The First Congregational Church in Bloomfield United Church of Christ

Transcription

1 And APRIL early 2019 Already but still Not Yet We are in a funny time here in late March and early April. It s Spring, but it doesn t fully feel like it yet. We re on our way towards Easter, but it doesn t feel like that yet either. It s not supposed to. The First Congregational Church in Bloomfield United Church of Christ The "Falling Down" - a reflection I went skiing last week. It was beautiful and challenging. And, I fell - Quite a few times actually. That's how it is with skiing - if you're trying. But it's good nonetheless. What about you? Do you have any activities where try and fall? We re in the middle of Lent. We re in that tension, that what are we supposed to make of this moment. That s kind of the point of Lent. Because, it reminds us that we are living in a time of Already, but still Not Yet. It can mess with your mind. That is what the Kingdom of God is like - Already but still Not Yet. How is that the case? It s kind of like the pictures. I took these pictures on the Big Island in Hawaii during one of the largest lava flows in recent history. It was remarkable. It was dramatic. And, for me, it was deeply spiritual. (Just ask Linda or Garrett, they almost literally had to drag me away from this place you see in the pictures!) This island is Already but still Not Yet. It exists. Yet, it continues to break into the world. It is not done yet. In the picture on the left, look in the middle on the left hand side, you can see lava breaking through the rock, then hitting the water, creating all of that steam you see up and down the coast in that shot. That combination of fire and living water is creating new land. The island Is but is still Not Yet. Continued on next page Page 1 of 16

2 The picture on the right shows a lot of new land that was created from that process, just over the days we were there. A new coastline! It was remarkable to see. That s what the Kingdom of God is like. The Kingdom of God has broken into the world through Jesus. The work has begun. It Is Already on some level, but still Not Yet complete. Kind of like where we are in Lent. We re in it already, but we re not at the destination yet. We have a role in this process of Already but Not Yet. We can make the fulfillment of God s dreams come faster. Or, we can slow them down considerably. That s what the knee in the first picture represents. We need to be there - IN the process of creating new and amazing things. We need to be there, in the process of taking The Kingdom of God from it s breaking through, like the lava, like Jesus did, and taking it farther and farther, until we are THERE until it is no longer Not Yet. Until, as Jesus prayed, as we pray each week, Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done. On Earth, as it is in Heaven. That is the Kingdom of God. Let us pray for the coming of the Kingdom. Let us pray to be part of its coming. Let us pray, that we, together, can build new Kingdom coastline, right here in our midst. Peace, Pastor Shawn A number of people have asked for copies of the recent reflection I wrote in the aftermath of the shootings in New Zealand. You can find that on page 7. Feel free to copy it, share it, hand it out, or ask for additional copies to give to others. Peace, Pastor Shawn Page 2 of 16

3 Announcing Our New Partnership with Geissler s Supermarket!! We began a new partnership with Geissler s Supermarket! In a Spirit-led process, Geissler s Supermarket and Bloomfield Congregational are partnering to help those in need in our community. More to come! The first sign at Geissler s showing their support for our efforts. Giessler s donates items and gives their clients the opportunity to donate too. The first delivery to Bloomfield Congregational Church Justin arrives with the first delivery. Page 3 of 16 Andrea, Justin & Pastor Shawn take a a moment to recognize the moment.

4 HAPPENING IN THE LIFE OF OUR CHURCH The Mission Team is sponsoring an effort that focuses on two great organizations. The first is our own Community Kitchen. Here you see some of our volunteers who are helping to build and deepen a profound sense of Community. Mom and Daughters serving Lucy Hurston won these outdoor entertainment tables in a Food Share raffle! The Good Shepherd Foundation We are also asking for your prayers and support for The Good Shepherd Foundation that does stunning work in Haiti. Here are some examples. Provides monthly medical clinics through 2 Haitian doctors, 3 Haitian nurses and pharmaceutical supplies purchased locally. Almost 30,000 patients have been seen since the program began in Page 4 of 16

5 Lenten Season of Prayer We kicked off our Season of Prayer with a lively message about the power of prayer, focusing on the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus, and why Jesus and the disciples were up on the mountain in the first place... to pray. Page 5 of 16

