Our guest preacher this Sunday, The Reverand Tom Lenhart has been the
Senior Minister at the First Congregational Church of Chappaqua, since
June 2006. Tom graduated from Columbia University in 1968 with an A.B.
In 1972, he graduated from Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan
Fiske Stone Scholar. Upon graduation he became a Law Clerk to two United
States District Judges in New York City. From 1973 through 2002 Tom was
an Associate and then a litigation Partner with the law firm of Shaw
Pittman (now known as Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP), in its
Washington, D.C. office. In the early 1990s he briefly served as an
Adjunct Professor at Cornell University Law School.
In 2002 after 30 years in legal practice, he felt a different call and
entered Harvard Divinity School, graduating with a Masters in Divinity
degree in 2005. Tom was a student minister and then a ministerial member
of the staff at North-Prospect UCC in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Since
2004, he has been on the Board of the "Outdoor Church"– an ecumenical
church to the homeless in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is also President
of the Chappaqua Interfaith Council and member of the Ordination and
Standing Committee of the Metro Association of the UCC’s New York
Conference.
Tom's wife Lynn has been a Christian Educator for 18 years, and
currently serves First Church Congregational in Fairfield, Connecticut.
They have three adult children, Amanda, James "JJ", and Abigail.
Texts For Sunday Worship:
Micah 6:1-8
*Luke 9:18-26
Monday, March 4, 2013
Rev. Barbara Blom
Our guest preacher this Sunday will be the Reverend Barbara E. Blom. She
is a long time resident of Ithaca along with her two sons and two
dogs. She is an avid skier, having taught skiing for 30 years and now
serves as Pastor and Teacher at St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of
America in Spencer, New York.
Texts For Sunday Worship:
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 27
Romans 10:8b-13
*Luke 4:1-13
Texts For Sunday Worship:
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 27
Romans 10:8b-13
*Luke 4:1-13
Friday, January 25, 2013
Blessings and Peace
Dear Friends,
This will be my final Weekly Word to you. I want to take the opportunity to thank you all for the lovely and kind words, cards, and blessings you have shared with me, and a special thank you for the generous cash gift, the chalice and rice bowls (thanks to Tom Roach's artistry!), and prayer shawl. My leaving is bittersweet - I am excited about new things to come for myself and for you, and I also will miss you all.
Texts For This Week:
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Luke 4:14-21
This will be my final Weekly Word to you. I want to take the opportunity to thank you all for the lovely and kind words, cards, and blessings you have shared with me, and a special thank you for the generous cash gift, the chalice and rice bowls (thanks to Tom Roach's artistry!), and prayer shawl. My leaving is bittersweet - I am excited about new things to come for myself and for you, and I also will miss you all.
In worship on January 20, we offered one another gratitude
and forgiveness, and we released each other from the pastoral
relationship. It is my hope that you will warmly embrace and support your
new Interim Pastor and other pastors who will come to partner in
ministry with you. So that you can freely do that, it is common ministerial
practice to have some shared understanding of boundaries as I depart. I
am grateful for your encouragement in my continued ministry, and I offer
my support to the interim minister and all your future ministers. Part
of that support means that I can no longer be available for pastoral
care or to help you process the goings-on in the life of this church. I
have no doubt that the Caring Committee, Stephen Ministers, and
future pastors will provide excellent care.
Healthy goodbyes help us be open to the new things that God
has in store for all of us. Syed and I will no longer attend worship or
other church functions for at least a year (and after that only at the
invitation of the current pastor). I will also be limiting my Facebook and
online interactions with the members and friends of this church.
This is all part of my intentionality and love for you, and though it
can be difficult, it is important. We may run into each other
around town (as this is a small town!), but it will be important
for us to avoid talking about your feelings and experiences related to
this congregation.
I hope you will take the time to read the annual reports
that have been carefully prepared. In my final annual report, I have
reflected on our two years of ministry together and shared with you some of
my wishes for your future. I will hold you in prayer and trust that God
will continue to nurture, sustain, and challenge you as you live into
God's future.
Blessings and peace to you,
Manda
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Luke 4:14-21
I Am Because You Are
In my early 20's, I read a book called The Hidden Wound
by Wendell Berry, who has become one of my favorite authors. In the
first chapter, Berry writes, "If the white man has inflicted the wound
of racism upon black men, the cost has been that he would receive the
mirror image of that wound into himself....This wound is in me, as
complex and deep in my flesh as blood and nerves." This thoughtful,
reflective book (really an extended essay) helped me give words to some
of what I had seen and experienced - certainly growing up, and also in
my college experience in Arkansas and my time in Boston (which is more
segregated than many of us would like to admit).
