The Tower November 13, 2016 Vol. LXXII No. 46 A Prayer for Voting By Rabbi David Mevorach Seidenberg (adapted) With my vote today, I am prepared and intending to seek peace for this country, as it is written: "Seek out the peace of the city where I cause you to roam and pray for her sake to God, for in her peace you all will have peace." (Jeremiah. 29:7) May it be Your will that votes will be counted faithfully, and may You account my vote as if I had fulfilled this verse with all my power. May it be good in Your eyes to give a wise heart to whomever we elect today and may You raise for us a government whose rule is for good and blessing, to bring justice and peace to all the inhabitants of the world. Just as I participated in elections today, so may I merit to do good works and to repair the world with all my actions on behalf of all living creatures. May You give to all the peoples of this country the strength and the will to pursue righteousness and to seek peace as a unified force in order to cause to flourish, throughout the world, good life and peace. It's your vote, it's your right, it's your responsibility. Please use it well. Thanks to our friends at the Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice for sharing this prayer. YOU Can Help the Advent Liturgical Art Project with: Fabric: light weight in blues and purples, yellows & white Yarn: preferably bulky, same colors as fabrics (These can be deposited in the bins marked ADVENT ART PROJECT in the rear of the sanctuary) Hands: Of those with good knowledge of knot tying; of all ages & abilities Mondays 3-5 pm Nov. 14, & 21, Sundays 12-3pm Nov. 13 & 20. Call or text Jessica Taft (513)702-2834 with any questions. Thank You! Thanksgiving Day Meal Positions Still Open If you would like to help with our annual Thanksgiving Day community dinner, there are many volunteer jobs still available both before and on Thanksgiving. We have a particular need for assistance on Wednesday, November 23, with tasks such as cleaning, meal preparation, set up, hanging signs and menus, and decorating home delivery bags. We are also looking for individuals to purchase and cook turkeys at home, and donations of pumpkin pie and cans of corn and green beans. Food donations would need to be brought to church early Wednesday evening. Additionally, we need help on Thanksgiving Day to finish meal preparation, greet our guests,
serve or deliver meals, make coffee, and assist with clean-up. Financial contributions are also very much appreciated. Sign-up sheets are at the back of the Sanctuary, as are cooking bags and instructions for preparing turkeys. You may also call the church office at 233-9751 or email the Outreach board at outreach@firstcongmadison.org to sign up or with questions. Quiet Reflections Worship Quiet Reflections is held on Wednesdays: November 9, 16, 23 in the Chapel from 6:00-7:00pm. The hour includes 3 segments: 6:00-6:20 is a time of silence and background music for private prayer and reflection. 6:20-6:40 is a time of liturgy for Prayers and Holy Communion. 6:40-7:00 is a return to silence and music. Come for any of the 20 minute segments or for the whole hour. Thanksgiving? Christmas? Are the holidays really just around the corner? Yes, they are! And there is not a better time to start using SCRIP! Are you traveling during the holidays? Are you making more than normal amounts of purchases? Why not use SCRIP to make your everyday AND extra purchases, with a % of your purchase going to the church? American, Delta & Southwest all are part of the SCRIP program. Many hotels and car rental companies participate in SCRIP as well. Purchase cards to use for purchases, or use them as gifts/stocking stuffers, especially for teenagers or friends who are hard to buy for. Many retailers are available: Amazon, ToysRUs, Target, Starbucks, Panera. Ask for a retailer list, or go to shopwithscrip for a full listing! Don't know how to use it - just ask anyone from Stewardship! Prayer Labyrinth A Prayer Labyrinth Walk will be held Tuesday, November 15 at First United Methodist Church (203 Wisconsin Ave.) beginning at 6:00pm and ending by 7:30 pm. We will meet in the lobby and the labyrinth is located in the FUMC Chapel. There will be light refreshments and time to visit after the prayer walk. Please plan to arrive no later than 6:15pm. Contact Ann Beaty for more information.
