Ken Mapes 7/01/--John Dabback 7/01/--Sophie White 7/04/09Sara Petlock 7/04/--Taylor Nonnemacher 7/06/10Jon Hugo 7/06/--Lorna Snyder 7/07/--Lauren Porter 7/09/01Meghan Kershner 7/11/--Gary Barnes, Jr 7/12/--Marsha Eaton 7/12/--Katelyn Trowbridge 7/13/10Karen Bond 7/13/--Gary Barnes, Jr 7/14/--Kara Cole 7/14/--Theresa Hercenberg 7/17/--Wesley Kerschner 7/21/13Peyton Taylor 7/22/08Kira Carr 7/23/04Zachary Clement 7/25/Kay Guttin-Way 7/26/--

Wyalusing Presbyterian Church179 Church StreetPO Box 25Wyalusing PA 18853return service requested

Cody Russell 7/27/05Rob Burke 7/28/--Kathie Doss 7/30/--J Bradford Homer 7/30/--Kirstyn Ballard 7/31/--

Betty & Dick Neiley 7/26/52Caryl & Bill Snyder 7/06/53ReeAnn & Ronald Ross 7/21/73Kathy & Ron Trowbridge 7/19/75Christie & Kenneth Arey II 7/21/01Susan & Joshua Kilmer 7/03/05Tanya & Milo Carr 7/16/05Shannon & Matt Lord 7/07/06Curtis & Keri Pickett 7/29/06Ben &Meghan Kershner 7/05/08Dan & Adair Cook 7/04/09

Prayers of Thanks:With each breath, I inhale your love, Divine Spirit, and with each exhalation, I whisper my gratitude.

All the earth worships you, God — fields of wheat, summer rains, birds and woodland creatures, lakes and streams, sun and warm breezes. May we, too, praise you!

Love’s Freedom —D.R. Davies Love is the power to grant freedom without desiring to limit or inhibit its exercise. It is the power to give freedom without any will to take it back. And it is only Omnip-otence that can refrain absolutely from trespassing upon freedom. Only God can give and not take back ... [God] suffers within himself the entire consequence of allowing man absolute freedom. That is his love ....

Thus, the existence of evil and suffering in the world is a proof, not that God is either good but powerless, or all powerful but not good. On the contrary, it is a proof that God is both loving and omnipotent. Only absolute love could grant unhindered freedom, and only omnipotence can endure the operation of that freedom.

JULY 2016 the

The FRONT PORCH is the monthly newsletter of Wyalusing Presbyterian Church. WPC is located at 179 Church Street in the heart of Wyalusing Pennsylvania. The vision of Wyalusing Presbyterian Church is to nurture faith in Jesus Christ, and through that faith, reach out to all people in Christian love. Phone: 570-746-3333 E-mail: wpchurch@epix.net web site: www.wyalusingpc.org

MAY 2014

A GOOD PLACEThis country will not be a good place for any of us to live in

unless we make it a good place for all of

us to live in.

DESTINATION DEVOTIONSPlanning a summer trip? Take along a Scripture passage befitting your vacation to use for devotions and prayer time

• In the mountains: “The mountains and hills will burst into song before you” (Isaiah 55:12).

• At a lake, perhaps on a fishing trip: “They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people’” (Matthew 4:18-19).

• Near an ocean or river: “Let the sea resound ... let the rivers clap their hands” (Psalm 98:7-8).

• In the desert: “They looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud” (Exodus 16:10).

JULY 2016

Thank you, God, for the freedom

to worship you in safety. Protect

people persecuted for

their faith. Amen.

+ Christian symbol +

• In the woods: “Blessed is the one ... whose delight is in the law of the LORD .... That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season” (Psalm 1:1-3).

• In the flatlands: “‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me .... I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest’” (John 4:34-35).

While you may to traveling and enjoying the summer sights and glorious weather, please remember:

• On a “staycation” close to home: “Love the LORD your God .... These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ... Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road .... Write them on he doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:5-9).

Summer Worship Services

begin at 10 a.m.

SESSION will meet July 25 at 7 p.m.

TRUSTEES will meet July 12 at 4:30 p.m.

