THE BELFRY Newsletter October 2017 Sanbornton Congregational Church, UCC

Transcription

1 THE BELFRY Newsletter October 2017 Sanbornton Congregational Church, UCC God, you show me the path of life. In your presence, there is fullness of joy (Ps. 16:11) Greetings, Friends! I am eager to share with you what I have learned and experienced during my sabbatical through the spiritual practice of walking the labyrinth, whether it be made of stone, canvas or mulch, whether it is a beautifully crafted finger labyrinth of cloth, wood or pewter. I would like to start by offering two gatherings: Walking the Labyrinth: Introduction and Communal Walk on a canvas labyrinth In the Old Town Hall next to our church. 10:00-11:00 a.m., Sat. Oct. 14 th 3:00-4:00 p.m., Sun. Oct. 15 th (A labyrinth walk for the Confirmation youth and their mentors: 4:30 p.m., Oct. 15 th ). Finger labyrinths will be available for those who choose to walk the labyrinth while sitting down. Or you can try both out! Since the fourth century, Christians have embraced the labyrinth as a spiritual space for prayer and reflection; as a path to inspire, console, calm and awaken us; as a time to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8). Whether you know nothing, a little, or a lot about the labyrinth, this quiet walk can bring you closer to God at the center of your being. There is no right or wrong way of walking a labyrinth. There is only one path into the center and back out again. You are free to walk it however you like. I have taken tiny steps and giant steps, I have skipped and danced, I have even twirled--but no, I have not yet walked it on my knees You walk the path as the Spirit moves you, in body, mind, heart and soul. Make me to know your ways, O God, teach me your paths (Ps. 25:4). Yours in Christ, Ruth Rev. Ruth Martz, Pastor Please join me on this path... Page 1 of 12

2 October 1 10:00 a.m. Worship, with guest preacher Rev. Michael Carrier Family Sunday (no Sunday school). Communion will be celebrated on October :00 a.m. Worship, with Communion. Neighbors in Need Special Collection Special violin music played by Marshall Meade: Meditation des Thaïs by Massenet and Traumerei by Schumann Worship series begins: On the Path: Wisdom Teaches 10 Monday, 3:30-6 p.m. Bread & Roses meal preparation and serving 14 Sat. 10:00-11:00 a.m. Labyrinth Walk in the Old Town Hall 15 10:00 a.m. Worship: On the Path: Wisdom Calls 2:00 p.m. Merrimack Association Meeting (Concord) 3:00 p.m. Walk on the Labyrinth 4:30-6 p.m. Confirmation meeting, with mentors (Labyrinth walk) 18 Wed. 7:00 p.m. Council 21 Sat. 8:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m. NH UCC Annual Meeting, Concord 22 10:00 a.m. Worship; Ukama Sunday Celebration. On The Path: Wisdom Rejoices 29 10:00 a.m. Worship. On The Path: Wisdom Enters All THANKS! TO Laura Belanger, our new organist, for sharing her wonderful gifts with us in Worship TO Marshall Meade for playing the violin so beautifully in Worship on Sept. 10 TO Teresa D Esopo Spinner for hosting a special concert and reception on Sept. 23 TO concert pianist Victor Rosenbaum for his inspiring performance of works by Beethoven TO our lead Sunday school teachers and all who have volunteered to serve as teaching aides TO all of you who serve in ministry through Boards, Committees, Worship services, and so many special ways TO or FOR whom would you like to offer thanks to God? THANKS BE to you, O God, for the gifts of everyone in our congregation and for the opportunities you give us to serve others in your name. Amen. Page 2 of 12