Advent Devotionals Are In Advent begins November 27th. This year's series entitled "Wolves and Lambs" promises you a challenging and enlightening Advent journey. Copies are available in the church office or at the entrances to the sanctuary. Pick yours up today while supplies last. Way of Blessedness Class: THE DATES HAVE CHANGED! NEW DATES: November 13, 20, 27 "Light of Christ, lead us to the heart of God." This prayer is the opening line of our next prayer practice series called "The Way of Blessedness." This small group study will explore what it means to live the deeply blessed life Jesus describes in the Beatitudes. Through scripture, prayer, devotional reading, and discussion, we will examine the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 5 and discover together how we might glimpse more of the Kingdom of God here on earth. The material has 9 sessions and we will complete the first 3 this fall. Future classes will be held in the winter and spring and you are welcome to attend any of the sessions. Please register through the church office or in the back of the Sanctuary. The participant book is available in the church office, or at the first session, for $10.00. The church's policy is that our programming is accessible by all. Scholarships are always available. Contact Ann Beaty or Julie Kramer for more information. Shelter Gifts Next month, we will assemble Christmas gifts for guests at the Single Women's Homeless Shelter, and we are seeking colorful scarves or jewelry from your own collection to add to the practical items we provide. Other donations, always appreciated: warm socks, coats, hats, scarves, gloves, long underwear, sheets and blankets, towels, duffel bags, backpacks, suitcases, boots, umbrellas, purses, and small toiletries. Please drop items off at the church
office, clearly marked "Shelter"; if you would like to donate toward the cost, please send a check made out to the church, with "Shelter gifts" on the memo line. Thank you. God Is Still Speaking - Through Healing Darby Puglielli, First Cong member, was healed of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome while taking Communion at church 20 years ago. Each year, she holds a celebration on the anniversary to share her story and affirm that "God is still speaking..." It's also an opportunity for others to share (if they wish) how God is still speaking in their lives. Please join Darby for this event: Thursday, November 17 from 7:00-8:00pm in the Fellowship Room. Food and drink will be provided. No RSVP needed, but if you have questions or comments, you can reach Darby via email darby.puglielli@gmail.com More about Darby's story can be found at: http://gracelikesunbeams.blogspot.com/2013/10/miraculous-healing.html Advent Workshop Assistance Needed The Head Advent Workshop Elves have been busy planning crafts and getting ready to turn the FCC Dining Room into a workshop for creating special handmade gifts on Sunday, December 4 after worship. We are now looking for some help to get a few of the crafts ready: *Simple sewing to prepare a project *Donating fresh greens - If you are pruning this fall, we can pick up the boughs *Setting up your own craft - If you have an idea, let us know! *Helping to set up tables on Saturday, Dec. 3 *Staffing a table on Sunday, Dec. 4 (little or no prework needed) Please contact community_life@firstcongmadison.org or call Melissa Baumann, 608-320-6644 to help out. Watch Your Steps! Progress continues on the front steps of the Church. They still remain closed however, with only the Lathrop Street and University Avenue doors open. The hope is the steps will be completed by the end of the month. Next up will be the construction of the ramp for accessibility for all.