DEACONS will meet July 17 after worship

SUMMER CAMPS 2016!

Eagle - Eagles came to symbolize the Resurrection thanks to ancient legends that they renewed their youth, plumage or eyesight by flying near the sun, then diving into water. The eagle’s upward movement made it a symbol of Jesus’ ascension. John the Evangelist is represented by an eagle, for his “soaring” description of Christ’s divinity. God’s care is likened to an eagle in Bible verses such as Exodus 19:4: “I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself” (ESV).

THE CHURCH IS NOT

ON VACATION!

Actual complaints received by a vacation cruise ship company from dissatisfied passengers:• “When we were in Spain, there were too many Spanish people there. The receptionist spoke Spanish, the food was Spanish. No one told us that there would be somany foreigners.”• “We had to line up outside to catch the boat, and there was no air-conditioning.”• “I was bitten by a mosquito. Your brochure did not mention mosquitoes.”• “My fiancee and I requested twin beds when we booked, but instead we were placed in a room with aking-size bed. We now hold you responsible and want to be reimbursed for the fact that I became pregnant. This would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked.”• “We found the sand was not like the sand in your brochure. Your brochure shows the sand as white,but it was more yellow.”• “It’s lazy of the shopkeepers in Puerto Vallarta to close in the afternoons. I often needed to buy things during siesta time. This should be banned.”• “They should not allow topless sunbathing on the beach. It was very distracting for my husband, who just wanted to relax.”

Our campers are already off and running (swimming, rowing, crafting, playing, praying, you-name-it, they’ll be having a great time doing it!)

The first camps: YOU & ME, EXPLORER, and NIGHT OWL started June 26 and closed July 1

July 3– 8 WET ‘N’ WILD, JUNIOR. NIGHT OWL and SENIORR NIGHT OWL

July 10-15 MAD AND JR. SPORTS

July 17-22 DISCOVERY, SPORTS ADVENTURE and WET ’N’ WILD

July 24-29 MAD and SR. SPORTS

…from the DEACONS BENCH Katy Stoddard, Jay Ross, Mary Eberlin,

Sylvia Ballard, Scott Eberlin, Linda Moon, Colleen Brown, Sue Fenton, Marleah Stevens.

The Deacons met after worship service on June, 19th.

Today before church, Deacons met in the kitchen and prepared a tray of gift bags of cookies to be given to the fathers attending church, to honor them on Father’s Day. The leftover cookies were given to the committee helping with Hezekiah’s Hands this coming week.

Sundae Sunday* is to be held on July 10th following worship. We made plans for this event.

Cards were sent out to Kerry Detrick, Jeanette Chamberlin, Bernard Moon, Jeff and Sheena Hindman and to the Kelly Travis Family, and the Toni McCarty Family. We encourage our congregation to send cards to these church members who need our thoughts and prayers.

REMINDER: Deacons in charge of July Greeters/Ushers are

Scott & Mary Eberlin

Our next Deacon’s meeting will be held on Sunday, July 17th following worship service.

“Always be a little kinder than necessary.” —J.M. Barrie

*

Plan to stay after Worship for Good Company & Great Ice Cream! MISSION GIVING!

Mission Team: Elders Pam Quentin & Deb Minturn

Throughout the year WPC supports local charities, Rev. Cameron Smith, the Howard family and the Wyalusing Youth Group.

The first Sunday of each month we leave the HUNGER BASKET at the Greeters table in the front hall – all donations in the basket go to TACO – Towanda Area Christian Outreach – which helps needy people in Bradford County including many in our school district.

Thank you to Nancy and David Jones for doing the shopping and delivering the dinner for Hezekiah's Hands workers on Wed., June 22, 2016. Debbie Minturn was on hand to host the dinner at the Towanda Presbyterian Church.

Thank you to all who are helping with the Summer Backpack Distribution Program here at WPC on Thursday afternoons from 2 -4 pm.

July shopping cart for Helping Hands Food Pantry will be Personal care items: soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, deodorant, etc.

Lord Jesus, help me not worry about earthly treasures for myself but be “rich toward God”

(Luke 12:21).

