March 2016 HE IS RISEN · 2016. 3. 1. · Help plan Easter Sunrise Service – the Youth Group is very short of numbers ... of the perfect church. We each have our own ideas of what

thE-Steeple March 2016

Inside this issue: He Is Risen

40 Hours 40 Days

Note from Charlie Magill

Rainbow Quilt

Book Club March

Men’s Breakfast

Women of the Church Meet

Women’s Breakfast

Sally Metro News

Education News

Hiding Hallelujah

Hot Cross Buns

Lenten Bible Study

Lent Reflection

Hygiene Drive

Rummage Sale

Coffee Hour

Dismas Hosting

Junior Choir

Kids 4 Peace

News from Karen Allen

Our Historic Clock

Calendar

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HE IS RISEN

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The season of Lent is a solemn time in the Christian Church Year when we prepare for the death and resur-rection of Jesus. During this time it is common for peo-ple to give up, or take on something extra. At Williston Federated Church, we are excited to be honouring this time with a campaign called 40 Hours in 40 Days.

To assist the congregation to meet its on-going needs, we are asking everyone to share 40 hours of their time, talent or treasures with the church. The treasure part is a bit different. To offset the com-mitted program costs at the church, we would ask you to consider donating 1 hour of your wages/income each day, for the 40 days of Lent. Yes we know this is a huge stretch and realize many can’t do so. However 1 hour of wages a week in addition to your regular offering can and will make a huge impact. This is a fabulous opportunity for us to work as a unified group, supporting our church as a whole, in a myriad of ways! Whether you offer the church your time, your talent or your treasures, it is all greatly appreciated. It matters not which of these you do, all that is asked is that you please consider participating however you can, to the degree you can. LIST OF WAYS TO HELP MUSIC AND WORSHIP COMMITTEE

Meet with the committee to help plan and make happen Holy Week beginning with Palm Sun-

day

Assist with invitations to the community to join the congregation for Holy Week Services

Help arrange for lilies and daffodils for the altar Easter Sunday (see Ashley Dubois)

Help prepare palms for Palm Sunday

Teach children and adults to make crosses from palms

Set up for Maundy Thursday Service -- take down chairs etc.

Set up for Good Friday Service - take down chairs etc

Help plan Easter Sunrise Service – the Youth Group is very short of numbers

Bring food to share at the Sunrise Service

Take down the wooden cross and put up the 'shiny' cross in the Sanctuary for Easter

Assist with placing lilies and daffodils on the altar and connecting them with people who or-

dered them

Help put up and take down extra chairs for Easter Service

Offer to usher

Offer to read scripture

Offer to assist Urusla White in providing flowers for the altar

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Williston Family ~

I visited a church in Massachusetts last Sunday.

Their “Bridge Pastor,” my daughter Elizabeth, was

conducting her last service there. The scripture

from Isaiah 55 speaks of God’s Kingdom where the

people have enough, enough to eat and to drink.

Elizabeth noted that the kingdom is not of perfec-

tion but of sufficient. She noted many places where

we can’t have perfection but would like it; the per-

fect spouse, child, teacher, house, game of domi-

nos, ski run, the perfect church. But God says you

will have enough.

Then she asked everyone in the congregation to think of one thing in the church

they want to hold onto and one thing they want to change.

Can you think of one thing you want to stay the same in our church? Is there one

thing that you really, really want to change? Do you think that your one things,

one to hold onto and one to change, are the same as everyone else’s? We need to

hold onto our desires loosely, knowing that what is most precious to us might be

what someone else most wants to change. As we look to the future, we each have

our own visions of perfection, of the perfect church. We each have our own ideas

of what should stay the same and what should change.

But God doesn’t promise perfection for each of us. God promises us enough. We

will, as we always have, change. Just as we are a different church than we were

twenty and ten years ago, we will be a different church in the future. But we will

still be Williston Federated Church, a community of God’s love, God’s hope,

God’s care for each of us. We will be a community of God’s grace.

Your Assistant Pastor Charlie Magill

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The Rainbow Quilt, by Nancy Stone

A few weeks ago, I was in a dark place wondering about the future if this church. It made me examine the

depth of my connection to this church for 45 years. I found it impossible to list all the reasons Williston Feder-

ated Church is at the core of my faith and community.

