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News from the Pews“the voice of the congregation” First Congregational Church UCC
Ashfield, MA 01330 FEBRUARY 2019
Why would anyone ever want to be part of a church?
"Weird Church: Welcome to the Twenty-First Century" by Beth Ann Estock and Paul Nixon is being discussed by many churches, including ours.
Instead of attempting to describe what that phrase means, and it means many things, I offer part of an article from Estock's site. It begins to answer: "Why would anyone ever want to bepart of a church?
“Jesus offers all of us a way of being in the world that continues to be compelling. He instructs us to pray in order to listen deeply to the Spirit, to meet our neighbors where they are and listen deeply to their stories. (Luke 10)” Then he says something very curious: “Heal anyone who is sick.” The Greek word “astheneis” actually means “those who have lost their strength or are exhausted.” “Heal anyone who is exhausted.” “Heal anyone who is at a loss.” “Heal anyone who is worn down by pain.” “Heal anyone who is experiencing brokenness.”
What does it look like to help someone recover their life-force, their spirit, their strength, their hope? ….I think we would have to be open to our own shadows and courageous in our own healing. I think we would have to be engaged in a set of contemplative practices that would help us to connect deeply with our own spirit. I think we would have to grow in our trust that we really are incarnated Love and swimming in a sea of Grace. Then, maybe we could sit with our neighbors and listen deeply to their stories of pain and exhaustion.
Interestingly, Jesus instructs his disciples to heal folks before they even begin to talk about God. As a matter of fact, it is precisely in the healing that God’s realm is revealed. Our job is to just be a witness to it. “Something just happened! We touched holy ground. We felt the power of the Holy Spirit. Together! Wow!”
Are we missing the poignancy of that directive with how we currently do church? Just wondering… https://www.sacreddirt.com/category/weird-church/
Alice Barrrett
FAIR WARNING: The VISIBLE “INVISIBLE” marks throughout this document refused to leave—sorry!
ABOUT OUR CHURCH
Ministry - the Congregation 628-4470, home 625-6967. Sunday morning Worship is at 10:00 am. Children and Sunday School are concurrent with Worship. The governing body of the church is its members, who traditionally gather the second Sunday of March, June, September and December at 11:30 am for the Monthly Congregational Meeting. Call or email the church clerk, Wendy Pree (628-3875), [email protected]; or the church Moderator, Keith Obert (978-502-9166), [email protected] with any issues/concerns you wish to include on the agenda by the Wednesday preceding the meeting. FRIENDS AND MEMBERS ARE WARMLY WELCOMED News from the Pews is published monthly by the Ashfield Parish, First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ. P.O.Box 515, Main Street, Ashfield, MA 01330, 413-628-4470.
Deadline for copy is the 24th day of the month and
may be emailed to the editor, Victoria Nelson at
IN THIS ISSUE
Alice Barrett 1 Choir News 2 Alice’s Poetry 2 Local Foods 2 Richard Rohr’s 2 Trustees 3 Organ Restore 3 Wanted 3 Dot Roberts 4 Scrabble Tourn. 4 Women’s Retreat 4 COA Luncheon 4 Voted Officers 5 Pete Fest`` 5 Birthdays 7 Calendar 7
February Choir News
As I write this for deadline, the Choir still has not been together to sing since Christmas Eve! We held a well- attended music filing night in mid-January, and those who could get out after the Jan. 19/20 snowstorm came to sing for GCC's MLK, Jr. Program. Hopefully the weather will cooperate enough to let us rehearse together and get caught up!
In February a variety of anthems planned include Franck's "Panis Angelicus," "Jesus, Lover of My Soul" by Hovhaness, and traditional spiritual and Gospel numbers - all accompanied by Amy Roberts-Crawford, Pianist.
Here is the schedule for February:
Sunday, Feb. 3, 9:00 Rehearsal; 10:00 Service Wednesday, Feb. 6, 7:15 Rehearsal Sunday, Feb. 10, 9:00 Rehearsal; 10:00 Service Wednesday, Feb. 13, 7:15 Rehearsal Sunday, Feb. 24, 9:00 Rehearsal; 10:00 Service Wednesday, Feb. 27, "Save Heat" Annual Winter Potluck and Rehearsal
Anyone interested in Youth or Adult Choir is encouraged to call Margery Heins, Choir Director, for information at 625-8461, or speak to her after church.
