CentralNEWS/September 2015
VOLUME 23 NUMBER 8
296 Angell Street Providence RI 02906 401-331-1960
From Rebecca
The white dove just appeared one day a few weeks ago…a day that had had a few disappointments and things gone wrong. Her entrance changed the day! And she was lovely. A bit of iridescent purple/ruby/beige feathers on her chest and then snow white everywhere else with bright orange legs and feet and the most piercing sharp eyes that seemed to take in everything. She had a band on her right leg, but no official letters, or numbers. Just an old plastic zip tie band that had been cut off.
In my imaginative understatement, I called her ‘Bird’ and she really did seem to understand. She would fly down from a roof if I was out and cock her head, waiting for me to notice her, toss her some pheasant food and tip the water dish for her. She walked just like a pigeon. I’m not sure why this detail stays with me, obviously, she was a pigeon (although it seems more poetic to call her a dove!) But that little jerky motion of legs and head as she walked about was captivating. And when she flew, there was this fluttery, rather loud and purposeful whoosh of wings.
The day she arrived was the day of the real windy storm. She must have been blown off course, seen our roof, and found it a good place to land. No one around knew of anyone who keeps homing pigeons anymore and I called Mr. Medeiros who shares his homing pigeons with us at Central on Pentecost. He suggested I trap her with a rig of a cardboard box and a stick and a string and a trail of food. I did not take up his suggestion. Instead, I just kept an eye on her and she on me. I worried about hawks as she perched up there on the roof, or at night in a tree…I wonder if she worried too, or just took her chances. I hoped she would figure out her way home before we left Little Compton for Providence.
And then one day, she was gone. Her (or his?) brief sojourn with us stays with me. Bird’s journeys must be somewhat like ours. We get blown off course, we try to avoid known and unknown dangers, find a safe haven, collect ourselves, rest up and then travel onwards. The future of blue skies and sunny skies beckon us all, and so we travel hopefully.
Bird just had an old white zip tie on her leg, no olive branch clenched in her mouth or feet. But I think she serves as a reminder to us all that the mystery of God’s creation lies beyond our understanding. God’s care for all of us is a continuing miracle, wherever we walk or run or fly. We do not know what our endings will be, but we travel hopefully, like Bird. We trust in God’s love every single day of our lives.
Yours, in faith,
Rebecca
GATHERING SUNDAY
September 13 10:30 am
Sermon Title: “I’d Like the Suffering to Be Optional, Please”
The Rev. Rebecca L. Spencer preaching
Prayers and Sympathy
Our prayers and sympathy are with the family and friends of Marcia Zuehlke who died on July 30, 2015.
Her Memorial Service was held on August 2.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Marcy Wemple and Michelle Denault, their father, Peter Denault, died on July 30, 2015.
May God’s comfort surround all those who mourn.
Baptisms
Sacrament of Baptism is an important part of our worship life together. In an effort to uplift our celebration of Baptisms in our community of faith, we will be offering Baptisms during the following Sundays of the church year.
Children’s Sabbath October 18, 2015
Sunday after Epiphany January, 10, 2016
Easter Vigil March 26, 2016
Sunday after Easter April 3, 2016
A meeting to prepare parents for Baptism will be held in our Fireplace Room at 9 am on the preceding Saturday. Please speak with the Rev. Rebecca Spencer if you would like to be included in this very important part of life at Central
The Sacrament of Baptism.
New Members
New Member Orientation*
Wednesday, October 14
Faith Exploration*
Wednesday, October 28
New Member Sunday
November 1
*These meetings are held at the home of the Rev. Rebecca Spencer 15 Taber Ave at 7 pm.
Deacons’ Retreat
Sept. 19, 9:30-1 pm.
247 West Main Road, Little Compton
(home of The Rev. Rebecca Spencer)
All deacons and permanent deacons are invited to this annual retreat. This year’s theme will be “Servant Leadership”. We will gather at 9:30 for coffee and munchies, move into our workshop discussion on the traditions of Biblical leadership and contemporary practices, led by Claudia at 10. We will then share in a potluck lunch and conclude our retreat with the Sacrament of Communion.
Deacons and permanent deacons, please mark your calendars. We hope all can join us. Please RSVP to the church office at 331-1960 or cccangell@centralchurch.us
From Claudia
What is there about numbers that can be so fascinating? Just think. 12 disciples, 7 days, 40 days, 969 years (remember Methuselah?), 3 days in the tomb (and 3 days in the belly of a whale!) and many other numbers from the Bible continue to inform and challenge us. The Book of Numbers promises the Israelites that they will become a great and numerous people.
I’ve been thinking about numbers as we “round out” these last glorious days of summer. And, it was a great summer at Central! We have worshiped together and done mission together and played together and grown together in uncountable ways as God’s faithful people of 296 Angell Street. Every Sunday an average of well over 100 of us have gathered in worship to spend almost 50 hours praising God and enjoying fellowship together as God’s people.
We have initiated the Mobile Loaves and Fishes Ministry with 2 runs to distribute food, toiletries and clothing to those who are homeless in 2 cities—Woonsocket and Providence. And, a total of an even dozen (12!) of us have participated in making this happen, with some participating more than 1 time.
About 90 people were part of our new model for a multigenerational Vacation Bible School starting with supper together serving up 18 pizzas plus uncountable finger foods from the Colombian bakery and food from India! We created multiple crosses and other crafts using myriads of beads, glue and other craft items. We sang 11 songs with 2-3 musicians around the campfire depending which night you count, and ate what seemed like gazillions of s’mores! We did yoga (how many poses do you guess?) and played soccer, watched an Indian dancer, and told many stories…I could go on and on.
Food for Thought read 3 books totaling 1280 pages and gathered 3 times for a total of about 36 participants (some more than once)—17 of whom dined al fresco at the August cookout in our back yard where the weather was a balmy 79 degrees!
We went to the Armenian Museum together (102 miles) and we traveled 5 miles there and back to the Paw Sox and 80 miles to Matunuck (some of us did that twice!). At least 15 of us studied 5 prophets in the Bible Study.
