Leicester First Congregational Church

Author: Leicester FCC

  • Do We Miss God’s Plan For Us?

    As the floodwaters rise, a man named Sam calls for God’s help.
    First a neighbor offers him a ladder.

    “Nope, my God is coming,” Sam replies.

    Then the police arrive with a rescue boat. “Hop on board!” they instruct him.

    “Thanks but no thanks,” Sam says, “God will save me.”

    And finally the national guard provide a helicopter, and he tells them to go away, too. Sam dies, goes to heaven, and asks God, “Why didn’t you rescue me?”

    “I sent a ladder, a lifeboat, and a helicopter…what more could I do?” says God.

  • Strawberry Hill Fair – Nov 8, 2008

    New feature this year! In addition to the beautiful knitted table, the Holiday crafts and the Basket raffles, there is limited space to rent a table. If you have a craft or know someone that has a craft they would like to sell, this is a great opportunity. All craft rentals will be subject to approval of the Fair committee. This is to avoid duplicate items. We want the fair to have a variety of quality items, expanding our reputation as one of the best fairs in town.

    For more details, contact Ann Orsi at 508-890-9470

  • August 17th Sermon

    Several members of the congregation requested a copy of Rev Nan’s sermon from Aug. 17th.

    This has been included here, as it speaks to a lot of the challenges we face

    I knew a young man in college who had never been sick a day in his life until one spring semester. That was a terrible time for him. He seemed to be suffering from fever, upset stomach, and frequent migraine headaches. He finally decided to go to see the doctor to find out what was wrong. The doctor examined him from stem to stern. He was x-rayed, given a heart test, blood was taken and even a lung capacity test was done. When all the results were in the doctor called him into his office and said, “I have checked out all of the results of your tests and I don’t see much evidence of anything that is wrong with you. The doctor sat the young man down for a few minutes and then he said,

    “Let’s see. Are you married?”
    “No” the young man answered
    “You are twenty five. Do you have a girl friend?”
    “Well, I had one about a year ago but we broke up.”
    “Are you dating at all?”
    “There isn’t anyone around that really interests me anymore.”
    “Do you like school?”
    “Not really.”
    “Do you exercise?”
    “I guess I have been too busy for that lately. I guess I should get back to that sometime soon.”
    “What about your diet. What do you eat?”
    “Well, my main diet is bologna sandwiches!”
    “Are you attending church?”
    “No! I haven’t REALLY found a church that speaks to my needs. And the ones I have tried are pretty boring.”
    “You say you are a Christian. Does that mean that you take time to read the bible or to study the faith?”
    “Well, no, I haven’t really been doing that either.”

    Then, finally, the light bulb went on and John got the point.

    “Wait a minute”, he said, “I see what my problem is. It is not that something is wrong with me. It is that I have not been doing the right things in my life to help me to feel engaged in life. Being well requires the addition of positive, up building kinds of activities and beliefs in one’s life, right?

    “RIGHT!”

    Another story: A Presbyterian minister named Gary has a friend who spends two hours a day running. He spends 30 minutes, three times a week in a health club and three hours more per week playing racquetball. In addition, he belongs to a local tennis club and plays there once or twice a week. He appears to be in excellent physical condition. One day Gary and his friend go to lunch in order to talk about a personal matter. Gary describes a lack of joy in his work and boredom with his family. Besides that, he has a lethargic sense of well being with life itself. Gary had discovered that his friend also spent a great deal of time with his physical development in life. However, that far outweighed what he was doing to become a spiritual being and without that part of his being, he was equally as lethargic as John was.

    Gary finally came to say, “I am physically fit but I am spiritually flabby.” Unfortunately, this is an epitaph that might appear on many of our tombstones. We all know that there is more to life than what is physical. Becoming a Christian is a process of being seasoned in the spirit. And it is something that absolutely has to be an ongoing development in our lives.

    The late William Temple said, “The process of becoming Christianized calls for three things.

    1. The feeding of our minds with the truths of God
    2. Giving of our hearts to the love of God and
    3. The devotion of our wills to the purposes that God has in mind for us an individual.

    And what is most important concerning these three processes is that this work is undertaken with a willingness to be open and vulnerable to God’s spirit as it transforms us inwardly and personally.

    In the 22nd chapter of Matthew, we find Jesus saying, “Love your God with all your heart” and then he goes on to tell us a parable – a parable about a king who prepares a great wedding feast for his son but unfortunately, none of the invited guests come. What a quandary. What to do. Well, the king knows exactly what to do. He sends is servants out into the streets to bring anyone they can find who would be willing to come. As the street people gather at the palace, clothes are presented to them that they may wear to the party. All the guests are similarly dressed. The acceptance of this attire by these street people is symbolic of a new mode of living for them.

    We also are a people who are invited by God to accept an invitation from Christ to “love one another in a new mode of living.” When we put on our spiritual garments, we show our willingness and our readiness to act according to the clothes that we have put on.

