Echo March 2014 - First Congregational Church of Eliot
Transcription
Echo March 2014 - First Congregational Church of Eliot
First Congregational Church of Eliot United Church of Christ 1361 State Road Eliot, Maine 03903 The ECHO March 2014 Rev. Dr. Beth Hoffman, Senior Pastor Rev. Chris Lanzara, Assistant Pastor http://www.eliotucc.org Beginning the Journey Come join us Tuesday! March 4 from 5-6:30pm as we celebrate MARDI GRAS with PANCAKES and all the FIXINGS! Sign up on the bulletin board outside fellowship ! hall. There is spot a sign up for food donations and cooking as well. We would love to have donations but more importantly we would love to have you be there! Any questions or idea, please contact hosts Robin Wheeler (439-2082) and Lisa Marshall (450-8079)! !"#$"%&'()##&*' +"*$,'-.'/01-' Fat Tuesday is Mardi Gras, "Gras" is French for fat and "Mardi" is French for Tuesday. This holiday is some9mes called Shrove (confess) Tuesday. The following day is Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent -‐a 40 day Mardi Gras began as the last day to indulge in food and drink before the fas9ng and more penitent 40 day period in prepara9on for Easter. ! Come By Way of the Cross Kittery-Eliot Clergy Association Ecumenical Services Lenten Worship opportunities at 7PM A Journey of Emotions FEAR March 5th SURPRISE ASH WEDNESDAY First Congregational Church of Eliot, UCC Preacher : Rev. Dr. Jeff Gallagher March 12th Meetinghouse Village, Kittery Preacher : Pastor Bill Humphrey JOY March 19th Eliot United Methodist Church Preacher : Pastor Bob Hett SORROW March 26th Second Christian Congregational, UCC Preacher : Rev. Dr. Beth Hoffman TRUST April 2nd St Mark’s United Methodist Church Preacher : Father John Skehan PATIENCE April 9th First Congregational Church Kittery Point, UCC Preacher : Pastor Patty Marsden “JESUS WEPT” April 19th GOOD FRIDAY Second Christian Congregational Church, UCC Worship Leader: Rev. Brad Hirst and colleagues Upcoming Events "Help Feed Your Neighbor" Sponsored by the South Berwick -‐ Eliot Rotary Club As we all know, there are many people, our neighbor, who are struggling. On Friday, April 4, 2014, there will be a fundraiser to help those in need. Again this year the event will be held at the RegaOa in Eliot at Eliot Commons on Route 236. There will be live music by "Something in the Water," hearty appe9zers, an extensive silent auc9on, as well as raffles. Proceeds for the event will benefit: • 68 Hours Without Hunger • Table of Plenty • Footprints Food Pantry • South Berwick Food Pantry Last year we raised over $12,000, but much more is needed. Most of these organiza9ons depend on the funds we raise each year for them. Please help make this fun event a success while you "Help Feed Your Neighbor." We would appreciate auc9on items and help selling 9ckets. If you're interested, please contact Robin Wheeler (207-‐439-‐2082). THANK YOU! THRIFT SHOP GEARING UP We will start to collect items for the Thric Shop in March, so as you go thru your closets think of what you can clear out and keep it for us. You may leave items at any 9me, just DO NOT LEAVE THEM OUTSIDE THE DOOR . We do not accept shoes, baby cribs, high chairs, playpens or toys with lead paint. The opening date will be Saturday April 19th .The Mission Board will have a Bake Sale. There will be a ½ price sale for some of the items lec over from our fair. Our hours are the first and third Thursday, 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. – Noon. BROWN BAG LUNCH with PASTOR BETH TUESDAYS IN LENT beginning March 11th Come for conversation and company with the pastor. Bring a lunch and spend a little time. Don’t forget to bring your brown bag lunch! 11:30-12:30 ( except March 25th) The Senior Pastor’s Page Dear Friends, This is a musing that I shared with you a few years ago and recently, was asked to share it again. It is said that the only story that is not worth hearing a second time is one that was not worth hearing the first time. And so... When I think of Lent, I think of watermelon. Yes I said watermelon. When my daughter Lydia was about 4 she would enjoy going up with her pastor to hear the children’s message. That year he told the kids that among other things, that he was giving up watermelon for Lent. Lydia was fascinated by this gigantic sacrifice and had no notion he was being humorous. She took his sacrifice very seriously and counted down the weeks of Lent until her pastor could have watermelon again. Of course she didn’t realize that it was a summer food and not a Lenten hardship. The following Lent, she marched right up and asked if he would be giving up watermelon again. He had made a connection to her and she had made a connection to Lent. Ritual, practice and expectation of a familiar story, that Lenten watermelon and the story of its