Middlebury Congregational Church United Church of Christ The Green 1242 Whittemore Rd. Middlebury CT

Transcription

1 February 2019 Middlebury Congregational Church United Church of Christ The Green 1242 Whittemore Rd. Middlebury CT

2 FROM THE PASTOR Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. - 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 Now that we ve gotten to February, it seems winter has definitely showed up, but perhaps with more ice than snow. I am happy that MCC has the technology to livestream services so you re able to enjoy the service even if winter weather keeps you home. It s a wonderful resource. Some of you might remember that in September we passed out a Skills and Interests survey during worship. (That survey was also mailed out with the newsletter.) Len Beard helpfully made some good charts of the results, and they have been included in this month s edition of Church Life. In the scripture passage I ve got at the top of the article, the apostle Paul is talking about all the different gifts God gives us and how those different skills and abilities are able to work together for the common good of the church. When I look at the results of the survey, what strikes me is how many different gifts are present in our congregation. Some of them, I never knew people were able to do. It s all of our differences and particularities that make the church strong and enable us to carry out our mission in the world. One of the things Church Council and the rest of our church leadership will be working on this year is figuring out how we can be a church that empowers and equips people (you all) to share and use the gifts you ve been given and enjoy contributing. I ll leave you with this prayer for the church: Eternal God, your Son, Jesus Christ now exalted as Lord of all, pours out his gifts on the church. Grant us that unity which your Spirit gives, keep us in the bond of peace, and bring all creation to worship before your throne; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen. Peace, Katrina Manzi Minister

3

4 The Sunday School Scoop During January, the children learned about Epiphany and began a unit on the healing miracles of Jesus. Thank you to our teachers: Brittany Romaniello, Katie O Connor, Robbie Kamide, Scott Freitag, Kelly Pelletier, and Pam Albon. Our February lessons will all focus on Deuteronomy 6:5 : Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, all your being, and all your strength. We are looking for many volunteers to teach throughout the winter and spring, so please let me know if you would like to teach! Valerie Beard Go Ahead and Sing Those Hymns! Singing has always been an important of worship- the very first recorded instance of group worship in Hebrew scriptures is after the Israelites were saved from Pharaoh's army by crossing through the Red Sea. Safely on the other side, Miriam, the sister of Moses, led the singing and dancing! We sing weekly at church and not only is it good for the soul, it's good for the body. Singing has many positive emotional and physical effects. One of the more interesting benefits of singing is that it boosts the immune system. Researchers have documented increases in most people's immune system antibodies after singing- but not after listening to music. So, more than ever, in the cold and flu season, sing those hymns out loud and clear. It's good for the body and the soul. Donna Obarowski, Minister of Music

5 The Deacons' Bench I don t care how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. It s enough to know that for some people they exist and that they dance. ~Angels; by Mary Oliver The news came just two weeks into the new year that the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Mary Oliver had died. Mary Oliver has been one of my favorite poets and inspiration for as long as I can remember. I read her poems as a teenager certain that I understood and appreciated them in a way that no one else could, and once set out to find her home while visiting Provincetown. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, I did not find her! Her writings were simple yet profound, closely connected with the natural world and deeply spiritual. Though she carefully guarded her privacy, she became the most read, best-selling poet of our time. Mary Oliver saw the world through her personal lens of wonder, amazement, and hope. She always carried a pencil and notebook with her and was known to stop during a walk, take space from a conversation, or sit up in the middle of the night to write down an observation or a dream so that it wouldn t be lost. In recent years, Mary s pen has been less prolific but it s hard to imagine that her voice has been silenced. When you have a moment, pick up one of her books, or search through any of her writings easily found on the Internet. In The Summer Day, you can see, hear and feel Mary s connection with this world and the next: I don't know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Really, what else is there to do? Be present, fall down in the grass wherever you are and recognize that every day in your life is about something much bigger than yourself. On the first Sunday of Epiphany, we had the opportunity to reaffirm our own baptisms during our Sunday worship service. When Katrina first introduced the idea at a diaconate meeting we wondered if people would feel comfortable coming forward. But come forward we did and what happened was a gift that we could not have anticipated. We were reminded of a love from which we cannot be separated: You belong to God, you always have and you always will. With those words came the reminder that you are never alone. You are worthy, you are blessed. You are not perfect, but you are enough. On behalf of the Board of Deacons of the Middlebury Congregational Church, Ellen Aronheim Make a Valentine for your Valentine! Join us during Coffee Hour on Sunday, February 10 th to make a Valentine for your Valentine. Supplies will be provided $5 Donation

6 From the Mission Board The Mission Board is offering Homemade Soup (Chicken Orzo, Tomato Basil, Tuscan Sausage with Kale, Butternut Squash, Corn Chowder, Lentil and more) to Take Home Superbowl Sunday February 3 rd $5.00 per Pint All Proceeds will benefit the Church s Missions SOUPER BOWL SUNDAY! The Mission Board will again be collecting cans of soup for GWIM. Please bring in your donations on Souper Bowl Sunday, February 3 rd

