United Church of Christ in Cornwall, Congregational

The Bridge

September 2017

United Church of Christ in Cornwall, Congregational

PASTOR’S WORD

I would like to use a “word” from Rev. Traci Blackmon, the Minister for Justice and Witness Ministries for the UCC. The following is her Daily Devotional from Aug. 15, 2017.

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people” – Matt. 4:19

“Whenever I read the gospel accounts of how Jesus organized the Discipleship Movement I am reminded of how important it is to understand the roles of both leader and ally. ‘Follow me’ Jesus proclaims over and over again as he invites others to help change the world. Some of his actions may seem illogical. A carpenter from Nazareth telling fishermen to ‘follow him’ and he will make them fishers of men.

Who is he to tell others how to fish?

Later, Jesus issues an invitation to a tax collector to ‘follow him’ in the Movement with no promise to make him treasurer. Time and time again, Jesus invites others to join him. The invitation is broad, and the directions are minimal but consistent. All who are willing to join are welcome, but you must ‘follow me.’

Isn’t it just like Jesus to teach us so much with so little? The organizing skills of Jesus remind us that true movements of liberation are best led by those who are being oppressed. This is why it matters that Jesus did not come as a person of great privilege, but rather as an Afro-Semitic Palestinian born on the wrong side of the tracks. It is from this context that Jesus begins a Movement, and it is from this context that Jesus invites others to follow.

And allies begin to show up, with their bodies and their gifts and their skills, to follow.

Even when the plan does not seem to make much sense, even when some think a more aggressive agenda is needed, over and over again, they agree to be Jesus’ allies in the struggle and they follow. These are moments when the disciples struggle with the leadership style of Jesus, yet they still follow. Most of them were oppressed themselves. They knew what it felt like to be hurt and marginalized in varying ways. But they followed.

I offer Jesus’ example to us as we continue to strive together in the Movement work of our time. The invitation to the ally is always to follow the leadership of those who are at the center of the pain.

The story matters. And choosing to work toward liberation of any kind requires a commitment to support the narrative of the ones who own the story. The role of the ally is not to lead or to fix. The ally holds the story and amplifies the voice of the storyteller.

‘Follow me,’ Jesus says. Perhaps this simple invitation is the hardest of them all.”

The invitation comes down to us as well. As we sat with the Lakota people once again in August, we listened to their stories, we recognized the pain of their loss, we saw their struggle to keep their heritage and traditions alive. Now it is up to those of us who have heard them to be allies in their justice movement. And God has other justice movements for us to join as well. Let’s get to work!

Blessings in ministry and service,

Micki

IN OUR CHURCH FAMILY

Congratulations to the following young people who celebrate a birthday in September:

September 2 Brian HurlburtSeptember 19 Madeleine Longwell

September 10 Derek EliasSeptember 26 Jeffrey Hammond

September 12 Otto RappSeptember 30 Ian Tyson

Church Picnic!!

Sunday, September 10

(rain or shine)

11:30 – ??

at Cream Hill Lake

Come to worship in your picnic clothes!

Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity for fun and fellowship for all ages! It is a great way to start off a new church program year!

Bring a dish to share

Hotdogs for you to grill for yourself/family will be provided, if you want something else – bring it along! Grill space aplenty!

Beverages will be provided.

Transportation from the parking area to the beach area will be provided for those who need it.

We are a “Green Church” so each family should bring their own recyclable picnic ware!

Bring a chair or two

In the case of rain we will picnic in the lodge so bring a table game or two to play while we socialize – rain doesn’t stop our fun!!

CROP Walk

On September 24, the annual CROP Walk will be held in the Northwest Corner at 1:00. All of you are invited to walk to raise money for hunger. This year marks the 34thanniversary of the local CROP Walk. Many thousands of dollars have been raised and used both locally and through Church World Service to help people around the world. Many over the globe have to walk miles to get clean water or food, hence the “walk” portion of this fund-raiser. You can choose to walk any distance, from a quarter mile to the 10 mile track.

Walkers are asked to solicit donations for their participation. Money is used by Church World Service for disaster relief, refugee resettlement, and clean water and farm projects around the world. Once again, our children, who in the past have walked around the village and send their donation in will be invited and encouraged to walk a portion of this year’s CROP Walk at HVRHS. We encourage their families to join us. Please give generously as you are able, either through the Church School or to other walkers. We haven’t had but a few walkers from our church in a few years so let’s see if we can get a good contingency from our church to walk this year!

Red Cross Blood Drive

1:00 –6:00 on Thursday, September 28

in the bus at the UCC Parish House

Donors must be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 lbs. There is no upper age limit if you are in good health. If you have given in the past or if this will be your first time please come, and invite your friends and neighbors. To sign up please call the Red Cross directly at 1-800-GIVE LIFE. Walk-ins are welcome. Allow at least one hour in all.

