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Feb. ’10 Newsletter

By tviall ( January 27, 2010 at 8:21 am) · Filed under Newsletters

CentralNEWS/February 2010

VOLUME 18 NUMBER 2

296 Angell Street Providence RI 02906 401-331-1960

From Your Senior Minister

Dear Friends,

I have always loved the old Talmudic story where the Rabbi asks his disciples, “How do you know that the night has passed and the day has come?” After thinking for awhile, the story goes, the disciples ask him,

“Rabbi, is it when you can see the difference between a sheep and a goat at a hundred yards?”

“No,” says the Rabbi.

The disciples try again.

“Is it when you can spot the difference between an olive tree and a fig tree at a hundred yards?”

“No,” says the Rabbi.

“Well, then, you tell us, Rabbi,” they plead.

He answers, “You know that the night has passed and the day has come when you can look into the face of a stranger and see a sister or a brother.”

The outpouring of help for our sisters and brothers in Haiti is overwhelming, and I write to let you know that as of now, our Church will be sending $4,000, made up of gifts from the Board of Deacons (whose funding comes from those who have given to our church in memory of loved ones) and from the Mission and Action Committee (whose funding comes from our pledges each year to the Church budget), plus over $7,000 from additional gifts of individuals in our Central family. This will go directly to the UCC’s One Great Hour of Sharing, for immediate disaster relief.

Plus the gifts of children putting together the hygiene kits. Plus the efforts of those who have given to other outreach organizations, like Doctors without Borders or Partners in Health. Plus our own RI Conference mission in Fontemara.

And this is just our first outreach. Later on, I know we will find ways to reach out to our sisters and brothers in Haiti. And, further, I know that we will find ways to extend our reach closer to home for those who are in need.

Since I began this note to you with a story from our Jewish friends, here is something from Evelyn Underhill in a little book, “The Spiritual Life”…Most people spend their lives trying to conjugate the verbs “to want.’ ‘to have,’ and ‘to keep’ – craving, clutching, clinging – when all the Spirit wills us to do is conjugate the verb ‘to be’.

With great love and hope, I am faithfully, your sister in Christ, who wants us all ‘to be’…fully and abundantly,

Rebecca Spencer

ASH WEDNESDAY

February 17

Worship Service 7:30 pm

LENTEN MEDITATION

Wednesdays 5:30 – 6:00 pm

February 24 The Rev. Royce Tevis

March 3 The Rev. Kat Townes

March 10 May Grant

New Member Sunday

February 7

Please join the Membership Committee in welcoming new members to the Congregation at a luncheon immediately following the Sunday service on February 7. As is our custom, the luncheon will be a potluck, and members of the Congregation are requested to bring a salad, vegetable, side dish, or dessert; the Membership Committee will provide main dishes. Jim Silverthorn will lead a tour of the Sanctuary as part of the luncheon, providing background and many details about the artwork that fills the Sanctuary. The New Member Luncheons are an enjoyable time of fellowship and a relaxing way to meet and welcome new members to our Congregation. We hope you’ll join us! (For additional information, please contact Paul Barlow.)

New Member Orientation*

Wednesday, April 21

Faith Exploration*

Tuesday, April 27

New Member Sunday

May 2

*These meetings are held at the home of the Rev. Rebecca Spencer

15 Taber Ave at 7 pm.

Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday

New Orleans themed supper

6 – 7:30 pm February 16

Tickets: $10 adults, $5 children, $25 family

Come to a real New Orleans style Mardi Gras in Chapel Hall hosted by the New Orleans Mission Trip participants and WORD Fellowship. Come in costume for the parade and be prepared to begin the Lenten season with one last party!

All are invited to this fun family event

THE RABBI LESLIE GUTTERMAN

Our Guest Preacher, February 14

From Kat

Many people of faith are asking the question, “Where is God in the midst of tragedy?” In light of the earthquake in Haiti and the continuing economic challenges in our own country, what truth and hope can our faith offer? One place I turn to for consolation is scripture. The Psalms, Lamentations, the Gospels, Exodus—all of thes books offer insights into the poverty, hunger and pain in our world as well as the reassurance that God will not abandon us in though times. Yet many of us hesitate to open the Bible to read.