    Fourteen times we hear the phrase “Love one another.” Jesus says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you can love one another. “ (John 13: 34-35). Paul goes on to say “Put on, the, the garments that suit God’s chosen people, his own, his beloved. Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Col: 3-12)

    When an invitation has come from God through Jesus Christ – Love is the first rule of response by the Christian and the garment by which he or she works.

    Herb Miller tells about a pastor who grew up in Miami and moved to Iowa. As he was getting acquainted with a young farmer in the congregation, he said “Tell me, why is there so much corn in Iowa and so little in other parts of the country?”

    The farmer replied, “Well, it is really the difference in the climate and soil conditions. He went on. I am sure you see the same thing in your line of work. Some churches are healthy and active with a lot of new people joining their fellowship. But in other churches you see just the opposite, because the climate and the soil are different.

    The climate that is most essential for the vitality of a church is that it is a congregation of love and acceptance. You see we are the crops. It is us that is called upon to put on the garments of Christ’s loving spirit and then to reach out in the care and love for others.

    Jesus says, “Love God with all your heart, the heart then is that out of which doing flows. You can’t give the spirit away until you have the love of God within you. Our doing ultimately flows from our inner being that is strengthened by our spiritual food that is found in God’s world and this is where spiritual discipline starts. We need to be engaged in the kind of studies that bring about spirituality which in turn determines what kind of lifestyle we will live. It is only then that we live truth, loveliness, and graciousness.

    An old story tells about President Thomas Jefferson making a journey on horseback with a group of friends. When they came to a swollen stream, they find a foot traveler waiting for someone to give him a ride over the stream. The President immediately pulls the man up on his horse and transports him to the other side of the stream. “Why did you ask the President to help you across, why didn’t you ask one of us?” a friend asked the man. “Well, first of all, I didn’t know he was the President. All I know is that on some faces you see a yes and on some faces you see a no. That man definitely had a yes face.”

    Of the three Christian behaviors that are alive in a vital congregation, Faith, Hope and Love
    Faith and Hope – feel and think. But Love is the one that reaches out to help and to give beyond oneself. We need all three if there is to be one circle. Praise be to God.

    Amen

  • Harvest Fair 2008

    Can you believe Sept is right around the corner already! Wow! Summer is flying by. But as the days shorten and the cool air settles in, we look forward to the most beautiful season in New England, the Fall. We are so lucky to have our church on the common, enabling us to share in all the fun filled festivities on Harvest Fair Day. We will host the Art Show upstairs in our church and Russell Hall will be used for children’s show and possible artisans.

    This year, for the first time, we will also join the Food Booths. To be successful, we really need your help. Our booth will be selling Pastor Nan’s Heavenly Apple Crisp!

    Friday night, Sept 19th, will find us busy in the kitchen baking apple crisp or setting up our booth on the common. Baking may also be done at home. Disposable pans will be provided. If you can spare one, two hours or even all day, we would be thrilled to have you join us. The Harvest Fair is very well attended. We need to make a ton of apple crisp! Come and help us represent our fine church and taste the best apple crisp ever. With the long cold winter ahead of us and the high price of oil, every bit of fund raising will help offset the cost of heating our church.

    Any questions, please call Cindy LaPointe at home 508-885-9875.

    Update: See pictures from this years festival, click here!

  • Search Committee Update August 2008

    Your Search Committee would like to reassure everyone that we’ve been focused and hard at work! Since our formation in March, several meetings have been held and tasks have been completed on schedule.

    Our first goal was to send out the survey entitled “Leadership Expectations: Called Pastor.” By the June 8th deadline, we had received 23 surveys and results were tabulated. The committee would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to this important survey.

    Our next task was to meet a deadline set by Rev. Peter Wells, our UCC area minister: he asked us to complete our church profile by early July. When an applicant is interested in our church, the profile is the document he/she will receive. It contains information about our town our congregation, church finances, qualities we want in a minister, etc. Even though creating the profile is challenging and labor intensive, we were able to complete it by the deadline.

    On July 31, the committee met with Rev. Wendy Vander Hart, Acting Associate Conference Minister at the UCC. She helped us “fine tune” our profile by making suggestions for improvement and asked for our “new and improved” version by August 8th.

    Our finished profile is now in the hands of the UCC and an abbreviated job description in currently posted on their website. Our next steps are to wait for interested applicants to forward their own profiles and then begin the interview process. We’ll keep you informed along the way!

    The Search Committee: Ron LaPointe chairperson, Jim Cathcart, Marie Feeney, Jackie Henderson, Len Ivel, Anne Mulrain, Rhiannon Orsi

  • Summer Dance Program

    The summer dance program, run by Alyson Avoglia, was held here in Russell Hall at the First Congregational Church. Sixteen local kids, ages 3-9, signed up for the 4-week program and participated in classes on Tuesday afternoons. Classes were jazz-style dance and students learned basic dance moves and fun routines.

    For more photos and info about the program, visit: www.summerdanceprogram.blogspot.com

  • Pastor Nan’s Farewell

    For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.