Last Sunday, I woke at 1:30 a.m. and never went back to sleep as I watched images of rainbow colors play

across my mind. As a symbol of hope and renewal, they eventually came together as a quilt design, with

squares in which each person could write about how this faith community is important....how it inspires us to

follow Christ, and leads us to be better because we worship and work together,

So, those rainbow colors became a paper quilt that is now in the downstairs Fellowship Hallway. It awaits

your unique hand-writing to express why or how This Church is important to you. You can start with a verb

and write one word or several. Perhaps children can write or draw in the bottom rows. It doesn't have to be

completed by a deadline; you can think about it and do it in the future. But, to be complete and effective, it

needs your participation.

Imagine how powerful these affirmations will be when read by new pastors or guests, and how healing they

may be for each other.

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Men’s Breakfast Notice: The men of the church meet on the fourth Wednesday morning each month with breakfast served at 7:00 am. It’s a wonderful time to meet with your peers and discuss the ups and downs of the past few weeks and find encouragement for the upcoming month. If there is anyone who would like to help prepare the breakfast, you should come at 6:30 am. Hope to see everyone there. Ken Stone

WFC Womens Book Club and Pot Luck!

The discussion of last month’s book “ Stand Your Ground’ was very thought provoking. Though

this book covered some ’heavy’ material it was well received by all.

This month we are reading FEVER by Mary Beth Keane .

“Mary Beth Keane, named one of the 5 Under 35 by the National Book

Foundation, has written a spectacularly bold and intriguing novel about the

woman known as "Typhoid Mary," the first person in America identified as

a healthy carrier of Typhoid Fever. “

We will be meeting at the home of Mary Lou Rodes, 334 Commons Road on March 23 at 5:30pm. Please join us for some wonderful ‘eats’ and even more amazing fellowship.

Attention All Women!!

It is time to spend money! Actually, it is time for our annual Women of the Church

business meeting. All women are welcome and encouraged to attend.

The meeting will be on Sunday, March 13th right after Church. Please grab a cup of

coffee and return to the sanctuary for our meeting.

The purpose of the meeting is to decide how to spend the money that we have raised

this year. A list of last year’s spending can be found in the June 2015 Annual Report.

If you have suggestions you would like discussed for this year, please contact me be-

fore the meeting if possible.

Thanks. I hope to see you then. Susan Lamb: 878-1251 evenings or

[email protected]

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Women's Breakfast April 2nd

Calling all women. Please save the date for an exciting

Women's Breakfast April 2nd 8:30 -10:30 AM. Our guest

speaker will be Megan Frenzen who recently traveled with

a group of Vermonters on a medical mission to Greece to

provide humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees.

A quote from her blog to give you a sneak peak. "I could have written of our mission by describing the

muddy slopes of 'Afghan Hill', where thousands will sleep in the cold tonight; the desperation in the cloth-

ing provision line when, at 4am, the supply of mostly hand-me-down men's shoes ran out completely, with

dozens of refugees still standing in soaking shoes or completely barefoot in 35 degree temperatures; or,

the faces of the refugees as they hand their crying children out of dinghies and drop to their knees on the

beaches. I don't feel like writing about that right now - instead, I'd like to share my thoughts about one lit-

tle boy who sat in my lap 48hrs ago. Courtesy of the aforementioned language barrier, I know next to

nothing about this boy - including his name. In the face of a crisis more massive than I could've imagined,

it was the not knowing of something as simple as his name that lead me to write of my experience in the

way I have here...".

We hope you will plan to join us for food, fellowship and an inspirational story. A sign up sheet will ap-

pear on the bulletin board within the next week or two.

Sally sends greetings to you all.

"I'm healing well, and apparently ahead of the usual schedule, and driving my

poor husband crazy. There are so many things going on...rest, exercise, rest,

walking, rest, etc. Your cards are keeping me laughing! I came home about 5 days

early and look forward next week to getting the staples removed. Thanks for all your

prayers...they are lifting me up. Blessings, Sally"

Labels for Education. Campbell's Soup Company has decided to discontinue their Labels for Educa-

tion program because participation has declined considerably. For the past 42 years, Campbell's has of-

fered Labels for Education which has contributed millions of dollars in school supplies to tens of thou-

sands of schools across the U.S. Labels from our Williston Federated Church community have been col-

lected, trimmed, and donated to Williston Central School. If you have any final labels to donate, please put

them in the collection bag on the Missions bulletin board. www.LabelsForEducation.com.

Box Tops for Education. We will continue to collect General Mill's Box Tops for Education and do-

nate them to Williston Central School for their after-school programs. Please put your box tops in the col-

lection bag on the Missions bulletin board. www.boxtops4education.com.

