The Spire. God s Many Secrets

Transcription

1 F rom Your Pastor The Spire March 2013 God s Many Secrets One morning when my daughter was young, she and I were walking to her preschool, when we passed under a tree and heard the sound of a woodpecker pecking away. We stopped and went back a few steps and peered upward, searching for the bird. We spotted it and took a moment to gaze with delight. Walking on, I commented to her, You know, Frannie, what I don t understand is why woodpeckers don t get headaches. You know, they hit their heads against the wood really hard, over and over. Why don t they get headaches? Frannie replied knowingly, God made them that way. That s right, I said approvingly, that is exactly right; God did make them that way. What I wonder is how God made them that way. She answered, God has a lot of secrets. We walked on, holding hands, as the late-winter sun lit our way. As we walked, I was moved to reflect on the unhesitating comfort she seemed to take in the thought that our Creator is a God of many secrets, a God many of whose ways will remain unknown to us. Many of us adults struggle with acceptance even of the idea that God s ways are mysterious we would so prefer them to be clearly understandable. But the notion of mystery retains for us something of what we desire. After all, a mystery may, at some point, be solved or its meaning revealed. Mystery has, at least, the hope of clarification. Secrets are the knowledges of God to which we may never have access. In the years since then, scientists have studied woodpeckers and believe they know why they don t get headaches. But, as we approach the season of Easter, we confront, as at no other time, the things we do not and cannot know about God, about the nature of Jesus resurrection, about the nature of eternal life, about some aspects of the Kingdom of God Jesus promised. There they are, at the very origin of our faith, and at its farthest horizon, the unknown and unknowable, that are not merely mysteries, but the utter secrets of God. As I walked with Frannie that morning, I envied the comfort, or even assurance, she seemed to take from believing that God has many secrets. If I cannot achieve quite the equanimity she displayed, I think I did at least see in her the way, the confident walk of the Easter pilgrim. In the Risen and Rising Christ, Weldon

2 Whoever you are and wherever you are on life s journey, you are welcome here. March s Deacon of the Month is Dottie Leduc. In Sympathy The congregation expresses deepest condolences to the Metz family on the death of William (Bill) Metz who died on February 11 th. A memorial service will be held in the Sanctuary on March 2 nd at 1:00 pm. The congregation also expresses deepest condolences to Wayne and JoAnn Svehlik on the death of JoAnn s mother who died on February 6 th. "What if We Built a Church?" - Stewardship Brunch, Pledge Time! The Board of Stewardship wants to remind all Kingston Congregational members and friends that our annual Stewardship Campaign is reaching a crescendo in the month of March, beginning with our annual Stewardship brunch to be held after church on Sunday, March 3rd. Many thanks to our brunch hosts Sharon Davis and Sue Buntz. Please plan to join us for fellowship and fun together as we share our commitment to KCC, and to listen to this year's Honorary Stewardship Chairpersons Jim and Doris Findlay speak about their faith and church experiences throughout their lives. Childcare will be provided downstairs for children up to 6 years old. To RSVP for the Stewardship brunch please contact Jane Skogley at by February 24 th so that we prepare the correct amount of food for the brunch. Additionally, annual Stewardship letters and pledge cards will be in the mail by the first of March, and we request their return by March 17. As you consider your pledge for the church year, please understand that KCC's ability to expand Christian Education programs, conduct new mission activities, maintain our lovely and historic property, and care for our hardworking pastor and church staff wholly depends on OUR pledges and donations. The Board asks all KCC members and friends to think hard about the role of faith and church in our lives, and to give in accordance with that priority. For families who regularly donate but have never pledged, your pledge would allow the church to create a budget that reflects your support for the coming year, since we do not budget for money we can't count on. Please contact any of the following Stewardship Board members with questions about our campaign, or about the importance of Stewardship to our church: David Cann, Ann Lenox, Chris Little, Sue Kermes, and Karin Aukerman.

3 Noon Lenten Service and Luncheon Series February 27 th - Christ United Methodist Church- Rev. Weldon Palmer March 6 th - Kingston Congregational Church- Rev. Ray Bradley March 13 th - Christ United Methodist Church- Rev. Juliet Bongfeldt Lenten Discussion Group Each year Lent provides a time to reflect on our lives, but might you long to have an even deeper experience this year than in the past? This is possible through a discussion of the traditional meanings surrounding Jesus death and new applications for our lives and the church in contemporary times. This along with the book, The LAST WEEK: The Day-by Day Account of Jesus s Final Week in Jerusalem, by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan will be discussed on Mondays at 7-8:30 p.m. in the Fireside Room, February 25-- March 25. The book will be available for $11 at the first session or it may be ordered directly from Amazon. Jean Miller will facilitate the group and is available at jeanmiller@uri.edu if you wish additional information. One Great Hour of Sharing To most of the world, we in the U.S. are the 1%. What does it mean to share out of our abundance? I know many of us are still feeling the pressure of the economic down turn, still most of us are able to afford things that ¾ of the rest of the world would consider luxuries beyond their reach. One Great Hour of Sharing gives us the opportunity to pool our resources and do together, what we could not do alone. It gives us the chance to make a real difference in the lives of people who are victims of poverty, war, famine and natural disasters. Please consider prayerfully what you can give to help families in need close to home and around the world. Our One great Hour of Sharing will be taken on Palm Sunday, March 24 th. Cindy Buxton On behalf of your Board of Missions and Social Justice Pew Cushions We can all see the progress made on redoing our sanctuary pew cushions during the last year and a half. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this important project thus far. We only have to complete the two sides on the main floor, and that will totally finish the job. We are almost there! If you feel you could donate a little something towards a new cushion, kindly make a check payable to KCC, and remember to put "pew cushions" on the memo line. (Just so you know, one new cushion costs about $181.) Thank you so much, Pat Cox and Audrey Hallberg

