United Church of Christ | Doing God's Work in Connecticut and the World
Join us in person or online every week at 10 a.m. Services are in our sanctuary at 1242 Whittemore Road, Middlebury, CT; please use the main entrances on the street side.
We serve Communion on the first Sunday of each month.
Online worship is presented live on our YouTube channel, where you can also see an archive of previous services, sermons, and musical highlights.
Sunday, October 24, 2021
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost
Heather Dechent Preching
Reading: Exodus 1:8-16
Dear friends in Christ,
I hope you’re all doing well this lovely day. We have a quieter weekend at church than last week, but there are some upcoming things I’d like to highlight:
Thank You Volunteers!
In the past five weeks we’ve had five memorial services at the church and the book and bake sale. All of those things have involved volunteers, and I want to thank everyone who has ushered, baked, donated books, sorted books, cooked, volunteered at the book sale, and helped setup and clean up everything. All of you are what make our church community possible.Thank you.
Book and Bake Sale
I haven’t gotten the exact final figure yet in terms of what we raised, but I know it’s somewhere north of $600. In addition to the money, I really appreciated the opportunity to just put on an event at church again after over a year of being so restricted in what we could do. Plus, I picked up a couple books and some yummy baked goods.I’ve included a couple pictures from the fundraiser on Saturday.
Reformation Day/Halloween
This year October 31st, Reformation Day/Halloween, falls on a Sunday, so we might as well have a little fun. Children (and older children of God) are welcome to come in costume or in Halloween/fall themed attire. If you want to go all in, you can dress up as your favorite Protestant reformer/theologian.
Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg on October 31st, the eve of All Saints’ Day, in 1517. This event marks the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. The word Halloween comes from the church feast of All Hallows’ Eve. Hallow is the old English word for saint/holy. So, the word Halloween is saying All Saints’ Eve.
All Saints’ Observance: 11/7
On November 7th, we’ll be observing the feast of All Saints’ during worship. In many Protestant churches like ours, the emphasis of this festival is on the ongoing sanctification of the whole people of God. We use this opportunity to give thanks to God for the ordinary, holy lives of believers in this and every age, especially those who have died in the past year. So, during worship, we’ll be reading the names of people who have died that we’d like to give thanks to God for.
Please let me know if you have the name of someone you’d like included in worship. (I’ve already included the names of everyone who died in 2020 and 2021 where I officiated the funeral/memorial service.)
Livestream FixedWe can confirm that we can successfully stream worship again after our internet service provider replaced their modem. You can find both the Sunday morning worship service and the memorial service for Lori Giannini from this past Sunday on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/c/middleburycongregationalchurch
General Comments
I’m taking some study leave this week, which I’m excited about as I didn’t take any study leave in 2020. I have a backlog of books/magazines to get through, and I’ll have gotten through at least little of the pile by the end of the week. I’m still checking my email, but I’m not in the office as much. If you need me, you can always email or call. (Also, I’ve attached a picture of the sunset at the church from last week.)
Peace,
Pastor Katrina
Dear friends in Christ,
I hope you’re all doing well this week. We have a busy weekend at the church coming up:
Book and Bake Sale 10/16 from 10-2
Memorial Service for Lori Giannini: 10/17@2pm Bakers Needed!
Videos of 10/10 Worship
It turns out the issues we’ve been having with our livestream were due to a faulty modem from our internet service provider. We got it replaced this past Sunday, so things should work properly going forward. We were able to record worship on Sunday, so in case you weren’t able to join us in person, here are the videos from Sunday:
Full Service: https://youtu.be/RFd-WGTIje8
Sermon: https://youtu.be/AmVKFMbYFqM
Stewardship Moment: https://youtu.be/8MDJMcKQnNM
Preschool on the Green Pie Fundraiser
Don’t forget to order your pies from the Preschool Fundraiser. The last day is October 15th. Here is the link:
https://my.mcmfundraising.com/2021-fall-preschool-on-the-green/jeanine-bonaventure/
If you have any questions, call the church office 203-758-2671.
