Archive for the ‘Montgomery County’ Category

Thoughts on Labyrinth, Prayer and Garden

2013/05/29

Labyrinth

In colloquial English, labyrinth is generally synonymous with maze, but many contemporary scholars observe a distinction between the two: maze refers to a complex branching (multicursal) puzzle with choices of path and direction; while a single-path (unicursal) labyrinth has only a single, non-branching path, which leads to the center. A labyrinth in this sense has an unambiguous route to the center and back and is not designed to be difficult to navigate.

As the designs became more elaborate, visual depictions of the Labyrinth from Roman times until the Renaissance are almost invariably unicursal. Branching mazes were reintroduced only when garden mazes became popular during the Renaissance.

Labyrinths appeared as designs on pottery or basketry, as body art, and in etchings on walls of caves or churches. The Romans created many primarily decorative labyrinth designs on walls and floors in tile or mosaic. Many labyrinths set in floors or on the ground are large enough that the path can be walked. They have been used historically both in group ritual and for private meditation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinth

Prayer Garden

The Chapel of St. Basil is a chapel on the campus of the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX, designed by Philip Johnson.  During the 2005-2006 school year, a prayer garden was built on the west side of the chapel. The centerpiece of the garden is a labyrinth, surrounded by plants and bushes. Surrounding the plants and bushes is a gravel walkway rimmed by crepe myrtles. The North end of the prayer garden features three fountains, representative of the Trinity, and four benches mark the corners of the prayer garden.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapel_of_St._Basil#Prayer_Garden

National Cathedral

The Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, under the first seven Bishops of Washington, erected the Washington National Cathedral under a charter passed by the United States Congress on January 6, 1893. Construction began on September 29, 1907, when the foundation stone was laid in the presence of President Theodore Roosevelt and a crowd of more than 20,000, and ended 83 years later when the last finial was placed in the presence of President George H. W. Bush in 1990.  Congress has designated the Washington National Cathedral as the “National House of Prayer”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_National_Cathedral

Shady Grove Adventist Hospital

When the hospital admitted its first patient in December 1979, it was located in a “rural” part of Montgomery County, surrounded by fields. With some 2,100 employees, 1,200 Medical Staff and Allied Health Professionals, and 800 volunteers today, Shady Grove delivers over 5,000 babies, treats more than 108,000 emergency patients, at its main Rockville and Germantown emergency locations, and cares for more than 26,000 inpatients each year.  In 2009, the hospital completed a four-year $100 million expansion and renovation project with an expanded NICU and new Pediatric Emergency Department and an expanded state-of-the-art Surgical Services area.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shady_Grove_Adventist_Hospital

“At Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, we are committed to caring for the whole person,” said Dennis Hansen, President of Shady Grove Adventist Hospital. “The Healing Garden demonstrates our commitment to caring for not only the physical, but also the spiritual and mental needs of the community.”  The Barbara Truland-Butz Healing Garden at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital was awarded a Merit Award in the 19th Annual Professional Awards Program by the Maryland and Potomac Chapters of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).

http://www.shadygroveadventisthospital.com/SGAH/about/news/2012/healing-garden-receives-award-for-design/

My Comments

I have been to the  National Cathedral and walked the labyrinth there. During my stay at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, I enjoyed walking in the Healing Garden.  There are plans for a possible prayer, healing or peace garden at my church.  A labyrinth could be part of the design.

On Healing

2013/05/28

He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.
Psalm 107:20 (NIV)

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.  Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.  Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.
Proverbs 3:7-8 (NLT)

And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.”  So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick.
Luke 9:5-6  (NLT)

They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those troubled by evil spirits were healed.  Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone.
Luke 6:18-19  (NLT)

Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.
Acts 4:30 (NLT)

And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well. And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.
James 5:15-16 (NLT)

I have been in the hospital for an extended stay.  The nurses, techs, doctors and other staff are doing all they can for me.  Recently, one of my visitors said, in a cheerful voice on the way out, “We hope for a speedy recovery”.  I replied and said that I am quite happy to have slow but steady improvement.

