March 2016 Newsletter
Holy Week
• Maundy Thursday Simple Supper / Communion and Tenebrae and Communion: Thursday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. We’ll start gathered around the supper table, as Jesus and his friends gathered, sharing soup and bread – broken and blessed. Then we move into the Sanctuary for a service of Tenebrae. Come share a “last supper” before Easter; come hear the story of Jesus’ Last Supper and the events that followed.
• Good Friday Stations for Reflection: Friday, March 24. The deacons are once again hosting a time of quiet reflection with seven stations to engage you in prayer, in thanksgiving, in reflection. The Sanctuary will be open from noon through 8 p.m. Drop by at any time, st ay as long as you like. I am confident you will find it moving, and will draw you into the gift of Jesus’ great love for us.
• Easter Sunday: March 27. Come celebrate the Good News of Christ’s resurrection. The Sanctuary will be adorned with spring flowers and it will be a joyful occasion. Please join us if you can, and invite a friend or family member. It’s a great season to share the good news.
Notice of an Important Meeting!
Sunday, April 3, at 12:00
At the annual meeting in June, 2015, Pastor Doreen presented an idea she asked us to consider during the upcoming months. Those of you who were present at that meeting may recall her proposal for reducing her position from full-time to three-quarter time pastor. She explained her reasons behind the proposal and possible benefits for our church as well as herself.
At Doreen’s request, the Pastoral Relations Committee is organizing an informational meeting on Sunday, April 3, at 12:00 in Russell Hall. Doreen will be there to answer questions (we know you will have many!) and to fully explain how this would work and when this reduction would begin. After her presentation, she will leave the meeting to allow us private discussion together.
In the meantime, we members of the PR committee will be the “ears” listening to your opinions and will be available for those who want to talk to us. You might even see a temporary return of the “Hot Topic” box!
Please mark the date on your calendar. You are strongly urged to attend the April 3 meeting! It could very well be the most important meeting of 2016!
Pastoral Relations Committee: Norma Dodge, Ellie Latham, Jackie Henderson
A Note from the Pastor
Grace and peace to you, my friends. Easter comes early this year, and before the month is over we will be gathering to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Though spring may not yet have sprung outside, our Sanctuary will be full of flowers and light and love. I hope to see you there, and I hope you also have a chance to participate in one or more of the special Holy Week services on Maundy Thursday (March 24) or Good Friday (March 25). I believe the meaning and impact of Easter is enhanced by our encounter with the whole Passion story. Lent invites us to figuratively enter the wilderness, seeking a deeper understanding of ourselves and a deeper connection with God by engaging in some sort of fast or spiritual pra ctice. Holy Week invites us to imagine ourselves among the people of first century Palestine, being challenged by a man of God to see each other, ourselves, the world and God in a different way. Would we have ears to hear, and the courage to believe and follow the Way of Jesus? Do we now? It is a Way that requires us to surrender self-concern, to recognize that we are One with others, and that their suffering is our suffering. It is a Way that promises to bring us discomfort as we learn to let go, and also promises joy beyond our imagining once we do. It is not an easy path to take, though it is made easier when we have companions on the journey. This is where church comes in.
Christianity, at a deep level, is about community. We assert that God is triune – three separate but equal persons in one – God’s very nature is communal. And the Body of Christ is called to function through its many parts, all focused on the lead of Jesus. We are called to function in the world, to engage with it and do what we can to aid in its healing and wholeness, but we are also called to gather in awe, hear God’s Word, and ponder together the mystery of our wondrous Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. I believe regular worship is crucial to a vital Christian faith, and so it saddens me that there are so many self-identified Christians who rarely attend worship.
A UCC Still-Speaking reflection by Rev. Molly Baskette resonated for me as she talked about the people who approach her sheepishly apologizing for not having been to church in a while. Sometimes it comes from people who are returning to church after a long stretch of time away, or from people who want to have their child or grandchild baptized, or need a funeral / memorial service. It is hard to know what to say to such an apology. On one hand, I don’t want to impose feelings of guilt on people, and I certainly don’t want them to think our pastoral ministries must be “earned” by coming to church. And so I usually offer assurances that they have no need to apologize, that we are here whenever they need us. These assurances come from my heart, but there are other things on my heart that I don’t usually share. My assurances are only part of what I believe. Here is the other part.
You are missed when you don’t come to church. Your presence here matters. We notice when you stop coming, and we feel a loss. There is something at stake in showing up 
(or not), not just for us, but for you. If you are a member of the church, you made promises to us and we made promises to you. Sometimes circumstances require that this covenant be broken – perhaps there is a move, or health issues. There are ways to end this covenant with integrity, and I believe an effort towards this is worth making. It hurts when people just stop coming and I have no idea why. Even if you did not officially become a member, but were active in the life of the church for several months or more, relationships were built, and there is an impact when you leave.
