the trumpet · 2020-03-31 · the trumpet april 2020 bell choir director: andrew tomkins office...
TRANSCRIPT
The TRUMPET
April 2020
Corona and Appreciation
This week I enjoyed a coloring page (not something I
ordinarily do but I find it quiets my spirit in these troubled
times) that reads, “This is the day that the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118).
It is not easy to rejoice these days. Every newscast
is grim and the images of overfilled hospitals are
horrifying. Across the globe, people are sick and dying.
There is great suffering everywhere. How does one rejoice
on a day filled with sadness?
These days I am discovering that very familiar
Scripture passages suddenly sound brand new. Or at least
they are offering me a new insight. In the midst of a
pandemic the refrain “Rejoice and be glad,” has a different
ring to it. It has nothing to do with happy feelings or calm
meditations. Instead, I hear an invitation to look for signs
of God who created this day. If God created this day,
where can I discover God? Where can I find reasons to
give thanks and – perhaps – even rejoice?
Today I am filled with gratitude for the many
ways our congregation is stepping up to meet the challenge
of the coronavirus and the very human need that illness
brings with it. I give thanks for our outstanding staff who
are learning new skills in order to minister to our
congregation. Our office manager Heidi Tucker has
transformed the church’s online presence by updating and
improving our website and creating a YouTube channel
with recordings of worship, Bible study, reflections, and
music.
I give thanks for Anne Sorensen and Tom
Converse who now meet with our youth group online. The
kids have the opportunity to see one another and then
respond to questions like “How has this week been for
you? Where have you experienced God this week? What
was hard about these last few days? What did you enjoy?”
I give thanks for Louise Labbe-Fahy who sends notes and
coloring pages to our Sunday School children and is
discovering ways to leave video messages for them online.
My heart is filled with gratitude for the many
people who are enriching the lives of our congregation –
let us rejoice in musicians like Nancy Ducharme, Ben
Gould, Jeff Wong, and Sarah Jo Burke who lift our spirits
with their musical talents. There are many volunteers who
are sending cards and making phone calls while we are
physically apart from one another. Clever crafters are
creating much-needed facemasks and isolation gowns for
local hospitals and nursing homes. Food that you donated
to our church pantry is being donated to “Caitlyn’s
Cupboard” at Day Kimball Hospital to help oncology
patients during a time when the need is high, but donations
are low.
Your compassion and caring fill my heart with
hope. That enables me to rejoice in this day because I see
signs of God’s love and new life in and around us.
Today – look for signs of God’s hope.
Today – be a sign of God’s hope for someone else.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Dr. Susan J. Foster
A publication of the East Woodstock Congregational Church, 220 Woodstock Road, East Woodstock, CT 06244 Pastor: Rev. Dr. Susan J. Foster Director of Christian Education: Louise Labbe-Fahy Youth Group Director: Anne Sorensen Music Director/Organist: Nancy Ducharme
Bell Choir Director: Andrew Tomkins Office Manager: Heidi Tucker [email protected] Office: 860-928-7449 Residence: 860-928-7145 Email: [email protected]
Website: www.eastwoodstockchurch.org
The Trumpet deadline is the 20th of every month!
The following are the scriptures for the month of April:
You are invited to read them as part of your daily devotions and as
preparation for worship.
April 5 (Palm Sun) April 12 (Easter)
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 Acts 10:34-43 Matthew 21:1-11 Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 Colossians 3:1-4 Acts 10:34-43 John 20:1-18
April 19 April 28
Acts 2:14a, 22-32 Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Psalm 16 Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 1 Peter 1:3-9 1 Peter 1:17-23 John 20:19-31 Luke 24:13-35
Services on Facebook and YouTube
Since we are unable to gather in the sanctuary, we are holding “virtual”
worship each Sunday. You can join us by watching on Facebook Live or
YouTube. Worship will be recorded “live” so you can watch it in real
time, or simply go to the church Facebook page or YouTube channel to
find recordings from past weeks.
