lent 2020: all creatures great and smalllent 2020: all creatures great and small one of the delights...

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1 “Lent 2020: All Creatures Great and Small” One of the delights of the internet age, by way of various social media outlets, is cats. I happen to be a cat fancier, though that really doesn’t describe it since I was reared by my paternal Grandmother in a house full of cats, and as far back as I can remember, we always had cats, as well as the occasional cocker spaniel. It seems to run in the family since my siblings all now have cats, of various stripe and color. Sadly, for the time being I am cat- less. What, you surely ask, do cats have to do with Lent? Each of the days following Ash Wednesday have a theme, in some liturgical circles, and one of the themes is the Deluge, the Great Flood, when all the animals are marched, two by two, into the Ark, by which all the creation is saved. When I think about all the creatures being saved, not just Noah and his crew, but all of them--buzzards and kangaroos and koala bears (think of Australia and another kind of deluge), platypuses, golden retrievers, salamanders and newts, parrots and budgies—when I think of them I am minded of another, a singular cat, the feline friend of the novelist, playwright, translator, essayist and poet Dorothy Sayers, who wrote: When the Ark of the new life grounds upon Ararat, Grant us to carry into the rainbow’s light, In a basket of gratitude, the small, milk-white Silken identity of Timothy, our cat.”

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Page 1: Lent 2020: All Creatures Great and SmallLent 2020: All Creatures Great and Small One of the delights of the internet age, by way of various social media outlets, is cats. I happen

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“Lent 2020: All Creatures Great and Small”

One of the delights of the internet age, by way of various social media outlets,

is cats. I happen to be a cat fancier, though that really doesn’t describe it since I was reared by my paternal Grandmother in a house full of cats, and as far back as I can remember, we always had cats, as well as the occasional cocker spaniel. It seems to run in the family since my siblings all now have cats, of various stripe and color. Sadly, for the time being I am cat-less. What, you surely ask, do cats have to do with Lent?

Each of the days following Ash Wednesday have a theme, in some liturgical circles, and one of the themes is the Deluge, the Great Flood, when all the animals are marched, two by two, into the Ark, by which all the creation is saved. When I think about all the creatures being saved, not just Noah and his crew, but all of them--buzzards and kangaroos and koala bears (think of Australia and another kind of deluge), platypuses, golden retrievers, salamanders and newts, parrots and budgies—when I think of them I am minded of another, a singular cat, the feline friend of the novelist, playwright, translator, essayist and poet Dorothy Sayers, who wrote:

When the Ark of the new life grounds upon Ararat, Grant us to carry into the rainbow’s light, In a basket of gratitude, the small, milk-white Silken identity of Timothy, our cat.”

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Among her many literary accomplishments, Sayers was perhaps, first and foremost, a believer, and her faith informed her view of Creation, expressed most clearly in “The Mind of the Maker.”

As we meander through Lent this year, we will encounter along the way, the LIVING Mind of the Maker, that One who showed us the nature of salvation, as it is written in the words of the Christ in the Gospel According to Matthew: “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”(Matthew 24). That is to say, the early church saw in Jesus Christ a figure of the Ark which bore the salvation of the world.

To speak of Christ being the Savior of the World means many things. As we will see in the coming weeks, he is for some of us The Healer of all our soul’s diseases, the Teacher par excellence, the Friend of the weak and forlorn, the one who is Emmanuel, “God with Us,” the Way, the Truth, and the Life when we have lost our way, the Alpha and the Omega, the Advocate, the Bread of Life who satisfies our every hunger, the Good Shepherd who gathers us in his fold.

Dorothy Sayers had Timothy, and once upon a time my family and I had Oliver and Wendell and Holmes. Yes, we really did, and we loved them dearly and there came a time when, in baskets of gratitude, we had to give them back to the Maker, to dwell forever in the Ark of Salvation, along with all the other sweet creatures God has given us.

Peace to you and all your sweet creatures,

Ken Frazier

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Condolences Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Marjorie McKennerney who joined the Church Eternal & Triumphant on Tuesday, January 20, 2020 and John “Jack” Phelan who joined

the Church Eternal and Triumphant on February 17, 2020. We will continue to keep their family and friends in our thoughts and prayers.

March Happy Birthday to the following Church Members! Jean Barker3/4 John Gordon 3/5 Catherine Walling 3/5 Stacy Brites 3/8 Ralph Crouse 3/9 Patricia Perillo 3/11 Dana Silva 3/11 Dennis McGuire 3/15

James Trenske 3/19 Abigayle Trenske 3/20 Harold Elwell 3/24 Kathryn St. George 3/24 Adrian Stephenson 3/24 George Walters 3/25 Robert Mitchell 3/27

A Special Birthday Shout out to our George Gardner!!!

