Calvary Baptist Church
120 W. Pennsylvania Avenue
Towson, Maryland
Telephone 410-825-3360
Visit Calvary on the Web, point your browser to:
http://www.calvarybaptist-towson.org
From the Pastor:
On these spring mornings, as I walk
outside and see my car, and the other cars around it, covered in a smooth coat
of green, I am hardly surprised that I have itchy eyes and sneezing
problems. What amazes me is that everyone
doesn’t. How could that quantity of
pollen enter a human repertory system and not cause problems? How did I manage
to live for 23 or 24 years without ever having any problems? I know allergies are all about your body
producing histamines which cause the symptoms, but when you look at microscopic
pictures of pollen… it’s all spiky. It
would appear that such objects in one’s eyes should turn everyone’s eyes read
and feel like sand. I guess it is hard
to fully understand a condition until it is your condition.
On several occasions I have
mentioned that Chaim Potok, in the front of his book The Chosen, has a wonderful quotation from Dr. Karl
Menninger. The quotation talks about a
fish swimming in freely in a stream until the fish is hooked by a fishing line,
and then the fish begins to dart about all over. Finally Dr. Menninger concludes: “It is hard for a free fish to understand
what is happening to a hooked one.”
Dr.
Menninger’s words could apply to health or addiction problems, but they could
also apply to something far more positive, religious faith, which is what Potok
is writing about in that book. I am not
certain that I want to consider people of faith as the hooked or unhooked. Freud would certainly call us the hooked, but
I might argue that point with him. To
truly live with faith demands a choice.
Freud would say yes to take the bait.
I might respond, no, the choice is to swim in a different direction, as
if connected to something beyond the realm in which we find ourselves. So people of faith try to treat others as
they would like to be treated and people of the Christian faith take that even
further and even love their enemies.
It
is our decision to believe in a reality beyond this world’s ‘natural selection’
which calls us to moral actions that are more than what is best for me. Those without faith can’t understand such
actions or commitment; I suppose in viewing such behavior they might see it as
quaint, bizarre, humorous or even dangerous, but for we, who believe our neighbors
to be fashioned in the image of God, it would be impossible for us to live
otherwise. It is the existence of our
faith that makes life worth living, whether others believe it or not.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Wednesday Evening Programs as
usual.
May 10th
Mothers’ Day.
May11th
12 Noon. Annie Armstrong Circle meeting in the home of Libby Field 410-666-3127. Please bring a sandwich.
Needles and News
Spring supper meeting at 6:30 P.M., Patrick’s in Cockeysville.
Please call the office by to let us know if you are attending. We must have reservations.
May 15th
7:30 p.m. Drew’s band meeting in the Social Room.
May16th
Memorial service for Clara Bell.
May17th
Theatre show “Footloose”. Doors open at 1:00 p.m., dinner serving begins at 1:30.
May 20th
5:45 p.m. Deacons’ Meeting.
May 25th
Sarah’s Hope 9:00-1:00. Come when you can.
May 31st
Pick-up cakes for Our Daily Bread and return by Saturday June 6th.
Saturday, June 13th
Make plans to come to the Church Picnic!
HEALTH KITS - Annie Armstrong
Circle is collecting for the Health Kits
through mid-May. The items required
and/or cash (for the members to make the purchases) have been posted at the back entry.
Following is our list
of college students from Calvary Baptist Church: Erik Davis, Candace Geelhaar, Kelsey Highcove, Lili Morris, Greg Romano,
Alicia Sloman, Jennifer Wiley, and Drew Wright.
The graduates for
year 2009 are:
Lydia Trupe - Towson High School.
Patrick Coughlin - Veterinary Medicine Degree from Kansas State University for Veterinary Medicine.
Leah Edwards - Geography Degree from University of North Carolina.
Adam Highcove - Accounting Degree from Towson University and CPA candidate.
These are
Our Elected Deacons Who Will Begin July
1st:
Chairman
of the Board of Deacons
Fred
Ray
Deacon
for Communication/Vice Chairman
Kathy
Wright
Deacon
of Finance/Treasurer
George Burton
Deacon
of Records/Church Clerk
Mary Frantz
Deacon
for Stewardship/Financial Secretary
Ann Ray
Deacon
for Building & Grounds
Susan Byrne
Deacon
for Adult Education
Ruth Kulkarni
Deacon
for Children & Youth Education
Susan Edwards
Deacon
for Church & Family Life
Melissa Hillman
Deacon
for Missions & Outreach
Doug Thomas
Deacon
for Ministry & Pastoral Care
Wendy Wallace
Deacon
for Worship
Diana and Don
Romano
If anyone is willing to assist a Deacon in
any of the ongoing projects, please let
that deacon know or call the church office.
Each Deacon always needs some help.
Thank You;
John, Bob, and I would like to thank
all the members of Calvary Baptist Church for all of your prayers, help, and support during the illness
of Diane. The cards, and visits meant a
great deal to her as well as the
prepared food you brought to us. Thank
you so much.
Jack, John, and Bob (The Herberts)