And we ate! We enjoyed 11 orders of brunch food at Rick’s Roadhouse, we ate limitless ice cream and toppings on our Ice Cream Sundae Sunday, we drank oodles of lemonade, and we shared umpteen salads and 69 ice cream bars with our Community Church friends. Caring and Sharing enjoyed food from the grill and salads and Twizzlers in Matunuck and others returned for more cookout fare before going to the Theatre by the Sea. Plus, those who went to the Paw Sox game ate loads of hot dogs and other food. My rough estimate is that those who participated in all these events add up to almost 300 of you—some of you counting more than once.
As I write this the big count down to the beginning of the school year is down to the single digits for many. What new numbers will we add to all this in the 9th month of 2015 and beyond? Only time will tell. After all, we are a great and numerous people, too. Thanks be to God for this faith community!
Yours in Love,
Claudia
THE DEACON’S BENCH
When I left for school last August, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. I was confident I was where I was meant to be, but I wasn’t sure where this experience was going to take me or how I would hold up. After more than 30 years I had decided to go back to school for a Master’s degree in ecological design. I’ve loved the outdoors and nature all my life and felt like I needed to do something more to protect our environment. I’d been struggling with how to do that for a while when I learned about the Conway School. Their focus is sustainable landscape design and planning. Could sustainable design help me feel fulfilled and guide me into the next phase of my life?
What is sustainable design anyway? The recurring theme throughout the year was whole systems thinking, learning to look at the big picture to see how everything affects each other. We looked at plant systems and community systems, natural systems and social systems. We saw how the geology of the rock beneath the soil affects the plants that grow in the soil; how building a highway can divide and destroy an urban neighborhood community; and how the rain water that runs off our roofs, lawns and driveways can wash fertilizer, oil and pollutants into our waterways. Actually, every decision we make impacts other things. From what we buy in a store, as to how and where it was produced to what we plant in our gardens, and if it supports local pollinators, and so on. The interconnectedness was overwhelming to think about.
The Bible reads that after “God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1), “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15). This tells me that God expects us to be stewards of the earth and to care for it as part of a whole system.
Interestingly, these interconnections we discussed in class aren’t just important in nature, but in our communities as well. This became abundantly evident to me as I became part of a new community in Conway while being constantly supported by my community from home. Letters, emails and packages arrived frequently to let me know that my family and friends supported me. New friends in Conway would leave dinner on our kitchen counter or stop by to start a fire in the wood stove in the afternoon so the house was warm when we got home from school. And when the tragedy in Charleston this spring happened, one of my classmates invited us all to take a break from our little world one afternoon and “sit with Charleston” to connect with our neighbors far away.
I’m still not sure where this experience is going to take me. But I have faith that if I continue to follow my heart and stay connected, I’ll find my way.
-Janice Schmidt
MORE THOUGHTS FROM DEACON’S BENCH
Irked; Slick Lingo and Challenging Times
It is summertime, lazy, slower than normal, hot– I like it, especially after the travails of last winter, snow dams, shoveling the roof, and all. But I do notice that while much of life seems to be about being open to what the Almighty makes possible in life, I am often irked these days—the news is generally irksome, at best, if not downright distressing. Little things irk me, things that have not been, by-and-large, ‘on my radar screen,’ for any length of time. Example: TV commercials that use the word, “support,” as in, “This product supports your immune system.” No one I know as yet knows what this means. Likewise, “This product supports improved brain function.” This is incomprehensible. What does it mean? A friend sends me red-lense sunglasses, and advises, “Wear these, they will support your immune system. Your asthma will go away.” Ok, I take a deep breath. Also, the word, “access,” irks me, as in, “Do you need access to business capital,” or, “I need access to health care,” or, “I need access to birth control.” No, in each case, one needs business capital, healthcare and birth control. Why, “access”? Access doesn’t do me any good at all, generally speaking, even “access to the Clintons.” And how about the ubiquitous use of the word, “So,” in ordinary conversation, as in, “So what is this essay about, anyway?”
Other examples of small irks include legal billboards. Example; I drive to East Greenwich once a week…and en route, several billboards catch my attention. Yes, they all irk me. “In pain? Call Wayne.” The picture of Wayne looks like he’s in a lot of pain. “Fight back? Call Jack.” Jack is making his fist. Then, there is “Want more? Hire four.” Yes, just what I don’t need, four. “The Heavy Hitter! The power of More.” More, muh-huh.. These billboards remind me of what a lawyer friend of mine said not too long ago: “The legal system is not about justice. It’s about marshalling resources to win.” Another attorney friend offers, “Juries are less interested in facts these days than in ‘bias confirmation.’ Still another opines, “When 1% of everybody own 40+% of everything, something is dreadfully wrong.” Yes, to the extent I understand, I agree. As is true for many Americans, I live with the chronic sense we are being played, bamboozled from within, and without. Add in the dueling, “Black Lives Matter,” and “All Lives Matter” movements and one could assert without too much fear of contradiction, our legal system, like so many others, needs to be overhauled, now.
Larger topics surface, majorly irksome, even beyond. In the blogosphere lately it has been said, “Trying to speak the truth these days is an act of courage.” I agree. An example: “Islam is a beautiful religion.” What? Given what is unfolding, what is anyone to do with this? Another often repeated more official view, “ISIS is not about Islam.” Yet, indisputably, we know how the self-described, Islamic State operates. Media offices are targeted and blown up. Creative professionals are murdered on the street. Women are routinely and repeatedly raped (some as young as nine, reportedly), children tortured, Christians kidnapped for ransom, beheaded or crucified, thrown off rooftops all in the name of God. Consistently, Isis proclaims itself before the world as the Caliphate, the Islamic State (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliphate, but one definition). Isis, among other nihilistic, diabolical objectives, wants to raise the flag of the Caliphate over London and Washington, we hear. I am told the Koran references “killing infidels” over 100 times, more toward the end of the book than at the beginning. Can this be so? When will take up the lessons of WWII, and how shall this occur?
