November 2018 Middlebury Congregational Church United Church of Christ The Green 1242 Whittemore Rd. Middlebury CT 06762 203-758-2671 www.middleburyucc.org
FROM THE PASTOR We ve got a lot going on in our church in November! I m just going to highlight the upcoming Variety Show on 11/3 and that we ll be hosting the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service on 11/20. Both those events are chances we have to show people in the community what a wonderful place MCC is. But, the main topic for my article this month is about what Halloween, the Protestant Reformation, and All Saints Day all have in common. So, we think of Halloween and picture kids dressed up in costumes and trick-or-treating. But Halloween was originally part of a three day observance of the church focused on the dead: Halloween (All Hallows Eve on 10/31, All Saints Day (or All Hallows Day) on 11/1, and All Souls Day on 11/2. The three days are sometimes known as Allhallowtide, and are still celebrated by especially Catholic or Episcopal/Anglican Churches. Traditionally, the idea is that this time of year is a thin place, a time when the barriers between the afterlife and this world grow thin and the spirits of the departed are close at hand. Some thought that the souls of the departed were still on the earth until All Saints Day. In terms of church, Halloween was a vigil where people fasted and prayed in preparation for the feast of All Saints. However, there were many popular customs and folk traditions that developed around the evening, some included dressing up to disguise oneself from wandering souls who were thought to be seeking their last chance at vengeance before going on to the afterlife. All Saints Day was (and still is in many churches) the celebration of the saints known and unknown. Traditionally (and in Catholic theology), this observance is more focused on canonized saints who don t have a feast day. The following day, All Souls Day, is the day where all the faithful departed are remembered and prayed for. So, you might be wondering why we don t do a lot of this Allhallowtide stuff. Well, that s because of the Protestant Reformation. So, according to tradition, Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg church on Halloween in 1517, kicking off the Protestant Reformation. (Evidence seems to - 1 - - 2 -
be he didn t actually dramatically nail them to the door, but that s a discussion for a different time.) One of the main differences that developed between Protestant and Catholic theology was about praying for the dead. In Catholic theology, upon death a good number of people end up in purgatory, essentially the waiting room to heaven where people are able to atone for sins they weren t able to atone for in life. But, people still alive on earth could pray for people who had died, and the idea is that this would help the souls in purgatory in their journey towards heaven. This was a major reason for the observance of All Souls Day. However, Protestants nixed the idea of purgatory because they didn t see good biblical justification for it. Additionally, this elimination was a reaction against some people in the Catholic church who were abusing people s concern for their relatives in purgatory as a good fundraising opportunity: as soon as a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs! (I promise the Stewardship campaign this year won t be using that one.) So, with the elimination of purgatory, in Protestant theology, that means the souls of the departed immediately go to their final destination with no intermediary stop in purgatory, which eliminated a major purpose of praying for the dead. Additionally, Protestant theology puts a much greater focus on all the faithful being saints, rather than a select few. So, that theological development meant that for many Protestant churches like ours, all of Allhallowtide was eliminated from the church calendar. However, as the centuries have gone on, many Protestant churches have come to realize that tossing out all of this part of the church calendar was throwing the baby out with the bathwater. So, in about the early 20 th century All Saints Day came back into many Protestant churches like ours. So, we ve basically rolled All Saints and All Souls into All Saints Day. We take that day as a time to remember and give thanks for all the faithful departed and to proclaim the hope of the resurrection. This year, we ll be observing All Saints on 11/4, the first Sunday in November. I ll leave you with this prayer for All Saints Day from the Church of England: God of holiness, your glory is proclaimed in every age: as we rejoice in the faith of your saints, inspire us to follow their example with boldness and joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Peace, Katrina Manzi Confirmation Class Confirmation class will be starting in March 2019 and running until May 31 st, 2020 First meeting: Sunday, March 17 th, 2019 (tentative) Teens currently in 7 th grade or above are eligible For more information and to sign up, email Pastor Katrina (kmanzi@middleburyucc.org) Join Our Community s Churches for The Annual Thanksgiving Ecumenical Service At Middlebury Congregational Church on Tuesday, November 20 th, 2018 7:00 pm Rev. Lawrence Symolon from St. John of the Cross Church will deliver the sermon - 3 - - 4 -
