The Federated Church of East Arlington May 2018 · 5/5/2018  · “Blanket the World with Love” 12 12 12 12 12 13 14 The Federated Church of East Arlington ... farmer) stood up

Inside This Issue

The word sabbatical comes from the Hebrew word sabbat which we refer to as Sabbath. It is intended to be a time of rest and study and play just like the intention for the Sabbath every seventh day but for an extended period of time. As I am about to em-bark on my first sabbatical after ten and a half years here at the Federated Church I recognize how much grati-tude and hope I am investing in these two months that will begin on May 14 and finish on July 16. The deep grati-tude that fills me is for this church and all of you who are blessing me with the gift of this time apart to read and travel and be on retreat and spend time with loved ones. I am grateful that so many of you are willing to take on tasks in my absence and there are still opportunities to help out. The work of church will continue with the hosting of the Shires Marathon(5/20), Celebration Sunday(6/3), the annual outdoor service at the Grange Pavilion(6/17) and the Summer Lunch Pro-gram which will begin its 10th year of feeding hungry children on June 19th. I am also grateful for the gifted wom-en and men who will lead worship and preach on the Sundays I am away.

One hope is that I will use this gift of time away to be more present to the sacred all around me. Often in the day-to-day busyness of meetings, writing, conversations, service, prepa-ration, and worship, there is a tenden-cy to take for granted the beauty and deep meaning in the lives and envi-ronment that are fill my life. I plan to document my time away through photography. A personal goal is to

May 2018

Meditation, Meanderings and Musings from Pastor Kathy email: [email protected] Cell 733-2162 Parsonage phone: 375-2427

Financial Secretary’s Report Church Attendance Church Council

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Birthdays & Anniversaries Helping Hands Fellowship/Coffee hour Altar Flowers Lectionary Readings SW Assoc. Prays for churches

Worship and Ministry Mission and Outreach Church dedication 4 Freedom Festival

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Prayer Shawl Ministry Adventures in Reading Grange Breakfast Lists need names Northshire Marathon Yoga for everybody Summer Lunch SW Association Annual Meeting David’s Harp Narrow and Deep

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Electronic Giving Website News From the Office Clipboards Need Names Arlington Area Food Shelf May Calendar “Blanket the World with Love”

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The Federated Church of East Arlington

take at least one meaningful photo-graph (and probably many more) each day that captures the concept of the Divine presence. Many of you have asked about my travel plans. They include a 3-day retreat at a convent in Maine at the beginning and another 3-day retreat at a different convent in Connecticut at the end of the time. In-between, Roger and I will be spending 15 days out west, beginning at Yellow-stone National Park and ending on the Washington and Oregon coasts. The last week of June will be a much dreamed of trip to the country of my grandfather and great-grandparents’ birth, Croatia. What will make this weeklong journey extra-special is that it will be with my mom, Selene, my 2 sisters and 5 of my nieces. We will be staying in a home overlooking the Adriatic near the city of Split. A num-ber of other day trips are in the works and, of course, the list of books I would like to read may be a tad bit unrealistic but I will give it my best shot.

During this time apart I would ask your prayers and please be as-sured you all will be in mine. May this time moving from spring’s blos-soming to summer’s abundance be filled with joy and peace, dwelling in the blessing of the Almighty. In hopeful gratitude, Kathy

Please submit your articles for the June 2018 issue of

the newsletter by

May 20th Thank you for your

anticipated cooperation!

Report of the Financial Secretary, Sandra Grover

2018 Congregational Giving Budgeted: $ 65,000.00 Congregational Giving Received 1/1-4/25 $ 5,183.50 Building Use 1/1-4/25 $ 1,705.00 One Great Hour of Sharing $ 543.61

Thank You!

Page 2 The Federated Church of East Arlington

Church attendance (including children)

4/1 21 Sunrise Service 65 10 Children Easter 4/8 39 4 Children 4/15 19 0 Children 4/22 34 3 Children 4/29 42 1 Child

Our Church Council The beginning for May will be a start of a fresh restart of spring. I have finally seen some daffodils!! Our pas-tor will start her sabbatical on May 14th and Fred Kerner has worked on all aspects of worship and ministry.

Dunlap Hall is freshly painted inside and the windows have been replaced and we can now open them for our great Vermont air.

The steeple will be painted in very late spring!

The website is almost finished, can’t wait to see it.

The TV for the sanctuary is ordered and will have a cabinet built for it by Olavi and Mary.

The Church and Bailey Hall have replaced 143 light bulbs to more efficient bulbs! Olavi is working on replac-ing all the lights in the chandeliers in the sanctuary. Did you ever think we had that many lights??

The Council has finally finished a lot of projects that have been in the works for a while. We would like to thank all the people who have helped in getting these done either by donation or time spent doing them.

