Communications

E-mail Epistle for August 26, 2010

Posted August 26th, 2010 by cmeagher

Greetings from First Congregational United Church of Christ.

This Sunday will be the last in which Janice Kemp will be with us. She has served as our Pastoral Associate once and filled in on no less than three other occasions. Once again, she has served us well these last ten weeks.
Thank you, Janice and blessings on you.

It is hoped that our new Associate Pastor will be with us sometime this fall. In the meantime, here is the plan for the interim.

Michelle Dyar has agreed to stay with us at least through Oct. 3 to guide our education program. Thank you, Michelle.

Elizabeth Price will share worship leadership with me on most Sundays in Traditional worship. Thank you, Elizabeth.

Several individuals will share in the leadership for New Creation. This includes preparing the scripts as well as leading the service itself.

FCC is blessed with abundance of leadership and at times such as this, it is especially helpful.

This Sunday, NC's theme will be "Unexpected Communion" and will include the celebration of communion.

Traditional worship will deal with God's "Banquet Table". Members of the Becoming and Belonging class will share leadership with me. Maddie Burdick will sing a solo.

The second half of "Nobody Needs To Know" will be presented during the Education hour.

The Art of Creation will have a very special offering. Mark Booth, father of Cullen Booth and husband of Katie Booth, will provide us with an educational program about birds of prey and other mammals and reptiles. Through the use of live animals, natural artifacts, and theatrical techniques, Take Flight! brings the importance of understanding the natural world to life.

God offers a banquet for all God's people. We'll gather at the banquet table this Sunday. There's room for everyone.

See you then.
Dick

e-mail Epistle for August 19, 2010

Posted August 19th, 2010 by cmeagher

Greetings from First Congregational United Church of Christ!

This is nothing!

The forecast calls for temperatures to rise into the 90’s again today. This summer has given us hot, humid weather in the extreme. But it could be far worse. We haven’t come close to the record high for Indiana of 116 degrees set back in 1936 in Collegeville. And that’s quite modest compared with the US record of 134° set in Death Valley in 1913. And that ghastly temp is below the 136° that hit Libya on Sept. 9, 1922.

If you don’t like the heat you could always go to Antarctica. The record high for that continent is a pleasant 59° F. Of course you’d have to put up with other extremes. The record low is minus 128.6° F.

New Creation worship this week looks to wisdom from both Scripture and “Mr.
Holland’s Opus”. Traditional worship looks at Jesus rules and legalism.

I call your attention to the Education Hour presentation of “Nobody Needs to Know”, a drama about mental health in the family. I’ve seen it and it’s really quite exceptional. I commend it to you.

Progress is being made in our search for Associate Pastor. There are two finalists, both of whom are exceptionally well qualified. Please support the committee with your prayers.

The Art of Creation will feature outdoor games with Aaron Litke.

Despite the heat, the changing seasons are a joy to us. This Sunday, we will gather to praise the God of summer and winter, springtime and autumn.

See you then.
Dick

E-mail Epistle for August 12, 2010

Posted August 13th, 2010 by cmeagher

Greetings from First Congregational United Church of Christ!

Do you believe in infant baptism? HL Mencken answered that question by saying, "Believe in it? Hell, I've seen it with my own eyes."

This Sunday you too can see it with your own eyes in Traditional worship as we baptize Cara Baker (Ross and Brooke's child) and Ian Smith (my grandson).
I most definitely believe in infant baptism. These two children are both beloved by God and very much a part of the church community. Essentially, baptism is a celebration of these two facts. It will be a grand and glorious day.

Do you sometimes march to the beat of a different drummer? Faithful Christians throughout the ages have done so as well. They follow in Jesus' steps as he walked a path that was not the usual and which offended many. New Creation worship will listen to drumbeats, both literally and figuratively, and encourage us to think about what drummer we listen to in our lives.

The Art of Creation will be "Outdoor Games" led by Aaron Litke.

For adults, Rollie Cole will lead Faith and Reason with a CD of an Old Testament book. Living the Questions and Encounters will also meet.

Steve Gray came to the Indiana Kentucky Conference 12 years ago and has led us faithfully and ably throughout that time. He is now retiring and our church will host a reception from 3-5 this Sunday afternoon. Steve and I grew up in the same small town and the same church. Fate has thrust us together these many years later and I am pleased to have him as church member, Conference Minister and friend.

This Sunday we will gather to hear drumbeats and to celebrate God's grace on young and old alike.

See you then. Dick

P.S. Drumming is an integral part of worship in New Creation this week! Come be a part of a drumming circle. We'll listen for God's drumbeat and respond with the rhythm of our lives. Sunday, Aug 15, 9:00 a.m. Bring any hand held percussion instruments that you have! Instruments will be available for those who want to participate and don't have instruments of their own.