Sue will also be posting reflections and music. There is no set schedule at
the moment, but she plans to start posting something every day.
For more information and a link to our YouTube channel, visit our
website: www.eastwoodstockchurch.org and click on the “Virtual
Worship” tab on the side menu.
Easter Flowers
Since it seems unlikely that we will be able to gather together in the sanctuary on Easter, we will not be ordering flowers. For those of you who sent in orders with checks, we will be destroying the checks for you so you can remove those transactions from your records. Thank you!
A mid-week
opportunity for
conversation, coffee,
learning, and
laughter.
Give yourself the gift
of time…
Wednesday
morning study
group
10:00 a.m.
Everyone is
welcome!
The TRUMPET Page 2 April 2020
You are invited to “Virtual”
Holy Week Services During these uncertain times, Pastor Sue will
continue to post “virtual” services on Facebook Live
and YouTube. Please join us for these special services in
celebration of Holy Week:
Palm Sunday worship. April 5, 10:00 am: Palm Sunday marks the
beginning of Holy Week as we remember Jesus’ triumphant entrance
into Jerusalem.
Service of Tenebrae. Maundy Thursday, April 9, 7:00 pm:
The word “tenebrae” means shadow. Hear the story of Jesus’ final hours
as he chooses to let the shadow of death overcome him. This is a quiet,
moving service when God’s love and God’s willingness to give his Son for
us is made clear.
Good Friday Prayer Service. Friday, April 10, 12:00 pm:
A short prayer service will be held at noon.
Easter Sunday. April 12, 10:00 am:
“On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb…
and found the stone rolled away from the tomb”.
Celebration of the Resurrection!
Let us sing our praises to God and give thanks for
the gift of forgiveness and new life.
Please continue your offerings and pledges! While we are unable to worship in person, please remember there are still ways to give to the church. You can mail a check or use one of the online options which are outlined on the website www.eastwoodstockchurch.org. Click on the "Donations" tab to find instructions for setting up Electronic Funds Transfer, texting or using the GivePlus app. Thank you for continuing to support the church during these unsettling times.
The TRUMPET Page 3 April 2020
Zoom Meetings
Due to the need to stay home and not meet in groups, many of our committees will
be hosting online meetings with Zoom, which is a way to have face-to-face meetings
without actually being in the same room. This is a great way to stay in touch while
staying safe and healthy. We are all learning new ways to communicate and keep
from feeling isolated! For more information or to be invited to a zoom meeting, please
contact Pastor Sue or you committee chair.
Middle Youth Group will continue with zoom at 4:30 pm on Sunday afternoons. Contact Anne Sorensen
to get the link if you would like to participate.
Bible Study will continue in two ways. 10:00 am on Facebook Live, you can interact by posting comments
and questions. The video will stay up so you can view it at your leisure and will also be posted on YouTube.
At 10:30, Sue will conduct a zoom meeting. Contact her to get the link so you can join in.
Senior High School Scholarship
A scholarship is awarded each year to a student who is associated with EWCC and
is pursuing their education in the field of ministry or in a field related to human
services/social services such as teaching, nursing, social work, etc.
Applications are available for download on the church website Outreach page or in the church
office and are due back by May 1st.
The TRUMPET Page 4 April 2020
The TRUMPET Page 5 April 2020
The Clothing Sale has been Cancelled!
While we appreciate all of your donations, we
ask that you stop bringing clothing to the
church at this time. We do not have the
room to store everything long-term. Thank
you!
Feel free to share your news with us. Just
email Heidi at [email protected] or call the
church office at 928-7449.
Congratulations to Jess and Chris Dunn on the
birth of twins Ayden and Noah on February 11!
Tracy and Scott Parker are the proud grandparents.
In Memory
We give thanks to God for the completed life of
Ron Carlyle
We ask God to provide comfort and strength as we
rely on God’s promise of peace and eternal life.