3 WILL YOU SERVE AS A DELEGATE? We need you! 3 Delegates to Merrimack Association gatherings Our church is invited by the NH Conference to send three delegates to the Merrimack Association gatherings, which take place twice a year (fall/spring) on a Sunday afternoon. One delegate should be a youth or young adult. The first meeting this year is on Sunday, October 15, at 2:00 p.m., at the West Congregational Church in Concord. This gathering begins with Worship, which is followed by a business meeting, and a reception. The business of the Merrimack Association includes: updates on new clergy calls and retirements; seminary students in discernment; financial report; and upcoming events. Delegates vote on the budget, scholarships and any issues that arise. There is also a time for delegates or anyone present to lift up special ministries or events happening through their congregation. Shirley Powers is serving as one of our delegates. Will you serve as our second delegate? 3 Delegates to NH UCC Conference Annual Meeting The NH Conference also invites our church to send two adult delegates and one youth delegate each year to its Annual Meeting in October. This year, the meeting is Saturday, October 21, 8:30 a.m. 4:15 p.m., at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord. The Annual Meeting includes wonderful Worship services, with Communion and special music; a keynote speaker; small groups on a variety of topics in the UCC and our Conference; breakfast and lunch; and a business meeting with a variety of speakers. Barbara Akerman is serving as one of our delegates. Will you serve as our second adult delegate or youth delegate? Please contact Ruth Martz if you are willing to serve as one of these delegates. Thank you! Sabbatical Thoughts from Ruth on the Path of Wisdom The retreat that I attended last May in Chartres, France, was entitled: Wisdom and Storytelling on the Path. This got me thinking about all the Scripture passages in which the figure of Wisdom appears, teaching, calling and moving within us, as well as the books traditionally designated as Wisdom books: Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs, as well as the extra-canonical books of Sirach and the Wisdom of Solomon Broadly speaking, these six books all urge their readers, directly or indirectly, to live in harmonious relationships with the community, with the earth, and with the Creator. If one would be wise, no aspect of reality is excluded from this matrix of relationships. Kathleen M. O Connor, The Wisdom Literature Page 3 of 12

4 The theme and spirit of wisdom flows through the Hebrew Scriptures; wisdom is sophia in Greek. Wisdom is a complex and intriguing figure! In the New Testament, Jesus is understood as embodying God s Wisdom, even named Christ Sophia by Christians who wish to lift up this feminine side of God. I have spent time exploring aspects of God s Wisdom---a vast subject, indeed! I will put out in the Undercroft the collages that I made during my sabbatical as the artistic expressions of my searching and reflections. Does not Wisdom call and does not understanding raise her voice? When God marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master worker, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race. -- Proverbs 8:1, 29b-31 Kind of wild and unexpected, isn t it?? Thank you, God, for the myriad ways in which you awaken us to the wonder and mystery of life. A VERY SPECIAL TREAT last Saturday! Teresa D Esopo Spinner, an artist and recent attendee of our church, graciously invited church members to her beautiful home and Farm Studio in Sanbornton, to hear Victor Rosenbaum, internationally renowned concert pianist, play three Beethoven sonatas on September 23 rd. We heard beautiful music played by a world class pianist, played on a magnificent Steinway piano, in a beautiful setting, mingled with artists and friends, and enjoyed delicious refreshments prepared by Ms. Spinner s granddaughter. A Wonderful evening! Thank you! Robert & Marilyn Ladew Teresa is associated with the Steinway Society of Puerto Rico and has a sister that has property and lives in Puerto Rico. Her property has suffered significant damage from the hurricanes. ANOTHER CONCERT! and YOU ARE INVITED! by Teresa D Esopo Spinner Event registration is by invitation only. Please call to register so that I can order chairs. If you missed the last concert with Victor Rosenbaum and would like to enjoy another one, you are in luck. My sister, Jan D Esopo, is unable to have the concert she was scheduled to have in Puerto Rico due to Hurricane Maria. So, we are hosting this wonderful musician Ziang Xu who is the preeminent student of Victor Rosenbaum. The concert is free; however, we are accepting donations for The Gallery Inn, Jan s boutique hotel, which supports the education of young musicians with its funding efforts and which was decimated by Hurricane Maria. Light refreshments will be served after the concert. The address is 569 New Hampton Rd., Sanbornton NH , 1 1/2 miles south on route 127 from exit 22 off Route 93. Please RSVP as soon as possible: We hope that you will join us for this special concert! Page 4 of 12

