SHARING THE GOOD NEWS OCTOBER 2014 Vol. 1, No. 5

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1 FIRST AND ST. STEPHEN S UNIITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 6915 York Road Baltimore, Maryland firststucc@aol.com Web: MINISTRY TEAM Rev. Dr. Terry Fitzgerald Pastor Georgi Funderburk Dir. Of Christian Education Jeffrey Beyers Organist and Choir Director SUPPORT Rev. Dr. William Ingram President of the Consistory Rev. Peggy Cook Spiritual Direction and Specialized Ministry Joyce Kruse Administrative Assistant SUNDAY MORNINGS Children s Church School and Adult Christian Education 9:30 a.m. Service of Worship 10:30 a.m. Celebration of Holy Communion: First Sunday of the Month OUR MISSION STATEMENT As we become more fully God s people, First and St. Stephen s United Church of Christ CARES by Committing to Christ Advocating for social justice Rejoicing in worship Empowering for discipleship Sharing God s Extravagant welcome. WE SUPPORT: Earl s Place Assistance Center of Towson Churches (ACTC) Habitat for Humanity No matter who you are, or where you are on life s journey, you are welcome here. SHARING THE GOOD NEWS OCTOBER 2014 Vol. 1, No. 5 Dear Friends, As we become more fully God s people, First and St. Stephen s United Church of Christ CARES by Committing to Christ, Advocating for social justice, Rejoicing in worship, Empowering for discipleship, and Sharing God s extravagant welcome Our Mission Statement captures how we, at First and St. Stephen s UCC, are attempting to live as Christ s disciples and attempting to bring God s reign into this world and into our lives. It s a wonderful statement that guides us as we serve God and minister to others. And as we come to the time of year when we prepare for our Annual Congregational Financial Meeting, I was moved to consider in what ways our budget truly reflects our commitment to our Mission Statement. In sharing this thought with the Consistory, I invited all of us at the meeting, as I invite you now, to ask ourselves how we use our financial resources in ways that support each part of this mission statement what line items in our budget reflect how we commit ourselves more fully to Christ, advocate for social justice, rejoice in worship, empower for discipleship, and share God s extravagant welcome. I invite us to be prayerful and thoughtful as consider how we are going to allocate our resources. Let our preparation, examination, discussion, and support of our budget be a theological, faith-filled process of discernment. From that holy process, let us decide how to distribute our funds in ways that show that we desire to share Jesus love with one another and our neighbors near and far. To approach our budget in a prayerful, thoughtful, theological, and faithful way may not ultimately change the numbers, but it may remind us of how privileged we are to have the resources to gather as a community and to be a witness to the gospel message. It may remind us that our budget is not merely a business document. It may remind us that our budget is a concrete measure of how we are living out our Mission Statement and how we are demonstrating our efforts to be wise, generous, and loving with all that God has given us. I pray that this approach to preparing our budget may remind us to be grateful to God and to say yes to sharing extravagantly God s extravagant love. I close with an excerpt of a prayer by Walter Brueggemann from his book, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth, (p. 91): You are the God who is simple, direct, clear with us and for us. You have committed yourself to us. You have said yes to us in creation, yes to us in our birth, yes to us in our baptism, yes to us in our awakening this day. But we are of (continued on page 2)

