First Church Notes. 1 Pastor s Notes 2 Lectionary. 4 Free Concert at New. Inside this Issue. From Pastor Annette:

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1 Sunday Services on GCTV Sunday: 10:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. Monday-Friday: 2:30 p.m. Saturday: 9:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ P.O. Box 155 Gray, ME Inside this Issue 1 Pastor s Notes 2 Lectionary Annual Reports Due Monthly Financial Stewardship 3 The Story Behind O Holy Night. 4 Free Concert at New Gloucester Church Women s Fellowship Drop-in Craft Night HELP WANTED Thank You Church office: Church/Supper room: grayfirst@securespeed.us Website: Office Hours: Rev. Annette: Tuesday & Thursday with open office hours 2:00-4:00 on Thursday. Rose s New Office Hours: Tuesday & Friday 9:00 3:00 Office hours subject to change. Please call ahead to be sure. First Church Notes From Pastor Annette: As you receive this issue of our church newsletter, Advent will be beginning. The word advent means coming. During this season we recall and anticipate the threefold coming of Christ: in the flesh at Bethlehem, through his Spirit to us now, and in glory at the close of the ages. Advent is a rich and complex season, poised between memory and hope. From my youth it has always been my favorite season of the church year, with its mix of deep thoughts, deep yearnings, and deep peace. Several years ago I happened upon the little book of Habakkuk, a book in the Bible that is only three chapters long, and which is found towards the end of the Old Testament. I have found Habakkuk a good book for contemplating Advent themes in the midst of troubled and violent times. In this book, the prophet Habakkuk is in a deeply-felt conversation with God. The book s historical setting is the period when the Babylonians (aka the Chaldeans ) are the powerful new empire on the scene, and shortly before they invade Jerusalem. Habakkuk begins by asking God why God allows wrong-doing, violence, and injustice to continue in society. God responds that he will use the Chaldeans as his instrument of judgment against those who are committing injustice. Habakkuk then asks God how he can use such an evil and treacherous empire to swallow up those who are more righteous than they. God does not answer this question directly. Instead God says: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it. It will surely come; it will not delay. Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith. God urges the prophet and God s people to keep focused on God s vision for the future, even in the midst of terrible injustice and violence. They are to wait for God s future in hope by living faithful and just lives in the present. The final chapter of the book of Habakkuk is a prayer, in which the prophet remembers God s mighty acts in the past. He concludes with these words: Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; Though the produce of the olive fails, and the fields yield no food; Though the flock is cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength. He makes my feet like feet of a deer, and makes me tread upon the heights. This Advent, may we also experience such trust and joy in God, even in the midst of troubled times. Shalom Annette

2 Lectionary Readings for December 6, 2015 Malachi 3:1-4 Luke 1:68-79 Philemon 1:3-11 Luke 3:1-6 December 13, 2015 Zephaniah 3:14-20 Isaiah 12:2-6 Philemon 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-18 December 20, 2015 Micah 5:2-5 Luke 1:46-55 Psalm 80:1-7 Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-45 December 24, 2015 Isaiah 9:2-7 Psalm 96 Titus 2:11-14 Luke 2:1-14, December 25, 2015 Isaiah 52:7-10 Psalm 98 Hebrews 1:1-4, 5-12 John 1:1-14 December 27, Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Psalm 148 Colossians 3:12-17 Luke 2:41-52 December 31, 2015 Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 Psalm 8 Revelation 21:1-6 Matthew 25:31-46 Monthly Financial Report October Income and Expenses Pledges $6, Loose Offering Orphan Bills Bean Supper Parsonage Rental Oct. 1, Parish Hall Rental Donations (Pantry) Additional Yard Sales TOTAL $9, Expenses for the month of October totaled $7, this does not include $15, for the steeple project and the painting of the church front doors and trim plus the new cellar windows for the parsonage - this money came out of the Building Fund. To meet the budget for 2015, our monthly income should be $9, Respectfully submitted, Fran Hutchings STEWARDSHIP The Stewardship Committee would like to remind members that submitting your annual pledge sheets as soon as possible will help guide our church as it constructs its budget for next year. We are grateful for your dedication in determining the extent of our ministries in Gray. Mark Grover, for the Stewardship Committee Annual Reports are Due January 3 rd. Each board and committee is required to present an annual report to be included in the church s Annual Report that is distributed for the Annual Meeting in January. Please select a person from your board or committee to prepare this document; generally it is done by the secretary of each committee. 2

