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From The Pastor's Study The Sunday after Easter Sunday is called "Low Sunday" for obvious reasons. On Easter Sunday the pastor looks over the congregation and thinks, "Wow, where have you been?" On Low Sunday the pastor thinks, "Wow, where did they go?" This is to be expected. We have the hope and the build up to the wonderful Sunday we celebrate the eternal nature of Jesus, which can only be understood as a gift from God. We do our thing and then it is business as usual. The deed is done, so it is back to the real world. It is a pattern many follow almost like the sporting events of our culture that have their prescribed seasons. Fans get all jacked up for the big show and then move on to the next event. The sad thing about this in the church is, if we don’t follow the story of the disciples after the resurrection, we leave all of this in a kind of fantasy land that doesn’t touch us in life-changing ways. We abandon the story at the very place it calls us to examine ourselves. We move on at the very point its truth can be revealed to us. We look to Jesus as a role model, as we should, but the role models that help us deal on a baser level of life are the disciples who abandoned Jesus at his time of deepest need. We identify with their human nature and easily find ourselves in their stories. In finding ourselves in them the real miracle of Easter is discovered, and God’s miracle of resurrection may be realized in us right now, in the present time. The rest of our church year will be spent with these and other stories that help us examine ourselves in the presence of God where we are challenged to make changes in our lives by living life in a different way. We resist change because we feel safe with the predictable even when it is uncomfortable. So, many of us with a little age on us say, "I can’t change." In so doing we often lock ourselves into patterns that rob us of adventure in what can be the most exciting years of our lives. John Powel’s book, Why Am I Afraid To Tell You Who I Am, is a most insightful book that I used with youth groups and recommend to you. In it he holds that if we say we can’t change, it is simply an excuse not to grow up. Jesus calls us to grow up, and growing up at any age is never easy; but the alternative is to live a diminished life that robs us of the zest that makes life an adventure. Come join us and make a commitment to change some patterns that simply don’t bring you joy as we discover together the life-giving miracle of Easter. Grace and Peace, Eric
 Embracing Change Tanya Anderson Some changes are relatively benign in our lives. They are changes that occur that we may or may not even notice. For example, our altar cloths correspond with our liturgical year and are changed periodically. When you come into the sanctuary, do you notice the color change of the altar cloths? Have you ever wondered why they are changed or what the changes mean? If you have, then the following information from the UCC website about the current color is for you! Easter and Pentecost The season from Easter to Pentecost is also called the Great Fifty Days, a tradition inspired by the Jewish season of fifty days between Passover and Shavuot—the feast celebrating the giving of the Torah to Moses. The liturgical color for this season is celebratory White or Gold. When the season ends on Pentecost Sunday, White is replaced with Red. This color reminds the congregation of fire—the symbol of the Holy Spirit. On Pentecost the Holy Spirit overpowered the barriers of culture and race. The first Sunday after Pentecost celebrates the Trinity, and the color again is White or Gold. Some changes are entirely positive. Think about the changes in our congregation with each new membership class that we welcome into Williston-West. Most recently, we established a covenant relationship with Sheila Bourassa, Gary Grant, Shone McGirr, and Chris Snell. As with each new class, these members change our congregation and we are enhanced, are of deeper character, and more diverse flavor. We should celebrate with these new members the gifts that they bring, and share the gifts that are unique and strong in Williston-West. Change is also often a source of apprehension, anxiety, and frustration. As flexible as we might consider ourselves, it is inevitable that we mentally shudder at the thought of working through the necessary changes that occur within lives – the bigger the change, the bigger the shudder. Our acknowledgement of impending change is least often met with anticipation or excitement but met with fear. How often have we asked ourselves when presented with a significant change in our lives "What will happen when . . .", "What will I do about . . .", "Why me, why now?" or "How can I keep this from happening to me?" How do we respond to the news of impending change? Duck and cover? Withdrawal? Disbelief? Remember how the disciples responded to the change that Jesus told them at Gethsemane was imminent . . . they fell asleep. Was this due to disbelief? Possibly. Some of them probably would not believe that the Messiah would actually be leaving their