2 Sharing the Good News Page 2 another kind, more accustomed to perhaps, maybe, we ll see, left in wonderment and ambiguity. We live our lives not back to your yes, but out of our endless perhaps. So we pray for your mercy this day that we may live yes back to you, yes with our time, yes with our money yes with our strength and our weakness, yes to our neighbor, yes and no longer perhaps. In the name of your enfleshed yes to us, even Jesus who is your yes. Amen. From the Consistory In the coming weeks, the Consistory will begin work on the congregation s budget for Our pastor, the treasurer and I will be meeting with other interested members of the Consistory on Wednesday, October 1, to formulate our budget. At our regular meeting on October 8, we will vote on a budget to recommend to the congregation at the annual financial meeting which will be held after the worship service on Sunday, October 26. If you have any thoughts about the budget for the coming year, do not hesitate to contact me or any of the consistory members with your ideas and concerns. At our September meeting, the pastor reminded us that our budget should be one expression of our mission as a congregation. When I was a pastor, I tried to keep that same emphasis before the folks charged with formulating a church s budget. It is my hope that we can take some initial steps in that direction this year, and that this can become more explicit in the budget for At the meeting on October 26, the Consistory will be presenting nominations for new Consistory members and for delegates to the Chesapeake Association and the Central Atlantic Conference. Your input is always welcome as we seek persons to fill these positions of leadership in our church. On Tuesday, September 9, the pastor, Rev. Peggy Cook and I accompanied Alex Vishio to a meeting of the Church and Ministry Commission of the Chesapeake Association. As you may know, we voted on September 7 to enter into a four-way covenant with Alex, the association and the conference for Alex to begin work with the conference as the Assistant Minister for Social Justice and Witness. The meeting that we attended was for the commission to consider whether or not to proceed with Alex s ordination in his new position. He was approved, and we are looking forward to his ordination later this year. On Monday, September 15, our pastor and I attended a workshop on building diverse and inclusive faith communities. This was part of our work with Faith Communities of Baltimore with Pride and was held at the Bolton Street Synagogue. If you ve never been in their building, they have some wonderful art and beautiful contemporary stained-glass in the building. Rev. Sam Offer skillfully led us in considering the differences between having a diverse group of people attending our faith communities and being truly inclusive of all who come to us. I have a lot to consider about how we are at being inclusive of the people who come into our fellowship. It s not necessarily as easy as you might think. Bill Ingram, Consistory President

Sharing the Good News Page 3 Children and Youth OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION Georgi, our Director of Christian Education for children and youth, reports that they are back in the swing of things.

3 Sharing the Good News Page 3 Children and Youth OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION Georgi, our Director of Christian Education for children and youth, reports that they are back in the swing of things. They are focusing on what it means to worship through Sunday school, youth group, and worship time. The younger children will begin learning some new songs during worship time. The older children will be learning how to put together a worship service. All will learn some new practices, and, of course, hear some biblical stories of worship. All are welcome to join in the fun! Sunday school for all ages is at 9:45am Youth meetings (4 th grade and up) are on October 12 and 26 following worship (around 12-ish) Adults Join this lively group at 9:30am for a discussion of Diana Butler Bass book, Christianity After Religion. We are informal and always interested in what people have to say. We meet in the Blue Room adjacent to Fellowship Hall. From October 21-November 9, from 6:30 to 8pm, Alex Vishio is leading a video lecture series presented by John Dominic Crossan titled The Challenge of Jesus. The format is to watch two short lectures per week. Each lecture is followed by a time for discussion and questions. Refreshments and informal conversation follows. This is open to the public. Barbara Jollenbeck celebrates her birthday on October 2. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BARBARA! Birthdays and anniversaries are important events in one s life. Don t let us miss the opportunity to send you good wishes for you special day. Please your date/dates to Peggy Cook at smc32548@gmail.com or see me at church.

Sharing the Good News Page 4 CALENDAR OF EVENTS BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS Sunday, October 5, at 2pm A Prayer for Animals Blessed are you, Lord God, Maker of all

Francis to call all animals his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless these animals. By the power of your love, enable them to live according to your plan.

Join the book discussion group on Tuesday, October 7, at 7pm to discuss Geraldine Brook s novel of the father of Louisa May Alcott s Little Women.

