04/14/2021: LAC’s New Senior Pastor is Rev. Dr. Peter Bynum!

Posted on April 19, 2021 by mm_editor

Beloved LAC Community,

Last Sunday was a momentous occasion for our church! Our Pastor Nominating Committee led worship and Rev. Dr. Peter Bynum preached a sermon titled “Lifted Up.” (You can watch the service here [LINK] if you missed it!) Later that afternoon, we gathered via Zoom for a Congregational Meeting where the Pastor Nominating Committee shared a full report of their search process and answered questions.

PNC Co-Chair Thea Beaver introduced Rev. Bynum:

You have already “met” our candidate during this morning’s worship, but it is my honor now to formally introduce Rev. Dr. Peter Bynum. Rev. Bynum is the Pastor and head of staff at Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church in South Carolina. That church has 2800 members! Something for us to strive for?

He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Davidson College and later attended the University of Virginia law school where he earned his JD. His career took a turn when he entered Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond Virginia. He received his Master of Divinity in 2009. In 2017, he earned his Doctor of Divinity at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia.

Reverend Bynum has inspired the PNC with his energy, spiritual maturity, and leadership ability. Having already considered over 100 candidates when we first met Reverend Bynum via Zoom, our committee was immediately impressed. As we continued our conversations with him, our confidence grew.

In early March, he visited Larchmont with his wife, Stephanie, and his daughter Molly who is currently attending Columbia University. His younger daughter, Kate who is 15, was unable to make the trip, but registered her excitement on the Zoom call when Jim & I told Peter that he was our nominee.

When the Bynums were leaving Larchmont after the in-person interview with our committee, I told Molly that her father “blew me away.” Immediately, this 18-year old smiled knowingly and said to me, “He blows me away every single day.”

LAC voted unanimously (93 votes in favor, 0 opposing) to call Rev. Dr. Peter Bynum to serve as our next Senior Pastor. He will begin on April 28th, 2021, and his first Sunday leading worship at LAC will be May 9th, 2021. We look forward to welcoming Rev. Bynum and his family into our community!

04/07/2021: Congregational Meeting on April 11

Posted on April 19, 2021 by mm_editor

Beloved LAC Community,

Christ is risen, indeed! Hallelujah! This Eastertide is buzzing with exciting news for our Church! In case you missed Sunday’s special announcement (check out the full service here [LINK]), our Pastor Nominating Committee has found someone wonderful to serve as our new Senior Pastor! The candidate will preach this Sunday, April 11th, during our online service, and there will be a special meeting of the congregation of the Larchmont Avenue Church at 1:00 p.m. via Zoom to receive the report of the Pastor Nominating Committee and to vote to call our new Senior Pastor.

Your participation is crucial! In order to conduct the business, we need a quorum of 57 members, preferably on separate devices in order to tabulate votes from multiple-member households.

Please plan on joining us on ZOOM!

Sincerely,

Clark Morehouse and Leah Griggs Pauly

Co-Clerks of Session

03/31/2021: On Proclamation & the Arts

Posted on April 19, 2021 by mm_editor

Dear LAC,

During Advent, we talked a little bit about the arts in worship as a type of proclamation as we prepared for this year’s Dancing Magnificat, and as we look forward to another arts-based service for Good Friday, it seems like a good time for a recap:

In our Reformed tradition, proclamation (κήρυγμα / kerygma) is the heart of our worship. We believe that there is something transformative that happens when we gather as a community and read scripture together. The Holy Spirit is at work within us and within the Word of God to lead us to understanding, wisdom, and insight. This act of communal engagement, transformation, and illumination of God’s Word is called proclamation. We are familiar with proclamation happening during the sermon; however, we also experience these moments of transcendence during other parts of worship–from choral anthems that help us to hear God’s Word in a new way to stories of how our mission partners are living out the gospel during the moment for mission.

This Good Friday, we will hear the story of Jesus’s arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death as told in John 18-19. We’ll pause along the way to meditate and reflect with art and music. Our proclamation comes in that space of reflection, where sacred storytelling, art, and the haunting refrain from “O Sacred Head Now Wounded,” are woven together by the Spirit and transformed into something greater than the sum of its components.

Jesus is nailed to the cross / And on the strangest sea
A wife weeps while hugging her husband in his final moments in a COVID-19 unit at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, California.