I used to be able to touch my toes; now, I thank God that I can still touch my knees!

Lord, your Word tells me to pray for healing. I believe you hear this earnest prayer from my heart and that it is powerful because of your promise.  I have faith in you, Lord, to heal me, but I also trust in the plan you have for my life.

County Council Opening Prayer

2012/10/09

The Trees Are Bearing Fruit Again

Fear not, Earth! Be glad and celebrate!
God has done great things.
Fear not, wild animals!
The fields and meadows are greening up.
The trees are bearing fruit again:
a bumper crop of fig trees and vines!
Children of Zion, celebrate!
Be glad in your God.
He’s giving you a teacher
to train you how to live right-
Teaching, like rain out of heaven, showers of words to refresh and nourish your soul, just as he used to do.
And plenty of food for your body-silos full of grain, casks of wine and barrels of olive oil.

Source:  Joel 2:21-24 (The Message)

Columbus Day

Christopher Columbus was a child of the Renaissance.  Columbus was not a saint, but certainly a defender of the faith.  He was a Christian and a Catholic and his faith was strong, sincere, inexhaustible, free from superstition and hypocrisy.  He made frequent references to God.  In his own words, he said, “With a hand that could be felt, the Lord opened my mind to the fact that it would be possible … And he opened my will to the desire to accomplish that project … The Lord purposed that there should be something miraculous in this matter of the voyage to the Indies.”

Throughout his journals, we find him constantly in prayer, invoking the names of Christ, Mary, and the saints and solemnly giving praise to God.  Columbus was particularly devoted to the Virgin Mary and named his flagship, the Santa Maria, in her honor.

His voyage was beset with calamities – a broken rudder, major leaks in the boats, and broken compasses.  The ship hit a calm, causing seamen to complain they’d never be able to get back to Spain.  But later, the sea rose without the aid of any wind.  This “astonished them,” and Columbus compared it to the miracles that accompanied Moses.

Source:  http://www.TheCatholicPriest.com

Let us pray  .  .  .

For the Nation

Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace:  Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will.

Source:  Book of Common Prayer

For Our Country

O God, keep our whole country under your protection.  Wipe out sin from this land; lift it up from the depth of sorrow,  O Lord, our shining light.  Save us from deep grief and misfortune, Lord of all nations.
Bless us with your wisdom, so that the poor may not be oppressed and the rich may not be oppressors.  Make this a nation having no ruler except God, a nation having no authority but that of Love.

Source:  United Methodist Hymnal

Prayer for the Government

Heavenly Father
source of all truth and wisdom,
who knows and loves the whole creation,
watch over our nation,
[state and especially Montgomery County]
that truth may prevail over distortion,
wisdom triumph over recklessness
and the concerns of every person be heard.

Source:  http://www.ChurchOfEngland.org

Amen.

[Dated October 9, 2012 but lost in DRAFT folder and not published until 12/07/2018.]

Food Safe Families Class

2012/09/04

The Food Safe Families campaign, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in partnership with the Ad Council is a national multimedia public service advertising (PSA) effort that provides education about the risks of food poisoning, also referred to as foodborne illness, to help safeguard you and your family.

The CDC estimates that approximately one in six Americans (or 48 million people) will suffer from food poisoning illness this year, resulting in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.  While the federal government takes steps every day to help keep our food safe, this Food Safe Families campaign shows us that there are things that we can all do at home to reduce our risk of food poisoning.

By offering this Food Safe Families class, we are part of a nationwide effort to reduce the number of cases of foodborne illness’ serious but little recognized public health issue.  Food Safe Families focuses on things you can do when you’re preparing food to keep from getting sick.

I hope that this short course  I am developing will be beneficial to you and that you and your family will become less susceptible to foodborne illness as a result.

Chef Da-Vid
Partner, ChefMaster.org of Metro DC
Managing Partner, Chef Master CDER Café
Graceful Growing Together Culinary Arts Initiative Project Coordinator
Instructor, People-4-People Employment Assistance Program
Montgomery County Certified Food Service Manager
Certified ServSafe® Instructor and Registered Proctor

ServSafe® is a registered trademark of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation

Not a Potluck!

