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Summer 2008 Tower Tidings
Gift Cards A great way to help fund our Mission Trips. Gift Cards are Full Value to purchaser, but a percentage of the sale is sent to the church which we use to help fund our mission trips. Our next order is September 14th, but we have A & P, Stop & Shop, and Dunkin’ Donuts cards for immediate purchase during the summer. See Linda Wright on Sunday mornings or MaryAnn in the church office during the week. Thank you for supporting our youth! The American Red Cross www.bloodct.org Blood is needed for emergencies and for people who have cancer, blood disorders, sickle cell, anemia and other illnesses. Some people need regular blood transfusions to live. Blood supplies get low in the summer – please consider donating blood – the need is real, the need is now. To make an appointment: www.givelife.org or call 1-800-448-3543. Thank you.
Save the Date!! The Next Fellowship Luncheon Tuesday, September 9th 12:30 p.m.
Candlewood Yacht Club From Heavenly Delights Cookbook.... Strawberry Popsicles 1 pt strawberries (hulled and washed) 1 cup plain yogurt 2 - 4 T honey (to taste) Place all ingredients in blender and bled until smooth. If you prefer to have chunks of fruit in the popsicles, blend just until strawberries are coarsely chopped. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze. Any fruit, alone or in combination with others, may be substituted for the strawberries. Blueberry Muffins 2 cup Bisquick 1 egg 1 cup sour cream 1 cup fresh blueberries 2 tsp grated lemon peel sugar In medium bowl combine biscuit mix and ¼ cup sugar. Make a well in center of mixture; add sour cream all at once and egg. Beat with fork until well combined. With rubber scraper, gently fold blueberries into batter. Scoop about ¼ cup batter into each greased muffin cup. In small bowl combine lemon peel and 2 tbs sugar; mix well. Sprinkle over batter in each cup. Bake 20 - 25 min. in 425 preheated oven until golden brown. HAPPY SUMMER!!
Save the Date! Church School September 7 – Church School Registration and Ice Cream Social September 14 – Church School Begins
Summer Preaching Schedule While Pastor Laura is away on vacation, we welcome and thank the following for leading worship.... July 13 Rev. Paul Beavers July 20 Rev. Sarge Desmond July 27 Videen McGaughey Bennett
Deer Hill Thrift Shop Open Friday and Saturday 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Great new summer merchandise – clothes for the entire family – don’t forget to check out our great supply of books for your summer beach (or waiting in the airport) reading!
Upcoming Sales Dollar Days July 11 & 12, 18 & 19 Bag Sale July 25 – 26
And, if you have some summer down-time, we invite you to join our volunteer team – we have a great time and you’re helping the community and the church. Call Jan at 743-4235 or jan.hamlin@sbcglobal.net.
UCC Coffee Project Our Fair Trade Coffee, Tea & Chocolate For sale after worship on Sundays (see Rachel Westby) or in the Church Office during the week (see MaryAnn).
From Pastor Laura...
Building a bridge, one step at a time
During the month of May, six First Church members and I participated in a four week pilot program called “Building Bridges”. Our congregation hosted this program by offering its space as a place of meeting and providing coffee and cookies. The program, sponsored by the Association of Religious Communities, was designed to bring people from various backgrounds together for dialogue about a community concern. Because immigration is a particularly difficult issue in the Greater Danbury area, it was chosen for the pilot program.
Our group of eighteen was a wonderfully diverse one. We ranged in age from 30-something to post-retirement. Some were socially liberal, others socially conservative. Some were outspoken, others quiet. We were of Brazilian, Ecuadorian, Dominican, African and European descent. Our church backgrounds, educations and life experience were all unique in some way. Together we comprised a small community that in many ways mirrors the Greater Danbury area.
For me, the experience was a very rich one. Some of my assumptions were challenged as I heard group members speak. On one or two occasions something that was said confronted me with the need to examine a prejudice I didn’t know I had. While this was painful at first, it was freeing in the end. There were lots of stories told, including one person’s account about coming to the U.S. illegally. The desperation which caused this decision to be made and the horrific stories of the journey itself moved everyone in the group. “I tell everyone, don’t do what I did, it’s too dangerous. I was separated from my family for 14 years, until I could become a citizen and bring them here legally because I didn’t want them to suffer what I did.”