- Margery Heins
There’s something about music that’s soothing to my soul. While feeling grief and loss, and sadness too; it fills that empty hole. vn
Local Foods Dinner, Feb. 2
Here, in the midst of winter, we are celebrating abundance of food and friendship. Come to the First Congregational Church (Ashfield) Saturday, February 2 at 6 p.m. and bring a dish to share - made from 100% local ingredients - or as close to that as possible. We’ll share food and conversation, ideas and laughs. Sponsored by the Mission and Social Justice Committee (sustainability and community at work).
From Richard Rohr’s Jan. 4, 2019 Daily Meditation:
What if we recovered the sense of God’s inherent grace (the Holy Spirit whom we called “Uncreated Grace”) as the primary generator of all life? We are, of course, in evolution all the time. To deny change and growth is to deny the obvious, yet humans seem good at that. The ride is the destination, and the goal is never clearly in sight. To stay on the ride, to trust the trajectory, to know it is moving, and moving somewhere always better, is just about the best way to describe religious faith. Wendy Pree
Alice Barrett will read from her book of poetry, "The Bridge", at the Belding library on Sunday, Feb.3 from 2 - 4.
Other local writers will read as well. (Stop at Neighbors on the way home for Super Bowl snacks.)
From the Trustees...
Organ Chamber Work
We’ve now started to refurbish the large open chamber at the front of the sanctuary that houses our organ (currently missing! --- but being safely restored by Czelusniak et Dugal in Northampton).
The first step with electrical wiring has been completed. Essentially, we “buried” a number of wires and cables behind the sidewalls and floor. Formerly, these had cluttered up the side and bottom surfaces of the chamber. We’ve also had some new service plugs installed so that there are ample electrical outlets available for power tools and/or any additional lights that might be needed for future repairs on the organ.
Second, we are cutting out some panels at the back of the chamber so that the organ, when re-installed, will have some means of being adjusted and/or repaired from the back side, if that is ever needed. This means of access (through the panels in the back walls of the closets in the Green Room) will help avoid any future need for disassembling the organ to get at the previously inaccessible pedal windchest. We also are re-routing ventilation ducting from the bathrooms to be below the floor and behind the walls of the chamber so that none of it intrudes into the organ chamber as it has in the past.
Third, we will have the back and side walls, as well as the ceiling of the chamber, covered with Masonite sheathing to create a hard, acoustically reflective surface so that the the organ will project sound and “speak” more effectively when re-installed. This new surface will be painted white, so that new LED lighting within the organ chamber will create a bright space within which to work when regular tuning and maintenance is done. Formerly, the chamber was very dark, impairing visibility.
Finally, we will refinish/paint the chamber floor to better preserve it as well as to make the “interior” of the organ lighter and thereby easier for visibility and routine work.
And when all this is done, we anticipate that some restored parts of the organ will arrive back at our church by late February, ready to be re-installed. Ever onward!
ORGAN RESTORATION
At the church's January 13 Congregational Meeting, several fascinating presentations were given by members of the Organ Pipe Decor Study Group. This committee has been meeting since last May to study and consider final decoration of the organ facade pipes (the thirty-three visible pipes facing the congregation) as the organ restoration approaches completion. A historical perspective was given by Hetty Startup, photos of a variety of pipes from various Massachusetts churches were shown by Gerard McGovern, and a sumarizing paper was read by Study Group Chair Liz Van Guilder. (see Liz for the full report)
The church's successful Capital Campaign to restore the organ and complete other projects did not include raising funds for pipe decoration. But since the Campaign exceeded its goal, the church is now considering how to spend what was raised beyond that goal. In addition to proposals for physical improvements to the church, one of the options is to make the organ restoration fully complete by preserving ideas we have recently learned were important to George Reed when he built the organ in 1903.
Members of the Organ Pipe Study Group are available to answer questions, and include the people named above as well as Stein Feick, Phil Schuster, Brenda McGovern, Shirley Scott, and Margery Heins.
The First Congregational Church of Ashfield is looking for a new(ish) upright piano to replace one of our (not so great) pianos. Please let me know if you can help with this request. With thanks, Wendy Prée, clerk
CONGRATULATIONS to Dot Roberts on her
99th BIRTHDAY!
