Dec 2012 Newsletter

 

 

The Reason for the Season

I’ve heard many lament about how Christmas is becoming so commercialized, laments about how even saying “Christmas” is frowned upon in public circles such as schools and malls – where the focus is on “the holidays.” If you miss the experience of Christmas – the carols, the manger, the candlelight, the message, I urge you to come worship with us throughout the Christmas Season. Each Sunday in Advent, we light candles on the Advent Wreath and talk about the promises inherent in the incarnation, celebrating anew each year the miracle that God came to us as one of us to bring reconciliation and peace. Who knows, you might just want to stay around after Christmas too. If you have friends or family members who do not have a church, Christmas is a wonderful time to invite them to experience worship at First Congregation. In addition to our usual Sunday morning worship, there will be both 4:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. services on Christmas Eve –with lessons and Christmas carols, and service with beautiful music, readings, and candlelight. Readers and candle lighters are needed at both services, so please contact Pastor Doreen if you would like to participate in one or both of the services. Good readers of all ages are welcome. And if your path has taken you some distance from FCC, I hope you have found or will seek a faith community in which to satisfy your hunger, not only for Christmas, but for Christ.

Order Your Christmas Poinsettia – Deadline Dec 16

Christmas Poinsettias: FCC is taking orders for beautiful poinsettia plants. The orders are delivered to the church to decorate the Sanctuary for Christmas, then can be taken home Christmas eve. Please contact Marie Frascolla at 508-892-0038 to order, or fill out the order form in the Sunday Order of Worship.

Deadline for orders is December 16. Colors available: red, white and pink. Prices: Single $9.85, Double $19.50, Triple $29.50.

Advent Offering

Enclosed in the newsletter is an envelope addressed to the church. This is for those who are interested in making an offering to the church in honor of Advent and Christmas. Blessings to all.

 

Dorothy Warren Scholarship

 

Scholarship Application – Deadline Dec 31
It’s that time for the Dorothy Warren Scholarship. Applications may be obtained from Louise Doe. The first semester of school must be completed, and the application returned by December 31.

Note from the Pastor

Grace and peace to you, my friends. As I write this I am preparing worship for the first Sunday of Advent, the period of waiting and anticipation. We await the celebration of Christ’s birth, but we also await the return of Christ. It is a season that affirms basic tenets of the Christian faith – that Christ has come, that Christ continues to be present in this world, and will come again to complete the reconciliation between God and all of Creation. Part one of this affirmation is easy to make, in both a factual and spiritual sense. A man named Jesus lived in early decades of the first century, and was crucified by the Romans. Our scriptures and history testify that he had a powerful ministry that changed lives, and that started a religion that has lasted almost 2000 years. Part two of this faith affirmation can be lived and experienced in profound personal and communal ways. I KNOW this to be true from my own experience of Christ’s presence, though there are those who would question or dismiss this statement. They may look around at the suffering and brokenness of the world and insist that this “religion” and it’s Savior have not actually done much to transform this world to a community of peace, justice and love. They might also be skeptical about the return of Christ and the fulfillment of God’s promises. There are times when I can almost be persuaded by the cynicism. So many of our world’s problems are so deeply entrenched. The causes of suffering are so multiple and so entwined it is hard to imagine untangling this mess and reweaving our “garment of destiny” (M.L. King Jr.). So I am thankful to have our scriptures, the stories of Jesus and of so many spiritual ancestors who found strength, courage, comfort and most of all hope in walking a journey of faith in God. I offer to you a little reflection on hope by Vaclav Havel, a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the ninth and last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic, and his thoughts on hope inspired me tremendously. May they do so for you also.

The kind of hope I often think about… I understand above all as a state of mind not a state of the world. Either we have hope within us or we don’t; it is a dimension of the soul, and it’s not essentially dependent on some particular observation of the world or estimate of the situation. It is an orientation of the spirit, and orientation of the heart; it transcends the world that is immediately experienced, and is anchored somewhere beyond its horizons.
Hope in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously headed for early success, but, rather, an ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed. The more unpropitious the situation in which we demonstrate hope, the deeper that hope is. Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.
In short, I think that the deepest and most important form of hope, the only one that can keep us above water and urge us to good works, and the only true source of the breathtaking dimension of the human spirit and its efforts, is something we get, as it were, from “elsewhere.” It is also this hope, above all, which gives us the strength to live and continually to try new things, even in conditions that seem as hopeless as ours do, here and now.

Thank you for being on this journey with me. Thank you for sharing your hope and faith. I look forward to continuing the journey in the New Year.
Merry Christmas,
Pastor Doreen

A Moment for Missions
by Chris Cathcart

Hello again. I have another organization that I volunteer at that I would love to tell you about: the Charlton Performing Arts. This organization is for people of all ages but mostly focuses on youth. In this group, we hold auditions (no one is turned away like other theater groups!) and rehearse and put on Community Theater plays. It is simple yet brings so much to the community.

