January 2016

Ring them Bells

Did you ever hear the song, Ring them bells?

It's not a Christmas carol but a Bob Dylan

tune. It's typically Dylan-esque: somewhat

incomprehensible, with spiritual allusions and

a message of stubbornly irrepressible hope.

It's a good song for our times – check it out.

As I write this, we're all in Christmas crunch

time - counting down the days 'til Christmas

arrives. Perhaps more than ever it's difficult to

be peaceful in the moment; we’re filled with

anticipation (or worry) about what's coming

up. It's like we're Linuses in the pumpkin

patch, worried that if we're not prepared

enough, or sincere enough, Christ will not

come.

Somewhere beyond our flurries of striving, we

know better. We know that the gift of

Christmas isn't hard-won abundance but

Christ-won grace. It's not about presents, but

about Presence. It's light shining in all our

shadows, a Light not of our own creation.

In popular culture, thanks to Jimmy Stewart,

the ringing of a bell is – of course – an angel

getting wings. But in other traditions, the

ringing of a bell or chime is meant to stop us in

our tracks to provoke our receptive awareness

of sacred presence. It marks the transition

between everyday life and holy time.

At Christmas, we hear bells all the time. My

prayer for all of us - in this busy and eager

season - is that whenever we hear a bell ring,

we pause long enough to listen for the words

of angels: "Fear not! I bring you tidings of

great joy."

For unto us a child is given: and we shall

call him Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty

God, Prince of Peace. Emmanuel, God-

with-us.

If you don't hear many bells, ring some of your

own. There's a good chance that someone

needs to hear it, possibly you.

I wish a grace-filled Christmas to you all, and

the blessings of a healthy and joyous New

Year, together, as this body of Christ.

In hope, peace, love, and joy,

Rob

Pastor Rob’s Message

THE CHIMES THE NEWSLETTER OF

THE BAR HARBOR CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

AN OPEN & AFFIRMING CHURCH

29 Mount Desert Street, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609 Office Hours: Monday, Tues., & Friday, 9am-3pm

Pastor’s Hours: Tuesday 11:00-1:00 and Thursday 12:00-2:00

(207) 288-3280 office@barharborucc.org

www.barharborucc.org

Facebook: BarHarborCongregationalChurch

Congratulations to members and friends of BHUCC!!!! We have

exceeded our stewardship goal for 2016: 45 families have pledged

$93,635. Thank you to all who have expressed their commitment to our

church and to our ministries in the community.

Don’t worry: it’s not too late to hop on the bandwagon. If you don't

have your pledge in yet, now is the time. Pledge cards for 2016 are in

the narthex, and you may place your completed pledge cards in the

offering plate on Sunday morning, bring them to the church office, or

mail them to the church. Monetary pledge cards, as well as time and talent pledges, are

available.

‘As The Year Turns’

Many thanks for all the support for this year’s church fair! Our objectives were met as we

enjoyed our working together (with 49 people taking part !); hosted many neighbors and

family, old and new, at our luncheon and displays; supported other organizations fundraising at

the event; and raised over $4k for the BHUCC.

Happy 2016, and let’s get ready for action! We have at least two "Ladies Out" events in the

planning stages- we’ll get together at a local restaurant or TWO in January and February to

enjoy one another's company and to fill the 2016 treasurer and secretary slots, vote to purchase

new parlor furnishings, order lightweight multi-use tables, and more (?) ideas for 2016. Please

keep an eye on weekly bulletins for where and when.

Are You Ready for FOOTBALL?!

The Patriots might be in Miami, but we’ll

be at Mike Gurtler’s (91 Norway Drive in

Bar Harbor), Sunday, Jan. 3rd, @ 1pm. Refreshments and game snacks will be

provided. Please bring your favorite

beverage to share. Another FELLOWSHIP

EVENT FOR FAITHFUL MEN sponsored

by the Bar Harbor Congregational Church.

FMI call Mike at 288-8318.

Are You Ready for CURLING?!

That’s right – CURLING ! The national

sport of Canada. On Saturday, January

30th

, the Belfast Curling Club is hosting

us for a learn-to-curl fellowship event:

guaranteed self-actualization and robust

fun. Limit of 16 participants; unlimited #

of spectators. Sign up in the parlor with a

$15 deposit. After January 20th

, any

remaining spaces will be open for the MDI

community. See Pastor Rob with questions.

WOMEN’S AUXILIARY NOTES

Stewardship 2016 update:

We’ve exceeded our 2016 pledge goal!