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DiD you know…. HOT CROSS BUNS It is one of the peculiarities of the observance of the great fast of Lent that several

of the customs surrounding it have to do with food: pretzels, simnel cake, and hot

cross buns. Hot cross buns are perhaps the strangest of these customs as they are

sweet rolls that are eaten on the most important fast of all, Good Friday. The ori-

gins of this very English custom are not entirely clear. It has been suggested that

hot cross buns originated in the pagan cult that preceded Christianity in Brit-

ain. But the earliest historical mention of them is traced to a 12th century English

monk who is said to have marked buns with the sign of the cross in honor of Good Friday. A 14th century re-

cord tells how a monk of St. Albans distributed spiced cakes to the needy on Good Friday, inaugurating an an-

nual tradition, though he carefully guarded his recipe.

Whatever their origins, there were certainly ideas associated with these buns that some would regard as super-

stitions. Hot cross buns were eaten after sundown to break the Good Friday fast. In the Middle Ages, they were

believed to have powers of protection and healing. People would hang a hot cross bun from the rafters of their

homes for protection through the coming year. And if someone was sick, some of the dried bun would be

ground into powder and mixed with water for the sick person to drink.

In the reign of Elizabeth I, when Roman Catholicism was banned, making the sign of the cross on the buns was

regarded as popery and the practice was banned. But neither Church nor State could suppress the popular cus-

tom, so legislation was enacted to limit consumption of hot cross buns to legitimate religious occasions such as

Christmas, Easter, and funerals. The familiar nursery rhyme, "Hot cross buns," derives from the call of the

street vendors who sold them.

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Why do we "hide" the alleluia? The omission of alleluia

during Lent goes back at least to the fifth century in the western

church.

The association of alleluia with Easter led to the custom of intention-

ally omitting it from the worship service during the season of Lent, a

kind of verbal fast which has the effect of creating a sense of antici-

pation and even greater joy when the familiar word of praise returns.

We do not use it at church. We do not use it at home. We let it rest, as it were, during Lent, so that when it

reappears on Easter, we may hear it anew. In fact, once it returns on Easter, we give it no rest at all, re-

peating it again and again, in celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus.

The custom of actually bidding it farewell developed in the Middle Ages in Babylon. Many churches em-

brace the practice of physically "hiding" the alleluia. This ritual practice is especially delightful and

meaningful for children.

Our Sunday School students have decorated an "Alleuia" scroll and hid it on Sunday, January 31, in

preparation for Lent. The scroll will come out of hiding on Easter Sunday, March 27! (from the Episcopal

Diocese of Texas: http://www.epicenter.org/formation/why-do-we-bury-the-alleluia/)

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Dates & Time: Wednesdays, 3/2, 3/9 and 3/16 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM

Location: Essex Center UMC (119 Center Rd./Rt. 15)

(around the corner from Essex Center Library)

Participants: Williston Federated Church, Essex Center UMC, United

Church of Underhill & Richmond, UCC. All invited!!

Purpose: to engage the reality of gun violence in our country in conversation

with our Christian faith and with our neighbors.

Cost/Food: FREE WITH SIMPLE DINNER INCLUDED.

(Call 879-6238, Ruth or Charlie)

Reflections on Gun Violence from the book of Micah 4:1-4.

MICAH 4: 1-4

The Mountain of the LORD 4 In the last days

the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as

the highest of the mountains;

it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to

it. 2 Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to

the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of

Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in

his paths.”

IMPORTANT ECUMENICAL LENTEN BIBLE STUDY

The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from

Jerusalem. 3 He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes

for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords

into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation

will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for

war anymore. 4 Everyone will sit under their own vine

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Lent, Listen, Silent Prayer and Bible Reflection ~Lent, Listen, Silent Prayer and Bible Reflection ~

As the wall calendar moves from winter to spring, the church calendar moves from Lent to Easter. A time of silent prayer and reflection may offer an opportunity to experience that warming and potential growth in a new way; therefore the following group extends a

‘special invitation’ special invitation’ to join the gathering.

The group meets on Thursday mornings from 8-9am. The group joins together in silent prayer, followed by the sharing of responses to a few Bible verses. Silent prayer is practiced during the first 20 minutes. The method called Centering Prayer will be practiced by some in the group, others will practice whatever form of silent prayer or meditation they choose. Anyone is welcome to come once a month, once a year or once. If you would like to join the group and are not on the email list, or you are interested in listening/silent prayer group …. please contact Donna Fellinger so you can be informed of any changes in schedule: [email protected] or 802-355.1700.

