Summer 2015  

ngs  

From the Minister

Unexpected Places

"We can never sneer at the stars, mock the dawn or scoff at the totality of being. Sublime grandeur evokes unhesitating, unflinching awe; standing between earth and sky, we are silenced by the sight." -Abraham Joshua Heschel, Man is Not Alone

Grace and Peace to you, in these gorgeous New England summer months! We have the privilege and opportunity of worshipping with our neighbors this Summer, over the river and through the woods to First Congregational Church in Portland July 5th, 12th and 19th. Then a hop skip and jump down the street to our sister church, South Congregational Church on July 26th, August 2nd and August 9th. We invite everyone to First Church in Middletown at the end of the Summer, August 16th, Augusts 23rd, and August 19th. Service begins at 9:30a.m. and there is a pick-up choir at 9a.m. Worship this summer is meant to be messy, and fun, relaxed and engaging for all generations. Bring those kids, so they get stamps in their Summer Church Passports!

Transportation is available to all those who need it, thanks to Lori Orend. And greeters will be out our First Church doors every Sunday when we worship elsewhere, thanks to David Hickox. Greeters will be present at First Church when we aren’t around, so that no person seeking church will be turned away, but instead will be greeted by friendly First Church faces, seeking meaningful conversation and maybe even an invitation to have coffee across the street. Grace abounds in unexpected places.

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Deadline for submissions to our SEPTEMBER issue is noon on Wednesday, August 26. Please send articles in the body of an email to Kortney Balsamo by email: firstchurchucc@sbcglobal.net  Thank you!

 

First Church of Christ, Congregational UCC - United Church of Christ 190 Court Street Middletown, CT 860-346-6657 firstchurchucc@sbcglobal.net www.firstchurchucc.org Minister, Reverend Julia Burkey Music Minister, Shari Lucas Moderator, Heidi Cho Vice Moderator, Lori Orend Treasurer, Andrea Roberts Secretary, Jennifer Ide Church Administrator, Kortney Balsamo

 

 

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Continued from page 1

“Unexpected Places,” was the theme of the United Church of Christ 30th General Synod, that occurred in Cleveland June 25th-June 30th. We borrow this theme for our Summer Church, as we seek to find God in unexpected places. Like across the bridge, and down the street, and in the various places we travel to, or encountering our own places anew.

Synod was a wonderful experience for your minister to immerse herself in; chock full of inspiring colleagues and church organizations doing brave work in the world. We as a National church voted on quite a few resolutions. Here are some examples taken from various articles the UCC website:

“After passionate debate, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ passed a resolution calling on the Washington franchise and the National Football League to change the football team's racially-offensive name and imagery of the ‘Redskin Mascot.’ The vote took place during plenary on Monday, June 29.

"I am not a Redskin, I am not a mascot, that is not an honor," said Toni Buffalo, chairperson of the UCC Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM), whose Native American name is Brave Flying Women. "I am a survivor of the genocide that has been committed against my people in the United States of America for the last 500 years. Do not tell me you're honoring me when you're cheering for that team."’

The National UCC also passed a resolution on Tuesday June 30th “which aims to bring a Just Peace to Israel-Palestine, through the boycott and divestment of companies that are complicit in the occupation of Palestinian territories.” A group called Jewish Voice for Peace attended the Synod to explain from a Jewish standpoint, how divesting and boycotting would be an effective and faithful action.

Then Palestinian, Rev. Mitri Raheb spoke, considering his invitation to speak at General Synod 2015 as a sign that the United Church of Christ cares for the little town of Bethlehem. Raheb, born in Bethlehem and pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church there, offered the guests and delegates of the 2015 General Synod a reading of the Bible through Palestinian eyes during his sermon on Monday, June 29.

