September 2015 Newsletter
Congregational Connections
A New Program Year
After a slightly pared down season of summer worship, our full liturgy resumes on Sunday, September 6, with Communion. This year there is no Sunday school, but particular effort has been made to welcome and include children in the worship service. Activity bags are available which promise to delight your child for their time with us. The nursery is not staffed at this point, but staffing will be considered if a need develops. Please to Doreen if this is of interest to you.
Christianity 101 / Confirmation Class
In this multi-aged class we will go over some of the basics of what it means to be Christian (some history; teachings about God, Christ, Holy Spirit, the Cross & Resurrection, Church, Heaven, Hell, Sin and Evil; the Bible) ; about our denomination (United Church of Christ); and how it all of it impacts our lives (or not!).
For those who have not been Baptized or Confirmed, it will be great preparation for that, but it also will be an interesting refresher for those who have already experienced such milestones. There is no upper age limit for the class, and the lower age limit is flexible. If you think your child is able to engage in meaningful discussions about faith, s/he is welcome. I imagine approximately 8-10 sessions (commitment required) plus optional outings such as the UCC Youth Confirmation Retreat, Worcester Area Mission Society Overnight Mission Outing, Worcester Fellowship service, and/or Community Worship Suppers at FCC. Classes would be scheduled to the convenience of participants.
Interested parties are requested to contact Doreen by September 13 by phone (978-846-6498) or e-mail (pastorfccleicester@verizon.net) to give input on scheduling.
A Note from the Pastor
Greetings of peace and love to you, friends. I have been thinking lately about what it means to be open-minded. I like to think that I have that quality, but, really, is there anyone who considers himself or herself to be closed-minded? We tend to see open-mindedness as a positive quality, and so ascribe it to ourselves (or is that just me?). On the other hand, most of us have some deeply and dearly held beliefs – beliefs about what is good and right, beliefs about ourselves and the world and God. Does holding clearly and dearly to these beliefs make us closed-minded? For example, I believe that God is love, and that God’s love is expansive and all-encompassing. So when I hear others espouse belief in a judgmental and punishing God, I close my mind to that idea. Too often, when we point a finger at someone we see as closed-minded, there are three fingers pointing back at us. We get frustrated with the other for not agreeing with our own point of view, even though we am at least equally closed-minded to the other point of view. Even as I write this, intending to identify areas where I am closed-minded, my thoughts rush to others who are really closed-minded (according to my well-defended mind). I wonder why it seems there is so much at stake to have one’s ideas affirmed? Can it be that threatening to let go of a belief, even just long enough to really explore a different one? I think it is, and that nearly all of us need help to do so.
Perhaps it would be less threatening if we approached different ideas in a spirit of curiosity rather than determination. Maybe we can hold on to our own ideas, with no agenda to have them changed or criticized, and then just wonder how many other ways there are to think about it – whether those ways make sense to us or not. We might intentionally seek out others who think differently so that we can add to our list of ways to see things. It reminds me of the line from the Prayer of St. Francis – Let me seek to understand rather than be understood (wow this is hard – I SO want to be understood!). All this assumes that there is a benefit to being open-minded, or to expanding our awareness of different points of view. What do you think? It is probably not a yes/no answer, but situational. Sometimes it would be important to stand firmly in our beliefs, and other times it would be important to let go of what we think we know. Have you had times when your mind was changed about something? How did that feel – like you’d lost something, won something; grown or gotten smaller?
An article in the UCC Parish Paper theorizes that the lack of curiosity about different perspectives may be one of the things that hurt church vitality and growth. According to the article, psychologists discovered that curiosity levels vary across individuals, with many people reaching a comfortable level of knowledge and feeling no push to learn more. The author, Cynthia Woolever, wonders if there is an equivalent “curiosity measure” for congregations and their leaders, and encourages leaders to cultivate curiosity – to develop skills for “turning puzzles into mysteries.” She says that a congregation of people with deep faith, strong relationships, tradition and history can dig deeper and ask “why” questions that will yield profound insights. The disciplined curiosity of creative people can be applied to learning and problem-solving, and also to empathy – showing interest in the thoughts, feelings and experiences of others. I wonder what good questions you might have about our church? I would love to share them, so I invite you to respond to this note with your questions. I won’t answer them, but will wonder with you. Perhaps so many people will have questions, we will want to get together and wonder together, creating a huge list of perspectives and ideas. And I wonder, “What would Jesus wonder?”