This is a place where kids (of all ages) can go and not be judged. They can make friends, and be themselves. It is a place to be silly and laugh. Through this group they learn to get up and speak in front of people, to use their imagination, to put themselves in someone else’s shoes and to not take themselves too seriously.

My role is Costume Mistress (sounds devious, doesn’t it? Hahaha) I love this role as it allows me to use not only my sewing skills but my imagination as well. I get to interact with each and every actor/actress and I bond with all of them. I get to be a big part of bringing joy to others!

I became involved in this organization through Benjamin. We all know that he can be a tad dramatic so you can imagine the joy I had to find an outlet for this aspect of his personality! (hahaha) He thrived in this group and has performed in every play since he began. Andrew and Liam joined him as well as Sammy and Kiley Shea. Tristin will also be joining them in a future production.

So if you would like to have a wonderful afternoon and support a fantastic organization, please come to our next production (dates to be announced)!

Sunday School News

The holidays are upon us . . . And with the holidays comes the Christmas Pageant! This year the Sunday School kids that choose to be in the pageant will be performing a play by Phil Gilbreath and Steve Markovich called “Are You Coming?” They will be rehearsing every Sunday after church from 11:30 until 12:30. They will be performing the play during the service on Dec. 16th so be sure to come to church that day and plan to stay for a birthday party for Jesus following the service. The kids are very excited and it will be lots of fun and inspirational as well.

Any child who would like to be in the pageant but did not try out or attend rehearsal – please see me as there are still parts available for those kids!

 

Volunteers are needed: I am looking for a stage manager – this is someone who is responsible for props, curtains and making sure the children go on stage when they are supposed to, as well as whispering forgotten lines. I am also looking for help with the “Birthday Party” following the service. I will provide the cake but I am looking for someone to organize the party. If you are called to volunteer please see me after church.

Hope to see you there!

Chris Cathcart

Pajama Party with the Pastor – Dec 14

 

On Friday, December 14 children are invited to come to the church from 5:30-8:00 p.m. in their pajamas for pizza and play time. Activities will be geared towards younger children, but older children are invited to come help and join in the fun (in pajamas, of course). Please let Pastor Doreen know by December 9 if your children would like to come. And if you are reading this and don’t have young children, would you consider helping out? I strongly urge parents not to stay, but to take the time to shop, eat dinner out, or do something else nice for yourselves.

Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief – Dec 14

On December 14th I will be joining a group from Leicester who will be helping in the relief efforts from Hurricane Sandy on the New Jersey shore. The other members of the group are from Christ Episcopal Church and Saint Joseph/Saint Jude’s Catholic Church. This disaster relief is an outreach of the Saint Augustine Episcopal Church of Atlantic City. Lois Wickland is the coordinator for this trip and to date has raised $2,755.00. If you wish to contribute to this relief effort checks can be made out to Saint Augustine Episcopal Church and given to me.

Thank you for your continued prayers and any support you can provide. More information about this effort will be forth coming.

Deborah Entwistle, Missions Committee

Stewardship Envelopes

If you make regular contributions to the church and usually put them in the offering plate, you may find it helpful to use pledge envelopes. This way we can be sure to attribute cash contributions to you (helpful for taxes and records), and you have another way to track your contributions. Boxes of envelopes are available in Russell Hall.

Stewardship Update
The Stewardship Committee recently received an additional pledge to the 2012-2013 pledgedrive. This pledge brings the total pledges to $35,000.00. Remember, it is never too late to pledge.

Deb Entwistle, Stewardship Committee

FCC Driving Ministry

We have several people in our church who do not drive at night, or at all, but hate missing the wonderful events at the church, such as the Christmas Tree Lighting and Concert, or special worship services. If you plan to attend an event and would be willing to provide a ride to the church and/or back home to someone in need, please let Pastor Doreen know and she will arrange the connection. And please let her know if there’s an event you’d like to attend, and need a ride. There will also be a sign up sheet in Russell Hall.

Worcester Fellowship Outreach – December 30

We are scheduled as lunch providers for Worcester Fellowship, and all are invited to go help serve lunch and then stay for worship behind Worcester City Hall beginning at 1 p.m. Also, members of the Worcester Fellowship will be joining us for our morning worship service, and will help with lunch preparation. What a blessing! The signup sheet for donations to the lunch will be out in Russell Hall on Dec. 16 and 23. In addition to food donations, white socks, mittens, gloves, hats and scarves are always needed. Contributions to this effort are greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for your support.

Swaddled by Love

The church’s book room is now the book room AND the Swaddled by Love Free Clothing Shop. Donations of clothes in good condition can be dropped off at the church (call to make sure I am there), and people are free to browse and take whatever they need. This ministry is the inspiration of Heidi Ferraro, and she and the Women’s Association will be organizing the room and the donations. Let them know if you can help.

