Jan. 10 Newsletter
CentralNEWS/January 2010
VOLUME 18 NUMBER 1
296 Angell Street Providence RI 02906 401-331-1960
From Your Senior Minister
Dear Friends,
I shared this prayer during our Christmas Eve services, and I thought it would be fitting as I write you this New Year’s letter.
The Work of Christmas
- by Howard Thurman
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost, to heal the broken,
To feed the hungry, to release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations, to bring peace among brothers and sisters,
To make music in the heart.
Please know that here at your Central Congregational Church, we will be continuing the work of Christmas in this new year of 2010. I would love to share ideas with you.
Warmly,
Rebecca
Our thoughts and prayers are with Betty Engen. Her husband, Trygg, died in November.
Baptism
The Sacrament of Baptism will be celebrated on Sunday, January 31. A pastor/parent meeting will be held at 9 am on Saturday, January 23 in the Fireplace Room.
Please call The Rev. Rebecca Spencer, 331-1960, if you wish to participate in this Baptism.
New Members
New Member Orientation*
Tuesday, January 26
Faith Exploration*
Wednesday, February 3
New Member Sunday
February 7
*These meetings are held at 7pm at the home of The Rev. Rebecca Spencer, 15 Taber Ave.
COMBINED CHOIRS CONCERT
Orchestra and Choirs of Central Congregational Church and The First Baptist Church in America Patrick Aiken, Organ Stephen Martorella, Director
Josef Rheinberger: Organ Concerto in F Hubert Parry: I Was Glad Mack Wilberg: Requiem
Central Congregational Church 296 Angell Street, Providence Sunday, January 31, 2010, 2:00 PM Free and open to the public. Donations accepted for RIAGO Scholarship Fund
From Claudia
Sometimes the days after Christmas seem like a let down. The parties are over, the tinsel is tarnished, the tree is out on the curb and our hearts may be filled with promise for a new year, but they also look back on what has been. Sometimes I think that we are a lot like our Christmas trees. We stand so proud and tall decorated with our finest ornaments and tinsel and lights, but we can only sustain that for so long. All too soon our limbs begin to droop and our needles start to drop…It’s easy to feel let down at those times.
However, Christmas isn’t really over. Inside our hearts it lives on (yes, even when our tinsel feels droopy!) The season of Christmas may have moved into the season of Epiphany but that’s where the real “work” of Christmas begins. In this dark time of year we celebrate the coming of the light—Jesus the Christ—into our dark, droopy, and at times dreary world!
Howard Thurman, theologian and poet, captures this perfectly in a section from the following poem, which has always been one of my very favorites:
The Singing of Angels
There must be always,
remaining in every life,
someplace for the singing of angels.
Someplace for that which in itself
is breathless and beautiful.
Old burdens become lighter,
deep and ancient wounds
lose much of their old hurting.
Despite all the crassness of life,
all the hardness and harsh discords,
life is saved by the singing of angels.
Wishing you and yours angels singing, breathless beauty, and music in your hearts as together we do the work of Christmas as members of Central Congregational Church here in this place in 2010! The light of the world is ours to carry to a dark and weary world as we share what we have experienced with the lost, the broken, the hungry, and those who are prisoners of all kinds…
New Year’s blessings,
Claudia
Adult Sunday School
From Jesus to Christ:
The First Christmas
A new adult Sunday School Series starting Sunday, January 10 9:00 am in the Fireplace Room
Join Claudia as this extraordinary series explores 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!
From Kat
If Mary and Joseph had come to Providence instead of Bethlehem that fateful Christmas Eve, where might Jesus have been born? With the hotels full of holiday travelers, might the holy family look to our local homeless shelters for safety from the cold winter weather?
Unfortunately, even at Rhode Island homeless shelters, many families looking for a warm place to stay this Christmas still heard “There’s no room at the inn.” With the economy still recovering and unemployment still so high in Rhode Island, social services agencies cannot find enough beds or even floor space for the soaring number of homeless Rhode Islanders. For example, the Providence Journal reported on December 29 that more than 150 people have recently been turned away from the Rhode Island Family Shelter in Warwick, because the shelter is currently full.
