WITHIN THE PEWS - Congregational Church of Grafton MA

WITHIN THE PEWS
Monthly Newsletter of the
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF GRAFTON, UCC
Worship & Sunday School 10 am
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
FEBRUARY 2016 EDITION
A word from our Pastor…
Dear Reverend: Advice from Pastor Jane
(Having always read “Dear Abby”, I thought I would start my own advice column “Dear Reverend” and answer some of your burning questions. Enjoy!)
Dear Reverend,
Why in the world are we printing the hymns in the bulletin and not just using the hymnbooks?
Didn’t we pay good money for those hymnbooks? Signed, Peeved in the Pew
Dear Peeved,
We did indeed! Although we bought the red hymnal shortly before Vatican II and so I would say
we’ve gotten our money’s worth. And there is some question as to whether the black hymnal was
ever worth the money. However, I digress! There are three reasons for putting the hymns in the
bulletin:
First, a very important element to worship is movement or flow. One element of worship needs to
move easily into the next. I think that not referencing back to a hymn book (red or black) and
looking up hymn numbers makes worship more unified and keeps the service focused on worship not
page turning.
Second, if we use a song that is not from our two hymnbooks, we don’t want lots of inserts. I hate
inserts.
Third, it is more accessible to people who have a disability. Not everyone can easily reach forward
and select a hymnbook and then flip the pages. We also don’t have wheelchair cut-outs in the
_______________________________________________________________________________
Staff & Office Information:
Rev. Jane Willan, Pastor
Kristen Graham, Admin. Asst., Editor
Organist/Choir Director: Greg Gray
How to contact us:
Office Phone 508-839-4513
FAX 508-839-9772
Email: [email protected]
Pastor’s email: [email protected]
Web Site: www.uccgrafton.org
Jane’s cell 508-581-0786
Jane’s blog: http://uccgrafton.wordpress.com
pews. So anyone in a wheelchair has to keep both hymnbooks on their lap through the whole service. We
currently have two church members who use wheelchairs.
Hope that helps!
Reverend Jane
Dear Reverend,
I noticed that we sang a hymn from the Methodist hymnbook last Sunday. My Congregationalist
blood is boiling! What’s up?
Signed, Just Got off the Mayflower and I’m Mad!
Dear Mayflower Madness,
I know what you mean! The Solomon Prentice stained glass window nearly cracked! In truth, there are
not enough purely Congregational hymns to keep us singing all year (or all month). And some songs that
we think are Congregational, are not. For example, “Come Ye Faithful People Come” seems very Congregational but it was composed by an Anglican priest in the late 19th century. Also, if we didn’t sing from
other traditions, many of our favorite hymns would be unavailable to us. “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”
is Methodist; “Amazing Grace” is Church of England and “Be Thou My Vision” is an old Irish hymn.
So sing out and remember…we are all one in the spirit!
Reverend Jane
Dear Reverend,
Why do the words to the Doxology and the Gloria change from one Sunday to the next?
Signed, Dazed and Confused
Dear Dazed,
Take a deep breath and get some oxygen, it’s all good! Doxology simply means a short verse in praise of
the Holy Trinity and beginning, as a rule, with the Greek word Doxa. So, technically speaking both our
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow..." and our "Glory be to the Father..." are doxologies. In truth
there are many many doxologies! We do not change these every Sunday; rather, we change them by season in order to reflect the Christian Year.
Maybe you don't understand the Christian Year (your pastor should have explained that to you by now)
and so you probably don’t think about the fact that Christians have a year of our own. Well, you are in
luck! Come to worship on February 21st and you will hear all about it!
Reverend Jane
Dear Reverend,
I saw a pastor deliver her sermon from the chancel--she walked back and forth. She was very hip.
Why don’t you preach from the chancel instead of up there in the pulpit? You could be hip.
Signed, Too Cool for These Pews
Dear Too Cool,
Seriously? I am so hip.
Well, Mayflower Madness should be very happy because it is actually more Congregational to stand behind the
pulpit. The architecture of our church reflects what the founders of our church found important. Congregationalists believed in the primacy of the proclaimed word of God; so, they built large pulpits towering over the
smaller Communion table. So, by using the pulpit to proclaim the sermon, I am simply following in the footsteps of our Congregational ancestors.