This article will attempt to debunk some of the myths and misunderstandings about the Bible that may be keeping folks from opening its pages and soaking it in.

Myth #1 The Bible is one LONG book.

Busted! The Bible is NOT one big book. It is actually a collection of 66 books, some of which are quite short. Sitting down to read 66 books is overwhelming. So start with just one that you’d like to add to your reading list. The books of the Bible are not a chronological series of sequels, so you can start with book 25 and not feel like you had to read the first 24 to understand the plot.

Myth #2 We’re not supposed to ask questions about what the Bible says.

Busted! The rabbinical tradition, of which Jesus was a part, encouraged questioning and even arguing with the Holy Scriptures. The Bible is meant to be read, digested, and engaged. It is not meant to be a one-way lecture, but rather a conversation between us, God, and our community.

Myth #3 You have to be a minister or have some knowledge of theology to read and “understand” the Bible.

Busted! Our great Protestant ancestor, Martin Luther, insisted on translating the Bible into the German vernacular so that everyone, not just priests, could read it. As UCCers, we still believe strongly that “God is still speaking” to us through scripture. Annotated copies are widely available-versions like the New Oxford Annotated Bible, which includes the text you’ll find in your pew Bible plus footnotes that give you background information, historical facts, and cross-referenced material. The brainy academic work of Bible scholars, translators, commentators, archeologists, and historical critics is all there for you.

Myth #4 The Bible is written using old or outdated language that is beautiful for worship, but is not accessible for everyday reading.

Busted! There are over 1000 translations of the Christian Bible, including many contemporary language translations that are easy (and even fun) to read. If you want to read the Bible cover to cover and laugh while you are doing it, I recommend Eugene Peterson’s The Message Remix Bible. With its snazzy plastic cover, it’s both durable and user-friendly. Our family actually read this at the breakfast table the other day and I now get requests “to read out of the fun version of the Bible that sounds like normal people talking.”

Myth #5 The Bible is a holy text meant for special occasions—worship at Church, weddings and funerals.

Busted! The Bible is meant to be a living text, not one that we enshrine on our shelves like a fancy piece of china we only take out on special occasions. It is okay to dog ear the pages, write in the margins, highlight favorite passages, and talk about it with relatives, friends, and coworkers. My guess is that Jesus would more likely praise a person who, in their morning reading, spilled coffee on the book of John than a person who kept their Bible safe, pristine, and unopened.

So now—what are you waiting for? Get reading. And may the word of God bring you comfort and inspiration!

From Claudia

Haiti and the devastating earthquake of January 12th continues to remain uppermost in many of our thoughts. The outpouring of love and concern from so many of our members has been a wonderful example of the community here at Central. The way our church reaches out to others in an ever-widening circle is nothing less that inspiring.

In addition to contributions to One Great Hour of Sharing, Central has been putting together hygiene kits to be sent to Haiti. Already, there are hundreds of these kits on our stage that have been brought in to send to Church World Service which sent an urgent message of need for them through our own UCC Global Missions. These are simple kits filled with a face cloth, hand towel, soap, wide-toothed comb, nail clipper, toothbrush, and 6 band-aids in a one-gallon Ziploc bag.

Individuals and families have put together these kits and I can only hope that those who receive them know that they are not only filled with these common necessities, but that they are also filled with our hopes and our prayers for the Haitian people. Young children have come in with their parents to drop off kits. Sometimes they are so small that Peg can’t even see the child over her counter in the office, but their hearts are large and they are learning the meaning of generosity. Whether we are young or not so young, the message is the same to the Haitians who will receive these kits: we care about you, and we are thinking of you.

