March 2015

Bless Now, O God, the Journey As we begin the Lenten journey and await the coming empty tomb and the resurrected Christ, hear these words from Sylvia Dunstan’s 1991 hymn, “Bless Now, O God, the Journey.”

Bless now, O God, the journey that all your people make,the path through noise and silence, the way of give and take.The trail is found in desert and winds the mountain round,then leads beside still waters, the road where faith is found.

Bless sojourners and pilgrims who share this winding way;your hope burns through the terrors, your love sustains the day.

We yearn for holy freedom while often we are bound;together we are seeking the road where faith is found.

Divine eternal lover, you meet us on the road.We wait for lands of promise where milk and honey flow,

but waiting not for places, you meet us all around.Our covenant is written on roads, as faith is found.

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Change in Newsletter Delivery

After recently updating our directory, we have found that the number of people who have requested a hard copy of this newsletter has fallen below the minimum number of mailings required to receive the mass mailing discount offered to non-profits by the USPS. Therefore, it is costing us significantly more money to mail out hard copies of “The Tidings.” Beginning in April, hard copies of this newsletter will only be mailed to people who meet either of the following requirements: 1) are not currently residing

on Shelter Island. 2) are homeboundFor those of you who do not meet either of the above requirements, no need to worry! The newsletter wil l sti l l be available in the following ways:1. Available for pickup at the

church (both in the sanctuary and in the fellowship hall).

2. Available for download 24/7 at our church website.

3. If you join our email list, a copy will be automatically emailed to you every month.

THE TIDINGS The Shelter Island Presbyterian Church Newsletter

We appreciate your patience during this transition!

March 2015

From Stephen’s Desk

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Preparations from our recent Ash Wednesday Service

Upcoming Juniata College Choir Concert

The Juniata College Choir will be presenting their 9th annual Concert on Sunday, March 22, at 1:00 PM.  This outstanding group of 40 young men and women a lways thr i l l s the audience with their fabulous a cappel la singing --sometimes standing on four sides of the room for t r ue " sur round sound . ” Thei r reper to i re inc ludes wor ld mus ic and spirituals as well as sacred and secular pieces.  Admission is free with donations appreciated.  All proceeds go to the Choir to help with tour expenses and to SIPC for Community Outreach Mission.

Sisters and Brothers in Christ,As you and I continue to get to

know one another in this first year of serving together, I feel it is important for me to speak a word about pastoral confidentiality.

According to our governing document , the Book o f Order, “teaching elders (pastors)…shall maintain a relationship of trust and confidentiality, and shall hold in confidence all information revealed to them in the course of providing care and all information relating to the exercise of such care” (G-4.0301).

As your pastor, it is a privilege to be so intimately present in the realities of your lives. Your struggles, your joys, your fears and your hopes - all of these things are what make you you and, as your pastor, it is my job to meet you where you are and to open a space where you are comfortable being you and no one else.

Simply put, I cannot emphasize enough how important your trust is to me. I take my responsibility to maintain pastoral confidence very seriously and I wish to impress upon you that something told to me in confidence will remain in confidence. That means it stays with me. Period. I don’t tell my best friend. I don’t tell my wife. I don’t tell the staff. I don’t tell my dog or my cat!

I recognize that we live on a very small island where the grapevine sometimes works a lot better than we would like. Because of this reality, it is important that you know that your trust and confidentiality is something that I value.

The only time that I am ever allowed to divulge privileged information (apart from your explicit permission) is if I have reason to believe “that there is risk of imminent bodily harm to any person” (G-4.0301).

Some people might say that everything above should go without saying. However, I feel it is important to remind one another that some things are so important that they shouldn’t be simply “assumed knowledge.” I am you pastor. My responsibility to be a safe, confidential presence is not optional.

Grace and peace,Stephen

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Contact Info

Church Address32 North Ferry Road (P.O. 612)Shelter Island, New York 11964

Church Web Addresswww.sipchurch.org

Church Phone Number(631)749-0805

Follow SIPC on Twitter@ShelterIslandPC

Follow Pastor Stephen on Twitter

@stephenmfearing

Pastor Stephen’s Cell(404)823-5926

Pastor Stephen’s Websitewww.stephenmfearing.com

Revised Common Lectionarylectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu

Basically Baroque Concert Upcoming

BASICALLY BAROQUE ensemble is a chamber quartet consisting of Flute, Violin, Cello and Harpsichord.  They will be performing works of Haydn, Loeillet, Quantz, and Telemann at 3:00 P.M. on Sunday, March 8 here at SIPC.  There are 2 local Shelter Island performers, Bill Packard, flute, and Linda Betjeman, harpsichord.  Admission is free with donations appreciated.  All proceeds benefit the SIPC Arts Series and SIPC Community Outreach Mission.

Upcoming Events @ShelterIslandPC

• Sunday, March 1st• 10:30 A.M. | Worship (Communion)• 11:30 A.M. | Coffee Hour in Celebration of Cara Loriz

• Monday, March 2nd | 9:00 A.M. | Engaging the Text• Tuesday, March 3rd | WCC Meeting• Thursday, March 5th | 5:00 P.M. | Lenten Prayer Gathering• Sunday, March 8th (***DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME***)

• 10:30 A.M. | Worship• 3:00 P.M. | Basically Baroque Concert

• Monday, March 9th | 9:00 A.M. | Engaging the Text• Thursday, March 12th | 5:00 P.M. | Lenten Prayer Gathering• Sunday, March 15th | 10:30 A.M. | Worship• Monday, March 16th | 9:00 A.M. | Engaging the Text• Tuesday, March 17th | 7:00 P.M. | Session Meeting• Thursday, March 19th | 5:00 P.M. | Lenten Prayer Gathering• Sunday, March 22nd

• 10:30 A.M. | Worship• 1:00 P.M. | Juniata Choir Concert

• Monday, March 23rd | 9:00 A.M. | Engaging the Text• Thursday, March 26th | 5:00 P.M. | Lenten Prayer Gathering• Sunday, March 29th

• 10:30 A.M. | Worship• 11:30 A.M. | Deacons Meeting (Sanctuary)

• Monday, March 30th | 9:00 A.M. | Engaging the Text• Thursday, April 2nd | 7:00 P.M. | Maundy Thursday Service• Friday, April 3rd | 7:00 P.M. | Good Friday Service• Sunday, April 5th | 10:30 A.M. | Worship (Easter Sunday)

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Shelter Island Presbyterian Church 32 North Ferry Road | P.O. Box 612 Shelter Island, New York | 11964-0612

Daylight Savings Time Begins 3/8

Don’t forget to set your clocks forward an hour on Sunday, March 8th!