The Church Herald Stony Brook Community Church (United Methodist), Stony Brook, New York Parts of The One Ants and Bees, A Metaphor 3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. (Romans 12:3-5) STONY BROOK COMMUNITY CHURCH 216 Christian Avenue Stony Brook, NY 11790 Chuck Van Houten, Pastor Church Office Tel: (631) 751-0574 Church E-mail: stonybrookcommunitychurch@gmail.com Pastor s Study Tel: (631) 751-0659 Church Website: www.stonybrookcommunitychurch.org Newsletter Table of Contents 1...Pastor s Letter 3...September Lectionary; MYF; UMW 4...September Calendar 5...Apple Festival; Chowder Recipe 6...Pumpkins for Sale! 7...A Culture of Prayer Last month as I was mowing the lawn Jared and I came across two large ant hills in the middle of the lawn; so large that they stood out from a distance. We spent time marveling at how strong they are and how they can accomplish so much together because they always work together, as a colony with a singular purpose. While Jared was quite fascinated with the whole concept of their strength, watching them work around and on top of each other, I found myself enthralled with how they work together as one living organism for the greater good. That same week, I had a number of ministry and committee meetings here at our church and out in our local community during which various members kept bringing up that same theme of working together as one for the common good. I began thinking quite a bit about this idea and about a week later I received one of my daily online devotions entitled Ants and Bees, A Metaphor. Coincidence? Or God incidence at the beginning of this new church school year. You decide. In that reflection, the following was offered: When we see ants and bees out in the world, we often see just one, but this belies the reality of their situation. More than any other species, ants and bees function as parts of a whole. They cannot and do not survive as individuals; they survive as members of a group, and the group s survival is the implicit goal of each individual s life. There is no concept of life outside the group, so even to use the word individual is somewhat misleading. Often, humans, on the other hand, strongly value individuality And yet, if we look closer at these amazing creatures, we can learn valuable lessons about how much we can achieve when we band together with others to work for a higher purpose. Most ants and bees have highly specified roles within their communities working within the confines of their roles without complaint, never wishing to be something other than what they are... Continued next page... Please send updates and information to Newsletter Editor, Bob Retnauer, at bobretnauer@optimum.net NYAC VISION STATEMENT The New York Annual Conference, through the grace of God, embodies a beloved community of hope, building up a healthy Body of Christ, with heartwarmed United Methodists in mission for the transformation of the world. October 2018 1
In this way, they symbolize self-knowledge and humility. They also display selfless service as they work for the common good. In many ways, they are like the individual cells of one body, living and dying as necessary to preserve the integrity of the whole body, not to protect themselves as individuals. In this way, ants personify the ability to see beyond one s small self to one s place within the greater whole, and the ability to serve this whole selflessly, always for the greater good of all. Isn t it amazing how God is able to speak to us in God s word and in creation around us every day? There is so much power and wisdom in how God has ordered the world. One thing is certain: we have been created with a divine and powerful purpose, my friends. And the power found in that divine calling is to surrender this sense of individual heroism that our society often holds out in front of us this idea of the over achieving beautiful people being Hollywood stars and the outrageously rich and famous. True greatness according to Christ, as mentioned in our gospel lesson a few weeks ago, is loving the unlovable by society s standards. True greatness is having the self-awareness and self knowledge to know we are but a small but important and integral part of a much greater body with a powerful purpose: to be the beloved community, the faithful family of God working for God s good and God s purpose in the world. Together we are all part of the greatest and most awesome living organism in all of creation: God s family called humanity. Working together for the greater good, not worrying about receiving the credit but giving it all to God and God s children around us. One of my favorite quotes is when no one is concerned about who gets the credit, a lot can be accomplished for good. That anonymous quote is a truth we all seem to aspire to here in this community of faith. And so I remind us of the words of the Apostle Paul in the letter to the Romans: For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another (Romans 12:4-5, NRSV). We are all one body in Christ my friends and therefore we are all members of one another, forever linked in this mutuality of love, prayer, purpose, and praise. Yes, blessed be the tie that binds. For what an awesome privileged that is to share one another s life as one life in Christ Jesus. May we all be in prayer together. May we all be in covenant to experience that blessing again this year in new ways as we work together and become more fully God s servants, doing the work of the Body of Christ powerfully in this place that we call The Stony Brook Community Church. May God s body around us and within us inspire us to fully own what we have to offer and to put it to use in the pursuit of a goal that will benefit all of humanity, whether it be raising consciousness about the environment, collecting food to feed local families, raising a happy child, volunteering to help through the church, or inviting a friend to worship or to a small group study with you. Each one of us has certain talents we were born with, as well as skills we have acquired. When we apply these gifts, knowing that we are one part of a greater body or organism working to better the whole world, we honor and implement the wisdom of God and God s creation that resides within us all. I pray that you will be a part of this awesome journey and joy-filled privilege this year. In the meantime, may God continue to bless you and the world through one another. In God s love, joy, and service Pastor Chuck October 2018 2
