Worship Helpers for August

USHERS:2: George & Ann Passage9: George & Ann Passage

16: Bud Sherwood & Bill Barends23: Bud Sherwood & Bill Barends30: Bud Sherwood & Bill Barends

GREETERS:2: Sue Johnson9:

16: George & Ann Passage23: George & Ann Passage30: Dorothy Bos

SOUND SYSTEM

Ken Bell

FELLOWSHIP TIME:2: Dewey Purcell9:

16: 23: Norma Jean & Linnea30: 5th Sunday Potluck

Birthdays in August2 Sherry Tagle4 Dawn Anderson9 Sue Johnson9 Ben Riedel

10 Theresa Voshel11 Denise VanGessel13 Max Purcell16 Paul Papes16 Karen Veenstra18 Kimberly Thomas29 Doris Purcell

Anniversaries in August6 Greg & Nancy Myers8 Nathan & Theresa Voshel

15 Paul & Audrey Eno20 Paul & Anna Papes27 Allen & Sheila Raterink

08/02 - Communion withGuest Pastor

08/09 - Summer Series - A Raven’s Job1 Kings 17:1-7Canned Goods Sunday

08/16 - Summer SeriesHymn Sing from the Red HymnalScary Creatures and GodJob 41Bring a Scary Creature Sunday

08/23 - Summer Series - The Lamb of GodRevelation 7:9-17Wear a Cross Sunday

08-30 - Guest Pastor

Worship Schedule

Deadline for the SeptemberChurchmouse

Please send any information or articlesyou would like included in the SeptemberChurchmouse to the office by Sunday,August 30

You may e-mail information to:churchmouse@newaygoucc.orgor leave a hard copy in the office.

August, 2015

Newaygo Congregational United Church of Christ432 Quarterline • Newaygo, MI 49337• (231) 652-6624

Jonathan Riedel, Pastor

TThhee CChhuurrcchhmmoouussee

What To Do With Love?“Rushing waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away.”

Song of Songs 8:7 CEB

By the time you read these words, our nation will be deep in yet anotherchallenging and likely divisive discussion about one or more of the following: gay

marriage, the right of gay individuals and couples to adopt children, and the fine balance betweencivil rights and the freedom to practice one’s faith. Both sides are sincere and both are deeplyconcerned about the futures of the church and for the world as a whole. I simply want to offer thisas a way to gain some perspective, some sense of God’s light in this often murky conversation. Onone side, many are worried that approving gay marriage will open up the floodgates to more andmore unorthodox and perhaps unstable forms of civil unions, that traditional marriage will suffer ablow that it will not easily recover from, that children’s psychological and spiritual well-being will beput in jeopardy by their placement in unproven family dynamics, and that spiritual and moralintegrity will be overcome in an era of rigid political correctness.

All of these are worthy concerns, yet perhaps we need to admit they are also worth being lookedat in a bigger context. Marriage has always been somewhat fluid in its logistics; for example, mostpeople would not approve the polygamy as practices by some Biblical figures such as David andSolomon, nor would they approve of the routine use of prostitutes as marriage counselors as manyin the past, particularly in the upper classes, often resorted to. Appropriate age for marriage hasalso changed over time: marriage of, say, a twenty-some year old to a thirteen year old would havepassed muster two centuries ago; today it would rightly be called a glaring instance of pedophilia.Lastly, even many of the most conservative among us do not subscribe to the traditional definitionof marriage as a transaction of property-in this case, the transfer of a woman from one family toanother. Most of us agree that a woman should not lose her civil and economic rights simplybecause she marries a man. So it is possible to protect all marriages by safeguarding rules forconsensuality and by providing for protections for civil and economic rights.