The “church” is not the building. The “church” is all of us, offering our time and talents to share the Good News of God’s love and hope. This month we especially would like to thank…
Calvin Neely who takes such good care of our
steeple clock. Every week he climbs all the stairs in
the steeple to wind the clock. One week he discovered
that the pendulum (which is about 4 feet long) had
broken off. Calvin researched the problem and was
able to design a part to fix this antique treasure. Thank
you, Calvin, for your resourcefulness and your
dedication which helps keep our village ticking!
The Sabbatical Grant Writing Team: Dawn
Adiletta, Kerstin Forrester, Lynn Looby,
Bob Rath, Karen Ryker, and DeEtta
Spalding for working on the Lilly Foundation Clergy
Renewal Grant Proposal. Your time, effort, research,
and writing abilities are all much appreciated. Thank
you for sharing your gifts!
The TRUMPET Page 6 April 2020
Sabbatical Grant Update
Our Sabbatical Team submitted our grant
proposal to the Lilly Foundation for
consideration. The grant was sent in on March
25th. Now we must wait (and pray!) until they
return with their decision in October.
Copies of the proposal are available to anyone
who wants to read it; email Heidi Tucker at
[email protected] for a copy. The grant
proposal outlines activities both for Pastor Sue
and our congregation during the sabbatical period
of May – August 2021.
Facemasks Due to the shortage of masks for our healthcare
workers, many people are making them at home
and donating them to local hospitals. If you
would like to help, you can get instructions
online at https://www.daykimball.org/ppe-
donations/ or email Heidi at
[email protected] and she can email them to
you. You can also watch this video for
instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=9tBg0Os5FWQ&feature=emb_logo When the
masks are completed, you can email
[email protected] to coordinate drop
off times with a member of the hospital staff.
THE LOCK DOWN
Yes, there is fear. Yes, there is isolation. Yes, there is panic buying. Yes, there is sickness. Yes, there is even death. But, They say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise you can hear the birds again. They say that after just a few weeks of quiet the sky is no longer thick with fumes but blue and grey and clear. They say that in the streets of Assisi people are singing to each other across the empty squares, keeping their windows open so that those who are alone may hear the sounds of family around them. They say that a hotel in the west of Ireland is offering free meals and delivery to the housebound. Today a young woman I know is busy spreading fliers with her number through the neighborhood so that the elders may have someone to call on. Today churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples are preparing to welcome and shelter the homeless, the sick, the weary. All over the world people are slowing down and reflecting, All over the world people are waking up to a new reality: To how big we really are. To how little control we really have. To what really matters. To Love. So we pray, and we remember that Yes, there is fear. But there does not have to be hate.
The TRUMPET Page 7 April 2020
Yes, there is isolation. But there does not have to be loneliness. Yes, there is panic buying. But there does not have to be meanness. Yes, there is sickness. But there does not have to be disease of the soul. Yes, there is even death. But there can always be a rebirth of love. Wake to the choices you make as to how to live now. Today, breathe. Listen, behind the factory noises of your panic: The birds are singing again, the sky is clearing, spring is coming, and we are always encompassed by Love. Open the windows of your soul, And though you may not be able to touch across the empty square, Sing. Fr. Richard Hendrick, OFM
THANK YOU to all who participated in the Take Them A Meal project for Stacy Vogt and her family. Your caring and generosity nourished both body and soul. ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS - Scholarship applications are due on May 1. If you are planning to pursue a career in the field of ministry or in a field related to social services/ human services such as teaching, nursing, or social work, we would like to hear from you. Please download the application on the church web site Outreach page or email the church office to get a copy. Applications are due back by MAY 1. A BLANKET DELIVERY was recently made to the No-Freeze Shelter in Danielson. Thank you for filling the box in Fellowship Hall with your donations. The shelter will only remain open until April 1st, so we are not collecting any more blankets at this time. Even during this uncertain time, please continue collecting CANNED TUNA AND JELLY IN PLASTIC CONTAINERS FOR “CARING CONTINUES” (food for Woodstock School families) and hair conditioner and feminine hygiene products for the women at the DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER. Thanks. MANY EASTER/SPRING BUCKETS have been picked up for children served by Covenant to Care and by the Domestic Violence Shelter. Please return your filled bucket during Church Office Hours by Sunday, April 5. Thank you for your generosity. GUATEMALA MISSION - At our March 2 meeting, Bob Beckwith and Lisa Adase from South Woodstock Baptist Church spoke to us about their church’s mission in Guatemala. SWBC has had a mission presence there since 2013. Some of the work that has been done over the years includes construction projects, medical services, and providing food for families. The cost to provide food for a village is $300 per week. SWBC is inviting EWCC to participate on a financial basis, and by having members of the EWCC congregation join them on mission trips. If you are interested in learning more, you may contact Lisa Adase at [email protected]. You may also go the website Hopefortomorrow.org as well as to SWBC Facebook page. RECENT DONATIONS - At the March Outreach Committee meeting we agreed to support the following: $300 – South Woodstock Baptist Church for their mission program in Guatemala.
