March 2016 Church of the New Jerusalem Monthly Newsletter A community united by faith in God and love to the neighbor

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1 March 2016 Church of the New Jerusalem Monthly Newsletter A community united by faith in God and love to the neighbor March Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you well, dear readers. It s been a busy time of year, with Valentine s Day, President s Day, school vacation, and now Easter fast approaching. Valentine s Day was special here! At the church, on Valentine s Day at 4pm, we offered our 2 nd Annual Renewal of Vows ceremony. Seven couples recommitted their life and love to one another it was beautiful! cyclamen plants with their red flowers in their Valentine pots at the store. I brought them home a few days before Valentine s Day and realized my problem you can t hide a flower! I didn t want the children to see them, but what to do with them?! They needed sunlight, water, a place by the window. So I did my best trying to hide them behind a picture on a table by a window, moving them around the house depending on the time of day. I will admit that Monroe s three flowers in bloom wilted and passed on before the holiday arrived was I glad when Sunday dawned! (Thank you, Margaret Eastman, for the picture!) At home that morning, my children had gotten a few Valentine s Day treats a few Equal Exchange chocolate hearts among other candy, and a little plant for each to take care of. I couldn t resist when I had seen the small A flower can be so beautiful and fragile. I was reminded of the words of a Buddhist Monk, Thich Naht Hanh, who said simply, Every child is born in the garden of humanity as a flower. In a short work of his entitled, How to Love, he wrote this: One day I was giving a talk at our practice center in France. Two of the people in attendance were a couple from Bordeaux who visit our center on occasion. The woman was sitting in the front of the audience, and she was crying from the beginning of the talk to the end. After the talk I went to her husband and told him, Dear friend, your flower needs some water. He understood right away. After lunch, they drove home through The Fryeburg New Church aka The Church of the New Jerusalem 12 Oxford Street Fryeburg, ME Rev. Alison Lane-Olsen, Pastor pastorfnc@gmail.com Office: (207) , Cell phone (620) Office Hours: Pastor ~ Wednesday thru Friday 8:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m., Saturday by appointment Secretary ~ Wednesday thru Friday 1:00 p.m.

2 the countryside, and he spent that hour and a half letting her know all the things he appreciated about her. When they arrived home, their children were surprised to see their mother and father so joyful. Transformation can happen very quickly. We are like flowers and we need to be watered and do the watering when we can. I certainly see Jesus fitting this category a beautiful Presence that was here to water our spirits, to share both how we can love and how much we are loved. Have we opened our heart to this love that makes us blossom? Like my flowers for the children, I see Jesus as a flower that couldn t be hidden! Just lately in worship, we spent some time with the story of Jesus cleansing the Temple. I was struck by several commentaries remarking on the fact that if Jesus would have stayed away from the Temple, he might have very well enjoyed a longer ministry. He could have pursued healing and teaching away from the center of it all (Jerusalem) and yet that was not who this Guide was. It wasn t his nature to stay away, to remain on the sidelines, to safeguard his life rather than stand up to the falsities that were taught or lived. His Love for ALL children was too important. Soon, we will be seeing flowers in the sanctuary - lilies to be exact! Symbols of innocence, hope and new life all that we are and are capable of seeing within. With Easter Blessings, Rev. Alison Office Hours: Weds Fri 8:30am-12:30pm, Saturday by appointment pastorfnc@gmail.com Office phone: Cell phone: (620) Perhaps the flowers have much to teach you, as do the mountains and the mountain lions. Look at the beauty around you in all things, including yourself. If you cannot see the beauty, then you are allowing humanity and its delusions born of ignorance of who and what you are to delude you. Wake up, please, and smell the flowers ~ Suzanne Guisemann Worship Schedule Sunday School 9:00 AM Family Worship 10:00 AM March 6 th : In the Garden of Gethsemane March 13 th : Jesus and Pilate March 20 th : Palm Sunday Remember our beautiful Alfombra we created last year? We are continuing the tradition! Join us after church on Palm Sunday to create a new Alfombra! The new design will be revealed! HOLY WEEK Thursday: Maundy Thursday service, 7pm at Lovell UCC, 1174 Main Street Friday: Stations of the Cross at the Fryeburg New Church Church will be open from 4-7pm (The Stations of the Cross is a reflective and dramatic process that tells the events of Good Friday using a combination of readings, props and sounds. At their own pace, the people move to stations in different parts of the church on their own journey to Golgatha.) March 27 th : Easter!