Blessings, Pastor Doreen
Please Help: Eddy Besse Gets Mobilized!
http://www.youcaring.com/edmund-b-besse-406571
Meet Edmund Besse, affectionately known as Eddy Bear! Eddy is an energetic, friendly, handsome, smart 2-year old. He brings joy to the world with his big smile and funny personality. Everyone who meets him loves him. Eddy also has a rare bone disorder called Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) or Brittle Bone Disorder. He has a severe case called Type III that causes bone fractures, complicated health problems, and impaired mobility.
Eddy is facing new challenges that will eventually help him progress toward more independence.
1.) Eddy is working with a new physical therapist.
2.) Eddy is getting his first wheel chair.
3.) An operation will be performed to place four rods in his legs to straighten and strengthen them.
4.) His parents are planning home improvements for more accessibility.
While insurance helps with many costs, there are out of pocket expenses and a surprise $4,000 bill that his family faces. We are asking you, Eddy’s friends, family, and community for financial support. Together we can make Eddy’s life a little easier as we work toward the goal of mobility and eventually seeing Eddy stand and walk.
Will you walk this journey with Eddy and donate what you can afford?
We received $2,060 in donations which is about 20% of our goal. Thank you for your donation and help! We still need a lot of help. He has medical appointments every week and a major surgery coming up in September. We also need funds to make our home wheelchair accessible and handicap friendly, and to make adjustments on his wheelchair.
Upcoming Events
September 13
Pet Rock
This wonderful event is coming to Becker’s Leicester campus, which means mobs of people coming through our town. The police chief will ensure there is parking for our worship service that day, but you might want to plan for a little extra time getting around.
Animal Blessing: Pastor Doreen will get into the “Spirit” of the event by stationing herself out on the church lawn to offer blessings to pets. You are invited to bring your furry / feathery creature by for a blessing.
September 19
Harvest Fair – Rain or Shine
We will be selling Apple Crisp and Ice Cream again this year on the common, and soda / floats from the church lawn. Friday afternoon/evening (the 18th) we will be making the Apple Crisp in the church kitchen with anticipation of that wonderful aroma that fills up the whole church the day of the fair.
If you can help out either day (or both) or if you can spend just an hour or two at one of our sale areas, we would be extremely grateful. If the weather is as wonderful as it was the last three years we will need many hands to get through the day. It’s a great event – hopefully you won’t miss it!
September 20
Worcester Fellowship
We typically provide some of the lunches for this outdoor ministry every other month – Oct, Dec, Feb, Apr, Jun and Aug – but we miss our June date when it conflicts with our Annual Meeting, as it did this year. To make up for the missed date, we will fill in an empty provider slot on September 20. Please look for the sign-up sheet for donations beginning September 6.
October 3
Church Work Day
Please mark your calendars for Saturday, October3, beginning at 10 a.m., and join us for some building clean-up. This facility is such a precious resource, but it is a lot to take care of. Won’t you give a few hours of light labor to help this place shine as she should?
October 17
Super Saturday
At Keefe Technical School in Framingham. Please consider attending this day of workshops and worship (and lunch!) that can inspire our growth as individuals and as a church. Workshop options can be viewed on-line at www.ucc.org/supersaturday. If you would like to go, please let Doreen know ASAP so she can register everyone together and (hopefully) qualify for a group discount!
November 14
Strawberry Hill Fair
Please let us know if you can help in any way: posters & advertisements set up, table relievers, or kitchen. Let’s use our gifts. Many hands make the job a lot easier.
Items needed for the fair:
Sewing & knitting, Christmas decorations, Silent Auction, Bake table, Country Store, Toys (in saleable condition), Luncheon, Book room, Raffle items and Raffle baskets – it would be greatly appreciated if you could get the baskets to Marie Frascolla by October 25.
