Newsweekly for Sunday, March 17, 2019

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Worship this Sunday, March 17, 2019

Theme: Lent 2: Blessed Hunger, Holy Feast                  

Worship Leader: Jan Jenner                                                                     

Song Leader: Scott Barge

Prelude/Offertory: Kathryn Schmidt

Scripture Reader: Hadley Jenner

Children’s Time: Dayna Olson-Getty

Preacher: Jennifer Davis Sensenig

Pastoral Prayer: Lydia Haggard

Scripture: Psalm 27; Luke 13:31-35

Bulletin: 031719-Bulletin.docx

 

 

Upcoming CMC Events

Sun, Mar 17        Prayer Circles, 10:50-11:20 am, Prayer Alcove

Contemplative Worship Service, 8 pm, Sanctuary

Tues, Mar 19        Monthly Gathering, Taco Bar 6 pm, LIT 7 pm, Fellowship Hall and Sanctuary

Wed, Mar 20        Women’s Bible Study, 8:30 am, Room 109

Kids’ Club, 6 pm, Basement

Thur, Mar 21        Lent Contemplative Prayer, 8-8:30 am, Fellowship Hall

Fri, Mar 29          CMC Seniors host the MYF. Meal provided. 6 pm, Fellowship Hall

 

 

CMC Events and Announcements

You are welcome to join the Contemplative Worship Service weekly on Sunday at 8 pm at CMC. This service is an invitation to deepening our everyday connection to God, ourselves and the community through healing, action and contemplation for the sake of the world. The service will be a time for contemplative silence, embodied practice and a space that welcomes and affirms everyone. Please note children are welcome, however, there will be no childcare provided during the service. Contact Adam Yoder (yodera@yahoo.com) on behalf of the Contemplative Service Discernment Group for additional information.

March Monthly Gathering. The next CMC Monthly Gathering will be Tuesday, March 19, with taco bar supper at 6 pm, followed at 7 p.m. by LIT (Learning Interesting Things). The topic will be: Mountain Valley Pipeline: Frontline stories from our Learning Tour. Hear stories and see images of the MVP from CMC’s learning tour in November. Learn about the big picture of fracked gas pipelines in Virginia, with an overview provided by activist Joshua Vana, coordinator of RAPTORS of the Valley. Take home resources for further study and action. Sponsored by CMC's Green Congregation Committee. For more info, contact Brian Martin Burkholder (brian.burkholder@emu.edu; 540-746-6419) or Mary Jo Bowman (bowbro@juno.com; 540-383-7792).

Lent Contemplative Prayer opportunity. Join others in a time of contemplative prayer, Thursday morning from 8-8:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall of CMC (through April 18).  Consider this an opportunity to begin your day by listening and consenting to the Spirit of God within you in the company and presence of brothers and sisters. “We need contemplative practices that remind us who we are and of that which we are capable. Practices that enable us to live the revolutionary teachings of Jesus like: loving one’s neighbor without judgment or separation, giving one’s life for the benefit of others, healing the sick, helping the poor, and doing justice for all people. Contemplation is the space and presence-of-being that allows the illusions that wreak havoc on the world to be dismantled. Contemplative practice nurtures the growth and development of selfless, unconditional love. This mindset does not erase differences, but transcends them, inviting us to behold the Divine in all."  -Victoria Rosales

We will begin by listening to one of the Lenten scripture texts, followed by 15-20 minutes of silence. Instruction will be included for those who are new to Centering prayer. Please join us – entering by the ramp door on the North side of the building.   Jane Peifer (from Shalom) and Keaton Shenk and Kathy Hochstedler (from CMC) will share the leadership.

Prayer Circles. A new prayer opportunity is available starting Sunday, March 17. On the 3rd Sunday of each month Prayer Circles will be held in the prayer alcove for personal prayer or for the needs of others. From 10:50 to 11:20 am a Prayer Companion along with a Pastoral Team Member or Elder will hold a time of reflection and prayer. All are welcome!  –Prayer Companions

Pastor Jennifer Traveling. Pastor Jennifer will be out of town next week from Tuesday, March 29-Sunday, March 24. She will be back in the office on Monday, March 25.