From the BHUCC SPORTS DESK

Our 42nd

Living Nativity has come and gone. We anticipate it for weeks, and before we

know it, it’s over. On Thursday evening the weather was a bit misty to say the least, but

not a nativity character complained. Come Friday eve a new crew wearing the dried

costumes face the ‘Midnite Madness” shopping crowd. It was a big success and one

young family, who’d been visiting Santa Claus on the Village Green, rushed over to the

church to see what was going on. A youngster came up and leaned on a bale of hay and

was totally in awe of the whole scene.

It takes over 60 volunteers during the two evenings to put on this event, and I am truly

blessed with having each and every one of the participants. Thanks go to Brenda for the

advertisements; the men, who helped me bring the costumes upstairs; Jane and Marie

for ironing and making the costumes presentable; to Deb and Cas and all the bakers and

cooks who fed the gang; to Richard and Dave who helped me with the lights, etc.; and

to Rob and Al who figured out a new system to play the chimes, which really enhanced

the scene. The biblical characters were as awesome as ever, and the little shepherds

were adorable. My thoughts went to Marion, who gave me much support over the

years. How I missed her presence. I’m already looking forward to next year, my 20th!

My love and appreciation go to you all,

Norma Spurling ----------------------------------------

Seeking light in darkness: coping with grief in the

holiday season, a two-part conversation. Michele

Gurtler and Pastor Rob invite everyone coping with

loss (whether recent or not) to an informal tea and

open discussion. Explore ways to navigate the shoals

of grief, Sunday, January 10th

at 4:00 pm (at the

church), and Sunday, January 31st at 4:00 pm (at the

church). All are welcome.

ANNUAL LIVING NATIVITY

Confirmation 2016 is coming soon !

Our theme is “Being Faithful” – and so far we

have seven students in grades 7, 8, and 9 signed

up. We plan to meet each Sunday starting

January 10th, right after church; of course things

like school breaks and other commitments might

interrupt our flow a bit, but we’ll meet as long as

2 or 3 can make it that Sunday. Bring a bag lunch

until we can get our lunch rhythms organized.

We’ll explore everything from Christian Scripture

and theology, to liturgy and service, to the Big

Questions that animate our lives and our faith. If you’re interested, or have any

questions, please see Laurie Riddell, Debbie Hammond, or Pastor Rob.

Sunday, January 31st is our first

Connection Sunday – both children and

adults in our congregation will join

together to shape our worship service.

It’s a way to express how God’s love

and call come to all of us, regardless of

our ages, and in the various ways we

knit together to form our church family,

the body of Christ. Stay tuned to see

how you can participate and help !

January is our month to help at the BH

Food Pantry. Sign up in the parlor for

Tues AM & Thurs PM shifts.

Help pack backpacks for the Backpack

Program! Friday, Jan. 8th

, 8:30am.

Only takes 20-30 min.

Stay tuned for the Cereal Bowl – the 3rd

challenge from Church of Our Father.

On Sunday, Jan. 31, bring regular size

boxes of healthy (i.e., lower sugar)

breakfast cereals.

Tuesday, February 2nd

is our turn to

host the Coffee’s On ! for seniors at the

Maine Sea Coast Mission. Sign up in

the parlor in January.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

A new year:12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days.

Some of us like to fill in calendars. We think of time as being

linear, beginning January 1, ending December 31.

This year our church Christmas tree reminds us of another kind of time. Look for the

ornaments with the symbol above, the Alpha and Omega, an ancient Christian symbol

representing the name of Christ given in The Book of Revelation 1:8, “I am the alpha

and the omega…” They tell us about a different kind of time, God’s time. “I am the

Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.”

So again we wish all of you a Happy New Year. But, since the youth hung those

symbols on our tree in late November, we have again learned that each year brings both

joy and sorrow, hope and despair, peace and conflict.

Because we can never entirely understand why some things happen, the beginning of a

new year is a good time to remind ourselves that God is still in control. No matter what

happens, God is with us. We live in God’s time and are about to step together into the

year of our Lord, 2016. And the good news is that God is already there, waiting to

rejoice with us and grieve with us, to always, always, love us.

- Cindy Fox

ALONG THE JOURNEY

FAQ: CHURCH SNOW DAYS

It might snow this winter. Really. If so, remember:

When in doubt, stay safely at home. God will still love you, and so will we. If you

need assistance of any kind – heat, water, food, etc., please call Pastor Rob and we’ll

work together to find a way to help.

If we cancel Sunday worship or another church activity, we will: send an email to

everyone in the church (for whom we have email addresses); post notices on the

WABI cancellation list and on the church’s Facebook page; and change the

church answering machine message to reflect any cancellations.