6 Season of Prayer continued Pastor Shawn personally and prayerfully prepares the ashes for our March 6th Ash Wednesday service. The palm crosses from the previous year were burned. Olive oil, and water he brought back from the Jordan River, were added to the ashes to finish the preparation for a moving service. Page 6 of 16

7 ...yet I will try" (a reflection in the aftermath of the tragic acts of terrorism against my Muslim brothers and sisters) There are no words to adequately capture the horror, ugliness, hate, anguish and tragedy that was the attack on the Mosques in New Zealand. There are no words that can fully convey the heartbreak and depth of pain that so many people feel. There are no words that can fill the gap in the chasm that is the loss of life and relationships and future that these people and those that they love have lost. None. No words at all. Yet, I will try... I will try to overcome the hatred. I will try to build more relationships. I will try to deepen the ones I have. I will express love and caring and compassion. I will reach out to those whose love of God exceeds and transcends the boundaries of religious practice. I will offer my broken heart to sit along side their more broken one. I will offer to walk along side them in solidarity. I will join their services when welcomed. I will not impose when that is not helpful. Let me make something unmistakably clear. I stand with my Muslim brothers and sisters. I respect and admire who they are. I respect and admire their faith. I respect and admire their love of God - in all of God's names and shapes and forms. I honor who they are. I honor their lives and their loss. I honor their humanity and recognize the lack of it in so much of the world. Sometimes, the sun seems to shine on us - as we strive to climb the mountain together. To get to greater heights. Other times, it seems we are in the valley... where it seems the sun is blocked. In the valley of the shadow of death. Yet, it is not the valley of death. It is the valley of the shadow of it. I will try to be light as I walk in the valley with my Muslim brothers and sisters. I will try to be light that dispels shadows. My light may not be enough on its own. So, I ask that I may be what the Sufi mystics call "one of the billions of points of light" That together make up the light that can dispell all darkness. Until the sun can shine everywhere. I do not know how that will happen. But, I will try. Peace, Pastor Shawn Page 7 of 16

8 Youth On the Go! Easter is April 21 st! Children will worship with their families at the 10:00 am Worship Service. Come and join in the beautiful Worship for Easter and celebrate! Jesus is Risen! Faith Formation is looking forward to a wonderful Palm Parade on Palm Sunday April 14 th. Have your child/youth join us in the Narthex at 9:45 to receive Palms to hand out to the Congregation at the beginning of our joyous Palm Sunday Worship. The Youth Group is going to Habitat for Humanity Youth Conference Saturday April 27 th We will meet at the church at 8:30 and travel to 75 Charter Oak Avenue in Hartford for a day of learning and fun building and decorating Habitat Playhouses. Lunch and snacks are provided. Come learn and have some hands on experience with Habitat for Humanity. Return time is 4:00 p.m. Silver Lake Camp Registration is filling up. If you plan on sending your child to Silver Lake please see Dorine for Registration information as soon as possible. The Youth Revival is coming up on May 5 3:00p.m. Here at our Church! Youth Group, and Church, mark your calendar, you will not want to miss this Worship Service for the Youth of Tri Conference. We will need your help on this day of celebrating our YOUTH of the Tri Conference. We need car parkers, greeters, bakers, servers and set up/clean up. Come out and help us and enjoy the wonderful worship! Vacation Bible School Roar Life is Wild, God is Good is August 12 th through August 16 th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Ages 4 ~ 11 Mark your calendar for the fun, games, music, crafts and food. This year is going to be fun. If you are interested in helping with games or crafts or helping out in any way please see Dorine. We would love to have you join our team. Page 8 of 16 April Youth Schedule April 7 th - Communion Sunday Children return to Worship for Communion. April 14 th - Sunday School - Preschool Grade 9 Palm Sunday Parade! April 18 th Maundy Thursday Service 7:00 pm. April 19 th Good Friday Prayer Vigil anytime 7:00 pm to midnight. April 21 st - EASTER Sunday 10:00 am. April 28 th - Sunday School Preschool - Grade 9. Youth Group Meetings April 7 th - Youth Group 4:00-5:30. April 14 th - Youth Group 4:00-5:30. April 20 th - SATURDAY Youth cleanup for Community Kitchen 1:00-2:30 if you would like to eat lunch come at 12:30. See you there! April 27 th - SATURDAY Youth Conference Hartford Habitat for Humanity 8:30 4:00.