    Dear Friends in Christ,

    Saying farewell is never an easy thing to do. When a minister interviews with a church he or she usually hears something within the interview process that sounds like a spiritual call to them. Within a few months after arrival the mission becomes clear. It is then that the true energy comes to the fore and the mission of the church truly begins.

    When I arrived here five years ago, it became apparent that the church needed the help of a minister who would stick with you for a while and help in the healing process that was left over from the past. To do that task meant that I sometimes had to do things that were not popular but things which had to be done I order to bring wholeness to the congregations. I know that those opening months were difficult but we all survived them.

    Secondly, the business of the church needed to be reorganized. That project took time because of the combining of the two congregations.

    Thirdly, we needed to change the by-laws to bring the two churches under one umbrella. We actually did come up with a set of by-laws for that purpose but they were not put in place because the Unitarians decided to go back to their own church.

    As time went on I began to feel that we also needed to have some discussions about our beliefs. Those discussions were quite lively and I believe they were good for both churches. We also undertook a self study which helped us to see the spiritual future the church in the light of our Christian faith and heritage.

    To our surprise last year the Unitarians decided to go back to their own church and their own faith. Even though there was disappointment about this, I feel that it has been good for both churches because each church now can worship the way that they feel is paramount to their own tradition. We still treasure our relationship over the years and hope the Unitarians are enjoying their own surroundings.

    Everything else was sheer fun beginning with Ann’s 90th birthday party at the parsonage. What a wonderful afternoon that was. Dressed in period costumes, we had lunch and celebrated with Ann even though she wasn’t feeling at the top of her game because she had caught her hand in the lawn mower. What a good sport she was! Luckily the hand healed and all was well.

    There have been many other events that are cherished in my memory. The outdoor Pageant, the all church pageant (seeing Ron La Pointe with angle wings on was a first, at least I think it was him), the bunny extravaganza, the several bible studies (a time when we came to know and love each other on a new level), all the wonderful dinners and fairs, serving at the hot dog stand, choir rehearsals, the 50’s dance, and the fun we had in October when we opened the parsonage for a gourmet dinner that was provided by our own gourmet cook, Wow!

    (more…)

  • Gas Guilt?

    Have you ever felt just a twinge of conscience when you solo at church? No, I don’t mean solo singing; I mean solo driving!

    Here are three easy ways to double the “mileage” you get from your $4.00/gallon gas. Share your solo ride

    • with another family member
    • with another church member, or, better still,
    • with the neighbor down the road who rarely, if ever, gets to a church.

    Lay it on your neighbor’s conscience. Tell your neighbor that your heart is heavy over wasting gas on solo trips. Tell him or her that your guilt will be assuaged if only he or she will hop into your front seat some Sunday morning soon.

    You’ll both feel better and the church will feel the boost that always accompanies new people in the pews… Talk about a win, win, win!

  • Soulful Parenting

    Courtesy of Belief Net

    Check out www.beliefnet.com for more great ideas

    The five P’s of parenting and other tips for spiritual parents.

    1. Listen to your heart when you are with your kids. Go with what feels right, not what your parents might have done or what you think parents are supposed to do. You are the perfect match for your child. You can’t make a mistake when you follow your intuitive guidance.
    2. Share your hobbies with your kids.
    3. Select one day a month or year to spend one-on-one time with each child. Mark the dates in your calendar. Let your child decide what the day’s events will be and celebrate together!
    4. Listen to your son or daughter. Playing catch is a wonderful time for listening.
    5. The old saying “Pick your battles” is an important one to remember. So what does it really matter if your child’s clothing looks a little foolish – he’s developing his own taste. Staying away from win-lose situations is much better in the long run for your relationship.
    6. Don’t forget the wonderful habit of note writing. Leave some unexpected words of encouragement in a book, under a pillow, via E-mail. If you travel, begin a postcard tradition. Send your child a postcard from each trip you take.
    7. Learn something new with your children.
    8. Is there a way you might make some chore a ritual your child looks forward to participating in with you? Maybe you wash the windows every spring and then have an annual water fight.
    9. Share your goals with your kids. Let them know how you have achieved a dream and help them come up with an action plan to achieve their own goals.
    10. Don’t forget the five “Ps” of parenting: Patience, Pure Love, Playfulness, Participation, and Persistence.

    Remember, no one on their death bed ever said they wished they’d spent more time at the office.

  • Children’s Sunday June 8

    The children will be sharing what they have learned about Gentleness, Goodness, and Joy this year.  We will sing, put on a play, and make a rainbow! 

    We will be asking the congregation what brings you joy to be added with the children’s thoughts onto our rainbow.  So come armed with your happy thoughts! 

    The children will demonstrate Gentleness by nurturing the flowers they planted last year as well as updating our gardens with new flowers again this year. 

    Please join us for this special service as well as planting and an ice-cream social!  Dress is casual for this special service.  I promise God won’t mind!