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HYGIENE DRIVE

There are so many individuals right here in Vermont that

don’t have the simplest of toiletry items. Those items that

we take for granted, for some families their grocery

purchases MUST come first and hygiene items have

to take a back seat.

Therefore, we would like to make available to both JUMP and

the Williston Food Shelf the following items:

Shampoo and Conditioners

Deoderant

Dry Laudry Soap

These items should be dropped in the boxes outside the fellow-

ship hall during the month of March and into Early April.

We can learn a lot from the TIDE slogan “At Tide, we believe in

the power of clean. That for people, in times of crisis, clean

clothes look, smell and feel like hope”. Same goes with clean hair

and some deodorant.

Thanks in advance for your generosity … Beth Goss

[email protected]

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Rummage (Clothing Only) Sale – April 8th 9am-6pm and April 9th 9am-

12pm. This sale is for clothing, shoes, purses, jewelry and linens only—Think textile.

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We are looking for donations of gently warn clothing for all ages, clean and in good condition, as well as linens, shoes, jewelry, purses.

Items may be brought to Fellowship Hall beginning Monday, April 4th. Tables will be set up and labeled. If you have time, please take a moment to place your items on the appropriate tables

Folks are needed to help with table set up on Sunday the 3rd, sort clothes during the week, work at the sale Friday & Saturday and to help take the left over items to Goodwill on Saturday. If you can help, please sign up on the bulletin board near the kitchen or contact Carol Bouchard at 862-7400 or [email protected]

Note: Please no donations before April 4th.

Coffee Hour Hosts & Greeters -

Many thanks to all who have signed up to help with these

two important weekly ministries in the life of the church.

The Membership Committee greatly appreciates your will-

ingness to help.

If you are looking for a way to give of your time & talents

on Sunday morning, especially during the Lenten season,

please consider signing up to greet or provide a snack. If you have questions, speak to a member of the com-

mittee: Ruth Magill, Vicki Truman, Jean Bing or Carol Bouchard.

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WFC is hosting a Dismas meal in April and May….

Our committee is made up of just a few of us, and although we don’t mind that, it would be VERY ap-preciated if we could get a helping hand.

Providing just one portion of the meal, say a salad or dessert relieves some of the pressure. If you feel you can supply one of these courses just let me know and we can arrange for pick-up, you don’t have to join the dinner—there are others that will be attending.

If you think you would like to lend a hand in completing one of these dinners, please contact Beth Goss

at [email protected]—your involvement would be GREATLY appreciated by ALL.

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Kids4Peace Summer Day Camp

The Vermont Interfaith Day Camp will be held Monday-

Thursday, July 18-21 in Burlington; the cost is $150. Open to

youth currently in 6th grade, the campers will be Christian, Jew-

ish and Muslim Vermonters; next year we will host youth from

Jerusalem & Palestine.

Join us this summer for exciting interfaith learning. Campers will learn about the three faiths and have a

chance to visit houses of worship in the Burlington area.

We will also learn skills that help us to be peace builders, and explore ways that we can improve our local

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The Junior Choir will rehearse on the following dates:

March 3, 6:00-6:45

March 10, 6:00-6:45

March 17, 6:30-7:15

Rehearsals are in the sanctuary.

They will be singing at the Palm Sunday and Easter services. If there are children that are interested in joining, that have not already contacted me, please let me know—Martin - my email is mhainvt.gmail.com

News From Karen Allen ~ The scroll has been hidden and the lent gardens planted. Now

we are waiting for Easter. We will be having regular classes

until Easter Sunday when we will be in the sanctuary with our

families.

We are still looking for a teacher for the Early elementary

group. It is fun and the kids are great. Please let Karen know

if you are interested. There are materials from Cokesbury that

we use and lots of fun supplies such as puppets, a sand table,

and a tent.

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The ‘DiD you know’ page

our historic TOWER clocK

-The Church was built in 1867, with Bell installed.

Bell Cast in 1864 by Jones & Co., Troy New York

Bell Yoke patented in 1855

- In July 1899 some on Williston’s “monied men” started raising funds for the purchase of a Town Clock. It

was felt the Williston Methodist Church steeple would be the best location for it as it was high, visible and

would allow the sound of the bell, which would strike the time on the hour, to carry well.

- The Clock (Tower Clock) was manufactured by E. Howard Co. of Boston MA. It was delivered August 16,

1899 & installed on August 30, 1899. The E. Howard Co. is known for providing hundreds of tower clocks

all over the United States. Others delivered in the same period as ours were sent to NH, MO, West Virginia,

Brewster and Rochester NY. Business records are available in the Smithsonian Institution. The Clock is

owned by the Town of Williston. They pay for its upkeep and for a Custodian/Winder.

