April 2013 Newsletter
CONGREGATIONAL CONNECTIONS
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Hot Topic for April
Sing a song of praise to God! We are interested in hearing your feedback on hymn selection. Would you prefer to stick more with songs from the Pilgrim Hymnal, or do you like the hymn inserts Doreen uses from other sources? How often should “unfamiliar” hymns should be used? How long does it take for an unfamiliar hymn to become familiar? Does inclusive language in a hymn matter to you? If the Pilgrim hymnal has a song that uses excluding language (i.e., “men” or “mankind” for all people, or exclusively masculine language for God), would you prefer to stick with that version, or sing a more inclusive version? Any other thoughts about hymn selection is welcome.
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You’re Invited! Sat, April 27
Come to the Worcester Fellowship “Sock Hop” at Wesley United Methodist Church, 114 Main St., Worcester, for food and dancing to raise money for the outdoor church on Saturday, April 27 at 6:00pm. We’ll be wearing new white socks for dancing! You will meet some of the WF parishioners and hear about the programs. Sliding Scale Tickets are $1 to $50 per person; watch for more details or at www.worcesterfellowship.org or our FaceBook Page. Please RSVP if you can before April 20 to Ellie@worcesterfellowship.org
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Worcester Fellowship Lunch Providers: Sun, April 28
Please look for the contribution signup sheet in Russell Hall beginning April 14 if you wish to donate lunch supplies. Many helping hands are needed to assemble the lunches on the 28th, so please join in. All are welcome to join us for lunch and worship on the Common behind Worcester City Hall beginning at 1 p.m.
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Bible/Book Study
We offer lots of opportunities to explore faith and scripture with our three study groups. On Mondays at 7 p.m. (except 4th week) we do a book study. We’ll be reading Conversations with God, Book 3 through April 9, and who knows what will be next! If you are interested in joining in with the next book on April 16, contact Pastor Doreen after April 1 for the assignment and meeting place.
On the first and third Wednesdays, at 10:30 a.m. a group gathers at the parsonage for bible study. No advance reading is necessary. We study the scripture passages for the following Sunday.
The West Side Study group meets the 2nd and 4th Thursdays at 5 p.m. in the Brookfields. We’ll be reading Finding Your Religion through May 9. If you’d like to join us, please contact Pastor Doreen for reading assignments and location, and if you need help obtaining the book.
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Woman’s Association: April 3
We will meet at the church at 12:00 then leave for E.B Flatts in East Brookfield for lunch, please RSVP to June Kelley 508 892 3795.
The 2012 Church Fair Total is $4,465.72. The totals for each room / table will be listed in the Woman’s Association Annual Report for the Annual Church Meeting.
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Special Thank You
Neil and Carol Mulrain
I would like to thank the congregation for the “surprise” presentation and special coffee hour that was held for me on Sunday, February 24th. For those of you who weren’t there (INCLUDING ME!), it was to celebrate my retirement as church collector.
Unfortunately, I was ill that day and missed everything! My husband came home with a bouquet of flowers and a gift bag and proclaimed that they were for me from the church, adding “and you should have seen coffee hour!” Fortunately for me, the day was captured in pictures and framed as a keepsake that I will treasure.
I’ve enjoyed serving the church for over 15 years and will continue to do so as a deacon. As collector, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know the congregation more intimately and that has been a blessing in my life.
Carol Mulrain
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Note from the Pastor
Are we there yet? Spring? Is it safe to breathe a sigh of relief that the long winter is over? Even if there is still snow on the ground, we can rejoice that we are in the Easter season. It is a season of celebration. It is a time to recognize that God always has the last word, and God’s Word is always creative, life-giving and loving. We’ve paid lots of attention on how to prepare ourselves during Lent for the miracle of resurrection, so let’s make sure we likewise give lots of attention to the joyful truth of it – we have new life whenever we want it, because Jesus shows us how to obtain it. What are some of the ways you live out the creative, life-giving and loving word of God? How can we do this as a church community? Be sure to come to worship on April 7, when we celebrate Holy Humor Sunday. This is an ancient tradition going back to the early Greek Christian community when the Sunday after Easter was seen as a time to celebrate the great joke God played on sin and death by raising Jesus from the dead. It’s been called Bright Sunday, Holy Humor/Hilarity Sunday and provides an occasion for people to join in praise, laughter, and good humor in celebrating God’s love for us. It would be great if people would dress in bright colors, or even silly clothes. You might be invited to tell a favorite joke (clean ones!), and the music will be light and fun. It is a Communion Sunday, and we will focus on enjoying a foretaste of God’s heavenly banquet rather than the more somber recollections of that Last Supper that usually accompany Communion. How wonderful that it will be a service for all ages, since we can all learn from the children how to really play.