October Lectionary October 7: Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost 2018 Job 1:1; 2:1-10 Psalm 26 or Psalm 25 (UMH 756) Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12 Mark 10:2-16 October 14: Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost 2018 Job 23: 1-9, 16-17 Psalm 22:1-15 (UMH 752) Hebrews 4:12-16 Mark 10:17-31 October 21: Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost 2018 Job 38:1-7 (34-41) Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c (UMH 826) Hebrews 5:1-10 Mark 10:35-45 October 28: Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost 2018 Job 42:1-6, 10-17 Psalm 34:1-8 (19-22) (UMH 769) Hebrews 7:23-28 Mark 10:46-52 Thursday, November 1: All Saints Day 2018 Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9 Psalm 24 Revelation 21:1-6a John 11:32-44 MYF News The Youth group has a fun filled October planned. Our first FUSION FRIDAY will be on Oct 5th. Join us from 7pm-9pm for an evening filled with friends, food, games and music. We ll be having a bonfire on the 12th and a Halloween Bash on the 26th. We re looking forward to an exciting year. Tell your friends to check out MYF. All teens welcome, you don t have to be a church member to enjoy all that our Youth Group has to offer. If you have any questions please contact Nancy Larsen 631-626-6353 or Shantel Sellers 231-871-1466 UMW News Seventeen women enjoyed pasta, salad and dessert at UMW s Dinner Out at Luigi s. It was a time of fellowship and camaraderie. Thank You Karin Lynch for organizing this event. Thanksgiving Heads Up: UMW plans to organize ten Thanksgiving Boxes to distribute through SBCC s Mission Partnership with the Three Village School District. We will be assembling the following canned goods: cranberry sauce, cream of mushroom soup, green beans, crispy onions, large, cans of yams, jars of turkey gravy and boxes of stuffing mix. Cash donations will be used to for grocery cards so that families can buy perishable items. Please mark you check UMW- Thanksgiving Boxes and place it in the offering or send it to the church office. Any donations that are not used for the boxes will be placed in the Blessing Box. October 2018 3
October 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 31 6 10:00 Worship 11:00 Coffee Hour 1 2 7:30 (pm) Finance 3 All In classes 4 5 MYF 7:00-9:00 Fusion Friday 7 10:00 Worship World Wide Communion 11:00 Coffee Hour 14 10:00 Worship 11:00 Coffee Hour 21 11:00 Worship 12:00 Coffee Hour note service time change 28 10:00 Worship 11:00 Coffee Hour 8 Columbus Day Office Closed 15 22 29 9 7:30 SPRC 16 7:30 Church Council 23 7:30 Trustees 30 10 All In classes 17 All In classes 24 Pray Like Jesus classes 31 Pray Like Jesus classes Happy Halloween! 11 18 25 1 All Saints Day 12 MYF 7:00-9:00 Bonfire 19 MYF 7:00-9:00 26 MYF 7:00-9:00 Halloween Bash 2 13 4:00 Pumpkins arrive for unloading 27 3 October 2018 4
Apple Festival Clam Chowder (Or, if you chose to make it with 6-8 pounds of fresh clams, Cranberry Island Clam Chowder. As with all soups, no measurement really matters add or subtract as desired.) 24 oz canned minced clams 16 oz clam juice 4 oz bacon 2 cups chopped onions 2 tbsp flour 3-4 red potatoes, scrubbed and diced 1 bay leaf 1/4 tsp thyme 1 cup heavy cream 2 tbsp minced parsley Salt and pepper to taste APPLE FESTIVAL 2018 1. Fry the bacon until crisp. This may be finished in the microwave, but start in a pan to get the bacon fat. Crush the bacon into smallish bits. 2. Add the onion and saute until soft. Sprinkle with the flour and cook for a couple minutes. 3. Stir the clam juice into the onion/bacon mix. Add the diced potatoes, bay, and thyme. Cook until the potatoes are soft (usually about 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the dice). 4. Add the clams (do not drain the cans), cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat to a simmer. 5. Add the parsley and serve A GREAT DAY for the Stony Brook Community Church and A GREAT DAY for the community! October 2018 5
Pumpkins for sale at SBCC! On behalf of the Finance Team, I would like to share that SBCC has an exciting and (I hope!) fun new fundraising opportunity, but we need your help! We are going to try our hands at selling pumpkins this Fall! On October 13, Pumpkin Patch Fundraisers which began with a farm and one United Methodist Church in North Carolina- will be delivering 600 pumpkins to the church which we will be selling daily from October 14-31 from 12pm to 6pm. Our first task will be to unload the truck that will arrive at approximately 4pm on the 13th. There will be a sign-up sheet in the Community room for both the unloading of the truck and to help sell the pumpkins. Wheelbarrows or carts are needed, not only for the unloading of the truck, but also to help people get the pumpkins to their cars. So, if you can help unload the truck on the 13th, please come with your wheelbarrow or cart if you have one. If you can t be there, but can lend us your wheelbarrow or cart, that would also be a great help. If you have any questions, call Peter Lunde at (631) 601-7906. Read on for the story of Pumpkin Patch Fundraisers Pumpkin Patch Fundraisers began in 1974 in North Carolina with 3 acres of pumpkins and a partnership with one church. We agreed to let the church sell the pumpkins and they would share the proceeds. There was no contract, no legal proceedings just a handshake and trust in each other. Richard and Janice Hamby have been growing pumpkins and adding partners ever since. It s a wonderful partnership of trust. The churches and non-profit organizations trust us to grow and