Here is a new book you might like to add to our church library: BOOKMARK— ROY W. HOWARD Outlook book editor

The Woman, the Hour and the Garden: A Study of Imagery in the Gospel of John by Addison Hodges Hart Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Mich. 96 pagesIf you love language and the creative uses of it, you will enjoy this book. If you love theology, particularly from the Eastern tradition and the desert fathers, this book is for you. If you are bored by standard readings of John’s Gospel or uninterested in literalism of the left or right, you will find much to feast upon in this brief study.

The author contends that the writer of the Gospel is using coded language to invite believers into a living relationship with God. Perhaps this argument is not new, yet by focusing our attention of The Woman, with related images such as The Garden and The Hour, we are given a window of experiential understanding of the deep theology of this Gospel. At least this is what the author, a former pastor and college chaplain, intends.

“John’s Gospel, in its final shape, is a poetic work with a carefully chosen vocabulary that holds the key to its deepest meaning. Understand the language … and the ‘doors of perception’ will be cleansed.” This brief book is an encouragement to discover the Gospel truly as life-giving rather than as arcane doctrine. “It is an invitation to ‘come and see’ and experience for oneself a transformative way of living in relation to God, and within a community of spiritual participation.” I can’t think of a better reason to read this book and hear the Gospel. This is a joy to read.

YOUTH GROUP

TRIP TO

SCOTLAND!Our Scotland Link is still alive, and thriving. On June 28, the Wyalusing Youth Group traveled to Hawick, Scotland to connect with our friends in our Scotland Church Link. Seven young people and three adults made the trip. Wes Ballard, Greg Boatman, Emily Lewis, Rachel Jensen, Cari McCarty, Tianna Miller, and Mackenzie Tewksbury will be chaperoned by Barry & Karen Ballard and Toni McCarty*. Members of the Link Group in Hawick will host different pairings of our students and adults.

All of the travelers wish to thank the church members and friends who contributed time, talents, and funds to support the group. Please pray for us on the trip.

PRESBYTERIANS IN ACTIONA recent study shows there are some Christians in 23 countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The total is estimated at 18,960,000. The largest percentage in any country is in Lebanon. Presbyterian Ben Weir continues to raise funds for the seminary there.

IN THIS CORNERA Presbyterian Sunday school teacher in California reported on a discussion of the 10 Commandments. The teacher discussed the commandment of “Thou shalt honor thy father and mother.” One little girl asked, “Is there a rule on how to treat your brothers and sisters?” “Yes,” said a lad in the back, “Thou shalt not kill.”

— Marj Carpenter

Oops! An apology to Jean & Lew Reinhart for missing their

D donation of geraniums for the Memorial Day display. So sorry,

as a veteran, Lew, I’m sure this date has very special significance for you.

*see Toni’s UPDATES to keep up to date!

*Toni’s UPDATESElder Toni MCCarty is our Communications Team leader! Just look and see how Toni has everything covered while she is away : “Just wanted to let you know what is going on with communications while I am in Scotland.

1)      Amy Jensen will be covering for me while I am in Scotland for most communications matters. She will be sending the Weekly Love, updating website and calendar for any urgent matters. I will be forwarding the wcpnews@ptd.net e-mail to Amy so that can be monitored by Amy.

2)      For Building use requests, please refer any calls to John and Lynn Petlock.

3)      Any prayer requests can be requested via the website or by calling Lynn Petlock.

4)      The BLOG: Tab is on the home page, top right corner, next to calendar. Sign up for e-mail notifications of blog postings by going to the website home page,

click on the ‘Join a Mailing List’ module, and enter your information, select Youth Group, then click ‘Join List’.”

The BLOG --- What a great way for you to keep track of our kids while they’re in Scotland !

LOOK AHEAD! PLAN AHEAD!! THEY’RE COMING!!! OUR FRIENDS FROM SCOTLAND!!!!

ROB & EVELYN Will be here August 30 – September 13 check with Pat Brown for more information

. … to Sylvia Ballard for organizing the reception for our 2016 WVHS graduates and their families following the Baccalaureate Service on June 1… and to everyone who provided cookies!