2012/08/25

A Public Event is an event attended by individuals from the general public whether or not a fee is charged or advertised with flyers, banners, newspapers article, radio or television announcements or on an Internet website as being open to the public.  In other words, a public event is any group function to which people from outside the congregation are invited.

My church, Christ Lutheran in Bethesda will be holding a Community Festival in September.  It is classified as a public event so we must follow the food safety laws of the State of Maryland and the rules and regulations of Montgomery County.  With our licensed kitchen fully operational, this event cannot be a potluck!  All food must come from approved sources such as a restaurant, store, or be cooked in a licensed facility with a Certified Food Service Manager on duty.  If church members want to contribute food to this event, they may either purchase it ready-to-eat or buy ingredients and prepare/cook the food in our Luther Hall kitchen facilities.

Information about the rules and regulations for food service facilities can be found in the Annotated Code of Maryland (COMAR) Title 10, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Subtitle 15 Food, Chapter 03 Food Service Facilities at http://www.dsd.state.md.us/comar/

Culinary Arts Job Training

2012/08/20

On June 9, 2012, the People-4-People Employment Assistance Program launched a Culinary Arts Job Training Program for unemployed persons seeking employment in the food service industry.  Students received instructions in food safety, practical kitchen skills, as well as job readiness training.

This pilot program was sponsored by seven Montgomery County churches (Immanuel’s Church, People’s Community Baptist Church, Lutheran Church of St. Andrew, Resurrection Baptist Church, Mount Jezreel Baptist Church in Silver Spring and Redeemer Lutheran Church, St. Paul Catholic Church in Damascus), and Christ Lutheran non-profit GGT in Bethesda provided the licensed kitchen space.

Chef Paul and Chef DaVid are managing partners of the Chef Master CDER Café in Silver Spring.  Their company, ChefMaster.org of Metro DC, was hired to provide the Culinary Arts Job Training.  Both chefs are Certified Instructors and Registered Proctors for the National Restaurant Association ServSafe® course.

Instruction was held on 3 Saturdays in June and 3 Saturdays in July at the Christ Lutheran non-profit Graceful Growing Together (GGT) licensed kitchen in Bethesda.  An additional evening of preparation for the graduation reception was held at the Chef Master CDER Café.

At the graduation ceremony held at the Lutheran Church of St. Andrew in Silver Spring, students showcased their new culinary skills for 77 friends, relatives and invited guests.

Several of the Culinary Arts Job Training students have passed the ServSafe® proctored examination.  Some have honed their skills by volunteering at the Chef Master CDER Café or for the Bethesda Cares Farm to Freezer program.  So far one student has taken a field trip to a commercial supplier where restaurants shop.

People-4-People Employment Assistance Program personnel will continue to work with and mentor students for a full year.

Independence Day, the 4th of July

2012/07/08

In remembrance of Independence Day and the recent Derecho storms and resulting power outages this past week, let us pray:

O God, you divided the waters of chaos at creation.

In Christ you stilled storms, raised the dead, and vanquished demonic powers.

Tame the earthquake, wind, and fire, and all the forces that defy control or shock us by their fury.

Help us, in good times and in distress, to trust your mercy and yield to your power, this day and for ever.

Almighty God, you rule all the peoples of the earth.

We believe in you, O God, for you have made the suffering of humanity your suffering.

Today we worship you,
because you are alive,
you have saved us,
you have made us free.

Inspire the minds of all women and men to whom you have committed the responsibility of government and leadership in the nations of the world.

Give to them the vision of truth and justice, that by their counsel all nations and peoples may work together.

Give to the people of our country zeal for justice and strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will.

Forgive our shortcomings as a nation; purify our hearts to see and love the truth.

We pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

County Council Opening Prayer

2012/01/24

This Opening Prayer was delivered to the Montgomery County Council in Rockville, Maryland, on January 24, 2012.

