Plymouth Congregational Church

UNITED    CHURCH    OF   CHRIST

232 E. Onondaga Street, Syracuse NY | 13202 | 315 474 4836

                                                 pcc-office@cnymail.com

 Welcoming All, Growing in Faith, Working for Justice and Peace

Sunday during Community Time, we will have a Mother’s Day Brunch in Memorial Hall in honor of all mothers and those who are our “mothering” friends.

It’s called “Arise, then!” and runs from 11:15 a.m. to noon.
Arise and join us in celebrating women of this day. Mothers of tender hearts.

Organizers are requesting some assistance from a few good men – and women – for the following:

1.  Bring fresh-cut fruit.

2.  Bring breakfast breads – muffins, doughnuts, croissants, etc.

3.  Help to set up.

4.  Help to serve.

5.  Help to clean up.

This should be an inspiring way to celebrate those who mother in our midst.

Call 422-4689 with your offer to assist or contact Nancy Gwin at ngwin@twcny.rr.com.

Sunday’s music:

This week, as we celebrate Mother’s Day, the choir concludes its Easter Alleluia series with a canonic Alleluia by William Boyce (1711-1779) and the organ plays French organ music by Guilmant and Boellman in honor of the 850th anniversary of Notre Dame Cathedral, celebrated this past week.

Focus Scripture 2 Samuel 21:1-14

Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. The Lord said, ‘There is blood-guilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.’ So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had tried to wipe them out in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.) David said to the Gibeonites, ‘What shall I do for you? How shall I make expiation, that you may bless the heritage of the Lord?’ The Gibeonites said to him, ‘It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put anyone to death in Israel.’ He said, ‘What do you say that I should do for you?’ They said to the king, ‘The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel— let seven of his sons be handed over to us, and we will impale them before the Lord at Gibeon on the mountain of the Lord.’ The king said, ‘I will hand them over.’

But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan son of Saul. The king took the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab, daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite; he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they impaled them on the mountain before the Lord. The seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it on a rock for herself, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell on them from the heavens; she did not allow the birds of the air to come on the bodies by day, or the wild animals by night. When David was told what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the people of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hung them up, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. He brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who had been impaled. They buried the bones of Saul and of his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of his father Kish; they did all that the king commanded. After that, God heeded supplications for the land.

Next Sunday is Pentecost, our celebration of the Holy Spirit’s action in birthing the Church. In honor of this most important festival, we invite you to wear red to church.

Join us on Saturday morning for some cleanup work throughout the building. Start time is set for 9 a.m. and many hands will help make the tasks easier. 

The Cathedral Square Neighborhood Association will sponsor an Organ Crawl on Saturday, May 11. This affords a behind-the-scenes look at some of downtown’s most notable organs during a historic walking tour and series of recitals. The event begins at One o’clock at  Park Central Presbyterian Church and includes stops at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral and concludes at Plymouth, where there will be a reception after the organ recital. For reservations, call Karen Cooney at 428-1864, ext. 312. The cost is $10 per person.

Throughout the month of May, we will be receiving the Strengthen the Church special offering of the United Church of Christ. This offering funds new congregations and renews existing ones, supports programs for youth and young adults, nurtures leaders, and it aids the God is Still Speaking Ministry. Together we can grow the future of the United Church of Christ and spread the message of the Stillspeaking God.

Join us next Sunday after worship at Plymouth’s annual Heifer Festival for great food, fun games, beautiful plants, delicious baked goods, and a silent auction – all for a great cause.  Celebrate the exciting culture of Guatemala, while raising funds to send bees to local farmers. Invite all your friends and mark your calendar to have a buzz-z-z-zing good time. The pole for change will be found regularly at community time. So bring a few quarters to donate to Heifer.

Calling all Heifer Festival bakers and silent auction contributors. Have an item or talent you can contribute for the silent auction? Call Patty Tooley. Do you enjoy baking? Call Judy Spencer if you can bring something for the bake table.

Plymouth Youth are hosting a Mission Trip fundraiser at Moe’s Southwest Grill in the Marshall’s Plaza, Erie Boulevard, DeWitt, on Wednesday, May 22, for lunch or dinner, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fifteen percent of pre-tax sales will be donated to the youth group, if you bring in or show on your phone or computer, the fundraising coupon soon to be distributed to the Plymouth community, friends and family.  Plan to eat some great southwest food and help the youth raise money for their July mission trip.

Through the 50 days of Eastertide, UCC congregations and its schools, outdoor ministries and agencies will join together in a shared mission campaign, “Mission 4/1 Earth: 50 Great Days.” The collective commitment is to perform a million hours of earth-care work, generate 100,000 advocacy letters on behalf of creation and plant 100,000 trees. Let’s do our part at Plymouth by setting our own goal to have each family contribute at least 25 hours in the 50 days.

Did you know that Plymouth Church has a YouTube channel? It does, and you can find recordings of several months worth of sermons given at Plymouth on it, along with some of the choir’s anthems. Our YouTube channel is just one more way that Plymouth is reaching out to folks who missed a Sunday or who want to listen again to a sermon or anthem, and letting the wider community and world know about us. You can search YouTube for Plymouth Church Syracuse or use this link: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu4UIrL4OR_uGDy8EkopF_A.

You can also listen to any sermon since November 28 on Plymouth’s website at http://plymouthuccsyracuse.org/sermons-from-plymouth/. Share this information with a friend.

