BOVINA NEWSLETTER

A letter from the pastor Eisegesis (ahy-si-jee-seez)

An interpretation, especially of [but not limited to] Scripture, that expresses the interpreters own ideas, bias, or the like, rather

than the meaning of the text.

The above word is one of my greatest fears and should be one of the greatest fears of pastors, priests, rabbis, and imams of the

like. In reality, it should be the fear of anyone who claims that a book or text is holy be it a tanakh, a bible, a qu’ran, a veda, a

sutra, a constitution, a novel, a poem, a song, or so on. However, we’re all human and my assumption is we’re far from perfect

and personal ideas and bias find their way into our interpretations more often than we think.

This is seen in something called proof texting, which is taking a portion of a text or document to prove a point we’re trying to

make and counting on the authority of the text or document to strengthen our own argument. I can do this quite easily. Say my

argument is that Christianity is not a merciful religion. All I have to do is find a verse that will support this argument. The story

that comes to my mind is Jesus and the fig tree from Mark 11:12-14 (NRSV):

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, [Jesus] was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see

whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

He said to it, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard it.

If this is story is the only one ever heard of Jesus by a person it would not be difficult to convince this person that Christianity is

not merciful when its central figure is shown as irrational. Now present to this person the Crusades, the Inquisition, or the

Holocaust (all things claimed to be done under the flag of Christianity) and the person will easily be convinced that Christians are

irrational as well and not merciful.

Here in lies the issue: myself and others, which claim to follow Christian practices and teachings see these acts previously men-

tioned as heinous acts and in no way are they representative of true Christian values and beliefs.

This is why the way we interpret things matters deeply. Eisegesis distorts the meaning of things and lends itself to people who

prefer methods of manipulation rather than presenting the meaning of a text and then leaving it to people to decide for them-

selves what to do with a text. The later approach is more difficult. It takes more time. It takes more discussion. It takes more

thought. However, it is not impossible.

What this means is that there is work to do on our behalf. There are several steps but through this note I want to give you what I

believe to be the most important step. READ!

If you profess Christianity, read the Bible, read all of it. If you profess Judaism, read the Tanakh, read all of it. If you profess

Islam, read the Qur’an, read all of it. If your Hindu or Buddhist, read the Veda or the Sutras, read all of them. If your aetheist,

read Dawkins, read Hitchens, read Hawking, Freud, or numerous others which span from as recent as this century all the way

back to 6th century BCE. Know what it is that your holy texts say.

(continued on p. 2)

COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER Sponsored by

the Bovina UP Church

February 2016

February 14, March 6,

April 3— Youth Group 5-6:30 PM

February 19— Game Night at the Bovina UP Church 6-8 PM.

March 3— Library History Happy Hour and Lecture

March 19— Chicken and Biscuit Dinner at the Bovina UP 5-7 PM.

April 26— Easter Egg Hunt @ 10 AM.

May 29—- Memorial Day Service at the Bovina Ceme-tery @ 10 AM.

July 25-29— Vacation Bible School 5-7 PM.

Page 2 Bovina newsletter

Christmas at the Bovina UP: Youth Cantata and a Lovely Christmas Eve Service

Thanksgiving Pie Sale

Many hands certainly made light work at the Annual Pie Sale in Novem-

ber. Thanks to the organizational talents of Amy Burns, we sold 68 pies

(and donated many to the Community Dinner in Delhi). Many church and

community members contributed their time and energies (and ingredi-

ents) and this has become one of our most beloved Bovina traditions!

The Youth Cantata was a huge success! We had 18 kids and youth from seven communities join us for two wonderful performances: one at Andes Presbyteri-

an on December 13th and one at Bovina UPC on Christmas Eve.

