First Unitarian Congregational Society PO Box 89 Wilton, New Hampshire 03086 Return Service Requested Rush Time Value Calendar Sun., Mar. 1 st 10:30 a.m. Worship Service Ordinary Saviors: We are All Called to Ministry with guest speaker Rev. Olav Nieuwejaar Sun., Mar. 8 th 10:30 a.m. Worship Service Gifts of the Spirit in Hard Times Sun., Mar. 8 th Noon Potluck Lunch and Congregational Conversation Topic Money and Spiritual Health Wed., Mar. 11 th 7:00 p.m. Prudential Committee Meeting in The Red House Sun., March. 15 th 10:30 a.m. Worship Service Whisper No More Thurs., Mar. 19 th 5-7 p.m. Yankee Pot Roast Supper in The Red House Sun., Mar. 22 nd 10:30 a.m. Worship Service A Covenantal Faith Sun., Mar. 29 th 10:30 a.m. Worship Service Rest Assured Yankee Pot Roast Supper Thursday, March 19 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at The Red House Pot Roast Salads Desserts Beverages Adults - $9.00, Children - $4.00, Families - $20.00 Take out will be available.
The Apple Tree Newsletter of the First Unitarian Congregational Society of Wilton Center March 2009 www.uuwilton.org Minister: The Rev. Jeanne Nieuwejaar Post Office Box 89 Telephone: 603-654-9518 Wilton, New Hampshire 03086 From Our Minister Namaste In driving back roads these days, I often see that unmistakable sign that spring is near -- the sap buckets. The flowing of the sap begins the flow of new life, food for new growth, release from the grip of winter. And this year the grip of winter has been a long one. As the sap flows through the trees, perhaps you also are beginning to feel a new flow of life and energy, of creativity and of hope. As the hours of daylight lengthen, perhaps you also feel brighter, ready to embrace new possibilities, In the Jewish tradition there is a festival day to mark this shift in the season -- Tu Bishvat, the New Year of the Trees. The holiday, a minor one in the Jewish year, is marked by the eating of nuts and fruits, donating funds to plant trees in Israel, and a focus on environmental issues. It occurs on the full moon of mid-winter, as the almond trees begin to bloom in Israel. To celebrate the rising of the sap of life feels like an important thing to do. Let me share the following poem by David E. Stein, as a meditation for the season. Namaste, Jeanne As the sun s strength increases and days get longer north of the Equator As groundwater begins to warm in the land of Israel Fruit trees awaken and begin to drink. So too human beings revive sleeping connections rousing our roots letting love in to quench our thirst. Rest easy dear friends in the soil of others regard for you. May you be moved to nurture the planet just as it feeds and waters you. May your present moments be dazzling like white almond blossoms. If so, they will surely bear fruit in days to come. 2
In Remembrance We mourn the loss of Caroline Kamarck from our community. Caroline died on January 30, following several months of declining health. A memorial service was held at the church on February 6. Caroline will be long remembered for her bright smile and warm spirit. Thank You! To all of you who purchased new hymnals for the church. A new shipment of eighteen books has arrived, which will ease the sharing on Sunday mornings. And, already, we have begun to gather contributions for another order. Order forms remain available in the Red House. Give your completed form to the minister or to David Potter. We look forward to having enough hymnals soon for every pew in the church. To Gloria Konefal for her gift of music on January 25. To Joyce Fisk for the generous smorgasbord spread in February. Membership in the Congregation A Welcoming Ceremony for New Members will be held on Easter Sunday, April 12 th. We hope that many of you, who are not presently formal members of the congregation, will choose to be a part of that celebration. In preparation for making the decision to join the congregation, the minister and the membership committee invite anyone who is interested to join them for lunch and conversation following the service on March 22. Childcare will be provided. If you plan to be with us on the 22 nd, please let the minister know, or a member of the membership committee Mary Alice Fullerton, Carolyn Roy or Jean Vincent. Congregational Conversations To deepen both our interpersonal connections and our personal spiritual journeys, a series of monthly conversations, led by the minister, will be held following selected Sunday services designed to open up a topic to be developed even further with your sharing. In February we had a very interesting conversation about prayer. On March 8 our conversation will be on the theme of Money and Spiritual Health, following that morning s sermon on that subject. We all struggle with the complex relationship between these two dimensions of our lives. Bring your thoughts and questions to our conversation to share your own life story, and to learn from the stories of others. Bring, as well, some simple contribution to a potluck lunch fruit, sandwiches, salads, bread and cheese, cookies. Following the coffee hour, we will gather around a large table to break bread and to talk. There will be some structure and guidelines for this conversation, but lots of openness to include and to honor whatever your thoughts might be. 3
ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Every four years we elect not only a president of our nation, but also a president of our Unitarian Universalist Association. In this election WE here in little Wilton, NH have a voice in shaping the future of our beloved religious tradition. This is the year for that election, and there are two fine candidates running: Rev. Laurel Hallman and Rev. Peter Morales. In February a representative from Laurel Hallman s campaign met with us. On March 15 we will welcome a representative from Peter Morales campaign. The minister and our two elected delegates, Jane Bergeron and Sharon Holcomb, will each be able to vote in this election, but are eager to hear from you all to help to determine how those votes should be cast. So, please plan to stay after church on March 15 to broaden your understanding of what Peter Morales would bring to the leadership of our denomination. Those of you who use the internet can explore further on your own by accessing the websites of the candidates: www.hallmanforuuapresident.org and www.moralesforuuapresident.org. SOUL TENDING Reflections for Lent Saturdays in March 10:30 - Noon Someone once said that to recognize the signs of God, pay attention to your stirrings. Look closely when you feel the swell of joy within, or the tightness as your throat closes up in sorrow. Live in that moment, poke around in its corners, and feel the texture of its walls. Sit with it for awhile, long enough to sense the presence of God sitting with you. From explorefaith.org website Spend some time growing your soul this Lent the time each year that invites us to pay attention to stillness, self-examination, prayer, hope and new life. Experience a shared ministry with our neighbors at the Second Congregational Church on the four Saturdays of March, from 10:30 to noon, based on Brushstroke Meditations Lenten Gospel Reflections through Chinese Characters. The brushstroke meditations offer us a visual, artistic opening for deeper reflections of our heart. Brushstroke meditations is written by the Rev. Elyn MacInnis who has lived in China for the past nineteen years during its explosive period of modernization and economic growth, pastoring two international congregations. Pastor Cassie Emanuel and Rev. Jeanne Nieuwejaar will lead the program, meeting two Saturdays in each church. For more information, speak with Jeanne. Indicate your interest on the sign up sheet in the Red House. An Invitation from Second Congregational Church The Second Congregational Church, UCC, invites the women of the First Unitarian Congregational Society to join us for breakfast on March 14, 8-9:30 am for some holy moments of fellowship. It s a casual time to chat, sip that second cup of coffee or tea, and get to know others in our community of faith a little bit better. Breakfast is served at 8 am and then the pastor will facilitate conversation for the last 30 minutes. 4
If you plan to attend, be sure to contact Jeanne so she can let the folks at the Congregational Church know how many to plan on for breakfast. Committee on Ministry By vote of the Prudential Committee, a Committee on Ministry has been formed to strengthen the quality of the congregation s ministry. This committee of three will meet monthly with the minister to check in on how things are in the congregation, with special attention to relationship issues both those between the minister and the congregation and those within the congregation itself. The Committee on Ministry (CoM) will work with the minister to formulate goals and to review progress toward those goals, and will make recommendations to the Prudential Committee regarding ministerial contracts and compensation as appropriate. But its primary mission is a larger one. In this 21 st century we have matured in our understanding of shared ministry, seeing that the congregation as a whole is called to minister to one another and to the larger community. The CoM will keep its finger on the pulse of this ministry, making suggestions, or initiatives as they see needed. Although many churches have had such committees for some time, it is new here in Wilton. We are not