“Since 1992, Raheb has founded and led a number of projects and institutions serving the social needs of Palestinians living in the Bethlehem area, focusing on women, children, youth and the elderly. Bethlehem is surrounded by a 27-foot separation barrier on three sides, built by the Israeli government beginning in 2002. Each day, Palestinians wait in lines for hours to pass through the barrier on their way to work, school and even places of worship. Raheb told the gathering that one woman, while waiting in that line, stood up and shouted, in her native Arabic, "Where are you God?" It wasn't a question of faith, Raheb explained, but rather a desperate plea to hear God's voice. Continued on page 3

Minister’s Summer Hours

Rev. Julia is away Sundays July 5th, August 2nd, August 9th and during the weeks surrounding; July 2-6th, July 28th-August 12th, then on Spiritual Retreat the week of August 17-22nd. Pastoral care will be handled by Pastor Thea and Rev. Jane, as well as the First Church Deacons while Rev. Julia is away. Call the office and leave a message for Kortney, or listen to Rev. Julia’s voicemail for the contact information for Thea and Jane. During the summer, Rev. Julia is available by appointment.

Church Summer Office Hours Kortney will be available by appointment only starting 6/29 – 8/21. She will be checking voicemail and emails daily during this time period. She will be in the office at least one day per week. She will be on vacation from July 13- July 21st. It is easier to access email during summer hours, so if you are able please use email. Kortney Balsamo Office Manager First Church of Christ 190 Court Street Middletown, CT 06457 (860) 346-6657

 

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Covenanting  to  walk  together  in  faith   Summer  2015  

Raheb said, ‘I have no doubt change is coming to Palestine. I'm certain freedom is coming. I'm convinced justice is coming. But be prepared," Raheb said in his charge to the audience. "God might use you and me to make that change, and we become the unexpected places that God uses to bring change to Palestine and abroad.’”

This is a controversial issue within the church, and we will surely garner national and international attention. The United Church of Christ does a wonderful job of respectfully honoring all voices in the debate, while working together to do the best we can to bring justice to the lowly places in the world. I was pleased that this debate was never framed as Israel vs. Palestine; but instead; how can we lovingly enact the most amount of justice and stand on the side of the oppressed, in this particular situation? And even if we do not agree with this particular resolution, we have freedom within the UCC to not have to believe in everything the National Church puts forward. This is part of our strength and beauty as national and local bodies.

Keynote speaker Connie Schultz praised the United Church of Christ's talent for making "necessary trouble" in her address to the 30th General Synod on Saturday morning. Ordaining the first woman, ordaining the first gay man: these, she said, meant it was written that there would be more. The denomination follows the rule she learned from her mother: "Love everyone that God loves. That be everyone. No exceptions."

We also heard from the founding pastor of Living Water United Church of Christ in North Philadelphia, Bishop Dwayne Royster. The Bishop did not mince words. He compared the present day in America with the days that Elijah and Elisha preached in Israel. "The nation is in deep moral crisis," he boomed, "with racism and economic deprivation." The very wealth of the United States all too frequently, from the days of slavery to Jim Crow to today's growing gap between the rich and the poor, comes from exploitation of Black and Brown people. "There's a correlation," he said, "the deeper the degradation of Black and Brown bodies, the greater the US economy."

He summoned us to do justice, not preach justice. "Get into the streets with people who suffer the deepest.” Royster said, “it is our calling in this unexpected place, at this unexpected time, to change the damn world.” I tweeted that one.

Beloved Church, may we continue to find ways to bring more kindness and justice in the world, and may we continue to be open to experiences of deep connection, with one another and with the spirit of the divine. So this summer, let us go out into the world in peace. May we have courage and hold on to what is good. May we never return evil for evil. But instead, strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, help the suffering and honor all persons. All the while, may we love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. May it be so. Amen.

In faith, Rev. Julia

Join  us  this  summer  for    First  Church’s  Vacation  Bible  Camp:  G-­‐Force:  God’s  Force  in  Action  

Watch  our  church  come  alive  with  movement  and  kid-­‐friendly  transportation  such  as  skateboards,  running  shoes,  roller  blades,  bikes,  and  so  much  more.  This  is  a  chance  to  build  community  and  learn  about  God’s  love  through  games,  crafts,  science,  and  Bible  stories.  