Update: Donations for Afghan Refugees
Last month we had a collection of needed supplies for Afghan refugees being housed oversees at a U.S. military base that was poorly equipped to house so many women and children. All the donations we received have been mailed out. Thanks to the area Girls Scouts and all of you, we were able to send over 300lbs. of diapers, baby food, flip-flops and other essentials for women and children at the base. We’re holding off on further collections until we hear more news, but thank you to everyone who donated; and thank you to Barbara and Howard for taking the lead on that project.
Preschool on the Green Pie Fundraiser
Don’t forget to order your pies from the Preschool Fundraiser. The last day is October 15th. Here is the link:
https://my.mcmfundraising.com/2021-fall-preschool-on-the-green/jeanine-bonaventure/
If you have any questions, call the church office 203-758-2671.
General Comments
One of the things I enjoy about church is watching people come together to do all sorts of things from putting on events to comforting one another in difficult times. While our life at church (and regular life) isn’t quite back to the way it was before the pandemic, this summer and fall we’ve finally been able to gather together and say goodbye to members of our church who died in 2020 and 2021, and we’re finally able to have a regular church fundraiser again. We’ve still got further to go before the pandemic is in the rearview mirror, but I’m feeling grateful this week for all of these opportunities to be together and work together.
Peace,
Pastor Katrina
Turns out the problems we’ve been having with livestreaming were due to the modem from our internet service provider being faulty. It’s been replaced, and we should be all set going forward. If you weren’t able to join us for worship in person on Sunday, here are videos of the full service, sermon, and stewardship moment:
Full service: https://youtu.be/RFd-WGTIje8
Sermon: https://youtu.be/AmVKFMbYFqM
Stewardship Moment: https://youtu.be/8MDJMcKQnNM
Dear friends in Christ,
I hope all of you are doing well this week. We have a few things to highlight for this week:
Book and Bake Sale 10/16 from 10-2
Memorial Service for Lori Giannini: 10/17@2pm Bakers Needed!
Videos of Worship 10/3
We’re still having issues with our live-stream, but we were able to record worship on Sunday. Here are the links to those videos if you weren’t able to join us in person:
I’ve also attached a photo of some of our World Communion Sunday decorations.
Share the Care Ministry
Our deacons coordinate a ministry at our church called Share the Care, where we provide support in the form of meals and baked goods to people in our church community who have experienced a loss, illness, or simply a big life event (e.g. new baby, etc.) We’re always looking for people who would be willing to be on our list to help cook or bake when needs arise. If you’re interested, contact me, and we’ll get you on the list or answer any questions you might have.
Preschool on the Green Pie Fundraiser
Don’t forget to order your pies from the Preschool Fundraiser. The last day is October 15th. Here is the link:
https://my.mcmfundraising.com/2021-fall-preschool-on-the-green/jeanine-bonaventure/
If you have any questions, call the church office 203-758-2671.
Homecoming/225th Anniversary Article in the Republican-American
Thanks to help from Howard F. we’ve got a write up in the Republican-American community news. You can see it here: https://community.rep-am.com/2021/10/06/middlebury-church-celebrates-225-years/?fbclid=IwAR0uDwQuWBJ2A1G7lzb-ti7k2oa18c1R38PR9cXtGAc8092HjEaNJ0hw-Bs
General Comments
We’re entering the season where we start budgeting and preparing for the next calendar year at church, and it’s also the time where we start looking for volunteers to serve in various leadership positions in our church. In the coming weeks, a mailing will be going out from the Board of Stewardship about making a financial contribution to the church for the coming year. Another way we steward our community is through how we we use our time and skills, so if you have a passion or skill for something that you want to share, let us know! Some of the places we always need help are cooking/baking, finance/business, teaching/working with kids, art, home repair/facilities maintenance, gardening/yard work, event planning, mission activities, ushering services, and serving communion/assisting with worship services. If you’re interested in doing any of those things or even something not mentioned there, let me know so we can connect you with the right group at the church.