Please consult any or all of these sources to confirm whether or not worship or a church

activity will still happen. We will aim to post notices by 7am Sunday morning.

And if you're still not sure, please call Pastor Rob directly at 244-0446 or 266-9026.

Let's have a joyous and safe winter !

Welcome New Members !

Brenda and Steve Sprague Katy Bryer

Betty Liscomb Carole & Bob Pepler

Please keep Mission: Haiti 2016 BHUCC

in your prayers

Trip dates: February 26 – March 5

January Birthdays

1 Bob Breen 1 Mac Shea 3 Barbara Hepburn 5 Jeff McCarthy 9 Ryan Kelly 10 Barbara Steele 10 Annie Painter 11 Dorothy Ames Robins 12 Michele Gurtler 12 Emily McCarthy 12 Heather Riddell 12 Olivia McCarthy 12 Noah Lambert 18 Andy Shea 20 Doug McMinimy 21 Karen McFarland 23 Gordon Valleau 23 Drew Shea 24 Cecil Sprague 28 Logan Reece 29 Robert Malaney 29 Timothy Beals 29 Kathe Simons 30 Judith Burns 30 Grady Wellman-Webster 31 Abbie Reed Nickels

Sunday Worship

Contributors Liturgists- 3: Joan Carey 10: Al Simons 17: Andy Baron 24: 31:

Flowers – 3: Esther Testa 10: Sarah Nevells 17: Ruth Rossi 24: Lois Wade 31: Binky Macquinn

Home Bible Readings 3: Jeremiah 31:7-14 Psalm 147:12-20 Ephesians 1:3-14 John 1:1-18 10: Isaiah 43:1-7 Psalm 29 Acts 8:14-17 Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 17: Isaiah 62:1-5 Psalm 36:5-10 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 John 2:1-11 24: Nehemiah 8:1-3,5-6, 8-10 Psalm 19 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a Luke 4:14-21 31: Jeremiah 1:4-10 Psalm 71:1-6 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Luke 4:21-30 Coffee Hosts - 3: Birthday Cake Sunday ! 10: Cindy Fox 17: Deb Wade 24: Steve & Brenda Sprague 31: Dean, Betty & Katy Bryer

This calendar is current as of Dec 25. For the most current information, click here.

Coming soon: Lenten Weekly Bible Study, and Lenten Suppers on “Healing & Faith”

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Sat.

1

Happy New

Year !

2

3 Worship Service

10:00 AM

Football Game at Gurtler’s 1:00PM

4 5

Coffee’s On at Seacoast

Mission 9:30

6

BHCC Choir 6:00 pm

7

Christian Ed. Board 5:30

pm

8

BHUCC Back-

packers 8:30am

9

10

Worship Service 10:00 AM

Confirmation 11:30 Grief Tea 4:00PM

at the church

11

Cub Scout Pack

meeting 6:00

12

Called to Care

12:00 pm

13

BHCC Choir

6:00 pm

14

Outreach Board

4:30PM

Theology Pub 7:30pm At Side St

15 16

17 Worship Service

10:00 AM

Confirmation 11:30

18

Martin Luther

King, Jr. Day

19 Coffee’s On at Seacoast

Mission 9:30

Deacons 6:00PM

20 Chimes

Articles Due

BHCC Choir 6:00 pm

21

Trustees 5:30PM

22

Council Retreat

@ Alcyon

KIDS MOVIE NIGHT 5:30pm

23

Council Retreat @

Alcyon

24 Worship Service

10:00 AM Cereal Bowl Challenge

Confirmation 11:30

25

26 27 BHCC Choir

6:00 pm

28

29 30 Curling at

Belfast Curling Club

1:00pm

31 Worship, 10AM Connection Sun. Confirmation 11:30

Grief Tea, 4:00PM at the church

Bar Harbor Congregational Church United Church of Christ 29 Mount Desert Street Bar Harbor, ME, 04609 (207) 288-3280

www.barharborucc.org

Football Game at Gurtler’s January 3rd, 1:00pm

Coffee’s On (Seacoast Mission) January 5th & 19th, 9:30am

Grief Tea January 10th & 31st, 4:00pm

Theology Pub January 14th, 7:30pm at Side St.

Church Curling @ Belfast CC January 30th, 1:00 pm

Please check the

Calendar on page 10 for

church meetings, and the BHUCC

website and Weekly

Messenger for updates and current

listings.

Bar Harbor Congregational Church: Love In Action

UPCOMING EVENTS