I also believe that your life is likely to be enhanced by regular attendance at worship, whether it’s just been a few months that you’ve been away, or decades. As Rev. Baskette says, “churches are flawed institutions, and mine among them. But if you want to get wet, you have to get into the water. If you want grace, peace, hope, comfort, growth, you have to get into, or near, the people and places that have them. What I want to say to people when they come before me and hang their heads is, ‘listen – you get out of it what you put into it.’ I can’t say it, because it doesn’t sound very pastoral, but really it’s just a logic statement. You can’t win if you don’t play. And God, though She rarely tells us this to our faces, needs us in church too. Some of us can only get the grace God wants to give us when we pass through that portal, into a sweet, slightly dusty, hardworking, authentic faith community. It’s not that grace is unavailable elsewhere; it’s just that – we’re tuned to the right frequency when we’re there together. Church is the structure in which Jesus is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord, where we ourselves can become God’s crib. They say that 80% of life is just showing up, right?”
So, please, friends, show up. Come pray and play, come worship and wonder. We need you.
Blessings, Pastor Doreen
Easter Flowers
Each year we offer you the opportunity to order flowers at reasonable prices for Easter that will be used to decorate the Sanctuary on Easter morning, and then can be taken home to give away or enjoy. There is a wide selection, including lilies, mums, tulips, daffodils and hyacinths in several colors and sizes (except the lilies are white and the daffodils are what they are). You may dedicate the flowers in memory of someone or in honor of someone, and this will be noted on an insert in the order of worship on Easter morning.
Order forms will be available beginning March 13, either in the order of service or in Russell Hall. Or you can contact Marie Frascolla at 508-892-0038.
Easter Basket Eggstravangza!
The church is gathering supplies for Easter Baskets for children to be donated to the Leicester Food Pantry. Parents can make selections appropriate for their children, making Easter special for them. Anything you might have donated to Bunny Day events would be most welcome – candy, small and larger toys, craft or art supplies, baskets and plastic eggs or filling.
Bunny Day came into being as a way to serve the children in our community. We can continue the tradition of service, focus on families in need, and partner with another community agency. Donations should be dropped off at the church by March 13. If you can’t make it on Sunday morning, call Doreen to arrange a time for drop off (978-846-6498).
Lent/Easter Offering
For those wishing to make a special contribution in honor of Lent/Easter, there is a donation envelope enclosed. May your sacrifice bring you many blessings, as it blesses First Congregational Church. Thank you.
NEW! First Congregational Church Trading Post
We are happy to connect people who have good stuff they no longer use with those who would love to use them. Just send an e-mail to Doreen 
describing the item you would like to have or would like to give, and it will be listed in the newsletter. Pictures of items can be posted on the website. Open for trading this month:
Scripture Storytelling Performance: Wednesday, March 2 at 1 p
.m.
Rev. Cynthia Maybeck has created a program especially for us on wisdom and aging. The event is hosted by the Women’s Association, but open to all. The performance will be followed by fellowship time with light refreshments. Please join us if you can.
Christian Community Choir presents:
Raise the Crown: A Musical for Easter, by Deborah Craig-Claar and David T. Clydesdale, under the direction of Kathleen Hosterman.
Enhance the joy of Easter by attending one of three performances of this ecumenical choir. Though none of the performances will be at FCC, three of our own members are singing, and it is worth going out of your way to hear the choir.
All performances begin at 3 p.m.
• March 20 at East Brookfield Baptist Church
• April 3 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in East Brookfield
• April 10 at Overlook Masonic Home in Charlton
Super Saturday: March 12
Join hundreds of delegates, pastors and lay leaders from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut for a day of worship and workshops. Saturday, March 12 from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at Killingly High School, Killingly, CT. See the Mass Conference website (www.macucc.org) for information about workshops offered. Let Pastor Doreen know ASAP if you are interested in attending.
Bible / Book Study
• Mon 7 p.m. Meets weekly except for the 2nd Monday each month. Contact the pastor for reading assignments, or if you are interested in joining the group. A commitment of a few months is recommended. A combination of scripture study and non-fiction religious/spiritual book group.
March Reading for Monday Book Club
• Wed 10:30 a.m., meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday each month in the Pastor’s Study. We explore the bible passages that will be preached on Sunday morning. Open to new participants any time for as many sessions as you like.
• West Side Group The group meets Spencer or North Brookfield to discuss a book that all have read. The meetings are scheduled at the convenience of the group. The group is open to anyone who wants to read the book. Contact Doreen for schedule, location, and book information.
Hope for Housing Grocery Cards
It costs you nothing extra, and 5% of all purchases go to help the homeless. Checks for the purchases are made out to Hope for Housing. Just e-mail Doreen if you would like to purchase any cards.
Cards are available for:
• Big Y
• Hannaford
• Stop & Shop
• Shaws
• CVS
• Panera
Thank You
We would like to thank everyone for all you do to make things easier for us. We are grateful and blessed.
Our daughter, Lauri, is planning a “Benefit Night for Ellie” on Saturday, April 23rd at the Knights of Columbus, in Spencer, to help with extensive medical bills. Flyers will be coming soon and / or posted in Russell Hall. This is another way to help and we hope you can join us for a fun night with an Italian buffet dinner, live music, dancing and raffles!
~ Ellie & Ken Latham
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 hands. May this simple practice fill you with peace and hope.
• For our church, that we may discover and embrace the direction in which God is steering us.
• For Teresa, Doreen’s sister, who is undergoing chemotherapy
• For Carol Mulrain’s sisters Doris and Debby, for healing
• For Ellie Latham’s brother-in-law Stanley who is suffering with angina
To include an article in an upcoming newsletter, contact:
Brielle MacDonald at
508-353-3338 or briellemacd@gmail.com