presence then, even if they knew in their hearts that the political structure would be taking Him from them at some point in the future. Withdrawal? Possibly. If they believed that it was near the end, some probably figured that the whole thing was so much larger than they were that there was nothing that they could do about it and, anyway, they were afraid to try. What did Jesus do? He prayed as any of the rest of us do, that the cup be taken from him (How can I keep this from happening to me?). And what did he teach us to do in his next breath? Pray that God’s will be done. Most of us are not in such dire circumstances as was Jesus then, yet we aggrandize the implications of change in our lives. Probably 99.999…% of the time we overestimate and inflate the bite that a change will bring and find that our own fearful bark was much worse. As we move into May, we have an exciting prospect ahead of us. On May 14, 2005, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., we are being charged with taking an in-depth look at ourselves as a congregation and determining what we want from our Williston-West experience. We are being charged with dreaming to the heights of what we want our experience to be, determining what is possible, and how we will get there. It is an exciting time for us because we have the opportunity to make change for ourselves. What do we want from a pastoral leader in our church? What do we expect from ourselves? Throughout this month, think about your experience at Williston-West and identify what would make it more meaningful to you. Participate in committee discussions and respond to the questionnaire that will be circulated during April. Then, bring your gifts and perspective to the retreat so that we can create positive change together – with your input and your gifts.  The Challenge THE STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE MET OUR $5,000 CHALLENGE GOAL, RAISING A TOTAL OF $7,559.00!! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT!! Geoff & Lindsay Alexander, Dan & Joan Amory, Marjorie Armstrong, Penney Armstrong, Tony & Julie Armstrong, Dick Aylward, Ken Barber & Amy Partridge- Barber, Rebecca Benefiel & Chris McCrone, Leigh Bonney, Ellie Brown, Bruce Burden, Beth Campbell, Steve & Debbie Cole, Peter & Stephanie Clifford, George & Stephanie Crockett, Patrick & Paula Costin, Chip Crothers & Marge Stockford, Aftin & Bev Doughty, Gary Grant, Joel & Becky Gratwick, Erik Hanna, Jane Honeck, Scott & Audrey Hutchinson, Edward & Jane Ingalls, Gracie Johnston & Linda McDevitt, Dan & Donna Kane, Eric & Betty Kelley, Lloyd & Ellen Knight, Gloria LaBrecque & Mary Beyer, George & Linda LaBarre, Bruce & Hona Lewis, Ted & Judy Malette, Norman Morse, Sumner Moulton, Peter & Deb Murray, Margaret O’Brion, Susan Pettingill, Karl Parker & Judy Reidt-Parker,Tom & Linda Riddell, Maggie Robinson, Sam Saltonstall, David & Nancy Shedd, Chris Snell, John Tewhey, Bill & Daphne Warren, Carol Zack. (If your name has been inadvertently omitted, please let the office know, and we will include you next month.)  May 14 Church Wide Retreat Ted Malette We are in an exciting time at Williston West. We are planning a retreat for the entire church family for Saturday May 14, from 10 AM to 4 PM. We are planning off-site childcare to reduce distractions. The goal of this retreat is to take a close look at our church from every conceivable vantage point with input from our entire faith family. The idea is that we build on the framework of the "God Is Still Speaking" program, work done by Eric while at The Albin Institute, and work done by each of our committees prior to the retreat. We plan on developing a plan to guide us for the next five years. Each committee has been asked to answer three questions related to the Pastor. They are: What do you want to see more of? What do you want to see less of? What do you want to stay the same? Each committee will bring their answers to a special meeting of the Williston West Church Council set for 6:30 PM Tuesday May 3. Each person at our Sunday worship services will also receive a survey, with the bulletin and in this newsletter, asking the same questions as they relate to the church itself. We ask that they be completed and placed in the collection or otherwise returned to the church office. Your opinion is highly valued and a strength upon which we will continue to build. Saturday, May 14 may be the day you had planned to open camp. It may be the day you were planning to take the kids to see the Sea Dogs. We are asking you to clear your calendar, change you plans and get involved in a very important day for your faith family. We will take care of the kids and feed your body and your soul. WILLISTON-WEST CHURCH SURVEY Please help us prepare for the future of Williston-West Church. Please answer the three questions below. Your answers will be a building block as we plan for the future. We will give full consideration to all answers at our Church Wide Retreat to be held here Saturday, May 14, from 10AM to 4PM. The retreat is open to all who worship here: our members and our visitors. Please plan to attend, we value you contribution. Regarding