Dates:  July  27-­‐31  Times:  1:00  pm  to  4:00  pm  

Cost:  ~  $30  per  child  (includes  a  full  professional  VBC  curriculum,  a  take-­‐home  CD  of  VBC  music,  a  snack,  and  maybe  a  t-­‐shirt)  Scholarships  available.  

Questions?  Contact  Christine  Foster  cfoster650@gmail.com  or  650-­‐279-­‐6613  

 

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Summer Church: Finding God in Unexpected Places

9:30 a.m. in July and August

9 a.m. Pick-up Choirs

Kids are welcome! First Church, South Church, and now Portland Congregational Church, will collaborate on Summer worship in July and August.

Portland Congregational Church, 554 Main Street, Portland, CT

July 5: Unexpected Places, Communion with Rev. Jane,

Court Street Singers Perform

July 12: Visual art interpretation of Sermon, Rev. Julia, Rev. Jane and Pastor Thea

July 19th: Worship God in Nature with Rev. Julia and Pastor Thea

South Congregational Church, 9 Pleasant Street, Middletown, CT

July 26th: Movement and Word with Rev. Julia and Pastor Thea

Court Street Singers Perform

August 2nd: Communion and Music with Pastor Thea

August 9th: Story Telling with Pastor Thea and Rev. Jane

First Church in Middletown, 190 Court Street, Middletown, CT

August 16th: Technology in Worship with Pastor Thea and Rev. Julia and Rev. Jane, Court Street Singers perform, Second Hour: Social Media

August 23rd: Humor with Rev. Julia, Second Hour: Elder Passage

August 30th: Discovering Unexpected Treasures, with Rev. Julia and Rev. Jane, Second Hour: Teacher Training for Sunday School

             

 

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UCC to Retain Current Leadership Structure in Synod Vote CLEVELAND -- Delegates to the 30th General Synod meeting in the denomination's birth city -- where its first Synod was held in 1957 -- worked feverishly through Tuesday, clearing their agenda of remaining business despite working long and earnestly on questions with divided opinions. A United Church of Christ Board proposal to revise the bylaws of the UCC and replace the current collegium of officers with a strong General Minister and President was defeated when it failed to win a 2/3 majority of those voting. 07/01/2015

General Synod Elects Leadership, Confronts Racism CLEVELAND -- Delegates to General Synod 30 wrestled with a series of significant issues and also with technological malfunctions yesterday. Radio interference rendered the electronic voting devices unusable during the morning and afternoon plenaries, forcing the denomination to hand count paper ballots and bringing business to a crawl. Nevertheless, the body re-elected the Rev. Dr. James Moos as Executive Minister for Wider Church Ministries and elected the Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer as General Minister and President. 06/30/2015

SLCC Pioneers Kick Off Camp Season SHARON -- The sound of a cat's paw wrenching nails from a board. The soft scrape of a broom sweeping pine needles from a roof. These are not the typical sounds of camp, but then Pioneer is not a typical camp week at Silver Lake Conference Center. 06/29/2015

Unexpected Places, Unexpected Joys, Unexpected People at General Synod

CLEVELAND -- The thirtieth General Synod of the United Church of Christ, the denomination's biennal national gathering, kicked off amid celebration of a Supreme Court decision affirming the right of same-gender couples to marry and the broad realization that finding justice remains a challenge for many people in the nation and the world. Synod delegates and visitors heard from two church officer nominees: Wider Church Ministries Executive the Rev. Dr. James Moos, and the Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer, nominee for the next General Minister and President of the UCC. 06/27/2015

Southern New England Conference Ministers Celebrate Marriage Equality Ruling

HARTFORD -- The Conference Ministers of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island applauded today's Supreme Court Ruling affirming the right of all citizens to marry regardless of gender. They joined a chorus of approval of United Church of Christ leaders, many of whom are gathered in Cleveland for the denomination's 30th General Synod. 06/26/2015

 