As Christians, we are called to be ambassadors of Christ’s peace and radical hospitality, but what can we do to welcome the stranger and bring hope to the thousands of desperate people who are struggling to meet their basic needs? What does the Bible tell us? What is our church community already doing? How can we get more involved?
These are some of the many questions the youth in cooperation with the Mission and Action Committee and Amos House will be addressing the weekend of January 23-24. On January 23 and 24, the WORD and NEOS youth fellowships will be holding their annual homeless awareness sleep out. Afterwards, Mission and Action is hosting the CEO of Amos House, an agency with many creative programs that address homelessness and poverty in Rhode Island. Come before church on the 24th to visit the youth homeless awareness camp and talk with our youth about what homelessness looks like in Providence and what we as a community can do about it. Then come after church for a warm lunch, where we will engage together the tough realities of homelessness in Rhode Island and talk about hands-on ways we can make a difference together.
Christianity 101
Beginning Sunday, January 10
10-10:30AM Wilson Chapel
Want to brush up on your knowledge of the sacraments, theology, and the Bible? Starting January 10, Kat will be offering a speedy survey of our Christian faith, tradition, and practices. This 6-week course will cover Bible basics, theology, the sacraments, symbols of our sanctuary, and worship. Doughnuts and childcare provided.
Book Group
Rebecca’s Noon Book Group meets on Thursday, January 28 to discuss “Homecoming” by Bernard Schlink and on Thursday, February 25 the group will discuss J.M.G. LeClézio’s “Desert”.
MUSIC AT CENTRAL
Special Organ and Choir Concert
On Sunday, January 31, at 2 p.m., the R.I. Chapter of the American Guild of Organists will present a very special concert featuring our own organ, organist, and choir, accompanied by full orchestra! The combined choirs of Central and The First Baptist Church in America will join us, conducted by Stephen Martorella.
On the program you will hear C. Hubert Parry’s famous anthem “I Was Glad.” We present this every year at Central on Gathering Sunday as the choir returns from summer vacation. This month you can hear the anthem accompanied by full orchestra and the combined forces of two choirs!
The choirs will also present the “Requiem” by contemporary composer and Director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Mack Wilberg. This evocative work sets the familiar Requiem text to music with sparkling harmonies and lush melodies in solo, choral, and orchestral parts.
To showcase our newly restored organ, we also present the “Organ Concerto in F” by Joseph Rheinberger. Rheinberger writes beautiful romantic melodies, most especially in this concerto featuring solo organ accompanied by the full orchestra.
The RI American Guild of Organists hosts the concert, which is free and open to the public; donations gratefully accepted. This will be an exceptional program at Central you won’t want to miss! Save the date now and invite a friend!
Knitting Group
Sunday, January 10 12-1:30 pm
Make it your New Year’s resolution to join us in the Deacon’s Room! All are welcome; knitters, those who aspire to knit, and those who just want to experience fellowship and participate in the blessing of the prayer shawls that are lovingly made for others! As an added bonus, if you have always wanted to learn to knit, we’ll teach you. Questions? Call Janice Libby or Claudia.
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
CHURCH SCHOOL NEWS
Greetings in this new year and new ‘season” of our church year: Epiphany! A warm welcome and HUGH THANKS to our new Church School Teachers for the Winter Unit:
GABRIEL’S GANG (pre-school class)
Janet Rankin, Martha Nichols, Jen Cookke
SHEPHERDS/PROPHETS (K-1st grade class)
Tracy Baran, Chris Falaguerra, Marcy Wemple
STARGAZERS (2nd grade class)
Emma Cotter, Lorraine Lalli, Nancy Jacobs, Jennie Newkirk
DISCIPLES (3rd grade class)
Amy Frazer
PEACEMAKERS (4th -5th grade class)
D B Hebb, Amy Hebb, Debra Moorhead,
Perry Buroker
DREAM-MAKERS (6th-8th grade class)
Cathy Clasper-Torch
CHERUB CHOIR, pre-school through grade 2, will start up again on Sunday, Jan. 17 from 10-10:20 am in the Gathering Space (2nd floor).
