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THE MESSENGER GOOD SAMARITAN CHURCH NEWSLETTER VOLUME 111 ISSUE 7 JULY 2021 FROM THE PASTOR S DESK WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU PLAYED Weeks ago our intern Chance Martinez Colon described to me a lecture he had just heard in class about how worship is a form of play For many of us this may seem counter intuitive Worship is so serious and weighty But what if it is not supposed to be so serious or weighty Or perhaps play is more serious than we know For a long time play was not well understood or researched Many people thought of it as the fluff of life so to speak the non essential extras but that turns out not to be true at all In 2009 Stuart Brown one of the pioneers of play research published his book entitled Play How it Shapes the Brain Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul Though he admits struggling to define play since it is so varied and subjective he does identify seven core traits of play apparently purposeless done for its own sake voluntary inherent attraction It s fun freedom of time When we are fully engaged in play we lose a sense of passage of time diminished consciousness of self Improvisational potential We aren t locked into a rigid way of doing things Continuation Desire We desire to keep doing it Brown p 17 18 For another researcher Scott Eberle play involves six steps anticipation surprise pleasure understanding strength and poise which Eberle uses as a synonym for grace Brown p 19 Brown and others discovered through their research that animals and humans who play even into adulthood survive best Brown p 31 As the title of his book proposes Brown found that it opens the imagination and invigorates the soul He tells the story of a polar bear who began to stalk a husky a predator pursuing his prey As the bear approached the dog lifted its rear in a playful pose cue The bear welcomed the cue and the two began to tussle soft mouths claws retracted etc At the end the bear walked away without eating his prey In fact for the next three days the bear returned to play with the husky instead of eating the dog despite no doubt being famished after a winter of hibernation Researchers were astonished that the desire for play overcame the instinct to hunt and eat and enabled this predator and prey to transcend the clear power differential between them Brown p 20 24 As I listened to this story I was struck by how much this echoed what the prophet Isaiah imagined when he envisioned the lion and the lamb laying together Isaiah 11 6 and of course Jesus own vision of the first being last and last first 20 16 The kin dom of God the beloved community where we stop eating each other and learn to delight in one another must be a 1 playful community Why Because how else would we transcend the power differentials and overcome the selfprioritizing survival instincts that pit us against one another Without play I m not sure we could even begin to envision God s kin dom much less live into it Perhaps it is precisely our belief that we are too old to play or too busy to play that has kept us from being able to see how that beloved community can ever possibly come into existence So as we come out of our forced hibernation and seclusion of this pandemic we will be particularly intentional to make our times of worship together a playful activity It may seem counter intuitive Many of us have spent the last year in survival mode moving much lower on Maslow s hierarchy of needs We are ravenous for the basics right now but play is not fluff Play can be deeply transformative life giving and hope opening This has been a difficult year on so many levels It is time to lighten the load open our imaginations and engage continued on page 7

DON T FORGET TO BRING YOUR SMILES AND LAUGHTER TO THESE UPCOMING SERVICES WE ALL NEED SOME LIGHT HEARTED TIMES TOGETHER 2

OUR FIRST IN PERSON WORSHIP SERVICE SINCE COVID It definitely took a village to put together our first in person service since COVID struck in 2020 It was so precious to see the excitement around the building as folks gathered wearing masks and social distancing as requested to once again worship in unity in person Nine folks joined us by zoom and 40 in the Sanctuary Jeremy Wallace served as our zoom Usher while Enrique Martinez Colon Debbie Rasmussin and Lisa Ware took care of the audio visual and produced our service for those online Our ushers for the first Sunday back were Beverly Finn Clarence Wilkinson and Lewis Hill They assisted folks in finding a seat a safe distance from others provided masks to anyone who might need them and indicated where the sanitizing stations were set up We were introduced to our new Director of Music Ministries Mikal Mancini He joined us for our first service back together and we were thrilled to meet him We were all asked to listen to the singing and not sing since the spread of the virus is much greater with singing We had fun using some American sign language to participate in the songs instead Since this was Pride Sunday our day started with a group of us going out front of the church at 10 00 a m to wave our pride flags and wave to people going by Sarah Butz Donna Knight Eric Johnson Chance MartinezColon Pastor Jen Daysa Jean Adams and Carolyn Woodard all stayed out front until 10 20 when the doors opened for worship We started a series of Playful Worship today and we look forward to all the Sundays in the series qWe had fun waving our rainbow flags and signs for people passing by on Park Blvd Eric Johnson was taking the photo and is not shown qThanks to the Fellowship and Outreach Team who put up displays about our LGBTQ History in the garden area qJudy Friend took photos in the parking lot before coming in to the sanctuary She was so excited to see a full lot again RThere was a great deal of rejoicing to be back together as one body worshipping God for the privilege of once again seeing each other in person 3

