COMMUNITY
TIDINGS
The Official Newsletter of the Community Church of the Pelhams.
Sunday Service @ 10 amSunday School & Nursery @ 10:15 am August 2008
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Welcome Max & Liz!
As of August 3, 2008, Rev. Maxwell Grant officially begins his tenure as pastor here at Community Church. However, Max and Liz have already moved into the parsonage and into our lives. And that’s a very good thing. We are all so happy to have them here and are excited for their future both in Pelham and here at CCP. (Notice we are already referring to them as Max & Liz—that’s how warm and comfortable and familiar the relationship feels).
Pastor’s Message
Dear Friends,
“Will you be taking any time this summer?”
It’s a question people ask each other as July makes its sticky slide into August. Time out of the office? Time with the family? Time at the beach or some other special place? Time for a good book (or the guilty pleasure of a not-so-good book)?
Last month, I attended a course at the Pacific School of Religion where one UCC pastor identified the “time famine” of her congregation as one of the major challenges they faced as a church family.
“Running on empty is making us all sick and grouchy,” she said, shaking her head. “I just don’t know how we let this happen.” She’s not alone.
It seems as if more of us are running on empty more of the time than ever before. So much so that “taking some time” means even less time, and even more guilt for doing the “taking.”
Make no mistake: “taking some time” can be a profoundly counter-cultural act. It’s hard to break away from our responsibilities, even in the name of coming back renewed, refreshed, and recommitted. Coworkers groan.
And it’s true: saying “I need a little recreation” might sound frivolous, especially for those who are left behind. Maybe a hyphen would help.
Don’t think of it as “recreation.” Embrace it as “re-creation,” as creating anew. Beginning again. Maybe even starting over. But recognize that it is part of the work of creating. It is making something, not “doing nothing.”
Recreation may waste time, but re-creation requires time…and it makes the most of time. It takes time to let your body recover from early mornings and late nights and busy days. It takes time to teach a child how to ride a bike or to be brave enough to take her hand off the side of the pool. It takes time to reconnect with our parents and siblings. And sometimes it takes longest of all to reconnect with ourselves – with what matters most to us, with what we are hoping for out of life, with what we feel called to do with our days.
It takes time. But it makes the most of time. Life’s holiest moments are like that. They need time to sneak up on us. Time to unfold. Time to whisper their wisdom into our ears. Time to remind us what God’s gift of life is all about. Time to remind us to use that gift always with great joy, but also with great care, so that we are sure not to waste a single moment.
Will you be taking any time this summer?
Faithfully,
Max
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Prayer Concerns
All members and friends grieving for the loss of loved ones.
Members and friends caring for sick family members, dealing with job insecurity, and dealing with difficulties in relationships.
For our friends and members dealing with health problems, especially: Carol Blake, Vi Dierks, Wiledene Meikle, and Edward J. Shaner.
Nancy Shaw, who is recovering heart surgery.
For the family of Alma Dallow grieving her death.
Bob & Barbara Hoffman, dealing with health problems.
Sean Callahan, living with cancer.
Dawn Vetrano’s mother, dealing with ill health.
Our leaders, needing wisdom and courage and merciful hearts in this time of uncertainty.
Military folks in harm’s way and far from home and those living in the shadow of war.
The people of the Middle East, Africa, and Southern Asia.
The victims of hurricanes and tornadoes throughout the country.
The people of Tibet.
The people of Myanmar.
People throughout the world who are unable to afford food, and must put their children to bed hungry.
People throughout the world who have to riot in order to draw attention to the international food crisis.
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In the News…
CONGRATULATIONS ZACHARY!
Zachary Thomas was class valedictorian and graduated summa cum laude at the Williams College graduation on June 1. During his four years at Williams, he was the captain of the Collegebowl. He was named to Phi Beta Kappa and Signa Xi (the international scientific honors society) and received highest honors in physics. This September, Zachary will begin a doctoral program in physics at MIT. We know your parents are proud!
It Happened at Council…
- There will be a Pot Luck Lunch on August 3rd to welcome Rev. Maxwell Grant.
- Another joint youth venture with the Chappaqua Church is being talked about.
- Rev. Grant encourages everyone to put on their “thinking caps” regarding Adult Education. Ideas already mentioned were – A “faith” book club, discussions on current magazine articles, etc.
- The parsonage is almost complete. There are a few details left to do.
- Discussion took place over refurbishing the chapel.
- The new boiler has been paid off.
- A task force has been formed to evaluate how to deal with projected increase in fuel and electricity rates. They will meet August 6.
- A Pastoral Relations Committee needs to be set up. The council is looking for volunteers to serve on this important committee.
- Rev. Grant’s installation will be on September 14. Tentative plans were discussed.
- Don’t forget to bring donations for our “Pennies for People” jar.
Upcoming Dates
August 3: Potluck after service
August 6: Rent Task Force Meeting
August 10: Bylaw Revision Meeting
August 13: Council Meeting
September 14: Rev. Grant’s Installation, 4pm
WITH THANKS…
There are really a lot of “thank yous” to pass around this summer.
Some are to the church and its members, and some are from the church.
Please read on to find out what all the thanks are about!
The Church Council wants to acknowledge the hard work of the Search Committee, and to congratulate them on a job well done. A big thank you to Chair, Ana Pacheco, and Search Committee members, Dawn Vetrano, Andrea Reinke, and Paul Johnson.