… to the Sunday School staff and students for a wonderful Celebration Sunday! .. and everyone who helped with the Annual Church Picnic . Even though we had to move it inside to avoid the wet weather, everyone had a really good time! .. we owe special thanks to Scott Snyder for manning the grills in the rain!

… to all the volunteers who contributed their time and their talents to WPC’s work week for HEZEKIAH’S HANDS (June 20-24, 2016) … and to our Mission Team, led by Pam Quentin & Deb Minturn, the cooks

Zoom out On a computer screen, images can be magnified to show tiny details and make text easier to read. In the process, however, the “big picture” is lost. After checking various aspects of a project closely, it’s a good idea to “zoom out” again to be sure everything still looks as it should.

Likewise, it’s easy to fixate on the tiny details of our lives (especially flaws in ourselves and others). We tend to enlarge our problems far beyond their actual size and totally miss problems taking a toll elsewhere. We may also forget the beautiful “big picture” of God’s care encompassing us. After tending to life’s details, it’s important to take a broader view to see whether our up-close perceptions hold true when we gaze on the work as a whole.

“Help us ‘zoom out,’ oh God,” prays Joshua DuBois in The President’s Devotional (HarperOne). “Widen our perspective and

and servers, and everyone who gave donations to take care of our workers with their Wednesday’s evening meal.

… to Shannon Lord, WPC’s coordinator, and all the volunteers who made the 2016 Community VBS a big success!

… to Lorna Snyder our Fellowship Chair and Amy Eberlin our Worship Team Leader for organizing the coffee hour for Rev. Chad Smith and his family… and to all the folks providing the yummy snacks.

… from TACO – Towanda Area Christian Outreach Food Pantry: Dear Congregation Member… the board of directors would like to thank all for your donation of food on May 16, 2016. This donation is very appreciated. We are thankful for this donation and your continuing support. Through April, 2016 we have served 1,065 families totaling 2,536 individuals and distributed 1375 boxes from our Elder Share project. ..

… “All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and with us sing, Alleluia… (begins this hymn sometimes called “The Canticle of the Sun,” with the text translated from words by

Francis of Assisi, 1225 – one of the earliest religious poems in the Italian language; the music Geistliche Kirchengesang, 1623, was harmonized by Ralph ‘Vaughan Williams, 1906 ) This familiar hymn presents a cosmic role call allowing human beings to give voice to all creation. How wonderful are our family of musicians who add their talents to this thrilling song! On June 5 we enjoyed the young voices of the children of the Sunday school. McKenna Mapes gave us a sparkling piano solo that sang out “Alleluia, Sing to Jesus” on June 12; then on

June 19 – Father’s Day - Barry Ballard introduced us to a new praise hymn appropriately called “You’re a Good, Good Father!” And at the end of the month- June 26 - once again we were pleasantly treated to the children’s voices – this time by the Kids from Vacation Bible School.

Reminder: PLEASE - let Diana or Amy Eberlin (our Worship Team leader) know if you have something

special to share – your special talent -- your favorite hymns – your favorite musician.

SPECIAL KUDOS! *to Toni McCarty for sharing her talent and her know-how for computers with the folks at the Presbytery office – she helped set up their new web site. Great job, Toni, thank you !

* If there is someone you would like to recognize for their volunteer work in the church – especially those “silent” church mice - who see a need and just do it with no fanfare – please be sure to mention it to Diana.

As we enter the middle of this year, it is a good time for a spiritual checkup.

We began the Christian year with Advent (which rounded out the last calendar year). This led us into Epiphany, followed closely by Lent. These seasons help us focus on Jesus’ Incarnation at his birth, the beginning of his ministry years, his path to the cross, and the suffering he endured for us because of his love for us. Lent concludes with Holy Week and the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection, and five weeks later, Pentecost. So the first half of the year is filled with opportunities to focus on Jesus, his coming, his accomplishments, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. These events can mean so much to us.

The gift of grace

Grace is something you can never get but only be given. The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It’s for you I created the universe. I love you. There’s only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you reach out and take it. Maybe being able to reach and take it is a gift

Citizens Of HeavenKeep yourself as a pilgrim

and a stranger here in this world,as one to whom the world’s business counts but little.