The Sunday School Scoop This fall, our Sunday School lessons focus on families. In addition to talking about our own families, we learned about Jesus family, his disciples (friends he considered family), and other families in stories throughout the Bible. We also talked about our church family here at MCC and our Christian family around the world. This helped us in learning about World Communion Sunday, which we celebrated on the first Sunday in October. The children created beautiful decorations in their classes, which were hung in the sanctuary, and are now upstairs in the Sunday School wing. Thank you to our teachers for October: Amy Coughlin, Norma Solberg, Michele Finn, Scott Frietag, and Kelly Ecsedy. There are still openings to teach throughout the fall and winter, so please let me know if you are interested in signing up! The Cherub choir sang during the service on October 14, and will sing again on November 18 th. We always look forward to hearing their beautiful voices! Looking ahead to December, please mark your calendars for our annual Christmas Pageant on December 16 th, with a rehearsal on December 15 th at 10:00 am. Valerie Beard Youth News! Pilgrim Fellowship has had several meetings this past few months. We had a meeting that centered on following your path in the way that Jesus hoped you would. We also had a meeting with dealing with stress in a very stressful time. The youth came up with several ways to work through the pressure that they feel through their day. Pilgrim Fellowship will be having several upcoming events, I am just waiting for confirmation on dates and times. We have a steady group of 4-6 youth that regularly attend the meetings. I would also like to give a big shout out to Pastor Katrina and Mrs. Dean for being parent volunteers for the meetings. This group would not survive without your support. Thank you! Kristine Zold - 5 - We gather together to ask the Lord s blessing. As Pastor Katrina and I have been in Worship planning for November, the Thanksgiving season music has been front and center in my mind. It s wholly appropriate that, in a Congregational Church, which traces its roots back to the Pilgrims who landed on our New England shore (and even further back to the European reformers), we celebrate Thanksgiving with gusto! We will have two opportunities to Worship in the thanksgiving spirit- on Sunday Morning, November 18, and at the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service, Tuesday, November 22. I ve been reviewing the many fine Thanksgiving-appropriate hymns available in our two hymnals. One that stands out is We Gather Together, because it is such a ubiquitous seasonal hymn. We Gather first appears in print in a Dutch hymnal in 1625, as a hymn of thanks for the Dutch in their successful struggle against Spanish oppression and conquest. When it was translated by musicologist Theodore Baker and published in English as Prayer for Thanksgiving in 1894, it was quickly included in many hymnals. When a young Julia Cady Cory heard the hymn 1902 at her New York City church, she composed a paraphrase that refers less to national victory, titled We Praise You, O God. And it s been reinterpreted with inclusive, contemporary language by UCC minister Lavon Baylor. Between our two hymnals, we have all three versions! Whichever version you prefer, I hope you find yourself singing praises to His name. He forgets not His own. Blessings, Donna - 6 -
The Deacons' Bench It has taken a while, but I certainly do know it now the most wonderful gift I had, the gift I finally learned to cherish above all else, was the gift of all those perfectly ordinary days. ~Katrina Kennison It s almost November in Middlebury. There s a chill in the air, the leaves are starting to turn at Fenn s Pond, on Library Road, and around the perimeter of Lake Elise at the Largay Memorial Preserve. It s true that the leaves are changing all over town and in your own backyard, but if you get a chance take a drive (or walk) by some of the places I listed. I promise you they won t disappoint. There s also been plenty to do around town lately. There was a Blessing of the Animals a couple of weeks ago, a road race, a harvest festival, a trick or trunk, and a pasta dinner! There s an annual turkey dinner coming up and a Variety Show right here in our little church! On Saturday, November 3, we will host a Chili Dinner and Variety Show in the social hall. We ve got some talented church members and folks from the wider community who are looking forward to entertaining us while we enjoy some spicy chili, cornbread, and an exceptional dessert. Mark the date on your calendars