Special thanks to Rev. Marena Vittorio for organizing and directing the choir; to Monica Liddle for accompanying; to Diane Krick and Heleena Hilson for their flute

playing; to Katie Aikens and Heleena for dancing; to JoAnn Kaufman, Laurie An-drews, and the Bovina Chancel Choir for their extra voices; to the parents for

bringing their children to rehearsals and providing lunch; to Norma Gabriel for

organizing the lunches; and last but not least, our youth choir:

Julia Baxter; Jody Bray; Gracie Deysenroth; Ruby Harris; Gwen Hilson; Hans and

Gretel Hilson-Schneider; Kadence LaFever; Libby Lamport; Sylvia Liddle; Rose

McPheely; Carson Pashley; Marco and Andre Shaw; Alex Stanton; Abigail, Máté,

and Krystal Villanueva;

Not only are we ourselves good at picking out what we like the most and letting it shape how we act in this world, but others are great at picking out what they

want to demonize or dehumanize those for which they do not agree. This is seen when a white boy enters in a black church and kills or injures all in attendance.

This is seen when a Syrian sets off bombs in Paris. This is seen when presidential candidates takes bits and pieces of another’s statements and construes the

original meaning of the statement to fit an argument that is being made. It’s enough of all of this. It’s time we get to work reading and knowing what is said without

relying on someone else’s eisegesis.

After you’ve finished reading once, don’t let it be the last time for we are ever changing and growing beings. You might just find that what something meant to you

twenty years ago may have changed today.

Happy Reading,

Page 3 Bovina newsletter

Joys and Concerns

In late October, Ed Rossley, Sr. sent a note to be includ-ed in the next newsletter: “Just a quick note to say thank

you for your prayers, concerns as well as visits while I have been down after my recent hip surgery. “

- Edward F. Rossley

Our thoughts and prayers are with Ed as he recovers this winter from a fractured hip.

Prayers for Agnes Burns, Jackie and Stanley Rome. Con-tinued prayers for the Call, Cipp, and Trimble families.

Game Night!

On January 30 we held our first Game Night of the season at the

Bovina UP. We tested the “more mature” generation in Catch-

Phrase while the young ‘uns enjoyed a mean game of Apples to

Apples.. We’ll host another event at 6:00 pm on February 19.

Please join us and feel free to bring your own games and a snack

to share.!

Youth Group Since our last newsletter, the youth group has been going strong. We’ve met for monthly meetings, for fun activities, and for mission projects in-

cluding raking leaves for several of our older neighbors, hosting a water table for the Catskill’s Recreation Center’s Bike Ride, and filling Over 80s Bags.

Through out the year we’ve been focusing on what is the mission of the

church and familiarizing ourselves with the Bible. While doing these things we have fun playing classic games like 4-Corners and 4-Square. We’ve also captured on video several silly skits! Be sure to check the

calendar to get our upcoming dates.

The family of Gladys Cipp have asked to include her Obituary:

On November 18 in the evening, Gladys Cipp passed away.

She was raised on a farm on the South Shore of Long Island. She was the youngest of six children. Gladys lived in Bovina for 19 years and

was Joseph Cipp’s widow.

She belonged to the Senior Citizens Club in Bovina, was a member of

the Grumman Retiree Group, andattended the Catholic Church in An-

des.

She is survived by her son Walter Kempf (Butchy) of Florida, and her granddaughters Carolyn (David) of Hauppauge, L.I. and Karen (Jace) of

St. James, L.I. and 4 great granddaughters.

A memorial service will be held in the spring. She will be missed.

Page 4

LENTEN BIBLE STUDY

~How do we build a faith that sticks?

~How do we notice God’s presence in our lives, especially when life is overwhelming and challenging?

~How can we use spiritual practices to feel more fulfilled and at peace?

“Sticky Faith,”a Lenten Bible Study is being hosted at Buffy Calvert’s home on Saturdays February 20 and March 5, 12 &19 at 10:00 am. Pastors Garrett and Marena will be leading the study on spiritual disciplines. If interested, please let Pastor Garrett know by calling at

832-4340 or emailing at bovinaupchurch@gmail.com.

THE ANDES AND BOVINA COMMUNIY FOOD BANK

If you, or someone you know, is in need of food, please know that resources are available. The hours are Tuesdays from 11:00 AM – 1:00

PM and on Fridays from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. Delivery is available. Feel free to call Rev. Garrett Schindler at (607) 832-4340. The Food

Bank also provides snack packs for kindergarten through third grade students at the Andes School every Friday throughout the school

year. These snack packs are filled with healthy and nutritional snacks with the hope of passing on healthy eating habits to today’s kids.