The program is aptly named because its most important outcome was that bridges between people were built. Through frank discussion about differences of opinion, by confronting our biases and prejudices together, while writing prayers and sharing meals, we formed bonds with one another. We became a bit more educated, a bit more open, a bit more willing to listen to others and look at ourselves. We may not have changed our minds, but we did alter our way of seeing one another.
I was glad that our church could host these sessions. We truly were what we say we want to be — a place of meeting, a place where people can come together to build bridges for the good of those gathered and the well-being of the community.
Thank you to: The youth who led our Baccalaureate Sunday worship: Jill Christian, Janine Hull, Joanna Hull, Kieran Minor, Colin O’Brien, Shiny Patel, Rachel Westby, and our preacher Lisa Whitlock; The church school teachers and shepherds, whose dedication to our children was so evident in the poise and spiritual strength our young people show in worship and in life; The sanctuary choir, who bless us with their musical gifts each week; Jeff Falk and Anita Lucsky, the youth group leaders for this past year; Lori Fritzer, whose grace and wisdom as moderator have been a tremendous blessing this past year; Gene Bonney, for countless hours as Church Resource chairperson searching for ways to cut costs and increase revenue, working to fix what’s broke and improve what isn’t, and challenging us to be better than we are; The members of our church boards who served so faithfully to ensure our church’s continued progress toward vitality and health; Our Maker and Guide, for the privilege of being called the people of God at First Congregational Church of Danbury.
“Speaking of Faith” If you are interested in thought-provoking discussion on a wide range of topics dealing with faith, check out the series “Speaking of Faith” on National Public Radio. Broadcast each Sunday morning from 7-8AM, and available on the Web (www.speakingoffaith.publicradio.org) and podcast shortly afterwards, SOF host Krista Tippett and her guests delve into religion, meaning, ethics and ideas. “A weekly national program since July 2001, Speaking of Faith is not so much about religion per se, but about drawing out compelling and challenging voices of wisdom on the most important subjects of 21st century life; thereby creating a different kind of in-depth, revealing, illuminating dialogue than can be elicited by traditional journalistic treatments and debates. Topics range from “Einstein and the Mind of God” to “The Spirituality of Parenting” to “Diplomacy and Religion in the 21st Century.”
Some of Pastor Laura’s favorites include: “Quarks and Creation” (5/29/08): Stephen Polkinghorne, a physicist and Anglican priest applies the deepest insights of modern physics to think about how the world works, and how the universe might make space for prayer.
“The Spirituality of Addiction and Recovery” (5/15/08): Explore the spiritual foundations of addiction and recovery with authors Kevin Griffin and Susan Cheever. Griffin reflects on the consonance of Buddhist teachings and the Twelve Steps; Cheever tells her personal story and that of her father, the late fiction writer John Cheever.
“Planting the Future” (4/24/08): An interview with Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai who founded the Green Belt Movement — a grassroots organization that empowers African women to improve their lives and conserve the environment through planting trees. After helping plant 30 million trees, she speaks about the global balance of human and natural resources and shares her thoughts on where God resides.
“Liberating the Founders” (3/13/08): The culture wars of recent years, journalist Steven Waldan says, hijacked Americans' understanding of the country's founders and of the meaning of religious liberty. This distortion muddles current debates about the relationship between government and religion, and may even distort the wisdom we might bring to young democracies around the world. (Descriptions are from the Speaking of Faith website)
Baccalaureate Sunday, June 15, 2008
Sermon by Lisa Whitlock Good Morning and congratulations to all the graduates,
Two years ago almost to the day, I stood in this very spot as a sophomore asking that the congregation to bear with me. At that time I believed I would have achieved my intellectual and spiritual max upon graduating. I have certainly grown and become two years wiser, but as Jeff Falk once told me, “There is no destination when dealing with ones growth, but rather there is a journey in which our experiences mold our spiritual mind set.” It is not until I looked back while writing this sermon that I fully comprehended these words. With this being said, I ask once again that you bear with me for I, as well as all of you, have not yet reached my max.
