Volume XXXVII, Issue 24, March 10, 2010 www.hillschurch.org
Tradition holds that Lent offers us time for introspection. That, in order to look ahead to the joy of Easter, we should begin by looking inward, by examining ourselves. I think this is great advice. If I want to truly absorb the impact of what Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection can accomplish for me, I need to take stock of who I am. It isn’t until we become aware of our own wounds that we can accept the balm Christ offers.
Here is an inadequate analogy. Have you ever gone directly from work to the grocery store without first stopping at home to look in your cupboards? Your workday ends, you’re hungry, you know you need groceries, so you head straight to the store.
I do this all too frequently. And, when I get to the store, I am completely overwhelmed. I know we need something at home, a few things, but I’m not sure what they are. Is it honey we’re out of, or jelly? Chicken or carrots? The grocery store has everything we could possibly need. So I make a few guesses, spend too much money, and drive home only to discover that I bought a gallon of milk when we had a fresh one in the refrigerator, picked up a head of broccoli when there was already one slowly turning yellow in the vegetable drawer.
If we use the remainder of Lent well, this strange season can help us avoid a much more profound mistake. If we can learn who we are, we can then discover what it is we need. And, then, when Easter arrives and Christ springs forth from the grave, we can place our brokenness before him. Rather than squandering his love on unnecessary requests or ignoring his presence because we’re not quite sure what sort of help we need, we can let Christ fill our emptiness, energize our exhaustion, motivate our lethargy. We can let him substitute our judgmentalism with love, let him erase our self-loathing and replace it with self-respect. Let him deflate our haughtiness, let him inflate us with Christ-like humility.
Of course, it isn’t easy to engage in this kind of honest introspection. If you are like me you would probably rather not evaluate your own sinfulness. This is why it is good to remember that
in church we confess our sins for two reasons. First and obviously, confession reminds us of how bad we are. By naming our sin we come to recognize how distant and different we are from God, from our own best selves, and from those our mistakes are wounding.
But much, much more importantly, we confess in order to be reminded of how good God is. We do not bare our souls so that we might be punished. Rather, we confess in order to be forgiven. Even though he wasn’t expecting the overwhelming grace he received, the prodigal son came home to be fed, not kicked. For this reason, even as we contemplate our own brokenness, we do so from a place of hope not despair. You have probably noticed that in Protestant churches the cross is always empty – it signifies Christ’s death, but it also points toward Easter. Our honest evaluation of self can and should share the same dynamic. I can take a hard look at the lamentable aspects of who I am even as I recognize that God loves me nonetheless and is trying to give me the strength I need to overcome my own brokenness. Such is the powerful interplay between Lent and Easter. Such are the remarkable resources of our faith!
God bless you,
Matt
HILLS CHURCH EVENT CALENDAR
THURSDAY, March 11
9:30 a.m. Staff Meeting
6:30 p.m. New Beginnings
7:00 p.m. Personnel Committee
FRIDAY, March 12
7:00 p.m. AA
7:30 p.m. Al-Anon
7:30 p.m. Friday “After Ours”
SATURDAY, March 13
10:00 a.m. 3rd-floor Mural Painting (5th-8th Grade)
12:00 p.m. Cooking for Woods-Mullen
SUNDAY, March 14 – Fourth Sunday in Lent
Daylight Saving Begins
8:45 a.m. Lectionary Bible Study
10:00 a.m. Worship, Matt Fitzgerald preaching
11:00 a.m. Community Hour
11:15 a.m. Cheerful Chimes
1:00 p.m. Quilting Group (at the home of Kindy Blatchford)
4:00 p.m. Hills Bells
4:30 p.m. John Finney’s 25th Anniversary Celebration
7:00 p.m. Sr. Fellowship and Confirmation: Movie Night
7:30 p.m. AA Meeting
MONDAY, March 15
8:00 a.m. Hills Church Networking Group
4:15 p.m. Jolly Ringers
TUESDAY, March 16
7:00 p.m. Networking Group Presents: “Using Social Media in Your Job Search”
7:00 p.m. Dance Class
WEDNESDAY, March 17
6:15 p.m. Souper Supper: The Meaning of Jesus
8:00 p.m. Chancel Choir
- Prayers for Bill White, recovering from a fall at Leonard Morse Hospital.
