The Beacon Messenger November 2017 A publication of Bethesda Lutheran Church and East Church Congregational From the Pastor A Sabbath s Worth of Gratitude The other day I found myself telling my phone to work faster. Almost every day I tell my computers to move faster. I often find myself thinking, Why can t you keep up with me? Then I realized that I am working faster than ever before because of my computer and phone and now I am frustrated that they are too slow. How fast is fast enough I began to wonder? It seems to me that the pace of life gets faster all the time and we keep racing to keep up with it. What are we missing in this fast-paced world? I realized I am missing sabbath. In the Jewish tradition the sabbath begins at sundown on Friday night and ends on Saturday at sundown. During that time work is forbidden. It is a time to rest body, mind and spirit. A chance to be restored. [The Lord] makes me lie down in green pastures; leads me beside still waters; restores my soul. (Psalm 23:2-3) Christians changed their sabbath to Sunday because Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week, Sunday. But our sabbath is often one of rushing to church and then doing chores and errands that do not fit into our busy weekdays. It is no longer a time of rest and restoration. Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. (Exodus 20:8-11) When we had blue laws stores were closed on Sunday and there was at least Sunday dinner and time with family. Today our sabbath is no longer a time to restore ourselves or our relationships with the people who matter the most to us. Time with God is limited to the hour we spend in church. Some think of sabbath as a spa, a time to recharge your batteries and re-orient your life. But to do that we have to be still. Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him. (Psalm 37:7) The image that comes to mind for me is that of a grandparent holding a small child on his or her lap calming the child until they are still. There they can feel safe and loved. Fears and worries fall away in that loving embrace. The sense of peace and love are restorative. We adults need to be still. Sabbath calls us to put down our devices and be still. Be in the presence of God. Behold God, beholding you, and smiling. Sabbath restores and deepens our relationship with God by spending time with God. The discipline of sabbath creates time and space in our otherwise frantic lives. It is a time to re-examine what we can let go of and what is really important. It is an opportunity to restore relationships that we say are important to us but we do not spend much time tending to them. Sabbath is an opportunity to count our blessings. Taking time to think of what we are grateful for perhaps even writing them down in a journal can be life-changing. The first few days it may take some time and effort to make your list. But as each day passes, things will come to mind more quickly. Soon your list will grow and you may need to limit the time that you spend on your list because it becomes such an enjoyable task. I suggest doing this each day and reviewing the list on the sabbath, Sunday Focusing on what we are thankful for helps us look at life differently noticing blessings everywhere we turn instead of only seeing problems and things to do. Being filled with gratitude is such a wonderful feeling. I find it helps me get through difficult times more easily for there are always things to be thankful for, and my worrying is replaced with positive energy. I find that throughout my day I was noticing things for which I am grateful. I give thanks for each of you and our shared ministry. I give thanks for all that we do together in Jesus name. My sabbath heart is full, I am so blessed. In Christ s love, Pastor Lauren
Thank You!!!!! Mike Lewison for weeding the flower beds for the visit from the bishop. The Anniversary Choir. Eleanor Sacheli for closing the East accounts. Jay Cleaveland for fixing countless chairs and building a ramp to fix the mosaic. Change your clocks Sunday November 5 th Daylight Savings Time ends. Please remember to turn your clocks back one hour. On All Saints Sunday November 5 th On All Saints Sunday, November 5 th we remember our sisters and brothers who have died this past year, who now rest in God s perpetual care. Each name will be read and a bell will be rung. People are invited to also name people outside our churches. We remember: Joseph Cleaveland, Martha Cooper, Bobette Ernst, Frank Fischetti, Teddy Houghton, Alyssa Huntley, Johanna McCool, Judith Richards, Marion Tollisen, Carrie Tyler, Betty Vartuli, David Walsh, and Robert Webler. Campaign Nonviolence Walk November 12 th The next walk for Campaign Nonviolence will be Sunday November 12th at 2pm beginning and ending at Blessed Sacrament Church 40 Waverly Street. Thanksgiving in Faith and Action November 16 th The Interfaith Council of Western MA will host its annual thanksgiving event on Thursday, Nov. 16 th from 6-8pm at the Islamic Society of Western MA. Thanksgiving in Faith and Action. The Islamic Society will provide the main food. Members of the council will bring desserts. There will be collection containers for donations of food or money. Luther Movies If you did not have an opportunity to see the two movies on Luther you may borrow them.. Luther Luther and the Reformation. Social Ministry What we just completed Garden 300 pounds of fresh produce given to the Open Pantry 15 Sweatshirts Crop Walk $640+ What we are doing now Pledges of commitment due by October 22 nd. What is coming next Thanksgiving bags October 29 th November 19 th Advent Folders December 3 rd Hat/Mitten/Glove/Scarf Tree November 26 th Look for bargains and clip coupons. Annual Greater Springfield CROP Hunger Walk October 15 th Ending hunger one step at a time by helping our neighbors at home and around the world. Becky Lewison was the top walker raising $640. The total for the crop walk was $4,296.