Keep your heart free, and always lift it up to God. —Thomas à Kempis

Then, we get to the middle of the year. This middle part—listed on the church calendar as “Ordinary Time”—brings us to summer. We are all involved in summer sports, cookouts, gardening, and vacations. We can get so caught up in the summer fun that all of the spiritual emphasis from the beginning of the year falls by the wayside.

Therefore, give yourself a checkup. How is your Bible Intake coming? If you are on a Bible-reading plan, how is it going? Maybe you need to set aside some time to read before you head outside to work or play. How about your prayer time? As we stretch our legs a little more during warm weather, we might consider incorporating prayer with walks or even while we garden. You might call it tending to the soil of the heart! Is there a Christian book that you have on your shelf? If you like to read, summer might be a great time for this, especially with Christian fiction—and don’t forget audio books. Finally, there is still worship. That hour or so set apart for lifting up our Lord with praise and gratitude still happens every Sunday morning. The church family still gathers to corporately express our love and appreciation for God, our Maker, Savior, Lord, and Friend. All of these activities help us keep ourselves growing spiritually and in communion with God during the part of the year when we are not in celebration mode.

And just like the discipline of physical exercise, these spiritual exercises only need to take a few minutes each day to get the benefits. Pick the best time for your schedule. Read and pray together as a family, so everyone participates. Find a friend you can pray with. Who knows? You may just have a spiritual workout buddy just waiting to get going.

So, let us make a point to prioritize our spiritual lives this summer. My suspicion is that if we keep growing spiritually through Ordinary Time, when we get to the celebrations of Christ the King Sunday and Advent, we will not just be going through another round of holidays. We will understand that there is much more to celebrate than we had ever before realized.

Have a good summer, and don’t forget your checkup.

“He claims it’s a form of ‘profiling’ by discriminating against the wicked.”

At the center of it allPsalm 118:8, the verse that falls in

the middle of the Protestant Bible, reads, “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humans” (NIV).

The center of God’s Word reminds us to make God the center of our lives! No other person or possession can fulfill or save us. Only God is a safe, certain refuge, and we grow closer to him by grounding ourselves in his Word and his will.

Bible Quiz Who said to the prophet Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD”?

A. Reuben, for selling Joseph into slavery

B. Jacob, for deceiving Isaac and stealing his brother’s birthright C. Rahab, a prostitute

D. David, considered Israel’s greatest kingAnswer: D (See 2 Samuel 12:13.)

“We just couldn’t wait to tell you about the spiritual experience we had on our vacation in Las Vegas.”

“I wish that every human lifemight be pure transparent freedom.”

―Simone de Beauvoir

“Well yes, son. David probably did have the best how- I-spent-my-summer vacation report.”

“I really only love God as much as I love

the person I love the least.” —Dorothy Day

On fire for GodEnglish preacher W.E. Sangster (1900-

1960) served on an interview panel for ministry

Rachel Holder of Nashville, TN, was driving her young son, Lincoln, and his friend, Ellie, to church. The youngsters were in the back seat, and Mom over-heard this conversation: Ellie: “Did I tell you I got baptized?”Lincoln: “You mean sanitized?”Ellie: “No. Like when the preacher puts you in the water.”Lincoln: “Well… they dunk you in the water and you

come out clean. I’m pretty sure that’s sanitized.” —via George Goldtrap

Running the raceDuring three Olympic Games, American triathlete Hunter Kemper never placed higher than seventh. But his athletic performance never defined him. “Whether I win a gold medal or not, I get my character as a person from my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” Kemper said. “That’s who I’ll always be, and therefore I can never be let down. You can never be let down if your faith is in the Lord.”Kemper, now 40, said, “Trust in the Lord, and he’ll give you the strength to be on top. And if you don’t end up on top,

On fire for GodEnglish preacher W.E. Sangster (1900-

1960) served on an interview panel for ministry

that’s okay too. Ultimately for me, I want to run my race ... and give [God] credit, whether in victory or defeat.”