O Sacred Head, Now Wounded If one member suffers, all suffer together with it 1 Corinthians 12:26

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1 O Sacred Head, Now Wounded If one member suffers, all suffer together with it 1 Corinthians 12:26 Carolyn Winfrey Gillette has written a new hymn in response to the latest news of abuse by clergy; it was written with input from survivors and counselors. It also references Pope Francis Aug. 20 letter, using in particular the passage from 1 Corinthians. She asks we share the hymn with priests, pastors, church musicians, counselors, friends and others who might find it helpful. Permission is given for its free use. Passion Chorale To the tune of O Sacred Head, Now Wounded O God, when trust is shattered by wolves among your sheep, when youth and children suffer, when those remembering weep, when victims tell their stories, when leaders hide abuse, bring healing, love and mercy! When leaders side with evil, when people do their worst, may we reach out to victims and put their healing first. If any member suffers, we all will suffer, too. Bring healing, love and mercy! O God, when trust is shattered by wolves among your sheep, when youth and children suffer, when those remembering weep, when victims tell their stories, when leaders hide abuse, bring healing, love and mercy! When leaders side with evil, when people do their worst, may we reach out to victims and put their healing first. If any member suffers, we all will suffer, too. Bring healing, love and mercy! Carolyn Winfrey Gillette is the author of over 400 hymns that have been sung by thousands of congregations around the world, and are found in 20 books and on thousands of web sites. She and her husband Bruce are Presbyterian ministers who have served congregations in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. She can be contacted at: SEPTEMBER 2018 INSIDE THIS ISSUE September Ministry Neighbors in Need...3 Pantry Needs, Bible Quiz...4 Prayer List, Council Contacts...4 Calendar About Us Pastor Rev. Margaret Diz Philip Council Kelly Day, pres. Stephanie Gelhot, vice-pres. Neil Glaser, treas. Kari Winchester, sec. Dale Konneman, grounds Janet Moehsmer, bldg. fund Music Director June Jones Custodian Neil Glaser Office Admin. Gail Schneider St. Thomas United Church of Christ Wild Horse Creek Rd. Chesterfield, MO ucc.st.thomas@gmail.com or info@stthomasucc.org

2 SEPTEMBER MISSION UCC HABITAT HOUSE The 2018 UCC Habitat House has not been typical of our previous builds. Weather delays, contractors issues, and scheduling interruptions from Habitat for Humanity-St. Louis (they were preoccupied with preparing and moving into their new headquarters) caused some problems for the UCC congregations. Build days early in 2018 were left over from the 2017 UCC House. Some scheduled summer build dates were preempted by larger, influential donors to HFH-STL and the UCC congregations were happy to accommodate the greater cause. Build dates in October and November are now being filled by UCC volunteers to finish the interiors of our house and neighboring HFH-STL homes. Some foundation work may come our way in November and December for homes that will be built in the first half of It appears that going forward, we as UCC congregations, will be able to adopt a homeowner as we have in the past, but it is unlikely that we will be exclusively working on that homeowner s house. HFH-STL is making great strides in improving neighborhoods with multiple habitat homeowners and we must rethink the build model as we have known it in the past. We may lose some of the positives of working side-by-side together as UCC volunteers and only one homeowner, but we will gain the chance to work and interact with other volunteers and multiple homeowners. The good that the Habitat for Humanity organization does continues and homeowners still are completing their sweat equity hours (sometimes by working on other builds). Our goal continues to be raising $45,000 per year. Although that is no longer enough to sponsor an entire house, the UCC congregations enjoy the status of being a long time loyal supporter of Habitat for Humanity -St. Louis and we expect to continue to have 10+ build days per year to spread among the volunteers from our 22 congregations. Lawrence is our proud 2018 UCC Habitat House homeowner at 5032 Ulena Ave in the city and will be moving in when the house is complete in November. Once homeless and living at Larry Rice s Shelter, Lawrence got a part time job at St. Patrick s Center. Six years later, he has a success story to tell and loves to tell it. He is now a proud full time employee of St. Patrick s Center and the single father of two young children. Watch his story on YouTube, Lawrence's Success Story. Please make checks payable to St. Thomas UCC 2