sacrifice came to be something she expected each year. Now she is a teen and has long known that it is no big deal to give up the summer fruit in the deep of winter, but still she wonders out loud if her childhood pastor is talking about it once again. Ritually living into the season of Lent, even if it is through the memory of a children’s story, gives her a sense of the season and it’s timing in the church life. She has been imprinted with watermelon and her faith is fuller for it. Of course I think of other things too when I ponder the season of Lent. I know lots of things from lots of books but it is the “watermelon moments” that really sink me deep into the beautiful shadows of the Lenten journey. Whether it is the feel of the ashes on my forehead to the special purple cloth on the pulpit, the waving of the palms or the dark shadows of Good Friday worship, I have been imprinted with those deep images of this season that includes sacrifice, repentance and journey. Perhaps our faith has a kind of muscle memory. We respond and grow through the practices we are taught even before we know we are doing important exercises. Many of these we experience for the first time as adults: a striking new hymn, a love of a new banner, a devotional book.. I love the ivy that we place in our sanctuary during Lent. I see that ivy and I feel more deeply the wandering growth that is our Lenten walk. Like Lydia and her watermelon, we also have some deep imprints from childhood. The black cloth on the cross is a particularly powerful one for me, as I would sit next to my father and we would imagine that we Jesus on that powerful Good Friday. I also remember a meal of lamb and grape juice, matzoth and hardboiled egg and other neat things, as I learned about the Exodus and the journey of the Israelites and their Seder dinner from my mother. How about you? What are your imprinting memories of Lent? Are they old and deep or fresh and new? Are you leaning into Lent with all that you have and absorbing the season? Are you guiding young ones to have their own watermelon moments? Come share your thoughts with me and please come experience Lent and Holy Week through the many worship experiences offered: ritual, practice and expectation. Come challenge yourself, even as you are comforted by the familiar story in this season of journeying to Jerusalem.See you in Church and on The Way, Pastor Beth Ah ha’s from The Assistant Pastor should be part of the language of science. I feel like direc9ng him to Psalm 19: The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. The media ocen portrays the rela9onship between science and faith as heated, ocen angry, and, frankly, circus-‐like. This sells 9ckets and adver9sing, but doesn’t further understanding. Yet, the Na9onal Academy of Science says that science is “not the only In a recent sermon, I explored the rela9onship way of knowing and understanding,” and the United of science and faith – a rela9onship that need not be Church of Christ recognizes the contribu9ons of mutually exclusive. I drew on my experience as an science, and appreciates how faith and science can undergraduate student in science, finding that the learn from each other. Check out the UCC’s Pastoral science and math that I was learning did not conflict Le@er on Faith Engaging Science and Technology at with my spirituality. hOp://ucc.org/not-‐mutually-‐exclusive/pdfs/pastoral-‐ While I cannot reproduce the math I learned, I leOer.pdf. God’s crea9on is awesome – and the more can tell you that I began to see a language that opened we learn about it, the more awesome it is! Let us bear the door for the understanding of God’s crea9on. As I witness to the glory of our Creator! Amen. saw the incredible complexity and diversity of organisms and biological processes, I saw the amazing crea9ve power of the Divine. When I began to comprehend the vast reaches of space and 9me, I began to understand the greatness and transcendence of God. And as I began to explore the strange world of quantum mechanics – the study of the smallest things we can discern in the universe (if we can even really call then things) I found that space itself is not empty, but full of the Sacred crea9ve poten9al, the power of the Word, to bring new things into being. Indeed many scien9sts, as they peer into the wonders of the natural world, are struck by the mystery and experience deep feelings of awe and wonder. One scien9st has used the word “sacred” and thinks it Peace and Blessings, Pastor Chris Lanzara The Seminarian Says... I am loving both of my very different classes -‐ one on Old Testament history and one on Jus9ce and Ethics. I enjoy (most of) the readings, but my 9me in the classroom is my favorite 9me. The discussions are incredible, and the students in the classes truly take their studies