3 Easter Breakfast and Children s Easter Egg Hunt Please join us on Easter for a potluck family breakfast and special Easter egg Hunt for the kids Women s Alliance There will be no meeting of the Women s Alliance will in March. The next meeting s date will be announced in April s newsletter Officers for the Women s Alliance are: President...Jean Cressy Vice-President...Claire Kiesman Secretary...Sally Harnden Treasurer...Patty Swett Chaplain...TBA Church Report The Trustees The Trustees next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at 7:00 pm. The meetings are open to all, but you should contact the Chair prior to the meeting to get an item on the agenda. Also, please speak to any of the Trustees with your questions, concerns, compliments or complaints. We are here to serve you. Currently Serving Trustees Stew Frost, Chair Jon Crowe, Vice Chair Cindy Priest, Treasurer Laurie Turley, Trustee Dede Frost, Secretary Judy Hatch, Trustee Women s Alliance Representative: Patricia Swett Our dear organist and all around gifted musician and friend, Laurie Turley, has resigned from her role here at FNC. We thank you, Laurie, for sharing your time, talent and love with us. We will miss you and we send you and your family our love. In our Prayers We send prayers of healing for Bryson Herlihy and his family as he recovers from his latest surgery; prayers of thanksgiving for Sally Harnden returning home after a brief hospital stay; prayers for Donald and Claire Kiesman. We send the Turley family our love and will be keeping them in our prayers; safe travel prayers for all of those traveling to and from winter/vacation destinations!

4 There will be items such as organic coffee, tea, hot chocolate, chocolate bars, crafts, scarves, and jewelry from Equal Exchange for sale. The farmers and artisans who produced these products are better able to provide for their families, improve their communities and care for our planet through Fair Trade. All catalogue orders are due this Sunday, March 6th. This is a link to our online event: aiser=frye006w Our internet event will be open to May 31st!! Thank You for Your Support! FNC DINNER BELL Wed. March 30 th St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church 857 Main Street Thank you to those of you who have already signed up to help! (The sign-up sheet is at the back of the church.) Fryeburg New Church is having an Equal Exchange Fundraising Event We need Prep work volunteers (arrive at 2pm), as well as Dinner and Clean-up help (arrive at 4:30pm). True charity is the desire to be useful to others with no thought of recompense. ~Emanuel Swedenborg

5 Easter Lilies Easter is Sunday March 27th!! For those who wish to have a lily in church on Easter Sunday, please place your order early as we need to place our order by March 18th! The cost of lilies this year is $6.99 each. Lilies can be picked up after church on Easter Sunday, left for the following Sunday, or given to a shut-in or nursing home resident. Orders should be returned to the office by March 18th, and may be placed in the collection plate, left in the church office, or call Dawn in the office at Please indicate who the lily will be In Honor or In Memory of. EASTER LILIES HOW MANY LILIES? TOTAL AMOUNT: Fryeburg New Church 12 Oxford Street Fryeburg, ME In Memory/In Honor of: Given by: PLEASE RETURN ORDERS BY: MARCH 18 TH, 2016

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7 Welcomers for March Mar 6 Debbie Urgese Mar 13 Sally Gibson Mar 20 Martha Richardson Mar 27 open Ushers for March Mar 6 Tom Barrett & open Mar 13 Chuck Priest & open Mar 20 David & Jen Richardson Mar 27 Jean Cressy & Dean Harnden Coffee Hour for March Mar 6 Jean Cressy Mar 13 Martha Richardson Mar 20 Jen Richardson Mar 27 Easter brunch WORSHIP SERVICE ATTENDANCE FEBRUARY 7-21, 2016 Date Adults Children February February February Calendar for March 2016 (held at our Church unless indicated) 1 Tue Trustees Meeting 7:00 p.m. 2 Wed Dinner Bell 5:00 p.m. 3 Thu AIM Workbook Parsonage 4 Fri MSAD #72 NO SCHOOL 6 Sun Adult Choir Sunday School Family Worship 7 8 p.m. 10:00 a.m. 7 Mon MSAD #72 Early release 12 noon 9 Wed Dinner Bell 5:00 p.m. 10 Thu AIM Workbook Parsonage 12 Sat Turn clocks 1 hour ahead tonight!!! 13 Sun Adult Choir Sunday School Family Worship 16 Wed Rev. FHCC Dinner Bell Worship Committee 17 Thu St. Patrick s Day AIM Workbook Parsonage 18 Fri Easter Lily Orders due 20 Sun Palm Sunday Adult Choir Sunday School Family Worship Alfombra creation after church 7 8 p.m. 10:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m 7:00 p.m. 7 8 p.m. 10:00 a.m. 23 Wed Dinner Bell 5:00 p.m. 24 Thu Maundy Thursday, Lovell 7 8 p.m. 25 Fri Good Friday, Stations 4-7 p.m. 27 Sun Easter Sunday Birthday Bank Sunday Food Pantry Sunday Adult Choir Potluck Brunch Family Worship 10:00 a.m. Turn your clocks 1 hour ahead before bed on Saturday night, March 12 th

8 Church of the New Jerusalem a.k.a. Fryeburg New Church 12 Oxford Street Fryeburg, ME Address Service Requested