Williston West Church: What do you want to see more of? What do you want to see less of? What do you want to see stay the same? The Music Committee Judy Malette The Easter season is now behind us, and I hope you all enjoyed the music provided by the choir. May 1 will be a special music Sunday. It will be "Celtic Sunday", and all the music will have Celtic roots. Maggie will be there with her fiddle. The music committee has been asked to start a junior choir program. We understand there are a number of our young people who would like to sing. Beth Campbell and I will be the directors, and if anyone else would like to volunteer to help, we would be glad to have you. We will start rehearsals on May 1 right after worship service. While parents are at coffee fellowship, the children will be at rehearsal. The rehearsals will last for a half hour. If anyone has music we could use, please bring it to us. Rehearsals will continue thru June 5. We hope to have the children perform for Sunday school graduation. We would like to know how many children are interested, so please see either Beth or me after church. We are excited about this, and we hope the children will be too. The choir will have its second choir concert on Sunday May 22 at 2:30 PM. The event will be open to the public. Please mark your calendars and bring your friends. There will be a donation of $5.00 requested, but children 12 and under will be free. The money will be used for one of our missions’ projects (Seeds of Peace or Pilgrim Lodge campers). We will have a reception after the concert where refreshments will be sold. It will be a great time. The choir is really looking forward to it. Calling All Outgrown Child Car Seats! Missions' Committee The Even Start Family Literacy Program at Portland West Neighborhood Center (Portland West is one of the organizations that the Williston-West Apple Tree sponsors) needs your outgrown child car seats. The program works with in-need parents, adult caregivers, and their children as partners in literacy. Parents become their child’s first teacher while meeting their own learning and employment needs. This summer the Even Start Family Literacy Program directors will be taking their student families on community outings via van or volunteer cars, and they will need car seats for many children. Since most of their families do not have cars, they do not own car seats. All sizes of seats and boosters are needed. If you have an outgrown car seat or booster seat, please bring it in to church and leave it in the Apple Tree Basket and someone from the Missions Committee will deliver it. Thanks, Williston-West Missions Committee Taco Bell Boycott Ends Victoriously …from the U.C.C. Justice & Peace Advocacy Web Site A four-year consumer boycott of Taco Bell restaurants ended on March 8th with an announcement that the restaurant's parent company, Yum Brands, based in Louisville, Ky., would take significant steps to improve income and working conditions for those who pick tomatoes used by the fast food giant. According to the Florida-based Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) - the farm worker organization that mounted and organized the successful boycott - Taco Bell has agreed to a "groundbreaking agreement." The company will pay "the penny-per-pound surcharge demanded by workers and will work with CIW to raise farm labor standards in the supply chain and across the industry as a whole." Edith Rasell, the UCC's minister for labor relations and community economic development, hailed the news as "an important victory after a long, four-year struggle." "We can be proud that the UCC was the first national denomination to endorse the boycott, and that many UCC congregations all over the country worked and prayed in support of this struggle for justice," Rasell said. In July 2001, just three months after the boycott's launch, the UCC's General Synod, meeting in Kansas City, Mo., became the first denominational body to endorse the farm workers' campaign against Taco Bell. In subsequent years, the UCC was joined by several religious groups including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the United Methodist Church and the National Council of Churches. In addition to Taco Bell, Yum Brands also owns Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, A&W and Long John Silvers. Yum is a multi-billion dollar, multinational firm, and is the largest fast-good company in the world. Florida's tomato pickers were paid just one-third of what they received 25 years ago and face harsh conditions and indignities in the fields. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is now referring to Taco Bell as setting "a new standard of social responsibility for the fast-food industry." Emil Brolick, Taco Bell president, said, "We recognize that Florida tomato workers do not enjoy the same rights and conditions as employees in other industries, and there is a need for reform. We pledge to make this commitment real by buying only from Florida growers who pass this penny-per-pound payment entirely on to the farm workers, and by working jointly with the CIW and our suppliers to monitor the pass-through for compliance." Update on Seeds of Peace The Missions Committee will be hosting a concession at the Two Old Friends Concert that will be held at church on Saturday, April 9. All proceeds from the refreshment concession will go toward our Seeds of Peace Camper Scholarship fundraiser. If you can donate any baked items, individually-wrapped snack items, or drinks, please contact Betty Kelley or Penney Armstrong at the church office, 774-4060. All donations would be greatly appreciated! Please consider helping in some way with an upcoming fundraiser we’re calling "Sauce for Seeds." This is the brain-child of Donna Kane, and we’re so excited by her wonderful idea! Here’s how it goes: You know how you get a zillion tomatoes at the end of summer all ripening at the same time? Well, Donna thought we could get together and can some spaghetti sauce and sell it as part of our Seeds of Peace Camper Scholarship fundraiser. Everyone can participate in some way—we’re looking for people who garden and can save some space in their gardens for growing plum tomatoes, basil, or oregano (You don’t actually need garden space—just a plant pot out on the patio will work.), for people who can donate large canning jars, for people who can commit time in the late summer to cooking the sauce and canning it in jars, for donations of Parmesan cheese and garlic, and for someone to design a "Sauce for Seeds" label for the jars. Then, when all is prepared, we’ll be selling the sauce at church. If we have jars of sauce left over from the initial sales, we’ll save the sauce for sale at the Christmas Fair. Now, how creative is that?! We’ll post a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall soon, but want everyone to think of ways to participate in this fun and hopefully profitable endeavor! "Sauce for Seeds"--can't you almost smell the wonderful aroma of it simmering away? God is our Keeper Amy Partridge-Barber When I read these words the other day, I asked myself, what is keeping? There are different kinds of keeping, and you could probably metaphorically connect them all to the kind of keeping I am talking about. But specifically, I am talking about God’s keeping of us and our keeping of each other. I am asking myself and you, how are we doing on the task of keeping our children? Our families are the containers for the growth of souls. We may not own our children. We cannot make them who or what we want them to be, but we can keep them in such a way that their souls will grow in love. If we hold our children in a closed, hard container, they will feel trapped. Their growth will be impeded by our limitations on them. If we hold our children too loosely, with too little structure, they will feel afraid. They seek the safety of the container we offer, and if it is absent, they will seek safety in something else. If our container is constantly changing as our moods change, if they never know what to expect, because we keep asking them to fit into yet another container, they will become confused about who they are and who we are, and they will not trust. I think of the children I know who are in foster care and who have moved from one family container to another. Each of these families may be good and kind, yet the moving from one to another without any certainty about what will ever stay the same is what builds fractured human souls. The love and faith with which we hold our children creates the roots from which they blossom. So, what kind of container will hold our children without trapping them, and will provide a safe base from which they can grow into the world and into themselves? The answer to this question is different for each of us. How have we felt safely kept by our family, our friends, and most importantly, by God? I have an image of putting my children in the right shoes. I will try not to constrict my children in beautiful but too tight and too high heels. I will try not to leave them in bare feet in a world with many nails and thorns. I will give them Birkenstocks with a comfortable surface on which to rest their feet, and soft straps which can be adjusted as they grow. They will be able to walk miles in these shoes, and though they may climb high and dangerous mountains, and cross deep rivers, they will always have these shoes to cushion their step. And, as for the day when they throw off my Birkenstocks and trade them in for a pair of $100 sneakers, I hope I will remember to tuck those old Birkenstocks under my arm and keep them until my child comes looking for them again. It is through our human keepers that we can know The keeper: God. God’s spirit is always keeping us, but this is not God’s only gift. God gave us the gift of each other. And, we are meant to be each other’s keepers. We are the keepers of our children, our friends, our parents, our adversaries. Since we are imperfect, we are often not very good keepers. We make mistakes, we let our children down. Our container is too rigid, then too amorphous, then way too unpredictable. But, if we look to God to remind us of the importance of our keeping, we will recover from our mistakes and keep on keeping on, which is the best we can ever do. |