FROM QUNEITRA, SYRIA, TO CORNWALL

The refugee family our church, along with several others, has sponsored and welcomed to a new life in Connecticut come from Quneitra, Syria. Rev. Bob Pohl (St. Peter’s Lutheran) wrote the following to help us know more about their journey.

“Quneitra was once a bustling town in the Golan Heights and southwestern Syria's administrative capital with a population of 37,000. During the 1960’s and 70’s, however, it became the center of the Syrian/Israeli war over control of the Golan Heights. Eventually captured by Israel, it became the site of many battles but, except for a brief interlude, remained in Israeli hands until 1974, when a UN-brokered agreement led to an Israeli pullback. Before withdrawing, however, Quneitra was evacuated and systematically destroyed by the Israeli army.

A description written at that time for The Times of London reads in part: “Today the city is unrecognizable. The houses with their roofs lying on the ground look like gravestones. Parts of the rubble are covered with fresh earth furrowed by bulldozer tracks. Everywhere there are fragments of furniture, discarded kitchen utensils…here a ripped-up mattress, there the springs of an old sofa.”

A visitor would later write: “Quneitra lies undisturbed ever since, a ghost town riddled with land mines, an open-air museum of Middle-Eastern wars (Syria now shows it off as proof of Israeli malice). Church domes and minarets, blackened and broken, rise above the wasteland.”

It was shortly after this war that the father of our family was born, amid devastation and ruin. By June of 2004, the population was down to 150 people. By 2013, as four of the family’s five children were growing up, the area had become a battleground once again, this time between Syrian forces and the opposition, with rebel groups and the Syrian army regularly exchanging bullets and bombs. The family’s home was destroyed by a bomb. After living amidst the terrible violence and being driven to survive on scraps of food and even grass, the family was eventually able to escape and move to Jordan, where thousands of other Syrians were fleeing each day. There in Jordan, along with over a million other refugees, they were able to settle briefly, while their application to come to the U.S. was being processed, background checks conducted, etc. Finally, in August of last year, the family arrived here, free from the bombings, killings, ruin and destruction of their former homeland.

On July 28th, nearly a year later, I came upon the dad sitting on a small John Deere tractor in Cornwall where he was working, his young son sitting by his side. The day was warm, the fields were green, birds could be heard chirping, he was smiling. He and his family were safe, in a peaceful place at last, thanks to you and to all who have worked together to welcome one family from a world of destruction, hunger and despair, to this land of the free, this oasis of peace where they, like our ancestors before them, have found a place to call home. Thank God.”

Sources: Wikipedia - - family recollections

Thanks to all of you who have done everything from praying to driving to giving money or furniture or time and many other things to make it possible for this family to have a new life. It is sometimes a difficult transition, but they are settling in to our quiet town and looking forward to the start of school!

Blessing of the Animals

September 9 during the Cornwall Ag Fair

12:00 noon in the center of the Town Green (near the hay bales)

ALL animals welcome

Officiants: Cornwall Clergy

PINE RIDGE RESERVATION WORK TRIP, 2017

Thirteen folks recently returned from Pine Ridge where they were working and learning with the Lakota Oyate (people) with the help of the fine people at Re-Member. Our work days included making bunk beds and delivering them, making outhouses and delivering them, skirting trailers, and building porches and ramps. Dakota High Hawk told the story of Wounded Knee at the sight of the massacre. We hiked in the Badlands and toured to learn more about schools, stores, medical care, and jobs on the Reservation. Come to our presentation about the trip after worship in October (date TBA) and learn more!

Neighbors in Need 2017

This year’s theme for NIN is “Protect the Sacred: In a Just World, Clean Water is Life” and connects to the work of the UCC’s Council for American Indian Ministries (CAIM) and our denominational advocacy to address centuries of injustice stemming from the Doctrine of Discovery.

Neighbors inNeed (NIN)is a special mission offering of the UCC that supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States.Two-thirds of the offering is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries to fund a wide array of local and national justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects.

Through ucc.org/justice, our national Justice andWitness Ministries office offers resources, news updates, and action alerts on a broad spectrum of justice issues.Working with members of the UCC Justice and Peace Action Network (a network of thousands of UCC justice and peace advocates), Justice andWitness continues its strong policy advocacy work on issues such as the federal budget, voting rights, immigration, health care, hate crimes, civil liberties, and environmental justice.

Neighbors in Need also supports our American Indian neighbors in the UCC. One-third of the offering supports the UCC’s Council for American Indian Ministries (CAIM). Today there are 20 UCC congregations on reservations and one urban, multi-tribal UCC congregation in Minneapolis, Minnesota.These churches and their pastors are supported by CAIM. CAIM is also an invaluable resource for more than 1,000 individuals from dozens of other tribes and nations who are members of other UCC congregations in the U.S.

