Restoration and Renewal Yes, June is busting out all over. You can see it in the trees, You can smell it in the breeze, Look around! Look around! Look around!” For the past months, we’ve started to look around as the season changes, to explore our options as we move forward. During this time, when our committee met every week, I’ve used the terms “restoration and renewal” as a way to focus on our move into the future. I chose those terms in part because we are facing a new conference, The Southern New England Conference, AND are considering our place within the UCC. Our UCC heritage is richly diverse, and one of the branches is particularly noteworthy, the Christian Church, or the “Connection,” established in North Carolina by James O’Kelly. The Christian Connection, or the Christian Church, merged with the Congregational churches in 1931 to form the Congregational Christian Churches. The rest is history. I mention this because my maternal grandparents were members of one of the James O’Kelly congregations in North Carolina, so my congregational roots run deep. I mention it for another reason. O’Kelly was one of the earliest abolitionists, having written the Essay on Negro Slavery. After a disagreement within the Methodist Church over congregational polity, O’Kelly and followers left and founded the Republican Methodist Church, which was later known as the Christian Connection.
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O’Kelly was a staunch proponent of the congregational system of church polity all his life, and he was identified with what came to be known as the Stone-Campbell Movement, or The Restoration Movement of the 19th century, and that, too, is part of my background. And that brings us to our own restoration movement, here in the First Congregational Church. We have made considerable progress in the restoration of our worship and music programs, and are finding new ways to use technology to enhance our life together. Our schedule of outside meeting groups is being restored, and we are making headway in restoring our youth and Christian education programs. We still have a way to go, and that requires us to be vigilant in dealing with the Covid virus, which is still with us. We need to “look around” as we move ahead, at all the possibilities that lie before us, and as we begin to explore the future of First Church and its place within, or without, the Southern New England Conference. June is busting out all over, and there’s new life ahead!
Peace to all, Ken Frazier
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Terrific Tuesdays Concerts for July 2021 have been cancelled due to the Covid-19 virus. We are going to see – maybe in the fall we can have a one-time outdoor concert!! We will update!
GWIM FOOD BANK DONATIONS Peanut Butter & Jelly, Canned Meats, Cold Cereal, Mac & Cheese, Pasta & Pasta Sauce, Juice, tuna, canned soups-stews-chili, canned fruits, canned vegetables, beans (canned or dried), rice pouches, etc. Other donations will be welcomed, but these will be the main focus. The food basket will be available each week in the Narthex.
Condolences Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Rocco “Rocky” Capobianco who joined the Church Eternal & Triumphant on Saturday, April 15, 2021. We will continue to keep his family and friends in our thoughts and prayers. There will be a Memorial Service on Sunday, June 6, 2021 at 4 pm in the Sanctuary to celebrate Rocky’s life.
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OFFICE HOURS Rev. Ken, Rox and Kris have started back in the office daily and are still in-line with the Covid-19 protocol. If you do come to the church and want to come in the office please wear your masks. If you need to just pick up anything please call us and we will leave it out in the office hallway. Stay well and safe!!
Scholarship News! The Scholarship Committee had their meeting on May 3, 2021 in the Hearth Room with social distancing to pick the recipients for this 2021-22 year. We will not be having a Scholarship Sunday this year again due to the Covid-19 virus. We will keep you updated in the next news of the newly picked recipients along with the renewals.
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JUNE “BIRTHDAY” WISHES Happy Birthday to the following Church Members
Mike Sugrue 6/1 Richard Casey Preston Larrabee 6/3 6/19 Liliya Bikbova 6/7 Sandra Post 6/24 Sarah Hughes 6/10 Cindy Merrick 6/24 Jill Rodriguez 6/12 Emma Gray 6/25 Alan Walker 6/15 Sidney Boles 6/26 Melanie Gagnon 6/16 Christine Phelan 6/26 Norm Sizelove 6/18 Phillip Read Mason, Jr. 6/26 Bonnie Gagnon 6/17 Leanne Elwell 6/26 Joseph Trenske 6/28
AMERCIAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH CLINTON HALL 222 WEST MAIN STREET Tuesday, JULY 27th 9 am – 2 pm TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT VISIT REDCROSSBLOOD.ORG OR CALL 1-800 REDCROSS – 800-733-2767 DO NOT CALL THE CHURCH!!
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NOTES FROM OUR Director of Music
Happy June to all, it’s hard to believe where we were last year at this time. I know for me it has given me a deeper appreciation of the day to day things I wasn’t able to do for almost over a year. Keeping that in mind we should never take for granted the day to day things we are able to do or the people we are around. One of the groups we have missed here at First Church is City Youth Theater, just as they were gearing up for their first production here is when the pandemic started. I’m pleased to inform everyone, that they group has dates planned for two different shows over the next several months, at the moment I don’t have any exact dates but once I do I will certainly share them. I would also like to thank everyone that has tuned in to Music of the Light; we will be taking a break until the beginning of summer. I know it shows up in the news calendar but it was printed before I sent this to Rox. We are thankful for our live as well as virtual attendance and certainly those that have shared their talents with all of us. Like most, we need a break from computers, phones and the whole virtual world. There will be some summer activities planned and the events, days and times will be forthcoming, so stay tuned! One such project will be the garden at basement level, this is a joint project between First Church & WBM, we will beautifying the area for all to use, again stay tuned.
Eddie’s story, a couple of weeks ago while cleaning up from working in the front gardens to get ready for choir rehearsal, I noticed a gentleman walking around the front lawn with a reusable grocery bag, Continued
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I wasn’t quite sure what he was doing at the time but as I looked a little closer I noticed he was picking up litter. I went inside, washed my hands and walked out the back door to get into my car as I did so, Eddie was walking up to the dumpster to empty his bag.
I said thank you to which he replied God Bless You Sir. I asked him his name to which he replied Eddie, I shook Eddie’s hand again and thanked him for what he was doing. Eddie then said I’m tired of the status quo; it’s easier to do nothing than it is to do something. Everyone wants to save the world but how about we start in our own little corner. I was truly taken back by what Eddie had to say but how right he actually was. Let’s start here in our own little corner. As I pulled out of the parking lot, Eddie was out in front of the building continuing as he says “Gods Work”. During our conversation, one thing was very clear to me, “Status Quo”. The unchanging state of status quo, stagnate, a great way to become complacent. My 6.5 years at Radio City taught several things, the first two were eliminate status quo & normal from your vocabulary. The goal always was to continue to improve in all ways, but status quo really met if its mediocre eh that will do, and normal? Well nothing is ever normal. The lesson learned from Eddie that day, if things are to improve, there is no room for status quo. Eddie planted a seed that day, a seed that needs to be nurtured so that it continues to thrive. So this summer I encourage you to plant a seed, somewhere, anywhere even if it is at First Church. But remember, if you want the seed to grow you have to water it and care for otherwise, well it’s just status quo, same as usual.
Stewart Crouse Director of Music & Youth 7