Oct 2015 Newsletter

Congregational Connections

Strawberry Hill Fair

November 14

Yes, it is Fall! The crisp mornings and sunny days and the trees in all their beauty are a picture to remember. It is also time to think about creating a magical day at the fair. For many years we have come together to create wonderful items, handmade knitting, sewn, & crocheted items. The Christmas room is full of keepsake ornaments, door and table decor for the holiday season; and let’s not forget Christmas stockings. There is always something new to discover. The Second Hand Treasures– purchase and take – filled with so many wonderful treasures. Somethings just bring back memories of long ago- not to mention that perfect something you have been looking for. The Basket Raffle has something for everyone – a great place to get some great holiday gifts for all ages. The General Raffle has lots of great items for you or a great gift. Everyone loves home baked goodies and we have many of them – some packaged for gift giving. The General Store brings us back in time with many great homemade food items – jams, relishes, baked beans, even handmade bird feeders. And don’t forget the veggies, hot dogs and popcorn. Lunch is always a surprise. Our kitchen crew, they sure are creative. Enjoyed a good book? You can donate it to the book shelf. Gently used toys and books are waiting for a new home. Whoops! I forgot to mention – many hands are needed to make all this possible. We sure could use your talents and any ideas to help make our fair realize another successful year. Many hands are needed on the day of the fair also. If you can help in any way- OR HAVE SALABLE ITEMS TO DONATE- please contact a member of the committee.
Marie Frascolla (508 892-0038) Judy Ivel (508 892 3321) Cindy LaPointe (508 885 9875)

A Note from the Pastor

Grace and peace to you, my friends. As a gathering activity for the book study groups, I have been using a list of questions intended prompt spiritual reflection. Today I looked the list over thoroughly, and thought of how I would answer each question. One question in particular tapped into a deep wondering: “What do you live for?” The first thing that popped into my mind was simply “life.” I live to experience this adventure I am granted every morning I awaken. Of course I thought of my family, but I wouldn’t say I “live” for them at this point. I thought about purpose – reframing the question as “What is the purpose of my life?” And I came to the realization that I live for the gospel – the good news of God’s love and mercy, especially as lived and taught by Jesus Christ. I live to experience this good news, and to share it – share it prodigiously, recklessly, abundantly. I am still trying to figure out how to do that in ways that have integrity, that honor the scriptural and traditional teachings about God, and honor the lived experiences of myself and others. I often miss the mark (aka “sin”). I don’t always wake up with a sense of excitement about what I might experience this day, or how and for whom I may be able to be a conduit of God’s love. But I would like to. That is my highest vision for myself. But I wonder if even having that “goal” might interfere with my purpose. For is it less purposeful a life to wake up with a short prayer and a long list of “to-do” items; with a mind turned toward myself and my calendar rather than outward, alert to what is going on around me? Am I not still experiencing the good news of God’s love, and God’s gift of life? It is all too easy to get caught up in judging – judging of myself that leads to self-criticism, and judging of others that leads to self-righteousness. I confess I can get overly attached to my ideas about how the world ought to be and how I ought to behave in it. So I was really taken by this poem I received one morning in a daily devotional, by Mary Sarton from Collected Poems 1930-1993.

Beyond the Question

The phoebe sits on her nest
Hour after hour,
Day after day,
Waiting for life to burst out
From under her warmth.

Can I weave a nest for silence,
Weave it out of listening,
Listening,
Layer upon Layer?

But one must first become small,
Nothing but a presence,
Attentive as a nesting bird,
Proffering no slightest wish,
No tendril of a wish
Toward anything that might happen
Or be given
Only the warm, faithful waiting,
Contained in one’s smallness.
Beyond the question, the silence.
Before the answer, the silence.