Thank you for caring…
The TRUMPET Page 8 April 2020
WHAT IF… By Gurpreet K. Gill
There is so much fear, and perhaps rightfully so, about COVID-19.
And, what if…
If we subscribe to the philosophy that life is always working out for us, that there is an
intelligence far greater than humans at work…
That all is interconnected.
What if…
the virus is here to help us?
To reset.
To remember.
What is truly important.
Reconnecting with family and community.
Reducing travel so that the environment, the skies,
the air, our lungs all get a break.
Parts of China are seeing blue sky and clouds for the first time in forever with the factories being
shut down.
Working from home rather than commuting to work (less pollution, more personal time).
Reconnecting with family as there is more time at home.
An invitation to turn inwards — a deep meditation — rather than the usual extroverted going out
to self-soothe.
To reconnect with self — what is really important to me?
A reset economically.
The working poor. The lack of healthcare access for over 30 million in the US. The need for paid
sick leave.
How hard does one need to work to be able to live, to have a life outside of work?
To face our mortality — check back into “living” life rather than simply working, working,
working.
To reconnect with our elders, who are so susceptible to this virus.
And, washing our hands — how did that become a “new” thing that we needed to remember. But,
yes, we did.
The presence of Grace for all.
There is a shift underway in our society — what if it is one that is favorable for us?
What if this virus is an ally in our evolution?
In our remembrance of what it means to be connected, humane, living a simpler life, to be less
impactful/ more kind to our environment.
An offering from my heart this morning. Offered as another perspective. Another way of relating
to this virus, this unfolding, this evolution.
It was time for a change, we all knew that.
And, change has arrived.
What if…
The TRUMPET Page 9 April 2020
What I Learned at Silver Lake
That God loves me, and how important it is to preserve the environment.
—5th grader, Muggles & Wizards
I learned that I have a passion for music. — 9th grader, Rock of Ages
The food is better than my dad’s. — 6th grader, The Supers
Teamwork is very important. I learned this especially
during the rafting trip. — 7th grader, Bon Voyage & Happy Trails
facebook.com/SilverLakeCT
@silverlakeconfcenter
Summer Camp for grades 4 through 12; register online at
silverlakect.org
Friendship Leadership Community Deepening of Faith
The TRUMPET Page 10 April 2020
SUMMER 2020 CONFERENCE DATES:
Pioneer: June 21-27 Week 1: June 28 – July 4 Week 2: July 5 – 11 Week 3: July 12 – 18 Week 4: July 19 – 25 Week 5: July 26- Aug 1 Week 6: Aug 2 – 8 Week 7: Aug 9 – 15
As I sit to write this, our world as we have known it, has completely changed. Just a few days ago we began our Facebook live Sunday service. We have learned a new term, “social distancing”. We stay at least six feet from each other. Schools have gone online. We are learning new ways of connecting with each other. Things literally have changed overnight. In place of “social distancing”, I’m going to challenge each of us to “physical distancing”. The children and I have been learning the story of creation, on the first Sunday of each month. One thing that has reminded me this week is that God created us to be social people. God created man…and saw he needed a companion…Eve. We are still social; we just need to find ways to do that. I am thinking of a few ways for us to stay connected during the coming days: Starting Sunday the 29th I will begin to do a Facebook live of a Bible story. They will be short sessions. Right now, the time is to be determined. I will have an upcoming schedule of what story will be each week. I will also email worksheets/activities as well as the Children’s Bulletins for you to use at home. All of this will be a learning experience. So please, please, please let me know what works for you and what doesn’t. If I have missed you on my recent emails please be in touch with me so I can add you to my list. In the meantime, if there is anything you need or anyway I can help please do not hesitate to be in touch. Louise [email protected]
The TRUMPET Page 11 April 2020
Children’s Page
A picture to color.