- The Steeple was re-

moved for restoration in

March 1997. Many re-

pairs were made to the

tower & steeple, such as

new clock faces, stair

cases and threads, bell

rope & pillow blocks.

etc.

- The Clock movement

was removed in March

1998 for restoration by

The Green Mountain

Timekeepers. The pro-

ject was headed up by

Mert Esmond & Fred

Ringer. This organiza-

tion restores a tower

clock every several

years as a community

service.

- In September 1998 the Steeple was reinstalled. The clock movement side plates were also lifted by the

crane and placed in the clock movement room where it was re assembled.

- The Clock was restarted in November 1998.

- The Steeple and Clock were re dedicated on November 22, 1998

Interesting Side Notes

The clock represents wonderful engineering. It has run accurately through a 140 degrees temperature range for

117 years of operation, as of 2016.

Our bell is “Chimed” on the hour by striking the outside with a hammer, articulated by the clock movement.

The bell can also be struck, while stationary, by striking the inside of the rim with a hammer that is pulled with

the smaller bell rope. This creates a softer, quieter sound, called “Tolling”, normally done prior to a funeral

service.

The bell can be rung “Rung” for church services by pulling the large bell rope which rocks the bell back and

forth.

The clock has run faithfully since 1900 with only minor repairs. Is was designed by the E. Howard Clock Co.

of Boston, hundreds of these clocks were built in the late 1800’s and shipped all over the country. Some clock

movements have been electrified, but many, including Williston clock, are still hand wound every week.

The movement is provided with power from two cable/weight sets. The bell has a Time & Strike bell side.

The weight sets are made of stone filled wooden boxes. The time weight is 500 lbs and the strike weight is

1500 pounds. In the clocks 98 years of continuous operation these weights have been wound over 5000 times,

equivalent to 15 miles of vertical travel for the time weight and 29

miles for the strike weight. There is evidence in the chute, which

guides the strike

weight, that at one

time the cable

broke, sending the

weight crashing

through the floor

where it ended up

in the basement.

As boards halfway

down the chute are

charred from a fire

that apparently self

extinguished, it is

suspected that

lightning ran down

the cable, severing

it, and then exited

through the outside

tower wall.

Memories of Winding the clock

Our son Eric was thrilled to be hired by the town to wind the church clock for one year. It came with a stipend

of $100 which was a lot of money for a teenager! Little did we know how hard the work was for a light-weight

person, or how much it would involve the family! For instance, we would need to plan our arrival back from

vacation so that Eric could fulfill his duty while we sat in the car, waiting in the dark. Eric remembers, "It was

a job I took very seriously - what I do recall is the panic I felt when we got a call that the clock had stopped

and we'd have to rush down there and correct the matter."

Stephen Magill sometimes assisted Eric. Stephen says, "I remember sticking my head out of the window and

realizing that the steeple was REALLY high up. I also remember that

there was a handwritten list of names on the wall of all the clock-winders

going back a long time. I hope the list is still there." It was a momentous

moment when Eric Stone added his name to the wall.

submitted by Nancy Stone

Here is a collage of three pictures that show the area’s that have been used

to scratch in the names of individuals that have wound the clock.

NOTES FROM BILL WHITE~

2001 I almost had to give up the job as clock winder as raising the 1500 pounds of rocks that powered the bell

strike was killing my back . To save my back I built & installed a bicycle drive and attached it to the clock

movement. It must have helped as that was 15 years ago and I’m still winding! Bill

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Page 17

Budget Figures for January 2016

*Message from the Finance Committee: The budget figures above represent the differences

between the budgeted projected revenue from plates and pledges, versus what has actually been

received. However, during the period of July 2015 – November 2015 the Church operated with-

out a pastor. The savings in the pastor salary is approximately $23,600. Additionally, there is a

savings of $6,600 in health insurance costs. Total savings represent $30,200. The savings are

not reflected in the budget figures above. If you have, any questions please see Craig Metz, or

Barb Bristol.

Projected Revenue

January 16, 2016

Budget

Actual Revenue

January 16, 2016

Projected Revenue for

July 2015 – Jan 16, 2016

Budget

Actual Revenue

July 2015 – Jan 16, 2016*

$14,892 $16,090 $101,284 $78,964

Difference $1,198 ($22,320)