- Prayers for the Morrison family on the death of Archie Morrison, February 24th
- Prayers for the family of Becky Thomas, whose mother died last week.
- Prayers for Gifford Stowell, father of Chris Stowell, recently diagnosed with cancer.
- Prayers for Mary Stewart, recovering at North Hill.
- Prayers for Parker Stiles, recovering at home from a recent accident.
- Prayers for Rachel Diamandas, daughter of Mary and Frank Hays, undergoing surgery.
- Prayers for Marjorie Steacie
- Prayers for Harry Clark, Sprague Elementary School 3rd-grader, at Children’s Hospital.
- Congratulations to Allan Wirth on ending his chemotherapy treatment!
THIS SUNDAY: CELEBRATE John Finney’s 25th Anniversary as Music Director
Join our celebration this Sunday afternoon, March 14th, at 4:30 with a very special reception at the church. (Childcare will be provided.) We are asking the entire congregation to help make this party truly reflect our appreciation of the dedication John has shown us over the past 25 years. Submit memory book materials to Barbara Farmer at barbara.farmer@gmail.com. Send donations to the church payable to “WHCC/Finney Fund.” Contribute names of people who may want to participate to Martha Stowell at cpbranwell@gmail.com. If you would like to attend the reception for John Finney, but need transportation, please contact the church office at 781-235-4424.
“Was Jesus God? Did he intentionally die to redeem humankind? Was he bodily resurrected from the dead? Did he know he was the Messiah? What difference do the answers to these questions make for living a Christian life?” If you have ever pondered such questions, come to a discussion of The Meaning of Jesus a book by Marcus Borg and Tom Wright. The book tackles these questions head on, from two widely divergent points of view. On Wednesday evenings, March 10th and March 17th, at 6:15 p.m., we will have a Souper Supper followed by a discussion of this insightful book. The discussion will be led by Matt Fitzgerald and Jim McKinney.
FINDING THE LOST COIN: WOMEN AND THE IMAGE OF GOD
On Wednesday, March 10th, at 12:30 p.m., the Wellesley College Department of Religion will sponsor “Finding the Lost Coin: Women and the Image of God” presented by Elizabeth A. Johnson, C.S.J., Distinguished Professor of Theology at Fordham University. This event takes place at Wellesley College’s Houghton Chapel. Author and editor, Elizabeth Johnson has focused her research on the mystery of God (“She Who Is”), Mary and the communion of saints, the problem of suffering, and issues related to justice for women. Johnson is past president of both the Catholic Theological Society of America and the ecumenical American Theological Society. If anyone is interested in attending this event with Matt Fitzgerald, please email matt@hillschurch.org, or call the church office.
Friday After Ours…Irish Coffee
All women of the church are invited this Friday, March 12th, at 7:30 p.m. for an evening of fellowship and Irish coffee at the home of Carol Mills, 16 Elm Street, Wellesley, 781-239-0520, carol.mills@db.com. No RSVP necessary. Directions: From church parking lot, turn left onto Washington, take second left onto Elm Street, #16 is fifth house on left (yellow with blue door).
Planning to Join the Hills Church?
For those of you who have expressed an interest in becoming a member of the Hills Church and have attended an Inquirers Gathering, a reminder that new members will be received during worship on Sunday, March 14th. If you are planning to join, please call Cynthia Gordan in the church office at 781-235-4424 as soon as possible.
Recycle Your Eggs!
We need your plastic Easter eggs. Please donate plastic Easter eggs for use in our annual Easter Egg Hunt. Bring your old (or your new and clean) eggs to worship this Sunday, March 14th. For questions, please call Corinne Frazer at 617-222-0619.
