THE CRIER April UCC Sharing from Pastor Kaz Bem. HE IS NOT RAISINS by Matt Fitzgerald

Transcription

1 THE CRIER April 2016 The First Church in Marlborough, United Church of Christ 37 High Street, Marlborough, Massachusetts UCC Sharing from Pastor Kaz Bem HE IS NOT RAISINS by Matt Fitzgerald "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me." - Psalm 139:6 In a few days there will be less elbow room in the pews. The Easter crowd is coming. The assumption is that my job will be to make sense of scripture, to reduce the mystery, and to make God understandable. No one has ever put it to me that plainly, but for those who want a modern-minded faith the assumption is implicit. You bring your questions to an expert. I have fallen prey to this reasoning; I've preached dozens of sermons that aim to explain, clarify, and demystify. One of the reasons I love the people in the Easter crowd is that their arrival stands as a direct refutation of such nonsense. If people came to church to hear reason, Easter would not be the most popular Sunday of the year because there is nothing sensible about the resurrection. Easter ought to leave preachers scratching our heads. We are not able to define or even describe the resurrection. The first thing preachers ought to admit on Easter is that God has done the incomprehensible. But not the illogical. When our daughter was in kindergarten the church gave her Sunday school class purple plastic Easter eggs to take home. The egg contained a slip of paper. She was right in the midst of learning how to read so she seized on the paper's monosyllabic words eagerly. She read with confidence. "He is..." Then she paused, carefully considering both syllables in the third word. "He is... raisins?" "He is raisins" is illogical. "He is risen" is merely incomprehensible. When preachers speak about God we should distinguish between things that do not make sense and things we cannot make sense of. Easter falls in the latter category. We can't explain it. We shouldn't try. But we can stand in joy and awe before it. 1

2 Rev. Dr. Kaz Bem, Senior Pastor Todd Beauchemin, Computer Operations Lynette Biggs & Anita Stetson, Co-Superintendents Diane Burke, Handbell Director Joan Campbell, Moderator Jeremey Crocker, Treasurer Ben Crosby, Youth & Confirmation Leader James Duncan, Organist Cliff Fenton, Sexton Ashley Flanigan, Nursery Attendant Rev. Phyllis Frechette, Honorary Pastor Emerita Russ Goliger, Music Director Deborah Marino, Clerk Susan Pellerin, Collector/Interim Office Secretary INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Page Pastor Kaz Reflection 1 Our Staff 2 With Thanks! 2 Televised Worship 2 Metal Recycling 3 Concert with Duncan s 3 April Celebrations 4 350th Anniversary Events 4 Men s Fellowship 4 Women s Fellowship 5 Scholarships 6 Church Biz 6 April Calendar 7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TELEVISED WORSHIP SERVICES: WMCT-TV Marlboro Comcast Ch 96, Verizon Ch 33 Tues/Fri- 7:00 am Wed- 7:00 pm Sat -11 am, Sun-Noon Hudson HUD-TV Comcast Ch 8, Verizon Ch 47 Thurs -9:00 pm Fri/Sat -1:00 pm Sun-Noon 2 ~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks and blessings to the member of our congregation who generously donated a BRAND NEW wheelchair with foot pedals! ~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks were received from Wayne Stanley, Commander of the Disabled American Veterans (Marlborough Chapter) for our $590 donation to the Chapter. This was used for their program to provide Christmas checks for needy veteran families. ~~~~~~~~~~ EASTER FLOWERS Thanks to everyone who purchased Easter lilies and tulips resulting in a festive Sanctuary for our Easter Sunday Service.