As for traditional marriage suffering a fatal blow with this expansion, this is where a wider view ismost imperative. What has destroyed many traditional marriages is divorce and the ease ofcohabitation, which has discouraged many from getting married to begin with. Further damage hasbeen done by economic instability, by how often married couples move, and by the loss of thesupport of a close-knit band of extended family. As for the successfulness of children raised inunorthodox settings, it might be best to suggest that further study needs to be done. Are the

continued on page 2

Pastor Jon’s Vacation Dates

Guest OrganistsRuth Rottier

Ruth was raised in South Dakota and hermother was the organist in their church.When Ruth was 16 she took over playing forher mom. She has been playing piano andorgan for thirty years.

Ruth has been in church choirs andgroups of singers, but not has been playingan organ for ten years. She has missed itand was talking to Linnea Godfrey while inchoir this spring. She is happy to be able toplay the organ again.

Carol VeltkampCarol lives here in Newaygo and has

been giving piano lessons for years. She hasbeen a life long member of the WesleyanChurch and played the organ there for years.She is sharing that position with anotherorganist and is willing to give us one Sundaya month. Carol has been a pianist/organistfor fifty eight years. We are blessed to havehere here.

Mission & SocialAction News

Mission & Social Action will be collectingschool supplies in the month of August. A boxwill be provided for your donations in the hall-way under the coatrack. Supplies will begiven to children in the Newaygo Schools.Thank you for your help!

Supplies Needed:

Spiral Notebooks Markers Colored PencilsLined Paper Crayons FoldersPencils Rulers Blunt ScissorsPencil Cases Glue Sticks

Women’s Fellowship is purchasing back-packs to fill with the school supplies that arebeing collected by Mission & Social Action.There is a great need for them in ourNewaygo Schools. All your donations aregreatly appreciated.

Pastor Jon will be on vacation from August 1st toAugust 7th, from August 10th to August 14th, and fromAugust 28 to August 30. Please call the office if youneed pastoral care in his absence.

Sunday MorningBible Study

We are reading Paul’s Letter to the Romansat 9 am the Sundays of August 9, 16 and23rd..

All are Welcome • Come Join Us • Bibles Provided

children of a lesbian couple, for example, suffering from the strangeness of their family arrangementor because they have endured a painful separation from their father via a crippling divorce? Areissues raised by children adopted by a gay couple different from the adoption issues of thosechildren raised by a heterosexual couple? Neither side really knows the answers to questions suchas these apart from anecdotes and from some very short-term research. We need to look into thisfar more deeply than we have.

As for the balance of civil rights and the squelching of religious practice, isn’t this what makesAmerica such as fascinatingly challenging place to live in? We are indeed a playground for religiousbeliefs; the very diversity of our beliefs forces us to work out moral choices often in public and tosubject ourselves to questioning and discernment. Absolutes for many standards are no easy fightfor when dealing with such a swath of creation, such a range of people who struggle to figure whatis the right and the good thing to do by coming up with very different answers. Even taking intoaccount human sinfulness and human self-interest, I believe that God has endowed most peoplewith some sense of fairness, justice, and goodness and they will act, if encouraged to do so, out ofthose motives. So we need to struggle onward, keeping in mind that some of our absolutes are notas righteous or as permanent as we once thought they were. For example, it was illegal andmorally sinful for people of different races or religious faiths to marry one another as little as fiftyyears ago. Today, we do not pay much attention to these issues. In another case, it was illegal andmorally questionable for women to manage the finances in marriage as late as the 1970’s in somestates. Many today would find that to be ethically offensive and they would be right to do so.

So what I do as a Christian (and as a pastor as well) with all of these issues? I think I need tobegin by thinking and acting carefully about love. Sexual love is part of God’s good creation,though it is often contaminated by greed and power and can be easily used to manipulate and harmpeople. The Song of Songs, in particular, celebrates the love two unmarried people share. Itremains an enduring evocation of the depth and power of such a love; indeed, tumbling water can’tdrown it nor can raging rivers cart it away. Perhaps the couple celebrate their love so deeplybecause, in it, they experience a glimmer of God’s self-giving, ever-generous grace. Yes, humanlove is fragile, sometimes mistaken, and often convoluted, but it remains one of the only sureexperiences of God at work. Romantic and sexual love, as an expression of human love, has Godin the midst of it, one way or another.