Adult Education Sundays at 9am In October we will have a six week series (October 1, 8,15,22,29 and November 5 th ) Together by Grace.. November 12 th 19 th 26 th December 3 rd we will have a four session series looking at the Reformation through the UCC eyes. Join us Sunday s at 9am behind the organ. Bring your coffee and perhaps a friend. 125 th Anniversary October 29 th Pastor Bob Goehrig will preach at worship and to visit with us following worship. November 5 th Alan Dickinson will play the organ. Thanksgiving Dinners It is the time of the year to think about Thanksgiving meals for those without adequate food. Bags with the list of needed non-perishable food items will be given out on October 29 th. They are to be returned by November 19 th so that they can be delivered in time for Thanksgiving. The need is even greater this year so your help would really be greatly appreciated. Advent Folders Advent Folders will be available. Following Jesus example to serve others we are pleased to provide a folder that contains a slot for each day of the Advent Season to hold your daily offering. You may either place a coin in each day or make one contribution at the end of the season. Mitten Tree Please bring hats, gloves/mittens & scarves for adults. Hang them on the Christmas tree in the back of the church. Interfaith event to feed the hungry Sunday October 29 th 2pm St. Michael s Cathedral on State Street Pastor Lauren as Dean of the Western MA conference has been meeting with Bishop Rozanski exploring possible ways to mark the reformation anniversary. We agreed that rather than look back at events that separated us in the distant past we would celebrate our ongoing dialogue and many areas of agreement between our two traditions. Furthermore, we wanted to do something that would make a difference and hunger is always a pressing issue. Also, these days religions are often portrayed in an unflattering way in the media often pointing to our areas of disagreement and failure to work together. Bishop Rozanski and I thought a wonderful way to acknowledge the reformation anniversary would be to show our two groups working together along with members of the interfaith community. On Sunday October 29th at 2pm at St. Michael's Cathedral we will gather to package meals to feed 10,000 in Western MA and 10,000 affected by the hurricanes. We will begin with a brief interfaith service. We will be using the song For Everyone Born and Joe Green will be playing. I need some choir members to lead the singing. The focus of the event is on feeding the hungry and interfaith collaboration. To date we have raised enough for the first 10,000 meals and are working toward the second 10,000. There is no limit to what we can do working together. Advent Craft Sunday December 3 rd during coffee hour we will provide an opportunity for those who did not have an opportunity last year to make fabric handprints to decorate the Christmas tree. Fabric will be available, select the one you want and trace your hand. We will iron a backing onto it, cut it out, and decorate the tree with all the hands who worship in the church at Island Pond.
Planning Our Future Together We have applied to the New England Synod to participate in the Forward Leadership Program, and we have been accepted. Here is what this means. The first step in this process is a survey instrument, the Church Assessment Tool (CAT) that will help us gauge the strength, vitality, and trends in our church. The information gained from this assessment will be valuable in helping our leaders make decisions about the future of our congregation. On November 5 th you will receive an email with a link to the CAT. If we do not have your email address please give it to us ASAP. We are asking you to go online by clicking on the link provided and tell us about your experiences in and priorities for our church. Please do not discuss the survey or your answers with others as this may influence their answers. We are asking each individual to complete their own survey, do not complete it as a couple or family. The CAT is long (100 questions) and must be completed in one session. Pick a time when you can give this your full attention. The survey is very important. For those who are not comfortable using a computer or who do not have access to a computer, paper copies of the CAT will be available in the South Room beginning November 5 th. Your responses will be entered for you after you complete the survey. All answers are strictly anonymous. We have no way of matching any assessment to a particular person, so please feel free to candidly share your perceptions, opinions and experiences. Our future direction is dependent on your participation and honest answers. The survey will be available November 5 th through November 30 th to every person who is actively involved in our churches. Note we did not say member we said person actively involved regardless of your membership status. Our data will be analyzed and given to us in December. Synod staff will help us interpret our data. We have created two teams, a Leadership Team and an Accountability Team. The member of the Leadership Team are: Pastor Lauren, Karen Davies, Mary Hunter, Marybeth Lewison, and Sue Mariotti. We will attend a retreat in January 2018, six Saturday meetings and a retreat in January 2019. We will work with synod consultants who will help us understand what the data mean as we learn more about trends in churches today. After each meeting that we attend we will bring the information home to our Accountability Team members: Lisa Duffney, Sarah Manseau, Geoff Robbins, Eleanor Sacheli, Kristen Sorel, and Kate Yarymowicz. They will help us apply what we have learned. If you have questions, please contact any of the Forward Leadership Team members. Remembering in Prayer We all share in the ministry of intercessory prayer. We are called individually to pray each day and as a gathered community of faith in worship. If you have someone we need to include in our prayers please notify our church office. Directory New information is underlined. Jennifer Coons 2595 Mountain Road, West Suffield, CT 06093-3120. Betty Etter Correct number Home phone: 413-781-6875. Arthur Etter 143 Magazine St. Apt 202 Springfield MA 01109-4038. Eleanor Sacheli, csacheli@aol.com Scholarships Students who have received a scholarship will need to provide their grades from the first semester to receive the second half of their scholarship. Save the Date Christmas Get Together You are invited to attend the 55+ group s Christmas Get Together on Saturday December 9 th at 6 p.m. at Figaro s Restaurant in Enfield, CT. We will order off the menu and have separate checks.
Past Present - Future Read up on what happened before you were born; dig into the past, understand your roots. Ask your parents what it was like before you were born; ask the old-ones, they ll tell you a thing or Past two. (Deuteronomy 32:7 MSG) Our ancestors in faith organized our churches, their vision and faithfulness placed us on firm ground. They handed down to us what they had been taught. Present I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God s Message, from the day you Future heard it right up to the present. (Philippians 1:5 MSG) We are connected to many vital ministries in Springfield. Our building is home to four churches, and we provide vital programs for children. We play a significant role in feeding the hungry. Out of gratitude for all our blessings let s give generously so that we can continue to bless others. When we give what we have to God, it is combined with the gifts of others and multiplied. It meets the needs of so many people. For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 NRSV) It seems that God has a future for us. God has plans for our churches, plans that will make our collective head spin. We have something special here, let s all work together to keep it going. Let us step into the future together giving ourselves to God. Give generously for our future.