Just as I said before, I have learned that in spiritual growth, the journey is incessant. Never is there a time where each of you cannot become closer with God. Although a destination or ending point is not present, the act of becoming closer with God is an evident goal. The journey every one of you undergoes is, for the most part, trial and error. If a certain idea or way of achieving the ever present religious goal fails, our hearts and minds urge us to alter our path. Continuing to follow the same unsuccessful idea is an action that will lead you around in circles. At times these circles are necessary in order to realize what it is about a specific proposal went wrong. However, there is a point when we must set aside our traditions, break through our comfort zones, and remember our goal.
In the reading from Genesis this morning (9: 1-12), the Lord speaks to Abram and proclaims that he must leave his country. God promises that his name will become great and his kindred will receive vast amounts of land. In the passage, this pursuit of greatness and trusting in God represents the goal. For Abram, and for many others, it is crucial to leave the country, in which they reside. The Bible is one literary piece that must not be taken literally. In this way, ones “country” is not only their living place, but it is also the mental and emotional state the individual is in. Now I must admit, this idea of leaving ones country is difficult for every person. For anyone of you who have spent even the slightest amount of time with me, my statement of leaving your country may come as a shock. It is no secret that in most cases I have built an indestructible house, locked the door, and bolted myself to the ground of my mental and emotional country. I thrive on tradition, I must confess, I have tried my best throughout the last eighteen years to remain in the past. To an extent, I was wrong in my attempts. There is no shame in trying to continue a Christmas pageant that has touched the hearts of young children as well as my own. However, challenging the fate of our church, in an effort to remain with our favorite customs, is an error of judgment on me as well as those who have so long felt the same. I am not going to speak for others, but my personal goal is to remain in this sanctuary. In our church’s history we have only moved forward and built additional congregations as a result of our success, rather than our failure. It is up to us as a family to pull together and reach whatever goal we have for one another.
We must leave our country. For so long, when given the option of choosing a square or a circle, we have chosen then square to be placed in a circle. The ending circle is our goal. Rather than continuously attempting to alter our goal, let us place down the square. Place our failures behind us in order to move forward without changing our goal. In an annual meeting last year, we discussed the fate of our church. One member stated that perhaps this failure was a way of God telling us not to be here. And to my horror, several other members agreed. I was dumbfounded. Had we tried every way to achieve our goal and failed, then perhaps this statement would be true. But until this point, it is not God’s way of telling us to leave, but it is His way of leading us to change.
If I, the one bolted and fixed to my country, realize that perhaps our way of going about our goal jeopardizes that goal, then it is time for you as a congregation to do the same. Remaining in our country will not lead to greatness and spiritual closeness as it did for Abram. It will inevitably lead us just where we began, over 300 years ago. A goal we create was always at one point something we all desired. Do not change this just because we fear what may happen if it is altered.
In 1996 during our 300th year, we all received a blue anniversary book which has recently been placed on display in pilgrim hall. In it is our church’s history to date. One portion of this was a sermon from Reverend Howson. A few years prior to her departure she preached where I stand today advocating for change. It has been more than ten years since this speech and yet here we are in the country we have so long been in our minds, frantically searching for the answers.
For as long as I can remember, I heard the parents in the church, and when I say heard I mean I “accidentally” stuck my ear next to the cradle room door with a paper cup during annual meetings prior to my confirmation, that in ten years, if we followed the same path, we would not be here. Ten years will be here shortly and it is our time now to stand firmly as we fight. We can not falter. We have decreased our budget, but money alone will not bring more members to our family. We must reach out. We must involve ourselves. I work part time; I go to school, and play sports. I am sometimes overwhelmed and I cannot imagine the stress you may feel when asked to take on a job. But not every position takes the strength and time so many such as Annie Orr, Lori Fritzer, Cindy Tyrseck, Jackie Cole, and Pastor Laura take responsibility for. It may mean volunteering to teach your child’s class three times for the whole year, or giving ideas for fund-raisers. Each job serves as a crucial part of the inner workings of our church. Give a little of yourself.