Peace,
Pastor Katrina
We’re still having some difficulty with streaming worship live, but we did record worship from Sunday. Here are the videos:
Dear friends in Christ,
I hope you’re all doing well. I’m appreciating the turn to slightly cooler weather this week as we get further into fall. I have a few things to highlight at the church:
Upcoming Memorial Services
-10/2 @12pm in the sanctuary: Annamae Hardwick
-10/17@2pm in the sanctuary: Lori Giannini
Past Worship Services
For those of you who were unable to attend the memorial service for Bill Crutcher this past Saturday, there’s now a video of the service here: https://youtu.be/6lqwEITvtgc
We had some issues with our internet service this past Sunday, so worship didn’t stream out properly. If you’d like to listen to the sermon, you can listen here: https://youtu.be/apDVJJSXCq0
COVID Church Updates
Coffee Hour: As long as the weather remains nice, we’ll continue to have coffee hour outdoors on Sundays. Once things get cooler, Council has approved moving coffee hour indoors. As coffee hour involves eating and drinking, masking indoors during coffee hour will be spotty. We encourage you to make the best choices for your health and comfort level. Masks will continue to be required for worship.
Book Sale 10/16 from 10am-2pm
On 10/16 we’re going to have a book and bake sale fundraiser. We’re going to need baked goods and volunteers to help make everything a success. You can sign up to volunteer or bake here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0548A4A82DABF58-book
The link to the Facebook event is here: https://fb.me/e/WkKPuJYH
Also, we need books to sell! We’re accepting donations of books (no encyclopedias), puzzles, CDs, and DVDs. You can bring things to the church when the church office is open M-F 9am-3pm. If the church office is closed, you can leave books in the bin at the office door, and I’ll make sure they’re brought in. We’re already getting a good number of donations!
Church Office Closed: 9/30-10/4
Jeanine is out of the office the end of this week and the beginning of next week. I will still be in and out of the office, but more in the afternoon than the morning.
General Comments
One of the small things I appreciate about fall is the angle the sunlight comes at changes, and I really love the way the light hits the front of the meetinghouse in the morning and the way the light comes through the windows in the late afternoon. I’ve attached pictures of both those scenes. Watching the sun this time of year makes me think of this part of Psalm 19:
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.”
I’ve lately been listening to this sung rendition of part of that psalm: https://youtu.be/7Hvf7Xry-5k
I think it captures something about the hope and beauty yet also melancholy of fall, where things look so beautiful before going to sleep or dying for the winter.
Peace,
Pastor Katrina
We had some technical difficulties with the livestream on Sunday, but if you missed worship in person we’ve now got audio of the sermon from 9/26 with pictures from life in the church
Dear friends in Christ,
I hope you’re all doing alright so far this week. I have some upcoming things to highlight:
Upcoming Memorial Services/Calling Hours
Saturday 9/25 @11am on the Green: Memorial Service for Bill Crutcher. Please bring a chair. Reception to follow in the church Social Hall
Sunday 9/26 from 2-4: Calling hours for Lori Giannini at Munson-Lovetere Funeral Home in Southbury. Obituary is here: https://www.munsonloveterefuneralhome.com/obituary/Lori-Giannini
Saturday 10/2 @ 12pm in the Sanctuary: Memorial Service for Annamae Hardwick
Sunday 10/17 @2pm in the Sanctuary: Memorial Service for Lori Giannini
For those who weren’t able to attend the service for Skip Northrop this past Saturday, the service can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/UPEA8gRizM4
Services in the Sanctuary will be live-streamed. Service on the Green will be recorded and posted later.