 

 

Filling Your Cup: The Sacredness of the Ordinary
Friday, January 11, 2013, 7:00 p.m. – Saturday, January 12, 2013, 5:00 PM

A Christian Spiritual Formation Retreat to ground you spiritually; replenish your energy, joy, and purpose; give you practices to keep your cup overflowing; help you live your life as a spiritual practice; discover your spiritual tools for the ups and downs of life.

This 2- day long retreat is intended for people in all stages on the spiritual path (clergy and lay). Whether you feel like a beginner, or a long-time traveler, you will find nourishment here for your soul. This is the third adult retreat facilitated by Rev. Matt Carriker who also is the program leader for the MACUCC youth Confirmation Retreats. Come to worship, to learn new spiritual practices and rediscover old ones, to sing and express yourself through the arts, to build community, to take Sabbath, and to play. Choose from a number of activity options that will make your heart sing!

Cost: $100 if you register BEFORE December 9, 2012. Price includes 2 meals (breakfast and lunch on Saturday, snacks, overnight accommodations at Edwards House and linens.) After December 9 the price will be $125.00 per person. Register on-line at www.macucc.org. Financial Assistance is available – See Pastor Doreen.

For more information CLICK HERE

Fair Update

As of November 29, the total raised is $4,152.22.

Women’s Association – Dec 5

The Christmas party on Wednesday, December 5 will again be held in the parsonage. We welcome hors doeuvres and appetizers for sharing. Instead of doing our gift swap game, we are asking that people bring items for the Worcester Fellowship ministry – hats, gloves, mittens (adult sized) and scarves. All women who are connected to FCC are welcome to attend any Women’s Association event.

There is no meeting in January. Stay tuned for details of the February meeting.

 

 

The Power of Prayer

Each week in worship we take time to inquire about the joys and concerns in people’s life that we might pray together over them. Communal prayer can be so very powerful. It is difficult for many people to speak in worship, whether because the situation is so emotional, or just because it’s hard to speak in public. As we move into the time of quiet prayer, I always suggest the time of silence as a time to offer up those prayers too deep for words. But there are many in our congregation, members and friends, who do not often come to worship for any number of reasons. I would like to offer to them the power of our communal prayer. Too often I neglect to add a newsletter column for prayer concerns, but I did remember to do it this month, and hope to keep it in the newsletter on an on-going basis. Can you help me by letting me know of your prayer concerns as they arise? If something happens you would like included in the next newsletter, send an e-mail or call, and I’ll make sure it gets in.

For this month, please do add your prayers for those listed below. Take a moment to breathe in God’s Spirit, and channel your good will and hopes to each person or situation named. You may well experience benefits of this prayer as well. Peace to all.

 

• For Sue Morowski’s brother Robert, who is in the hospital / rehab for 4-8 weeks, for healing and a positive adjustment.
• For Carol Mulrain’s friend Lesley and Lesley’s husband Phil who has a terminal illness, to be embraced in love.
• For people with addictions of all kinds, for those feeling out of control, for the kind of surrender that frees them.
• For Peter Morgan as Peter recuperates from pulmonary thrombosis (back home after a few weeks in rehab), for energy, strength, agency.
• For Ken in his dance with depression and medication adjustments, for relief and re-entry to full living.
• For Tom Sheehan, brother-in-law of Ellie Latham who had a mass in his lung about a month after open-heart surgery for recovery and healing.
• Prayers for Tom’s wife Bev and children Andy and Noah for strength and serenity.
• For Pastor Liz Magill of Worcester Fellowship who suffered a major concussion and back injury in a car accident in October.
• For all those who are alone or who feel alone, that they know comfort and companionship.
• For all those who are unemployed or underemployed and seeking work, for opportunities undreamed of.
• For Pam Jubinville’s friend Kim, for family harmony and reconciliation.
• For Pam’s father and step-mother, for healing and peace around his declining health.
• For Brenda Ponton who is dealing with a health crisis, for healing, recovery and peace through the treatment process.
• For Doug Ponton for strength and peace through his wife’s illness and healing for his own health issues.
• For M, who is trying to figure out her place in a new family situation, that she know with certainty that she is beloved by God and so many others.
• For A & D that a loving and stable home may be established in which love is allowed to flow to and from other family members.
• For Darby’s brother Lance who is having heart problems and facing tests and procedures at a time when he is apart from family and loved ones, for healing and recovery, and that he find compassion, connection and comfort wherever he goes.
• For the Bashista family awaiting a diagnosis and treatment recommendations, that they find clarity, acceptance and support in moving forward.
• For Nancy Desautel’s friend Carol S. who is facing challenges in several life areas, that she find comfort and strength from God for all-around healing and wholeness.