Scrabble Tournament Fun(d)raiser to benefit American Cancer Society
will be held Saturday, March 23 from 1 - 4 p.m. at the First Congregational Church in
Ashfield. $10 registration is suggested.
We will play three half-hour games with short breaks in between. Whoever you are, however you spell, you are welcome here.
Please register by calling 413-387-9085 and leaving me a message with your name and phone number.
Space is limited, but tell your friends. If you can’t make it to the event, but would like to donate, please make a check payable to the American Cancer Society and send it to me at 3115 Shelburne Falls Rd., Conway, MA 01341 or let me know if you’d like to donate online and I'll give you directions.
Once again, I’ll have my Relay t-shirt for you to write on — names of people who are cancer survivors or those who lost the battle.
Hope to see you soon.
Stein Feick (team captain for ACT : Ashfield Congregational Team)
From the Search and Call committee--
Here is an overview of what is happening. We are and have been searching! Throughout the process the call part currently is a call for God’s assistance. We are consistently asking for help, guidance, and direction. We are listening to each other and for God, and honing our skill for listening. When we meet, we discuss what we are hearing. We start and finish each meeting with a prayer.
Meanwhile back to the search part-- we have been busy. We have been meeting weekly with a few exceptions ( for instance,Thanksgiving, Fall Festival). We have homework in between each meeting which lately has been reading (many times) candidate profiles that we have received through the UCC. So that when we meet we discuss with each other the details of each candidate’s profile while keeping in mind and talking about the desires and needs of our congregation which we have acquired from our own church’s profile, plus conversations, and other church meetings with all of you. Our aim is to match the congregations’ expressed priority’s with the stated strengths of the candidates. Our plan for January is to have first interviews with all candidates during the month of January.
Please hold us in prayer as we discern God’s will for our task. Thank you!
Holly Westcott, Richard Pree, Margaret Boone, Alice Barrett, Krissy Schreiber, Keith Obert, Octavia Crawford, Caroline Mack
News from the Pews apologizes for the omission of the following article in the January
issue. Here it is in its original format:
COUNCIL ON AGING
February 7th 11:30
POT LUCK LUNCHEON
dessert & beverages provided
Women’s Retreat to be held Saturday, February 23rd
from 9 a.m to 3 p.m at Gloria Pacosa’s house.
9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Potluck. 5$ - $10 donation
Below is the list of who has offered to serve on our various committees/fund-raisers for 2019. At Sunday's Annual Meeting, we (41 attendees) celebrated our past year and planned for the present. We voted to establish two standing committees (Mission & Social Justice and Stewardship - previously ad hoc committees). Also voted to establish and a Church Council that meets bi-monthly, on opposite months from our bi-monthly Congregational Meetings. These changes are for one year and will be reassessed at our 2020 Annual Meeting. Our budget was passed and we agreed to transfer $18,000 from the Capital Campaign funds to the church’s operating budget (Thus, monies from the Capital Campaign will cover expenses for painting the church, as agreed to previously - if we exceeded our capital campaign goal - which we did!) 2019 Annual Reports are available at the church (yellow cover) for more details.
CHURCH OFFICERS (elected officer positions are one year terms): PASTOR:We’re looking! (Ann Hallstein & Nancy Sykes helping during this period of interim) Moderator: Keith Obert ('20) Clerk: Wendy Prée (’20) Assistant Clerk: Marie Fuller Treasurer: Ann Gibson (’20) Assistant Treas.: Caroline Murray (’20)
DIACONATE: (3 yr. terms, 6-9 members) Bruce Bennett ('19) Richard Clarity ('19) Caroline Mack ('19) Sherrill Hogen ('20) Leslie Fraser ('20) Judy Haupt (’20) Shirley Scott (’21) Wendy Prée ('21) Alice Barrett (21)
TRUSTEES: (3 yr. terms. 6-9 members) Tom Schreiber ('19) Annie Cheatham ('19) Mike Bromberg ('19) Richard Prée ('20) Ted Murray ('20) Holly Wescott (’20) Bev LaBelle ('21) Caroline Murray ('21) Bill Wickland ('21)
MISSION AND SOCIAL JUSTICE: (3 yr. terms, 6-9 congregants Richard Pree (’19) Alice Barrett (’19) Lori Wyman (’19) Bruce Bennett (’20) Berkeley McChesney (’20) Leslie Fraser (’20) Honey Boyden (’21) Sherrill Hogen (‘21) Diana Bennett (’21)
STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE: (3 yr. terms, 6-9 congregants Richard Pree (’19) Ann Gibson (’19) Bruce Bennett (’20) Caroline Mack (’20) Ted Murray (’21) Annie Cheatham (’21)
PETE FEST SINGALONG MARCH 2
On Saturday night March 2 at 7 pm here at the church a collection of amazing songleaders will gather again.