Weekly Lenten Devotional Email List – CMC collaborates every year on a daily Lenten devotional reflection, written by folks at Community, Shalom, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill Mennonite congregations. If you would like to have your name added to the email list, sign up here, or pick up a printed copy at the back of the sanctuary. Daily postings are listed on CMC’s Facebook page.

Saturday Night Easter Vigil. Each year Community Mennonite Church collaborates with Park View Mennonite Church to sponsor an Easter Vigil–a rich service that begins at an outdoor fire, includes scriptures of our sacred history, offers an opportunity to renew our baptismal covenant and leads to a joyful transformation of the visual environment in celebration of resurrection.  If you would like to participate this year as a scripture reader or in some other way (vigil begins at 10pm on Sat, April 20) please contact Pastor Jennifer.  jennifer.davis.sensenig@cmcva.org

Traveling to Philadelphia? Micah Jost and Hannah Wittmer are happy to announce that they hope to be able to bring their son Arthur home from the NICU within the next month. They request your prayers for the transition. They also need help bringing things back to Harrisonburg, including their bikes and the frozen breast milk Hannah has accumulated over the last 4 months. If you know of anyone traveling from Philadelphia to Harrisonburg over the next few weeks, please contact Micah at micahpsjost@gmail.com.

Meals for Kids’ Club. Thank you so much to all of the small groups who have brought food to Kids’ Club so far! We are in need of more simple Wednesday meals for the winter/spring if it works for your small group or family. Generally we have 10-15 kids a week (sometimes more). Please email Hannah Hall, hannahdmhall@gmail.com if there’s a Wednesday that works for you!

 

The Spirit Quilt:  Africans in the Americas. Rev. Cyneatha Millsaps is our guest preacher on Sunday, March 24th.  After worship during the adult ed hour, she will display The Spirit Quilt:  Africans in the Americas and share its story.  The quilt was created by 13 women from 2 congregations, Hively Avenue Mennonite Church (Elkhart, IN) and Community Mennonite Church (Markham, IL) as part of a Central District Conference "Reign of God Grant."  The women worked together on every aspect of the quilt design, which tells the story of Africans brought to America, their lives in America and the hope for the future.

ATTENTION CMC Seniors and MYFers:  This is the year that the CMC seniors host our MYF for an evening of food, music, and fun.

TIME:  Friday, March 29, 2019 at 6:00 p.m.

PLACE: CMC Fellowship Hall

BRING:  An appetite (do not eat before you come) and an appetite for fun.

 

Reading the Bible Around the World (Adult Ed Class). As a North American Mennonite Church, we are accustomed to approaching Christian scripture in a certain way and reading it within a particular culture. However, Christians around the world in other cultural contexts frequently read and understand scripture differently from us. Here at CMC, there are many people who have lived and learned with people from other places and cultures. Each Sunday a different person will lead us – with some fear and trepidation – in looking at how Christians from a place and cultural context that they know read the Bible. So, come to this class, if you want to understand better how the Bible is read around the world.  –Mike Brislen

Faith and Finances (Adult Ed Class). This week, the Faith and Finances for All Ages and Stages class will hear from Teresa Boshart Yoder and Lana Miller about the “First Five Years of Marriage. “ Please feel free to join us in Room 109!

Reta Finger has an article in the March issue of The Mennonite: "Of Shirts and Tunics: A Lenten Reflection." (p. 10)  It compares the clothes Jesus wore before he was crucified with her father's wardrobe when he died.

Highland Retreat Registration. It’s time to register your child for camp at Highland Retreat! CMCers who attend Highland receive one $75 scholarship per child from CMC. When registering, use CMC’s code “CYM22” and the discount will be applied to your registration. Questions? Contact the office at 540-433-2148 or email cmc_office@cmcva.org.