4 Sharing the Good News Page 4 CALENDAR OF EVENTS BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS Sunday, October 5, at 2pm A Prayer for Animals Blessed are you, Lord God, Maker of all living creatures. On the fifth and sixth days of creation you called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air, and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all animals his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless these animals. By the power of your love, enable them to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Join the book discussion group on Tuesday, October 7, at 7pm to discuss Geraldine Brook s novel of the father of Louisa May Alcott s Little Women. Please mark Sunday, October 26, as the day to remain at church following worship for the Annual Financial Budget meeting. As members of the church, we commit ourselves to the life and wellbeing of the church. We value your input.

Sharing the Good News Page 5 Spiritual Journeying with Peggy Cook The poet, Richard Greene wrote: It was one of those fine October days free from summer s heat and haze but not yet gripped by autumn

5 Sharing the Good News Page 5 Spiritual Journeying with Peggy Cook The poet, Richard Greene wrote: It was one of those fine October days free from summer s heat and haze but not yet gripped by autumn chill. It was one of those fine October days when the sky s so clear you can see the moon through the atmosphere at midday. It was one of those fine October days when the trees sport yellow and red instead of everyday summer green. It was one of those fine October days when one draws a deep breath and is grateful to be resident on Earth. While I will invariably say that spring, with the renewing of the earth after the long winter, is my favorite time of year, I confess that autumn is really my favorite season. The colors of the autumn season, the rustling of the leaves in the wind, the aromas of candles scented with pumpkin spice, apples, vanilla, and potpourri are the things that warm my heart. This is the time of year when I sense God s presence the most. In the time when the earth is preparing to hibernate for the coming winter, I hear God in the whirling of the leaves and see God as we are gifted with that palate of warm colors before shades of gray and dingy white are all that we have. The ancient Celts spoke of the thin places where heaven and earth are at their closest and presence is nearer. The season of autumn puts me at the heart of those thin places. I like to use this time to reflect on the year that is nearly over. What have I done, or not done, to live the way God intends for me to live? Have I helped anyone discover their unique relationship with God? Have I helped someone less fortunate than I? Was I supportive of my friend who needed my help? Did I do anything to promote justice and peace? How can I improve in the coming year? This is a wonderful time of year to reflect and write, particularly if you sense that heaven and earth are close together and God s presence is nearer than at other times. What thoughts fill your mind this time of year? Are you frightened more at this time of year than at other times? Do you sense loneliness more and why? Make note of these things and then find a trusted friend to talk with. God wants us to find joy in all the seasons of the year and in all the seasons of our lives. The things that bind us to the earth don t always let that happen. It s hard to find joy in the death of a spouse or loved one, or when there is no one around to be with, or when matters of health get in the way. Let someone know of your concerns so that they can help to make your life brighter and filled with meaning. If you know of someone who is going through rough times, be their friend, their helper, the bright spot in their day or their lives. When you visit someone, bring God along, too. Let that moment be a thin place where heaven and earth are close together and God s presence is ever nearer. They will be blessed and you will, too.

6 Sharing the Good News Page 6 Matters of Opinion: Hallowing Halloween Why Christians should embrace the devilish holiday with gusto and laughter. By Anderson M. Rearick III/ OCTOBER 2, 2000 A few years back, our local Christian radio station ran a poll asking whether Halloween is spiritually harmful. The response from a predominantly evangelical audience here in Ohio was two-to-one against Halloween. This did not surprise me. It is now popular in some Christian circles to repudiate any celebration of All Hallows Eve Halloween. "We all know what day is coming," said a young woman in the choir of the Rhode Island church my wife and I attended when I was working on my doctorate. "And I think we need to be in prayer that the evil powers and principalities be held in check over this next weekend." Halloween fell on a Sunday that year, making the event seem all the more sinister. On the calendar of events for the Christian college where I teach, October 31 sits in a dark square with no acknowledgment that there is anything special about the date. "It's Satan's Holiday, Dr. Rearick," affirmed one of my students. "Didn't you know?" Well, no, I didn't know. And I am reluctant to give up what was one of the highlights of my childhood calendar to the Great Impostor and Chief of Liars for no reason except that some of his servants claim it as his. Give up nothing I have always considered Halloween a day to celebrate the imagination, to become for a short time something wonderful and strange, smelling of grease paint, to taste sweets that are permissible only once a year. How wonderful to be with other children dressed up as what they might grow up to be, what they wished they could be, or even what they secretly feared. All of us, dreams and nightmares, were brought together on equal footing, going from door to door to be given treats and admired for our creativity. How delightful to go to parties with doughnuts, apples, brown cider, and pumpkin cakes and to hear spine-tingling ghost stories and feel our hearts skip a beat when the teller grabbed for us. Now some are pressuring us to give this all up, and they use what is for some of us the most difficult argument to answer: it's the "Christian" thing to do. Some Christians shun make-believe. Such believers feel that a young Christian's mind should never long to be in lands where little men have fuzzy feet, dragons breathe fire, and horses have wings. Instead, they maintain that a Christian should be caught up in the here and now of the "real" world. Defending the reality of fiction and the value of fantasy requires an entirely different essay.

