News & Notes 9/17/09
May God’s grace fill your life today, my Friends,
There is a great deal to share with you today, so I’ll jump right in!
Last evening, our Staff/Parish Relations Committee broke into two groups to conduct interviews for both our Treasurer and Music Director positions. Five folks were interviews for the Treasurer’s job, and three interviews were held for the Music Director’s. While the night went long for both interview groups, I understand they were both productive times. There’s a little more work the Committee needs to do, but I suspect there will be announcements coming in the not-too-distant-future. Stay tuned - and in the meantime, offer a word of thanks to the members of your SPRC (Diana Schuman, Chair, Ken Bennett, Betsey Bolton, Deanna Gallant, Stuart Johnson, Jim Korth, Aimee Krauss, Barbara MacKenzie, Betty Small, Jay Whitehouse) for the hard work that they do for the life and ministry of St. John’s Church - as well as the employed staff!
Our special “raise-money-for-the-new-church-garden” Public Supper is coming right up - this Saturday, from 4:30 till 6 PM. Fettuccine Alfredo (didn’t think I knew how to spell that, did ya?) Penne pasta with marinara sauce, fresh vegetables, breads, and wonderful desserts. This is being put on by the planning group for the garden, but they would love to have helpers - anytime on Saturday . . . and customers, in the evening!! Bring a friend or two!!
The next “regular” monthly supper will be next Saturday - and the main course is meatloaf - as only Mike Weinberger can make it!! The sign-up sheets for this supper will be posted before Sunday morning. As always lots of helpers and donors will be needed.
Sunday School kicks off this Sunday morning! The kids are invited to start the morning with the congregation, as we sing Praise Songs and begin the worship service. Then they’ll be excused to go downstairs. While there may still be a little shifting of grades as details get worked out, there are teachers for each classroom. There is a definite need for one (and possibly two) one-on-one “shadows” for a special needs student. No preparation work would be required. If you’d be able to help out with this duty, please speak to Jinny Scott right away.
As I’ve mentioned several times before Rev. Terry Thomason will be joining me in the leadership of worship this Sunday morning. As a member of the Retired Reconciling Clergy or New England, Pastor Terry has a story to tell about his journey of understanding the issue of homosexuality, how that issue has impacted the life of the Church, and where, from his perspective, he hopes the Church will move. May we come in a worshipful manner to this Sunday’s services.
Youth Groups will begin this Sunday! Our Youth Director, Brenda Borchers will be joined in the leadership of the groups by Bethany Sullivan and Mike Weinberger - with the possibility of more adults joining them. Their first meeting will be a “dinner meeting” for all Middle School and High School youth, as well as their parents. All the fun begins at 4 PM. Pass the word!!!
Next Tuesday I’ll be starting a three-part Inquirer’s/Membership Class - for those who are thinking about joining the church, as well as those who know they definitely want to join the church. But I’d like to extend an invitation to all those who have been a member of the church - whether for 5 or 50 years - who may have forgotten some of the “stuff” that makes up our great denomination and our great congregation. It always makes a class interesting when “an already member” takes part in the class. They know the questions to ask and can offer some reflections on “life” in this congregation. So I hope there’ll be some who join us. The classes begin this Tuesday, September 22nd, at 7 PM.
Are you gathering items to donate to the Rummage/Yard Sale - which will take place on Friday and Saturday, October 2nd and 3rd? It’ll take all of us to make it happen. I also need to mention that the Finance Committee hasn’t been successful in securing a volunteer (or volunteers) to chair this event. How ’bout you? Remember this classic piece:
“Once upon a time, there were four people named Everybody, Somebody, Nobody, and Anybody. When there was an important job to be done, Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody would have done it, but Nobody did it. When Nobody did it, Everybody got angry because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Somebody would do it, but Nobody realized that Nobody would do it. So, it ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done in the first place.”
A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon. Four worms were placed into four separate jars. The first worm was put into a container of alcohol. The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke. The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup. The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil. At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results: The first worm in alcohol - Dead. The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead. Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead. Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive. So the Minister asked the congregation, “What can you learn from this demonstration?” Maxine was sitting in the back, quickly raised her hand and said, “As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won’t have worms!” That pretty much ended the service –
These last couple of articles come from our Bishop’s version of “News & Notes.” I thought they were important to share with you.
? HOW’S THE TEMPERATURE OF YOUR COFFEE HOUR? At the Pastors’ Assembly this summer the Rev. Jack Johnson who is the Executive Director of the Mass. Council of Churches (and former D.S. from New Jersey) talked about the experience of visiting many different churches on Sundays in his position. The pastor often invites the congregation to a “coffee hour” (or fellowship time, or, as I heard in one church, a “chat and chew” time). Jack reported that the coffee may be warm, but the atmosphere of welcome is too often chilly or downright cold. Regular members of the congregation head for their friends and leave visitors standing alone…Oh well, if there’s no one to chat with, chew a little more and head home. That “last impression” of a church is often what sticks with visitors….who rarely come back….unless they like being left out in the cold.
Make sure you intentionally have some people prepared to “greet” and get to know visitors after the service in these “fellowship” settings. They should be ready to introduce visitors to others in the congregation who may live near them or have the same profession or be around the same age. They should be able to talk about other programs and activities that the visitor might be interested in, as well as offer to show them around the church and point out pictures on a bulletin board or creative posters in the fellowship area that show activities of the congregation in the community (missions, youth activities, kids’ picnic, helping at a shelter, worship on the beach, etc.). Sensitize the whole congregation to welcoming visitors….”But, we’re such a friendly church”…yea, to each other, but what about the stranger? Check the temperature of the welcome in your church.
? A LAMENTATION: RACISM One of earth’s deepest “lamentations,” to use Robert Lowry’s word again, is the persistent, pervasive sin of racism that is alive and well in many of our hearts, churches, communities and most recently exhibited in our body- politic. We have always had political disagreements in our democratic political processes, which can be healthy, but we have never had a member of congress shout “You Lie” at a President of the United States as he spoke to the Congress about a critical issue in our nation’s life. I do not believe it would have happened had the President been white.
Racism happens in our lives when we believe we have the power to act out our prejudices….the power to breach civility….the power to keep others from moving into our neighborhood….the power to shun others who enter our church.
Last week I gathered with fifty or sixty other New England United Methodists for three days of reflecting on racism in ourselves and the systems we are a part of. The Council of Bishops has regularly addressed racism in our own ranks as well as the larger church and society. The first session on racism I remember being a part of was in 1958 when I was a freshmen in a highly diverse urban high school….and there have been many, many such times since. And every time I realize more about my own “white privilege” and power…..I find myself with confessions from my own heart and for our own church….and I experience the blessing of God’s grace that keeps me growing…and making new commitments to be a part of ending racism. For, like you I hope, I truly do want to “love my neighbor as I love myself,” “Do unto others as I would have them do unto me,” and to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.” This is not just a political matter, it is a profoundly spiritual matter.
Again and again, I have learned that each of us has our own personal work to do, and we have the calling from God to confront racism in every form around us….be it in systems, jokes, schools, housing, our politics, etc. And we have the ability to influence others and invite them into this ongoing journey, until lamentations turn to celebrations.
I hope that you are having these discussions in your church, with family and friends. Let God lead us to be the people and church and community that reflect God’s will done on earth, even as it is in heaven!
Grace and Peace, Pete [Weaver]
That’s it for this week. Have a blessed weekend. See you in church. Peace, Mark