The
OAHE MESSENGER
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
September, 2007 Dear Friends, As the lyrics in the song, September Song, reminds us "the days dwindle down to a precious few." Indeed, September is my last full month amongst you as interim pastor. It has been a wonderful and fruitful time for me. I think it is safe to say that the goal of this aspect of my ministry has born the fruits of OPC calling John Rhoad. Therefore, it is time to make a transition in my life and the life of OPC. The Lord God now leads you and me in different directions. You in a new direction under the leadership of John Rhoad. I am heading into retirement after 35 years of active service in the church. I reflect back almost two years to when I arrived here in Pierre, I found a church community that had so much potential, and yet I thought the church collectively did not truly see that potential in terms of its mission. In the intervening months, we talked a great deal about God's mission for OPC, and it is now clear that you are truly seeing more clearly what that mission is and where you are bound. Our conversations and discussions have born fruit. OPC is also one of those rare church communities that behave like a true church community. Wanda and I have found warmth here that is unique. We and (I know others) who have joined the community feel the warmth and acceptance. There is also a welcoming spirit here for the occasional sojourner who visits either looking for a new church or just visiting. It is hard to leave on Sunday morning if you are a visitor without experiencing greetings in a very genuine and caring way. OPC is also a church with a generous heart. It is easy to see this in mission giving, but also in OPC's giving to individuals and community organizations in need. Jesus said, "Come and follow me" and this church takes that quite seriously. This church is following Jesus right into the lives and needs of others. So my ministry in Pierre is just about concluded. I do feel fulfilled with a personal sense that you and I have come together in the providence of God. We met as strangers and leave as friends. My prayer for you under John's new leadership is to go from strength to strength, and as Isaiah says "to mount up with wings of eagles" and fly into a future of mercy, justice, ministry and love in the name of Jesus Christ. Peace, John W. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
September Birthdays
September Anniversaries
PW 2007-2008 meeting Schedule
|
 Choir Practice
September 5th at 6:00pm.
Book Study in September A book study, Reading the Bible Again for the First Time, by Marcus Borg will take place on the last two Wednesdays of September and the first Wednesday of October (Sept. 19, 26, and Oct 3) immediately following choir rehearsal at around 7PM. Borg, who is a professor at Oregon State University, writes in a completely refreshing way about the Bible. He reminds us that there is a very real and creditable interpretation using literary and metaphorical analysis instead of literal interpretation. He interprets this wonderfully for lay people interested in broadening their Biblical faith. Let Candy Sowers know if you would like the book ordered for you (either new or used). You can also purchase it yourself from Amazon.com |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 First Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Presbyterian Disaster Resistance continues to respond to the severe weather system that has brought heavy rains and flooding to communities throughout the Midwest. During the months of June and July PDA has provided $90,000 from One Great Hour of Sharing and designated funds to eight different presbyteries affected by the flooding. TWO YEARS OF RESPONDING TO HURRICANE KATRINA / 2005 - May 2007 In the two years since Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the Gulf Coast, thousands of volunteers clad in blue t-shirts have been a symbol of hope to the survivors. The following members provide an update on the expenditure of financial gifts to the response and an accounting of the extraordinary human resources that have given life and personal witness to the dollars. Financial Information Hurricane Response
Church Repair, Pastors' Salaries, and Support to Presbyteries *
*Decisions on allocations of these resources were made by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF). The IATF is composed of representatives from the six entities of the General Assembly (the Office of the General Assembly, Board of Pensions, General Assembly Council, Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation and the Presbyterian Foundation), along with representatives PDA and representatives from the Synods of the Sun and Living Waters. (The above figures are rounded to the nearest dollar.) |
Volunteer Information
(The above figures are based on the best available information, an estimated value of services received.) CARE PACKAGE ITEMS FOR OUR TROOPS SERVING IN IRAQ A few years ago our church sent many care packages to our friends and relatives who were serving in Iraq. Well, our friends and relatives are still serving (some for the second and third tours of duty) over there. Here is a list of items that would be appreciated by our military....particularly our friend and grandson, Jeremiah Sherman.