Attention parents of EMS students and Mennonite college/university students:  It's time to fill out the application for EMS and/or Mennonite college/university students for church matching grants/financial aid for the 2019-2020 school year. As of the 2019-2020 school year, CMC will provide $2000 each year ($1000 per semester) to qualified students who attend a Mennonite Church college or university. In addition, CMC provides financial aid to EMS students who qualify. In order to be considered for these grants/financial aid, please fill out the applicable google form below no later than March 17, 2019.

Eastern Mennonite School financial aid form

Mennonite College/University grant form

If you have questions about qualifications, please visit CMC's website or send an email to Shannon Sneary Alabanza at swsneary@gmail.com. Thank you!

 

Supporting Graduate Students. Each year CMC disburses a small fund equally among our CMC grad students who are in seminary or advancing their education at an Anabaptist/Mennonite institution.  Often these funds are matched by the school and make higher education more affordable for our students.  You’re welcome to contribute to our graduate school fund:  Make checks payable to CMC (Anabaptist Institution Scholarship in the memo line).  –Pastoral Team

Is God calling you into mission or service? CMC encourages people of all ages to be ready to respond to God’s call into mission and service assignments—both short and long-term.  We set aside funds annually to support CMCers in this way.  If you are considering an assignment domestically or abroad, be in touch with the chair of Outreach Commission, currently Dennis Showalter, or Pastor Jason, who works with this commission.  They can talk with you about funding that may be available.  –Pastoral Team

LAUNCH-ING INTO LENT – A new photo collage up and running on the "CMC Today" bulletin board at the south end of the fellowship hall is featuring worship services and other activities from mid-February (theme: "Beauty in Brokenness") to the start of the Lenten series, "Blessed Hunger, Holy Feast."

To the right, you'll find a report on the local (in)famous Groundhog Day celebration from the 2/18/19 issue of Mennonite World Review, a Lenten reflection from the Daily News-Record and a 'congregational report' for Nov.-Dec., 2018 from the 1/21/19 MWR. Stop and savor!    –Jim Bishop

SPRING-ING TOWARD EASTER –  Turn back the hands of time and cast ye corporate gaze eastward to the "CMC Yesterday" bulletin board on the east wall of the fellowship hall. There you'll find photo collages fraught with Lenten images from March-April 2012 and from the March 2013 worship series, "Ashamed No More: God is Doing a New Thing in Our Midst." Check 'em out!  –Jim Bishop

Greening CMC : Speaking Out.  If you’re interested in strengthening the voice of Christians in domestic and international policy, including those addressing the integrity of creation, plan ahead now for Ecumenical Advocacy Days in Washington DC, April 5-8.

 

Announcements from Virginia Mennonite Conference, Harrisonburg area and beyond

Wondering what to expect at #MennoCon19? The Gathering Place will host a chat with convention planners on what’s new and answer your questions on Tuesday, March 26, 2 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. CDT. This will be especially helpful for youth leaders new to convention. Visit thegatheringplace.us to register.

Bridge of Hope Harrisonburg-Rockingham is currently looking for a Neighboring Volunteer group of 6-10 committed people that would like to walk alongside and encourage a family in our program.  Bridge of Hope works with single-parent families (children under 18) facing homelessness in our community.  The program lasts 12-24 months.  Initial training, ongoing relational support, and planned monthly gatherings will be provided.   If you have questions, you can ask any of CMC’s former neighboring group which included Sue Swartz, Rebecca Barge, Andrea Wenger, and Shirley Showalter. Please contact Chris Hoover Seidel, Director, at director@hr.bridgeofhopeinc.org or cell: 717-602-0871 if you are interested.

Mennonite Disaster Service is beginning to schedule their spring and summer projects! If you are considering becoming an MDS volunteer visit mds.mennonite.net/volunteer/current-needs to see a list of project locations.

Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) is seeking a full-time Development Coordinator to serve as a member of their Peacemaker Corps in expanding their financial capacity and building fiscal sustainability. Click here for more information.