9 Youth continued Blessing of New Youth Room After the inspiration and hard work were done, it was time to formally bless the new Youth Room! So much wonderful work was done - including by our inspiring and wonderful Youth Group themselves! Special thanks to Dorine DeCarli for her vision and hard work, to Michelle Alves for doing miracle-like restoration of the floors, moving and helping to reorganize that and other rooms, the Faith Formation team and so many others who made this possible. If you haven t been able to go see it, please just ask, and we ll be happy to show it off. It truly is a transformation - one that has already made a difference and will continue to do so in the days and months to come. Best Cupcake Bakers ever! Cupcake sale. Look at these beautiful cupcakes Sunday School decorated! Thank you so much for buying our cupcakes. We decorated them with love and had so much fun! Covenant to Care will receive $91.00 to benefit foster care families. Page 9 of 16

10 About Our People We all know we have many talented people in our congregation. Well, here is one more amazing thing taking place within our Community of Faith. Sydney Halsall recently entered an art exhibit sponsored by The Community Renewal Team (CRT). It only did he get an Honorable Mention for one of his submissions, but another won Best in Show for the entire exhibit! This painting Father and Daughter Saturday Morning watching Sesame Street won Best in Show for the entire event. Mornings Mist on the Lake received an Honorable Mention Sydney receives his well-deserved award from CRT, which is partially funded by the National Arts Program Foundation. Congratulations Sydney! From all of us. Page 10 of 16

11 Bloomfield Congregational In The News! Rev, Dr Shelley Best, CEO of The 224 Ecospace project and Council of Churches interviews our own Pastor Shawn for her podcast. Pastor Shawn used the time to promote the wonderful things going on here at Bloomfield Congregational. The recording also aired on WDRC radio. We Sure Have Been Getting Some Attention Recently! We sure have been getting some attention recently. From multiple front page articles in the Bloomfield Messenger to articles in the Hartford Courant. From two wonderful spots on WFSB TV Channel 3, to the radio interview earlier this month with Pastor Shawn. And that doesn t even include all of the wonderful word-of-mouth communication in the community and among civil leaders. We re on a roll! And we re just getting started Thank you Bloomfield Messenger for featuring our Black History Celebration with Congresswoman Jahana Hayes. Page 11 of 16

12 Holy Week is an important time for us to get the most out of our Christian experience of Lent. It is necessary to go through the process of how Jesus and the people went from the celebration of Palm Sunday to the horror of the capture, torture and execution of Jesus before we get to Easter. Lent and Easter lose most of their spiritual power, most of their value, if you simply go from Palm Sunday to Easter. It didn t work that way then. It won t work well for you or us today. So, please, in this Season of Prayer, prayerfully consider how you can participate in one or both of the opportunities that lie between Palm Sunday and Easter presented below. They will change your experience of Holy Week, and make Easter more meaningful and more powerful. If you need transportation we will provide it for any of these meaningful events. Peace, Pastor Shawn Palm Sunday: Please join us for a special service. Pastor will be doing his first singing sermon where a series of songs are sung along with commentary about coming to the end of Lent and heading into Holy Week. In addition to that, we are welcoming members of the Lighthouse Muslim Community Center to our service. They will participate in our service and afterwards we will have a time of fellowship together to Get to Know Our Neighbors better. Maundy Thursday: On Thursday, April 18th at 7pm, we will have a newly created service that is both familiar and new. It will take us though the final hours of Jesus earthly life through the use of scripture, music and dramatic readings. This is likely to be a powerful service that also includes the use of sound in various ways. Not for the faint of heart. Optional hand or foot washing will also be available for those for whom it would be meaningful. Page 12 of 16

