
Room A on Sundays at 8:00 p.m.
All meetings are non-smoking meetings. Call 463-3411 for more information.
Project 225
Visit and Care Team
Julie Hollingsworth, co-chair of the Visit and Care
Team is coordinating the delivery of flowers provided
for the 11:00 a.m. Sunday worship service, when not
used by the person or persons who give them. On
occasions when this occurs, Julie takes the flowers to
one of the assisted living establishments in the area
for use at their discretion. The following note, with the
LPC logo, is included when the flowers are delivered:
These flowers have been in the Chancel
of the
Lexington Presbyterian Church.
They have heard the hymns that have been sung,
the prayers that have been offered,
and the sermon that has been preached.
Now they come to you, telling you of God’s love
and healing power,
and the wish of the members of the church
that you will be blessed with…
Faith…Hope…..Health
And Happiness.
One of the ministries of this
church is an active prayer
chain. If you would like to be
included in the list of folks who
offer daily prayer for people in
the church or situations where prayer may be needed…..or would like to have the group be in prayer for a
particular person or situation, please contact Barbara
Joyner ([email protected] or 463-4460).
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February Food of the Month,
Donated to the RARA Food Pantry:
Canned Tuna, Salmon
Please leave the food in boxes in the front hallway outside of the
church office.
The Community Table
February 23, the last Monday in February, is our day to provide dessert for The Community Table. Since Valentines Day falls this month, let’s prepare chocolate brownies for dessert. If you are willing to bake and deliver to the RARA building on Spotswood, please contact Mary Beth Baker at 463-9563 or
[email protected]. Our providing desserts is a tremendous help for those at The Community Table….what a
sweet way to serve!
Clair Moreschi and Elle Crossman
at the
Community Table on Monday, January 13
entertaining the guests with singing
and
ukulele playing!
Update from PW
Ecumenical Women’s Meeting will be in Brady Chapel on February 3 at 9:30 a.m. The meeting will begin with a social time at 9:30
a.m., and the work of planning for the World Day of Prayer will be at
10:00 a.m.

World Day of Prayer will be on March 6 at Robert E. Lee Episcopal Church.


The Sacramental Life Women’s Retreat at Massanetta Springs on April 17-19,
2015. Look for posters and other publicity around the church. Sign up early for
the best accommodations.
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Helping Hands
On February 2nd Helping Hands will meet in Westfel
Lounge from 10AM until 2PM. Bring a sandwich if you can stay
through lunch. Our projects of cutting out, sewing baby gowns,
receiving blankets, sewing and stuffing animals will continue.
Thanks to the knitters and those who crochet for the baby
hats, those who sew at home and Mary Ellen Page for sewing up
and decorating the animals.
We can always use light weight flannel and cotton fabric, thread and bias tape –
as well as light weight yarn. Thanks for all of the supplies that have been left on the
PW table and the sewing machine and surger donated by Shirley Claiborn.
Call Ellen Smith at 464-5141 if you have any questions.
Please notify
[email protected]
when you have
a change of mailing
and/or email address.
Thanks!
Check us out at
www.lexpres.org
From Friends in Need:
Please let us know about any special needs of members or
families in the congregation so we can help! Maybe an illness, injury or surgery has occurred and home delivery of a
couple of meals would be appreciated; maybe there has
been a birth to celebrate, or a death to mourn; maybe there
is a special need for visitation, or maybe help is needed with
transportation to/from church or a doctor’s appointment or to
visit a family member in the hospital. There are a lot of people willing to help in such situations, but we need to know
about them to match needs with those in the congregation who can help. Please let
us know by contacting the church office, or by contacting Carolyn Worrell or Elizabeth
Lauck, co-chairs of Friends in Need.
Church office: 540-463-3873
Carolyn Worrell: 540-463-6674, [email protected]
Elizabeth Lauck: 540-817-0607, [email protected]
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Rafiki Report
Education is a key component in Rafiki’s mission to raise
the standard of living for Africans. This goal is reflected in Rosemary Jensen’s statement made in January 2013 when she retired
as director of Rafiki. “It became clear to us that providing Bible study and education
to not only the orphans in the Rafiki Villages but to other children and adults, are key
tools in helping Africans raise their standard of living.”
