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The Federated Courier Federated Community Church

Hampden, MA 01036

E-mail: [email protected] www.hampdenfederatedchurch.org Tel. (413) 566-3711 Fax (413) 566-5324

Volume 73 10 October 2020 _____________________________________

From the Pastor's Desk

Read Psalms 46 & 62

Greetings in the Name of Christ!

We are living in a precarious time: COVID and all the

ramifications from the threat of the virus, the upcoming

Election and the time required for trying to find the truth and

decide where, how, and who to vote for, the determination of

elected officials to go against their own words and rush a

decision for a new Supreme Court Justice, the uprising in

many cities of folks demanding their voices be heard and a

seat at the table as demands are made for new ways of seeking

justice for ALL, the horror of the deaths of George Floyd,

Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many other black

people’s deaths at the hands of those who are supposed to

protect ALL, and the retaliation against innocent police just

for wearing the uniform, the fires, the floods, ..and so much

more! It is overwhelming on our own. Psalm 42 helps me

remember God is the source of all I need to get through the

day.

As one of my daily devotions, I read reflections by Richard

Rohr, who is a Franciscan priest and the founder of The

Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New

Mexico, where he serves as founding director and academic

dean of the Living School for Action and Contemplation. His

words were so helpful for myself and others (I received e-

mailto:[email protected]://www.hampdenfederatedchurch.org/about:blankabout:blank

mails regarding these from a colleague and a church member),

I feel compelled to share with you.

Some simple but urgent guidance to get us through these

next months.

I awoke on Saturday, September 19, with three sources in my

mind for guidance: Etty Hillesum (1914 – 1943), the young

Jewish woman who suffered much more injustice in the

concentration camp than we are suffering now; Psalm 62,

which must have been written in a time of a major oppression

of the Jewish people; and the Irish Poet, W.B.Yeats (1965 –

1939), who wrote his “Second Coming” during the horrors of

the World War I and the Spanish Flu pandemic.

These three sources form the core of my invitation. Read each

one slowly as your first practice. Let us begin with Etty:

There is a really deep well inside me. And in it dwells God.

Sometimes I am there, too … And that is all we can manage

these days and also all that really matters: that we safeguard

that little piece of You, God, in ourselves.

—Etty Hillesum, Westerbork transit camp

Note her second-person usage, talking to “You, God” quite

directly and personally. There is a Presence with her, even as

she is surrounded by so much suffering.

Then, the perennial classic wisdom of the Psalms:

In God alone is my soul at rest.

God is the source of my hope.

In God I find shelter, my rock, and my safety.

Men are but a puff of wind,

Men who think themselves important are a delusion.

Put them on a scale,

They are gone in a puff of wind.

—Psalm 62:5–9

What could it mean to find rest like this in a world such as

ours? Every day more and more people are facing the

catastrophe of extreme weather. The neurotic news cycle is

increasingly driven by a single narcissistic leader whose words

and deeds incite hatred, sow discord, and amplify the daily

chaos. The pandemic that seems to be returning in waves

continues to wreak suffering and disorder with no end in sight,

and there is no guarantee of the future in an economy designed

to protect the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor and

those subsisting at the margins of society.

It’s no wonder the mental and emotional health among a large

portion of the American population is in tangible decline! We

have wholesale abandoned any sense of truth, objectivity,

science or religion in civil conversation; we now recognize we

are living with the catastrophic results of several centuries of

what philosophers call nihilism or post-modernism (nothing

means anything, there are no universal patterns).

We are without doubt in an apocalyptic time (the Latin

word apocalypsis refers to an urgent unveiling of an ultimate

state of affairs). Yeats’ oft-quoted poem “The Second

Coming” then feels like a direct prophecy. See if you do not

agree:

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

Somehow our occupation and vocation as believers in this sad

time must be to first restore the Divine Center by holding it

and fully occupying it ourselves. If contemplation means

anything, it means that we can “safeguard that little piece of

You, God,” as Etty Hillesum describes it. What other power

do we have now? All else is tearing us apart, inside and out,

no matter who wins the election or who is on the Supreme

Court. We cannot abide in such a place for any length of time

or it will become our prison.

God cannot abide with us in a place of fear.

God cannot abide with us in a place of ill will or hatred.

God cannot abide with us inside a nonstop volley of claim and

counterclaim.

God cannot abide with us in an endless flow of online punditry

and analysis.

God cannot speak inside of so much angry noise and

conscious deceit.

God cannot be found when all sides are so far from “the

Falconer.”

God cannot be born except in a womb of Love.

So offer God that womb.

Stand as a sentry at the door of your senses for these coming

months, so “the blood-dimmed tide” cannot make its way into

your soul.

If you allow it for too long, it will become who you are, and

you will no longer have natural access to the “really deep

well” that Etty Hillesum returned to so often and that held so

much vitality and freedom for her.