Our art comes from Mary Button’s (the vicar of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Kingston, NY) exhibit Stations of the Cross: Pandemic Hope. Vicar Button juxtaposes traditional stations of the cross with hand-drawn illustrations of hope, resiliency, and relationship as witnessed in news stories covering the COVID-19 pandemic. Each scene is paired with a stanza of Emily Dickinson’s “Hope is the thing with feathers.” Through these multi-media collages, the cosmic story of death and resurrection, of suffering and compassion, is reflected through our shared experience of the past year. In a virtual service, Vicar Button shared:

“My interest in the stations of the cross began when I was in graduate school, exploring the connections between art and the devotional lives of Christians everywhere. I created my first series in 2010, and have created eight more in the ensuing years, each engaging with contemporary social justice issues and bringing those stories into the story of the passion.

What our holy scripture teaches us is that God is with us in our suffering, and the goal of these projects is for us to see Jesus’s suffering in the suffering of those around us. When we can see God in one another and be present in each other’s pain, we can change the world.”

To learn more, or purchase a digital download of the art and accompanying prayer prompts (a portion of all proceeds will go to RIP Medical Debt–$40,000 of medical debt has been forgiven from Pandemic Hope downloads thus far!) please visit Vicar Button’s website, https://www.marybutton.com.

Beloved, it was an honor and a privilege to work on this service. I must confess to feeling somewhat numb and weary as we have passed the one-year mark of online worship, but something broke open in my heart while editing, and I felt a deep sense of both grief and hope. I hope this Good Friday worship experience will be meaningful for you, and will leave you feeling ready to change the world. You may download a bulletin here [LINK] and join us for the livestream at noon on Friday via Facebook and via our website.

With Grace and Peace,

Marranda Major

Church Secretary, Communication Coordinator, and Video Editrix

03/24/2021: COVID-19 Update

Posted on April 19, 2021 by mm_editor

Dear LAC,

Spring is in the air! More and more folks within our community are receiving their COVID-19 vaccinations, and schools are preparing for fully in-person instruction. What does this mean for Larchmont Avenue Church? Are we ready to return to worshiping in-person?

The short answer: not yet. Our Elders on Session will continue to carefully discern and to prepare in order to make the transition from pre-recorded to livestreamed in-person services as smooth as possible. LAC’s worship will continue to be online throughout April.

While Sunday worship will remain virtual, LAC is testing out hybrid in-person/Zoom gatherings for both fellowship and ministry:

You may have noticed in your bulletin that our boards and committees are beginning to have hybrid meetings with some folks gathering in-person (socially-distanced and masked) in Russell Hall and others joining via Zoom.
For early risers, we will join with our church neighbors for an ecumenical sunrise service on Easter morning. Greet your friends and neighbors and celebrate the Risen Lord at 6:30 a.m. in Manor Park near Umbrella Point.
With schools resuming in-person instruction, our youth groups, TGIF and SHIFT, will return to hybrid Zoom/in-person meetings on April 11th.
LAC has continued to support Midnight Run throughout the pandemic, our youth will help pack and deliver supplies on April 17th.
On April 18th, LAC’s students will gather for an in-person Sunday School playdate at 12:30 p.m. at Chatsworth playground.

We are excited about some of the events that move us toward in-person worship. Although we are not resuming services in the Sanctuary at this time, we are shifting thoughtfully and carefully toward more in person opportunities, and we appreciate your support and participation in these efforts.

With Grace and Peace,

Your LAC Worship Committee

03/17/2021: Holy Week at LAC

Posted on April 19, 2021 by mm_editor

Dear LAC,

Many of you have been writing in and calling the office to ask about Holy Week!

Here is the game-plan for our online worship together:

Palm Sunday (3/28) will be a regular Sunday morning (10 AM) worship service, led by Rev. Jed Koball. We invite you to have a palm frond or hard house-plant ready to wave while we shout “Hosanna!” and sing “All Glory, Laud, and Honor.” (Read more below about a special opportunity to submit your Palm Sunday Greetings!)
Maundy Thursday (4/1) will be led by our Hudson River Presbytery leaders and will be streamed Live on Facebook (and not LAC’s website) at 6:30 p.m.
On Good Friday (4/2), we will share in a midday service with special music and space to meditate on scripture at 12:00 p.m.
For early risers, our ecumenical partners will gather for an in-person sunrise service on Easter morning. Details regarding time and location are still being confirmed, but watch out for an update in Church Notes.
Finally, LAC will hold one service on Easter (4/4) morning at 10:00 a.m. Rev. Jed Koball will preach and Rev. Daniel Yang will preside over Communion–so save a hot cross bun (or special Easter treat of choice) to celebrate with the Sacrament with us virtually!