NETWORKING GROUP PRESENTS: “Using Social Media in Your Job Search”
Are you wondering which social media tools are useful to help you stand out in your job search? Should you be Twittering or Facebooking? And, if so, how should you present yourself? Barbara Bix, founder of BB Marketing Plus, will give a presentation about various social media tools to use in augmenting your job search activities. The Hills Church Networking Group will sponsor this meeting on Tuesday, March 16th, at 7:00 p.m. in the Reception Room. No need to RSVP. This event is free.
Wellesley Interfaith Food Drive
This year the Wellesley Food Pantry has an enormous need as it struggles to feed 200 families.
The Wellesley Interfaith Food Drive is happening now through Sunday, March 21st. Each participating house of worship has been asked to focus their efforts on collecting one or two items from the Food Pantry’s list of most-needed items. This year, the Hills Church is collecting paper towels, toilet paper, or Roche Bros. $10.00 gift cards. (No substitutions please.) A collection box will be located at each narthex throughout the month. On Saturday, March 27th, all houses of worship will deliver their collections to the Hills Church where they will be sorted and stored in the Food Pantry. If you have any questions, or would like to help, please contact Linda Kinch at 781-235-7840 or email j.kinch@comcast.net
Metrowest Interfaith Hospitality Network news
The Metrowest Interfaith Hospitality Network (MIHN) is a cooperative, interfaith partnership of houses of worship who offer transitional shelter to families with children as they seek permanent housing. The next MIHN hosting week at the Hills Church begins Sunday, May 9th. The next training will be Wednesday, March 10th, 6:30 p.m., at Most Precious Blood (30 Center Street, Dover). Please contact Laurie Otten for more information at laurie.otten@verizon.net. Items needed for current MIHN guests include…size-2T sweatpants, onesies, PJ’s and socks, size-4T long sleeve shirts and socks, size-8 long sleeve shirts, size-7 jeans, and HE Detergent. If you have items to donate, please contact MIHN Assistant Director Marcia Praver directly at marcia@metrowestihn.org.
Nursery Volunteers Needed
Do you like holding babies, or playing with the little ones of the church? Then, we need you! If you’d be willing to serve the kids and families of the church by volunteering a few Sundays to care for children in our Nursery during worship, please contact Jim (jim@hillschurch.org, 781-245-4425, x216). We need your help to provide a warm and fun space for our little ones. And we now have speakers in the Nursery, so you’ll be able to listen to the worship service while caring for our children.
19 Chapel Place Future Use Committee
The Prudential Committee has formed an ad hoc committee to discern how best to utilize the property at 19 Chapel Place (i.e., church parsonage and surrounding grounds). Serving on this committee are Steve Bradley, David Dinwoodey, Chip Douglas, Becky Epstein, Gary McCabe, Carol Mills, Jack Morgan,
Tony Parker, and David Perry. (Barbara Smith-Bacon, as Chair of the Prudential Committee, is a member ex-officio.) Over the next few weeks, the committee will gather information and ideas through discussions with the clergy, committees, and others who may have an interest in the future use of 19 Chapel Place. There will be several formal opportunities in April for the congregation to attend information sessions. Anyone who has an idea, or wishes to make a suggestion prior to those meetings, is invited to contact any committee member or send an email to the committee through the church office.
Women’s Retreat
Enjoy the fellowship of Hills Church women for a time of individual reflection and group discussion. This retreat, led by Rev. Bonnie Scott Jelinek and Seminarian Lauren Lorincz, will take place on Saturday, March 27th, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Bonnie’s home in Wellesley. The event is open to all women of the Hills Church. Bonnie and Lauren would welcome suggestions for our retreat theme. Contact Bonnie Jelinek at bsjel@usa.net and Lauren Lorincz at lauren.lorincz@gmail.com.