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Report on Racial Justice On June 21st, Rev. Julia asked a vulnerable an important question, in the wake of the devastating shootings at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina. During her Sermon she asked, “Is it more shocking for me to see white people killing Black people in this country, or to myself be called racist? My pitiful answer, is that I am terrified of being called racist. It would be more shocking for ME to be racist, but I have come to expect racism to exist around me. I was challenged this week to realize that to the world, I have more in common with the shooter, than I maybe have with my African-American colleague of the cloth, Rev. Clemente C. Pinckney.” She highlighted the concept of “White Fragility,” a concept that protects white superiority, and is based in the inability of white people to see our complicity in a racist system, that works to deflect any feedback about our own racist instincts or behavior. Rev. Julia was invited to pray for all pastors, churches and leaders at the Prayer Vigil held on Tuesday June 23rd at Cross Street AME Zion Church in Middletown. Here was her prayer: “Oh God, how long? How long God, will we live in a world where ministers of your word will gather to lead their people in a Bible Study, to be shot dead, because of racist violence? How long, oh God will young children in your churches have to play dead to protect themselves, to survive? Oh God, how long. Your people cry out, your pastors lament, your churches mourn, your leaders search for words to comfort, when they need to be comforted themselves. Oh great comforter, pour our your love and compassion to all pastors gathered here today. Rest your hand on them, remind them of the work they are called to; to encourage the people, do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you, oh God. We name now in our hearts or on our lips pastors and church leaders who will help guide us through these trying times, the Pastors that need comfort themselves. We pray for the ministers who were shot and welcomed into the arms of Jesus at Mother Emmanuel, Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney, senior pastor, Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, associate pastor, Mr. Daniel L. Simmons, part time ministerial staff, and Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor. We pray for all pastors who see themselves in these minister’s who perished. Who carry the rich legacy of Black and Brown skin, who are saying, “that could have been me.” Oh God protect them, pour out your saving love and grace onto these pastors. Anoint them and protect them with your beauty and strength, sweet Jesus. Allow them to continue your work. Oh God, we pray for leaders of all institutions in this country. I pray especially for the white pastors, and white churches, to awaken. To awaken to the realities of living in a world where they would never get shot for the color of their skin. God, transform their hearts to feel the pain, the suffering of your children. God, work within white communities to transform the shameful wounds of racism in this country. Place your vision of love for this world, into all of our hearts. We are at a turning point oh God. Awaken your leaders, your ministers, your churches, to the realities of this world. God, give us all a vision of a world where all people are safe, where all are regarded as blessed children of God, where Jesus leads us all into safety and unity. Oh Jesus, give us a vision of a world to where children are safe and have environments to thrive. Send your Holy Spirit to transform this world. Anoint your leaders, your pastors, your churches with this vision of love and transformation. Holy Spirit, send to us now a spirit of strength and courage, of protection and compassion, so that your people can gather in unity and continue to do the good work of your word. Be with us, Jesus. We thank you for your blessings amidst the pain, and ask that you remain with us, that you abide in us and that you give us peace through the storm. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.”

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Here is an excerpt from “A Pastoral Letter On Racism: A New Awakening, written in January 2015:" "Born in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement and having deep roots in the 19th century struggle to abolish slavery, the United Church of Christ has a lasting engagement in the struggle for racial justice. The 1991 Pastoral Letter on Contemporary Racism emphasized the Seventeenth General Synod declaration that “racism is a sin and an evil that stands as an affront to the Christian faith.” The 2008 Pastoral Letter that accompanies Sacred Conversations on Race pointed out, “Racism remains a wound at the heart of our nation that cannot be wished away or treated carelessly.” These writings from our leaders during those years remind us that acknowledging and challenging racism is not new for the United Church of Christ. They also remind us that we are theologically and spiritually compelled to seek the elimination of racism within ourselves, in the church and in society.