I’m so taken by the idea of “proffering no slightest wish, no tendril of a wish” and realize I am so far from that state. I am full of wishes, especially for certain outcomes. I wonder what I might be blocking with my wishes. Perhaps one day I will be Beyond the Question, but for today I am in it, and I think it is a worthwhile question, and so I ask you: What do you live for? I would love to hear your response, so e-mail me, or invite me to have a cup of tea with you.
Blessings, Pastor Doreen

Time Out

I will be out of the pulpit two Sundays in October. My vacation begins Tuesday, October 6, so I will not be in church on the 11th. Rev. Georgeanne Bennett of Worcester Fellowship will be preaching. Then on

Rev. William Wildman

October 25 I am swapping pulpits with Rev. Bill Wildman of First Congregational Church of Spencer. I will be back in Leicester after worship to help with Worcester Fellowship Lunch prep. I am always grateful to know the warm welcome these guest preachers will receive from you.
Thanks, Doreen

Neighboring Check-In

For those who attended the “neighboring” dinner, or participated in the meetings with consultant Betsy Waters, or those who have been thinking about how to be a good neighbor, how are you doing? Have you taken any steps? Is there anything we can celebrate, or anything I / the church can do to support you? I have not taken the steps I would like to – which is sending notes to my neighbors introducing myself and inviting contact. With this beautiful fall weather, maybe would be a good time to take a few group walks around the neighborhood. Let me know if you are interested, and we can set a time. And just remember – this is meant to be fun and rewarding, not another obligation. So wherever you are is just fine. Peace, Doreen

Welcome Brian Besse

I am pleased to announce that Brian Besse has agreed to become an alternate deacon. Brian and his wife Gloria and their young son Eddy have been coming to First Congregational Church for quite some time. They also became members this year.
Brian is eager to learn about his deaconate duties and begin serving the church. He joins eight other deacons who assist Pastor Doreen with the worship services; Nancy Desautels, Deborah Entwistle, Ken Latham, Quentin Lewis, Carol Mulrain, Neil Mulrain, Ann Orsi and Chase Orsi.

Welcome Kelleen

If you’ve noticed that the building looks and smells cleaner, you should know that it is the excellent work of our new sexton Kelleen Benway. We are so pleased to have her on our staff, and appreciate the way she has tackled the job, sweeping away cobwebs, dusting the services and making those floors shine. Kelleen worships with us regularly, so feel free to welcome her and let her know about the positive changes you’ve seen. However, if you have a request for a particular task, please go through Ron LaPointe or another trustee, as we don’t want to overwhelm Kelleen with too many “bosses.” And of course worship time is not work time.

Pick-Up Choir: Sunday, November 8

If you love to sing but can’t make a commitment to becoming a full-time choir member, then our Pick-Up Choir is perfect for you! All voices are welcome, both women and men. And knowing how to read music is not necessary!

Here’s how it works:
• Attend rehearsal Wednesday Nov. 4 (specific time negotiable). Bob will teach us an easier anthem as well as a simple introit and benediction.
• Attend the Sunday morning “warm up” at 9:00 on Nov. 8. Choose a choir robe, and you’re ready to go!

It’s a small amount of time for a HUGE amount of fun! Please join us! Give your name to Bob, Cindy or Jackie by Sunday, Nov. 1, and we will see you at rehearsal!!

Hot Dog Committee and Harvest Fair – Thank You

What a wonderful 25th Season for Concerts on the Common! This community cannot thank Judy Ivel and the Bandstand Committee enough for their years of effort in raising money and providing great music for a very appreciative throng of concert goers. We have all been truly blessed by this commitment and expertise.
We, too, have been blessed with the opportunity to provide hot dogs, popcorn, drinks and delicious homemade goodies to hundreds of hungry concert goers. We started out the season with a new grill which improved our production (all burners worked!) and we had such great bakers and pudding creations to WOW the hungry throng, plus many helping volunteers to set up, greet and serve – not to mention eight Wednesdays of great weather – all added up to a wonderful summer season. You are awesome! We ended the concert season with a profit of $3,541.65. THANK YOU all for helping to make this happen.
The Harvest Fair was held on Sept. 19th and the weather turned out to be absolutely gorgeous! We secured our spot on the common with the Harvest Fair Committee and busily began stocking up on supplies for preparing our 35 pans of Apple Crisp. We began at 4 PM on Friday afternoon and had completed our task shortly after 7:30 PM The tarp was all set up on the common and the kitchen and pans of crisp were all set to go! It was decided not to sell popcorn on our lawn this year but this was replaced by Root Beer & Strawberry Floats which was a big hit. The leftover soda and water from Hot Dog season was also sold from this booth. Thanks to Deb Arsenault for volunteering to handle this portion of fair day – the booth looked terrific! Many return customers from previous years came by for apple crisp, arriving even before we were actually open. The Becker students are also eager for a warm and yummy treat that reminds them of home. To everyone who volunteered their time during any part of this great event – we sincerely THANK YOU – we make a great team! Together we made a profit of $1,004.00 plus $200.00 from the Harvest Fair Committee for the use of our building and tables. Truly the best part of the day is working together and meeting new and old friends in our community, giving a hug to someone you have prayed for during a time of loss or who is facing a health challenge and needs uplifting encouragement. To share a smile and handshake with someone who doesn’t get out often and watch them greet old friends once again, and to see the little ones joyful and happy.
Our church family is a precious gift – we thank God for our many blessings.