Our congregation will receive the NIN offering onOctober 1, 2017as part of our World Communion Sunday celebration.Please give as generously as you are able.

Save the Date: Saturday, October 21

“It’s Chili in Cornwall”

Please put the date for our Church School fundraiser on your calendars! Proceeds help with our annual mission project (TBD) and to put on our Community Thanksgiving Dinner (November 19). Details to follow in October newsletter.

Process for reimbursement: Request for Payment sheets have been left on the ledge outside the church office. If you need to be reimbursed please fill out on of those forms, get it signed (if you can) by the chair of the committee for which the funds have been spent, attach your sales slip to the form and leave it for the bookkeeper. Remember, we are a tax-exempt organization and you can get a copy of that exemption from Tracy.

From the Connecticut Conference in Response to Hurricane Harvey:

Colleagues:

The news from the devastation in Texas continues to unfold in tragic ways.As members of the United Church of Christ we have always been committed to providing immediate support to the hardest hit parts of the world through natural and human caused disasters.Our commitment goes far beyond the important work of basic necessities and help needed by those struggling in the aftermath of these events.We are committed to long-term relief efforts, long after the news has passed and the attention of the world has shifted.

The impulse to offer help is a critical one.There are a wide variety of ways to help and the United Church of Christ “Emergency USA Fund” insures that 100% of the funds received will be used in direct emergency relief efforts.It is a good use of your church and individual resources to help in this way.

Churches can also collect items to assemble Church World Service cleanup buckets. Kits can be dropped off at the Center Congregational Church in Meriden, CT. UCC Disaster Ministries has matching grants to assist in assembling kits.

Our national disaster ministries will be providing information regularly:

Our prayers are with those who have experienced loss and devastion in this most recent event and we invite your gifts and actions in the days, months and years to come.

Kent Siladi

Connecticut Conference Minister

HOME TO NORTH CORNWALL MEETING HOUSE

Continued work on NCMH has prevented its use for all of last summer and this one as well. But we don’t want the season to end without an opportunity to worship there. So the Deacons have planned for us to meet at NCMH (115 Town Street) on Sept. 3 and Sept. 10 at 10 am. Please join us in this beautiful space. After worship on Sept. 10, we will go to Cream Hill Lake for the annual Church Picnic!

END OF SUMMER WORSHIP AT NORTH CORNWALL MEETING HOUSE

September 3 and 10

10:00 a.m.

(Church picnic follows on Sept 10 at Cream Hill Lake! See Newsletter for details.)

Church Council Meeting

June 05, 2017

Present: Moderator,MaryAnn Poinelli, Jane Prentice, Barbara Gold, Debbie Labbe, Lisa Keskinen, Betsey Mauro, Pastor Micki Nunn-Miller, Paul Baren (via telephone), Kristen Skedgell

Call to Order: While sharing a meal of pizza, the meeting was called to order by Moderator at 6:45 pm.

As this meeting was specifically dedicated to discussion of the efforts we have made to explore how to enliven participation in our church, there were no formal reports. However, Pastor Micki invited any committee representatives who had short announcements to share them with the committee.

Lisa Keskinen representing the trustees reported that the playground equipment behind the parish house was to be removed. It is no longer safe for use.

Treasurer Barb Gold reported that the Memorial Day Carnival, in spite of the rain, cleared $800 after expenses. She also handed out a written report showing that May income was down from the previous 3 months. The only notable expense was a check in the amount of $1630 that was given to the Missionary Society of Connecticut in early May.

Pastor Micki noted that Susan Saccardi is using the kitchen in the Parish House to create baked goods that she sells at the farmer’s market. Her home kitchen is currently being restored after their house caught fire from a lightning strike. Although she does not need to bake in a certified kitchen, the church kitchen has almost completed its certification. Susan had indicated she will be making a donation to the church for the use of the kitchen and is grateful for our generosity in accommodating her.

Jane Prentice reported that the main rope for the church bell has broken. A new rope has been ordered and arrangements are being made to paint the wheel and replace the wooden mechanical blocks.

Micki announced that the national UCC has asked that churches ring the church bell 49 times at noon on the anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting. We will try to have ringers at both the Village and North Cornwall meeting houses.

The meeting next took up an extensive discussion on the question at hand: our efforts and ideas to enliven the church. Moderator MaryAnn Poinelli shared some pertinent demographic data and Pastor Micki noted that the church provides a place for people to:

• Find God
• Find community
• Gather in worship
• Find mercy and grace
• Serve others with God’s love and justice
• Find our own gifts and them to use

When reviewing the “clothes line” list and generating other ideas, the participants kept asking about the foundational question of purpose. Why do we do what we do? What do we do that no one else does? And how do we make sure that what we do is grounded in our own sense of purpose?