Church. Brookville. A Look Back and A Look Ahead NEWSLETTER

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1 Brookville Church NEWSLETTER REV. VICKY L. EASTLAND Pastor of Congregational Life 2 BROOKVILLE ROAD BROOKVILLE, NY Where our doors are always open! January 2015 A Look Back and A Look Ahead As I write this article, it is not yet January. At the end of a calendar year I always find myself reflecting over the past year. We have had quite a year together. We lost several prominent members in Those who went onto glory were Charles Buchan, Nancy Evans, Herbert Fischer, Thomas Koszalka, Monroe Diefendorf and Madeline (Lynn) Simm. Each contributed to the life of Brookville Church and will be dearly missed. We also have seen a steady decline in attendance at our Sunday Morning Worship Celebrations as well as a decrease in giving. We showed a realistic picture this year of the large deficit we ended the year in and therefore have needed to draw larger amounts from our Endowment Fund. But in the midst of this decline there have also been gains that are resulting in our growth in unique and different ways. We gained a faith community who moved all their programing to our campus. The Interfaith Community of Long Island is growing and also excited to call Brookville home. Because of this move, we were able to jointly hire a part-time Director of Multifaith Education, Lesley Mazzotta, who has been writing a Sunday School curriculum that fits our unique context and our children have joined with the children of the Interfaith Community for education. We are working to get a multifaith youth group going as well as new family and adult educational opportunities and service. The other faith groups here are alive and well and together we are working hard to build bridges of understanding and peace among religions. My trip to Oman to visit our Partner in Peace and Education, Rev. Justin Meyers has opened many doors to share about not only Oman but also the unique ministries we are doing together on our multifaith campus right here in Brookville. More and more we are becoming known as a place of inclusion, acceptance and peace. As I reflect on the past year, I also look forward to the year ahead and now that the Christmas Season is behind us, we quickly approach the Lenten Season. We will once again be offering a Lenten Movie Study on Thursday evenings starting Feb. 19th. Watch for upcoming details to follow. After attending a very moving Ordination service that included many forms of prayer, my passion to pray with others and to teach others to pray has been renewed. So, beginning on Feb. 18th, Ash Wednesday, I am inviting anyone who would like to spend time in prayer together to come at 10 a.m. to my study at church to spend 30 minutes in group prayer. We will experiment with different forms of prayer and will hopefully all find deeper ways to connect with God. Only God knows what 2015 will hold for us, and I can t wait to see what is up God s sleeve. Won t you join me in a spiritual journey of discovery, intrigue and growth? With Love, Rev. Vicky

2 I Epiphany Sunday, Jan. 10 am Worship Celebration This festival has been celebrated since the 4th century and the word means appearance or manifestation. As Christians we regard the Magi s visit as a symbol that Jesus was born not only for one group of people, but that Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). We will celebrate Epiphany on January 4th by sharing in the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and by the installation of the new Consistory members: Elders Cathy O Neill and Branch Worsham and Deacons Lisa Denison and Steven Schombs. W Thank you to our Church Family for your Christmas Gifts All of us who are part of the Brookville church staff, express our appreciation for the gifts we received from the congregation during the Christmas season. We appreciate your generosity and thank you for always making us feel loved! Remember to pray for our partner in peace and education in Oman, Rev. Justin Meyers & Family (Stephanie, Gavin & Collin). Rev. Vicky Eastland, Carol Goglia, Lesley Mazzotta, Rigoberto Melara & Lauren Goglia Christmas Toy Drive (formerly Secret Santa) Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Christmas Toy Drive this year. You helped make it a GREAT success! Brookville Church along with the Interfaith Community collected over 25 toys for underserved families of the Glen Cove Tenants Housing Association. Thank you to Lesley Mazzotta for organizing the drive this year and Alex, Sabrina, Julia-Kate, Jack, Sam and Amy Schamroth along with Sarah Cirker who delivered the gifts to the organization. Your giving spirit helped make Christmas special for some well deserved families this year. Thank you!