5 PIANO CONCERT WITH ZIANG XU Event to be held: Saturday, October 21, 2017 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Farm Studio of Teresa Spinner 569 New Hampton Road Sanbornton, NH Ziang Xu: Chinese-born pianist, Ziang Xu, has distinguished himself in several international competitions. His prizes and awards include first prizes in the Rondo Young Artist Competition, The East Coast International Piano Competition, The Princeton Festival Piano Competition, and the grand prize at Steinway Society of Puerto Rico Award. He has also been awarded top prizes at the New England Conservatory Honors Competition, the Five Towns Music and Arts Foundation, the International Keyboard Institute and Festival. He has performed widely including at Carnegie (Weill) Hall, Ukrainian Institute, Hunter's College in New York, and New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall. His performances of the complete Chopin Etudes, a feat for any pianist, was described as "extraordinary". Making his solo debut at age eleven, he studied at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music and pursued undergraduate studies at the Mannes School of Music, as a student of Vladimir Feltsman and Victor Rosenbaum, with whom he continues to study at the New England Conservatory as he pursues his Master of Music degree. We hope you can make it! Teresa D Esopo Spinner. Page 5 of 12

6 And, not necessarily, but coincidently, CWS Emergency Cleanup Buckets Let s help all these people in need in our country, including Puerto Rico. Here s what we will be collecting during the month of October: One five-gallon bucket with resealable lid (If bucket has been used, clean well but do not use if it has held chemicals of any kind.) Four scouring pads Seven sponges, including one large One scrub brush Eighteen reusable cleaning towels (e.g. Easy Wipes) One 50 oz. or two 25 oz. bottle(s) of liquid laundry detergent One oz. bottle of liquid disinfectant dish soap One oz. bottle of household cleaner that can be mixed with water (no spray bottles) One package of clothespins Clothesline, two 50 ft. or one 100 ft. Five dust masks Two pairs non-surgical, non-latex gloves One pair work gloves, cotton with leather palm or all leather heavy duty or contractor type gallon trash bags on a roll and removed from carton One 6-9 oz. bottle of non-aerosol insect repellent All cleaning items must be new all liquid items must be capped and securely tightened. All items must be in the sizes indicated. Any monetary donations will be used to buy bucket items needed. Please bring all items to the Undercroft by October 31, Thank you! Youth in the Confirmation class and all those who support this effort Page 6 of 12