seriously. It is not like high school or even under-‐grad. Now, if I can only find my way OUT of Boston at the end of class without gesng lost... It's hard to believe a whole month has passed, though when I think of all the informa9on we have covered in my classes already it seems like even longer than a month. The first day I entered my first class it Sandy Norris, Seminarian ________________________________________ EASTER SUNDAY FLOWERS If you would like to contribute to the tulips, lilies, hyacinths, and daffodils on the chancel for the was incredibly overwhelming. The professor spoke very quickly and was rapidly firing ques9ons to the class as to the names and other data of various important biblical loca9ons. The students were answering as quick as popcorn being popped, and I sat there feeling very, very inferior. I didn't know any of the informa9on that most of my classmate obviously already knew, and it was just the first class! But I knew I was where I was supposed to be, and since that first class several things have happened to reduce my anxiety. First of all, I made some great friends, who just happened to be assigned to my work group in the class, who were part of the "smart" crowd yelling out all the answers. And I found out that they are humble people that have just had most 9me of learning under their belt, and that they're happy to help me. And secondly, I realized acer just four weeks that I could answer a lot of those ques9ons now, that learning takes 9me, that some9mes you have to be uncomfortable with you don't know in order to learn it. Sunday Service, please pay $10.00 per flower request to the church office by March 23rd. If you have any questions, please contact Linda Gove at 207-439-3856.Please use the form in the sanctuary to let us know how you would like to have the blooms shared. They can be given in memory or in ! Sun Mon Tue Wed TUESDAYS BRING A Fellowship IN LENT: LUNCH and hall BROWNBAG join in the 11:30 WITH conversation 12:30PM: PASTOR and Everyone BETH company welcome 2 3 4 Mardi Gras 5 Ash Wednesday 6 Thu Fri Sat 1 7 8 10a-11:30a Worship and Sunday School 6p-8:30p Riverview Homeowners Assn 9a-12p Church 7p-9p Craft Group Office 6p-7p Choir Rehearsal 12:30p-3p Ladies' 8a-11a Church Circle Office Open 8a-9a Exercise 7p-8p Ash Class Wednesday 4p-7p Bluegrass Service - FCCE Group 8a-9a Exercise Class 9 10 11 12 14 15 10a-11:30a Worship and Sunday School 7p-9p Craft Group 9a-12p Office 4:00p-5:30p Confirmation Class 5:30p- Property 5:30p-NEW TIME Deacons 7p-Choir 11:30a-2:30p Sr. Citizens Group 8a-11a Church Office Open 8a-9a Exercise Class 12p-3p Garden 7p-8p Lenten Club Service – St. 4p-7p Bluegrass Raphael’s Catholic Group Church 8a-9a Exercise Class ECHO ITEMS DUE 16 17 St. Patrick's Day 18 19 20 21 22 8a-9a Exercise Class 4p-6p Ham & Bean Supper 7p-8p Lenten Service – Eliot United Methodist Church 8a-11a Church Office Open 8a-9a Exercise Class 4p-7p Bluegrass Group 27 28 29 PANCAKE SUPPER 56:30 13 10a-11:30a 7p-9p Craft Group Worship and Sunday School 11:30a-12:30p Finance Committee 9a-12p Church Office 6p-7p Council 7p-8p Choir Rehearsal 23 24 25 26 10a-11:30a Worship and Sunday School 11:30a-12:30p Christian Ed Meeting 7p-9p Craft Group 9a-12p Church Office 6p-7p Choir Rehearsal 8a-11a Church Office Open 7p-8p Lenten Service – Second 8a-9a Exercise Class Christian 4p-7p Bluegrass Congregational Group Church 30 31 Upcoming Lenten Services: 10a-11:30a Worship and Sunday School 7p-9p Craft Group 4/2 – St. Mark’s United Methodist, John Skehan preaching 4/9 – First Congregational Church of Kittery Point, Patty Marsden preaching 4/18 – GOOD FRIDAY – Second Christian, UCC – 8a-9a Exercise Class Testimonial Talk Why First Church Eliot, UCC Is My Church! by Richard and Joan Donhauser Talented musicians and wonderful voices are present at every worship service. We love the music at church. We share the joy of singing with others. The church is one of the few places where all are welcome and When we sat down to write this leOer we thought we would have very different reasons as to why we are happy to call the First Congrega9onal Church of Eliot our church. We soon realized that our feelings are very similar. When we started aOending the First Congrega9onal encouraged to sing. We hope to con9nue to grow in faith and spirituality realizing that it is a life long journey and First Church Eliot is here to lead us. -‐-‐-‐Richard and Joan Church of Eliot over 30 years ago; we came as a family with three young children. We wanted our children to know that spiritual community and faith are important values. The church provided our family with a frame of reference, a 9me for gra9tude and introspec9on, a 9me to think of others. We now see the happiness and joy aOending our church brings to our granddaughters. They feel so loved and