During the summer, the Food Bank assists with snacks for the kids at Andes School involved in the summer CROP program.

ECUMENICAL NEWS

The Ecumenical Group is continuing its joint Ash Wednesday and Holy Week Services. On February 10, we will hold the Ash Wednesday

Service at Andes Presbyterian Church at 7:00 PM, on March 24 we will hold the Maundy Thursday Service at Andes United Methodist

Church at 7:00 PM, and on March 25 we will celebrate Good Friday at Cabin Hill Presbyterian Church at 7:00 PM.

We’re excited to announce that South Kortright Community Church and St. James Episcopal Church are joining the ranks. We did meet

on the 31st of January at Bovina United Presbyterian Church hosting a Souper Bowl Sunday in which we collected food items and money

for the Andes and Bovina Community Food Bank.

Our remaining Fifth Sunday Services this year are on June 5th (scheduled in June due to Memorial Day Weekend). This is our EMS and

Fire Squad Service. We’re all grateful for the hours upon hours you give to serve our communities and we want to thank you. This ser-

vice will be held at Andes Presbyterian at 11:00 am. On July 31st at Cabin Hill Presbyterian Church, 9:30 am, is our blessing of the ani-mals service. Feel free to bring your pets or livestock if you choose for a prayer of thanksgiving and blessings for the friendship and

livelihood they bring. On October 30th will be traveling to South Kortright Community Church for service at 11:15 am for our Mission

Sunday.

SACRED HARP

On the 2nd Tuesday of the month join the Catskills Sacred Harp Musical Association and us for FaSoLa Singing from 6:00 – 8:30 pm.

Fire/EMS, from Kevin Brown

COMMUNITY NEWS

There were 28 Fire calls (including fires, motor vehicle ac-

cidents, downed trees, etc.) recorded in 2015, encompass-

ing 237 staff-hours of time. Similarly, the EMS squad re-

sponded to 30 calls for the year (totaling 187 hours). Im-

pressively, the average response time was calculated to be

3.6 minutes, one of the fastest in the county! The squad

spent 175.5 hours training for the year and hosted numer-

ous community events, so we are grateful for their service

and their contributions to our town spirit.

The Bovina Fire Department and EMS is an active, dedi-

cated group, but is in need of new volunteers. Please con-

sider donating your time and joining Bovina’s Finest! Pictured above is the newest addition to the fleet,

an ambulance purchased in the Fall of 2015.

Town News, by Mark Rossley

At a special Board Meeting on December 15th, Tina Mole presented Gerald Wright with a plaque thanking him for his four years of service on the Town Board (right).

As a reminder, please be sure to call the Town Clerk (Cathie Hewitt, 832-4302) if you need any of the following: Dog License, Building Permit, Transfer Station Permit, or if you ‘d like to re-

quest use of the Community Hall.

Library News, from Annette Robbins

November’s Library Farm Feast was, once again, a beautiful

event, which brought our local produce to the tables of the

Community Hall. Many thanks to the Library Board for putting

on this dinner!

This Spring, the Library will be hosting a “History Happy Hour”,

in concert with the Bovina Historical Society, on March 3rd.

The event will not be a fundraiser, but will be an opportunity to

learn more about this unique building, which once housed one

of Bovina’s one-room schoolhouses. Please come by (time

TBA) to hear Town Historian Ray LaFever describe some of the

interesting details of the library’s history, and enjoy some hors

d’oeuvres and beverages too!

Page 6 Page 6

Bovina Historical Society News, by Briana Riera and Mary Pelletier

Schoolhouse Camp Once again, the Bovina Historical Society will hold the One-

Room-Schoolhouse Day Camp at District #1 School, on the

Bovina Road, approximately 5 miles from the center of

town. It is an immersive experience in a real one-room

schoolhouse where students will step back in time to learn about life in Bovina and typical school days, circa 1900. This

year it will be August 8-12, 9-1, tuition $150.00 for students

having finished 1st through 5th grades. Mary Pelletier will be

our academic school marm, and four student interns who are now too old to be students, will intern as the games/

activities/crafts marms, the role that Amy Burns so ably filled

last year. Their enthusiasm for continued involvement has come to this – a great development! There are limited spac-

es available. For more information, contact Jan Bray 832-4521 nichebray@delhitel.net or Mary Pelletier 832-

4438 pelleshaw@gmail.com. A registration form will be acces-

sible on the Bovina Historical Society website soon.