Would you like to open your home and your heart to a Mennonite Central Committee international volunteer?  Please consider hosting an EMU foreign language assistant for the 2019-20 academic year.  The department of language and literature is seeking Harrisonburg hosts to provide native speakers of Spanish with private bedrooms, packed lunches for weekdays, other meals at home, transportation to and from campus during the week and church on Sundays, and emotional support as they serve the EMU community. Compensation for host families includes a monthly stipend and rich international friendships. (You can read about the program at http://www.mcc.org/ivep/.)  To explore the possibility of hosting, please contact Vi Dutcher at vi.dutcher@emu.edu.

Join Highland Retreat for a Benefit Auction on Saturday morning, March 16 at Lindale Mennonite Church. The auction helps subsidize camp tuition for all camper families and provides scholarships for families with greater need. Doors open at 8am and the live auction will begin at 9:30am. There will be a summer camp Q&A table, plus special activities for children during the morning. Stop by for a tasty meal and baked goods, or stay for the whole auction – we'd love to see you there! See www.highlandretreat.org for more details and a link to the online auction (March 8-15), where you can pre-bid on live items or bid to win online-only items.

Not Made for This. An original play by Brianna Madden-Olivares about the true and riveting journey of Jourden Banks, a slave born in Rockingham County in 1833 on a plantation now part of Merck property, sold away from family to Alabama, and escaped to England. Attendance is free! Performance at Court Square Theater on Saturday, March 16 at 7 pm and the Lucy Simms Center on Sunday, March 17 at 4 pm.  –Art Stoltzfus.

The Shenandoah Valley Youth Symphony will present their Spring Concert on Sunday, March 17, at 4:00 pm in EMU’s Lehman Auditorium. The program will feature violin soloist Ada Zhang, a senior at EMHS, performing “Carmen Fantasy.” Please join us for this very special concert.

Disability Awareness Rally:  Come and join us as we celebrate individuals with developmental disabilities who live in our community. We will meet on the east lawn of the Rockingham County Court House by 5:15pm on Tuesday, March 19 (rain/snow date March 26). Our opening speaker will be Nancy Hopkins-Garriss, Pleasant View Inc. Executive Director, followed by a member of the Harrisonburg Aktion Club. There will be an open microphone for short statements from other attendees in support and recognition of individuals with disabilities and their importance to our community.  Any change in date will be posted to our website event page or Facebook event.

Cafe Veritas will host Craig Bartholomew (Director of the Kirby Laing Institute for Christian Ethics at Tyndale House in Cambridge, England) to speak on “Signposts from a Divided World: Where is God in Contemporary Culture?” on Tuesday, March 19, 7pm at Court Square Theater (41 Court Square, Harrisonburg, VA 22801). Not all is well in our culture. We are living through a time of change and of crisis in Western civilization. Craig’s lecture will identify the nature of our Secular Age and the rich Christian resources available to us for healing our present condition and moving beyond it toward a world that promotes the flourishing of all in the light of Jesus Christ.

The Valley Anti-War Coalition is calling for a demonstration in front of and visit to the Congressional Office of Representative Ben Kline in Harrisonburg (70 N. Mason Street), this coming Wednesday, March 20, beginning at 4:30 PM. The Valley Anti-War Coalition is demanding an immediate end to US efforts at engineering regime change in Venezuela: NO War! No Coup! No Sanctions! We are asking that the United States support negotiations along the lines offered by Mexico, Uruguay and Pope Francis and renounce all efforts at imposing an external regime change “solution” on Venezuela. As a first step in this direction, we are demanding that Congress pass House Bill 10004 which would require President Trump to get Congressional authorization for any military intervention in Venezuela. We are also asking Congress to challenge the unfounded executive declarations of a national security emergency that falsely allege that Venezuela is a threat to US national security and are the basis for the brutal and illegal (under international law) economic sanctions that are directly harming the Venezuelan people. For more information contact Michael Snell-Feikema at michaelfeikema@gmail.com or 540-830-1431.