welcome at our church. We have witnessed peaks and valleys in our faith journey over the years. We are joyful and proud that as a faith community we are currently experiencing one of the highest peaks at our church. Our church’s ministry NUBIAN GENTS ARE COMING! APRIL 27th A change in worship venue has risen to new levels; brought excitement and a new We are hos9ng this amazing step group for the last direc9on to our community. weekend in April and we want as many as possible to witness this amazing ministry group. The First Congrega9onal Church of Eliot is like the Google of our faith journey. We can ask any ques9on and receive an answer or a road map that will direct us in the choices to be made. We find the church focuses our aOen9on on something bigger, something bigger than our concerns. We are reminded to count our blessings. Opportuni9es are presented to assist others in our community and in our world. We have The deacons have invited all worshippers to travel to Eliot United Methodist Church on 236 where we will share sanctuary space and worship together. Pastor Beth will be leading worship with Pastor PaOy Marsden. Gathering in this space will allow this ministry to be shared by many more people and give us a great opportunity to be community. experienced the support of our faith community and hope we can contribute towards the support of others. Music has become a significant part of our worship. Please talk to Lisa Marshall a deacon or a pastor to answer ques9ons you might have. We are excited for this great weekend! 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Pastor Beth WILL be leading worship. Heart Art – 2nd Sunday of month, Feb 9. Big success 25 people Fourteen ladies aOended our February 5th mee9ng. Dessert and coffee was provided by Sue Pastoral Excellence Program – new Bicknell. We put together 35 clergy enrichment group sponsored ValenVne’s Day GiY Bags for the by the Maine Conference. Pastor Footprints ladies. Many small Beth will par9cipate in once a items were brought in by the ladies month gathering in Portland. to be put into the bags. It was suggested that is 9me to Carole Shirk is looking for wash review our staff employees: clothes, towels, ivory soap, and nail Deacons will facilitate review of clippers for the Health Kits. We M u s i c M i n i s t e r a n d O ffi c e also need school bags for the Manager.-‐ Richard D. Walter G. and School Kits. th Sherri A. agreed to serve in this On March 5 we will go to the capacity. Portsmouth Country Club for lunch. We will meet at the church at Mee9ng 9me change – discussion 11:15 to car pool. of frequency needed for mee9ngs, day & 9mes. Will keep at once a For our April 2 mee9ng, ladies are month, 2nd Tuesday. A change of being asked to bring paper 9me to 5:30, so as not to conflict products for Footprints. with choir prac9ce and have There will be a half price sale on e n o u g h 9 m e fo r i m p o r ta n t some of the fair items, along with a discussion. Bake sale for Missions, on the opening day of the Thric Shop on Deacons encouraged to send topics April 19th. they would like to have brought th forward to Pastor Beth ahead of On May 4 our mee9ng will be 9me, she will create an agenda. pusng bags together for Mother’s This will be priori9zed, and be at Footprints. Start now to collect discussed as 9meframe of mee9ng small items to put in the bags. allows. Jane Spinney DEACONS Nubian-‐Gents; black step group, to perform here in town April 27. Pastor Beth has suggested that we join our service of worship with E U M C ( E l i o t M e t h o d i s t ) t o encourage a larger gathering, b e O e r a c o u s 9 c s , p a r k i n g , restrooms, more spacious. All Deacons all in favor. NO worship in FCE sanctuary on that day. ALL to gather at EUMC to accommodate the Nubian Gents and facilitate further Richard suggested we explore the possible vision of FCE and United Methodist of Eliot joining as one united church. Invites all to consider this as a possibility. Both Pastor Beth and Pastor PaOy invited for discussion. Pastor Beth pointed out one big difference: policy/government/judicatory of e a c h c h u rc h i s d i ffe re nt i n denomina9onal polity. MISSION BOARD YOUR HELP IS NEEDED................. The Mission Board is looking for the following items, and we know that you are GENEROUS PEOPLE, and will help us out. We ARE IN NEED OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS,,,,,,,,,,,,,FOR THE HYGIENE K I T S A N D T H E C L E A N -‐ U P BUCKETS...... A N Y A N D A L L I T E M S A R E WELCOME AND CAN BE LEFT IN THE NARTEX BASKET. H A N D T O W E L S , W A S H CLOTHS .IVORY SOAPW/ALOE, TOOTH BRUSHES, NAIL CLIPPERS. FOR THE CLEAN-‐UP BUCKETS; THE FOLLOWING: 50 CLOTHE PINS SCRUB BRUSH , INSECT REPELLENT[SPRAY] 100 YDS OF CLOTHE LINE ROPE SPONGES OF VARIOUS SIZES. WE