4 Church World Service 2013 Your donation is needed and totally tax deductible! Please mark your envelope CWS or use envelopes stamped CWS with Canna's address (on the stair bulletin board or the harvest table) and return the envelope in the mail or put it in the offering plate. Checks payable to KCC Women's Fellowship, if cash please write your name on the envelope so we can thank you! (Remember it will not show up on your church account as Women's Fellowship money is separate.) Our Goals this year: 100 School Kits: Sewing Angel Pat Weeden has made us 100 school bags! Helen purchased all the items needed to fill them last fall: 300 notebooks, 100 rulers, 100 boxs of crayons, 600 pencils, 100 erasers, 100 sharpeners, 100 pairs of blunt tipped scissors. Now we need to pay for them! 30 Baby Kits: This year we will try again to do 10 for girls, 10 for boys and 10 for either. Each kit gets: 6 diapers, 2 pins, 2 washcloths, 2 shirts, 2 gowns, 2 blankets and 1 sweater. This all costs around $700. Please let Helen know if you are knitting baby sweaters color and number! 100 Hygiene Kits: We have wide toothed combs, toothbrushes, and some nail clippers from a previous year and the washcloths are donated by angels Nancy Ross and Canna Falby. The towels were purchased at the Kay Dee Design sale but need to be paid for and we need to buy Band-aids and more nail clippers. PLEASE DONATE SOAP!! individually wrapped bath size bars of any brand! YOUR donation can make a difference: Help us help others in need! Many kits stay in the USA; questions contact Helen Rowe-Drake Open your trunks and cedar chests! The Women's Fellowship is planning a Quilt Show and Tea for March 16th. We will be hanging some quilts and displaying the more fragile treasures on the pews. If you are interested in showing a quilt or quilts, please look for the registration form on the Harvest Table in Fellowship Hall. If you are available to help set up for the tea and hang the quilts on Friday the 15 th, please call Claudia Smith at

5 Children's Easter Plants Daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips will again be distributed to KCC's children on Easter Sunday. This gift is made possible from a fund created by Clarice Metz. During the fifties her children enjoyed receiving plants from KCC. The spring flowers were then planted in front of the stone wall on Cherry Road to bloom for many years. Clarice loved the look of joy as each child chose a plant. Volunteer Appreciation Event The Jonnycake Center of Peace Dale is entering its 40 th year of service. In commemoration, the Jonnycake Center is extending a special invitation to all current and former volunteers including Board Members, emergency food pantry, retail thrift store, mailing, and Teen Jonnycake members. We are seeking contact information for anyone who has helped us over these past 40 years. If you were a volunteer or if you know someone who was a volunteer who may now live out of state; please let us know. The event is set for April 25 th, at St. Francis of Assisi s Fr. Greenan Parish Center, 114 High Street, Wakefield, RI from 5:00-7:00 p.m. We will be commemorating this occasion with group photographs taken at 6:00 p.m. Refreshments will be served. To RSVP and for more information, contact Paula Thayer at x17, or volunteer@jonnycake.necoxmail.com. HOPE Cafe Coin Sales The HOPE Cafe (Helping Our People Eat) wooden coins are now on sale at the Jonnycake Center of Peace Dale for $10.00 per coin. You may purchase coins for your personal use at the Cafe (once it opens); to give back to the Center for distribution to those in need; to give as gifts to family and friends (just like using a gift card) or to keep as a memento of the HOPE Cafe. The HOPE Cafe - Rhode Island s first pay what you can restaurant is expected to open in 2013 in South Kingstown as an innovative way to address food insecurity while providing an opportunity to build social interactions between people from various sectors of our community. For more information on the Hope Cafe, please visit follow current updates on its Facebook page, or call us at , x11. March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month. Dress in Blue Day is Friday, March 1st. Would you take to work or would your employer like a packet of informational material to display? Orders need to be placed soon with the National Colon Cancer Alliance. For more information, please contact Doug Kraus, phone or doug@kraus.info. Welcome House of South County Walk for Shelter Friday, March 29 Registration begins at 8:15 am. Kick-off at 8:30 am. The 6K Walk begins at Peace Dale Congregational Church at 9:00 am.