So how do I make decisions about how I express such romantic love? What expectations do Ihave for couples who come to me for pre-marriage and marriage counseling? How do I help peoplestruggling with how they deal with sexual and romantic feelings? What wisdom does my Bible giveme? The Bible offers me many examples of couples whose love is good and healthy; it also puts ondisplay many examples of corrupted and destructive relationships as well. Often the best models forgood and healthy love are not who we expect; they might turn out to be a person committed tocelibacy (Paul), a prostitute who protects strangers (Rehab), and two childhood friends (David andJonathan) whose caring for each other far exceeded the care they showed to their respectivespouses. Yes, indeed there are traditional models as well-Boaz and Ruth rank high for the shiningexample of mutual caretaking and affection, but, then again, the Bible is always full of surprises.

What I draw from all of these couples, romantic and not, is something I can use as a basis forethics, for decision about how to make good or bad love, how to build good relationships and howto avoid bad ones. Fortunately, I do not have to draw these conclusions out of blank space; myethics professor in divinity school, Sr. Margaret Farley, in her work gives me four terms that makesmine easier. Good and just loving relationships should always be equal, mutual, free, andrespectful. Both people involved should be able to bring a balance to their love; no one personshould be left carrying most of the load nor should one person be so dominant that there is little

What to do with Love (continued from page 1)

Kielbasa Summer SaladSubmitted by Nancy Carlson

1# cooked kielbasa or summer sausage (browned)1 can black eyed peas (rinse and drain) (browned)2 medium tart apples1 medium green or red pepper (chopped)4 large green onions thinly sliced

Dressing1/3 cup vegetable oil3 Tablespoons cider vinegar1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard2 Teaspoons sugar1/2-1 Teaspoon pepper

Mix all together and chill at least an hour.

Treasurer’s ReportJune 16 - July15, 2015

Income Total ExpensesJune 21 $1,607.00June 28 $1,015.00July 6 $1,601.00 $5,289.58July 13 $4,385.00

Total $8,008.00Difference $2,718.42

Maxi Account $7,621.92Phillips Fund $145,688.79

Thank you for your constant, generous giving.Good Job!!!!!

Dawn Anderson

Recipe of the MonthThere have been many requests for recipies people have used at pot-lucks and dinners, so we

are going to start a Recipe of the Month using recipies you submit.Please submit your recipes either to the churchmouse e-mail

churchmouse@newaygoucc.org or leave a hard copy in the office

Below is our recipe this month, submitted by Nancy Carlson

RECIPE

OF

THE

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Thank you to all whodonated food, cakes,cookie bars & salads forthe A.J. Mead and DonnaMercer funerals.

--Nancy Carlson

I would like to thank everyone for theircards, prayers and visits during John’s ill-ness.

--Julie Jenuwine Otto

breathing space for the other. These relations should always be shared by people who both agreeto enter the relationship willingly. Neither participant should be coerced to enter in or to stay in therelationship. Lastly, both lovers should care for and guard the other’s feelings, honor the other’sopinions and values, and support the other’s choices. If a sexual relationship fails to reflect thesefour aspects; it is neither good nor just. To that extent, both heterosexual and homosexual couplescan fulfill and fail to fulfill these standards and thus both can be both just and good. In the end, Ibelieve we need to judge the goodness and justness of any sexual relationship by the equality,freedom, mutuality and respect they bring to those participating in the relationship. A relationshipbased on less will not help either person develop their God-given potential nor will it help build upthe community surrounding each.

Any standard for just and good relationship imposes a challenge for each of us and thestandards I have borrowed from Professor Farley’s work, standards I have seen reflected in thebest of my reading of the Bible, pose a hard one indeed for any relationship. Yet it is one that canhelp out of some of quagmires that arise when churches deal with the challenges that many lovingrelationships bring up. I know that these issues will not go away. I also know that they will continueto contort and divide congregations as this conversation ripple through their memberships as similarconversations will cast reverberations through the non-church world as well. Most of all, I know weneed to have these conversations with all their emotional turmoil and all their startling conclusions.