PLAY GROUP for moms/dads and toddlers. If interested, please contact Cathy, 272-3942. This Thursday morning group will be shifting to FRIDAYS starting Friday, January 22.
ALL are warmly welcome!!
Blessings & Joy,
Cathy Clasper-Torch
Food for Thought
Thursday, January 28th
7:00-8:30 p.m. at Claudia’s house
This month 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…
STEWARDSHIP
The 2010 – 2011 Stewardship Campaign “We Share Because We Care” will be kicked off on Sunday, February 14th by Mary Hazeltine and Ann Scott, Co-Chairs, of the Stewardship Committee. The following 4 Sundays different members of the congregation will share a “Stewardship Moment”. Sunday, March 21st will be Dedication Sunday when all of us will bring our pledges to church. A celebratory lunch will follow the service.
After the service, Sunday, January 10th, 2010 a loaf of bread will be delivered to each member’s door as a gift from the Stewardship Committee to thank them for belonging and being a part of Central Congregational Church. If you are not at home a card will be left at your door (sorry we will miss some of you) and your loaf of bread will be donated to those in need.
Women’s Retreat
- A Time to Relax, Rejuvenate and Reconnect
If you have been thinking about joining us for this annual get away, spaces are still available. You will have your own room, lots of free time, beautiful countryside to explore, a cozy fireplace to sit by, and no planning, cooking or deadlines to deal with.
WHEN: February 5-7th, 2010
WHERE: St. Benedict Abbey, Still River, MA
(an hour away off 495N; car pooling available)
THEME: BE-ing IN TOUCH: with myself, with others, and the God of my understanding
COST: $165.00–includes room, 6 meals, materials
If full payment is an issue, we can offer a ‘reduced’ amount to assist. Payment is due January 11th (fully refundable if you cancel by January 25th). When you make your check out to Central Church, please note that it is for the women’s retreat. Checks can either be placed in John Boyce’s box in the office, or mailed in to John’s attention. Once you’ve signed up, full details will be sent mid- to late January.
Find nourishment for body and soul. Come BE with us! Questions? Contact Gwen Kangis
Calling All Cooks
Casseroles are needed on Sundays in January, 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 contact Elizabeth Taylor. Thank you.
What our members are doing. . .
Our new members, Joe & Dawn Hogan along with their three young sons–Jack, Luke and Patrick, are leaving on December 31st for a 3 month working sabbatical to Eldoret, Kenya. Joe is a professor of Biostatistics at Brown and Dawn is a Family Practice doctor with Memorial Hospital. They will be living in an American compound set up by Indiana University and working closely with faculty and staff of Moi University School of Public Health.
This will be the first trip out of the country for the boys who will attend a private, Indian run, British based school compromised mainly of Indian and Kenyan students. It will be a culture shock and a tremendous broadening of their prospective on the world. They are all both excited and nervous.
The Hogans are pleased to have been so warmly received into the community of Central and will miss Sunday morning worship. Please keep them in your prayers for safety and good health during their time away.
The Deacon’s Bench
After the Carol Service last week, I came down from the choir loft to Chapel Hall in search of my family and some cookies. On the way, several people, even some I didn’t recognize–I guess they noticed my black folder—let me know how much they’d enjoyed the choir’s music. I nodded, smiled, and thanked them for coming to the service and for their kind words.
What I should have told them is that from where I stand—in the back row and off to one side—they had witnessed a miracle that night. By way of explanation, here’s what I remember about singing “Silent Night” at the end of the service:
Silent night, Holy night…
[Am I in the right spot?