In seriously irksome political matters, one friend (who includes himself among the educated, self-enlightened) posts a picture on Facebook of a leading presidential contender, the candidate himself a distinguished man, a true and longtime public servant. My ‘friend’s’ editorial comment is, “Sick Bastard.” Thankfully, a childhood admonition kicks in: “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.” Not surprisingly, such critics don’t often believe they are part of the problem. I hide his man’s post. I simply choose not to pass this gibberish around. Now, this kind of thing occurs every day, all the time. Trashing the opposition seems to be for many an objective unto itself, these days. I’d like to see and would attend an art exhibit at the Whitney, “Trashing the Opposition.” Just let it all out for six months. This would constitute a powerful portrait of modern America. Yet, I know full well… a democratic republic is a messy proposition, by design. I want to keep it this way. I work to help keep it this way. So, in hiding this post, have I done the right thing? And are we not all involved in this coarsening of our social fabric when we refuse to hear and then make hideous or illegitimate what another citizen has to say?
On the politics of religion, Irksome doesn’t quite cut it. Yes, this sentiment is in the air, most especially among the young, I am told, ”Show me a religious person and I’ll show you a narrow-minded bigot.” Such an observation, heard in the media lately, seems to be growing in popularity and for me, gives Irksome, new meaning. I will resist.
On taxes— another topic well beyond irksome. Our leaders offer the call of Robin Hood (whom I loved, as a kid), they tell us, “The rich have to pay their fair share.” Ok, this sounds good. I’m for it, loved Robin Hood. But turns out, reportedly, the rich pay for 80% of everything. Many pay one level of government or another nearly 50%, in total. Almost half pay essentially nothing. Is this so? Is any of this, “fair?” What kind of equation is this, really? On the tube, one historian mentions recently that among the Colonies taxes at the time of the American Revolution ran about 1%. King George III proposed raising them to approximately 3% (Another Wikipedia reference, http://www.history.com/news/6-things-you-may-not-know-about-taxes/). Pioneers got upset and got out their guns. The rest, we know, is history, our history.
Exactly where are we with this 75,000+ page, arcane and unworkable tax system (http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/look-at-how-many-pages-are-in-the-federal-tax-code/article/2563032) Who will take it on? When do we get some Superman-like truth-and-justice on the tax front? $18T in national debt we seem all too willing to pass along to our young says, not anytime soon. Is there some magic mojo in our devaluing currency we should better appreciate? Is some expert going to stand up one more time and say, “This doesn’t really matter?”
In a society of 1%ers,– where 1% own the most, another 1% fight to defend our nation, and a third 1% feed us, what do we really have going on here? With a reported 93M citizens OUT of the job market, what are the other 97% doing? I’d like to see a breakdown. In this context, I welcome the current scene as a form of riveting political theatre. What I observe is often enough nothing short of wonderful; email/server and integrity fiascos, the Trumping (!) of this notion or that—Bernie’s passionate, resonant voice. Political theatre hasn’t been so rich since Rosemary Woods could not explain the eighteen minutes missing on the Nixon tapes. Wait, no, I’m mistaken, since Bill Clinton asserted that “it depends on what the definition of is, is.” Now, with the exception of a certain leading candidate mired in yet another dubious controversy, my hope is that all other candidates keep talking, keep discussing, keep challenging, keep brainstorming, keep up every effort to upset those who would convince us that we are all just fine. We are clearly not just fine and almost everyone seems to get it— so let us imagine, let us hope this is to result somehow in our coming together to rebuild this nation for our grandchildren as our forefathers and mothers did.
The Irksome list is long: “Gender neutral bathrooms” are soon-to-be in vogue. “Gender neutral” children’s clothes are to be found in at least one big-box store. Gender-neutral language has been on the scene for years. But what does gender neutral mean? I don’t know now and have never known even one human being who proclaims, “I am gender neutral.” Most aspire to the opposite, to assert their gender—at least, until recently.
Truly, there are only two genders each created by the Almighty—a lesson made abundantly clear to most of us shortly after our diaper stage, if not before. I have spent my life learning to adore, to love both genders– and I will continue down this path. I prefer a gender-centric environment, not gender neutral. In fact, I regard “gender neutral” as an idea beyond vulgarity, more akin to profanity— to the extent that the phrase reduces both genders it diminishes life, itself. Being fortunate to know many strong and empowered women—and men, it is worth noting that none, not one in 50 years has ever said, “Thank goodness for gender neutrality! What would I ever have done without it!” With all due respect to the two females who recently passed for the first time, the Army Rangers Test, “Gender Neutral,” is predictably nowhere in site. Gender specific accolades are all over our media. Yes, most of us seem to appreciate the challenge that comes with living fully into our respectful gender.
Now I may have this very wrong, but even among those with deep reservations about their own gender identity (including those in my own life), isn’t gender-specific preferable in theory, i.e., more helpful in finding a reconciliation, than gender neutral (neither one nor the other, or both)? Most gender questions involve specific gender identity realized or aspired to; not obliterated gender, not blurred gender, not an infinite set of no-gender possibilities. I don’t know. One recent study suggests that as we age, the question of gender identity seems to settle down, to become clearer for many. They have the numbers to back this up. I hope this is true and helpful.
Then, if we are to work to protect this earth, the biosphere and the animals in jeopardy all over the planet, especially mammals, isn’t it abundantly obvious that gender is one key to any success we may hope to realize? Without this understanding what do we have? Isn’t it odd that among animals– with the exception of homo-sapiens– gender is critical to understanding life, but among homo-sapiens, no, we promote and accept a political gambit. “Gender-neutral” the current fashion; so odd.
Furthermore, in an age characterized by the long and deliberate blurring of gender roles, of impending, genetically selected “designer babies,” does it not make sense to honor and celebrate the only two genders we know? Add to this the ubiquitous rise in the use of chips, smart products and robots, the mixing of what one author describes as “biological intelligence” with “non-biological intelligence,” is it too much of an old-fashioned, outdated, obsolete concept to suggest we might want to reconsider the inherent authenticity, beauty and dare I say, Holiness, in gender? In other words, is this message some missing verse from Genesis, I missed? Can we really expect to live out God’s will for our lives with a sign overhead that reads, “Gender Neutral”?
On race, whoever came up with the irksome phrase “Color blind society”? This is another ill-conceived, way-too fashionable expression. I know academics at certain institutions go into a state of near-ecstasy at this very thought. But I now realize being “color blind” has nothing to do with the world I want to inhabit. Personally, I want a color rich society, color positive, as much color to appreciate as possible. This is the way the Almighty created us, is it not? As my once-Puerto Rican girlfriend taught me long ago during teen-age years, the spectrum of skin colors is itself one of the wonderful mysteries of life to be not distressed, suppressed, oppressed, repressed or otherwise diminished, but celebrated and cherished.
