The Church of the Redeemer. From the Pastor s Desk

Transcription

1 The Church of the Redeemer August 2015 Redeemer News From the Pastor s Desk Inside this issue: Elm Shakespeare Outing 2 Healing Prayer Service 2 August Kayak Outing 4 Security Position Open 5 Special points of interest: Interdependence Project, p. 5 UCC Synod, p.6 Reading Changes Lives, p. 7 Some of you may have seen Herb Brockman s opinion piece about the UCC General Synod recent resolution on Israel/Palestine. Herb and I, who are colleagues and friends, will agree to disagree about this issue and the UCC action. I am writing this piece just before I leave for vacation, and hope to have a response in the paper, but I want to make sure you all hear my response here. The UCC presence in Israel/ Palestine predates the existence of the State of Israel by many decades. We have worked with Christian partners in the region, both Armenian and Palestinian (Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican) for more than a hundred years. The reason we spend much time in concern about this reason is twofold: first the fact that, like Jews and Muslims, Christians feel strongly about the sacred nature of Jerusalem, and second, our long history of partnership and humanitarian work with our Christian partners in the region. When the UCC General Synod acts on a resolution with global import (and we acted on two others this year at Synod concerning Korea as well as Turkey and the Armenian Genocide) it is usually because our partner churches in a region have asked us to hear their concerns and share them with our churches. We have heard the concerns of Palestinians, Christian and Muslim, for so long and have sought to share those concerns with those who the US who do not often hear about them. The resolution passed does NOT call for a boycott of Israel. It DOES call for a boycott of companies, like Caterpillar, who are profiting from the occupation of Palestinian lands and participating on the oppressive systems. Caterpillar sells bulldozers to Israel which uses them to bulldoze the homes of anyone related to a person who is charged (not convicted, but charged) of anything from throwing stones at Israeli soldiers to terrorist acts, a broad scope. Imagine what we would think if the home of the parents of the man who killed the five soldiers in Chattanooga were bulldozed with an hour s notice as punishment for his family for having such a son. This is common practice in the West Bank. As we learned in South Africa, sometimes economic activity can spur change in a way that other methods cannot. At this moment in time, Israel has all the economic control in the region and a vastly larger military (including nuclear weapons) than the Palestinians. (continued page 2)

2 P a ge 2 Redeemer News A u gust 2015 From the Pastor s Desk (continued) The UCC supports the existence of the State of Israel and prays that a two state solution can be found so that all the people who have lived in this region for millennia can remember how to do so in peace, as they actually have in the past from time to time. I had dinner with a small group of friends with the Rev. Mitri Raheb, a Lutheran pastor in Bethlehem. He told us what daily life under Israeli occupation is like, and I wish you all could have heard him speak. You can read his book I Am a Palestinian Christian. Against all odds, he remains hopeful, and a person of peace, but very supportive of the UCC action, as was the Rev. Desmond Tutu in a public statement. I hope you will read the Resolution and become more informed about this as you speak with your Jewish friends. Let us keep talking together! Elm Shakespeare Outing Elm Shakespeare s annual summer production is Twelfth Night and we are organizing a group to go on Saturday, September 5. The show starts at 8. Come a little early and bring food to share and we ll picnic on the lawn. Edgerton Park is the place. They ask for a donation for the show. Let Shelly know if you are coming! Healing Prayer Service Join us Sunday evening August 16 at 6:30 in the Chapel for a meditative service of healing prayer.

3 P a ge 3 Redeemer News A u gust 2015 Update on the Four Church Interdependence Project Several things are happening on a variety of fronts as Redeemer, Center, United, Shalom and now Dixwell are exploring how we might work more closely together and what that might look like long term. Here are some developments over the summer: We worshipped together four times, each time with large crowds and terrific energy, even in the hot summer! The Visioning Team has been meeting quite regularly, now discussing the possibility of Dixwell coming into the picture. Shelly discovered some excellent resources while at Synod and the Team is now doing some reading on all kinds of ways churches are coming together. The Projects Team is getting off the block and planning some activities about which you will hear shortly. The clergy have planned two Fall dates when we will switch pulpits. On October 25 Shelly will go to United, Bonnie to Center, and Sandra to Redeemer (Shalom does not have regular sermons, as those of us who attended worship there on July 12 learned). On November 29 Shelly will go to Center, Bonnie to Redeemer and Sandra to United. We hope to include Jerry in another round after the new year. Shelly is hoping to gather a new group to use the Faith and Work Curriculum on which she has been working with colleagues around the country, and will see if we can put together 2-3 people from each congregation to discuss how we live out our faith in our work life. We will begin a new Confirmation class in September which may include teens from Redeemer, United and Center. So as you can see, exploration continues. Please hold this project in your prayers in the months to come!