HAVE THE BUCKETS, DONATED AND NOW JUST NEED TO FILL THEM. THE TORNADO SEASON IS APPROACHING, AND ALL OF THESE ITEMS CAN BE USED, AS WE WOULD LIKE TO FILL 5 BUCKETS THIS YEAR. THE MISSION BOARD IS TO HAVE ANOTHER FOOD SALE IN APRIL TO HELP FINISH OFF THE ITEMS NEEDED TO FILL THE BUCKETS, HYGIENE, BAGS AND WE HOPE THAT EVERYONE WILL SUPPORT THE SALE, AS IN THE PAST YEARS WE HAVE DONE VERY WELL AND CAN PURCHASE ITEMS N E E D E D TO H E L P F I L L T H E BUCKETS, OR HYGIENE BAGS. Thank you one and all for your work and dona9ons. Children and Youth and Families Ministries ChrisVan EducaVon News Update In February our lessons were based on the Bea9tudes, lesng our light shine, loving our enemies and learning we are holy, we are perfect, we are loved. The children let their light shine by crea9ng valen9nes for some members and friends of the congrega9on to brighten their day. In the spirit of Valen9ne’s Day, Carole Shirk treated the children to liOle stuffed zebras, giraffes &monkeys who were “wild at heart”. Thank you, Carole! Also, the children wish to thank Russ McMullen for spearheading a recrea9on room for the children. Nate Orr was very proud to unveil the surprise and the children are enjoying playing the games during coffee hour. We’ll be celebra9ng Mardi Gras on March 2nd – come dressed in bright colors to chase away the winter blues! AOendance con9nues to be good. We will be splisng the children into 2 classes. Sonya Quinn and Joan Donhauser will share the class for the older children. Pockets magazine will be coming soon! We’ve subscribed to this great devo9onal magazine designed specifically for children to connect with God. Features include both fic9on & non-‐fic9on stories, games, scripture readings, real life faith heroes, a mission-‐of-‐ the-‐month families can par9cipate in and a challenge “to do one thing” each week that will make a difference. We will provide each family with an issue to take home and hope you will find this a great resource. Families are encouraged to recycle by passing each issue on to a friend. Mark your calendars for Vaca9on Bible School July 7-‐11. This, our 4th year, promises to be even bigger and beOer. Our curriculum is Weird Animals which lets kids know its okay to be different. God created us to be one-‐ of-‐a-‐kind. Tall or short, curly hair or bald, sporty or a bookworm, big sister or liOle brother…Jesus loves you. If you’d like to help us with this program or have ques9ons, please contact the church office or Sherry Goodnough. If transporta9on is a problem, maybe we can help. We are working on brainstorming new fundraising ideas to benefit Chris9an Ed programs as well as some fun family and congrega9onal ac9vi9es to provide opportuni9es for fellowship. Our next mee9ng will be held acer church on March 30th, please come and share your ideas! Change is Coming: The Chris9an Educa9on Board is happy to let you know that star9ng on March 9th the Sunday School children will be divided into two groups. We recognize that the older members of the Sunday School are ready for a challenge and that is difficult to achieve with the range of ages currently in the Sunday School. Sherry Goodnough does an incredible job teaching all the children and welcomes the help; Sherry will con9nue to work with the younger children. SAVE THE DATE! VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL! JULY 7-11 2014 WEIRD ANIMALS SIPPEE CUPS AND COFFEE CUPS On the second Sunday of each month we are inviting parents of our youngest students (infant to age 3) to gather for some relaxed kid play and parent fellowship during our Sunday school hour. We hope that you will join us in the nursery room and share some Sunday morning joy. NURSERY TIME IS OFFERED EVERY SUNDAY and families are always welcome to visit. NUBIAN GENTS AND FEMININE FIRE A DANCE STEP GROUP FROM NEW YORK CITY PASSION AND PURPOSE PRODUCE IMPACT! COME SEE, FEEL AND WITNESS THE RHYTHMS OF THIS MINISTRY CONTACT LISA MARSHALL FOR EXCITING DETAILS April 25-27th First Congregational Church of Eliot United Church of Christ EL A Home for Your Spirit LENTEN SERMON SERIES And Heaven Came Down to Earth March 2- “earth”- Pastor Beth March 9 “sand” Pastor Chris March 16 “stone” Seminarian Sandy March 23 “Fire” Pastor Beth March 30 “Water” Pastor Chris April 6 “ Wood” Pastor Beth April 13 “Who WIll See?” A Creative worship with music and monologues.-Pastor Beth Special Appearance by the band “SOMETHING IN THE We are a growing vibrant Christ centered community, blessed by tradi8on, open to the Spirit, embraced by grace, and inspired by all that is possible with God No ma=er who you are or where you are on Life’s journey, you are welcome here! We have saved a place just for you. WATER” NOT TO BE MISSED ON MARCH 9TH In worship at 10AM
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