More irksome language to ponder: Currently fashionable phrases, “People of color,” and “communities of color,” are especially so. As a practical matter, when anyone hears them uttered, the interpretation that is most instantaneous translates to mean, “Anyone but white.” In an increasingly racially charged environment, why do we accept this dubious idea, this language? Is this helpful? In reality, anyone who has ever taken even one color theory course knows there are as many color possibilities in the white part of the spectrum as in the black. What is indisputable is that (in my lengthening, unpopular book of notions) in the grand spectrum, we are all people of color. I find strength in acknowledging and honoring God-given skin color, no matter what it is. Isn’t this exactly the way the Almighty intended it to be?
Then, also beyond irksome, there is the ever-troubling term, among the worst of all possible labels, “racist.” I notice lately one lingerie company was charged with being racist, because its product color line did not live up to the writer’s notions as to what the just-right product color should look like. Really? I checked. The colors I witnessed are pretty fine, generally speaking! Racist? More ominously, current thought in some quarters advances the idea that simply put, we in white society are all racists. Certain “progressive” commentators have it that “whites need to die” for the past 400 years of slavery. There is little if any hope for redemption, forgiveness, mercy or love. Our American history is written off as but a fiction. In this view, New Testament lessons appear to be absent. Ok, we live in a free country—ostensibly. These writers are free to write whatever they wish…and I will defend their right to speak, but so will I reject this perspective and work to defeat this idea. Is the current occupant of the White House, put there by black society, yes, but largely by white society, part of our “fictional history?” I choose to believe, No. In the grand context of historical, cultural mythmaking, I will continue to choose to live in the story that is the New Testament.
And isn’t it painful to realize that when millions of ‘undocumented workers’ show up illegally in our country, who demand health care, driver’s licenses, college education including law degrees at the expense of the taxpayer, we who are inclined to take issue with this circumstance are referred to immediately by some as a) lacking compassion b) short on generosity and c) racist. I confess to find this a personal challenge of a very high order.
Is it any surprise that we are now told that while numerous, progressive, naked females young and old parade around Time Square celebrating “Topless Equality Day,” in irksome California, “Alien,” is now outlawed as a useful word…unless you are talking about extra-terrestrials. My quaint notion is that outlawing the word “Alien,” is itself an alien idea for one possessed of even a modestly liberated mind.
In the same repressive spirit, on certain college campuses I understand phrases like, “Made in America,” and “The American Dream,” are thought by authorities to be “offensive” forms of “micro-aggression,” some requiring “trigger warnings” to alert “sensitive students” to “troubling” subject matter. But shall we take heart! At one such liberal-arts college recently, a small, special area has been designed a ”safe, free speech zone.” Irked, I wonder– just what is the designation for the rest of the campus? Reminds me of the old Soviet Union– the State would take kids and send them off to “summer camp.” Only when each student demonstrated a mastery of official propaganda could s/he could return home, again. In a nation such as ours, thought by many to be raising passive, unquestioning adult children more concerned about “raising their self-esteem” than thinking through and acting upon problems pressing down on all of us, all this sounds about right. As friends say, “Oy.”
I know my own notions and ideas about such irksome and miscellaneous topics are likely mine alone, and are of little to no consequence. I don’t worry about it. That which undergirds what I think about any topic is buttressed by the invitation of my faith. In this is the challenge to wake up each day with a happy, generous heart, to understand and accept the grand idea that Christ forgives my litany of sins and yours; that we are loved by the Almighty, and that this is the good news to which we are called as servants of God to bring into the world. I find this theology to be a challenge worth living and dying for.
In all this, I take heart also in our Congregationalist community that we are called together as servants in the unfolding of all these events to do the work God would have us do. Each of us in our own way struggles to grasp the times and to try to live up to the Two Great Commandments. We believe that on this short, perilous journey, “loving thy neighbor as thyself” before God is the central mission. AMEN, to the whole idea.
In the meantime, what is not irksome in the least is this fresh ham and cheese grinder under my arm, these two bottles of summer ale, and my determination to take one more swim at the beach, starting right now.
-George Delany
ANGELLIC KNITTERS
Sunday, September 13
11:45 a.m. Deacon’s Room
Let’s gather together to knit and to catch up on what everyone’s been doing for the past few months! Come join the fun: whether you knit, aspire to knit, or 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’ve always wanted to learn how to knit we’ll teach you! Questions? Call Janice Libby or Claudia.
CHURCH SCHOOL NEWS
“Only the most mature of us are able to be childlike. And to be able to be childlike involves memory; we must never forget any part of ourselves… If we lose any part of ourselves, we are thereby diminished. If I cannot be thirteen and sixty-one simultaneously, part of me has been taken away.”
—Madeleine L’Engle, “Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art”
This summer we experienced a different kind of Vacation Bible School (VBS) from summers past. It was in the early evening instead of the morning hours. The youngest was age three and the oldest was close to ninety! We began with dinner together and ended with stories, singing and s’mores around a campfire. We made wonderful creations with beads, paper, and lots of glue! We did yoga and learned to play “Mrs. Mumbley” (while trying not to laugh). We raised a huge banner of colorful Indian cloth high above our heads in Chapel Hall. We experienced God’s grace and the gift of being a church family in new and wonderful ways. Thank you to all who participated!!
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13th is GATHERING SUNDAY marking the first Sunday of the new Church School year! We’ll begin with a Gathering Meeting for all Parents and Children at 9:45 in our 2nd floor Church School “Gathering Space”. This is a time to meet the fall Church School teachers and youth helpers, visit your child’s classroom, and learn more about Central’s programs for children and youth. Breakfast munchies and juice provided, thanks to the Religious Education Committee. Children will attend the first part of worship, as usual, and leave after the Children’s Time for their classrooms.
In early September you will receive in the mail your Church School Registration form (for infants – 8th graders). Please bring this to church with you on Gathering Sunday!
Cherub Choir — for pre-schoolers – 2nd graders — will begin the first Sunday in October (Sun., Oct. 4th)!!