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN OUR FIRST SERVICE BACK IN PERSON WE APPRECIATE YOUR WEARING MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING REMEMBER BEING CAREFUL IS STILL THE BEST OPTION 4

AS WE COME BACK TOGETHER FOR IN PERSON WORSHIP WE WILL HAVE FEWER POP UP EVENTS SO CONTINUE TO WATCH FOR INFORMATION AND GATHER ONLINE TO HAVE SOME FUN EXCITING NEWS INTRODUCING MIKAL MANCINI OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF MUSIC MINISTRIES Hello my name is Mikal Mancini and I am a lifelong musician As the son of educators and artists I have grown up with an overabundance of passion for the arts in all respects I believe that a knowledge and respect for all disciplines and aspects of art leads to the greatest artist musician and overall human being Art is merely a reflection of life and a fantastic way to enable discipline and creativity As a musician I have extensive experience performing in symphonies jazz ensembles and rock groups I also have a lot of experience in music direction for musical theatres and a lot of studio experience in music production and songwriting I have also privately taught piano bass and music theory for over five years Additionally I have been a pianist in a church setting for my entire life in various denominations Growing up I would accompany my mother the worship leader choir director Eventually I took over the role and comfortably fit within any traditional or modern setting 5

BE SURE TO STAY CONNECTED MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR VIRTUAL MEETINGS WITH PHONE OR COMPUTER ARE AVAILABLE 68

FROM THE PASTOR S DESK continued from page 1 in what Brown calls the apparently purposeless fun time transcendent self transcendent enjoyable improvisational activity of worship And if that has not been your experience of worship perhaps it is time to re think worship why do it and what it is about Perhaps it is time to reinfuse it with the things that will take us through Eberle s stages of play anticipation surprise pleasure understanding strength and grace Like some forms of play there is of course some work involved in worship especially for those of us helping to facilitate the experience but worship should never turn into a chore This summer and perhaps indefinitely we will play in God s presence on Sunday mornings We will find our way to God through play We will allow God to infuse us with resilience imagination love and wisdom through play And God will delight in it all Of course I am using play as a synonym for worship here because worship in its best form fits all of both Brown and Eberle s criteria for play So often when we picture Jesus we have a very serious image in our mind We imagine him as a no nonsense kind of guy who was always so purposeful and intentional in all of his words and actions GRACE FORSYTHE REACHES MILESTONE BIRTHDAY curiosity light heartedness fun and love Our worship themes this summer will include titles like The one where Jesus lays in the grass The one where Jesus schools some snobs in table manners The one where Jesus takes a nap The one where Jesus wastes love like it grows on trees The one where Jesus hangs out with kids The one where Jesus doesn t wash his hands I hope you will come play with us I mean worship with us You can join us for playful worship either online or in person all summer long and probably into the Fall too This may be particularly true for the lifelong Presbyterians among us We picture Jesus always doing things decently and in order one of the hallmarks of Presbyterian faith communities But this summer we will reimagine him not in our own image but truer to how he probably was playful someone resilient and wise not because he was so serious and ordered all the time but because his life was punctuated by moments of play Pastor Jen Brown Scott Play How it Shapes the Brain Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul The Penguin Group 2009 Brown Scott Serious Play TED Talk May 2008 https www ted com talks stuart_brown_play_is_more_than_ just_fun language en Accessed June 2021 DEADLINE FOR AUGUST 2021 MESSENGER IS JULY 15 Send all information for submissions to carolyn woodard 130 gmail com Our own dear Grace Forsythe spent many years with us at Good Samaritan Church but has now settled back home in Connecticut near her family As of this coming July 31 she will be turning 100 years old and for those of us who know her this is really a surprise She is not showing her age at all and is indeed a delight to spend time with or share a conversation We would like to encourage each and every member and friend of Good Sam to mail her a birthday card this year Let s see how many cards and letters we can send her way to brighten this special milestone in her life Her address in Connecticut is 21 Conifer Lane Avon CT 06001 7

STAY INVOLVED BE A PART OF SUNDAY WORSHIP EACH WEEK THANK YOU TO ALL WHO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY 8