If each of you desire the goal I have so long sought after, then I challenge you here today to ask how to help, to lend a helping hand to the congregation that has done so much for its members. Leave your country. I cannot promise that it will be easy but I can promise that it will be worth every painful and strenuous second of it. If even one of you leaves here today and gives even the slightest bit of yourself, then my objective has been met. Let Abram be your guide and you will see, God has plans for us. His plans are above all, even those we have for ourselves. We just have to leave our emotional and mental country.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Prayers – A resource for Families The Christian Education Board has purchased a wonderful new book of mealtime prayers for families called Peanut Butter and Jelly Prayers by Julie B. Sevig. Each prayer is accompanied with “Table Talk” suggestions to move your dinner conversation beyond the usual “How was your day?” Some of the table graces are light-hearted while others are more serious. There are graces for different times of the year and special occasions, like birthdays or the arrival of new family member. There are mealtime prayers for sad times, moving and back to school. And yes, there is a prayer for PB and J sandwiches! The book may be borrowed from the church library and is available from your favorite bookseller. Here are a couple of our favorites:
For Pizza: Bless the cheese, Bless the meat, O dear God, bless all who eat. For those who hunger, those who shiver - We thank you God - you, too, deliver.
Table Talk: If you could pick three people to invite to have pizza with, who would you invite?
Picnic Blessings Sometimes we’re inside, sometimes we’re out, Sometimes we’re even “out and about.” Like you, dear Jesus, we’re on the go, Enjoying creation – we love it so! Bugs and water, sunset and flower, We give you thanks for this fine hour.
Table Talk: What creature reminds you of God’s creativity and/or sense of humor?
Beginning of Summer The earth is alive with the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the waters. We thank you for these months of fun and rest, for fresh fruit and meals cooked and eaten outdoors. Keep us safe from all harm and secure in your love as we enjoy your wonderful creation. In Jesus name, amen.
Table Talk: What is one thing you would like to try this summer that you’ve never tried before?
Outreach Board The Outreach Board would like to thank everyone in the congregation who contributed to the recent food drive for "Our Daily Bread" Food Pantry at St. James Church. You have been very generous with donations of food and your whole hearted response is greatly appreciated. The rising cost of food and fuel has put an increasing financial burden on people everywhere, and there is an even greater need now than there has been in the past for your contributions to the "Our Daily Bread" Food Pantry. The Outreach Board hopes to continue to hold food drives during the 2008-2009 year. Food lists will be left at the rear of the sanctuary for you to keep in your car or at home. You can shop the sales and specials at local grocery stores and begin collecting now for our next drive. Thank you all very much!
Church World Service
During the months of May and June the Outreach Board again sold greeting cards to benefit the CWS "Blankets" and "Tools of Hope" programs. These programs provide disaster relief and initiate and maintain sustainable development programs for third world nations world- wide. Through the sales of cards, we were able to donate approximately $300.00 to these programs. Because of the magnitude of the natural disasters in Myanmar, China and the USA, Outreach would like to continue to collect and donate funds to CWS for relief in these areas. We will place "Special Offering" envelopes in the Church Bulletin for the next two weeks for anyone who wishes to make a donation to CWS. If you write a check, please make it payable to "First Congregational Church" and write "CWS" in the memo portion of your check. Thank you for your generous response and Happy Summer! Lyn Sherman
Cherries Gerhard E. Frost
“You know, life isn’t just a bowl of cherries.” I said it to my granddaughter. “No,” she flashed back, “sometimes it’s just a bunch of ants!”
She said it well. Life can be a long procession of pesky irritations, too small to count.
But thank God still for the cherries; the night-time breeze that moves through rustling leaves, the healing touch or fleeting smile, and the still, small voice. God hides his majesty in these.
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