As a result of this mission, the Advanced Learning Institute (ALI) program is
being developed as the final step in the education that Rafiki provides in Africa. As
orphans grow up in the Rafiki Villages, they begin in Rafiki preschools and advance
through high school. In 2013 the first Rafiki children graduated from high school in
their Rafiki Villages where they have been given a Christian classical education. The
time has come now to provide more advanced learning for those students who qualify . This includes not only Rafiki high school graduates but also millions of graduates
from non-Rafiki schools who, too, can benefit from what God is allowing Rafiki to do.
Advanced Learning Institute (ALI) is designed to help graduates get jobs, open
businesses or train others. In countries where the unemployment rate may be as
high as 80%, ALI will help meet a great need.
ALI incorporates five different Institutes or disciplines: the Rafiki Institute of
Classical Education; RICE, training teachers and headmasters in different levels, preschool through high school; Rafiki Institute of Business, basic education entrepreneurships and business management; Rafiki Institute of Art, for those who want to
become artists, teach art or work in the field of art and in the Widows program; Rafiki
Institute of Music, vocal instruction, basics of music, choral conducting, musical instrument lessons and orchestral conductor.
This is a comprehensive educational program being offered through Rafiki to
any and all qualified Africans.
Prayer Requests:
 For more RICE candidates to apply to the program.
 Thanksgiving for the high school graduates and for scholarships for those who
qualify for further education.
 For personal devotion and corporate worship to be a priority for all Rafiki staff and
personnel.
December Offerings:
Sunday School—-$22.45
Koininia—-$35.00
Bible Class—-$40.00
Total—-$97.45
461 A-Z books were assembled by 10 volunteers on January 14.
Rafiki website—-www.rafikifoundation.org.
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Faith Friends
Due to some conflicts, the Faith Friends Swim Party at the Ponds
Clubhouse has been moved to Sunday, Feb. 8. We will meet at
2:30 and swim until 4:30 pm. The indoor pool is nice this time of
year and there is a common room for visiting. For more information
call Derek Carter at 460-6566.
_____________________________________________________
Faith Village
Since February is thought by some to be the month of love, the children of Faith Village will be studying “All You Need is Love – The
Two Great Commandments!” Using the bible verses of “Love the
Lord your God” and “Love Your Neighbor,” we will explore how our
love of God reflects the love we have for our neighbors. The workshops will include God’s Restaurant, Prayer, Art and Worship. We
always encourage our children to bring their friends to Faith Village
and Faith Friends events.
_______________________________________________________
Secret Pals Return
The Secret Pal program was such a success last year that we are
doing it again! Anyone who participated in the program last year, we
hope will sign up again to get to know another child in the congregation. The parents of children are so appreciative that their children
really want to come to church to see what their “Secret Pal” has left
them. Plus every time another connection is made in the church we
become a stronger congregation. This year the program is a month
shorter; we will begin on Sunday, February 15 and have the “Reveal”
lunch on May 3.
______________________________________________________
Sunday School Class for Young Adults and Parents of Young Children
Just a reminder that every Sunday morning the Young Adults and Parents of Young Children meet in the Parlor (Rm. 111) to watch a short DVD and then discuss their reactions.
There is no preparation for the class, and each DVD stands on its own, so sporadic attendance is fine. Often the class will also discuss matters related to their everyday lives. Coffee
is available in the Brady Chapel kitchenette.
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Youth Activities
The Youth Group has been active in 2015 with a movie night, meetings and a Lock-In
in January! More fun and service are planned for February.
 We’ll start the month with cooking at Campus Kitchen on Super Bowl Sunday
from 3:00 until 4:45.
 On February 8th, we’ll have a refresher session on “Auctioneering” to prepare for
our Chili Cook Off and Auction on February 12. Last year’s Auction was a huge
success and a lot of fun. We hope lots of folks will join us for chili, cornbread, and
some spirited bidding!!
 There will be no meeting on February 15th and a regular meeting on February
22nd.
 On February 27th, we’ll finish the activities of the month with some Snow Tubing!!!
 There will be no meeting on March 1.
Thantastic Thursdays.
We have a great line up of programs for February. On
Feb. 5, one of our favorite speakers, Burr Datz, will be
with us again. We always can count on Burr to connect
our spiritual and everyday lives and often while he is
playing the guitar. On Feb. 12 the Youth will hold forth with their Chili Cook-Off and
Live (and silent) auction. The winner of the Best Chili earns bragging rights and the
newly chili decorated crown. We need donations to auction, chili cookers, and lots of
people to come on Feb. 12 to bid and win! The Youth will be the auctioneers – it was
fabulous last year! Don’t miss it. On Feb. 15 we will have our monthly Sunday
Brunch after the 11 am worship service. On Wednesday, Feb. 18 we will have an
Ash Wednesday Service to mark the beginning of Lent. The service will begin with a
simple meal and it will be followed by a service and imposition of ashes led by Rev.