3 Epiphany A Star to Guide Us in the New Year Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him. ~ Matthew 2:2 (RSV) In reading the gospel account of we three kings of Orient are, you won t find the names Caspar, Balthasar and Melchior, which emerged much later in the 6th century, or for that matter, any mention of royalty or their arrival by camel-back, exactly when, or even how many of these anonymous well-educated philosopherastronomer-astrologist Gentile luminaries came bearing gifts for the Christ child, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. It is the prophet Isaiah (60:1-6) who foretells of the heavenly light that would shine at a time of darkness over Jerusalem as a beacon to pagan nations, and also, that camels would bring the wealth of these nations, including gold and frankincense; and Psalm 72:10 prophesizes that far-off kings would bring gifts to the Son of David. Different writers living centuries apart penned these biblical accounts, but the same Divine Author, the Holy Spirit, inspired the words. The story of the Magi and the uniqueness of their three gifts symbolize the importance and destiny of Jesus gold (royal kingship of Jesus), frankincense (the priestly office of Jesus as intercessor and mediator) and myrrh (the humanity and suffering of Jesus on the cross or as the anointed messenger of God to Israel). Hence the historical-religious portrayal of the Magi as a trio of kings wearing crowns, bearing treasures and riding camels, which is included in every nativity scene. In spite of their splendor, wealth and status, however, Matthew s wise men are merely supporting actors in the wondrous Epiphany story. Jesus is the star. A takeaway from this story for us this many centuries later is that whatever our personal circumstances our role is to pay homage to Jesus by bearing gifts to others in his name. The Brookville meal ministry, Together We Serve, is one way we can show our adoration and love for the Christ child all year round. Leave the camels home. Get on the meal train in ~ Kris Baggelaar Our Together We Serve meal ministry is up and running, ready to meet the needs of individuals/families in the Brookvile community. A birth? Illness? Surgery? Let us help make life a little easier by bringing a meal, making a dish that can be frozen/ reheated easily in the future, ordering a local food delivery, pizza, etc. Anyone can initiate a "meal train" simply by calling the church office ( ) and providing our administrative assistant Lauren with the name of the recipient(s), along with pertinent information. Let us help make life a little easier for someone in need! Multifaith Campus Pot Luck Dinner Friday Jan. 30, 7:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall Join Rev. Vicky and Lesley Mazzotta, as they share stories from their Fall 2014 trip to the beautiful country of Oman on the Arabian Coast. Hear about their adventures with this warm, open and welcoming Muslim nation, learn more about the Al Amana Centre, an RCA ministry working internationally to foster understanding, acceptance, cooperation, and trust between Muslims and Christians and hear about the Multifaith plans we are developing for our Brookville campus in 2015 and beyond! Please bring a food dish to share! RSVP (516) Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman If you can t make it for dinner, join us for dessert when Rev. Vicky and Lesley will give their presentation.

4 Choir Celebrations! Make A Joyful Sound Unto The Lord!! That s what the Adult Choir, the youth of the Brookville Church and Interfaith Community, and Musica Schmusica did for the entire Advent Season. A total of 38 people rehearsed and performed all sorts of events during this season, and I am completely indebted to every one of them for offering their gifts of talent to our worship services. The first Sunday of Advent was performed by the Brookville Choir. For the first time ever, we had the congregation sing O Come, O Come Emmanuel with us. It was such a treat. Thank you Lisa Denison, Nancy Worsham, Nan Coffey, Jessie Surig, and B.J. Worsham. You started us off so beautifully. The second Sunday of Advent was performed by Musica Schmusica. Again, thanks to Nan Coffey, John Coffey, Michael Flanagan, Fran Kaufmann, Mark Kaufmann, and Pam Tobel. The third Sunday of Advent was the youth performance of The Camel Lot. It was such a thrill watching the culmination of 10 weeks of rehearsals and hard work. The kids were amazing. And they had a fun time doing this play. Thank you to our young actors: Jacob Apat, Joseph Apat, Gabe Cirker, Leah Cirker, Maddy Cirker, Matteo DiGirolamo, Georgia Leoppard, Grace Leoppard, Samantha Melendez, Alaina Pinto, Andrew Pinto, Cara Schombs, Evan Schombs, Hailey Schombs, Ian Schombs, Branch Worsham, Rachel Worsham, and Sarah Worsham. The fourth Sunday of Advent was the annual Adult Choir concert. We performed Child of Hope and it was beautiful. Those in attendance commented that this was the best cantata the choir has ever performed!! Thanks go to: Sopranos - Diane Beardslee, Lisa Denison, Fran Kaufmann, Antonia Petrash, Nancy Worsham Altos - Nan Coffey, Barbara Colby, Catherine Procaccini, Jessie Surig, Pam Tobel, Joan Vivian Tenors - Ralph Colby, Hal Davidson, Michael Flanagan, B.J. Worsham Basses - John Coffey, Mark Kaufmann On Christmas Eve during the early family service, our youth came together to form a youth choir. What a delight it was to hear the Children sing. We also had some soloists perform on their instruments. Gabe Cirker played the organ, Catherine Hunt played the cello and William Hunt played the trumpet. Thank you to all of the performers: Gabe Cirker, Leah Cirker, Maddy Cirker, Catherine Hunt, William Hunt, Cara Schombs, Evan Schombs, Hailey Schombs, and Ian Schombs. At the 11:00pm Christmas Eve service the Adult Choir sang. They did such a wonderful job. Thank you: Diane Beardslee, Nan Coffey, Barbara Colby, Ralph Colby, Hal Davidson, Lisa Denison, Will Denison, Antonia Petrash, Jessie Surig, and B.J. Worsham. I also must thank the Interfaith Community for the AMAZING party they produced after the youth play, and the Brookville Women for providing a beautiful reception after the choir concert. I also wish to thank everyone from the Brookville/IFC play, the Adult Choir and the Brookville Church for the very generous gifts you gave to me! I am so grateful to know each and every one of you! Thank you!!!!!! Happy New Year! Carol Goglia