13 Good Friday The church will be open from 7pm to Midnight for anyone who would like to come and have a quiet, intentional, prayerful, contemplative experience. The sanctuary will be bathed in candlelight. Soft, spiritual music will be playing the background. Special areas will be set up for meaningful, personal experiences. Come for whatever amount of time is good for you. Whether that is 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour or the entire time. Pastor Shawn will be present the entire time for anyone to stop by and talk. Easter Sunday The joy! The release and the surprise of Easter Sunday! Come and bring a friend or loved one as we share in this Highest of Holy Days. Service will be at its normal time of 10am. In humble humility, I express my gratitude to all the members and friends of First Congressional Church in Bloomfield for the inspiring celebration that was given to me on my 50th anniversary on February 3, To say the least, I was astounded by the many plaques given to me during the service as well as the unbelievable monetary gift I received. But most of all, it was the true spirit of love I felt by those present and by those who were absent in body but present in spirit. I am forever blessed by your genuine outpouring of love. Special thanks to the members of the Music Team: Marnie Clark, Andrea Mercer, Leslie Mills, Maurise Benson, and Charles Griffin for spearheading this wonderful occasion and to Pastor Shawn for his involvement and support in this special occasion. And as always, To God be the Glory! Sincerely Eustace B. Straker, Minister of Music Page 13 of 16

14 Looking Ahead March 31 st Concert 4 pm Music in the African American Song Tradition Rev. Mia Douglas in concert Bloomfield Congregational Church 10 Wintonbury Avenue Tickets $10 Call church office for details April 7 th New Members Sunday April 14 th Palm Sunday April 18 th 7 pm- Maundy Thursday Service April 19 th 7 pm Good Friday Vigil April 21 st 10 am Easter Service April 27 th Good News Concert 4pm A concert of Spirituals, gospel, jazz and more. Jolie Rocke Brown, Soprano Bloomfield Congregational Church 10 Wintonbury Avenue Tickets $20 call church for details We hope you will add all these Wonderful events to your calendar and plan to attend some of them. Page 14 of 16

15 Pastor Shawn April 1 Lucy Hurston April 1 Linda Markiewicz April 11 Jodie Stewart April 15 Clay Hart April 23 Ursula Dang April 24 Monica Grant April 27 Kay Yablecki April 28 Prudence Griffen April 29 Please use the form below to order Easter Flowers. If we receive more contributions than we need, the surplus will be put into a flower fund for future use or used for decorations and other spring flowers. All orders received in the office by M o n d a y, A p r i l 1 5, will be included in the Easter Sunday bulletin. Please enclose your completed form and check for $13 for each plant made payable to First Congregational Church with Easter Flowers noted in the memo. You may take your plant home after the 10 am Easter Service on Sunday, April 21, 2019, or leave it for delivery to our homebound friends. Please call Cecelia Simmons ( ) if you have any questions. Name Phone number Given by In Memory / Celebration / Of Given by In Memory / Celebration / Of Bible Study Wednesdays 11:30 am 1:00 pm and 6:30 pm 8:00 pm Anyone is welcome! Given by In Memory / Celebration / Of I will pick up my plant after the service. Please deliver my plant to someone who needs cheering up. Page 15 of 16

16 BLOOMFIELD CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 10 Wintonbury Avenue Bloomfield, CT Church Office: Child Dev.Cntr: Church Fax: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The, newsletter of the First Congregational Church in Bloomfield United Church of Christ, is published monthly to provide information to and about our members and friends. The Wintonbury Spire will be mailed each month. Please join us for the Spire Party where we stuff, fold, label, seal and stamp the Spire from 10:30 11:30 am on a Tuesday or Friday morning. STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION Rev. Shawn R Fisher, Pastor fishersr@comcast.net x 201 Andrea Davey-Mercer Office Manager office@firstchurchbloomfield.org Eustace Straker Minister of Music straepipes@yahoo.com x 3 Dorine DeCarli Faith Formation Director ce@firstchurchbloomfield.org x 4 Shantel Bremmer Child Development Center Director preschool@firstchurchbloomfield.org x 5 Michelle Alves Building Management jemmgmt@gmail.com Page 16 of 16