Screen Schooled: Two Veteran Teachers Expose How Technology Overuse Is Making Our Kids Dumber. Joe Clement and Matt Miles, educators and authors of a book by the same title, present at Eastern Mennonite School, March 20, 7:30 p.m. In the school auditorium. Area educators, parents, pastors, and those interested in childhood development are especially invited to this free presentation and Q&A on the impact of technology on children's' brain development. Presented in partnership with James Madison University and WVPT and with sponsorship support from EMU, Park View Federal Credit Union, Everence, Shirley's Popcorn and Brian Mayes Studio. See full article for more details.

Come "Meet and Greet" your healthcare colleagues and students! Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship (MHF) is sponsoring this informal event, Friday, March 22, 2019, 4:30-6:00 pm at the Eastern Mennonite University Suter Science Center, Room 104. Persons in medicine, nursing, therapeutic, mental health, chaplaincy, and other healthcare disciplines are encouraged to come. Students in related fields: Come and meet active professionals and discover the networks to help you in your emerging career! Refreshments will be served and a drawing will be held for books relating to healthcare and faith. For more information, contact MHF at 1-888-406-3643 or info@mennohealth.org or local host Kristopher Schmidt at  kristopher.schmidt@emu.edu.

EMU Music Faculty Artist Series Concert: EMU piano professor David Berry will be joined by award-winning cellist and Berklee School of Music/Boston Conservatory professor Patrice Jackson-Tilghman for an exciting concert of solo and chamber masterworks at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 23, in the EMS Martin Chapel.  Musical works will include pieces by Chopin, Mendelssohn, Debussy, Martinu, and arrangements by Berry and Jackson-Tilghman.  Admission is free, with donations welcome for EMU's music scholarship fund.  For more information, visit emu.edu/music.

Middle and high school students are invited to shadow a current student at Eastern Mennonite School on Monday, March 25 beginning at 8 am. Parents can participate in an informational session, tour the facilities and more. Download a registration form at www.emhs.net/admissions/visit.cfm. Call 540-236-6021 with questions.

Parents of students who are in pre-school through 4th grade are invited to drop in at Eastern Mennonite Elementary School on Thursday, March 28 between 8:30 and 10 a.m. for coffee, conversation and observation to learn about Eastern Mennonite Elementary School. Talk with Maria Archer, principal; Marsha Thomas, admissions counselor; teachers, other parents and school counselors. Observe classrooms. More details at www.easternmennonite.org. RSVP to Marsha Thomas at 540-236-6021 or email thomasm@emhs.org

The Collins Center is offering a retreat for adult female survivors of sexual abuse on Saturday, March 30 from 9 am-2 pm.  This retreat provides an opportunity for attendees to build community and reflect on their journeys of healing.  If you would like more information, please feel free to reach out to Margaret at the Collins Center, margaret@thecollinscenter.org. Because CMC participates in the Safe Church program, there is no registration cost for CMCers who attend.

NewBridges Immigrant Resource Center invites you to attend the 13th annual Taste of the World, on Saturday, March 30th at First Presbyterian Church on Court Square! The evening will highlight the unique food, music and décor from this year’s theme country, Guatemala, as well as offerings from many other cultures. Single tickets are $65; a table of 8 is $480. Please RSVP by March 20th by purchasing tickets online at  https://squareup.com/store/newbridgesIRC or sending a check made out to NewBridges Immigrant Resource Center to our office address: 64 W. Water Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22801. We hope to see you there!

Make Medicare an easy step. Gain confidence about moving to Medicare with guidance from Everence®, a faith-based organization that partners with our church. Attend this workshop on April 4, 2019, at 6 p.m. at The Gathering Place, 841 Mount Clinton Pike, Harrisonburg. Learn about your key steps to get Medicare, how to move from current coverage and enrollment details and deadlines. Reserve spots for you, friends and family members at (540) 437-7422 or harrisonburg@everence.com.