The next week (April 8-14) I plan to take a little time of play and rejuvenation with my husband, so will be out of the office most of the week (though the book groups are still on!). On the weekend, Quentin and I will be going up to Lubec, Maine, where his parents had a summer home for many years. I have heard so many stories about this striking place and its colorful characters that I just have to see it. You’ll be able to listen to a guest preacher, Rev. Karen Haringa, former pastor of the Adams Square Church in Worcester. I have heard such wonderful things about her that I wish I could be there.
I’d also love to try to reschedule the Evening of Music that was cancelled in March due to low sign ups. People told me they would love to participate, but it wasn’t good timing. So let me know if you are interested, and what evening would work best for you. I have lots of flexibility. And of course we can live out lives of mutual care and justice by participating in lunch and worship with the Worcester Fellowship on April 28 (or any Sunday afternoon). What calls to you, whether with / in church or in another part of your life? Planting a garden, taking a day trip, playing with your children or grandchildren, reading a book you’ve been wanting to get to, having a date night with your partner? This is not the time of deprivation or sacrifice; this is the time to live life fully. We were made for joy, and we glorify God when we realize that.
Blessings, Pastor Doreen
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Special Moments from Special Olympics Of Massachusetts
I started volunteering for Special Olympics many years ago—both summer and winter games; first as an American Softball Association umpire. The biggest venue of the summer games is softball. We were housed (management, athletes, and volunteers) at UMass in Amherst. MA. In Northhampton, MA there is a park with 12 softball fields and all were used. I started as an umpire and then helped with the management of it in future years, right along with Dorothy Dudley and my Godson, Tim McKay, both of Leicester. They were both veterans of Special Olympics. I no longer do summer games but, am still involved with the winter games, which are held in Worcester, MA, on the weekend prior to St. Patrick’s Day.
In the winter games the following sports are played: Skiing, bowling, field hockey, and basketball. This year we had 166 teams. My Godson Tim and I are the Venue Directors at Clark University. Special Olympics has many schools (college and high schools) that volunteer their basketball courts to help with this enormous undertaking. All games are played on Saturday and Sunday. Games have 12-15 minute halves, so you can see they are quickly paced. The games are refereed by certified referees from Ma. This year at Clark all are referees came from the Lowell, Billerica area.
All teams have what they call ‘partners’. These people have no disabilities. They can pass and rebound, but cannot shoot the ball. They assist the special Olympians during the game.
What is special to me is that you see these children and adults, some with severe disabilities, enjoy the competition, have smiles on their faces and back out of the way so the other team will score a basket. Their pure joy of competing in this sport is an inspiration to everyone involved, especially me.
Neil Mulrain
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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.
– For Sarah Phipps recuperating from a stroke at Jewish Healthcare Center
– Continued prayers for Anne Mulrain’s former student Zack, his brother Nate and their parents as Zack endures another round of chemotherapy and a bone marrow biopsy.
– Prayers for all the staff and students in the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District as they face major challenges ahead due to the financial crisis with the budget
– Ellie Latham requests continued healing prayers for Ken, Tom, and friend Kathy.
– For all those suffering with depression, loneliness, and disabilites.
– For our homeless in our streets everywhere.
– For Jaeden, a local 2.5 year old boy who has recently been diagnosed with leukemia.
– For Marie Gravina and her mom, who face the one year anniversary of Marie’s dad’s death. Marie is also struggling with the loss of a brother. Prayers for her husband Paul, who has been such a wonderful support through her sadness.
– For Louise Doe, who fell and suffered a compression fracture in her lower back. She is staying with her son Pete and his wife Karen. Prayers for all of them as they work out the balance of safety, care-giving, and independence.
This month I also wish to include some prayers of thanksgiving. In calling out particular people to thank, please know that the contributions of others do not go unnoticed. If there is anyone you would like to specifically mention, please do add them to your prayer requests in the future.
– May blessings fall like snow upon those who worked so hard to clear it from the church paths and doors in this year when the Worcester area had more snow than anywhere else in the nation. Thank you to Neil Mulrain, Ron LaPointe, Len Ivel, Ken Latham and Quentin Lewis. May your backs stay strong and your fingers and toes stay warm.