3 RICHARD ROWELL S AMAZING ANNUAL METAL RECYCLING PROGRAM!! Spring is not all that far away and it's time to start thinking about cleaning out that garage, attic or basement once again. As in these last two years, Richard will be offering the opportunity for First Church families and friends, and your neighbors, the opportunity to salvage any metal items of all sorts, for the benefit of the Church. To date, we stand at 13,000 pounds recycled (6.75 tons) and about $1500 profit for the Church, with expenses paid out of metal redemption! Talk to your neighbors...tell them about the program.ask them if they wish to get rid of any metal items. Think about participating in some way, in this next metal collection effort, by contributing ONLY TWO HOURS of your time with another First Church member, or neighbor, who has a pick-up truck. I will coordinate the who, what, where and when around individual picks-ups...the collection on the appointed day is all you need worry about! Richard will have more for you in the coming month regarding a mid-may 2016, metal collection effort. Contact Richard: rsrowell@juno.com. Cell: American Heritage Concert with Jim and Linda Duncan Please join us in a musical experience of reliving our American Heritage when Linda and Jim Duncan perform a duet concert on the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ and 1930 Mason & Hamlin Grand Piano. The concert is free and all are welcome. Musical selections will be from the Big Band Era and Show Tunes. Sharing the spotlight with the Duncan s will be the Southborough Senior Songsters. Concert date: Location: Extras: Sunday, April 10, 2016, 2:00 PM The Shanklin Music Hall, Groton, MA. Refreshments and chamber tours follow the show There will be a coach bus available sponsored by The Friends of Westborough at a cost of $12 for non-members and $6 for members. Mail check to: The Friends of Westborough, PO Box 1072, Westborough, MA Include your name, phone/ address. More info Bus 12:30 from Westborough High School - upper back parking lot. Return at approx. 5:00 PM. For more information: Linda & Jim

4 April Celebrations HAPPY APRIL BIRTHDAYS! 1st Jamie Ney 2nd Edna Pynigar 3rd Liz Mahoney, Lindsay Snow, Meghan Ney, Al Lowell 5th Nancy Battaglino 7th Donna Holmes 8th Pam Gilchrest, Alyssa Gould 9th Eric Zeigler 10th Mary Wenzel 11th Gary Atsma 12th Arthur Bailey, Marisol Burgos, Katharine Oikle 13th Emily Merritt 17th Ed Beauregard, Kyle DeVincent 21st Ruth Cross, Olive Kozak 22nd Vicki Taylor, Angel Burgos 24th Colin Glynn 25th Rachel Duquette 28th Jacqueline Forman, Ellen Hollis, Steve Ziegler 29th Andy Dunn, Brian Hasbrouck 30th Jason Murphy HAPPY APRIL ANNIVERSARIES! 15th Peter and Marlynn Stott 17th Jenn and Casey Lee Bastien 24th Calvin and Deb Jones FIRST CHURCH 350 TH ANNIVERSARY MAY 2016 EVENTS May 15: Pentecost International Food Brunch after Worship Parish Hall This will be a pot luck brunch where we hope everyone will bring something related to their heritage. Facilitators are Pat Kennedy and Janet Yurkus and they can use help with setup and cleanup. Look for them at coffee hours beginning in mid-april so that you can sign up for the food item you will be bringing. May 29: Springhill Cemetery after Worship (Short walk from our parking lot ) This will be a guided tour of the cemetery just up the street from the church where many of our founding fathers are buried. We will be bringing traditional geraniums up to the cemetery. Facilitator is Cindy Vail Planning Committee: Pastor Kaz, Joan Campbell, Laurel Hill, Pat Kennedy, Laura Lane, Susan Pellerin, Cindy Vail, Linda Warren and Janet Yurkus. 4 Please join the Men s Fellowship for our upcoming monthly meetings on April 21 and May 19. All of our meetings occur on the third Thursday of every month. The next Spaghetti Suppers are on Wednesdays and April 27 and May 25 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm. All are welcome!

5 IT S BACK WITH NEW DATES!! THE WOMEN S FELLOWSHIP SPRING RUMMAGE SALE 2016 This huge Spring Rummage Sale is sponsored by Women s Fellowship. The tables will be laden with clothes as well as shoes for all the family. There will also be white elephant goods galore, household goods, books, toys, blankets, curtains and much more. Drop in and get some good buys!! WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS IN PARISH HALL: Friday, April 15th 6:00pm to 8:00pm Saturday, April 16th 9:00am to 1:00pm Please note that the days of the week are different from Rummage Sales in the past. SATURDAY, APRIL 16 TH AT NOON SHOPPERS CAN PURCHASE EVERTYTHING THAT FITS IN A GROCERY BAG FOR $2 DOLLAR If you d like to donate items for the sale (please do not bring knives, computers, or large furniture) you can drop them off at the church on Thursday, April 14th from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm, and on Friday, Women's Fellowship will meet Tuesday, April 12, in the Parish Hall. A Covered Dish Supper will be featured beginning at 6 p.m. with members bringing a variety of foods to share. Following dinner, Pauline Wills, president, will run the business meeting. The program will feature Gypsy Phillips and the Gypsy Moon Dancers entertaining members and guests with belly dancing highlighted with traditional costumes and veils. There will also be swing dance selections. Devotions will be presented by Marian Hopkins and the hostesses will be Janet Yurkus and Joan Beauchemin. Members are asked to bring a donation of personal hygiene items for Marlborough s Community Cupboard. Guests are welcome to attend. Guests are always welcome to attend our meetings. 5