The Shenandoah Valley Choral Society, under the direction of Curtis Nolley, will present its 49th annual spring concert titled "Spiritual Songs" on Friday, April 12th at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 14th at 3:00 p.m. at Bridgewater Church of the Brethren. The concert will feature Antonin Dvorak's Mass in D in the first half, followed by contemporary and traditional arrangements of African American Spirituals.  CMC members in the SVCS are Dave and Sue Cockley and Dorothy Jean Weaver.  Tickets are available at the door, Red Front Supermarket(Harrisonburg), Bridgewater Foods (Bridgewater), and on-line at www.singshenandoah.org. Admission is $15 for adults/$12 for seniors and students.

The Shenandoah Valley Scholars Latino Initiative (SLI) is a Harrisonburg-based nonprofit organization that creates college opportunities for first-generation Latino high school students through rigorous academic challenge, leadership development, supportive mentorships and scholarship awards. SLI has served more than 80 scholars since 2012 at Harrisonburg High School and John Handley High School in Winchester, awarding $116,000 in SLI college scholarship awards and $24,000 in SLI computer awards. It has also paid more than $9,000 in tuition support for students to enroll in college dual enrollment courses while in high school. For more information, please visit www.svsli.org or contact Christopher Clymer Kurtz (director of development) at christopher@svsli.org or 434-299-2549.

Eastern Mennonite School welcomes applications for a new Leadership Scholarship for students grades 9-12. Recipients will receive up to 50% off of the regular high school tuition rate. Applicants must be new students who have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and who wish to develop their leadership skills through contributions to the school. An interview and essay are required. Contact Marsha Thomas at 540-236-6021 or go to emhs.net/admissions/leadership-scholarship.cfm

Eastern Mennonite School is seeking candidates for fifth grade teacher, kindergarten assistant, peacebuilding curriculum teacher, Dining Hall team manager and Athletics Director. Go to easternmennonite.org/about/employment.cfm for details.

Eastern Mennonite University is seeking applicants for two Residence Director positions. Residence Directors are responsible for: participation in and contribution to the work of the professional staff; supervision of community advisors; programming to meet students’ needs; conduct and conflict awareness, intervention, and referral; crisis intervention; and general administration of the residence hall. Familiarity with restorative justice practices and processes is preferred. Works with other residence life professional staff as well as the Assistant Director of Housing and Residence Life and the Director of Residence Life, Student Accountability and Restorative Justice in a team approach to residence life. Bachelor’s degree required, master’s in progress preferred. 9.5 month (August 1- May 15), live-in position. Selected candidate will be a person of high integrity who is committed to and supportive of the mission and policies of Eastern Mennonite University. Submit application, résumé and three references to: hr@emu.edu. For more information visit our website at www.emu.edu/humanresources. EMU is an equal opportunity employer, committed to enhancing diversity across the institution. EMU conducts criminal background investigations as part of the hiring process.

Park View Mennonite Church Office Manager. Part-time, estimated 30 hours per week, paid vacation and sick leave, hourly wage commensurate with experience. Strong administrative, computer, and communication skills are required. Full qualification and duties are outlined in detail on the job description. See www.pvmchurch.org/job-opening.html. Applications due March 22. To apply, please email a letter of interest and a current resume to Pastor Phil Kniss at job-opening@pvmchurch.org or mail hard copy to 1600 College Ave, Harrisonburg, VA 22802. If you know of someone else who seems to be a potential fit for this important role, please refer them to the website above.

VMMissions has one or two office spaces for rent. One is 213 sq. ft. and the other is 133 sq. ft. If you are interested, please contact Dianna Lehman at dianna.lehman@vmmissions.org.

Join Eastern Mennonite School Discovery this summer! Students currently in 10th, 11th or 12th grade who are interested in a month-long, cross-country group learning experience about land and water resources are invited to apply to join the 2019 Eastern Mennonite High School Discovery trip June 4 to 29. Led by Lee Good, science teacher, and other faculty and staff, participants will travel by bus coach, sleep in tents, eat, laugh, learn, play and pray together. Contact goodl@easternmennonite.org for more info or to apply. Details at emhs.net/about/applicants-for-discovery/

 

Community Mennonite Church
70 South High Street Harrisonburg, VA
office@cmcva.org
540-433-2148