Schoolmarms Amy Burns, Jan Bray, and Mary Pelletier (pictured above, left to right) were presented with Delaware County Historical

Society’s Awards of Merit for their efforts in planning and imple-menting the highly successful summer Schoolhouse Camp. Way to

go, ladies!

The Bovina Historical Society is excited for a busy and rewarding 2016! We have made great progress at Russell’s General Store and

will continue to make more thanks to your generous donations. We have work to do at the other two buildings we maintain, the Historic Fire Hall and the Bovina Museum and we would welcome the community’s help with this. If you have a talent to share to we would love to

know about it, specifically:

* The Museum and Fire Hall are in immediate need of light blocking curtains

* The inside and outside of the Museum and Fire Hall are in need of painting

* Scrap metal for hauling

* Help with grant-writing Please contact Briana Riera at 832-4442 or rierabrianak@gmail.com if you can help with any of these things.

We will be hosting a Crock-Pot Cook-off in March. Get your recipes ready and check your email for more info!

A Trip to the Scottish Borders by Ray LaFever, Town Historian

Page 7 Bovina newsletter

I am planning another organized tour to the Scottish Borders and Edinburgh for this coming fall. The trip is scheduled for October 6 to the 14th. It will be sev-en nights - three in the Scottish Borders town of Mel-rose and four in Edinburgh. The cost for the trip is about $3500. The trip cost includes airfare, hotel, transport to and from the airport in Edinburgh, breakfast (except on the day of arrival), three dinners in Melrose, a farewell dinner in Edinburgh, all the tours in the Scottish borders and a $50 donation to the Bovina United Presbyterian Church. During our time in the Scottish Borders, we'll visit Roslyn Chap-el, Traquair House, Sir Walter Scott's home Ab-botsford and the Hirsel Crafts Center. We'll also visit the four borders abbeys at Melrose, Dryburgh, Jed-burgh and Kelso, as well as make a stop at the Bor-ders Regional Archives in Hawick. During the stay in Edinburgh, two optional trips (for an additional cost) will be offered, one to Glen Coe and Loch Ness and the other to Castle Stirling and Loch Lomond. Regis-tration flyers will be available by the late winter/early spring. Contact me at bovinahistorian@gmail.com or 607-832-4609 if you are interested.

Historic Markers Thanks to the generosity of the William G. Pomeroy foundation, two new historic markers will be installed in Bovina, one at the Maynard School on Bovina Road and the other at St. James' Church at Lake Dela-ware. The markers will be made by Catskill Castings in Bloomville and dedicated on Saturday, June 4. The Maynard marker will be dedicated at 11 am, the St. James' Church marker at 2 pm. The Maynard marker records the establishment of the common school dis-trict in 1813, the construction of the present school house in 1849 and the closing of the school in 1959. The marker at St. James' Church records the establish-ment of the congregation in 1914 and the construc-tion of the current chapel by Angelica Gerry in 1922. More details forthcoming on the dedication.

(Above):

Maynard school

in the winter,

1958 (Photo by

Ed Schneider).

(Right): Laying

of the corner-

stone of the St.

James' Church,

July 1922..

Pastor, Rev. Garrett Schindler garrettschindler@gmail.com

607-832-4340 PO Box 26

Bovina Center, NY 13740

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Photos and images in this issue were generously contributed by

Bobbi Burgin. Marni Green-berg, Julie Hilson, Ray LaFever, Mary Pelletier, Mark Rossley,

Garrett Schindler, and Edward Schneider.

If you have any news to contribute for future issues, please let Julie

know (bovinanewsletter@hotmail.com

or 832-4567)!