Thank you to Stationview Deli for giving us a great price on the delicious food served at our June 7 dinner to officially “introduce” Rev. Grant and his wife, Liz, to the congregation. It was yummy!
Greetings from Community Church of the Pelhams…
If you are getting this issue of Community Tidings, chances are you have also at some point received a card from “The Community Church.” Perhaps it was for your birthday or wedding anniversary… Didn’t you ever wonder who sent it? Well, these thoughtful cards with beautiful penmanship are the handiwork of our very own Fay Rice. Please be sure to thank Fay next time you see her!
Parsonage Update
Reverend Grant and his wife, Liz have now moved into the recently updated parsonage. The exterior and interior have been freshly painted and a new front door was installed. Inside a dishwasher has been added and the wood floors have been refinished throughout.
A special thank you to Dawn Vetrano for all her hard work arranging for the improvements. Thanks also to Jim Cole for his handyman skills, including installing the front door.
Dawn enlisted some great local help, including:
George LaPera, Painting Contractor (interior & exterior painting), Raymond Benjamin (sanded & refinished wood floors), Tiso Appliances (new dishwasher), Peter Menya (landscaping), Phil Perrorazio Home Improvements (dishwasher installation).
Farmers’ Market Opens in Pelham!
Pelham is now fortunate enough to have its own Farmers’ Market. Shopping there is a great opportunity to support local agriculture and to purchase delicious fresh produce. Instead of buying supermarket produce that has spent days traveling thousands of miles from goodness knows where, we can now buy NY state produce and actually chat with someone from the farm where it was grown!
The market will run until November 23, and is located at Harmon and Fifth Avenues by the train station. Vendors include: Benmarl Winery, Bread Alone, Jamaica Dream Farm, Migliorelli Farm, Pickle Licious, Pika’s Quiche, Platte Clove Naturals, Sugar and Spice Bakeshop, and Guyank Brand (on a revolving basis). Please get out—after church of course—and support Pelham’s answer to the “slow food” movement.
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FROM THE PULPIT…
The following is an excerpt from Rev. Grant’s sermon from Sunday, July 27, 2008:
“If Necessary, Use Words”
We live in a time when many voices tell us that the job of Christians is simply to tell about the love of God. To make disciples who preach the love of God and make more disciples, and so on, and so on, and so on.
That way of being Christian gives life to many, and I respect that it does. Like the old hymn says, “I love to tell the story of Jesus and his love,” and I get that. I love to tell the story, too. But I believe that as Christians, we are called to something even higher and even harder. We’re called to join God’s vision of community. And by that, I mean that we’re not just called to talk about the love of God. We’re called to be the love of God. We’re called to be the love that never lets us go. We’re not just called to talk about it.
Don’t get me wrong: I say that as a great, great believer in talk and the power of words, and the story of faith. I say that as someone who passionately believes, as it says in the Book of Proverbs, “A word spoken in due season, how good is it!” (Proverbs 15:21). After all, remember how my reaction to my professor on the day of Tom’s death was a panicked one. I said, “I don’t know what to say to anybody.”
For so much of my life, I have looked either for that good word to speak, or the season in which to speak it. I’ve focused on what to say and when or how to say it, and I know that those are all important questions because words are good and words are powerful and they are a gift from God…just as surely as a sunset is a gift from God. God spoke the Creation into Being. Words matter to God.
But you know, the Book of Proverbs also says something else. It says, “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick,” (Proverbs 13:22), and, in thinking about that, I wonder about whether I’ve let my belief in the power of the right words do too much of the talking sometimes. Specifically, I wonder if I’ve been so eager to talk about love that I’ve deferred the chance to be loving. I wonder about all the hope deferred, all the heart sick people I have known. I wonder about the chances I’ve missed to be the love of God that I wanted to find a way to talk about.
Many years later, I encountered this insight from St. Francis of Assisi.: “Preach the gospel every day,” he said, “and if necessary, use words.”
I do not know if this would have saved my friend Tom. The love of God, which surrounded him at every moment, was not enough to save him. In his illness, he had entered a place where he could not see that love. More talk would not have saved him. Even loving talk.
But perhaps more love could have made a difference. More of the wordless kind of love that St. Francis and the Apostle Paul and the nameless friend of Parker Palmer are trying to tell us about. The Gospel that only uses words when necessary.
We’re called to be the love of God.
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PASTORAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Want a chance to get to know our new pastor, up close and personal? Join the Pastoral Relations Committee!
As a committee member you will be a liaison between the Pastor and the congregation at large. You will need to communicate openly and honestly with Rev. Grant about his needs and the church’s needs, and help to make sure that as many needs as possible are met on both sides. The main goal of the committee will be to facilitate a mutually successful relationship between Pastor and church.
If you are interested in serving on the Pastoral Relations Committee, please contact our Office Administrator, Virginia Rios or our Church Moderator, Yvette Wynn.
CHURCH COUNCIL OPENING
If you are interested in helping to run this place, please step forward! There is currently an opening for the position of Missions Deacon. Your job will be to help promote charitable giving at CCP and to educate and inform the congregation about causes and issues that warrant attention. You will be expected to attend monthly Church Council meetings, and you may want to form small “committees” to help plan for certain events, but it will be up to you to decide if it’s necessary.
If you are interested in serving as Missions Deacon, please contact our Office Administrator, Virginia Rios or our Church Moderator, Yvette Wynn.
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