So, tonight when you are getting ready for bed, remember those who don’t have a place to hang their toothbrush… those who keep their toiletries in a Ziploc bag. And then, I would invite you all to say a prayer not only for the Haitian people, but for all of us. Pray that all humanity realizes that we are in this together. Pray that we don’t have to have an earthquake or other natural disaster to remind us of that fact. Pray that this will be a turning point, not only for Haiti, but also for the rest of us who inhabit this world in the way we respond to poverty around our globe.

CHURCH SCHOOL NEWS

“The life of Christian faith is a life of profound bother. It is centered in the awareness that there is an incongruity between what is and what God has intended.”

–excerpt from an article by Walter Brueggemann

When we make the commitment as a family to ‘go to church’ each Sunday, and to raise our children in the context of a Christian community of faith, we are affirming the importance of living a “bothered life”. After all, wouldn’t it be profoundly easier to NOT go to church? Why bother?! (Please don’t give this too much thought!)

Each Sunday morning when the children come to Children’s Time, and then race upstairs to their classrooms, this is a vibrant testimony of each family of the importance of living out our faith in the context of a faith community. Bringing our children to Church affirms the importance and value of every member of that community, no matter what age or stage, to be the ‘village’ in which our children are raised. We bother to come because we want to lay down a Christian foundation for our children, as well as continue to grow in faith as adults. Our choosing “the bothered life” is an act of hope and faith, as we nurture the ‘future seeds’ of the Church community.

We have much to be thankful for!!

Blessings and joy,

Cathy Clasper-Torch

Director of Christian Education

DATES TO REMEMBER:

–CENTRAL PLAY GROUP:

Will begin meeting on FRIDAY mornings, starting in February, 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.

–CHERUB CHOIR

Continues to meet every Sunday morning, 10:00 – 10:20, in the Gathering Space. All children, pre-school through 2nd grade are welcome!

–CHILDCARE

Available every Sunday morning from 9:00 am

Celebration VIII Together Building Bridges

March 12-14

Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center

Burlington, VT

Mark your calendars for this very special event for women!! Celebration is a New England UCC retreat for women ages 14 and up. This event happens every 4 years. The first Celebration was 32 years ago. It attracts 1000 UCC women from all over New England to share worship, workshops, music and lots more.

Claudia is on the Steering Committee for this event and would be happy to give you a brochure and answer any questions. Registration is now open at www.uccwomenscelebration.org

MUSIC AT CENTRAL

Organ Update

What a thrill it was to have our organ completely back and playing for Christmas this year!

Although the organ works well and sounds wonderful, fine-tuning (literally and figuratively!) continues. With an instrument of this complexity it takes several months for things to settle in. January 18-20 technicians visited again to go through each pipe for tuning, and for fixing several minor mechanical issues.

One of the remaining items needing attention pertains to the three keyboards in the organ console. The spring action that works each individual key is quite complex and unique to only a few instruments built around the same period. While the keys operate properly, the touch remains uneven from key to key and several make a clacking noise when played.

Because of this, our technicians will recall the keyboards back to the Spencer Organ Company in Waltham, Mass. In the intervening months since the console was reinstalled, our organ technicians have consulted extensively with an expert in this very specialized area and have learned the additional skills and techniques necessary to perfect the action.

We should note that because of the anticipated difficulties inherent in these keyboards, our contract specified that while every effort would be taken to restore them to fine working order, success could not be guaranteed. Our organ restorers are fine craftsmen, however, and take great pride in their work, as well as having a great deal of admiration for our instrument and our Church. Because of this they have gone above and beyond their contractual responsibilities to research and implement new solutions.

We will again be without the organ for three weeks while the shop completes the keyboard work. This will serve as a reminder to all of us that much work has yet to be completed in our Church, and much money still needs to be raised to completely finish paying for the organ restoration! In the meantime the piano will be used to accompany worship as we did last year.

Lent is a time of sacrifice and self-denial. As we live without the organ again for a few weeks, let us be reminded of the needs in our Church, and most importantly in this recent time of great strife, the needs of the world, and respond generously with time, talent, and treasure, thankful for the gifts we have already received.