ARE YOU READY FOR THE 2021 HURRICANE SEASON WE MAY BE IN FOR ANOTHER BUSY SEASON Last year saw a record of 30 named storms The 2021 season may not be that dramatic but it will be active according to forecasters The first major forecast from Colorado State University calls for 17 named storms with 8 of them being hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes It is the sixth year in a row that what forecasters call an aboveaverage season has been predicted for the Atlantic The 30 year average is 2 named storms and six hurricanes There is a 69 chance one could strike Florida or the east coast and a 44 of landfall anywhere from the Florida Panhandle to Texas along the Gulf Coast The hurricane season is June 1 to November 30 Beginning this year the National Weather Service and NOAA will start May 15th in tracking storms that have the potential to become hurricanes Climate scientists are studying the effects of climate change on early hurricane formation Florida faces a heightened risk this year because of the weakening of the Bermuda high Last year that high pressure zone pushed many storms south of the state delaying their turn north until they were past the peninsula and in the southern Gulf of Mexico The Bermuda high helped Florida avoid a direct hit from a hurricane in 2020 Six hurricanes made landfall in the U S and four actually took aim at Florida but none reached the Sunshine State The state though may no longer be shielded Forecasts call for more of the storms to be curving towards the east coast of Florida as well as the rest of eastern seaboard of the U S HURRICANE NAMES FOR THE 2021 ATLANTIC SEASON Ana Henri Odette Bill Ida Peter Claudette Julian Rose Danny Kate Sam Elsa Larry Teresa Fred Mindy Victor Grace Nicholas Wanda If there are more than 21 named storms there will be additional names provided by the World Meteorology Organization Other concerning signs that scientists will watch in 2021 are slightly above normal sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic and projected low levels of wind shear Storms are also expected to form earlier this year before and around the traditional June 1 start in part because of the La Nina cycle a Pacific phenomenon that affects Atlantic weather will still be in effect in June and July That means less Atlantic wind shear to disrupt storm formation Weak wind shear allowed a record number of storms to form last year But this year some models show La Nina could go into a neutral pattern starting in August resulting in more wind shear that could make conditions less favorable for storms to form In June another storm forecast will be issued by NOAA This forecast is a little more accurate than earlier ones made in the year Regardless of how many storms that we have it only takes one major storm making landfall in our region to make the season a bad one Good Samaritan Hurricane Information for 2021 The Pinellas County Hurricane Preparation Guide for 2021 will be available in a print format in June There also will be a web version of the guide We will distribute the printed guide to the Good Samaritan family method is to be TBD Be on the lookout for tax free holidays for certain storm preparation items The State of Florida does this on an annual basis during the summer Submitted by Clarence Wilkinson NEW DIRECTOR FOR HEADSTART The new director to the Good Sam Head Start is Khnah Nguyen It s pronounced Con Winn Good Sam hosted a luncheon to say goodbye to Mrs Bell and greet Mr Nguyen Mrs Bell introduced us the other day and gives him a hearty recommendation She tells me that she trained him and she s very happy that he s going to be taking over at Good Sam Submitted by Gretchen Ackerson 9

BIRTHDAY AND ANNIVERSARY CLUBS As part of Stewardship we ask that those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries donate to Good Sam a dollar per year The following are the names of those in the Birthday and Anniversary Club for 2021 The total collected so far this year is 560 BIRTHDAY CLUB Jane Gaylord Barb Steger Jean Cooley Kate Hall Judy Friend Martha Taylor Bev Kelly Thank you to all who participate Submitted by Kate Hall CURRENT FOOD PANTRY NEEDS SOUPS OTHER THAN CHICKEN NOODLE AND TOMATO SOUPS FOOD PANTRY REPORT MAY 2021 Number of days open to serve clients 12 Number of clients served Adults 861 Children 224 Total 1 085 Volunteers during May were Bev Kelly Ginnie Thompson Ginger Breitkreutz Kate Hall Carole Diehm Tom Fauquet Linda Rupp Sarah Butz Beryl Fruth Judy Friend Joni and John Melville Lewis Hill Robin Becker Beverly Finn Kay Snyder Jacob Spencer and Jane Gaylord Also helping to pack the USDA commodity bags were Mickey and Jim Moore The number of households served in May was 333 That means that 333 bags of groceries were given out in the 12 days we were open in May April and May numbers were very close as you can see from the graph Deliveries from Hope Village formerly RCS have been occurring monthly since March We are having difficulty in finding able bodied helpers to bring the cases of food from the wooden pallets where the truck driver unloads the food into the pantry for storage We received a donation of 750 00 from Achieva Credit Union in May They had been voted one of the best workplaces in Tampa Bay Each of their branches selected a worthy cause to receive a donation and the Pinellas Park Branch selected the Good Sam pantry Oakhurst United Methodist Church in Seminole continues to hold monthly Pop the Trunk food drives for our pantry on the third Saturday of each month Other outside groups and individuals have been bringing food to the Donations door We received another donation from City of Pinellas Park employees who participated in Fitness Challenges to raise money for purchase of foods for local food Pantries As always thanks to all who keep this important mission running Submitted by Kate Hall 2021 FOOD PANTRY CLIENTS 1400 1075 750 425 100 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TREASURER S REPORT In May the total of pledges received was under the budget by 5 163 May had 5 Sundays and since we are not meeting in person yet most weekly givers are now sending in a check monthly The Total Income for May was under budget by 6 052 Overall expenses through May have remained below budget mainly due to lower utility repair and payroll costs Clarence Wilkinson has spent days with contractors installing a new air cleaning system and also having several repairs to the various air conditioning systems in the church and Fellowship Hall As of this writing we believe that all systems are working properly 10 The Resource Development Team voted to hold off on the ceiling repair and painting in the Worship Center for the time being The general condition of the roof is not sound A whole new roof may need to be considered in the near future Therefore spending money to repair existing damage was deemed unwise Submitted by Kate Hall