With Grace and Peace,

Your LAC Worship Team

Share Video Greetings for Palm Sunday & Easter!

For Palm Sunday, rustle up some houseplants (paint your hands green) and shout, “Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord! HOSANNA!” and submit your clip by Wednesday, March 24.

For Easter, greet your LAC family by saying “Hallelujah! Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!”

Please submit your recordings by Wednesday, March 31.

Call Crafters & Creators of All Ages!

Download a Copy

As we move through this Lenten season and anticipate Easter, we invite you all to join the Sunday School classes this year as they are in the midst of ‘hiding the alleluias.’ We are inviting you to show off your artistic flair and color in the Alleluia design. We will be ‘hiding’ them as we await Easter when they can be revealed during Easter worship along with our celebration of the risen Lord! Please color and send in your art to LACoffice@lacny.org by Monday, March 29th.

03/03/2021: Intergenerational Bible Study

Posted on April 19, 2021 by mm_editor

Dear LAC,

Thank you to all who participated in our first round of Stories from the Wilderness! Last Sunday, we read through some of Exodus and met Miriam and the Israelites as they begin their journey into the wilderness. This week we will meet Jephthah’s daughter in Judges 11:29-40! If you missed our first session, you are more than welcome to join when you are able for our INTERGENERATIONAL journey of (re)discovering some of the lesser told stories from the wilderness found in our Bible. Inspired by SHIFT’s question “What is that doing in the Bible?” we will gather via Zoom (1:30 PM) to read, learn and discuss some of these difficult texts and take a deeper dive in the many wildernesses that we encounter not only in the bible, but perhaps also in our world today. Due to the violent nature of some of these texts we will be engaging with, we ask that any middle schoolers who will be attending MUST bring a parent.

02/17/2021: On Ashes, Grief, and New Life

Posted on April 19, 2021 by mm_editor

Dear LAC,

Today is Ash Wednesday, a time when we mark the beginning of the season of Lent. Our liturgical calendar blocks out these forty days before Easter to parallel Christ’s time in the wilderness. Traditionally, Lent is a season of repentance, of starting over. A time of nurturing the parts of ourselves that are works in progress, of churning the soil and making space for our spiritual roots to grow deeper in faith. It’s a time of quieting our hearts to listen for God’s voice speaking to us once more and opening ourselves to follow God in a new (or perhaps familiar) direction. For some, this means trying out a new spiritual discipline like meditation, and for others, this could be a time of cultivating gratitude and connection with loved ones through more regular check-ins or a practice of writing letters.

On Ash Wednesday, we orient ourselves towards Christ’s journey to the cross by reflecting on our own mortality. This year, however, we don’t need a reminder that we are fragile nor of the preciousness of life. We face our finitude every time we don a mask to exit our homes, or internally debate the risk of hugging a friend outside our “bubble.” We are more aware than ever that we rely on God and on one another for support.

In past years, LAC has gathered for a simple meal and a service with the imposition of ashes. This year we will not gather for a service, though our denominational leaders have created a video for those who would enjoy time to reflect with scripture and music. Instead, we invite you to reflect on what has become “ash” in your life in the wake of the pandemic. As we approach the one-year mark, let us make space to grieve for the cancelled plans, the lost jobs and the security of “normal,” the rites of passage from graduations to proms that felt different over Zoom, the time we hoped to spend with our families and friends, and of course, the deaths of loved ones within our community.

This year, we do not anoint ourselves with ashes, but instead name our loss, and take comfort that our God does not abandon us in our suffering, but draws near to us with compassion. Our scripture tells us that God breathed life into dust at our creation, and the Spirit of God can spark life from what looks dead and dormant. Our faith takes root in the impossible good news of Christ’s death and resurrection. What wonders will God work from our ashes? Where will we experience new life? As the days lengthen, and the snow slowly melts, may you feel the Holy One stirring in you, watering seeds of hope with unending grace.

Peace,

Marranda Major

Church Secretary & Communication Coordinator

Journeying Together Through Lent

Worship

Have you noticed that recent bulletins have included the Lord’s Prayer in both English and Spanish? During Lent, we will explore the theme “praying in the language of our hearts.” We will focus on heart-felt and Spirit-led sharing during the Prayers of the People, and we will feature folks sharing the Lord’s Prayer in their native tongue as a way of honoring the diversity within our community. If you are interested in participating in this project, please contact the office to learn how you may get involved!