Deb Klein and members of the congregation. (There will be no Thantastic Thursday
on Feb. 19.) We round out the month with one of our most loved singing groups –
this one from VMI – the Men in Grey. As usual, expect a delicious meal prepared by
Curt Fredin and Skip Hess, who continue to present us with fabulous fare every
Thursday! The meal cost is $6 per person or $16 per family. Children under 5 and
campus students are free. Childcare is available upon request.
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Adult Retreat on April 30
The congregation is invited to attend
the 2015 Adult Retreat hosted by the Presbyteries of Shenandoah and the James at Massanetta on April 30 from 9 am to 3 pm. The
retreat is open to any adult who is available
on a Thursday. The Rev. Gordon Lindsey will
speak on “Christian Hospitality – Entertaining
Angels Unawares.” The day will be filled with
the Biblical exploration of events of hospitality
from Abraham and Sarah feeding the three
strangers to the beach picnic with Jesus and
the disciples. Enjoy a delightful lunch at the
historic hotel. The retreat will conclude with
sharing communion – the best statement of
hospitality. The cost for the retreat is $20 for the day. For a registration form go to
www.shenpres.org or see Sarah Hill.
Women’s Retreat
at Massanetta Springs –
April 17-19
This spring women of all
ages have a marvelous opportunity to slip away to a quiet
place for reflection, renewal, fellowship and a celebration of THE
SACRAMENTAL LIFE that we all
share. Joan Watson, a pastor at
Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte will be the keynote speaker who states, “I
believe we are created for God and find our completion and purpose only in God.”
Plans are being made to offer a God saturated weekend and we hope you’ll consider
attending.
There are posters throughout the church with information about the retreat. To
register online: go to www.shenpres.org. The Retreat Cost includes 2 nights lodging,
all meals and the full event. There are options on housing as to a single or double
room. You don’t even have to be Presbyterian to attend, so consider inviting your
friends! If you have questions, please ask Sarah Hill, Deb Klein, or Nancy Whiteley.
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THE ROAD OF DARKNESS, PREJUDICE, AND HATE
Years ago, when my mother was teaching in Roanoke, she and her friends
climbed the Peaks of Otter. At the top of the mountain daylight still engulfed them, but
once they started down they realized it was later than they thought.
As the path led them in a zigzag descent, they could see below them white-clad
figures climbing up, each carrying a torch of fire. Realizing that they would soon come
face to face with the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, they hid in the bushes beside
the path. In a clearing still below them the men stopped, formed a circle and removed
their masks; the girls recognized with horror some of the leading men in Roanoke, as
well as fathers of the children they taught. The emotions they experienced left their imprint on Mother’s mind for the rest of her life. She wondered what sort of prejudice was
being handed down in the homes of the children in her classroom.
Four decades later, the assassination in Memphis of Martin Luther King Jr. took
place. The next day, a Friday, a 35-year-old elementary school teacher, Jane Elliott,
conducted an experiment in prejudice within her class room. The town of Riceville, Iowa, and the sparsely settled farming area surrounding it, contained no blacks. In the
school’s textbooks, blacks were neither mentioned nor pictured.
She divided the children into two groups: those with brown eyes and those with
blue eyes, and told the class that for that day the brown eyed people were better than
blue-eyed people. They were cleaner; they were smarter. The rules for the day were
spelled out, including the fact that brown-eyed children could use the drinking fountain
as usual, but blue-eyed children were to use paper cups. "Why?" asked one girl, her
blue eyes wide with annoyance. A brown-eyed boy had the answer: "Because we
might catch something."
"By noon," Jane observed later, "I was sick. I wished I had never started it.
There was no need to think before identifying a child as blue - or brown-eyed. The blue
-eyed children were miserable. Their posture, their expressions, their entire attitudes
were those of defeat. Their classroom work slumped sharply. They looked and acted
as though they were, in fact, inferior." On Monday the roles were reversed: blue-eyed
children were declared to be the smartest and were granted the most privileges. The
results were the same.
Subsequently ABC News asked permission to make Discrimination Day the subject of a television documentary. The children, told only that their class would be televised, reacted as spontaneously as had the previous classes. Observed Jane, "I suppose it proves how susceptible human beings – especially children – are to a voice of
authority. Even more pernicious, it illustrates how the results of discrimination tend to
create and confirm prejudice." Shortly thereafter Jane was made a member of a panel
of the White House Conference on children and youth.