As members of the Christian faith, as residents in our communities, as law enforcement officers or family members of law enforcement officers, as elected officials, as clergy and lay leaders, as mothers and fathers of those who might be at risk, and as individuals seeking to be guided by the Good News that all of us are created in God’s holy image, we, too, must confess that we fall short of who we are called to be as followers of Christ. We also confess as a denomination that is majority white in membership that we have not lived into our commitments to be an anti- racist church and an intercultural, multiracial church to the extent that God has called us to be. On matters of race and racism we have lapsed into complacency in part because racism seems intractable. It won’t go away. Or because we want to believe that we are living in a “post-racial era.” If we are able to embrace this confession as our own, our calling as Jesus’ disciples then inspires and even compels us to be accountable and responsible in pursuit of the end of racism, however long it takes."

 

 

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08/01 Cyndi Sanders 08/01 Kyle Czajka 08/03 Joe Rouse 08/05 Wilma Crane 08/05 Cole Royer 08/06 Jo Ann Hansen 08/10 Matthew Gilbert 08/10 Paul Scoffone 08/11 Carolyn Fink 08/11 David Beauchemin 08/12 Pam Miller 08/14 MaryAnne Tuttle 08/14 Robbie Wilcox-Smith 08/14 Katie Wilcox-Smith 08/15 Greg Brooks 08/18 Sachal Nicholas 08/18 Addie Bacon 08/21 Catie Olinski 08/22 Peter Drewniany 08/22 Linda Michael 08/23 Karen Ladr, Karen 08/23 Emma Gustamachio 08/25 Linda Heidorn 08/26 Donald Umba 08/27 George Robinson 08/28 Thomas Chace

7/5 Joshua Maines 7/7 Jennifer Jasenski 7/9 Evelyn Hickox 7/15 Leah Richards 7/15 Peter Miller 7/17 Rachel Bynum 7/17 Margaret Lindsey 7/18 Melissa Bradbury 7/20 Jessica Palmer 7/21 Susan Eldridge 7/21 Kyle Heidorn 7/23 Eilleen Paddock 7/23 Sharon Kupiec 7/23 Nancy Wilcox 7/24 Kay Butterfield 7/24 Luke Reynolds 7/24 Chase Reynolds 7/26 Christopher Scoffone 7/28 Lucile Blanchard 7/28 Julia Marzalek-Baldyga 7/29 Clarine Brown 7/30 Ellie Gagnon

H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y  

OUTREACH Green Envelopes for 2nd Quarter - Focus on Youth

Our green envelope contributions this quarter will focus on the youth in our community. In addition to our financial support, the Outreach committee will exploring volunteer opportunities for members to support the youth of our community at Connecticut Juvenile Training Center, Green Street Arts Center, and North End Action Team (hiking programs, mentors, designing t-shirts as a fundraising activity, etc). If you know of youth activities in our community that need our volunteer or financial support, or if you have any ideas for future areas of quarterly outreach, please contact a member of the Outreach Committee (Catie Olinski, Curt and Joyce Weybright, Julie Hurlburt and Jen Jasenski).

For those of you who give monthly to the green envelopes, please continue to give monthly so we can make a larger commitment to helping the youth of our community who are in need. THANK YOU for making a difference with the youth in our community.

Announcements? Please send them to Kortney in the office at firstchurchucc@sbcglobal.net by Wednesday each week, so she can print them in the bulletin. FIRST CHURCH DINNER CLUB / KIDS' FELLOWSHIP NIGHT

The Fellowship Committee is once again sponsoring the First Church Dinner Club. Congregation members will, on a voluntary rotating basis, host other congregation members in their homes for food, conversation and fellowship. Simultaneously, the Christian Education Committee will host a Kids' Fellowship night at First Church. The intent of the kids' event is, in part, to offer a babysitting option for parents who wish to participate in the Dinner Club; but the two events are mutually exclusive -- you can attend the Dinner Club without your kids attending the Kids' Fellowship night, and your kids can attend the Kids' Fellowship night without you attending the Dinner Club.

Please consider joining us for one or both of these events, and get to know the people sitting next to in the pews!

If you would be interested in joining us for these events, please contact Greg Brooks: gbrooks@universalbach.com and