CALLING ALL KNITTERS
Please put Saturday, March 27th, at 1:00 p.m., Reception Room (as well as the last Saturday of each month) on your calendars for our knitting and crochet group for the remainder of the year. It is red scarf time and the yarn is here. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to knit, join us. Our experienced knitters love to share their skills. For more information, call Donna Kent 781-449-2045 e-mail dekent@rcn.com.
BARBERSHOP QUARTET CONCERT
The Seniors Ministry Committee invites everyone to join in a Barbershop Quartet Concert on Wednesday, April 7th, at 1:30 p.m. Have Voices Will Travel is a Boston area group that has been performing together for 5 years and, individually, for more than 50. The program will be held in the Reception Room followed by light refreshments. Please call the church office for reservations and rides, if needed, at 781-235-4424.
WEDNESDAY EVENING LAY-LED WORSHIP AND DINNER
On the first Wednesday evening of each month through June, you are invited to attend a terrific dinner followed by a prayer and worship service led by lay members of our congregation. The dinners provide an opportunity to deepen our relationships with one another and the services provide an opportunity to deepen our relationship with God. Dinner will be served from 6:15. The services will begin at 7:00 and end before 8:00. Hold these dates: April 7th, May 5th, and June 2nd.
THE PSALMS ALIVE GROUP: Powerful Poetry in our Midst
Want a recommendation for some really great psalms to read? Hills Church members suggest these: 8, 19, 23, 30, 34, 42, 51, 100, 119, 121, 139, 143, 145-150. Want even more? Join our newly formed Psalms Alive Group on a journey to read the entire book together over the next four months. This group meets once monthly at the home of Robert and Becky Williams (42 Noanett Road in Needham) to study and to share our experiences with this powerful book. We had a warm and lively first meeting discussing Hebrew poetry and sharing insights, questions, and favorite passages from Psalms 1-41. Keep reading! Our next meeting is on Friday, April 9th, 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. Read Book II: Psalms 42-72 (concluding doxology: Ps. 72:18-19). Interested in joining us? Email Robert and Becky Williams at williams.becky@yahoo.com.
To the Saints of Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, UCC:
Thank you for the extraordinary ways you have responded to the hurt and hope of Haiti, and in particular for you congregation’s generous financial contribution…You can be confident that 100% of your gift will go to Haitians. That’s because any and all administrative costs are paid for already from the gift your congregation makes to the United Church of Christ from your budget. That ongoing gift allows the UCC to have the partnerships and the infrastructure in place so that we can respond to a disaster such as this. As you may know, for almost 30 years the UCC has been in Haiti where our missionaries serve on the National Spiritual Council which includes 6,000 Haitian churches…Thank you again for giving generously and freely, for putting God’s love into action, and for reaching across the waters to bring a glimmer of hope to a devastated people.
Faithfully,
Jim Antal
Conference Minister and President
For 5th-8th Graders
Saturday, March 13th, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Come for an hour or two between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., wearing clothes you can paint in.
We’ll have snacks and pizza. We’ll be working with an artist to create three murals. The artist is really fun, and this’ll be a great way to serve the church, have fun, and get in touch with your artistic side.
Thank you!
Who knew—lo, so many years ago—when Sue Dahlie presciently brought to the Hills Church the idea of Super Bowl subs from her Mom's church in Virginia, that it would grow to a joyful morning for over 100 youth and adults from our church to produce a record 1,050 delicious sandwiches with over 600 donated to local shelters. Thank you to the sandwich and salad line participants. But it never could have succeeded without the incredible organization by the Youth Ministry Committee and the great leadership of Larry Petzing on logistical issues. And, once again, the fabulous, careful, and generous instruction, expertise, and supplies from Mike Kamio, assisted by his crew led by Super Bowl Sub veteran Carlos from his own restaurant Anna’s Taqueria. Thank you all. A stunning success and a whole lot of fun!
—Paul Bruchez
Past Super Bowl Sub Chairman (of a much more modest past endeavor)
No comments:
Post a Comment