If you will allow, I recommend for your spiritual practice

for the next four months that you impose a moratorium on

exactly how much news you are subject to—hopefully not

more than an hour a day of television, social media,

internet news, magazine and newspaper commentary,

and/or political discussions. It will only tear you apart

and pull you into the dualistic world of opinion and

counter-opinion, not Divine Truth, which is always found

in a bigger place.

Instead, I suggest that you use this time for some form of

public service, volunteerism, mystical reading from the

masters, prayer—or, preferably, all of the above.

You have much to gain now and nothing to lose.

Nothing at all. And the world—with you as a stable

center—has nothing to lose. And everything to gain.

Richard Rohr, September 19, 2020

I hope you have found his words comforting and his

suggestions centering and propelling.

In Christ's Light and Love, Pastor Pat

From the Deacons’ Bench As the Deacons, Christian Education Ministry Team and the

Board of Directors met to look at resuming indoor worship,

we began to get more excited at the possibility of returning to

our Sanctuary together, and welcoming again our families and

children, who have not been with us since March. Going

through all of the pertinent Covid guidelines and mandates

was challenging, but having committed our hearts and minds

to gathering in person, we were able to develop workable

procedures to ensure we can meet together as safely as

possible.

Yes, some of the “rules” seem nit-picky and annoying, maybe

even burdensome; but we believe that offering the opportunity

to unite our spirits in prayer and worship, in person, may be

worth some inconvenience to many of us. At the same time,

we know that some of us are unable or uncomfortable with

worshipping here in church, so we will continue to live-stream

our service on Facebook, and record it for cable viewing.

Throughout the past few weeks these verses kept going

through my mind: “Who shall separate us from the love of

Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or

nakedness or danger or sword? ...No, in all these things we

are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I

am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor

demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any

powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all

creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that

is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 35, 37-39)

I believe that whether we are physically together, or uplifting

our prayers and praise from our homes, we are held in God's

tender care.

Your sister in Christ,

Deacon Linda Hornig

Servers for the Months Deacons

October Hayden Tibbets

November Karen Anable

December Dave Spencer

Anniversaries

Sunday School Birthdays

Madison Cadieux 10/08

Olivia McKeone 10/31

John & Beatrice Moriarty 10/01

Allen & Laurie Schoolcraft 10/04

Paul & Elizabeth Cilley 10/09

Nancy & Richard Nelson 10/09

Robert & Ellie Green 10/13

Robert & Cheryl Patterson 10/14

Bruce & Jeanne Westcott 10/15

Michael & Karen Kielb 10/18

Joshua & Sarah Blain 10/24

Erik & Dawn McKeone 10/27

Donald & Shirley Facey 10/30

October Birthdays Birthday Greetings to the following

adult members of our church who celebrate birthdays in

October.

Robert Patterson 10/01

Barbara Dunwoody 10/03

Jacene Germain 10/05

Joseph Eagan 10/05

Jennifer Jernigan 10/05

Carmel Grant 10/04

Ellie Soucy 10/14

Cameron Walulak 10/14

Joyce Brooks 10/14

Ellen Gatchell 10/16

Laurie Schoolcraft 10/17

Gerald Robinson 10/18

Casey DeGray 10/20

Donald Facey 10/20

Rebecca DeSanti 10/20

Rebekah Doyle 10/23

Justin Jernigan 10/24

Bruce Westcott 10/29

Beatrice Officer 10/30

Gillian Smith 10/30

Prayer Corner

Sympathy To…

Family & friends of Edna Fisher, who

passed away on September 6th.

Family & Friends of Susan Wickwire,

(sister of Nancy Nelson) who passed away on September

11th.

Evie Meacham Jake

Bob & Evelyn Schoolcraft Christopher

Richard Grant Otto Kern

Kathie Carol Darnley

Audrey Burger Gwen Wills

John (Jack) Bennett Lelum

Janet Brehaut Jackie Prior

Beverly Pease Dennis Connor

Winnie Jeffrey Howe

Don Facey Edith

Fran Brown Joanne Fernandes

Frank & Phyllis Watson Bonnie Watson

Thank You- From Rebecca Varney I write this letter of thanks with great gratitude for the generous

scholarship my sweet Mom accepted on my behalf. Although it

saddens me I am unable to be there in person, I am beyond grateful

to be a part of this congregation, even from afar throughout this

pandemic. This scholarship will allow me to complete my Master’s

degree with less financial stress during these times of challenge as

I grow in my field and into my career. May this church thrive and

grow, and Lord, shine your grace on this loving congregation.

Love & Blessings,

Rebecca

* Rebecca Varney is attending Arizona State University to study

Community & Resources Development and was awarded the Yola

& Gerrish Scholarships on September 13th

. Thank you to those

who have made these scholarships available.