7 EVERYTHING REQUIRES REVENUE. Including Churches! I m becoming fascinated by pledging and revenue-raising, for the church, of course, because I chair the Stewardship Committee and, hence, the Stewardship Campaign. I appreciate the contribution volunteers make of their time and their talent. If a price could be placed on such gifts to MCC, it would be an astronomical number. Indeed, there is no way we could pay the price for the gifts of talent and time given for maintenance, mission, Christian Education, food service, and the details and small tasks involved in operating the church among other things. But churches need cash money, income, whatever you term it, for salaries, heat, buildings, insurance, etc. Churches require revenue. Maybe it was easier in the days of the Congregational Church in Revolutionary times. Church and State were not separated. As a member or dweller of the town you paid a lump sum to church and state for your taxes. That money funded both church and town. In Connecticut and Massachusetts The Church was most likely the Congregational Church. The only other established denomination in the U. S. was the Church of England. Therefore, only those two denominations would have been supported by taxes. Those Church of England states (all those in the South) ended the church and state relationship after the Revolution no one wanted the connection. Can you guess which denomination became the American version of Church of England? At that point, raising revenue to fund churches changed and church members were required to rent a pew. A value was determined for the church building, grounds, etc. and the value of each pew was calculated. Some pews were more costly, some less so members could choose a rent they could afford. The pews rent was determined, I imagine, by the pew s desirability. I wonder was a front pew more or less costly? I think if that were the case today, the back pews would be by far the most highly prized! At some later point, pews were no longer rented but purchased. Then, in the latter part of the 19 th century, Protestant churches went to an envelope system which continues in some form to this day. Catholic churches today relay on the plate, the money placed in the collection plate at each mass. Determining the amount of a Protestant s pledge or what a Catholic put in the plate at Mass was not a matter of tithing (to be considered in a later Churchlife) but a prayerful consideration of giving. The Jewish religion has a more pragmatic approach to raising church revenue. Members pay annual dues scaled to incomeas well as fees for services like seders, etc. But every church requires revenue. Middlebury Congregational Church relies on a pledge a good faith promise. I am pleased to report that we have received 86 pledges totaling $116,000 for 2019 as of January 17, I continue to be touched by the generosity and commitment of MCC members. Gail Seymour Chair, Stewardship Board However, in the early 19 th century, church and state were separated. Connecticut and Massachusetts had a very strong church/state relationship but Connecticut s ended in 1818 and Massachusetts in Taxes no longer funded the church

8 From Your Local Girl Scouts: For such a short month, with a long President's Weekend thrown in, the preschool has a lot going on in February! Our special music guest will be returning to visit and sing with the 3 year old and 4 year old afternoon classes. All classes will be celebrating Valentines' Day on Feb. 13 & 14. It is such fun to go home with a bag full of love from our friends and teachers at school! They find it just as exciting to deliver the valentines they brought in to each of their classmates as well as creating the perfect valentine to give to their families. A local dentist, Dr. Mimi, will appear for her annual visit to the 4 year old classes. She has a wonderful, interactive way of helping the children learn about smart choices for their dental health. It is picture time again in February! Mr. Ted will be returning with his Donald Duck voice and trunk full of tricks to take the best pictures of each child! Registration is underway for the school year. If you have a child that will be at least 3 years old by Dec. 31, 2019, they are eligible for enrollment. If you know of a family who is looking for a preschool home for their child, we would appreciate you suggesting that they come to visit us. Linda Kohler Director, Preschool On The Green Troop #64171 is collecting donations for our annual Care- Totes to donate to the Harold Leever Cancer Center patients. Every year since 2010, Middlebury Girl Scouts have been making care-totes to bring joy and happiness to those in need. A collection box will be in the social hall. Items on our wish list include: Pens, little individually wrapped candies, notebooks/crossword books, lotions and lip balms. Thank you! Anna from Troop #64171 For my Girl Scout Gold Award project, which is the highest achievement a Girl Scout can earn, I created a nature trail across from the Memorial Middle School in Middlebury for the teachers to incorporate into their lessons, especially by the biology teacher, Mrs. Johnson. Due to its location, the trail will be used to support the lessons given in the classroom without requiring additional funding to take the students elsewhere. This trail is short and features markers for several varieties of plants, such as poison ivy, sensitive fern, christmas fern, and spice bush, among others, providing an ideal location for quick local outings with an educational outcome. Thank you! Sarah Kwashnak

9 CHURCH RECORDS BIRTHS Ryan Andrew Beard, brother of Kyle and Alexander Beard, son of Valerie* and Leonard* Beard, grandson of Lori* and Robert* Giannini and great-grandson of Robert Hauserman* on January 2 nd. Alia Wiley-Vanderputten, daughter of Kira* and Vincent Wiley- Vanderputten, grand-daughter of Janine* & Kent* Sullivan-Wiley, on January 17 th. Join the MCC Book Group February 28 th at 7:00 pm In the Parlor Registration Is Open! February s Book:

10 February 2019 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 8:30 Adult Choir 10:00 Worship 11:00 Cherub Choir Souper Bowl Sunday Soup Sale 11:15 CE 4:00 PF 8:30 Adult Choir 10:00 Worship Scout Sunday 11:00 Cherub Choir 11:15 Make a Valentine 8:30 Adult Choir 10:00 Worship 11:00 Cherub Choir 4:00 PF 8:30 Adult Choir 10:00 Worship 11:00 Cherub Choir Let Us Love one another, for love is of GOD and everyone who loves has been born of God, President s Day And KNOWS God. I JOHN 4: :00 AA 6:30 Church Council 7:00 Yoga 7:30 AA :00 AA 6:00 Girl Scouts 7:00 Trustees 7:00 Yoga 7:30 AA 12:00 AA 5:30 Mission Board 7:00 Yoga 7:30 AA :00 AA 6:00 Girl Scouts 7:00 Yoga 7:30 AA 7:00 Bible Study 7:00 AA :30-9:00 Family Support Group 7:00 AA 7:00 Bible Study 7:00 AA 7:00 AA :00 Boy Scouts & Comm. Mtg :00 Boy Scouts & Boards of Review Valentine s Day 7:00 Boy Scouts 7:00 Book Group 7:00 Boy Scouts :00 Girl Scouts 6:00 Girl Scouts :00 8:00 Pasta Supper :00-1:00 Blood Drive 22 23