Also, I wear high heels. End of explanation.
Reverend Jane
Dear Reverend,
I notice you keep changing things in worship. Are you sure you’re allowed to do that? Doesn’t the Bible say we need a congregational meeting first? I think it does…..maybe in Leviticus.
Signed, Liturgical Watchdog
Dear LW,
It is a little known fact, but all worship decisions reside with the pastor. Believe it or not, it is even spelled
out in the pastor's call agreement (fancy name for my contract) and referenced in our by-laws. But I am always open to feedback and new ideas (more open to “new” than “old” but that could be part of the problem).
Stop by the office or give me a call—chances are, I will be doing something that pertains to the service that
week and you can jump right in.
Reverend Jane
Dear Reverend,
Why is change so hard?
Signed, Sincere Church Member Who Loves this Church
Dear Sincere,
Because it is. All through the Bible, God asks people to change. The Israelites had to leave Egypt and go to a
new land. Mary and Joseph find themselves pregnant and unmarried—their lives turned upside down. The
disciples left everything to follow Jesus. Paul is struck blind on the road to Damascus and nothing is ever the
same again.
What if any one of those people had given in to the loss and fear that they must have felt as
the world they knew and loved changed? But they didn’t give in. They held on and God was with them. Just
as God is with us. And anyway, if you do the new thing long enough, it becomes the old thing and then when
there’s a new thing you will want the old thing back and you’ll never remember that it was once a new thing
too. Life’s funny like that.
Reverend Jane
Save the date: Styrofoam Recycling Fundraising Event
at our Church Parking Lot: April 16th 8:30 to 12:30
What items to bring for the cleanup? Gather up Styrofoam including cups, rinsed out food trays
with the PS recycling symbol, take-out containers with the PS symbol, and Styrofoam packing and
packing blocks. Also bag up your packing peanuts (in a zip lock or closed bag), and bring along your
bubble wrap. It’s a great time to kick off spring cleaning.
Our spring Styrofoam collection is in partnership with ReFoamIt, LLC. ReFoamIt transfers the
Styrofoam into useful materials and helps us all keep it out of our community landfills. This event
is in keeping with our mission to keep our church as green as we can.
All those who can help greet the cars, empty car trunks, or help pack the ReFoamit truck are welcome! Would be delightful to see the boy scouts and the return of the girl scouts for this special
community event! For questions, please talk to Justin Mussler, Fundraising Chair or Sandy Cooper,
the Recycler. Thank you!
Notes from Greg
Grafton church family, grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The
month of January has absolutely flown by, and we had some amazing worship experiences starting with Epiphany, remembering our Baptism, and celebrating the first anniversary of our church being Open and Affirming as
we share Christ’s inclusive love with all people!
So, you would think we might slow down a little in February? NO! The calendar is full of great things this
month too. We start off the month with Transfiguration Sunday where we get to see Jesus standing on the
mountain peak shining in the light of his glory (Luke 9:2-36). This scripture lesson always intrigues me. We are
always more comfortable with a Jesus who is teaching lessons, telling stories, and helping people than we are
with a Jesus who is shining in glory. What do we do with a Jesus like that? Well, come Feb 7 th, and find out!
Then, Feb 10th we will begin the season of Lent with our Ash Wednesday. I do want to take a moment
and acknowledge that not everyone enjoys the season of Lent. The cheerfulness of the Christmas-Epiphany season has past, and we begin to look at themes of penitence, mortality, and self-denial. These are not issues that
we generally take up in our daily lives. However, as we set our eyes toward the joy of Easter we have a season
of preparation. During these six Sundays we will not only see the life of Jesus on the road to the cross, but we
will also have time to examine those areas in our own lives, which get in the way of our relationship with God. I
invite you to slow down and reflect, and as always invite your friends and neighbors to join us on our journey
past the cross to the glory of resurrection morning!
See you at the church!!
Pax tecum,
Greg Gray, MST, MDiv
Our church is hosting an LGBTQ Open House
April 2 at 7 PM. This gala event will offer music, refreshments, a panel
of speakers and a time to meet and greet. All church members and the
public are welcome. Our theme will be “Faithful in Today’s World”.