Book Club

Food for Thought book group will be discussing The Seven Deadly Sins Sampler. This collection of short stories by the likes of D.H. Lawrence, Flannery O’Connor, Margaret Atwood, Anton Chekhov, and others offers an interesting way to delve into the foibles of humanity and the moral implications of those foibles. A compelling read…

Date and time to be determined.

Flower Committee

Your Flower Committee has prepared the following list to help members and friends of the congregation continue their remembrances and to suggest dates that others might wish to consider. Please call the church office (331-1960) to confirm or initiate your request(s).

FEBRUARY

7 OPEN Scout Sunday

14 Judith Jamieson for Frances Steffes Jamieson

William Neil Jamieson

Lena Catherine Jamieson

Kathryn Steffes Johnston

James Alexander Harvie Jamieson

21 Wes Yando for Betsey Yando

*William Claflin for Albert Whitman Claflin

& Harriet Ames Fuller Claflin

Margaret Ames Fuller

Elizabeth Fuller Claflin Rowe

& William Leavitt Jackson Rowe

28 *Eunice Claflin for Robert Eastin Morris

MARCH

7 Don MacIntosh for Doris MacIntosh

14 Kim Greene for Andrew William Greene

21 OPEN

28 OPEN

APRIL

4 EASTER Memorial Flowers

11 OPEN

18 OPEN

25 Carolyn Cumming for Dr. Harry E. Darrah.

MAY

2 *Janice Libby for Donald S. Libby

9 * Eunice Claflin for Catherine Berruex

Herbert Newell Couch

Eunice Burr Couch

16 *Marge Morse for

Phillip Williams Morse

Jori Morse

23 OPEN Pentecost Sunday

30 OPEN

JUNE

6 OPEN

13 Gerry and De Immonen for Mikko Luke Immonen

*confirmed

Crossroads need Casseroles

Casseroles are needed on Sundays in February and March for the Harold Lewis House run by Crossroads for elderly residents who have experienced intermittent or long term homelessness, sometimes spanning decades. Please bring to the kitchen freezer on your designated Sunday one “Family Style” casserole (bought or homemade) for nine (9) residents, in an aluminum disposable pan. Please list ingredients on the covering. To sign up for a Sunday, please email Elizabeth Taylor. Thank you.

Book Group

Rebecca’s Noon Book Group meets on Thursday, to discuss Thursday, February 25 the group will discuss J.M.G. LeClézio’s Deser”.

What Our Members are Doing. . .

Sarah Kidwell has been named director of news and communications at Brown University. She was most recently a broadcast media specialist in Brown’s office of media relations. In her new role, she will manage the daily operations of the media relations team and oversee news stories and digital content about the University.

Greetings from the Hogans in Africa

The boys are adjusting very well to their new school and way of life. They are not thrilled with the navy uniforms complete with tie and long socks, and Joe and Dawn nervously sent them off to school on their first day. After some cajoling, and encouragement, they got into the swing of things and were reluctant to leave the basketball court at the end of the school day.

Dawn is eagerly taking daily Swahili lessons and now talks like a 2 year-old Kenyan child. She went to rounds at Moi hospital in Eldoret, what an experience! The horror of AIDS there is full blown. For her, it is like being on the wards in medical school before adequate treatment protocols for people with AIDS were established. There is lots of tuberculosis, mental illness, and malignancies. She has not yet found a niche, but is just starting to venture out. Last week she went to a site 40 minutes away, an outpatient site for treatment of AIDS patients. This week she will travel 1 hour away to Weybuye where there is a new young Family Practice Residency program to work in their Diabetes Clinic and Family Practice outpatient clinic. They are adjusting to the 7,000 ft altitude and walk everywhere to shop, or get a driver/taxi-sometimes taking1/2 day to get simple shopping done.

Joe is in demand at AMPATH where he is involved in several research projects, helping his graduate student, Ann Mwange, finish her dissertation, and always being sought out for consultation and advice. He is enjoying his work in Eldoret,Africa, and hopes to get a few projects from Brown finished while there.