Flower Committee Update We will resume putting flowers on the alter for Sunday

services. If anyone would like to put an arrangement

in, please contact Regina Germain at 566-3933. Due to

Covid, the one difference is that flowers will not be delivered after

the service. If you would like to bring the flowers you ordered

home, you will need to pick them up. If you do not wish to take the

flowers, anyone else attending the service is welcome to take them

home.

Safety Guidelines for Indoor Worship

Please continue to wear a face mask and make sure to stay 6’

apart.

As we move indoors for worship, we want

to make sure you are aware of the

following practices as you decide if you are

safe to gather in person. If you or any

member of the family are experiencing the

following symptoms, please do not attend

in person, but consider watching on

Facebook Live or cable network at the

scheduled viewing time.

•Experiencing any symptoms such as fever (100.0 and above) or

chills, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, fatigue, headache,

muscle/body aches, runny nose/congestion, new loss of taste or

smell, or nausea, vomiting or diarrhea

•Have had “close contact” with an individual diagnosed with

COVID-19. “Close contact” means living in the same household as

a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, caring for a

person who has tested positive for COVID-19, being within 6 feet

of a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 for 15 minutes

or more, or coming in direct contact with secretions (e.g., sharing

utensils, being coughed on) from a person who has tested positive

for COVID-19, while that person was symptomatic

•If you have been asked to self-isolate or quarantine by your doctor

or a local public health official

Please note no communal gatherings pre or post service (e.g.,

coffee hours or other food services) are allowed.

We will ask that you sign in at worship to stay in guidelines for

contact tracing, should there be a need.

Harvest Gifts Update The Harvest Gift team made its

final delivery of fresh produce on

September 23rd. Thanks to all of

you who contributed produce, non-

perishables and packing materials -

your donations have made a

difference in the lives of so many

dealing with loss of income during the pandemic.

We will continue to collect non-perishable food items with planned

deliveries on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Items can be dropped

off at the church during regular office hours ( 9AM - 1 PM Mon-

Wed-Fri ) or on Sundays through-out the month. Thanks!

Advent Booklet Devotions It is Pastor Pat’s hope that the community of FCC will create their

third annual Advent Booklet, similar to the Upper Room Daily

Devotional, to be shared by the entire church during this time. The

reflections can take many forms. They can be a poem or be short

reflections on a time when you were touched by God or saw God

working through another person. It can be a time in nature which

took your breath away or about someone who made a difference in

your life. If you are comfortable finding a supportive Scripture and

adding a prayer, that is fine. If you only want to submit the short

reflection (no more than a half typed page), Pastor Pat will add

Scripture and a prayer. The booklet becomes our gift to one

another. Please submit by November 1, 2020 ( in time for Advent)

to [email protected] (preferred method) or leave in the

church office marked “Advent Booklet”.

Bible Study to Resume on October 16th We will begin Bible study again on Friday, October 16

th at 10:30

AM. We will meet in the Libby Fellowship Hall as well as Zoom.

All are encouraged to attend.

mailto:[email protected]

Christina’s House Staircase- Over Halfway to Goal! GREAT NEWS!!! The church members and friends have passed

the ½ way point in our goal of $6,000 to pay for the rebuilding of a

2 flight curved railing main staircase from the first floor to the

third floor for Christina’s House! Thank you for supporting this

local organization that is making a difference in people's lives.

If you would like to donate, please make checks payable to the

Federated Community Church. In the Memo line please write

CHRISTINA’S HOUSE, and send to:

Federated Community Church

P.O. Box 246

Hampden, MA. 01036.

Thanks,

Bruce and Janet Libby

Clothing Donations Needed FCC is collecting business attire clothing to go to the Women’s

Leadership Program of Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield

CT., through the non-profit Carol Rivest Memorial Foundation,

coordinated by Sheila Rivest. The foundation supports survivors of

domestic abuse with going to back to work. The clothing collected

is for women to wear for job interviews.

Having Fun Folklore says that Halloween was created because of the

importance of the day that follows: All Saint’s Day. Satan was

upset and jealous that Christians would be worshipping and

honoring God and the Saints that had died. Satan devised a plan to

capture the Christians so that they would not be able to praise and

honor God and the Saints. The Christians found out about Satan’s

plan and so disguised themselves as his followers so they would

not be captured.

This year, due to COVID, we will not have our pumpkin carving

outreach and the children will not have traditional Trick or

Treating. We are asking children and adults to come to church on

November 1st (All Saint’s Day) dressed as your favorite Biblical

character. Following worship, we are asking our adults to bring

candy to pass out with gloved hands (gloves provided) to our

children. It is important we support one another.

Super Saturday

October 24th & October 31st

Registration Deadline: October 19th

Please join us for our first Virtual Super Saturday; two days

of worship, workshops and networking- October 24th

&

October 31st. Sign up for one day or two, two workshops or

four. It’s up to you!

All Are Welcome. Register early to reserve your spot!