Early Spring News and Views
Things are thawing in and around Hoosick Falls. Lent has begun. The weekly Wednesday lunches offered by the Hoosick Area Church Association (HACA) are in full swing. St. Mark’s will join with All Saints on April 9th to provide a soup and sandwich lunch. Please join us.
And we have our sights set on Holy Week and Easter in mid-April.
This newsletter is trying to find its voice, and so we are trying a few things out. In today’s offering you will read a testimony by John Hyde, news about the Thrift Store, and a short introduction to the work of the Hoosick Falls Senior Center.
In all of it we will try to keep the focus on “What God is doing in our midst!”
A quick thought about Lent - I have never been terribly “observant”. I have been reluctant to give up or take on different disciplines so as to avoid any sense of earning God’s favor and love. This year I am taking a different tack. There are some things in my life that I want to change, that require a certain measure of self-discipline. I want to chart a new course, as it were. I will do this quietly, except for this brief note. (Already I can hear myself wanting to tell people how “disciplined and devout” I am. Sigh!) I will do this with a fellow Christian for a simple and gracious sense of accountability. This will not change God’s love for me. I’m not sure what I want to see come out of this. I do just know that slowly and surely He uses our humble offerings for the greater purposes of His Kingdom. The Rev. Peter Pierson, Supply Priest
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6,7 (English Standard Version)
Thrift Store News
The St. Mark’s Thrift Store will be open from 10 - 2 on Saturday, March 15th and 29th. Helpers are always needed for these times. There will be a table out in front of the church during the parade; a blessing to the people attending.
A new sign!
In addition to the amazing sign Dale crafted for us a few years ago we now have a small portable sign for the front of the church for special announcements. Many thanks to Sherm Hoffman for this.
Hoosick Falls Senior Center
We have a wonderful nearby resource that many of you already enjoy. We are including a write up provided by the Center, along with some trip and menu information to make it easier for you to find our what’s going on there.
Hoosick Falls Senior Center - 21299 NY-22, Hoosick Falls, NY 12090 - 518-686-7561 - Open Monday – Friday, 9 – 3
Hoosick Falls Senior Center, open to anyone age 60+, recently moved from the Murphy Building to a beautiful new location, formerly Dollar Tree. This renovation features a state-of-the-art kitchen and workout room along with a theater. Please call the number above or stop by any time during business hours for information and reservations.
Recreation and education are cornerstones of the center. There are myriad activities, workshops, classes, presentations, entertainment, and much more every day—there’s something for everyone! Please see the attached calendar or give us a call for specifics. Monthly calendars of events and menus are posted on the Town of Hoosick and Rensselaer County websites as well as area newspapers, and are always available at the center.
Van transportation to and from the center is available for Hoosick seniors, with reservations required by the previous business day.
Lunch is served every day at noon, and can be enjoyed in the dining area with friends or taken to go. Reservations are required by 10 am day of. There is a suggested $3 donation for seniors and $5 for guests under 60. Home delivery services are also offered for eligible seniors. Please call New York Connects at 518-270-2767 to inquire about meal delivery and other services available to Rensselaer County seniors.
The Hoosick Seniors sponsor several bus trips per year—one is coming up on April 12th and still has plenty of space left. Please see the attached information or call the center for details and to sign up.
We hope to see you soon!
--The Hoosick Falls Senior Center Team
CLICK ON ITEMS BELOW FOR THE FLYER
Senior Center Menu Bus Trip to Schenectady 4/12 Bus Trip to FDR Mansion 6/19 Fall Foliage Bus Trip 10/15
And a reminder of God at work!
In His Time By John Hyde
Growing up my friends and I would always play air guitar along with our favorite bands as we watched the albums spinning on the turntable. I tried learning to play a real guitar over the years and always became discouraged by not being able to find the time or inspiration I needed. All of that changed in 2009 when I was asked to attend a weekend retreat called Cursillo. Cursillo is a ministry in our Diocese that helps people deepen their faith in God, live their faith in the world and share their faith with others. The weekend changed my life in many ways and praising God with music was one of them!
We sang contemporary praise music throughout the weekend that I had never heard before and found myself looking forward to the next song. The more traditional music I knew at St. Mark’s was led by our organist from the 1982 hymnal. Ray and Don led the music with their acoustic guitars and I was amazed to hear that they played this style of music for their church services. On our drive home I shared with Ray how much I was uplifted by the music and would love to be able to play and sing it in our church. Ray totally surprised me when arrived at my house the next morning with a guitar, a copy of the Alleluia II song book we sang from on the weekend and four chords to learn. He told me if I practiced even a short amount of time every day that I would be playing many of the songs in the book in less than a year. As excited as I was about the music, I did not have much hope that I would succeed. Well to my amazement, I not only found the time to practice I looked forward to it and truly enjoyed it. Just as Ray said, I did start introducing one song at a time in church in less than a year!
I was totally surprised when I was approached by parishioners that said they played instruments and asked if they could join me. I did not know that Bill played the mandolin, Dale played the drums, Deb played guitar and sang, David also played drums and sang. One at a time they joined me, and this was the start of the Spirit Band at St. Mark’s. As time went on, I realized my wish was coming true as we eventually started playing all the music during the service on Sunday. In later years Dale switched to guitar and Quinn joined us on drums when he was in high school, Emery joined us on guitar and Nancy played keyboard. We also started playing with Laura our organist on the one Sunday a month she is with us.
I had no idea what was going on as our music ministry was growing but soon figured out that this was God’s plan all along starting with me attending the Cursillo Weekend. It was only with His help and inspiration that I was able to finally succeed and teach myself to play. I continue to Praise Him with the music in many other ways including those I visited at home, at the nursing homes and assisted living facilities. I was now leading music on Cursillo and Faith Alive weekends, the Thanksgiving Service in town and other events throughout the year. I also found my guitar selection growing to include two 6 strings and a 12-string acoustic, a dobro and an electric guitar.
I am truly thankful for this music ministry and cannot imagine my life without the guitar God put in my hands… In His Time. Amen!
Next issue:
An old History of St. Mark’s! - HACA Annual Report