And so I add my small words to it because I understand all too well, that being a Christian haseverything to do with knowing what to do with love.And so does being human.

Peace,Pastor Jon

Church Office HoursGloria will be in the Church Office on

Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00am until 12:00 noon.

John, Melissa, Linda,Al, Genny, Eva, Vicki,Marguerite, Carolyn,Conrad Jr., Fred &Lucas.

Women’s BibleStudy

10 am Tuesdays

We meet in the Meeting Room to prayand to reflect over the scripture readingsused in next week’s worship service.

What to do with Love (continued from page 2)

A Special Note fromBuildings & Grounds

Once again we need to talk about our roofsituation. We are scheduled to begin thereplacement of our original (50 year old) roofover the sanctuary and narthex the secondweek in September (weather permitting). Anadditional situation has presented itself to us.The mansard roof facing the front parking lotneeds to be replaced and the cost was notincluded in the original quote. It was decidedat the last council meeting to replace theshingles and underlayment at a cost of$765.00, which is less than it would cost at alater date. If we can reach this goal over themonth of August with additional contributions,we can complete the entire project inSeptember. Once again, Thank You.

Rosemary StrohpaulChairman, Building & Grounds

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My Name is Mark Petzand this is my story

An interview with Nancy Carlson

I was born at Gerber Hospital and camehome from there with my parents, NormaJean and Joe Petz. Our home is in GarfieldTownship and this is where I grew up. It is anice place to grow up in, we are in thecountry and there is always something to dofor a kid I graduated from Fremont HighSchool and went on to Alma College for fouryears.

At Alma, I got my degree in history, thenwent on to my masters degree in Public andNon-Profit Administration at Grand Valley. Iworked for fifteen years in fund raising andam now on the other side of it, making grantprojects in non-profit organizations.

After Michelle and I married, we movedback to Garfield Township, right next door tothe home I was raised in. We have a son,Aiden, who is a whiz at building Legomonuments that sometimes takes weeks tobuild.

I have a few hobbies; cooking, reading,and bee keeping. The bee keeping isinteresting and now I belong to a bee KeeperGroup in Fremont. There are thirty of us andwe share all kinds of things, such as what isgood and not so good about bee’s lives. Ireally like cooking and like making manydifferent oriental dishes, Indian dishes, etc.Making sushi is fun and good.

Once a week I play Ultimate Frisbee andin the winter months floor hockey, andwatching sports on TV, like hockey (RedWings), football and most games.

Music is another of my hobbies and I gotstarted playing saxophone in sixth grade. Ilove the Blues (got hooked on that when theBlues Brothers came on the scene). Rock

and Roll is another favorite of mine. I startedplaying, in college, with a group and still playwith a group when I have time.

I am a Mug Club Member at the newbrewery in downtown Newaygo. I have triedmaking beer, but it does take time.

I am going to Europe this fall. My friendand I are traveling to the places my dadserved at when he was in WWII. I have hisjournal and there are many places to see thathe wrote about. I have been studying mapsand reading about many of these places. Ithink it will be of great interest to be where hewas.

NOTE FROM NANCY:

Mark is an interesting man. I have knownhim ever since his mother was expecting himand she was sitting in my rocking chairbemoaning the face she was pregnant again.I had no sympathy for her as I was also inthe same condition. I bet she is sorry for theway she felt. We both had beautiful babiesand good kids that grew up to be fine men.When Mark and Clark were a little over threeyears old, Mark was at our home playing withClark. I had to go to town so I got the boysloaded into the car and off we went. One ofthem said, “let’s say all our naughty words”. Ithought, “this ought to be interesting”. Thewords were, potty, poopy, weewee, stinky,ackypooy, and after every word they wouldgiggle like crazy until they said another word.It was great fun to listen to the two of themsaying their naughty words. Mark was a greatkid to have in my home to play, and what aneat person he is as a man.