– May the Missions team of Cindy LaPointe and Deb Entwistle find an extra basket of Easter joy for their tireless work in sponsoring Bunny Day. There are so many who participated in making the day special that I’m not sure I can name them all. But you know who you are. Even if you dropped off a couple of stuffed eggs, what you did made a difference. Thank you.
– May the new life of spring abound for our church Council, who managed a challenge to the church with incredible faith and wisdom, honoring their charge to pray and listen to others and to the Spirit in leading FCC.
– A Heart felt Thank You to All who participated in this year’s “Have a Heart – Give a Blanket” drive for Church World Service. This year donations totaled $645 or 129 blankets which will be used to aid those effected by natural disasters and poverty at home and around the world. Once again, Thank You for your generosity and compassion.
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Lenten Reflections
What a blessing it was to hear six individual share in worship their thoughts about the season of Lent. Some shared memories, some shared their understanding of its meaning, and all shared about what it meant to them. Thank you so much Ellie Latham, Mark LaPointe, Jackie Henderson, Ann Orsi, Stephanie Orsi, and Quentin Lewis. You enriched Lent for all of us. For those of you who aren’t able to worship with us, I have one of the reflections to share, from Stephanie Orsi. It is reflective of the sharing of each person in its depth and honesty. Enjoy.
I, like some people, get very caught up in the day to day – the constant battle between commuting to work, working, and then making plans. Often times I am a very bad example of a calm character. I cannot sit in one place for very long without needing something to do. I like to have every minute of every day planned. If I sit too long, I get anxious and allow my thoughts to get the best of me.
Generally I am a very positive person. I consider myself outgoing, and I like meeting new people. Or at least that is how I appear. But sometimes I have those days (maybe you do too?), those days when everything seems unbearable, and negative thoughts just cloud your brain. Thoughts such as “if I could only be better at my job” or “if only I were 5 pounds lighter (or 15 or 20).” Then there’s “if only I hadn’t gone to such an expensive college,” or “if I could spend more time with my family, or find a guy or… then I would be happy.”
Now I’m not saying all these negative things to bring you down. No, in fact I am hoping to do the total opposite. This year for Lent, instead of giving up chocolate or cable television, figured it would be a good time to sit and reflect on how good I have it. The thought occurred to me at the end of last month when I had a particularly stressful day at work. A co-worker noticed my mood and the next morning sent me a video. The video was of Nick Vujicic, a man who was born with no arms or legs; a man who now makes a living as a motivational speaker; a man who fishes, golfs, runs, goes to water parks and swims; a man who got married last year; a man who has a full life for which he is incredibly grateful. That morning I saw what I tend to overlook on too many occasions – how stinkin’ lucky I am. I sat at my desk with tears in my eyes thinking of how silly, even ridiculous I am on many days – how I would complain about the dumbest things, like being too tired to go to the gym, all the while watching this incredible man with no arms or legs.
This video is what really encouraged me to want to speak on Lent. I think that there are so many days that we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that we forget about its tiny miracles. The fact that I can see stars at night or a beautiful sunset, or can listen to the amazing music on the radio, or can run down the street with the legs I was born with. Lent, for me, is a time for being thankful and a time of reflection. Now obviously we don’t think of these many miraculous things every day, and we all slip up, but I think what is awesome about Christianity and the different seasons of the church year and the celebrations that come about, is that they give us a time to pause and think about things. It allows us time to see that only out of darkness can we appreciate the light.
While preparing for this reflection I read a column published by Tish Harrison Warren, a faculty ministry staff person at Vanderbilt University. I think she said it best.
“The truth of our brokenness is relentless even in the midst of wealth, success, popularity, or a perfectly lit magazine-cover home. The Christian calendar allows us time to admit the reality that things are not the way they are supposed to be, a reality our hearts know all too well. Easter is all about the hope of the resurrection, but there can be no resurrection without death first. It can be so tempting to jump ahead in the story, to focus on the joy of the resurrection and skip over the agony of the cross. Who wants to remember the crucifixion? It is painful, scornful, raw and dark. But, only when we wait, for a moment, in that humiliating, vulnerable place can the resurrection truly be good news to us. When a King comes, there is always plenty to do to get ready for Him. And so through these daily, earthy habits, we prepare to celebrate our coming King.”
(Be sure to do an internet search on Nick Vujicic for some powerful inspiration!)