Stories from the Wilderness:

a Lenten Bible Study

On February 28th, March 7th, 14th, 21st at 1:30 p.m., LAC will hold an intergenerational Bible study via Zoom. Inspired by a question from LAC high schoolers (“What is this doing in the Bible?”), we will look at four Biblical characters and their experiences in the wilderness as we journey through Lent and walk alongside Jesus during his wilderness experience. Curious to learn more? Contact Ekama Eni at eeni@lacny.org or (914)834-1800 (ext. 306).

02/10/2021: Celebrating Black History Month!

Posted on April 19, 2021 by mm_editor

Happy Black History Month, LAC!

This month, as we celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans and rededicate ourselves to working for racial justice, we join with our fellow Presbyterians to honor Black PCUSA Leaders!

LAC is invited to join with others in our denomination for a special online service on Wednesday, February 24th, led by the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries. The service this year will be live streamed on the PC(USA) Facebook page starting at 9 a.m.

Below, you will find a list of some notable “Firsts” within our denomination, as well as a few resources for learning more about these incredible leaders and experiencing their work firsthand.

What (and who!) are you learning about this Black History month? Reply to this message to share what you are reading, listening to, and what questions are encouraging your learning. We’ll compile your recommendations to share as we continue to learn and grow as a community!

With joy and curiosity,

Marranda Major

Church Secretary & Communication Coordinator

Hear Their Voices:

Feeling burned out and weary? Here [LINK] is a sermon from Rev. T. Denise Anderson about Ezekiel prophesying to dry bones and the Spirit bringing miraculous new life when we feel dead and dormant.

Rev. Anderson is a phenomenal preacher, and her message about the Church adapting to the needs of the community resonates for LAC in the COVID era.

Longing for some heady (and embodied) theology and a taste of Womanist ethics? Check out Rev. Dr. Katie G. Cannon’s lecture, “Thinking with Our Hearts/Feeling with Our Brains: Testimonies of Faith that History Might Otherwise Forget”–accessible here [LINK].

Dr. Cannon skillfully weaves her lived experiences with important challenges for the academy regarding the myth of objectivity and what “embodied authenticity” might look like. This recording is from one of Dr. Cannon’s last public appearances before her death in 2018.

Looking for material that is accessible for younger readers? Check out Elder Katherine Johnson’s autobiography, Reaching for the Moon, to hear Katherine’s story, made famous in the film Hidden Figures, in her own voice. While focused on inspiring the next generation of STEM innovators, Johnson also shares her own experience of significant racial justice moments with a focus on how her community survived by supporting one another.

02/03/2021: SOUP-er Bowl of Caring

Posted on April 19, 2021 by mm_editor

Dear LAC,

This Sunday is the SOUPer Bowl of Caring! The Souper Bowl of Caring was started over 20 years ago as a way for communities to give back to food justice organizations in their local communities during a time when many other Americans experience the joy and abundance that comes with the “big game.”

During this season, we are partnering with the Larchmont Avenue Church Preschool to support the Larchmont Mamaroneck Hunger Food Taskforce. There are two ways to participate:

As always, giving money is one of the best ways to support our local food partners. You may give online [LINK] by selecting “Souper Bowl” from the drop-down fund menu, or by sending a check to LAC, (Attn: Gloria Haq, Bookkeeper) with “Souper Bowl” on the memo line.
We are asking our families to participate in LMHTF newest initiative by packing themed snack bags for their distribution on February 9th. These “Souperbowl Celebration” bags should be Ziplock (or equivalent) sandwich-sized bags so that they fit in the distribution bags and don’t add too much weight, and could include:
- a small packet of instant soup,
- a small sleeve of crackers,
- a small bag of cookies or a sweet,
- a bag of small snacks that people might eat while watching the big game,
- bags can be decorated with a sticker and/or ribbon and a simple note (“Hope you enjoy” or “Have a great day”).

We are looking for at least 30 families to make up 10 bags each, and we are almost to our goal! Please sign-up by replying to this message or sending me an email (eeni@lacny.org) o confirm your participation. The bags can be dropped on in the collection boxes at the preschool, or in the LAC foyer by Monday, February 8th!

Blessings!

Ekama Eni

Interim Director of Youth and Family Ministries