Communications

E-mail Epistle for August 5, 2010

Posted August 5th, 2010 by cmeagher

Greetings from First Congregational United Church of Christ!

Do you know the name John Eliot? In the heritage of our UCC, there is both the admirable and the not so admirable. John Eliot falls into both categories.

Born in 1604 in England and ordained to ministry there, he came to Boston in the year 1631. The "not so admirable" part of his life comes from his participation in the excommunication and exile of that uppity woman, Anne Hutchinson.

The "admirable" part comes from his attempt to share the Gospel with the natives. Evangelism often does more harm than good when there are different cultures at work. The conventional thought was that conversion meant adopting English ways but Eliot respected and honored the Indian ways and encouraged them to maintain their culture as he shared the Gospel. He translated the Bible into the Algonquin (which has no written alphabet.) and, despite harsh criticism, honored the Native American customs and culture. For this, he deserves credit.

Want to be rich? New Creation worship will help you find your way to true wealth (as opposed to mere money.) "Robin Leach" will lead us in conversations with "The Rich and Totally Unknown."

Traditional worship will make the assertion that God doesn't care whether or not you believe in God. God is deeply concerned, however, about other responses.

"Spiritual Support of our Troops in Afghanistan: One Chaplain's View" will be the topic for Faith and Reason. Prison chaplain and church member Steve Hall will lead. Encounters and Living the Questions will also meet.

The Art of Creation will involve meditation and will be led by Julia Searle.

This Sunday will gather to praise the God who showers us with unimaginable love. See you then. Dick

From the Pastor: My Brief Foray into Sunday Morning Sin

Posted July 30th, 2010 by cmeagher

I did it. I confess it.

We had come back from vacation a few days early. We are in the midst of selling our house and buying another and there were lots of preparations and details to talk of. Thus we were home on Sunday morning and I did not have any preaching responsibilities. I value these rare occasions for it allows me to attend another church. Worshipping without any leadership responsibilities is a great joy. I consider it a wonderful opportunity. Andrea and I had intended to go to a church downtown that we had chosen. The service was at 11 a.m. and this allowed a leisurely morning. I went jogging at Eagle Creek and returned home to make blueberry pancakes. Delightful!

The time came to get dressed and head for church and I thought, “Let’s take the day off. It’s so wonderful to just sit here on the patio and watch the birds and the butterflies and the grass grow.” Andrea consented. So we stayed home.

I realize the temptation to do likewise is common to most of you reading this, especially in the summer. I had kind of hoped that I’d feel some sort of deep loss as a result of this “sin.” I didn’t. I enjoyed the morning on the patio and had a wonderful morning.

Was I any the worse for this lapse? Well, yes. I was a little less grounded in the spirit. In the week that followed, I was probably a little more stressed by the problems of home buying and selling. Nothing major and one Sunday isn’t going to hurt a lot.

Yet, I was aware that I need to have weekly worship to be grounded. I need that weekly encounter with the Word to remind me of who I am and why I’m here. Without that for one Sunday, nothing catastrophic happens. But….life is not quite as full as it might be.

Over the years, it has become clear to me that a deep spirituality and regular weekly worship are partners. I am convinced that if you want to be grounded in the Spirit, you
need to worship every week. Want to feel that God is more real? Worship weekly. Want to give your kids the gifts of faith? Make sure you come to church weekly.

The opportunity for leisure is rare for many of us. Those unhurried mornings are a treasure. But grabbing one treasure at the expense of another doesn’t leave us ahead.

So I for one will make sure I attend worship both when I’m required to be there and especially in times when I’m not. I will be the better for it.

Associate Pastor Search Process

Posted July 30th, 2010 by cmeagher

The Associate Pastor Search Team continues to receive many profiles from pastors interested in ministry at First Congregational UCC. There have been more than 70 persons interested in the position of Associate Pastor. Phone interviews with potential candidates continue in this exciting and challenging process. Please continue to remember the committee, our church and the pastors to whom we speak in your prayers.