Sharing the Good News Page 7 Christians certainly may be leery of sharing anything with modern pagans and Satanists who claim Halloween as theirs.

7 Sharing the Good News Page 7 Christians certainly may be leery of sharing anything with modern pagans and Satanists who claim Halloween as theirs. But who gave these individuals the right to claim the holiday? If they are Druids, they are celebrating Samhain, which is not Halloween but an even older holiday. As for Satanists, their calendar is a perversion of Christian seasons there would be no Satanists if there were no Christians. Let them claim all they want. I give them nothing. "But look at the roots of Halloween," some may say. "Don't you see how evil it once was?" I do, but the operative word in that sentence is was. Samhain was once a time of fear and dread, but at one time so was Yule or Midvinterblot, as it was called in Sweden. Toward the time of the winter solstice, the days became shorter and colder. The land was laid waste. In pagan times, to keep the fire of the life-giving sun alight, people often made sacrifices before a great oak tree. Boniface is supposed to have stopped one such sacrifice and instituted the indoor Christmas tree at the same time. The burning of such logs in the midst of sacrifice has come down to us as the traditions of burning Yule logs and enjoying Christmas trees. I'm not suggesting fir trees and Yule logs be banned from Christmas; I'm only demonstrating what has happened time and again in history. For our pagan ancestors, the holidays that marked the great seasonal changes were often fearful, terrible, and dark. But with the coming of Christ came a great light that reclaimed not only individuals but also the holidays they celebrated. In the case of Midvinterblot and Yule, the holidays that once marked the terrible price required to provide light instead began to express the joyous arrival of God's true light. (This article first appeared in October 2, 2000 issue of Christianity Today. Used by permission of Christianity Today, Carol Stream, IL )

8 Sharing the Good News Page 8 LECTIONARY READINGS FOR THE SUNDAYS IN OCTOBER October 5: Ex. 20:1-4, 7-9, October 19: Ex. 33:12-23 Ps. 19 Ps. 99 OR OR Isa. 5:1-7 Isa. 45:1-7 Ps. 80:7-15 Ps. 96:1-9, (10-13) Phil. 3:4b-14 1 Thess. 1:1-10 Matt. 21:33-46 Matt. 22:15-22 October 12: Ex. 32:1-14 October 26: Deut. 34:1-12 Ps. 106:1-6, Ps. 90:1-6, OR OR Isa. 25:1-9 Lev. 19:1-2, Ps. 23 Ps. 1 Phil. 4:1-9 1 Thess. 2:1-8 Matt. 22:1-14 Matt. 22:34-46 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

Spreading The Good News January, 2018

Spreading The Good News January, 2018 FIRST AND ST. STEPHEN S UNIITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 6915 York Road Baltimore, Maryland 21212 410-377-5224 Email: firststucc@aol.com Web: www.first-ststephens.org MINISTRY TEAM Rev. Kelly M. Sisson Pastor