Interested in helping? Call Vicky Perry or Ann Cranshaw.
Medical Supplies Needed
In March, Lindsay Burdsall will be going to the Dominican Republic as part of a humanitarian
medical mission trip through Intercultural Nursing Inc. and Northeastern University. She is looking
for donations of medical supplies (or funds to buy supplies) that will be used to provide medical
care to the people of the rural town of El Cercado. All donations are tax deductible. Supplies
needed are listed below.
.
MEDICINE: Antacids, Anti-microbials, Anti-fungal cream, Anti-histamines, Anti-infectives, Antiinflammatory/Anti-pyretic/Analgesics, cough drops, Nasal spray, Multi vitamins, Eye drops
PERSONAL CARE ITEMS: Small soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, razors, shaving
cream, hair gel, lotions, hand creams, sewing kits, combs, hair elastics, band aids
MISC. ITEMS: Glycerin suppositories, Betadine, Aveeno soap and bath packets, Preparation H
cream, Icy Hot or other muscle rubs, socks, reading glasses, sunglasses, small baggies, small empty med bottles, film containers
EMERGENCY KIT: Epinephrine and Benadryl ampules with syringes are needed in case of any
Drug/Insect reactions and one 500cc bag of Normal saline with IV needle start kit
This list can also be found on the bulletin board in the hall at church.
CARE AND CONCERN CIRCLE
February 2016
Join the Care and Concern Circle by keeping these people in your prayers now and throughout your week.
To add or remove a name, speak with any deacon, email the church office at [email protected] or the
deacon chairperson at [email protected]. Thank you!
We pray for recovery, well-being and comfort for:
Carolyn
John
Jennie G. McGrail
John Keane
Susan Stager
Betty B.
Kelley Lennon-Hopkins
Judy & Arnie Hays
All our service men and women at home and away
The transgender children and their families
All those affected by acts of cruelty, abuse or random shooting
Continuing A New Tradition
The Annual Men’s Winter Retreat
March 11-12, 2016
Edwards House Meeting and Retreat Center
1 Badger Rd., Framingham, MA
ALL MEN ARE INVITED!
The retreat leader, Rev. Bob Macfarlane
And
The UCC Men’s advisory group
WELCOMES YOU
RESERVE A PLACE AT THE TABLE
The total cost is $140
Please make a reservation deposit of $60
made payable to the church
(memo line: Men’s Retreat)
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Feel free to ask any member of the Retreat
Advisory Group
Mission Outreach would like to invite young adults
age 13 through high school to participate in a program called Reach Out Worcester, sponsored by
WamsWorks.org.
Reach Out Worcester is an overnight immersion program where participants will learn about homelessness from people who may have experienced it, or
still may be experiencing it. The program will be held
February 26-27, 2016, from 7:00 p.m. Friday - 3:00
p.m. Saturday at St. John’s Cathlic Church, 44 Temple
St., Worcester, MA. Ms. Brenda will provide the supervision for this program.
If you are interested, please feel free to contact Brenda Armstrong for information at church on most Sundays in the nursery or at [email protected].
Andy Deschenes - [email protected]
Hank Poler - [email protected]
Ron Diurba - [email protected]
Thrift Shop is open to the
congregation every Sunday
Feel free to browse and shop during coffee
hour. Donations are also accepted at that
time.
If the Workroom is closed, just
https://www.facebook.com/UCCGrafton/
place your donations along the wall in the
https://www.youtube.com/channel/
UCD6O7WxciXwlnx1Ho1GVngg/videos
ADA bathroom and one of us will put them
https://twitter.com/GraftonUCC
https://www.instagram.com/graftonucc/
[email protected]
away.
Thank you for supporting the Thrift Shop!
Sandy, Elaine and Ann
GRAFTON THRIFT SHOP
VOLUNTEERS FOR FEBRUARY, 2016
Shop Hours: Thursdays 10-4, Saturdays 10-4
Thursday 10-1
Feb.
4
Ann Cranshaw, Mary Tulloch
11
Diane LaLone, Ann Robinson
18
Bill & Jean Burke
25
Mary Tulloch, Ann Robinson
Thursday 1-4
Feb.