The TRUMPET Page 12 April 2020
April Birthdays:
Blake Johnston April 4
Lua Manhanga April 4
Gabby Santos April 13
Brinley Waufle April 13
Haven Magnan April 14
Tyler Chamberlin April 16
Leah Thibodeau April 23
Sydney Asikainen April 28
April 2020
Daily Bread request: Beans & Baked Beans
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1
10:00 Study Group (Facebook Live)
10:30 am Study Group (zoom mtg)
2
3
4
5 Palm Sunday (Facebook &
Youtube)
6 9:00 am Community Kitchen Prep (Hill) 7:00 pm Outreach
(zoom meeting)
7 8 10:00 Study Group
(Facebook Live) 10:30 am Study Group (zoom mtg)
9 Maundy Thursday 7:00 pm Service of
Tenebrae (Facebook &
Youtube)
10 Good Friday 12:00 pm
Service (Facebook &
Youtube)
11
12 Easter Sunday (Facebook &
Youtube)
13
14 15 10:00 Study Group
(Facebook Live) 10:30 am Study Group (zoom mtg)
16
17
18
19 10 am Worship
(Facebook & Youtube)
20 TRUMPET
DEADLINE!
7:15 pm Society (zoom meeting)
21 22 10:00 Study Group
(Facebook Live) 10:30 am Study Group (zoom mtg)
23
24
25
26 10 am Worship
(Facebook & Youtube)
27 28
29 10:00 Study Group
(Facebook Live) 10:30 am Study Group (zoom mtg)
30
The TRUMPET Page 13 April 2020
Today and every day let us be open to God, who promises always to be with us.
Prayer for a Pandemic (a reflection shared by Mercy by the Sea)
May we who are merely inconvenienced Remember those whose lives are at stake. May we who have no risk factors Remember those most vulnerable. May we who have the luxury of working from home Remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent. May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close Remember those who have no options. May we who have to cancel our trips Remember those that have no place to go. May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market Remember those that have no margin at all. May we who settle in for a quarantine at home Remember those who have no home. During this time, when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, Let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors. Amen.
The TRUMPET Page 14 April 2020
Prayer for Worship Shared Online
By Rev. Maren Tirabassi
God, this is our first or second
or maybe third online worship day,
and we are grateful
to those first century writers,
Paul, James, Jude,
maybe Peter, Priscilla,
who sent letters to congregations,
and began the holy tradition
of remote worship,
the live stream of a live Savior.
Those letter writers have blessed us
ever since that time
and now they guide us into
our new way of being the community
at prayer and praise.
Even our communion liturgy
comes in part from Paul’s
holy and somewhat irritated feed
to the church in Corinth.
And, so, we ask your blessing
on all the ways we try to be church,
grateful for the new gifts of technology,
the old gifts of scripture,
the deep well of shared prayer,
and the Spirit which always
blows where it will
and translates into all languages
the words of our mouths
and the meditations of our hearts. amen.