Maybe I need to move over a little…]
Round yon virgin…
[Look—there’s Harry! Oh please, Lord, help my son not set anybody on fire with his candle!]
Sleep in heavenly peace…
[Uh oh, next verse is in parts.
First note is either an F or a B flat, I think, um…]
Silent…
[Oops, must have been a B flat.]
Shepherds quake…
[Is my candle straight?]
Radian…
[“Radiant beams” or “Radiance beams”? or maybe “Radians beam”? No, not that last one.]
Silent…
[Back to the melody now. I wonder if I can hit the high note.]
Jesus Lord…
[Well, I almost hit that high note.]
At thy birth.
[Oh please, Lord, don’t let that kid set Harry on fire!]
While my short attention span, bad memory, and limited musical ability make me an extreme case, I believe that it’s at least a little bit like this for most of us. I’d love to find the right words and notes automatically, not to be distracted by the thought of the children’s choir in flames, and to think only of the miracle of the incarnation as I sing the carol, but I’m not sure this is possible. I keep practicing, but, try as I might, I am not ever going to be perfect. The miracle is that when this very imperfect singer joins with other voices, the result transcends the limitations of any one voice and the music we make together can praise God and inspire those who listen.
This week, my uncle’s Christmas letter (which I hope he won’t mind me quoting) reminded me that:
The festival we are preparing to celebrate underscores the most profound and soaring realities: among them that light is shining brightly in the darkness, that God’s plan cannot fail, and that dawn will break in his own time.
It’s easy to miss the light in the darkness, to be so distracted by the failures and shortcomings we see around us that we lose faith in God’s plan. Christmas comes into a world darkened by greed, hatred, and anger and the light seems too weak and diffuse to do anything about it. I find comfort in the miracle of the choir. I can’t see the reality of God’s plan from my narrow human perspective any more than I can hear the real sound of the choir from my corner of the bass section, but I have to believe that beyond this mess, there is a greater, more beautiful harmony.
So let’s sing together, work together, and pray together. God’s plan cannot fail, even though we sometimes miss the high notes.
-Stephen DeWitt
Central Church Pictorial Directory
Our Membership Committee is planning a new pictorial directory for our members. Please watch for more information and save one of these dates 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
Parents’ and Families Meeting for the Homeless Awareness Sleep Out
Sunday January 10, 11:30AM-12PM
Come get organized and learn about what to pack and what to expect at the Homeless Awareness Sleep Out. All middle and high school students planning to participate in the sleep out are strongly encouraged to come!
Youth Schedule
January 23-24
WORD and NEOS
Homeless Awareness Sleepout
Saturday 5PM-Sunday 11:30AM
February 19-20
NEOS and WORD Family Ski Trip
Mt. Snow, Vermont
Help for Haiti
The RI Conference Of UCC churches Haiti Mission Task Force group is traveling to Haiti Jan. 28 – Feb. 3, 2010. They are seeking donations of the following: soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and other toilet articles, cell phones, lap tops, printers, school supplies, children and adult clothing item, vitamins, and art supplies for one of our translators who is teaching art lessons to children through the United Nations program for children in need. i.e. pastels, crayons, paints, paper, etc. Please contact Lora Spalt for questions and to make donations.
Mission Lunch
Sunday January 24 12-1PM
After taking a tour of the NEOS and WORD homeless awareness camp, join the Mission and Action Committee for lunch after worship on January 24. Our featured guest will be the CEO of Amos House, Eileen Hayes. Amos House is a nonprofit social services agency that provides services to the homeless and poor of Providence. In addition to helping people with basic needs like food and housing, Amos House facilitates creative programs like the Amos House Works, which trains people in the culinary arts, creates jobs, and raises funds for social service agencies using money earned from catering and school lunch programs. Amos House also hosts many Central Congregational Church members who volunteer there on a regular basis. Come learn about the awesome ways Amos House is living out the Gospel and hear about ways you can personally address homelessness and poverty.
Help For Sojourner House
Sojourner House is requesting personal care items for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. 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.