so we can sing, laugh, wonder and appreciate the evening with one another. Every fourth Thursday in November we are intentional about making time for gratitude and thanksgiving when we celebrate the holiday. I wonder though if we let opportunities for gratitude and thanksgiving pass us by in the perfectly ordinary things that happen every day. There is always something to do, somewhere to be, someone to see. There are places to go and things to finish, it s just how we live our lives every ordinary day. When we have a not so ordinary day, one where we learn of a friend s illness, or a broken heart, or disappointing news, we want nothing more than a return to the ordinary. The Deacons' Bench continued... Katrina Kennison was so right that it has taken a while, but I certainly do know it now the most wonderful gift I had, the gift I finally learned to cherish above all else, was the gift of all those perfectly ordinary days. Enjoy every one! In grateful thanksgiving on behalf of the Middlebury Congregational Church Board of Deacons, Ellen Aronheim From the Mission Board I sit here in the first weeks of October contemplating the summer like weather. I am looking forward to the cooler weather and fall foliage. A busy time in the life of the church is approaching. Before that time, the Mission Board had a soup sale in October. We sold 9 different kinds of soup and netted over $300. In October donations were made to the Middlebury Food Bank, Pastor's Discretionary Fund, and Hurricane Florence. In November, we will be collecting food items for the Thanksgiving Baskets for 3 families in need in Middlebury and will again be filling lunch bags for GWIM clients for Veteran s Day. Have you ever wondered where the donation money to OCWM (Our Church s Wider Mission) goes? Pastor Katrina and other leaders of the church had a meeting with conference leaders about just that. See the chart on the next page. Conference leaders are asking churches to consider giving 2% of their income. At this time, our donation is made through the Mission Board's funds and we give 1% of the churches income. Happy Thanksgiving, Brenda Romaniello, Mission Board Chair - 7 - - 8 -
VETERANS DAY LUNCHES OBSERVED ON NOVEMBER 12 TH The mission committee is sponsoring the Veterans Day sandwich project once again this year. We will be providing 150 bag lunches for those who eat daily at the GWIM soup kitchen which is closed on holidays. WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! Please consider donating any of the items below or making a monetary donation so that we can purchase the items needed to make a delicious and nutritious bag lunch! BREAD HAM CHEESE JUICE BOXES/POUCHES APPLESAUCE/FRUIT CUPS SOFT GRANOLA/SNACK BARS BROWN LUNCH BAGS PLASTIC SANDWICH BAGGIES Volunteers will also be needed to make the sandwiches AFTER THE SERVICE ON SUNDAY, November 11 th in the Social Room to distribute them on Monday, November 12 th from 10:30-1:00 on the Green in downtown Waterbury. Sign-up sheets are available in the social hall or you may sign up by calling the church office. Equipping The Saints Lay Development Ministries Making God s Love and Justice Real Justice & Witness Ministries Nurturing Pastoral Excellence Clergy Development Ministries Nurturing Church Vitality Church Development Ministries Empowering Our Ministries Buildings & Equipment (Conference Offices) Supporting Churches & Pastors Regionally-Based Ministries Leading Our Church Conference Minister/Governance Encountering God in Creation Outdoor Ministry (Silver Lake Conference Center) Nurturing Faithful Leaders Youth & Young Adult Ministries Stewarding Our Resources Office, Administrative Development November 4 th - 9 - - 10 -
STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN 2019 TAKE THE NEXT BITE! Thanksgiving Baskets We will again be putting together Thanksgiving Baskets for 3 local families. There are more families in our town this year who are struggling and we are happy to be able to help bring joy into their lives. Items needed are: Turkeys, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, Pre-spiced pumpkin filling, evaporated milk, pie crust, whipped topping, dinner rolls, fancy bread, olives, pickles, sparkling apple cider, breakfast foods, Thanksgiving paper goods & grocery gift cards. Sign-up sheets are on the bulletin board outside the kitchen or you may call the church office (203-758-2671) to sign up. All contribution must be brought to the church no later than November 19th at 11:00 am for delivery to the families. As I write this, we are in the midst of our 2019 Stewardship Campaign. During Worship one Sunday, I spoke to the children about being a steward and taking care of things, asking them what or who they tend or care for. They spoke of littler brothers and sisters, of parents caring for them, caring for their stuff. With the children, I realized that preparing a meal costs time, skill and money. We spoke of pets and toys and clothing, and of families