Book and Bake Sale 10/16
On 10/16 we’re going to have a book and bake sale fundraiser. We’re going to need baked goods and volunteers to help make everything a success. You can sign up to volunteer or bake here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0548A4A82DABF58-book
The link to the Facebook event is here: https://fb.me/e/WkKPuJYH
Also, we need books to sell! We’re accepting donations of books (no encyclopedias), puzzles, CDs, and DVDs. You can bring things to the church when the church office is open M-F 9am-3pm. We’re already getting a good number of donations!
General Comments
This week, as we come to grips with the unexpected death of Lori in the middle of a season where we’re finally able to gather together to have services for our members who died at the height of the pandemic, I’ve been thinking a lot about one of my favorite funeral prayers:
“O lord, support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in your mercy grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and a peace at the last. Amen.”
I say the prayer at the graveside, which is where the United Church of Christ Book of Worship puts it, but some denominations, like the Church of England, have it as one of the last prayers said in the church before heading to the cemetery. I find it really beautiful and appreciate the images of safe lodging and peace.
I was doing some research, and I found out the prayer is a relatively recent addition to English speaking worship. It’s actually the prayer from the end of a sermon by John Henry Newman, who led a 19th century movement in the Church of England called the Oxford Movement that broadly tried to make the Church of England more resemble the Roman Catholic Church. Eventually, he converted to Catholicism and was made a cardinal. His writings both when he was Anglican and when he was Catholic were very influential, and the prayer by Newman was put in the 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer for the Episcopal Church.
Interestingly, the prayer was placed in family prayers section of the prayer book, and it was originally used as a nighttime/before bed prayer. I find it rather touching that a prayer families would say together before bed now serves as the prayer we use when we gather at someone’s final resting place; as the family of God, we gather together at the grave and say one last good night.
Peace,
Pastor Katrina
Dear friends in Christ,
I hope everyone is doing well this week! There are a few things going on to highlight:
Upcoming Memorial Services
Saturday 9/18 @11am in the sanctuary: Skip Northrop
Saturday 9/25 @ 11am on the Green (rain location in the sanctuary): Bill Crutcher
Saturday 10/2 @12pm in the sanctuary: Annamae Hardwick
Book and Bake Sale: 10/16 10am-2pm
On 10/16 we’re going to have a book and bake sale fundraiser. We’re going to need baked goods and volunteers to help make everything a success. You can sign up to volunteer or bake here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0548A4A82DABF58-book
The link to the Facebook event is here: https://fb.me/e/WkKPuJYH
Also, we need books to sell! We’re accepting donations of books (no encyclopedias), puzzles, CDs, and DVDs. You can bring things to the church when the church office is open M-F 9am-3pm.
Church Renovation Update
If you’ve driven by the church this week, you’ll see that the lift we’ve rented to continue work on restoring the front of the church has arrived (see picture.) I’m looking forward to seeing the progress in the coming weeks now that Bob W and Bill M can more easily access all parts of the front of the meetinghouse.
General Comments
I was wonderful to be able to see many of you this past Homecoming Sunday! We had beautiful weather for a picnic. I’ve attached a couple pictures from the day. I want to thank Ellen A. for coordinating our kitchen volunteers so we could have a wonderful meal. Thank you to the Zolds for letting us borrow their tent for some much needed shade. And thank you to our face painters and all our other volunteers who helped make sure we were fed, entertained, and started out this fall on the right foot. Sunday was also a good way to acknowledge our 225th anniversary after our 224th year as a church turned out to be a much harder time than any of us had expected. On Homecoming, one of the prayers I used was this one, which is a slightly modified version of a prayer in the Book of Common Worship, and it seems fitting for the rest of this week as we look ahead to what comes next this year:
“As we begin a new program year together, receive our gratitude, Holy God, for the 225 years through which you have led us here, and open us to the future you promise. In the years that lie ahead, grant us your encouragement in the work of ministry, your consolation in our defeats, and your challenge to our complacency. Give us such trust in your abiding Holy Spirit, that we may find joy and peace in our common life, strength and courage to live in the world for your reign, and hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Peace,
Pastor Katrina
