Thank you to everyone who contributed to restock Fish of Albany’s Clothes Closet to be distributed to those in need in our community.

MENS CLOTHING DRIVE A SUCCESS ON PALM SUNDAY

Church Events

May 3—Mission Sewing

May 5—Taco Feed

May 6 & 13—Theology on Tap @ Deluxe Brew.

May 10—Celebration of Life for Doris Scharpf

May 12—Pastor Brandon’s Grad & Birth Celebration

May 13—A Bene Placito Chamber Winds Concert at 7:00 PM, $5

May 16—Mini-Sabbath Gathering, 1-3 pm

May 19—Piano Recital for Jill Hickenlooper Studio & Reception

May 30—Hands on Mission at Food Share

Koinonia focus

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF ALBANY, OREGON

MAY 2019

A Presbyterian Rebellion (a little history) by Deacon Nancy Hammond

In the 116th Congress there are three new Presbyterians on Capitol Hill, for a total of 26 Presbyterian mem-bers of Congress. There are 13 in each chamber. They are both Republican and Democrat.

As these new Presbyterian start their first term, it is worth considering the history of Presbyterianism in the American experiment. Nine presidents have been identified as Presbyterian and two more, Abraham Lincoln and Ruther B. Hayes worshiped in Presbyterian churches. The earliest Presbyterian president was An-drew Jackson, but the influence of Presbyterianism in American politics started long before that.

Presbyterian ministers were some of the first to make public statements supporting the American Revolution. Presbyterians were unified and coordinated in the their efforts to support the Revolution. The Revolutionary War, which King George himself called “a Presbyterian Rebellion” turned out to be only the start of political activism for Presbyterians. 55 delegates at the Constitutional Convention were Presbyterian.

Presbyterian political practices have evolved much in the last three centuries, as the church itself is Reformed and always reforming. However, the tradition of American Presbyterians speaking truth to power has its roots in the very foundation of the United States.

The Office of Public Witness is the public policy, advocacy, and information office to represent the church and equip its members to do advocacy based on the public witness of the General Assembly.

The OPW’s 2019 Issue Priorities;

Keep the government open to serve the common good

Restore voting rights and common-sensed government reform

Improve jobs, reduce poverty and defend the social safety net from erosion

Support compassionate comprehensive immigration reform

Promote decisive effective solutions to climate change

Address the failure of the war on drugs

Advocate for health care for all

If you are interested in more information on how the Presbyterian Church carries on its mission of work in the political world you can visit the website bit.ly/PCUSAOPW. And or subscribe to Washington Report to Presbyterians via website Presbyterian Church USA

Upcoming May Preaching/Scripture Texts (Subject to Change)

May 5

Acts 9:1-20

Blinded by the Light May 12

John 10:22-30

Show and Tell

May 19

Acts 11:1-18

The Length of Silence

May 26

Revelation 21:22-22:5

*David Mote Preaching

Booth Hall Carpet Campaign

Spring Piano Concert Jill Hickenlooper Piano Students Sunday, May 19

6:00 PM Reception Following

Pictured Above: Booth Hall with the New Carpet Squares installed!

Congratulations to Reverend Doctor Brandon Lewis

Pastor Brandon will be receiving his Doctor of Ministry degree at

Austin Prebyterian Theological Seminary in a commencement ceremony

for the Class of 2019 on Sunday, May 26th, 2019 at the

University Presbyterian Church In Austin, Texas.

Join us for some cake to celebrate this achievement on Sunday, May 12 during

the coffee hour following worship.

The Stewardship Committee, in the interest of fi-

nancial transparency, is once again asking people

to donate directly to a major improvement pro-

ject. The carpet in Booth Hall has stretched badly

and the only solution is to replace it. Glued down

carpet squares have been selected as the best so-

lution at a cost of approximately $50.00 per

square yard. Slightly more than 230 square yards

of carpet is required to complete the job.