Calling all ‘childlike’ at heart! We are still needing more parent sign-ups (for grades pre-school – 3rd only) for the new Church School teaching year (for one unit only) — please let me know if the Fall, Winter or Spring Unit is best for you! And, thank you to all who are already on board! It takes a village!!
Love & Grace,
Cathy C-T
Adult Mission Trip – Save this date!
Bar Harbor, ME
October 10-15
Central will be working with the Maine Seacoast Mission repairing homes for the elderly from October 10-15. Downeast Maine has a large population of people who are aging who depend on agencies like the Seacoast Mission and whose homes desperately need repairs. Central will be helping some of that vulnerable population. Grab your hammers and come join us as we change lives—those we serve as well as our own! Call Claudia to reserve your place!
MUSIC AT CENTRAL
Calling All Singers!
Our Adult and Children’s Choirs welcome new members this year.
The Children’s Choir welcomes singers entering grades three through eight and rehearses weekly on Mondays from 5-6 pm, starting September 14 and sings weekly on Sunday mornings with a warmup at 10 a.m. The Adult Choir rehearses weekly on Thursday nights from 7:30-9:30 starting September 17 and weekly on Sunday mornings with a 9:15 a.m. warmup.
Come join us in lifting up our voices in a joyful noise that brings great meaning to our worship and a great opportunity to grow spiritually and musically, while offering up our gifts of music!
WORD and NEOS
I hope you have all had a lovely summer complete with fun, relaxation, rejuvenation, and new adventures! My wife Katie and I have been grateful to have had the summer months to prepare ourselves (as much as one can!) for our new adventure beginning sometime in October. Baby Kelley now has a cozy nursery waiting for him along with two very excited parents!
As I’m sure you will agree…it is hard to believe September is here! To kick-off the youth ministry year at Central, we will celebrate the beginning of the church school year with a NEOS & WORD cookout following worship on September 13th. Bring your favorite lawn games, your favorite side dish, and stick around for a game of a mission trip favorite: ultimate frisbee!
On Sunday, 9/20, the NEOS Junior High School Fellowship will spend the afternoon enjoying the Roger Williams Park Zoo. We will carpool from Central following worship and will hang out with the critters at the zoo. Tickets will be $7.95 for youth 12 and under and $12.95 for youth 13 and older.
We are introducing a new program at Central this year that will bring families and members of all ages together for a mid-week pizza supper in Chapel Hall. We will break “crusts” together and spend time exploring our faith together as families. Our first gathering will be at 5 PM in Chapel Hall on Wednesday, September 23rd when we will screen the award-winning film, “Selma”, and be lead in discussion by members of our youth groups.
Youth Mission Sunday this year will fall on Sunday the 27th. The WORD Senior High Fellowship will show down in a mini-golf tournament at Mulligan’s Island in Cranston following worship. Rounds will be $10.
Blessings and peace, Aidan
Book Group
Rebecca’s Book Group next meets on Thursday, September 24 at 12:30 to discuss The Wright Brothers by David McCullough. All are invited to attend this lively group!
KUDOS!
Congratulations to Sam Leander for winning a National Merit Scholarship. Sam is the son of David Leander and Terri Leander.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT BOOK GROUP
Thursday, September 10
7:00-8:30 p.m. at Katherine McMillan’s home
This month we will discuss All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this bestseller about a German boy and a blind French girl traces the ways the ways that they deal with the devastation of World War II. Come join us for a lively discussion of this award winning book! Questions? Call Claudia.
Looking ahead:
Oct. 8 I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb (at Barbara Welt’s)
Nov. 12 Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier (at Margaret Gardner’s)
Dec. 10 Annual Christmas Potluck and Book Swap (at Ann Scott’s)
Jan. 14 Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross (at Central)
Central Is Going On the Road!!
Tour of “St. Patrick’s Ireland”
April 10-19, 2016
Travel Presentation—Sunday, Sept. 20
Fireplace Room at 12:00 PM
Travel to Ireland with your friends from Central as we visit Dublin, Galway, Kilbeggan, Athlone, Clonmacnoise, Castlebar, Croagh Patrick, Kylemore Abbey, Westport, Tobernalt, Belleek, Belfast, Downpatrick, and Armagh. All this for $2849 double /$3149 single, airfare included. Book before 10/12/15 and save $250 per person.
Brochures will be mailed soon and there will be a presentation with Jason Garrepy of Collette Tours for those who are interested in learning more on Sunday, September 20 at noon in the Fireplace Room.
CCC Adult Sunday School
On “Being Mortal”
9:00 a.m. on 9/20, 9/27 & 10/4
Fireplace Room
Dr. Atal Gawande discovered that one of the most difficult challenges of his career was not only how medicine improves life, but also how it affects the end of life. Why is talking about dying so difficult? Through his own journey and the wisdom of special guest speakers this class series will explore ways to think about life in all its aspects.
Join us for lively discussion and learning! Questions? Call Claudia.
ARE YOU ABLE TO PROVIDE AN OCCASIONAL RIDE?
Some of our Central community members are unable to drive. A dedicated but small group of people are providing rides to and from Sunday worship, as well as to other church events. This need for rides continues to grow. With your help, we can extend our “ministry of transportation” to more people.
ARK (Acts of Random Kindness) coordinator Gretchen Yealy gretchen_yealy@brown.edu and Barbara Bayon bay30@verizon.net help to organize these rides and would be happy to add you to the list of volunteers. For weekly worship service transportation, a sign-up list is available electronically, making it easy to see which weeks are already covered and when rides are needed.
Your help is needed to make certain that those among us who are less mobile are able to worship with us and attend other church functions. Please be in touch with Gretchen, Barbara, a Deacon or a minister for details and to join in this richly rewarding ministry.
Thank you very much.
Memorial Flowers
As we start the new church season we also start a new flower memorial season. Donating flowers is a special way to remember loved ones and special events. The following lists the names of those remembered last year. It was created to help members identify Sundays they wish to continue their remembrances and to suggest dates that others might wish to consider. Note that more than one person may be remembered on a given Sunday. As in the past a $40 donation is requested.