presently experiencing any serious concerns, nor do we anticipate any, but it is a healthy practice to have in place an appropriate way for tensions or problems to be addressed. Serving on the CoM in this first year, as it defines its work, are Stanley Young as chair, Leanne Aiken and Don Channing. Members of the committee are selected jointly by the minister and the Prudential Committee and serve rotating three year terms. If you have any substantive concerns that might be eased by conversation with the committee, please be in touch with one of these folks. The committee meets on the first Tuesday of the month. If you wish to meet with the committee, contact Stanley Young. Upcoming Event A Yankee Pot Roast Supper is planned for Thurs., March 19 th, at The Red House from 5 7 p.m. The menu will include pot roast, salads, beverages, and desserts. Please attend and bring a friend! Adults - $9, Children - $4, Families - $20. A Call for Volunteers Each year the Unitarian Universalist Church of Concord (NH) is charged with distributing any sum in excess of $2000 of the interest income generated from the Downing Trust, this money is available to UU churches in NH. For the past couple of years we have been reminded of the availability of these grants in mid January and that the request deadline is the first of March. We would like to start planning our proposal now for the 2010 March deadline. We need a few people willing to do a study and then make recommendations of projects that would benefit our church and fall within the guidelines set forth by the fund. Projects that have been considered in the past are handicap access to the church and a sound system for the church. If you are interested please let someone from the Prudential Committee know. Notes From the Publishers Thank you to all those who have agreed to receive The Apple Tree via email. Anyone else who wishes to do so can contact David & Marcia Potter at homestead1803@comcast.net. 5
Preview of March s Sermons Returning to the Church for Services, beginning March 1 Sunday, March 1 Ordinary Saviors: We are All Called to Ministry Rev. Olav Nieuwejaar The profession of ministry may seem to be the sole province of trained and ordained clerics, but it is not. True ministry is possible for everyone at any age. Our world is sorely in need of a greater sense of responsibility for each other; all people can minister to those who need help. Ministry appears in the smallest acts of kindness, moments of grace when something we do nurtures the ailing spirit of another. Sometimes the little we do is quickly forgotten by us, but for the recipient it can be a lifelong gift. Welcome guest minister Rev. Olav Nieuwejaar who served most recently as Co-District Executive of the New Hampshire Vermont District. He has also served as parish minister in congregations in Boston and in Rhode Island, and a long-time ministry in Milford, NH, as well as interim ministries on Long Island and in Cambridge, England. Sunday, March 8 Gifts of the Spirit in Hard Times We are surrounded by news of troubling economic realities worldwide. These realities are not just abstract, but are touching too many of our personal lives. Let us attend, not just to the concerns, but also to the spiritual resources available to us as we move through these days. Following the service there will be a Congregational Conversation to share our personal thoughts and stories on this topic. (See article on p. 3) Sunday, March 15 Whisper No More In keeping with our first Unitarian Universalist principle, this service will affirm the inherent worth and dignity of those who are mentally ill. Although the days of brutal insane asylums are past, there is still much secrecy and fear surrounding the matter of mental illness. We must invite this human reality into the sunshine, where it can be warmed by honesty, acceptance and love. Sunday, March 22 A Covenantal Faith It is said that ours is a covenantal faith, not a creedal one, meaning that we are held together, not by our beliefs, but by the commitments or pledges we make to one another, by the ways we agree to be together in community ways of seeking and celebrating, ways of acceptance and of service. Covenant is an ancient Biblical concept. It is more than just a simple promise. It is a vow with a dimension of the sacred. Sunday, March 29 Rest Assured The experience of faith is captured simply in the old Universalist phrase, rest assured. This service will explore important distinctions between faith and belief, affirming that the real power of our personal religion lies not in the beliefs we hold in our head, but in the deeper grounding of faith. This service is the first in a series on Faith, Hope and Love, to be continued in April. 6