Psalm 9 (New International Version)

1 I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name,
O Most High.

7 The LORD reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He rules the world in righteousness
and judges the peoples with equity.
9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 10  (New International Version)

12 Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.

16 The LORD is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
17 You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them,
and you listen to their cry,
18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals
will never again strike terror.

Now, a week after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I have some quotations from a letter he wrote from the Birmingham City jail.

We remember the conviction of Martin Luther King, Jr., that “freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”  Therefore, let us pray for courage and determination by those who are oppressed.

We remember Martin’s warning that “a negative peace which is the absence of tension” is less than “a positive peace which is the presence of justice.”

Therefore, let us pray that those who work for peace in our world may cry out first for justice.

We remember Martin’s insight that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”

Therefore, let us pray that we may see nothing in isolation, but may know ourselves bound to one another and to all people under heaven.

We remember Martin’s “hope that dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.”

Therefore, in faith, let us commend ourselves and our work for justice to the goodness of almighty God.

Litany by W.B. McClain and L.H. Stookey, 20th Century

In closing, let us pray.

God of the morning, at whose voice the cheerful sun makes haste to rise,  and like a giant doth rejoice to run his journeys through the skies.

O, like the sun, may we fulfill the appointed duties of the day,  with ready mind and active will, march on and keep our heavenly way.

Amen.
Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
English poet and clergyman

p.s. I found this in my archives and realized it had never been posted to my blog back in January.

Montgomery County Council Opening Prayer

2011/09/20

O gracious and holy God, give us diligence to seek you, wisdom to perceive you, and patience to wait for you.  Grant us, O God, a mind to meditate on you, eyes to behold you, ears to listen to your Word, a heart to love you, and a life to proclaim you.
Benedict of Nurnia, 6th century

O God, you pour out your spirit of grace and love.  Deliver us from cold hearts and wandering thoughts, that with burning zeal and steady minds we may worship you in spirit and truth.
Ancient collects and other prayers

O God, make the door of this house wide enough to receive all who need human love and fellowship, narrow enough to shut out envy, pride and strife.  Make its threshold smooth enough to be no stumbling block to children, nor to straying feet, but rugged and strong enough to turn back evil’s power.  God, make the door of this house the gateway to your eternal kingdom.
Unknown

God of all nations, we thank you for the  life and history of our country.  for its vast beauty, its wilderness, and wealth of forest, mine and sea.  We praise you for its people, the people whose ancestors have been here for a thousand years, and those who have just arrived.  We thank you for the variety of our traditions and our cultures, the riches of our spiritual and religious heritage, the strength of our democratic institutions.  We pray for our nation, for our citizens, residents and governments that working together we may face the future with confident hope and faith in your purpose for our world.
J. Allan McIntosh

O God, as you anointed leaders and called prophets of old, lead us to recognize our true representatives and authentic leaders: men and women who love your people and can walk with them, who feel their pain and share their joys, who dream their dreams and strive to accompany them to their common goal.  In your fire, with your Spirit, embolden and commission us to transform our political system, to serve your people, and to bring real glory to your name.
Philippines, 20th century

Amen.

Food Day 2011

2011/09/19

Food Day Logo

There’s no culture in the world that spends less on food and more on medicine than the United States. For the first time in history, our children’s generation is expected to have a shorter lifespan than our own.  The quality, taste and nutritional value of the food we eat has dropped sharply over the last fifty years.

If you are in the Washington, DC, Northern Virginia or Montgomery County, Maryland area, you are invited to come to Food Day 2011 for a local screening of the documentary film “Ingredients” co-sponsored by Bethesda Presbyterian, Church in Bethesda and Graceful Growing Together.  GGT is a non-profit community subsidiary of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church.

This local event for the first-ever national Food Day will be held on:

Monday, October 24, 7:00pm
Church in Bethesda
5033 Wilson Lane
Bethesda, MD 20814

Please RSVP if you plan on attending!

For more information, see
http://www.FoodDay.org
and http://www.ingredientsfilm.com