[The experience of Ms. Elliott and her class was related in The Reader’s Digest, April 1971, pp 6165. ]
cdg
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The Lexington Presbyterian Church
Session “At Work”—January 2014
DATA
 Deaths: Robert McCormick, Jr.
Planning
(12/4/14); Ann Lothery (12/15/14);  The Annual Meeting of LexPres
Patricia Geikler (12/22/14); and
Inc., called for Sunday, January
Thelma Dwyer (1/3/15).
11. Order of business is to ap Current Membership—547
prove the changes in terms of call
 Shared Thank you from Project
for our ministers.
Horizon for gift cards and sup Project 225 Meet and Greet Group
plies.
have been organized to welcome
 Pastoral Concerns were shared
new folks.
and prayer offered.
Worship
LORD’S SUPPER TRAINING
 New hymnals will be discussed in
Training took place in the sanctuary
a Life of the Church Report soon.
with Linda Franke, Communion Chair.
Major Report
SESSIONAL COMMITTEES
The Major Report of the Communications Committee was presented by
Financial Management
Elder Lee (see synopsis on page 12).
 Up-date and year-end information:
2014 ended in the black
Exploring Our Calling
 Elders will be sent a breakdown of The 2015 Manual of Operations were
spending and income.
distributed. The Moderator walked
 The 2015 budget was approved
the group through the contents of the
by voice vote.
manual.
Property
 Mold abatement on the manse is
in progress; the minister and family have moved out of the house
temporarily during the work.
 Steeple repairs next Spring
The meeting ended with a Prayer of
Dedication for the work completed by
the session that evening and a responsive Charge and Benediction.
Next Administrative Council meeting: Monday, January 28, 2015,
4:30 p.m.
Outreach
 The Brittigan Endowment Fund
Committee Request was approved Next Session meeting: Tues. Febto establish a designated checking ruary 3, 2015, 7:30 p.m.
account to be kept by the fund
treasurer to allow for a timely response to emergency situations
approved by the committee.
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Communications Committee – Annual Report to Session—-January 6, 2015
Members:
Mary Atthowe, Snookie Caldwell, Susie Hastings, Dianne Herrick (through Aug 2014),
Betsy Lee (Chair 2014), Mary Ellena Ward, Jessica Willett (Nov 2014+)
General Duties:
-Assure the appropriate flow of communication throughout the church family and the
community
-Enhance the fellowship of church family and to reach out to the larger community
-Provide computer, network, database and other IT equipment and support
A.Communications with/Connections to the Church Family and Community
Project 225 – Communications
With the launch of Project 225, the following project teams focused explicitly on one or
more key dimensions of church-wide communications:
-Information Awareness Team—Tasked with identifying opportunities to improve
communications throughout our church.
-Technology Channels Team – Tasked with exploring new technology channels that
can enable and streamline our communications channels
- Radiate and Shine Team – Tasked with identifying ways to use our interior and exterior spaces to radiate vibrancy, mission, and love.
Newsletter
Mary Atthowe serves as editor of the monthly newsletter, which is delivered to those
who desire hard copy and is posted on the LexPres website. Many writers contribute,
including Charlotte Gunn, who wrote numerous spiritual columns for the newsletter. A
dedicated team assembles the physical copies for mailing. The deadline for submissions is the 15th of the month.
Website
Mary Ellena Ward serves as both web master and designer of the church website.
The website enables easy access to information about the church, sermons, newsletters, and the church calendar. Mary Ellena welcomes photos of church activities to
include in the website gallery.
Community Outreach
Paid display advertising and news releases were used to inform the community of a
variety of events at the church in 2014, including worship services, the Festival of
Faith, and various musical programs.
B.Computer, Network, Software, and Other IT-related Responsibilities
We largely rely on Mary Ellena Ward’s generous gift of time and expertise for IT support, with periodic help from a paid consultant.
(This is a synopsis of a 2-page report; you may read the full report in the church office)
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Table of Contents
Inside This Issue
Page Numbers
Notes from the Clergy……...……..….1
February Preaching Schedule…...….2
Miscellaneous…………………….…3-5
Rafiki ………………………..……. ….6
Christian Education/Youth..……..…7-8
Retreat Information…………………...9
Road Signs….…………..…...…...….10
Session………………………………..11
Commun. Comm. Major Report…....12
February Calendar…....….…............13
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