deliver great pumpkins. We trust those organizations to be diligent in selling their pumpkins, honest in reporting their sales, and attentive to paying our percentage of sales. We are responsible for all of the costs associated with growing, harvesting and shipping. To ensure that our partners have a successful patch, we bear all of the risk of loss due to theft and spoilage. While it is unusual in the business world, this relationship of trust has been very effective throughout the years. In fact that first church, Centenary United Methodist Church, is still with us today. After being hit by Hurricane Hugo we moved our farming operations to the Navajo Indian Reservation in Farmington, NM. In cooperation with the Navajo Nation, we grow 1,200 acres or approximately 2 square miles of pumpkins and employee over 700 Native Americans during our harvest months of September and October. We also have a full time off-season NM staff that is comprised of entirely Native Americans. This has a positive and lasting impact on a region with 42% unemployment. Since 1974, our pumpkin patch family has grown to over 1,000 organizations covering the Continental US, representing 25 denominations of churches and youth groups, scouts, schools, fraternal organizations, habitat groups and other civic organizations. The Hamby s son, John, has now graduated from college and joined the company to continue another generation of family focused business. The entire project is still based on trust. October 2018 6
A CULTURE OF PRAYER By Alex Joyner The place of prayer I ll pray for you. It rolls off our tongues so easily when someone shares a struggle he is having or her worries about a loved one. As we say it, perhaps we think to ourselves, It s the least I can do. But what if we believed that prayer is more than the least we can do? What if prayer is powerful and prophetic? What if it can lead us to a more vital faith and more vital congregations? Prayer as a prophetic act Perhaps we have forgotten what a countercultural act prayer is and thus have downplayed its importance. When we pray to the God of Israel and Jesus Christ, the very act is a statement about who is Lord. And if this God is Lord, then all other pretenders to that title are reduced in their capacity to have claim on our lives. Prayer, it turns out, is an unsettling act for the status quo, as the biblical story of Daniel reveals. When Daniel knelt down, prayed, and praised his God three times (Daniel 6:10b), he was enough of a threat to those in power to be thrown to the lions. Young Jin Cho, the United Methodist bishop of the Virginia Conference, has had a focus on prayer as the source of church renewal during his tenure. As he prepared for his episcopal duties, he often said, I want to spread a culture of prayer to clergy and laity. I strongly believe that if we rediscover our praying knees, if we humbly rely on our Lord, the UMC will be changed. The reference to relying on the Lord is not a pious platitude; for Cho, it is a statement of belief that when Jesus Christ is our Lord, no other power can be. A biblical model The Bible tells us many things about prayer. It s there from the beginning of the Scriptures. In the Old Testament, men and women pray for children, for salvation and for relief from their enemies. We find David praying for forgiveness of his sins, Solomon praying for wisdom and Jonah praying for deliverance from the belly of a great fish. In the New Testament, Jesus regularly goes away to a quiet place to pray. In the Book of Acts, the disciples pray, and the Holy Spirit comes and shakes the whole place and fills them so that they can October 2018 7
speak with boldness. Later, Paul tells his churches to pray without ceasing. James tells the Christians to pray for healing for those who are ill. Prayer is all over the Christian story. In the Gospels, we are given a model prayer. The disciples see Jesus praying, and after he finishes, they ask him to teach them how to pray. So Jesus teaches them a prayer that has come down to us as the Lord s Prayer. As a prayer, it is very brief. In Luke s version, it only takes three verses. Take a minute and read the prayer from Luke 11:2-4. Jesus seems to be giving us a model for prayer that keeps us straight. We praise God, recognizing that God is holy and wholly other than anything we can imagine. We pray that God s kingdom will come. Matthew adds, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10, NRSV). This is a reminder to us that our prayers will be answered, not when we get our way, but when God gets God s way. There is a plea for our daily bread, which is just a way of saying, Give us the basic necessities of life no more than we need, but no less. The request for forgiveness is tied to how we are forgiving to others. Finally, the prayer asks that we be spared the time of trial that we have our minds focused on good so that no temptation to evil will lead us astray. Nurturing a relationship with God The Lord s Prayer lifts up our basic needs, but it happens within larger networks. We are always already embedded in the life of God to whom we pray as children. We are always already connected to others whom we are called to love and forgive. What is not in this prayer is also interesting. This is not a prayer that tries to straighten God out or that presents a laundry list of desires. It is simple and open to what God is going to do. We are invited and charged to pray as Christians, not because it is a ticket to prosperity or because there is a direct correlation between the quality of our earthly lives and the frequency of our prayer. We are invited to prayer because when we pray, things change. We change. The world changes. And the most important relationship we have grows and deepens the relationship with the one who creates, calls, and claims us. Alex Joyner is Superintendent of the Eastern Shore District of The United Methodist church in the Virginia Conference. He's the author of A Space for Peace in the Holy Land: Listening to Modern Israel & Palestine. October 2018 8