Please call the church office (331-1960) to confirm listed date, change a date, or initiate a new memorial(s).
| September 13
Theodore Whitford (Ruth Whitford)
Mr. and Mrs. Harry L. Devoe (Dazzle Gidley) Ida Ballou Littlefield (William Claflin) September 20 Jeanne Stout (Robert Stout) Jack Lubrano (K. Robinson) September 27 Pennell Eustis & Tyler J. Eustis (Steven Eustis) Kenneth James Tanner (Jean Edwards) Barbara Littlefield Tanner Ruth Lubrano (K. Robinson) October 4 – World Communion Sunday Gordon & Doris Holmes (Gordon Holmes) October 11 Anne and Bancroft Littlefield (Mary Littlefield) October 18 Plato H. Kangis (Gwen Kangis) October 25 Richard Staples (Mary Staples) Mr. and Mrs. Harold Staples Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Kingsbury Basil Price Sharp (Jane Sharp) Izzy Wohlrab
|
November 1
The Reverend Dr. Raymond D. Gibson (Susan Gibson) November 8 Robert W. Radway (Ted Radway) John Stuart Cumming, Jr (Carolyn Cumming) Paul Dunlap (Justine Dunlap) November 15 Charles E. Gross (Frances Gross) Mr. and Mrs. C. Salisbury Makepeace Charles S. Makepeace, Jr. November 22 Frank E. Fulkerson (Jo Ann Harrison) November 29 Mr. Knight Edwards (Jean Edwards) Mr. and Mrs. William H. Edwards Mr. and Mrs. Seeber Edwards December 6 Anita Harkey (John Harkey) December 13 Lilian Ganther Miller (Ellen Miller) Edwin F. Sherman (Martha Sherman) December 20 – Christmas Memorials December 27 Samuel T. and Vera S. Arnold (Henry Arnold)
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POEMS ON DISPLAY
Central Church’s special sense of community and nurture has been on display this summer in the arts. In August, two of Central’s poets, Barry Bayon and May Grant, had their work accepted by “Poetry and Art.” This third annual exhibition of contemporary poetry and responsive art is sponsored by the Wickford RI Art Association, along with its annual Wickford Art Festival.
The poems & art were on display July 24-August 16 and were read and talked about by the authors, in front of an appreciative audience. Also in attendance was Ilse Kramer, Poet Laureate of Central Church, whose poem was previously selected in summer 2014.
Visit the Poets Page on Central’s website for copies of these poems, along with photos of accompanying art.
“People of Hope”
(inspired by the sculpture by Robin Kolb entitled “Patience”)
I look out into the street
From my window.
It is late and the city is asleep,
The cars parked, the sirens silent.
It is my favorite time, my quiet time.
It is a time when I can gather my thoughts,
Separate my memories and my plans,
Restore my body and my soul.
I share this city,
As I share this dwelling space, with strangers.
We approach each day with hope
For a better life, a better world.
Each day we see crime, sickness and distress, and
Kindness, heroism and thankfulness.
There is good and bad everywhere,
But with patience, we persevere.
We see color in our world,
In people, in buildings, in our thoughts.
We are patient, ordinary people.
We are the people of hope.
-Barry Bayon
“Early Sunday Morning”
(inspired by a 1930 painting by Edward Hooper)
Long shadows play across the sidewalk this early morning.
The street is deserted. The shops are shut.
The reddish granite buildings with the green storefronts,
Are silent as if asleep.
No one is waiting to get in,
Except for a hopeful cat.
No hair will be cut today,
And the barber’s pole will not turn.
Soon the newspaper store will open,
And people will buy their paper
Fat with comics, advertisements,
And stories of baseball heroes.
A block away the café is already serving,
And people will sip coffee and
Rustle their newspapers,
And comment on the state of the economy
Some of the stores may not open again,
As the Depression takes hold,
And people look for work,
And there is none.
Later in the day,
The water department may open the fire hydrant
And children will come and play in the spray,
And life will return to the street as people watch and smile and remember.
-Barry Bayon
“THE JOURNEY”
We start a journey joined in image.
Do you sense me, strong,
behind you?
The camera captures one still icon.
Can you dance with me
beside you?
Veiled by you yet visible alone,
do you grasp how I
enshroud you?
Hands paired, hopes matched,
do you see your heart
inside me?
-May Cornelia Grant
Central Movie Night
“Selma” Movie Screening with Pizza Dinner and Discussion
Wednesday, September 23rd from 5 PM – 8:30 PM: Chapel Hall
Families and friends of Central Church are invited to a pizza dinner and screening of the award-winning and powerful film, “Selma”. Members of our very own youth groups will lead us in discussion following the movie. Please contact Aidan (aidan@centralchuch.us) for more information.
MORE THOUGHTS FROM DEACON’S BENCH
Irked; Slick Lingo and Challenging Times
It is summertime, lazy, slower than normal, hot– I like it, especially after the travails of last winter, snow dams, shoveling the roof, and all. But I do notice that while much of life seems to be about being open to what the Almighty makes possible in life, I am often irked these days—the news is generally irksome, at best, if not downright distressing. Little things irk me, things that have not been, by-and-large, ‘on my radar screen,’ for any length of time. Example: TV commercials that use the word, “support,” as in, “This product supports your immune system.” No one I know as yet knows what this means. Likewise, “This product supports improved brain function.” This is incomprehensible. What does it mean? A friend sends me red-lense sunglasses, and advises, “Wear these, they will support your immune system. Your asthma will go away.” Ok, I take a deep breath. Also, the word, “access,” irks me, as in, “Do you need access to business capital,” or, “I need access to health care,” or, “I need access to birth control.” No, in each case, one needs business capital, healthcare and birth control. Why, “access”? Access doesn’t do me any good at all, generally speaking, even “access to the Clintons.” And how about the ubiquitous use of the word, “So,” in ordinary conversation, as in, “So what is this essay about, anyway?”