3 "The Story Behind 'O Holy Night' " By Dr. Jeff Sanders It's a tough song to sing isn't it? Also hard to play on the piano (so I've been told). But it is the "show stopper" at many Christmas cantatas. You just can't help but get a thrill when you belt out the chorus "Fall on your knees...." But the carol "O Holy Night" was actually banned by church leadership, and if it were not for the common people, the powerful song would have faded into obscurity. In 1847 a commissioner of wine in France, Mr. Placide Cappeau, was asked by his parish priest to write a poem for the Christmas Eve service. On a hard carriage ride to Paris, the gentleman imagined himself a witness to the birth of Christ. The wonder of that glorious moment flowed through his pen, and he gave us the poem "Cantique de Noel" ("Song of Christmas). Cappeau had the words, but now he needed the music to lift souls heavenward in song. He asked his friend, Adolphe Charles Adams. It was an unusual request. Adams was a trained classical musician, but he was of the Jewish faith. Nevertheless, he good naturedly received his friend's request and began at once to compose an original tune for the poem. It was a perfect match and the song was performed for the congregation on Christmas Eve. The French people loved the carol, but later after Cappeau left the church for the philosophy of socialism, and after it was discovered that the composer was not of the Christian faith, the church leadership banned the song from its liturgy throughout France. However, the French people would not let the song die and continued to embrace it--even if they had to sing it outside the official approval of the church. Ten years later, an American abolitionist, John Sullivan Dwight, heard the carol and loved its vibrant message of hope---especially the verse that says "Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother, and in His name all oppression shall cease." His English translation quickly became popular in the North during the American Civil War. Legend has it that the French Catholic Church finally received the song back into its worship services after an encounter between French and German troops during the Franco-Prussian War. During a lull in fighting, a French soldier began singing "Cantique de Noel." The Germans were so moved that they responded by singing one of Luther's hymns. The "songfest" encouraged the soldiers to honor a truce for 24 hours on Christmas. The end of this story involves the beginning of modern technology--the invention of the radio. On Christmas Eve, 1906, Reginald Fessenden (a former colleague of Thomas Edison) was experimenting with a microphone and the telegraph. Fessenden began reading the story of the birth of Jesus from Luke chapter 2. Around the world, wireless operators on ships and at newspaper desks began to hear a man's voice come out of their machines. It was the first radio broadcast of a man's voice....and it was the Gospel of Christ. But it doesn't end there. Fessenden then picked up a violin and began to play a tune. You guessed it..... "O Holy Night." The song written by a wine merchant, set to music by a Jewish composer, banned by church leaders, kept alive by the French, adopted by American abolitionists, sung by troops in the trenches, and at last broadcast to the whole world by invisible radio waves. The first song ever played over the radio: "O Holy Night." Fall on your knees. O hear the angel voices. O night divine. The night when Christ was born. O night divine. A moment in History with Dr. Jeff Sanders 3

4 Coastal Winds Concert Band Free Concert Tuesday, December 8 th 7:00 p.m. Carol sing-along included in the program. Refreshments served afterward! A free will offering for the Emergency Fuel Assistance Fund will help our neighbors stay warm this winter. WOMEN S FELLOWSHIP MONTHLY MEETING Dinner Out and Christmas Party Rose s Italian Restaurant Monday, December 14 th at 6:00 p.m. Meet at the Parish House at 5:30 to carpool. All women of the church are invited. Bring a small gift (less than $10) for A Yankee Swap Help Wanted: Snow Removal The church is currently seeking a person to clean up after snow storms. This position includes using the church-provided snow blower as well as hand shoveling and applying sand and salt. Must be available to have walkways and steps cleared before 9:00 a.m. weekdays and weekends, as there are several groups that use the parish house through the week. Must have own reliable transportation and references. Please contact Drop-In Craft Night Beat the winter blahs by joining up with our open craft night group. We have several people from the community that come to craft and would love to have some from our church join us. This month we will only have one Craft Night, on December 7 th. We have a great time and really enjoy ourselves. We work on anything and everything from sewing to card making to scrapbooking. We will be looking into having some guest instructors this winter to teach us some new tricks. It is a great way to spend those endless winter hours with some great people. Come join us at 6:30 at the Parish House on the 1 st and 3 rd Mondays of the month. A THANK-YOU NOTE Anne and Rose would like to thank EVERYONE who helped set up, clean up, bake, craft, sew and sell. To those who cooked and cleaned and to those who supported the tables of the vendors that came to sell their wares. THANK YOU! Many people have told us that this is one of the biggest and best church fairs that they go to and make a plan to NOT miss our fair. This is due to the dedication of all our church family that helps to make this a great fair each year! 4

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