Thanks to a generous gift matching contribution

we only need to raise half of the amount, or about

$5,750.00. If you would like to contribute to this

project please note carpet campaign on the memo

line of your check and place it in the offering plate

or drop your check by the office. We will be track-

ing our progress towards our goal on a color in the

carpet chart and sharing our progress at the begin-

ning of worship.

Tour of Thyme Garden and a Salmon Lunch

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Cost is $30.00 payable to UPC by May 21. Give checks or cash to Pat Lockerby. Meet at the church at 10:00 AM should be back by 3:30 PM. Contact Pat Lockerby with any questions: 541-926-3116 or patlock@q.com.

May IDEAS

(I Don’t Eat Alone on Sun-days)—Meet for fellowship at a

local restaurant following worship on Sundays. For all ages, singles, families—everyone!

May 5 Taco Feed at UPC May 12 Sizzler May 19 Izzy’s May 27 Sweet Waters

Keeping the Sabbath: Finding Rest and Renewal (and So Much More) in a Non-Stop Life

On January 26, 2018, the Van Ras family began a grand experiment: they wanted to fully explore what it would look like for modern day Christians to “remember the Sabbath and keep it holy,” fully committing to honoring and being obedient to God’s fourth commandment. Join Tami Van Ras on Thursday, May 16, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. in the Round Room to hear her family’s story of the jour-ney so far and to engage in an open dialogue of the bene-fits and obstacles of maintaining a weekly 24-hour period of focused resting, rejoicing, and celebration of God’s pres-ence in our lives. Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome!

Monday May 13th at 7 PM

United Presbyterian Church in Albany

Who is performing? A Bene Placito Chamber Winds (ABP for short) is a group of local professional musicians from Albany and Corvallis. The name means 'up to performer' and we created the ensemble to share interesting mu-sic that we love and collaborate with awesome musicians! For this concert, you'll hear flute, oboe, clari-net, bassoon, horn, piano, and cello. Performers are: Andy Nelson, Carrie French, Allison Fletcher, Cassie Fry, Eric Russell, Michael Devin, and Julia Kim.

How much does it cost? This is not a ticketed event, but we request a $5 donation at the door. We volunteer our time and talent, so we're fully funded by your donations.

Does the concert have a theme? When choosing music, we always make sure that it's fun to play and easy to listen to! All of the music in this concert was written in the past 110 years and every song has an interesting story behind it. You'll hear musical stories told across a wide range of classical genres.

What is chamber music? Chamber music is the classical term for small ensembles. Every piece has a different instrumentation (mix of players), as small as a trio (3) and as large as a septet (7)!

What pieces are you playing? - Roaring Fork by Eric Ewazen. This beautifully orchestrated quintet depicts three landscape scenes on the Colorado River. - Movements from Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saens, which is full of humor and lifelike melodies! - Settled in Clay by Mike Vass, arranged for wind quintet with piano and cello in a modern Scottish folk style. - Movements from Max Bruch's Eight Pieces, which he wrote for his son. - Kinderszenen by João Guilherme Ripper. This Brazilian trio reinvents children's songs with a vibrant twist.

(Listen to our previous concerts at https://soundcloud.com/carrie-french-669045747/albums!)

How long will the concert last? The concert starts at 7 PM and will finish around 8 PM with a short 'stretch break intermission' in the middle.

330 Fifth Avenue Southwest

Albany, Oregon 97321

www.upcalbany.org

Office Hours

Closed on Mondays

Tuesday—Friday

9am-Noon, 1:00-4:00 pm

Phone 541-926-5551

SPRING/SUMMER DATES AND DISCUSSION TOPICS

Meet at Deluxe Brewing in Albany at 6:30 on Monday Nights—Pastor Brandon facilitates the discussion.

May 6 (5:30 PM): How do sheep lead?

May 13: Does God have a gender?

June 3: How do we understand anger?

(Either @ Rogue Farms or Growler Garage Patio)

June 17: Does God have a sense of humor?

July 15: Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas?

July 29: What is empathy and do we misplace it?