Other examples of small irks include legal billboards. Example; I drive to East Greenwich once a week…and en route, several billboards catch my attention. Yes, they all irk me. “In pain? Call Wayne.” The picture of Wayne looks like he’s in a lot of pain. “Fight back? Call Jack.” Jack is making his fist. Then, there is “Want more? Hire four.” Yes, just what I don’t need, four. “The Heavy Hitter! The power of More.” More, muh-huh.. These billboards remind me of what a lawyer friend of mine said not too long ago: “The legal system is not about justice. It’s about marshalling resources to win.” Another attorney friend offers, “Juries are less interested in facts these days than in ‘bias confirmation.’ Still another opines, “When 1% of everybody own 40+% of everything, something is dreadfully wrong.” Yes, to the extent I understand, I agree. As is true for many Americans, I live with the chronic sense we are being played, bamboozled from within, and without. Add in the dueling, “Black Lives Matter,” and “All Lives Matter” movements and one could assert without too much fear of contradiction, our legal system, like so many others, needs to be overhauled, now.
Larger topics surface, majorly irksome, even beyond. In the blogosphere lately it has been said, “Trying to speak the truth these days is an act of courage.” I agree. An example: “Islam is a beautiful religion.” What? Given what is unfolding, what is anyone to do with this? Another often repeated more official view, “ISIS is not about Islam.” Yet, indisputably, we know how the self-described, Islamic State operates. Media offices are targeted and blown up. Creative professionals are murdered on the street. Women are routinely and repeatedly raped (some as young as nine, reportedly), children tortured, Christians kidnapped for ransom, beheaded or crucified, thrown off rooftops all in the name of God. Consistently, Isis proclaims itself before the world as the Caliphate, the Islamic State (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliphate, but one definition). Isis, among other nihilistic, diabolical objectives, wants to raise the flag of the Caliphate over London and Washington, we hear. I am told the Koran references “killing infidels” over 100 times, more toward the end of the book than at the beginning. Can this be so? When will take up the lessons of WWII, and how shall this occur?
In seriously irksome political matters, one friend (who includes himself among the educated, self-enlightened) posts a picture on Facebook of a
leading presidential contender, the candidate himself a distinguished man, a true and longtime public servant. My ‘friend’s’ editorial comment is, “Sick Bastard.” Thankfully, a
childhood admonition kicks in: “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.” Not surprisingly, such critics don’t often believe they are part of the problem. I hide his man’s post. I simply choose not to pass this gibberish around. Now, this kind of thing occurs every day, all the time. Trashing the opposition seems to be for many an objective unto itself, these days. I’d like to see and would attend an art exhibit at the Whitney, “Trashing the Opposition.” Just let it all out for six months. This would constitute a powerful portrait of modern America. Yet, I know full well… a democratic republic is a messy proposition, by design. I want to keep it this way. I work to help keep it this way. So, in hiding this post, have I done the right thing? And are we not all involved in this coarsening of our social fabric when we refuse to hear and then make hideous or illegitimate what another citizen has to say?
On the politics of religion, Irksome doesn’t quite cut it. Yes, this sentiment is in the air, most especially among the young, I am told, ”Show me a religious person and I’ll show you a narrow-minded bigot.” Such an observation, heard in the media lately, seems to be growing in popularity and for me, gives Irksome, new meaning. I will resist.
On taxes— another topic well beyond irksome. Our leaders offer the call of Robin Hood (whom I loved, as a kid), they tell us, “The rich have to pay their fare share.” Ok, this sounds good. I’m for it, loved Robin Hood. But turns out, reportedly, the rich pay for 80% of everything. Many pay one level of government or another nearly 50%, in total. Almost half pay essentially nothing. Is this so? Is any of this, “fair?” What kind of equation is this, really? On the tube, one historian mentions recently that among the Colonies taxes at the time of the American Revolution ran about 1%. King George III proposed raising them to approximately 3% (Another Wikipedia reference, http://www.history.com/news/6-things-you-may-not-know-about-taxes/). Pioneers got upset, and got out their guns. The rest, we know, is history, our history.
Exactly where are we with this 75,000+ page, arcane and unworkable tax system (http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/look-at-how-many-pages-are-in-the-federal-tax-code/article/2563032) Who will take it on? When do we get some Superman-like truth-and-justice on the tax front? $18T in national debt we seem all too willing to pass along to our young says, not anytime soon. Is there some magic mojo in our devaluing currency we should better appreciate? Is some expert going to stand up one more time and say, “This doesn’t really matter?”
In a society of 1%ers,– where 1% own the most, another 1% fight to defend our nation, and a third 1% feed us, what do we really have going on here? With a reported 93M citizens OUT of the job market, what are the other 97% doing? I’d like to see a breakdown. In this context, I welcome the current scene as a form of riveting political theatre. What I observe is often enough nothing short of wonderful; email/server and integrity fiascos, the Trumping (!) of this notion or that—Bernie’s passionate, resonant voice. Political theatre hasn’t been so rich since Rosemary Woods could not explain the eighteen minutes missing on the Nixon tapes. Wait, no, I’m mistaken, since Bill Clinton asserted that “it depends on what the definition of is, is.” Now, with the exception of a certain leading candidate mired in yet another dubious controversy, my hope is that all other candidates keep talking, keep discussing, keep challenging, keep brainstorming, keep up every effort to upset those who would convince us that we are all just fine. We are clearly not just fine and almost everyone seems to get it— so let us imagine, let us hope this is to result somehow in our coming together to rebuild this nation for our grandchildren as our forefathers and mothers did.
The Irksome list is long: “Gender neutral bathrooms” are soon-to-be in vogue. “Gender neutral” children’s clothes are to be found in at least one big-box store. Gender-neutral language has been on the scene for years. But what does gender neutral mean? I don’t know now and have never known even one human being who proclaims, “I am gender neutral.” Most aspire to the opposite, to assert their gender—at least, until recently.
Truly, there are only two genders each created by the Almighty—a lesson made abundantly clear to most of us shortly after our diaper stage, if not before. I have spent my life learning to adore, to love both genders– and I will continue down this path. I prefer a gender-centric environment, not gender neutral. In fact, I regard “gender neutral” as an idea beyond vulgarity, more akin to profanity— to the extent that the phrase reduces both genders it diminishes life, itself. Being fortunate to know many strong and empowered women—and men, it is worth noting that none, not one in 50 years has ever said, “Thank goodness for gender neutrality! What would I ever have done without it!” With all due respect to the two females who recently passed for the first time, the Army Rangers Test, “Gender Neutral,” is predictably nowhere in site. Gender specific accolades are all over our media. Yes, most of us seem to appreciate the challenge that comes with living fully into our respectful gender.