3 SURELY HE HAS BORNE OUR GRIEFS When veteran Joe Serna confessed that he d been drinking behavior prohibited in the Veterans Treatment Court program Judge Lou Olivera sentenced him to one night in jail. That might not seem like much, but while deployed, Serna had been trapped underwater when his truck toppled into a canal. A buddy managed to move him to an air pocket, saving his life, but the buddy and two others died. Years later, even the thought of confinement triggered flashbacks. As Serna arrived for his jail stay, Olivera, also a vet, saw his anxiety, entered the cell with Serna and spent the night. His kind act nearly brought Serna to tears, but the judge believes any vet would have done the same. These are our brothers, Olivera says. We never leave each other behind. Similarly, Jesus entered our troubled story alongside us, sharing in our suffering, brokenness and even death. As a comrade unlike any other, Jesus calls us his brothers and sisters, refusing to leave us behind with our self-imposed burdens. Above all, Jesus does what only God can: redeems us for the joy of new life. SEAL A seal is the mark of God s promises to the believer and of the believer s consecration to God. Old Testament priests wore a piece of gold against their forehead, as a seal, engraved with the words Holy to the Lord. For Christians, the sign of the cross serves as a seal of salvation. Paul declares, He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Corinthians 1:21-22, NIV). Neighbors in Need (NIN) is a special mission offering of the United Church of Christ that supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. One-third of NIN funds support the Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM). Two-thirds of this offering is used by the UCC's Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) to support a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects through grants. Neighbors in Need grants are awarded to UCC churches and organizations doing justice work in their communities. These grants fund projects whose work ranges from direct service to community organizing and advocacy to address systemic injustice. This year, special consideration will be given to projects focusing on serving our immigrant neighbors and communities. The NEIGHBORS IN NEED offering is received October 7th. 3

4 If you have knowledge of someone on the Prayer List who no longer needs our prayers, please let us know. Canned Mixed Vegetables CRITICAL Canned Carrots, Peas Dinner Helpers - CRITICAL Canned Pasta Cereal Pasta Sauce Low Dose Aspirin Size 5 or 6 diapers Deodorant - CRITICAL Content removed for web version BIBLE QUIZ Who was Moses father-in-law, and what was his occupation? A. Joshua; shepherd B. Miriam; tentmaker C. Aaron; farmer D. Jethro; priest Answer: (See Exodus 3:1.) 4 COUNCIL CONTACTS President Kelly Day Vice-President Stephanie Gelhot Treasurer Secretary Buildings & Grounds Building Fund Neil Glaser Kari Winchester Dale Konneman Janet Moehsmer kmday44@gmail.com sng629@mail.missouri.edu njglaser@att.net k_winchester@outlook.com dalekonneman@hotmail.com jmoehsmer@gmail.com

5 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2 3 +Joe & Kelly Day 9 Grandparents Day Labor Day 16 *Ray Bopp 17 +Chuck & Marilyn Coffman 4 1:30pm Centering Prayer 5 Ladies Guild 6 +Hal & Robbie Brock Patriot Day :30pm Centering Prayer pm Book Club *Kara Winckel Dale & Liz Konneman st day of Autumn *Clara Mueller 5

6 S t. T h o m a s U C C W i l d H o r s e C r e e k R o a d C h e s t e r f i e l d, M O w w w. s t t h o m a s u c c. o r g PLEASE PLACE STAMP HERE Phone: ucc.st.thomas@gmail.com About Us God is still speaking, Mission Statement We are St. Thomas UCC, a caring faith community welcoming all to share with us. You will find us supportive, nurturing, and encouraging. Our worship is traditional yet contemporary, applying scripture and Christ s teachings to everyday life. Accepting all who come as family, we are St. Thomas UCC. Value Statement Worship: 8:30 (summer) & 10:00 am (all year) 11:00 am Fellowship Time We are ADA Accessible. Childcare is provided during Worship. Office Hours: 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Please call first if you need to stop by! Office Phone: We are a close-knit welcoming community. We cherish and honor the traditions of our 100 years past. With respect and compassion we work together. We strive to grow in our faith by serving the community. We embrace and celebrate our youth and the promise of each new generation of God s children. We seek God s blessings and wisdom in the joys and challenges of our daily lives. We grow in our understanding of Christ s teachings while being respectful of our differences. Vision Statement We seek to : Invite others to join in our faith journey Explore worship opportunities Enhance our fellowship and service outreach Expand our use of technology Increase our community involvement 6