Jeremiah likes to get real mail.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
FOR THE LOVE OF AMERICA'S SOLDIERS By John Aloysius Farrell Denver Post Washington Bureau Chief Colin Whitebird is a Riggs High School Graduate, son of Alice and Francis Whitebird.
Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace fought as a second lieutenant, leading a rifle platoon in the Tet Offensive, in Vietnam. He remembers coming home from that awful war, in those bitter, toxic times. It's different now, says Pace. For all the deep division of our politics, and the decline in the public support for the war in Iraq, Americans still embrace the men and women who wear their country's uniform. "Even those who may be in opposition to things we are doing in the war on terror right now have been extremely warm and welcoming to the troops who are coming home. And that is well understood by the troops," says a grateful Pace, who is severing these days as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In the months ahead, as the U.S. disentangles itself from the mess in Iraq, Americans need to stay supportive. Courageous Americans have lost battles and gone on to win wars before. We may need to bring troops home, for rest and replenishment. We may need to change strategy. We may need to dig a little deeper in our pockets, and pay for more regiments and equipment. And most of all, we need to keep loving soldiers like Capt. Ted Kleisner, a veteran of Kosovo and Iraq, whose father shares this recent letter home. Dear Dad, I am not sure you will like this answer ... but in my most optimistic opinion, the probability of our losing versus winning (in both terms being relative) is close to 50-50. The events that tip the balance in favor of winning are often in the hands of a 23-year-old lieutenant or a 25-year-old staff sergeant who have been trained to operate at a tactical level. That's why you've got to love them. And hopefully, more people in America will come to understand who they are and the sacrifices they are making. Let me describe one of these guys: his name is Colin Whitebird, a Native American from Pierre, South Dakota. Colin is a rifleman in my command who spent two months last summer in the Baghdad quarters of Ghazaliyah and Shulla in head so sweltering that salt formed on his boot laces as his sweat evaporated off them. He walked the beat for six to eight hours at a time with three or four of his squad mates and a squad of Iraqi National Police searching houses at a rate of five or six an hour. Sometimes the Iraqi forces couldn't keep up, so he did most of their work for them. |
In the searching of houses in Baghdad neighborhoods, he knew to ensure that the head of each household had time to place all the women in a separate room - with an acute sensitivity to their culture. He knew not to touch the holy Koran with his hands, to recognize Moqtada al-Sadir in pictures on the wall, and to show respect. All these things Colin knew because he took time to understand the people he was protecting and fighting at the same time. This helped him gain a respect for the Iraqi citizens which, in turn, reinforces the discipline it takes for an American soldier to stop a suspected suicide car bomb by flashing a green laser pointer at it while his Stryker driver honks the horn. And, when these attempts fail, it reinforces his discipline to shine the laser light on his rifle to demonstrate his intent to use it, then to place a well-aimed warning shot where collateral damage will be minimal. When these attempts fail, he knows to see cover or, if time allows, take a lethal shot at the driver. Colin and his peers do this to prevent the killing of innocent civilians who are easily mistaken for suicide bombers in these tense situations. In the wrong neighborhood, at the wrong time, this type of mistake has repercussions which take months to overcome. If you overcome them at all. Colin knew that. the last time I saw Colin, I was holding him by the boot while medics and a doctor treated a hole in his chest. On 31 August, a sniper shot him through the armpit with an armor-piercing bullet intended to penetrate his bullet-proof vest. He is convalescing at home in South Dakota and, in a few months, will return to duty with us in Baghdad, to do it all over again. Colin is 20 years old, and he and his peers are part of the new 'greatest generation' The best thing we can dod for them is tell their story. This war will be decided by these guys in the coming weeks or months, and it will be decided in Baghdad. I cannot make an honest prediction as to when it will be decided because their are so many factors that I don't see in the streets or the media. I do know this: between seven months in Kosovo and 15 months in many parts of Iraq that I have never seen a more desperate and pathetic situation than Baghdad today. And Baghdad is everything. I realize this message may not be what you had hoped to hear, but this is how it feels when you are walking the beat in Baghdad with your nostrils filled with the aroma of raw sewage as it flows through the streets in the neighborhood you are protecting. This is the reality of Baghdad. Love, Teddy. It's love for these soldiers, respect for their families, our enduring ache for their 30,000 comrades killed or wounded by shot or shrapnel, and fury at the blunders of their civilian leaders that has soured Americans to the invasion of Iraq. This is going to be a long war. Win or lose in Baghdad, we will need to call on the Teds and Colins for further sacrifice. So let's tell their story. And welcome them home. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
News
Around Oahe Presbyterian
Chris Nelson and
Kate Divis Much to the delight of the OPC choir and the Presbyterian Women, Chris and Kate have announced their engagement. The wedding will take place on April 12, 2008. We wish them the very best on their forthcoming marriage.
