The Riotous Readers meet monthly discussing books that stretch your soul as well as your mind.

Last month we discussed A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, a reflection on his attempt to walk the Appalachian Trail with his old friend Stephen Katz who, woefully out of shape, was not prepared for this promise of a 2100 mile adventure. Interspersed with his adventures are little known facts about the AT, stories of people he met on the way, and a thoughtful commentary on our need for the wild.

This month we are reading Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, a novel about two twin boys, born in Ethiopia and their struggle to find their biological father and their own identities. Born to a nun who has died in childbirth, the boys are raised by adoptive parents at the Mission Hospital. The book is set in the last days of the reign of Haile Selassie I, who called himself the “Lion of Judah,” arguing that he was a descendant of the meeting of Solomon and Sheba. The book interweaves the personal struggles of the Mission doctor parents, the growth and development of the twins, and the political situation that led to how many westerners view Ethiopia.

Copies of the book are available at the Middletown Library. We will be meeting on Wednesday, June 8 at 7:30 PM in Fellowship Hall. For more information about joining us for our usual riotous discussion along with refreshments, call the Church Office at (732) 671-1905.

The Fabulous Friday Morning Walkers are planning to walk again this spring, summer and fall. We will walk in some familiar and unfamiliar places. Call the church office if you are interested in joining us. .

Sunday, June 5: Adult Religious Education will discuss the Feast of Pentecost, to be celebrated on June 12. Although Christians celebrate this day as the day that God's Holy Spirit infused a new awakening to the small group of disciples who had followed Jesus of Nazareth, it is also a Jewish day of special observance; the day that Moses brought the Torah down from Sinai.


The AAUW Book Store is open Saturdays from 9 AM to 2 PM. Not only are you able to buy gently used books for a great price but your purchase at the Book Store provides financial assistance to college students from Monmouth County.

Summer Sale at the AAUW Bookstore June 25. Come and get your bargains before the store closes down for the summer.

MISSION IS TO THE CHURCH AS A FIRE IS TO BURNING

As a people of faith, we are called to care for others. This is our passion. Share your passion to care for others by joining us in Mobile Meals, meals to the elderly at Middletown’s Senior Citizen Housing. We deliver meals and company on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Call the church office at (732) 671-1905 to learn more.

The Calico Cat Thrift Shop is a thrift store operated by the Community Outreach Group that sells gently used items to persons who cannot afford even discount prices. The COG also has a food pantry and an emergency assistance program. If you have a few hours during the week, the Calico Cat could use your help. Call (732) 671-0550 if you would like to help in this important ministry.


LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF WORSHIP EXPERIENCE?

Join us at 8:30 AM for a short contemporary worship or at 10:30 for our traditional worship with fellowship and stimulating discussion to follow.

LOOKING AT THE STATE BUDGET

The Governor has proposed a series of cuts that will affect every community in the state. Get to know what these cuts are and how they will impact you as well as the poor. For more information on the proposed New Jersey budget, go to www.betterchoicesfornj.org.

Consider this: New Jersey has the third highest percentage of millionaires of all fifty states and is second in median household income. While local property taxes are untenably high as a result of cost-shifting to local governments, New Jersey ranks 36th in state government tax revenue as percentage of income. We can make better choices that protect and strengthen New Jersey.

What will your state representatives and senators do with the budget?

LOOKING AT THE FEDERAL BUDGET

The Federal Budget is still in the discussion stage. Take action to stop cuts in food programs. The cuts are significant for the poor. Bread for the World, a faith-based advocacy organization notes the following:

Low-income families are only slowly recovering from the economic recession. Participation in SNAP (formerly food stamps) is at an all-time high—one American in eight now receives help to buy groceries each month. The unemployment rate stalled near 10 percent for months. Another large group of people have jobs but do not earn enough to make ends meet. Low-income families simply cannot afford to sacrifice any further.

Funding for the Hunger Free Communities Program would be eliminated under H.R. 1. Bread members first advocated for the Hunger-Free Communities Act as part of our 2005 Offering of Letters. The grant program established for groups working collaboratively to end hunger in their communities got under way last year with $5 million in funding. One in seven U.S. households struggles to put food on the table; in many local communities with concentrated poverty, even higher percentages of families are at risk of hunger.

H.R. 1 would also cut two-thirds of the budget for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) contingency fund, which helps low-income households pay their heating bills. Even without taking into account the cut included in H.R. 1, LIHEAP has only enough funding for a quarter of those eligible. That one in four chance of getting help with utility bills added up to an estimated 8.8 million low-income households served by LIHEAP last year.

Cuts that are less drastic but still harmful include reductions in WIC and Head Start funding. WIC serves nearly 9 million low-income people each year, including almost half of all infants in the United States and about a quarter of children ages 1 to 4. Head Start works with slightly older children to help them acquire the learning skills they need to do well in school. Both good nutrition for infants and toddlers, and ensuring that children are not behind in school almost before they start, are essential to our country’s future.

Where does your member of Congress stand on the issues?