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THE MESSENGER of Good Samaritan Church 6085 Park Boulevard Pinellas Park FL 33781 727 544 8558 Email office goodsam church org Web Site discovergoodsam org Our Mission To Build The Beloved Community A Ministry of Hospitality Vision and Justice A Global Mission Church Check out Good Sam on FACEBOOK SESSION Katie Fullerton Clerk Kate Hall Treasurer CLASS OF 2021 Lisa Ware Carolyn Woodard Vacant CLASS OF 2022 Beverly Finn Linda Rupp Clarence Wilkinson CLASS OF 2023 Sarah Butz Beryl Fruth Chris Osberg ST JAMES LIST Pray for one another that you may be healed James 5 16 Let us remember those members and friends who have asked for our prayers and those who are unable to attend worship Vicky VanDien wife of Ferris VanDien Dawn Johnson Sophia Stringer Shaddai Simmons Drew Taylor and family Martha Taylor s son Jo Jo and Amanda Byrd the Brockus family Dottie Boake Nancy Rudasill Eddie Kosinski Sandy Badger Donna Knight Harry Miller all the families in our community affected by COVID 19 whether through sickness or financial stress and Good Samaritan Church Jesus didn t reject people Neither do we CELEBRATING OVER 100 YEARS THE MESSENGER Newsletter of Good Samaritan Church Presbyterian Church USA More Light and United Church of Christ Open and Affirming Sunday Worship 10 30 a m Fellowship Coffee Hour Following Worship GOOD SAMARITAN CHURCH STAFF Rev Jen Daysa Pastor Rev Jean Cooley Parish Associate Mikal Mancini Director of Music Ministries Rebecca Kessel Office Administrator Position to be Filled Bookkeeper Shelby Lamb On furlough through Summer Nursery Assistant Mirko Bratic Custodian Rev Dr Harold M Brockus Pastor Emeritus GOOD SAMARITAN MINISTRY TEAMS Resource Development Team Clarence Wilkinson Moderator Gretchen Ackerson Celeste Behret Beverly Finn Beryl Fruth Kate Hall Treasurer Liaison Care Team Ginger Breitkreutz Moderator Beverly Finn Jane Gaylord Jim Moore Mickey Moore Clarence Wilkinson Disaster Preparedness Liaison Justice and Mercy Team Rev Jean Cooley Moderator Gretchen Ackerson Sarah Butz Judy Friend Lewis Hill Linda Rupp Rachael Wells Clarence Wilkinson Kate Hall Food Pantry Liaison Bev Kelly FAST Liaison Spiritual Formation Team Chance Martinez Colon Moderator Jean Adams Sarah Butz Steve Crist Rev Bill Cooley Judy Friend Chris Osberg Debbie Rasmussin Carolyn Woodard Fellowship and Outreach Team Eric Johnson Moderator Sandy Badger Robin Becker Annie Gambino Barb Steger Suzie Steger Martha Taylor Personnel Committee Gretchen Ackerson Robin Becker Kate Hall Clarence Wilkinson Pastor Relations Committee Carolyn Woodard Moderator Ginger Breitkreutz Bev Kelly Chris Osberg Lisa Ware Clarence Wilkinson