Treats needed for Sunday morning Fellowship The signup sheet is on the wall by the narthex bulletin board.
|
September Happenings
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
SECOND
ANNIVERSARY OF KATRINA This is Cliff Nunn, the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in New Orleans. I am sending out this document to many of you who have helped us in the last two years. Thank you for your support and help. The state of New Orleans and the First Presbyterian Church's Rebuilding Mission; as of August 25, 2007. On the second anniversary of the great flood of New Orleans, I have been asked to write a few words about our church, our city and our rebuilding homes project. It is fitting that on August 29, the members of our church will gather at the home of a family that just moved back to their flooded Lakeview residence and celebrate the grace of God in our lives. The home is owned by Dee (our Clerk of Session) and Randy (honored drummer). We will gather and bring a moment of our ordeal. Our celebration will be more joyful since all of our houses have been rebuilt and we are home once again. We will celebrate thousands who have come from all across the United States to help our citizens rebuild. We will thank God for many things: for the blessings, assistance, and answer of prayer, for the many donations from individuals and churches that have helped us rebuild our church and launched our house rebuilding project, for the new ministries that this storm has begun - our English Teaching tutoring program and our house rebuilding program. We will thank God for the 10+ new members who have moved to New Orleans and joined our church. We will thank God for the young adult volunteer who worked in our office for a year (Sue Young). Above all, we will thank God for the personal relationships and friendships we have built with friends over this country. We also thank God for helping us realize the great value of Love, God, and friendships. All our worldly goods are not that important any more. But, we will also remember the 50 or so church members we hold in our hearts that decided to leave New Orleans, scattered as far as Atlanta, Arlington, VA, Wisconsin, Dallas, Bryan, TX, Delaware, and Arkansas. We will also remember our beloved Al Wood, seen last on the week before the storm who died in the waters of the great flood - and Elizabeth Browne, Louis Levy, and Jill McAuliffe who died as an indirect result of the storm. How does it feel on this second anniversary of the storm? For me it feels like we have turned the corner and are on a new road. Our church is changed and has adapted to the new challenges. Our neighborhoods, especially around the church is pretty well back to "normal" (only 20% of the houses are still being worked on and or unoccupied). The city has seriously begun to establish some target zones for redevelopment and some major stores are being built in an attempt to draw people to the more forgotten neighborhoods. Twenty seven percent of Lakeview and Gentilly remain unoccupied. Only house foundations and slabs remain in the lower 9th ward. Much of Lakeview and Gentilly are still being rebuilt. The best estimate is that 60% of the city's pre-Katrina population has returned. There are about 260,000 people living in New Orleans compared to the pre-Katrina population of 460,000. But, there are many thousands of people still living in FEMA trailers. |
We now have three new flood gates at the end of the three major drainage canals and we are more confident this event will never happen again. Jefferson Parish and New Orleans Parish are working together to plan for future drainage and flood prevention.. The streets are still terrible but some are being repaired. Our Presbytery is much better situated to help people with their homes. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), working through the Presbytery has established a new center at the Gentilly Presbyterian Church. This office opened and in three days had all the applicants they could handle for the whole year. So much work is still to be done in many parts of the city. Now, six churches house volunteers and provide labor for the Gintilly effort (Jefferson, John Calvin, woodland, Canal St., Parkway and Faith, Harvey). St. Charles Ave. PC houses people and is partnering with Habitat for Humanity to build homes. First Presbyterian continues to work on its "own" houses, seeking to foster relationships between homeowners and volunteer help groups that come to New Orleans. We closely cooperate with Gentilly providing labor on occasion and Gentilly sometimes provides a few people to help us. PD pays for the salary of a full time site coordinator, Leroy Harbauer, who coordinates the work of those staying in our church and working on our houses. We have had a wonderful Young Adult Volunteer placed through the generosity of the PCUSA this last year names Sue Young. Sue has returned to Philadelphia and Sarah Leer is stated to start in September. We may also have a Delta Service Corp. Volunteer (branch of Americorp). We have finished the homes of Erma, Bee, Estelle, Robert, Cheryl, and Henry/Joyce. We are working on the homes of Niki & Frank 80%, Lena & Royden 70%, Yolanda 90%, Nneka 70%, Elaine 10%, Knight 20%, and Ethel 90%. So, there is a bit of optimism in the air in New Orleans and at our church. But much remains to be done. At the church, we are still dealing with what to do about our 1908 Steinway and Sons piano (probably not restorable), our 1830's Gothic Communion Table, and a few floor moldings. Three things are needed. First, we need your prayers. Prayers and our faith is really what has sustained us these many months. People coming to help have provided spiritual support and hope for the future. The Living Christ has been among us! Second, we need you to keep coming and volunteering and helping us rebuild homes. This effort will continue about two more years. There are many people still living in FEMA trailers working on moving back into their homes. Third, we need your financial assistance. We have spent almost 100,000 on buying supplies for these homes. We have also, where needed, paid for the services of an electrician (thanks to Carl Bennett) and plumbers. We had hoped that as people got "Road Home Money" they might pay us back for our costs of supplies. But largely that has not happened (usually because they have not yet received road home money, (federal and state assistance for losses beyond insurance settlements)). But, we have depleted almost all of the money given by good folk like you. If you can, please send a check made out to First Presbyterian Church, designated to "Building Supplies" and send it to 5401 S. Claiborne Ave., New Orleans, LA 70125. This will help continue our rebuilding effort. PDA provides only a very small amount of supply money. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 THE REVEREND JOHN CALVIN RHOAD, JR. HAS BEEN CALLED TO BE PASTOR AT OAHE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
During a congregational meeting on Sunday, August 19th and with a unanimous vote of the congregation, Pastor John Rhoad was called to be the next pastor of Oahe Presbyterian Church. Pastor Rhoad will begin his call on October 15th.
The congregation is excited to have John, TaiLi and Jin Shin, Jin Qiu and Jin Yi joining our church family.
A potluck was held on Saturday evening to allow the congregation and John to meet one another. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OPC MAKES HEADLINES AGAIN
Check out the following PDA (Presbyterian Disaster Assistance) link where once again Oahe Missioners to New Orleans make headlines. Also to be noted on their website is a video clip of Yolanda whose home in the Lakeview Neighborhood we spent six days putting up insulation and dry wall. A video of what the Presbyterian volunteers is currently being construction and your editor has ordered a copy of that video for our viewing. Go to: http://www.pcusa.org/pda/stories/k-oahepcteam.htm to see our story and to: http://www.pcusa.org/pda/response/usa/gulfcoast/katrina-2yearslater.htm#homeowners to see Yolanda’s story.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
August 2007 edition