4 P a ge 4 Redeemer News A u gust 2015 Jeanne Rowe has a Big Birthday! On August 22 Jean will join our 90+ club of Redeemer members! Let s shower her with cards and good wishes. If you don t have a current membership list with her address, contact Barbara in the church office to get one. August Kayak Outing Join us August 30 at Trolley Beach in Guilford at 2pm for Kayaking or swimming or beach chair sitting. We share kayaks and we teach newbies (ask Nathan Strickler who is now soloing at age 6!). Directions: Take I-95 north to Exit 58 toward CT-77. Keep left at the fork in the ramp. Turn right onto Church Street (CT-77). Follow Church St for.8 miles to Broad Street Turn right onto Broad Street and then take immediate left onto Whitfield Street Turn right at the next street, Water St. (CT -146). Follow CT-146 for about 1.3 miles. Continue straight onto Sachem Head Rd and follow for.6 miles. Bear right onto Colonial Road. Take first right onto Old Sachems Head Rd. Take the next right onto Trolley Road and follow to the end.

5 P a ge 5 Redeemer News A u gust 2015 Passages Our sympathy goes to Marilyn Larson following the death of her husband of more than 60 years, Cliff, after a long illness. Please keep Marilyn and their children and grandchildren in your prayers. We send prayers of blessing to our members returning to college (or, Briana Ivy and Maggie Richardson, going for the first time) or graduate school. We look forward to seeing you when you come home to visit. Security Position Open Duane Bean has been doing a great job as our Sunday Security person over the summer, but we will need a more permanent person once school starts. This is about 3-4 hours on Sunday morning beginning at 8:45 with other possible hours for recitals or weddings as available. $13.50 an hour. UCC General Synod Marilyn was a delegate and Shelly a visitor to the UCC General Synod meeting in Cleveland at the end of June. A reminder that this is a representative gathering of delegates from all Conferences of the UCC. Synod speaks to the churches and members of the UCC, not for them. So when Synod passes resolutions, the point is the engage in conversations on the local level and discern how we might act on an issue, if at all. Synod also featured some wonderful speakers (Columnist Connie Schultz, Palestinian pastor Mitri Raheb among others), great workshops, inspiring worship and music, informative exhibits and the opportunity to talk with old friends and new. We urge you to check out ucc.org for more Synod info, including this link to Resolutions passed, including a version of the Resolution we cosponsored when it went to the Connecticut Conference concerning Mass Incarceration issues! index.html You can also find videos of the speeches and worship services from the event. You will hear more from both Shelly and Marilyn about this event come Fall.

6 The Church of the Redeemer 185 Cold Spring Street New Haven, CT (203) Rev. Dr. Rochelle A. Stackhouse, Senior Minister Rev. Marilyn Kendrix, Associate Pastor for Faith Formation Cheryl Doss, Moderator of the Church Henry Sykes, Treasurer Kristen Forman, Clerk Marguerite Brooks, Director of Music Julia Blue Raspe, Chancel Choir Director Paul Berry, Men and Boys Choir Director Sarah Reed, Soprano Section Leader Brian Robinson, Bass Section Leader Larry Bishop, Organist Barbara Repetsky, Office Administrator and Financial Secretary Duane Bean, Security Lou and Valarie Fanelli, Sextons Reading Changes Lives Reading Changes Lives, a United Church of Christ all-church initiative, is our denomination's response to the crippling literacy gap in the United States and around the world. Through this year-long effort individuals, congregations, and communities are taking action steps to address this persistent injustice. We are reminded in 1 Corinthians 12, that we are all part of one body through Christ. When any member of our community suffers, we all suffer. Literacy statistics show that there are children, teenagers and adults who are suffering from illiteracy within our own communities. If a child cannot read at a proficient level by the 4th grade, there is a 66% chance that he or she will end up in jail or on welfare. Approximately 85% of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate. In the U.S. 1 in 5 (20%) adults lack reading skills beyond a 4th grade level.