5 Greetings and Happy New Year to everyone! Education Corner By: Lesley Mazzotta, Dir. of Multifaith Education I hope you all had a joyous and blessed Christmas holiday. I had both a filling and fulfilling celebration with family and friends in Boston. Now, I am thrilled to be back, looking forward to all of the wonderful things that we have planned for our Multifaith Campus in 2015! Below, you will find event highlights for January. I am so excited for the start of this New Year. I pray that it will be a rich, vibrant and transformative journey for each of us! Blessings, Lesley For Children and Youth Sunday, January 18 Interfaith Children s Class, 10:00am 11:15am Our children join the IFC children in Fellowship Hall for our monthly class that highlights stories, arts, crafts and group discussion from both the Jewish and Christian faith traditions. Our classes are divided by age, and every grade is covered in three classes from kindergarten through 8th grade. On this same Sunday, we are launching Celebrating our Songs, an interfaith class for toddlers, aged 18 months 4 years old. Children gather in the nursery at 10:00am for 45 minutes of free play, games and a simple, yet engaging lesson where children experience Christianity and Judaism through music. February Save the Dates! Friday, February 6, Children and youth-led Shabbat Service, 7pm Sunday, February 15, Interfaith Children s Classes, 10:00am 11:15am Sign Up Now! Summer Youth Mission Trip, West Virginia Sunday, July 19 Saturday, July 25, 2015 For all youth, ages Sign up now for an amazing week of service and fun in the rural community of Pipestem, WV. Our home for the week is the Appalachian Folklife Center, which provides acres of a beautiful campground, a nearby lake, recreational facilities, cabins with bunk beds, and plenty of outdoor adventures. We will work six hours a day restoring and repairing homes for at - risk and vulnerable homeowners. In addition, we will participate in our own worship services, educational programs and social activities around our service experience. For Our Entire Community Sunday, January 18 Monday, January 19- MLK Service Project Join the entire Brookville campus to prepare and deliver food and toiletry bags to the migrant workers in our community. Help cook food on Sunday in Fellowship Hall from 10:30am 12:00pm; deliver food and toiletry bags starting at 6:30am on Monday, January 19. For more information or to see how you can help, contact Lesley at Lesley@interfaithli.org. January 30, 7pm Multifaith Potluck Dinner (See page 3 for more info) February Save the Date! Saturday, February 28, Brookville Multifaith Campus Service Day

6 Sunday Afternoon(s) of Yoga January 11, 2015 and March 8, pm - 5 pm ~ $45 per date Please register no later than one week prior to date at Brookville Reformed Church, 2 Brookville Road Brookville Presenter: Karyn Van Name, Certified Practitioner of Yoga, Meditation, Chakra Yoga, Yoga Therepy, Chair Yoga and Reiki Karyn will present an afternoon consisting of well-paced, hatha yoga postures with focus on breath and alignment, pranayama (yogic breathing), meditation and relaxation. Her intention is to help facilitate a state of ease and centeredness with an overall feeling of wellness and wholeness. This workshop is for all levels and highly recommended for those who are currently practicing yoga regularly to enrich your practice. If you are new to yoga or have limitations or are recovering from surgery, illness or injury, please contact Karyn keyoga62@hotmail.com or to discuss your concerns. A private session or a shorter, smaller group class may be recommended first. Please bring a yoga mat, cotton throw blanket, yoga blocks and belt (if you have them). Wear comfortable clothing in layers that allows freedom of movement. Please do not wear any perfume or cologne. Please practice with an empty stomach and barefoot. * * * Karyn is a student of yoga since 1997 and teaching since She gratefully taught 90 students a week for 11 ½ years at St. Ignatius Retreat House in Manhasset till it closed in Currently she is teaching 7 classes weekly in Williston Park and studying Ayurveda which is based on the timeless wisdom of India's 5,000 year old medical system. As Karyn integrates these wisdom practices of aligning with nature into her own life, she naturally offers them to her students to help them live more holistically with the rhythm and seasons of life. Karyn holds certifications in Kripalu Yoga and Hatha Yoga - Anusara Inspired with Todd Norian, Chair Yoga, Meditation, Yoga Therapy, Chakra Yoga and as a Reiki Master. Having practiced Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy & Anusara Yoga Therapeutics, Karyn brings a comprehensive knowledge of yoga as therapy and a deep understanding of body-mind healing to her work with clients. She creates a sacred, safe space for healing in each modality or in combination, if needed, and is devoted to bringing compassion and understanding with heart centered awareness to each encounter with her students and clients. Karyn offers an integrative approach to wholeness with private and semiprivate sessions at Lisa's Holistic Day Spa in Greenvale and in Williston Park and Locust Valley. She is available for classes and retreats for your group at your location. Call Karyn for details about tailored private or group programs. Registration Form ~ Sunday Afternoon(s) of Yoga Name! Address!! Phone Cell Yoga Experience: Number of years practicing and type of yoga! Date(s) of Session(s) you wish to attend: Jan 11, 2015 March 8, 2015 Please check all that apply. Please remember to include your full payment of $45.00 per session. You can register for all dates at one time or individually and by one week prior to the event! Please make check payable to and send to: Karyn Van Name, P.O. Box 152, Locust Valley, NY 11560