Thank you,
The fair committee:
Judy Ivel – 508 892-3321 Cindy LaPointe – 508 885-9875 Marie Frascolla 508 892-0038
Neighboring Ideas
On Sunday August 16, about 15 of us gathered for dinner in Russell Hall to share ideas and resources regarding the ministry of being good neighbors. The conversation was in just the tone I was hoping for – informal and open, with no sense of obligation or burden. Norma D. talked about a book she had read, Praying for Strangers, by River Jordan (!), in which the author describes her experience of praying every day for a year for a stranger. We thought this could be one way of being a good neighbor, and four copies of the book were made available for people to borrow. We talked about how to keep our goals in mind, and have some way to be accountable without scheduling more meetings. People who had neighboring goals in mind formed partnerships to check in with each other. Many ideas were floated – such as forming a walking group; hosting another “paint night;” writing to neighbors to introduce yourself and invite for a cuppa. If you would like to take action on an idea you have for being a good neighbor, and would like support from someone in the church, please contact me and I will get you connected. I would also love to celebrate steps people take on their goals, so please keep me posted. And let me know if you would like to share or borrow any resources. In addition to Praying for Strangers, there is a copy of The Art of Neighboring floating around. Thanks to all who participated.
Hope for Housing Shopping Cards
We have been invited to join with Christ Episcopal Church in supporting this worthy program. Hope for Housing is a non-profit program developed by the Interfaith Coalition to Prevent Family Homelessness. By simply purchasing cards for stores that you already frequent, you can make a difference. The stores donate a percentage of the purchase price to Hope for Housing, and it costs you nothing!
Here’s the process: You will receive an e-mail each Tuesday remind you of the available cards. If you wish to purchase cards that week, respond to the e-mail by Thursday. Bring or send a check for the cost of the card by / on Sunday, and pick up your card at church. If you can’t make it to church that week, the card will be held until the next Sunday, or contact Doreen to make other pick up arrangements. The following cards are available. Please check and see if this is something you can easily integrate into your shopping routine.
Panera $10 and 25;
Big Y $25 and $50;
CVS $20;
Shaws $25 and $50;
Stop & Shop $25, $50, and $100;
Hannaford $25 and $50.
It is possible to get $100 cards for Shaws, Big Y, and Hannaford, and it is also possible to get $10 cards for CVS and Hannaford (with about 2 weeks’ notice)
Bible/Book Studies Resume!
All are welcome to join in these engaging explorations of scripture and spirit.
• The Monday evening group begins its gatherings on September 21 at 7:00 p.m. Please let Doreen know if you are interested, and she will keep you informed of the book selections, meeting dates and location. We are going to be reading Rob Bell’s book “Jesus Wants to Save Christians: Learning to Read a Dangerous Book ”
• The Wednesday morning group uses the lectionary (the 3-year cycle of recommended scripture readings to be used in Sunday worship) to explore the passages for the upcoming Sunday. It is a great group to join whenever you can, as sessions do not build on each other. No advance reading necessary, but if you would like to read through on your own, we will be looking Jeremiah 11: 18-20; Psalm 1; Mark 9: 30-37; James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a. The first meeting will be Sept. 16 at the church in the Pastor’s Study. We meet twice a month, at a schedule established by participants.
• The Thursday evening group meets once per month, beginning September 24 at 6 p.m. in North Brookfield (car-pooling encouraged). We will read a whole book in advance, to be discussed at the gathering, then choose another book. On September 24 we will be discussing Jesus Freak: Feeding, Healing, Raising the Dead by Sara Miles. Contact Pastor Doreen if you are interested and need help obtaining the book. If you can’t make it for the September 24 session, but might be interested in the next book / session, let Doreen know to keep you in the loop.
Women’s Association Meeting
Wednesday, September 2, at Nancy Desautel’s home in Rutland. Carpools leave the church at 11:30 a.m. for a noon meeting. Please see Nancy if you prefer to go directly there and need directions. You may bring a brown bag lunch, and dessert will be provided.
Wednesday, October 7 at the church to start planning for the Strawberry Hill Fair. Dessert and beverages will be provided.
In Our Prayers
Never underestimate the power of prayer. You are invited, as you read this, to add your prayers for those listed. Take a moment to breathe in God’s Spirit, and channel your good will and hopes to each person or situation named. You might imagine them surrounded by a healing light, or held in God’s hand. May this simple practice fill you with peace and hope.
– Continued prayers for Ellie on the next phase of treatment
– Prayers for Robert Forget and his family as Rob recovers from a car accident
– Prayers for all families in crisis
– Prayers for all God’s creatures around the world.
– Prayers for Doris that she remain healthy enough for a kidney transplant