On March 22nd

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OUTREACH MOMENT

“One Great Hour of Sharing” Our special offering will be received

on March 23, 2020

Giving from our abundance helps build clean water and sewage

facilities in villages devastated by poverty; nurtures self sufficiency

through health care, education, and job training; and brings safety,

shelter, and food after natural disaster or violent circumstances

have made towns uninhabitable.

Sharing brings joy to us, to others, to God. Let sharing transform you

as you help transform the world through One Great Hour of Sharing.

If you can’t be in church March 23rd please mail a check to the

office marked OGHS on the memo line.

From your Board of Christian Outreach

GWIM FOOD BANK DONATIONS

Peanut Butter & Jelly, Canned Meats, Cold Cereal, Mac & Cheese, Pasta & Pasta Sauce, Juice, tuna, canned soups-stews-chili, canned fruits, canned vegetables, beans (canned or dried), rice pouches, etc. Other donations will be welcomed, but these will be the main focus. The food basket will be available each week

in the Narthex.

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DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS! Daylight Savings Time will begin Sunday, March 8, 2020 at 2:00 a.m. Turn your clocks AHEAD one hour on Saturday evening March 7th.

WISH LIST FOR

SAFE HAVEN SHELTER

Liquid Laundry detergent Pillow Cases - Pillows

Canned Juice Hair Brushes

Dish Detergent Diapers (large & ex-large)

Paper Towels Cleaning Supplies

Jars of Baby Food Baby Cereal Toilet Paper Napkins

Women’s socks (new) School Supplies

Videos Children’s Socks (new)

Nintendo Games Large Bath towels

Women’s Underwear (new) Fitted twin sheets

Wash Cloths Children’s Underwear (new) Gift Certificates

Safe Haven currently provides the following bilingual (English/Spanish) services to victims of domestic violence

and sexual assault: up to 60 days of shelter for women and their children; individual and peer group counseling; 24

hour crisis hotlines for domestic violence and sexual assault; legal advocacy information and referral; community education for adults and children; and court based family

violence victim advocacy. All information obtained through counseling remains confidential. They do not subscribe to Caller I. D. Please bring all your donations for Safe Haven on

the third Sunday in March.

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Arts & Laughs & Crafts

Every Wednesday Night

between 7:00PM & 9:00PM we

come together. We have three

sewing machines, enough material to start a fabric store. There

is also enough paints, projects and craft kits. You don’t have to

be crafty. Just want a night out to enjoy laughing, making and

being with friends. Come and join us!

P.S. you can also bring your own projects.

Annual Easter Egg

Hunt

Saturday, April 4, 2020 1 pm to 3 pm

First Congregational Church 222 West Main Street, Waterbury

Rain or Shine! (games, crafts, snacks & giveaways)$2.00 Adults – $1.00 Children

Call 203-757-0331 for reservations! Church Members: Donations of candy, plastic eggs (can be found at any dollar store) and snack items (juice, cookies, and chips) would be appreciated!

Please drop off in the church office.

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NOTES FROM OUR Director of Music

We welcome in March and as we take a look around us we begin to see the subtle signs of spring beginning to appear. There will be several events coming up this month that you should take note of; the first of which is youth group will meet on

Sunday, March 22 at 11:30 am, as our first two youth group meetings we’ll discuss events and programming coming up over the course of the year.

The second of which, will be a Lenten Concert here at First Church, with selections performed by Victoria Minotti, Maria DiGennaro, myself and several others, more details will be forthcoming. The Easter Egg Hunt will also be quickly approaching, Saturday April 4th, please check with the office or myself to see what exactly we will need for donations as we need some things more than others.

A huge thank you to the three George Walters Sr, Jr and the 3rd for doing some pew repair last month, their help and expertise is truly appreciated. Finally, Bell choir; for those that are interested my hope is to have an intergenerational group of players that would meet twice a month and have music prepared for the holidays and other special occasions. We have a wonderful set of bells that would love to be used. Playing hand bells doesn’t necessarily require you to read music. So if you are interested please contact me.

Stewart Crouse Director of Music & Youth

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April 5th Palm Sunday

7:30 – 9:30 am Breakfast - Clinton Hall Palm Sunday Service

10 am – Sanctuary- First Congregational Church

April 9th Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday Soup and Bread Agape Meal, 6:00 PM, Clinton Hall, First Church -Maundy Thursday Communion

Service, 7:00 PM Sanctuary, First Church

April 10th Good Friday Good Friday Service 3:00 pm – Sanctuary

First Congregational Church

April 12th Easter Sunday Easter Sunday Sunrise, 7:00 AM

Waterbury Baptist Ministries & First Church (in Chapel)

Easter Sunday Service, 10:00 AM First Congregational Church (Sanctuary)