From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians

Sunday mornings on 2/14 & 2/21

9:00 a.m. in the Fireplace Room

This extraordinary series will explore the life of Jesus and the movement that he started, challenging familiar assumptions about the origins of Christianity. Go back in time 2000 years to the place where Jesus once lived and preached. Experience Jesus’ life and the lives of his first followers, the men and women whose belief, conviction, and martyrdom created a major movement that transformed the mighty Roman Empire in only 300 years!

Greenies Wanted

ARE YOU A GREENIE? DO you have environmentally sensitive talent or experiences you would like to share with others? Would you like to help shape the environmental practices of the church? Please let one of our ministers know of your interests.

Central Church Pictorial Directory

Our Membership Committee is planning a new pictorial directory for our members. You can sign up on Sundays in Chapel Hall or on our church Website www.centralchurch.us so you will be included in the new directory! Pictures will be taken in the Fireplace Room.

Thursday & Friday, February 18, 19, 25 & 26

3:30-9:30 pm

Saturday, February 20 & 27

10 am – 5:00 pm

Help Sojourner House

Sojourner House is requesting personal care items for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. Needs include: shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, sanitary products or any other personal care type products. Please place your items in the Sojourner House box in Chapel Hall.

Hit the Slopes

February 19-20

NEOS and WORD Family Ski Trip

Mt. Snow, Vermont

Stewardship

We are very pleased to report that the distribution of a loaf of bread, a gift from the Stewardship Committee to each member of the church, on January 10th was a success. This was the “sharing” portion of Stewardship’s 2010 – 2011 campaign “We Share Because We Care”. The reports back from the “deliverers” (the members of the Stewardship Committee, the Membership Committee and some Deacons) were that members were very appreciative and felt that this was an extension of the caring and concern at Central Congregational Church. If you were out of town or not at home, a card saying “Sorry we missed you” may have been left at your door and your loaf of bread donated to those in need. Again, thank you to all who helped in this endeavor as well as thank you to all the members of Central for being part of this great community.

-Mary Hazeltine & Ann Scott, Co-Chairs Stewardship

Christmas at Central Update

Many thanks again to everyone who participated in Christmas at Central! Our wonderful chairs and all who came and supported this effort made it a resounding success. To date we have raised $4,000 toward our budget. And, this does not include the money that was raised by WORD toward their mission trip. Nor does it include the Music Committee’s fund-raiser for the restoration of our organ, or the money that the Bursting Pomegranate raised that is donated to mission projects! All in all, it was an incredible day filled with the feeling of community that is such a special part of Central!

THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL REFORM IN RHODE ISLAND

Temple Beth-El

70 Orchard Avenue

Thursday, April 7

7:00 pm

Panel:

Deborah Gist

RI Commissioner of Educaiton

Dr. Warren Simmons

Director, Annenberg Inst. School Reform

Brown University

Michael Lazzareschi

Principal, Nathan Bishop Middle School

Moderator:

Elizabeth Burke Bryant, JD

Executive Director, Rhode Island Kids Count

Please mark your calendars, save the date, and join us for this exciting and informative event, which is being co- sponsored by Central Church, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church & Temple Beth-El.

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

Food Challenge

February 7

The members of Barrington Congregational Church have challenged our sisters and brothers from Central and Newman Congregational Churches to see which of the three churches can raise the most support for their local food pantry.

Please bring non-perishable food items in addition to your regular donations to church on Sunday, February 7. The food will be counted during our New Member Potluck luncheon.

Conversations with the Deacons

The Board of Deacons of Central Church will be hosting a series of discussions to explore topics of interest to our congregation. Have you ever wondered who the deacons are and what their

role is in the Church community? Have you ever wondered how they are nominated? The deacons invite you to join us on Sunday, February 21 in the Deacon’s Room immediately following our church service to explore “The Deacon’s Role at Central Church”.

News for the Newsletter

Articles for the monthly newsletter are due in the church office on the 20th of each month. If articles are ready earlier, please feel free to send them in anytime before the due date. This will help avoid the last minute rush and ensure your information is included.