and community. We accomplish our caretaking by combining our skills and abilities our talents---, time and treasure. I hadn t realized until I spoke with the children that stewardship requires all three of these from each of us. Stewardship is not, you see, only about money. Dollars without time and talents would not support our church community. Stewardship is about providing the dollars with which we can make the best use of our time and talent and vice versa. Think of stewardship as a three-legged stool with time, talent, treasure each being a leg. We all are aware what happens when one leg falls short. The success of the Stewardship Campaign 2018 is celebrated with the presence of our new worship leaders, in the commitment of our congregation and the energy of our volunteers. I m positive that Campaign 2019 will equal last year s success*. *A steward is a caretaker. As we know, this requires all we are and have our time, our talents and abilities and our money. If you haven t pledged or donated yet, we welcome whatever you can give. Gail Seymour, Chairman Stewardship Board - 11 - - 12 -
SPECIAL UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER (subject to change) Nov. 11 Nov. 18 Nov. 20 Sandwich Building at following the service in the Social Room for Veteran s Day @ GWIM Soup Kitchen. Thanksgiving Service. Community Ecumenical Service at Middlebury Congregational Church at 7:00 pm. Wreath Making Please join us for our annual Wreath Making workshop. Grab a wreath frame, a pair of gloves, and a willing heart. We ll provide the greenery, ribbons, wire and everything else you ll need to make a wreath you can take home that day! Mark your calendars for Sunday, December 2 nd following worship. We will meet in the social room after coffee hour from 12-2:00. Please email Jeanine (jbonaventure@middleburyucc.org) or call the church to make your reservation or if you have any questions. There will be a $5 donation to cover costs. Looking forward to seeing you then. Holiday Greens! We need greens (pine, holly, etc.) or if you have any berries (winterberry, holly berries, juniper berries, etc.) for our wreath-making workshop on December 2nd. Ed Ryan, who will be leading us in foraging in his usual spots. Many of you have offered greens and berries throughout the year. If you can help us out, please call Jeanine in the church office. Dec. 1 Dec. 2 Dec. 15 Dec. 16 Dec. 24 Town Tree Lighting on the Green @ 4:00 pm followed by Hot Cocoa with Santa. First Sunday in Advent Christmas Basket Collection begins. Wreath Making following the service Breakfast with Santa at 8:00 10:00 am. Pageant Practice from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Christmas Pageant during Service. (snow date Dec. 23) 5:00 Family Service 11:00 Candlelight Service - 13 - - 14 -
CHURCH RECORDS DEATHS Oh what fun we always have Trick or Treating at Mrs. Bonaventure's office and the Town Hall! They are all so gracious to listen to our Halloween songs every year. It was also a thrill to have the Middlebury Fire Department visit us and allow the children to explore the inside and outside of the trucks and the ambulance. Always a memorable experience! The four year olds are excited for their first official school bus ride when we visit the Institute of American Indian Studies in Washington, CT. We will experience authentic instruments, clothing and tools as well as visiting a mock village with long houses, a canoe and the village garden. The excitement usually means we have a few nappers on the way back. The Deadline for December Church Life: Nov. 15 th @ 9:00 a.m. Join the MCC Book Group December 13 th at 7:00 pm In the Parlor November s/december s Book: Everyone will be making homemade cornbread and homemade butter for our Thanksgiving feasts. Such a delicious day! We are wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving with good company and tasty food. Linda Kohler, Director - 15 - - 16 -
November 2018 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY it is not happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy! 7:00 Boy Scouts & Comm. Mtg. 1 6:00 Show Dress Rehearsal 2 3 6:00 Chili Dinner & Variety Show 8:30 Adult Choir 10:00 Worship All Saint s Sunday 11:00 Cherub Choir 11:15 Diaconate 4 11 8:30 Adult Choir 10:00 Worship Consecration Sunday 11:00 Cherub Choir 8:30 Adult Choir 10:00 Worship 11:00 Cherub Choir 18 (Star Tree Choices available) 8:30 Adult Choir 10:00 Worship 11:00 Cherub Choir 11:30 Diaconate 25 5 6 12:00 AA 5:30 Mission Brd. 6:30 Church Council 7:00 Yoga 7:30 AA 12 13 12:00 AA 6:00 Girl Scouts 7:00 Trustees 7:00 Yoga 7:30 AA 19 20 12:00 AA 6:00 Adult Choir 7:00 Ecumenical Service @ MCC 7:30 AA 26 27 12:00 AA 6:00 Girl Scouts 7:00 Yoga 7:30 AA 7:00 Bible Study 7:00 AA 5:30 Family Support Group 7:00 AA 7:00 Bible Study 7:00 AA 7:00 AA 7 14 21 28 8 7:00 Boy Scouts & Boards of Review 7:00 Boy Scouts 15 OFFICE CLOSED 22 7:00 Boy Scouts 29 7:00 Girl Scouts 9 10 16 17 OFFICE CLOSED 23 24 7:00 Girl Scouts 30