Songs by Pete and songs he loved to sing will be featured in a show that will delight all ages.Lorre Wyatt created Pete's last CD with him and Lorre will share songs they wrote together. Elias Stegeman will be on hand. The names of the whole company this year also include Peter Blood, Annie Hassett, Charlie King, Ernie Hansche, Michael Nix, Sue Kranz, Yosl Kurland, Jay Mankita, Ben Tousley and the organizer Sarah Pirtle.
This year is the 100th anniversary of Pete's birth and song introductions will provide more information on his life.Free or donation. Benefits the Carry It On fund. Recordings available of the performers.
Sarah Pirtle
A passage from “Weird Church” by Beth Ann Estock and Paul Nixon
“The presence of divine love in and with us is a dynamic, continually moving flow that seeks goodness, truth, beauty, peace, and justice….We might not be able to agree fully on our beliefs, but we can certainly agree on the centrality of love.”
FEBRUARY 1 Ian Moore 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Gladys Cranmore Bill Bowers 9 10 Landon Isabella 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Mary Hoff 21 22 23 Jessi Kennedy 24 25 26 27 28
Note: If you have a birthday in, March
please be sure to put your name on the
Birthday Calendar!
February 2019Calendar First Congregational Church of Ashfield
Sat. Feb. 2: Local Foods Dinner 6 p.m. The whole community is invited to join in this potluck and bring foods created from 100% local ingredients. Even in the midst of February there is ample local foods to use for this event. Bring your stories, too, about where the food was grown, how it was stored, etc. Let’s celebrate abundance and community in the midst of winter!Sun. Feb. 3: Choir 9 a.m. Worship 10 a.m. led by Rev. Ann Hallstein; Coffee Hour to follow.Tues. Feb. 5: Deacons Mtg. 7 p.m.; Trustees Mtg. 7 p.m.Wed. Feb. 6: TaiChi 9:30 a.m., a COA sponsored event. Choir rehearsal 7:15 p.m.Thurs. Feb. 7: COA luncheon, 12 p.m.Sat. Feb. 9: CCL 12-2 p.m.Sun. Feb. 10: Choir 9 a.m. Worship 10 a.m. led by Pastor Nancy Sykes. Coffee Hour and Church Council Mtg. following worship.Tues. Feb. 12: Food Pantry (food) and Share the Warmth (clothing) distributions 3-6 p.mWed. Feb. 13: TaiChi 9:30 a.m., a COA sponsored event. Choir rehearsal 7:15 p.m.Thurs. Feb. 14: Mission and Social Justice Mtg. 3-4:30pmSun. Feb. 17: Worship 10 a.m. led by Nancy Marshall. Coffee Hour to follow.Tues.Feb. 19: Bubble Up 7 p.m.Wed. Feb. 20: TaiChi 9:30 a.m., a COA sponsored eventSat. Feb. 23: Women’s Retreat at Gloria Pacosa’s house. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Potluck.Sun. Feb. 24: Choir 9 a.m. Worship 10 a.m. followed by Coffee HourTues. Feb. 26: Food Pantry (food) and Share the Warmth (clothing) distributions 3-6 p.mWed. Feb. 27: TaiChi 9:30 a.m.,a COA sponsored event. Choir Potluck and rehearsal, 5:30 p.m.
And moving in to March:Sat. March 2: Pete Seeger Sing-along, featuring the well l loved songs of Pete, sung by Lorre Wyatt, Charlie King, Sarah Pirtle, Elias Stegeman, and more. 7 p.m. Donations
accepted.
First Congregational Church UCC P.O.Box 519 Ashfield, MA 01330