FROM THE DEACON’S BENCH

Like many, I have been transfixed and tremendously saddened by the tragedy in Haiti, which continues to unfold this week, as it will in the weeks, months, and years to come. Never having experienced such a trauma, I know that I can’t really understand what it’s like for the citizens of Haiti through the two dimensional reality of TV and newspapers. But there are some things that have stood out for me, and certainly issues that pertain to us as Christians.

It seems that in a crisis such as this one, the human condition is writ large: there is caring, compassion, faith; and there is chaos, frustration, desperation, and fear. And none of these is subtle, for the physical and emotional context is just too powerful for muted responses. Beyond the physical trauma and devastation is the psychological trauma, which will be woven into the collective Haitian psyche for generations to come.

I know that Christ ascended into heaven but I have a hard time believing that he spends all his time there. He is needed more on earth, and even more so, in hell. I realize that this goes against standard theology, but doesn’t Christ go where he is needed? After all, this is a guy who likes to be useful. I imagine he caught the first plane to Haiti and had no problems finding a place to land, and had his logistics worked out in advance. I imagine he was with those who have been rescued, and with the many thousands who have perished.

The graphic images of complete devastation, injury and death, are very difficult to watch. But I have found the images of looting and violence just as difficult, if not more so, because they reveal the underbelly of human nature. A tragedy of this magnitude sets in bold relief the many rooms of the human spirit: the miraculous, the loving, the compassionate, the strong, and also the darkness of violence and desperation. It has been said that the opposite of love is not hate, but fear. And this situation is nothing if not tremendously frightening. Do any of us really know how we would react if we were in similar circumstances?

It’s easy to have compassion for those who have lost loved ones, for those who are in tremendous pain, and especially for the children. Being a Christian in the face of suffering is the easy part. The challenge is to have courage in the face of extreme fear and to feel compassion and empathy towards those who do things that we abhor. This is where Christ leads the way, for he is the one who sets the example for the rest of us. For if he can’t do it, how can we? And if he can do it, how can we not?

As moral beings and as Christians we are required to see the world through a lens of love, compassion, and courage, completely free of prejudice, and to act from a place of faith, not fear. This is what sustains us in the face of tragedies such as the one in Haiti. And whether it’s looters in Haiti or on Wall Street, all deserve our compassion (which doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t hold people accountable for their bad behavior; Christ certainly did). We can’t cherry pick our life experiences; that is not what our faith is all about. The world can be beautiful, predictable, loving, but it can also be ugly, messy, and filled with fear. Christians wade through all of it.

-Sherri Nelson

How Green is our Church?

While we’ve made great strides, there is more we can do. The “Green Committee” encourages all committee members to attend the Interfaith Power & Light Conference on February 11th at 4:30 – 9:00 at LaSalle Academy. With exhibits and panel discussions this annual event showcases the latest options and subsidies available to churches and synagogues in the common response to environmental concerns. For more info go to www.riipl.org

Committee Faire

Sunday, February 14

During coffee hour following our Sunday service, come to Chapel Hall where each of our committees will have an informative display and some committee members available to answer your questions concerning their committee. Learn about the wide variety of opportunities for each of us to serve our Church and our mission!

Open and Affirming

On a note of acknowledgment, the national LGBT coalition of the UCC in Cleveland in recently reviewing our “Affirmation of Welcome” as printed in our bulletin each week and on our website has designated Central as an “Open and Affirming” Congregation of the United Church of Christ.

As many of you might remember, over ten years ago, our Deacons took the time to discern and articulate our current affirmation of “open to all… and welcoming everyone who chooses to worship here” and in the process were particularly thoughtful in their inclusive wording regarding: age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, mental facility, economic circumstance, or physical condition.

Being “open and affirming” has been and continues to be a key part of Central Congregational Church’s identity, but never the less, it’s always nice to be recognized for who and what we are, and we welcome this recent national acknowledgment.

Knitting Group