From the Pastor

February 11 is Transfiguration of the Lord Sunday. It's a Sunday that bumps up against the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday, which begins our season of repentance, of turning towards the cross with Jesus, preparing for his death. It is also a time of transition for Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church. Your new pastor, the Rev. Tami Recob, will join me for our Ash Wednesday service, on February 14 at 7 p.m., to mark the conclusion of my time as your "bridge" pastor and the beginning of her time as pastor of CHPC.

Tami describes herself as a caregiver and healer, two words that are very much a part of our Lenten journey. For when we repent, we open ourselves to living in the way of Jesus, whose care and healing propel us to join in God’s mission of restoring all of creation to the divine.

Sunday’s passages of Scripture are 2 Kings 2:1-12 and Mark 9:2-10. From a thinking standpoint they are difficult to understand, for both deal with the mystery of life and death and of “thin places” where heaven and earth seem to meet if only for a few moments. And sometimes mystery is best understood with our hearts.

See you on Sunday.

Paul 

Welcome to Our New Pastor!

The Session of Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church is delighted to announce that we have a new pastor: Rev. Tamara (Tami) Recob. At its February 5 meeting, the Commission on Ministry of Mid-Kentucky Presbytery unanimously agreed that Tami is the right leader for our congregation at this time. Thanks be to God!

A letter to CHPC members with more details was mailed earlier this week. Tami officially begins her service with us February 15. But she has agreed to co-lead our Ash Wednesday service with Paul Seebeck February 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. Tami will be serving CHPC part-time (25 hours/week) on a one-year contract, renewable annually.

February 18 will be Tami’s first Sunday leading worship at CHPC. Please plan to join us for worship that Sunday and stay for a reception afterward.

Welcome Reception for Our New Pastor

Deacons will host a reception in Henry Young Hall to welcome our new pastor on Sunday, February 18, following worship. We hope to provide sandwiches, cookies/brownies, gluten-free options, a fruit tray, and a veggie tray. We need your help. If you would be willing to help us by providing some of these items, please contact Claudia Foulkes at 502-939-4129 or cfoulkes3@gmail.com

February 11: Sid Learns About Lent

We have a special treat for our next once-a-month Second Sunday with Sid (the puppet) gathering this coming Sunday: Sid will be in town to make a live appearance on Zoom, and of course he will “fundamentally misunderstand” Lent and Ash Wednesday. All children and the young at heart are invited join us on Sunday, February 11, from 9:45 to 10:15 a.m. on Zoom. Feel free to bring pets and friends.

Please contact Jerry Van Marter at Jerryvanmarter@gmail.com or Eva Stimson at Eva.stimson@gmail.com to be added to the list to receive the Zoom link for our monthly Second Sundays with Sid gatherings.

Our March gathering will be on the third Sunday, March 17, because Jerry and Eva will be on vacation March 10. Please make a note of the new date! 

February 11: Pancakes, Banners, and More!

CHPC is doing Shrove Tuesday on Sunday, February 11 (we’ve always been a little different!), and everyone is invited. Wear your Mardi Gras beads and come to worship (Rev. Paul Seebeck’s last Sunday with us), followed by a Pancake Potluck lunch and intergenerational banner-making in the fellowship hall. Ken Cordle will head up the pancake-making team. Ben Langley and Jerry Van Marter will grill bacon and sausage outside, weather permitting. The rest of us are invited to bring pancake toppings, beverages, and side dishes.

After lunch, Beth Yeager will lead youth and older folks in creating some simple banners for Lent. Artistic talent is not required!

Because February 11 is Super Bowl Sunday, we will be collecting donations for United Crescent Hill Ministries (as with our previous Souper Bowls). UCHM particularly needs diapers and personal grooming items (shampoo, conditioner, tampons, deodorant, soap, etc.).

Please also plan to attend the Ash Wednesday service in the sanctuary, February 14 at 7:00 p.m., as we prayerfully enter the season of Lent together. And please invite friends and neighbors to join us for any of these special events.

CHPC Medical Closet

Did you know that CHPC has medical-related items available for use by you or a friend—and then kindly returned when no longer needed? We have three wheelchairs (one located in the coat closet outside the sanctuary and two located in the back building Gathering Room). Other items are located in the north upstairs closet in the back building: three walkers, two commodes, two bath chairs, two canes, and two sets of crutches. Someone will bring items down the stairs if needed.

Spirit of Sophia

Spirit of Sophia invites you "Into a Sanctuary of Women with Jan Richardson" for a virtual retreat on Saturday, February 10, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.  Join us for a conversational retreat exploring themes such as prayer, thresholds, thin places, and longings – among others. In the presence of women past and present, we will be asked to enter into the mysteries that lie at the heart of who we are. 

To learn more and register: https://spiritofsophia.org/a-conversation-with-jan-richardson/

Free Tickets Available for August Wilson Play

Free tickets are available to see the University of Louisville African American Theatre Program’s presentation of August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean” on Sunday, February 25, at 3 p.m.

Mid Kentucky Presbytery and the Presbyterian Center have purchased half of the seats at The Playhouse (1911 S. Third Street) so Presbyterians can enjoy this play that is directed by Peace Presbyterian Church member Dr. Shona Tucker. The play explores African American history and the Black experience in the U.S. in the 20th century through the lens of Wilson, a Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright.

This is a great way to be together during Black History month — and to enact our Matthew 25 commitment to dismantle structural racism. Tickets are first come, first served. Get them here:

https://presbytery.wufoo.com/forms/z16rccr51i3a0mf/