-Carol Mulrain, chairperson of the Deacons

Super Saturday: October 17

The Massachusetts Conference is hosting a day of workshops and worship on Saturday, October 17 at the Keefe Technical School, 750 Winter St., Framingham. There are workshops on creative worship, church renewal and redevelopment, healthy church communication, effective pastoral relations committees and deacons, engaging children and families, and oh so much more. It would be great to have a team of people attending. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and the welcome and worship start at 9. The program ends at 3:45 p.m. Please check out the Conference website for information on the workshops being offered (www.macucc.org) or see Doreen for information or to register.

Neighbors in Need (NIN)

A special mission offering of the UCC that supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. One-third of NIN funds support the Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM). Two-thirds of the offering is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) to support a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects through grants. Special envelopes for NIN will be in the pews through the month of October. If you would like to give, but are not able to make it to church, please send cash or a check made out to the church (First Congregational Church of Leicester), with the notation that it is for Neighbors in Need. Thank you.

Women’s Association: October 7

The Women’s Association meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 7th at the church in Russell Hall at 12 noon. Please bring a pair of scissors, a pencil, and a glue gun if you have one. We will be working on tree ornaments for the Fair. Come and join the fun. All are welcome.

Bible Study / Book Group

There are on-going invitations to join two of our adult spiritual formation groups.
• The Wednesday morning group meets twice a month at 10:30 a.m. in the pastor’s study. We explore the scripture readings that will be preached the upcoming Sunday. No advance reading is necessary, and people are welcome to come when they can. October dates are the 14th and 28th.
• The Thursday evening group meets once a month to discuss a book that has been read over the course of the month. The group will meet on October 22 to discuss the book Love Wins, by Rob Bell. Feel free to read along and join us on 6 p.m. in North Brookfield. Carpooling from Leicester is encouraged. Contact Doreen if interested. If you can’t join us this month, but would like to be notified of the next book selected, contact Doreen.

Thanksgiving Challenge 2015

We’re gearing up to collect 150 cans of Dinty Moore Beef Stew for the Leicester Food Pantry’s Thanksgiving baskets. In the past we’ve not only met the challenge but surpassed it. Will you help us meet our goal by donating a can or more? Cash donations are always welcome too. The need for food never goes away. Let’s join together to help make our neighbor’s holiday a little brighter.
We have until November 14th. That gives us almost 7 weeks to stock the pantry. There will be a table downstairs in Russell Hall where you can leave the cans. For more information or to make a cash donation, please speak with Deacon Carol Mulrain.
“whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me”

Worcester Fellowship: October 25

We are scheduled as lunch providers for WF on Sunday, October 25. Please see the sign-up sheet for donations beginning October 11. Many helping hands are needed to prepare the lunches in Russell Hall after worship on the 25th, so please join us if you can. All are welcome to join us for lunch and worship on the Worcester Common beginning at 1 p.m. Also, with the weather getting colder, donations of hats, gloves, mittens, scarves and clean white socks are most appreciated.

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 all those suffering with depression, addictions, & homelessness.
– For Eddy Besse, that his legs heal quickly and carry him far, and for his parents that they take good care of hemselves and each other in the midst of tending to Eddy