7 STEWARDSHIP While we missed Ruth on Sunday, October 1 st, during her time away with the confirmands on a retreat, we certainly had a wonderful church service and sermon with the Rev. Mike Carrier, retired Pastor from the West Franklin Congregational Church! His energy was contagious as he spoke about such things as stages of travel, stages of life, stages of our spiritual journey... even our journey through the stages of our belief as we outgrew childhood and entered young adulthood, and for the older crowd, how our beliefs changed as we have approached and passed that age 60 milestone. Yup... you guessed it... he asked for a show of hands of all the 60 plus people in the pews. Many slowly raised their hands. The choir members giggled, having just sung Happy Birthday to one of our members earlier as we practiced and put the final polishing touches on the music for the service as we noticed she, too, raised her hand. (We won t mention any names.) In any case, Stewardship could be compared to this same process of which Rev. Carrier spoke. Many years ago we started talking about how Stewardship was not just all about the money even though many of us had come to think of pledge drives, budget planning and activity planning for the coming church year, in that way. Stewardship Committees talked about Planting a Seed and Growing the Spirit, then Surprising Gifts and Blessed to be a Blessing and Delight in Giving. As we grow in our understanding through discussion of all of these past years themes, many of us realize that these have been Stages of a Spiritual Journey toward grasping the whole concept of Stewardship. It is my belief that this year s theme: Journey to Generosity: The Way of Jesus brings many of these ideas together. Over the next few weeks, The Stewardship Committee will be inviting you to contemplate how to support our church, and journey through new ideas about Stewardship, and decide how to pledge your support to help us grow AND leave a legacy to the children coming along in our church as we watch them journey through their growth and learn to walk in the way of Jesus. Respectfully submitted, Marg Whedon, Chair of Stewardship Committee BOARD OF WORSHIP Well now, what can I say. I nearly missed this month s meeting; saved by Ruth s call: Are you coming to the meeting, Burrett? Clearly, Ruth s theme for this fall, Wisdom on the Path, is one that I could benefit from. When we get too involved in too many things, we lose track of the important things. Having been away, Ruth has been busy catching up on pastoral visits. Please feel free to offer to contact her if you would like a visit and to volunteer to serve as a Friendly Visitor in this vital ministry of our church. As a Board, we also went over our Welcome Packets which our ushers hand out to church visitors. Our efforts are to upgrade these packets with at least one item inscribed with our church name. Ruth is participating in the NH Conference Confirmation retreat with our youth at the Horton Center (Gorham NH) on Sunday, October 1 st, which is a Family Sunday (no Sunday school classes). Rev Michael Carrier will be preaching and leading Worship. Communion will be celebrated the following Sunday, October 8 th. On a final note, we are looking to update the self-guided history of our church and the stained-glass windows. The photos on the old flyer are no longer worthy of being re-copied. We are looking for volunteers who would be willing to be in charge of updating our two church brochures and having them copied twice a year. Please contact me: Burrett McBee. Page 7 of 12

8 BOARD OF OUTREACH The annual Neighbors in Need collection is right around the corner, as was highlighted last Sunday. The Board hopes you will read the handout regarding the troubles faced by the Standing Rock Sioux in North Dakota. The collection will be on Oct. 8 th. The Bread and Roses dinner will be hosted by our church at the Unitarian Church in Franklin on Mon., Oct. 9 th. If you would be interested in helping prepare, serve or clean-up please contact me. In support of the B and R activity, the Board voted to forward $200. for food purchases. Thanks to all who attended, brought food and enjoyed the fellowship of the All- Church Potluck on 9/24. Pretty sure no one left hungry! Marilyn reported on the amazing annual shipment from our church, AND the Conference, that is headed for Zimbabwe. Again, many thanks to Marilyn and all who supported this very special way of connecting with our friends in Christ in Checheche, Zimbabwe! Wally Strauch, for the Board of Outreach Page 8 of 12

9 ZIM NOTES Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! for your wonderful response for filling boxes to go to Zimbabwe. We sent 163 pair of eyeglasses, each one in a case, thanks to my neighbor who engaged women all over the country to make eye glass covers. I so enjoyed sorting through the small children s clothing-made me smile a lot. Some of this came from the Family Thrift Shop in Franklin, who has donated for three years now. And many bags came from Vicki Abbott s daughter who donated from her store, Eloise s Closet. We received 11 letters in June, from mostly children from Checheche. Kathryn Long purchased some beautiful New Hampshire postcards, and I went around the room during coffee hour on the Sunday before shipment and asked people to write a note to one of the children and two moms. I took these postcards and attached them to a dress for the girls and a tee shirt for the boys. Each Mom received a nice tote bag. School supplies, back packs, shoes, clothing, books and Bibles were sent. A few people wrote letters to their pen pals and sent small Christmas gifts. And two of our church members gave us money to help pay for postage. We sent a total of 30 cubic feet at a cost of $12 per cubic feet or $360. Our budget is $300, so we ask the Board of Outreach for $15 to help so that added to the church member donations for postage will cover costs. Twenty-six boxes went to Checheche and two to the Daisey Dube Children s Hospital. Each partner church is asked to send two boxes to a church, hospital or school that has no sponsor. Many people donated paper ream boxes and Sue Long even made special strong tops for the ones she brought. Please start saving these boxes for next year s shipment. They are a bit larger than one cubic foot, and for the same price hold more items. Robert and I and Brendan Morrison took the boxes to Keene to place on the container for shipment. It is a wellrun procedure (see photos) and we were in an out very quickly. We would like to encourage those of you who have a pen pal and did not send a letter in this shipment, to please send a Christmas card. Instead of mailing these, we can send a 9x12 padded mailing envelope full of cards/letters via of a delegation going in December, for free. I must have these letters to the UCC conference no later than December 1. Your pen pals so appreciate hearing from you. They do not have the postage to send you a letter, so I will send a list of those who write a letter, so perhaps they can have one ready to return when the delegation comes. Again, thank you so much for bringing a smile to someone s face for whatever small item they receive. I still encourage you use WhatsApp to communicate with them. UKAMA Sunday will be on October 22 and I am working on getting a speaker to come soon to share their photos of a recent trip. Marilyn Ladew, Chair and Brendan Morrison, Kathryn Long, Gail Mueller and Vicki Abbott- UKAMA Committee Page 9 of 12