Greening of the Sanctuary Help First Cong get a good start for Advent by staying after worship on Sunday, November 20, to help green the Sanctuary. We will be setting up trees, hanging wreaths, and listening to Christmas music, of course! Cider and popcorn will be served. It's Not Too Late to STEP UP! Thank you to everyone who has already turned in their STEPPING UP pledge form! For those who still haven't turned in their pledge forms, there's still time to STEP UP! Our goal in this pledge campaign is to increase pledge income to an annual total of $744,500. Although we are well on our way, we are still 100 pledging households and $238,000 short of our 2016 STEPPING UP goal. If you have pledged in the past, please turn in your pledge form as soon as possible. If you have never pledged before, consider this your personal ASK to join us in STEPPING UP. Every pledge counts, no matter what size. Remember...the congregation voted back in May to accept this challenge. Now is the time for everybody to STEP UP! Blank pledge forms are in the back of church, in the office or you can also print one from the church website: www.firstcongmadison.org/content/stewardship. All-Church Bowling Friday, November 18 6:30pm at Bowl-A-Vard (2121 E. Spring Drive, near East Towne). $8/person will cover shoe rental and bowling for 2 hours of knock-em-down-family-fun. Food and drinks are not covered. To help with planning, please sign up in the back of the Sanctuary or contact Jeff Rabe by November 13, 233-9751 or jrabe@firstcongmadison.org Music News Cantata Choir Rehearsals are Thursdays at 7:30pm. This year the Cantata Choir will sing Candles and Carols, by Mark Hayes and Pamela Martin. This work features parts for choir and congregational singing. It will be performed in concert on Thursday, December 15 at 7:00pm. Rehearsals are every Thursday night from 7:30 to 8:15pm in the Chapel. No experience is necessary, just a love of singing. Children, Family and Youth News Christmas Pageant Auditions Young people in grades 3-12 interested in Solos or Speaking Parts for this year's Christmas Pageant are encouraged to attend auditions on Sunday, November 13, in the Chapel right after Worship. Auditions should wrap up around Noon. Nothing to prepare, just show up!
EVERYONE who auditions gets a part!! ALL children of the Sunday School are a part of the Pageant, but solos and speaking parts are reserved for those in 3rd grade and older.this year's pageant will be held on Sunday, December 18 at 6:00 pm with a morning dress rehearsal on Saturday, December 17. (Everyone attends the dress rehearsal.) Contact Jeff Rabe if your child is interested but cannot attend the auditions. UNICEF Trick-or-Treat boxes were a big part of Sunday's offering. Nearly $300 was collected by young costumed First Cong members working to make a difference for children around the world. Any families with UNICEF boxes are encouraged to bring them to church before November 20. Boxes can be placed on the Communion Table before worship or taken to the main office. Sunday Scripture: Colossians 3:12-19 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful. This verse from our text this week demands that peace rule our hearts, AND that we should be thankful. In the middle of a world often promoting hate, how do we respond to this verse? These words were written two thousand years ago yet we are presented with the same challenge today - live in peace! We find it difficult to live in peace with our neighbor across the street, let alone our neighbor across the continent. ~ Eldonna Hazen Member News Congratulations to Fannie Hicklin. She was featured in the November issue of BRAVA Magazine in an article about wisdom. If you have member news you would like to share, contact the office at office@firstcongmadison.org. Upcoming Events Tuesday November 8 7:00am Election ~ DR 12noon Bible Conversations ~ SL 5:15pm NA Women's ~ Room 302 7:00pm NA ~ Room 302 Wednesday November 9 9:00am Staff Meeting ~ SL 4:00pm Children's Drama Class ~ Rm 302 6:00pm Quiet Reflections Service ~ C 7:00pm Adult Ed: Old Testament ~ YR Thursday November 10 6:30pm Coventry Ringers ~ Room 303 7:00pm Madison Area Jugglers ~ DR
7:30pm AA ~ Room 302 7:30pm Cantata Choir ~ Chapel 8:15pm Chancel Choir ~ Chapel Friday November 11 Saturday November 12 11:00am Football parking, Property Sunday November 13 8:45am Men's Fellowship ~ LRC 8:45am Adult Ed: The Way of Blessedness ~ FR 8:45am New member class ~ SL 10:00am Worship ~ S 10:15am Sunday School 11:15am Prayer Practice Group ~ LRC 11:15am Christmas Pageant Auditions ~ Chapel 11:15am Scrip Sales ~ SL 2:00pm Girl Scouts ~ Room 302 5:00pm Zen Meditation Study Group ~ Room 302 Monday November 14 5:30pm MACH Rehearsal ~ DR Tuesday November 15 12noon Bible Conversations ~ SL 1:30pm Worship at Oakwood 5:15pm NA Women's ~ Room 302 6:00pm Madison Pipes & Drums Rehearsal ~ DR, FR 7:00pm NA ~ Room 302 Worship Attendance on Sunday, November 6, 2016 was 216.