7 Reflections Reflections Life is something we all share, Just like oxygen, in the air, The way we live it is up to us, With a negative or a plus. AnitaPoems.com More often than just at the year s end I reflect upon the good opinion which has been so kindly and so liberally extended to me by you readers. The occasional complimentary word buoys my spirit and makes me feel appreciated and that s a good feeling. Thank you all. Though the hair is departing my head, and the furrows of time attach themselves to my brow, I am thankful for a light foot that carries me on a daily walk, a ready hand to help the family, still a quick eye and a cheerful heart; and the possession of these blessings leads me to enjoy the outdoors and sunshine rather than to go in quest of shadows. Many people think that their trials are at least equal to those of their neighbors: and I, too, have thought before now that I have had my share. If, however, my troubles have been vexing my blessings have been greater; and seldom do I pass a portion of every day without a halleluiah and a thank you God on my lips or in my heart. In musing upon the many years of writing these Reflections and my attempts to interest you readers in my adventures I have always hoped that some one or some few would be enriched a little - at least during the short time it takes to read them. There are some who know less of the things on which I have written than myself, though many know more: at any rate, I have persuaded myself that the cheerful prattle of a friendly old man, on subjects interesting in themselves, have not been altogether unwelcome. Different people take different views on most subjects, however believing, as I do, that habitual cheerfulness and calm is not inconsistent with my years and hopes I am happy to express my thankfulness to the Father of mercies for all He has given me. Writing these columns often starts whenever I pick up a scrap of conversation or experience an innocent source of leisure or scenery. Over the years I have run, jogged, and now walk whether in town or country and accept what new sights unfold each day. Upon hearing something unique or of interest I have learned to jot down a note that will later become a part of each column. How infinitely varied are the works of God: it is wondrous that they are available to us providing simple pleasures along with the things that are requisite both for the body and the soul. For Nancy and me this New Year started after a wonderful Christmas Day in which family members from grandparents down to the youngest grandchildren were all present. We celebrated the Holiday in the old fashioned way -- having Christmas at the family home. To continue the wonders of the Holidays we followed Christmas with a second special day. I am boisterously proud of the reality, so long in coming, that Nancy and I have been married together for fifty-five years. Our children and their families gave us an anniversary party that allowed us all an opportunity to reflect upon our memories and good times. Our first son (the second generation) entertained us with magic tricks and our granddaughters (the third generation) played beautiful piano pieces. I wish I could be more eloquent in exclaiming of the warmth and love that flowed amongst us that afternoon. It was the stuff that recalls memories and creates new ones. When younger I would run through country cemeteries with their ancient granite artistry and serene peace and while there learn lessons of humility and finality. Many people would question my sanity for the years of daily and long runs but they were often my inspiration: sometimes just to be a good start of a day and more often to enrich my body and soul always daily gifts from God. It is said that a man ought not to go out attempting a hard travail without coming back wiser and better than he went out. Those earlier times were such that I could run the distance without stopping; when I could have challenged the runner in front as nimbly as... but it is idle to boast of what I have been; my aching joints tell me what I am now. One of the most satisfying sounds to my mind is the church going bell. I have written of this before, but it is a balm to my soul to hear them and just writing this brings them back to mind. One of the best places for this is Charleston, South Carolina which is called the Holy City for the number of church spires piercing the skyline and where I have often answered the call of the church bells and walked to church. Thus might I proceed with this edition till I have exhausted your patience and still leave untold many things that afford me satisfaction. I am always thankful for the pleasure that God s providence has scattered on my pathway and for sense to be mindful of life with death, time with eternity, and earth with heaven. Branch Worsham Happy New Year End Word: Cheek To Cheek Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, What happened? A hair on the head is worth two on the brush. They Meant To Be The Lights Went Out And So Did He He Needed