6 ALICE BLAKELEY SCHOLARSHIP Applications due April 24, 2016 Undergraduates, college bound high school seniors, and parents of undergrads, it is that time of year again! It is time to fill out your application for the Alice Blakeley Scholarship. This scholarship is available to undergraduate students who are members of the church or children/grandchildren of members of the church. Applicants must be under 25 yrs. old and a full time undergraduate college student. Applications are available in the attached document ed with the Crier or at the church office. All applications are due by April 24, And a helpful hint parents you can the attached application document to your child at school. Applications may be mailed to First Church c/o Scholarship or ed to: emahoney88@yahoo.com Please note scholarship recipients MUST be at Baccalaureate Sunday worship to receive their scholarship!!!! CHURCH BIZ!! The Church Office is being staffed on an interim basis by Susan Pellerin with additional help from Laurel Hill. Due to Susan having surgery, the office will be closed from March 30th until April 12th, however be assured that voic and will be monitored on a daily basis. The office will re-open on April 12th. Our Father s Table: Call Carol Mac-Ewen (508) if you can help. Information about a death and funeral of a First Church member will be posted on the church website: and on the church Facebook page. MAY CRIER deadline is April SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANY CHRISTIAN SUMMER CAMP. Simply submit a description of the program and a brief statement as to why you want to attend this program and provide proof of registration to Liz Mahoney (emahoney88@yahoo.com) or the Scholarship mailbox by May 20, IMPORTANT!!! Effective this year, the scholarships may not be equally distributed. Preferences will be made to those applicants who are the most active at First Church during the past year. Looking for a summer camp? Try the links below: (there are 5 UCC camps in New England) Star Island: starisland.org/ registration/2016conferences/ Grotonwood: grotonwood-youth-camps

7 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 Early Risers 6:45am Monthly Yoga Class-PH 6-10:30 (8:00 PM Show) 3 10:00 Worship 12-5:00 PM (2:00 PM Show) GLP TECH WEEK-PH Joyful Ringers 7pm GLP TECH WEEK-PH Choir 7:30pm GLP TECH WEEK- PH 7 6:30-8:00 pm GRASP 8 GLP S Hamlet 6-10:30 (8:00 PM Show) 9 Early Risers 6:45am 6-10:30 (8:00 PM Show) 5:30-8:30 Private use of Sanctuary 10 10:00 Worship 12-5:00 PM (2:00 PM Show) 11 7:00 pm Boy Scouts Joyful Ringers 12 Bible Study 10am 7:00 Women s Fellowship-PH Choir 7:30pm 13 7:00 Trustees- Room GLP-Choir Room :00 pm Rummage Sale :00 pm Rummage Sale Set up Rummage Sale 17 10:00 Worship ANNUAL REPORTS OUT 12-5:00 PM (2:00 PM) 18 7:00 pm Diaconate Boy Scouts Joyful Ringers 19 Bible Study 10am Choir 7:30pm :00 Men s Fellowship-PH Jeremey Crocker on vacation 22 CRIER DEADLINE 23 Early Risers 6:45am 1:30-4:30pm Cheerleading 24 10:00 Worship 25 7:00 pm Council Boy Scouts Joyful Ringers 26 Bible Study 10am Choir 7:30pm :30 Spaghetti Supper Early Risers 6:45am 1:30-4:30pm Cheerleading 7

8 WORSHIP HOURS ON SUNDAYS 10:00 am Nursery care provided All are Welcome First Church in Marlborough (Congregational) United Church of Christ 37 High Street Marlborough, MA CHURCH OFFICE HOURS AFTER APRIL 11th: Tuesday: 8 am 2 pm Thursday: 8 am 2 pm CHURCH PHONE: has answering service rings through CHURCH office@firstchurchnet.com CHURCH WEBSITE: 8