4
11
18
25
Saturday 10-1
Feb.
6
13
20
27
Saturday 1-4
Feb.
6
13
20
27
The church children now “do windows”
The Thrift Shop has asked Christian Ed to
help decorate our Fellowship windows and
showcase their artwork to the wide community
that uses this wonderful room. The children
will follow the calendar which will start with
Valentine’s Day, followed by St. Patrick’s and
of course Easter. Right now the windows fea-
Sandy Cooper, Vicky Perry
Ann Cranshaw, Diana Macfarlane
Elaine Hatch, Kathy Schonberg
Sandy Cooper, Kathy Schonberg
ture handmade snowflakes for winter, but with
Valentine’s Day coming, look for the big hearts
of our kids to take over.
SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR FEBRUARY:
Diane LaLone, Polly Williams
Sandy Cooper, Joanne Hable
Ann Cranshaw, Debbie Kuczmiec
Elaine Hatch, Michele Krager
February 7, 2016
Exodus 34:29-35
Psalm 99
2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
Bill & Jean Burke, Brenda Armstrong
Elaine Hatch, Amy & Anna Woodbury
Diane LaLone, Jane Nozzolillo
Ann Cranshaw, Lynne Tsombakos
Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a)
February 14, 2016
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
Please call Elaine Hatch (508-839-3547) or Sandy
Cooper (508-839-4618) if you’re unable to work your
designated shift
Board members phone numbers::
Ann Cranshaw (h) 508-839-3418 (c) 508-517-7493
Bill & Jean Burke (h) 508-839-6855
Diane LaLone (h) 508-839-5237
Elaine Hatch (h) 508-839-3547 (c) 508-450-3451
Mary Tulloch (h) 508-839-9674 (c) 508-241-3968
Sandy Cooper (h) 508-839-4618 (c)774-545-5770
Romans 10:8b-13
Luke 4:1-13
February 21, 2016
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Psalm 27
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Luke 13:31-35 or Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a)
February 28, 2016
Isaiah 55:1-9
Volunteer phone numbers:
Lee Paine 508-865-5971
Ann Robinson 508-314-7162
Jane Nozzolillo 508-839-3405
Vicki Perry 508-523-4742
Psalm 63:1-8
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9
February Birthdays
Jane Willan
2/6
Mark Tsombakos
2/8
Rick Lopes
2/9
Lois Scott
2/9
Andrew Tsombakos
2/12
Sophie Dennis
2/14
Brendan Gallagher
2/18
Eileen Moynahan
2/25
Bob Howell
2/27
The Youth Group would like to thank the members of the congregation for their generous support
of our efforts to provide Christmas gifts to local kids. Thanks to everyone who purchased from our
bake sales and/or made contributions. We were able to provide gifts to three Grafton kids - two
boys, ages 6 and 8, and a 14 year old girl...thank you for helping to share the spirit of the holidays
with these children!
Also, we’ll be looking for opportunities to involve the teens of the church in some projects this
Spring. Details will follow, but there are plans for an exciting “themed” dinner in March and we
would love to have the teens involved (they did a great job helping with last year’s Valentine’s Dinner!). We are also looking into outreach opportunities with Dismas House and The Boys & Girls
Club.
Look for invitations to a “pizza and brainstorming” session in a few weeks. For those teens who
haven’t yet seen the cool spaces downstairs, it will be a great opportunity to check it out and share
your thoughts/ideas about Youth Group. And, did I mention pizza?!!
As always, we appreciate the support of our teens, parents and the congregation! If anyone has
questions, thoughts, suggestions etc., please feel free to pass them along to Reverend Jane, or to
me ([email protected] or 508-864-0433).
Thanks!
Lynne Flanagan Tsombakos
WITHIN THE PEWS
Monthly Newsletter of the Congregational Church of Grafton
Congregational Church of Grafton
30 Grafton Common
P.O. Box 421
Grafton, MA 01519
Address Service Requested
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF GRAFTON
30 Grafton Common, P.O. Box 421, Grafton, MA; Telephone 508-839-4513
WORSHIP SERVICES: SUNDAYS, 10 a.m.
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