The Care Team is initiating a project to gather and store food at the church that can be taken to people as needs arise. The Plymouth Women have already contributed some soups and casseroles. The food (dated and labeled) will be stored in the freezer. When there is an illness or other emergency, we will be ready to provide a meal. If you wish to contribute to this effort, please contact Ellen Heinrichs. If you become aware of a need and/or would deliver a meal, please contact Quinn or any member of the Care Team.

If you are on Facebook and you haven’t “liked” the church yet, please do!  http://www.facebook.com/#1/groups/109573419061867

The popularity of online shopping is growing every day. Now, if you do your online shopping at GoodShop.com, the website will pay to Plymouth Church a generous percentage of each purchase you make. All the money we raise will be used for Plymouth when you shop online at over 700 great stores, including Amazon, Target and Macy’s.

The next time you’re ready to do some online shopping, go to www.goodshop.com, enter Plymouth Congregational UCC in the box labeled “Who do you GoodShop for”. Then go to the drop-down menu of stores on the left of the screen, click on the one you want and you’ll be taken promptly to their home page where you can “shop ‘til you drop”! A portion of your purchase price will be directed to Plymouth. You’ll be amazed how many stores there are and how easy it is to use GoodShop.com.

The Rev. Quinn Caldwell is available to respond to emergencies, to visit those with special needs, or for conversation and prayer about whatever’s on your mind or heart.  You can reach him at 315-474-4836 or pcc-qcaldwell@cnymail.com. In an emergency, you can reach him at 617-851-0158.

The Food Pantry requests your participation in its “toiletries of the month” collection.  Contributions of soap are being gathered during May. Financial contributions are welcomed, and the Food Pantry is always happy to receive personal products. If you stay at a hotel and don’t use the shampoo, soap, lotion or other complimentary products, please save them.

Tue. May 14    Board of Deacons, 5:30 p.m., Parlor

                             All Boards Meetings, 6:30 p.m., Parlor and Upstairs Room

Wed. May 15   Living the Questions, 12:30 p.m., home of Mernie Swift

                             Handbell Choir Rehearsal, 5:30 p.m., Sanctuary

Thur. May 16  Food Pantry, 10 a.m. to noon, Parlor

                             Choir Rehearsal, 7 p.m., Memorial Hall

Sun. May 19 – Pentecost Sunday

                             Worship, 10 a.m. — wear red

                             Learning Community Classes, 10:30 a.m.

                             Heifer Festival, after worship

The people of Isaiah’s Table would like to thank UCCNY Women, and especially the women of Plymouth, for the generous contribution of $600 from the “Pennies for People” program. We welcome you to come for breakfast and informal worship any Saturday morning at 9:30. Call Jerry or Carola Shave at 457-1496, so we can expect you or just show up.

What are those rainbow scarves up front? In preparation for this summer’s General Synod  (the biennial gathering of representatives of the whole United Church of Christ) knitters across the UCC are participating in The Scarf Project to raise awareness around bullying of LGBT youth. Some 3,000 rainbow scarves will be sent to Synod delegates to pass out to anyone willing to sign a pledge to work against bullying and violence directed at LGBT youth. By the time they’re done, the organizers hope the Synod will be a sea of rainbow-hued commitment. To participate, get in touch with Peggy Kinner.

More than 600 faith leaders gathered at Old South Church in Boston.

What a UCC church in Tucson, Ariz., is doing. http://www.ucc.org/news/immigration-reform-Arizona-050213.html?utm_source=kyp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=kyp050713

Fifty years later, in Birmingham, Ala. http://www.religionnews.com/2013/05/01/50-years-later-recalling-the-young-foot-soldiers-of-the-civil-rights-struggle/

Report released on “The World’s Muslims.” http://www.religionnews.com/2013/04/30/poll-u-s-muslims-more-moderate-than-muslims-worldwide/

How to take care of your spirit the six days of each week you don’t go to worship? The UCC has just launched a new area of its web site designed to support people in their individual spiritual journeys: Feed Your Spirit. Daily prayers, a biblical personality test, advice column from God-lovers, and a magic 8-ball await. Check it out at www.ucc.org/feed-your-spirit.

The Stillspeaking Daily Devotional is written by UCC pastors and leaders, including Plymouth’s own Quinn Caldwell. Subscribers are sent a daily email containing a Scripture passage, short reflection, and a prayer. Sign up at http://www.ucc.org/feed-your-spirit/daily-devotional/.

      In the week ahead, you are invited to pray for ….

The Nelson family – Dorothea, David, Sara, John, and Tim – on the death of Doug. His service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Plymouth. Read his obituary here: http://obits.syracuse.com/obituaries/syracuse/obituary.aspx?n=douglas-a-nelson&pid=164537167#fbLoggedOut. Cards may be sent to Dorothea at 6125 Royal Birkdale, Jamesville, NY 13078 …

The Hungerford-Ryniker family – Mike, Margaret, Bess, Peter, Eleanor and Abby – on the death of Mike’s mother, Shirley Hungerford. Read her obituary here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/uticaod/obituary.aspx?n=shirley-e-hungerford&pid=164576693&fhid=22252#fbLoggedOut. Cards may be sent to Mike at 305 Cherry Road, Syracuse, NY 13219, or to Abby at 112 Wycliffe Road, Syracuse, NY 13209 …

Michelle Diegoli …

Pat Partridge and her husband Kent as he cares for her at home …

Kelly Tooley, serving with the Peace Corps in Swaziland, Africa.  Go to Kelly’s blog to see more. www.ktooley.blogspot.com …