I find Berry's thoughts also echoed in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., from Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? "From time immemorial men have lived by the principle that 'self-preservation is the first law of life.' But this is a false assumption. I would say that other-preservation is the first law of life. It is the first law of life precisely because we cannot preserve self without being concerned about preserving other selves." This is also the South African principle of Ubuntu, as Desmond Tutu writes about: "I am because you are."
I am because you are.
We, as human beings, are interdependent on all others and also on the earth and all her creatures. We are because they are, because she is, he is, it is. And ultimately, we are because God is.
This Sunday will be my final Sunday with you, and I'm so glad that it is also the Sunday when we celebrate the life, ministry, witness, and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In many ways, I am the person and the pastor I am today because of the person and the pastor he was. And I am because you are. In the time we have shared together, we have shaped each other's futures. Join us this Sunday as we reflect on our time together, the work of justice, and my fervent hope that you will continue to expand and live into God's extravagant welcome - a welcome that breaks down barriers and builds up the self by affirming others.
Love and blessings,
Manda
Texts For This Week:
Psalm 36:5-10
John 2:1-11
I find Berry's thoughts also echoed in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., from Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? "From time immemorial men have lived by the principle that 'self-preservation is the first law of life.' But this is a false assumption. I would say that other-preservation is the first law of life. It is the first law of life precisely because we cannot preserve self without being concerned about preserving other selves." This is also the South African principle of Ubuntu, as Desmond Tutu writes about: "I am because you are."
I am because you are.
We, as human beings, are interdependent on all others and also on the earth and all her creatures. We are because they are, because she is, he is, it is. And ultimately, we are because God is.
This Sunday will be my final Sunday with you, and I'm so glad that it is also the Sunday when we celebrate the life, ministry, witness, and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In many ways, I am the person and the pastor I am today because of the person and the pastor he was. And I am because you are. In the time we have shared together, we have shaped each other's futures. Join us this Sunday as we reflect on our time together, the work of justice, and my fervent hope that you will continue to expand and live into God's extravagant welcome - a welcome that breaks down barriers and builds up the self by affirming others.
Love and blessings,
Manda
Texts For This Week:
Psalm 36:5-10
John 2:1-11
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Prayer
To clasp the hands in prayer
is the beginning of an
uprising against the disorder
of the world.
- Karl Barth
Prayer is vital to the life of our church - when we pray, we do so in
faith that God hears us and cares about us. When we pray, we are being the Body of Christ.
This Sunday, you will notice a slight change in the prayer time. Your prayers are important to us and to the life of the community. We know that God hears our prayers, whether we speak them aloud or not, and it's also important to laugh and cry with one another as we share our prayers. However, for the time being, the prayer time will include some silence but not a time to speak your prayers to the group in the worship service. BUT, there are many other ways for you to share your joys and concerns, and to know that others are praying for you! Please freely make use of the following:
1) If you would like someone to pray with you personally, members of our Caring Committee are available after the worship service - just go forward after the postlude and someone will be there to pray with you.
2) There are several ways that you can submit a prayer request in writing. If we receive it before the Sunday service and you indicate that you would like it to be mentioned in the pastoral prayer, we will do our best to do so. These prayers will also be shared with the Prayer Care Tree, a group of members dedicated to regularly praying for the church.
- Just before or after worship, fill out one of the prayer cards on the nametag table.
- Click here to fill out a prayer request online.
- Email your prayer request to the church office (office@fccithaca.org).
- Call the church office with your prayer request (257-6033).
This Sunday, you will notice a slight change in the prayer time. Your prayers are important to us and to the life of the community. We know that God hears our prayers, whether we speak them aloud or not, and it's also important to laugh and cry with one another as we share our prayers. However, for the time being, the prayer time will include some silence but not a time to speak your prayers to the group in the worship service. BUT, there are many other ways for you to share your joys and concerns, and to know that others are praying for you! Please freely make use of the following:
1) If you would like someone to pray with you personally, members of our Caring Committee are available after the worship service - just go forward after the postlude and someone will be there to pray with you.
2) There are several ways that you can submit a prayer request in writing. If we receive it before the Sunday service and you indicate that you would like it to be mentioned in the pastoral prayer, we will do our best to do so. These prayers will also be shared with the Prayer Care Tree, a group of members dedicated to regularly praying for the church.
- Just before or after worship, fill out one of the prayer cards on the nametag table.
- Click here to fill out a prayer request online.
- Email your prayer request to the church office (office@fccithaca.org).
- Call the church office with your prayer request (257-6033).
In this time of transition, the worship committee has been working hard to ensure that our worship services continue to be meaningful and welcoming. There will be opportunities for more lay leadership, and if you are interested in helping lead parts of worship (such as the offering/announcement time or the welcome and prayer of confession), please be in touch with Mike Billing, Chair of the Worship Committee.