Now I may have this very wrong, but even among those with deep reservations about their own gender identity (including those in my own life), isn’t gender-specific preferable in theory, i.e., more helpful in finding a reconciliation, than gender neutral (neither one nor the other, or both)? Most gender questions involve specific gender identity realized or aspired to; not obliterated gender, not blurred gender, not an infinite set of no-gender possibilities. I don’t know. One recent study suggests that as we age, the question of gender identity seems to settle down, to become clearer for many. They have the numbers to back this up. I hope this is true and helpful.
Then, if we are to work to protect this earth, the biosphere and the animals in jeopardy all over the planet, especially mammals, isn’t it abundantly obvious that gender is one key to any success we may hope to realize? Without this understanding what do we have? Isn’t it odd that among animals– with the exception of homo-sapiens– gender is critical to understanding life, but among homo-sapiens, no, we promote and accept a political gambit. “Gender-neutral” the current fashion; so odd.
Furthermore, in an age characterized by the long and deliberate blurring of gender roles, of impending, genetically selected “designer babies,” does it not make sense to honor and celebrate the only two genders we know? Add to this the ubiquitous rise in the use of chips, smart products and robots, the mixing of what one author describes as “biological intelligence” with “non-biological intelligence,” is it too much of an old-fashioned, outdated, obsolete concept to suggest we might want to reconsider the inherent authenticity, beauty and dare I say, Holiness, in gender? In other words, is this message some missing verse from Genesis, I missed? Can we really expect to live out God’s will for our lives with a sign overhead that reads, “Gender Neutral”?
On race, whoever came up with the irksome phrase “Color blind society”? This is another ill-conceived, way-too fashionable expression. I know academics at certain institutions go into a state of near-ecstasy at this very thought. But I now realize being “color blind” has nothing to do with the world I want to inhabit. Personally,
I want a color rich society, color positive, as much color to appreciate as possible. This is the way the Almighty created us, is it not? As my once-Puerto Rican girlfriend taught me long ago during teen-age years, the spectrum of skin colors is itself one of the wonderful mysteries of life to be not distressed, suppressed, oppressed, repressed or otherwise diminished, but celebrated and cherished.
More irksome language to ponder: Currently fashionable phrases, “People of color,” and “communities of color,” are especially so. As a practical matter, when anyone hears them uttered, the interpretation that is most instantaneous translates to mean, “Anyone but white.” In an increasingly racially charged environment, why do we accept this dubious idea, this language? Is this helpful? In reality, anyone who has ever taken even one color theory course knows there are as many color possibilities in the white part of the spectrum as in the black. What is indisputable is that (in my lengthening, unpopular book of notions) in the grand spectrum, we are all people of color. I find strength in acknowledging and honoring God-given skin color, no matter what it is. Isn’t this exactly the way the Almighty intended it to be?
Then, also beyond irksome, there is the ever-troubling term, among the worst of all possible labels, “racist.” I notice lately one lingerie company was charged with being racist, because its product color line did not live up to the writer’s notions as to what the just-right product color should look like. Really? I checked. The colors I witnessed are pretty fine, generally speaking! Racist? More ominously, current thought in some quarters advances the idea that simply put, we in white society are all racists. Certain “progressive” commentators have it that “whites need to die” for the past 400 years of slavery. There is little if any hope for redemption, forgiveness, mercy or love. Our American history is written off as but a fiction. In this view, New Testament lessons appear to be absent. Ok, we live in a free country—ostensibly. These writers are free to write whatever they wish…and I will defend their right to speak, but so will I reject this perspective and work to defeat this idea. Is the current occupant of the White House, put there by black society, yes, but largely by white society, part of our “fictional history?” I choose to believe, No. In the grand context of historical, cultural mythmaking, I will continue to choose to live in the story that is the New Testament.
And isn’t it painful to realize that when millions of ‘undocumented workers’ show up illegally in our country, who demand health care, driver’s licenses, college education including law degrees at the expense of the taxpayer, we who are inclined to take issue with this circumstance are referred to immediately by some as a) lacking compassion b) short on generosity and c) racist. I confess to find this a personal challenge of a very high order.
Is it any surprise that we are now told that while numerous, progressive, naked females young and old parade around Time Square celebrating “Topless Equality Day,” in irksome California, “Alien,” is now outlawed as a useful word…unless you are talking about extra-terrestrials. My quaint notion is that outlawing the word “Alien,” is itself an alien idea for one possessed of even a modestly liberated mind.
In the same repressive spirit, on certain college campuses I understand phrases like, “Made in America,” and “The American Dream,” are thought by authorities to be “offensive” forms of “micro-aggression,” some requiring “trigger warnings” to alert “sensitive students” to “troubling” subject matter. But shall we take heart! At one such liberal-arts college recently, a small, special area has been designed a ”safe, free speech zone.” Irked, I wonder– just what is the designation for the rest of the campus? Reminds me of the old Soviet Union– the State would take kids and send them off to “summer camp.” Only when each student demonstrated a mastery of official propaganda could s/he could return home, again. In a nation such as ours, thought by many to be raising passive, unquestioning adult children more concerned about “raising their self-esteem” than thinking through and acting upon problems pressing down on all of us, all this sounds about right. As friends say, “Oy.”
I know my own notions and ideas about such irksome and miscellaneous topics are likely mine alone, and are of little to no consequence. I don’t worry about it. That which undergirds what I think about any topic is buttressed by the invitation of my faith. In this is the challenge to wake up each day with a happy, generous heart, to understand and accept the grand idea that Christ forgives my litany of sins and yours; that we are loved by the Almighty, and that this is the good news to which we are called as servants of God to bring into the world. I find this theology to be a challenge worth living and dying for.
In all this, I take heart also in our Congregationalist community that we are called together as servants in the unfolding of all these events to do the work God would have us do. Each of us in our own way struggles to grasp the times and to try to live up to the Two Great Commandments. We believe that on this short, perilous journey, “loving thy neighbor as thyself” before God is the central mission. AMEN, to the whole idea.
In the meantime, what is not irksome in the least is this fresh ham and cheese grinder under my arm, these two bottles of summer ale, and my determination to take one more swim at the beach, starting right now.
-George Delany