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11 From the Church Historian... Over 65 years ago, in 1951, the BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE was purchased by the Congregational Church. In Jan 1952 it was voted as a Memorial to Rev. Moses Runnels, who served as Pastor from and was the Town Historian. The following are a few excerpts from the Book: * Gifts to the church: (over 200 years ago!) Gravestones for Rev. Joseph Woodman and family, by Subscriptions (over160 years ago) New pulpit, by the Female Benevolent Society and Subscriptions. * Legacy gifts: (over120 years ago) Charlotte E. Bodwell, $500 - a very generous sum in that day (and today!) * Memorial entries: (the first Memorial entry) Charlotte Mitchell. Respectfully submitted by Karey Caldwell Interesting Trivia about the Moon: October's Full Hunter's Moon "Genesis 1:14 - And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years..." Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names. Since the lunar month is only 29 days long on the average, the full Moon dates shift from year to year. October's full moon - Hunter s Moon Native American tribes referred to this Moon as the Full Hunter's Moon, as it was the time to go hunting in preparation for winter, using the light to their advantage. It rises around sunset and sets around sunrise, the only night in the month when the Moon is in the sky all night long. The Hunter s Moon isn t just any full moon. Like other moons this time of year, its path - called an ecliptic - is shallow. That means for several nights in a row, the moon sits farther north on the horizon. Sometimes this is November's full moon name, also. Page 11 of 12

12 This full Moon is also called the Travel Moon, Dying Grass Moon, Blood Moon, Sanguine Moon, Kindly Moon, Blackberry Moon, and the Lakota Sioux called it the Moon When Beading and Quilling Is Done. Catch a few shooting stars this month... The Draconids is a minor meteor shower happening this month, producing only about 10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner, which was first discovered in The Draconids is an unusual shower in that the best viewing is in the early evening instead of early morning like most other showers. The shower runs annually from October 6-10 and peaks this year on the night of the 8th. Unfortunately, the nearly full moon will block all but the brightest meteors this year. If you are extremely patient, you may be able to catch a few good ones. Best viewing will be in the early evening from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Draco, but can appear anywhere in the sky. The Orionids shower brings a flurry of fast meteors this month between the 16th and 30th. Under ideal skies, from the 21st to 23rd, you may see 20 or more per hour! From a point in N Orion, near the feet of Gemini, they are seen from around 5:00pm EDT, but are most numerous during the pre-dawn hours. Like May s Eta Aquarids shower, the meteoroids derive from, and lie along the orbit of, Comet Halley. Submitted by Karey Caldwell THE BELFRY AND THE SANBORNTON UCC WEBSITE The Belfry Newsletter and the website is published and maintained by the Sanbornton Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Sanbornton, NH. Please direct questions and/or comments to Robert Ladew at: or robert.ladew@gmail.com. DEADLINE FOR NOVEMBER 2017 BELFRY SUBMISSIONS: October 27 th, 2017 Page 12 of 12