I look forward to seeing you in worship this Sunday - we will hear the story of Christ's baptism and reflect on the meaning of our own baptisms. And we'll share a meal together at God's table.
Blessings,
Manda
Texts For This Week:
Isaiah 43:1-7
Luke 3:15-22
Friday, December 21, 2012
Our Place Holy
Well, it’s the Winter Solstice (yay, longer days ahead!), and somehow we once again survived the end of the world. And God is STILL speaking, even if the Mayans aren’t! Things are in a flurry here in the office, where Cathy and Jessie have been working hard to print bulletins for FOUR different services (the 23rd, 30th, and 2 Christmas Eve services). And our bulletin angels came in to stuff them so that we can come and worship. Many others have worked hard to make this a special season in the church – THANK YOU to all of you who have so faithfully and cheerfully offered your time and gifts!
I want to extend a special thank you to Monica
Bosworth-Viscuso and all those who helped make the Advent Garden a sacred and
beautiful experience for children and their families. As we hold in our hearts
all those who are grieving losses this holiday season, especially those who
have lost children, we also cherish and celebrate the gift of babies and
children who bless our lives with wonder and joy.
Whether you will be with us in body or in spirit, I am
thankful for your presence this Christmastide. In the flurry of activity and
preparations, I hope you can take some time to breathe and recognize the wonder
and holiness of this present moment. I’ll leave you with this poem from one of
my favorite poets and writers, Wendell Berry:
Remembering that it happened once,
We cannot turn away the thought,
As we go out, cold, to our barns
Toward the long night’s end, that we
Ourselves are living in the world
It happened in when it first happened,
That we ourselves, opening a stall
(A latch thrown open countless times
Before), might find them breathing there,
Foreknown: the Child bedded in straw,
The mother kneeling over Him,
The husband standing in belief
He scarcely can believe, in light
That lights them from no source we see,
An April morning’s light, the air
Around them joyful as a choir.
We stand with one hand on the door,
Looking into another world
That is this world, the pale daylight
Coming just as before, our chores
To do, the cattle all awake,
Our own white frozen breath hanging
In front of us; and we are here
As we have never been before,
Sighted as not before, our place
Holy, although we knew it not.
(from A Timbered Choir
by Wendell Berry)
Blessings,
peace, and the light of Christ to you,
Manda
Note: I will be on vacation from December
26, returning to the office on January 7. If you have an emergency pastoral
need, please call the church office for the phone number for the Rev. Wayne
Gustafson, who will be providing emergency care if needed.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Second Sunday of Advent
I hope you were able to get out and enjoy some of the lovely weather
earlier this week, and that these colder days are giving you ample
opportunity to snuggle up with loved ones - both people and animals!
This Sunday, warm your spirit by joining us for worship, where the
choir will sing the first part of the Messiah. Stay for the
all-church meeting to hear more from the church council, and come
back in the afternoon for Christmas Crafts and the Pasta Supper.During December, our special offering goes to the Christmas Fund for the Veterans of the Cross and the Emergency Fund. This fund helps retired ministers, and it also goes to help others who are currently serving churches. You might be surprised to learn that I have been a beneficiary of this fund. When I was in seminary, I had some unexpected medical costs that I just couldn't cover. The South Central Conference Minister applied to the Christmas Fund on my behalf, and I was given a generous gift that helped to pay these costs. I am extremely grateful for this gift, and I know that when I give to this fund, it goes to those who truly have need. Here is some information about how the funds are used (from pbucc.org):
The generous gifts of UCC congregations and individuals to the Christmas Fund enabled the Pension Boards’ Ministerial Assistance program to provide the following gifts:
Some form of Ministerial Assistance will be provided to approximately 1,600 persons during 2012.
-
Christmas
Gift checks were sent to approximately 900 persons in 2011.
Of those who received checks, 20 are over 100 years of age.
The oldest person is 107. One person has received Christmas
checks continuously since 1976. The 900 gifts total
$270,000.
-
Monthly
pension supplementation is being provided to 394 persons.
These gifts total $109,447.17 per month. A significant part
of annual total of $1,255,885.20 comes from the Christmas
Fund. (2012 data)
-
Quarterly
health premium supplementation is being provided to 226
families, totaling $130,456.75 per quarter. All of the
funding for health premium supplementation is derived from
the Christmas Fund. (2012 Data)
-
Emergency
Grants totaling $61,684.23 were provided to 40 individuals
and families from January 1 through November 30, 2012.
As you consider all the worthy causes to which you can contribute this season, I hope you'll include the Christmas Fund in your giving plans. You can place a check in the Sunday offering or give it to the church office (write "Christmas Fund" in the memo line), or you can donate online by clicking here.
Whether or not you can make a financial gift, please take some time to
pray for those who
have given so much of
themselves to serve
the church.
Blessings and peace of the
season to you...
Manda
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