Thanks and peace to all

Sue Congdon

Chair Susan Congdon Treasurer Alyson Grzyb Clerk Tammy Lang Ex Officio Pastor Kathy Clark Building & Grounds Charlie Jenks 1. Olavi Wirkki 2. Education Anne Marie Webber 1. Bernice Gaudette 2. Fred Kerner Finance Brian Allen 1. Herb Taylor 2. Raebeth Hitchcock Worship & Ministry Fred Kerner 1. Linda McDevitt 2. Phyllis Warren Missions & Outreach Sandy Grover 1. Wendy Bahan 2. Jen Rosenthal

Lectionary Readings for May

May 6: Acts 10:44-48; Psalm 98 1 John 5:1-6; John 15:9-17

May 13: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; Psalm 1 1 John 5:9-13; John 17:6-19

May 20: Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:24-25 Romans 8:22-27; John 15:26-27; 16:4-15

May 27: Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29 Romans 8:12-17; John 3:1-17

May Birthdays

8 – Vic Lampron

9 – Kathy Maddaloni

10 – Ruth Salter

12 – Karen Underhill

14 – Lynn Friberg

17 – Landry King

19 – Kathy Frost

21 – Sharon Davis

25 – Rick Daniels

27 - Nicholas Ritchie

May Anniversaries

12 – Vic & Michele Lampron

Southwest Association, UCC

Prays for their Churches

Each week one of the churches in the Southwest Associ-ation, UCC, will be prayed for by the other churches in the association.

May 6: Peru Congregational Church

May 13: Pittsford Congregational Church

May 20: Grace Congregational Church, Rutland

May 27: Congregational Church of Rupert

May Helping Hands

May 2018

Lay Reader:

Council Member:

May 6: Usher: Karen Underhill Communion Servers: Greeter: Michelanne Sylvester

May 13: Usher: Ginny Wilkins Greeter: Karen Underhill

May 20: Ushers: Greeter: Ginny Wilkins May 27: Ushers: Ginny Wilkins Greeter: Linda McDevitt Altar: Raebeth Hitchcock Sunshine: Raebeth Hitchcock

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Fellowship/Coffee Hour

May 6:

May 13: Brian Allen

May 20:

May 27: Ginny Wilkins

Altar Flowers

May 6: Phyllis Warren

May 13:

May 20:

May 27:

The Federated Church of East Arlington

Mission and Outreach

The Mission and Outreach team continues to be available to consider requests that come into the church.

Our March offering to One Great Hour of Sharing totals $543.61. Thank You.

Mother’s Day is May 13th. This Mission and Out-reach Team would like us to “Blanket the World with Love” through the Church World Service (CWS) blanket appeal. We can honor or remem-ber our mothers by giving $10 per blanket (checks to Federated Church; blanket in memo). Mother’s Day cards will be available for gift giving.

We are thankful to be able to help people with utilities and camp scholarship.

Sandra Grover, chair Wendy Bahan Jen Rosenthal

Worship and Ministry

The main issue that is facing us at this time is coverage during Pastor Kathy’s sabbatical. At the pre-sent time we are covered for all of the days but 2.

May 14—Sabbatical begins

May 20—Shires Marathon—hymn sing under a tent on our green space.

May 27—Betsy Miller, licensed minister

June 3—Celebration Sunday

June 10—Our church family is asked to pray about giving a 2-3 minute talk about your spiritual journey, Father’s Day, or any way God is leading you. Contact Fred Kerner if you are interested.

June 17—Ecumenical Service at the Grange pavilion to kick-off the Summer Lunch Program followed by pic-nic lunch (bring a dish to share).

June 24—Karen Underhill

July 1—Jane LoBrutto, licensed minister

July 8—Fred Kerner, lay speaker

July 15—Wendy Savery, licensed minister

July 17—sabbatical ends

Other major need during sabbatical is a group of members to step up and be available for home and hospital visits.

Fred Kerner, chair

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All are invited to the dedication of the newly rebuilt First Baptist Church of South Londonderry after

their devastating fire.

Saturday, May 19

2:00—5:00 p.m.

May 2018

On July 20, 2018, the 4 FREEDOMS FESTIVAL℠ presents RING 4 FREEDOM℠.   RING 4 FREEDOM℠ is a uni‐fied bell‐ringing at across towns large and small in the state of Vermont, to signify and honor the Four Free‐

doms; the first ever event of this kind will take place at 4:00pm Eastern, for 4 minutes.  The full fes val outline of details may be found here: www.themillvt.com/4freedomsfes val/  And inspira on for this fes val is outlined below... another wonderful story in our state's history. In June 1941, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued their Atlan c Charter, in which they described four essen al human rights: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear.   

At home, in Arlington, Vermont, the legendary ar st Norman Rockwell was inspired. Rockwell was too old to enlist, but he wanted  to make a  statement  in pictures why Americans were  sending  their boys  to war. His wife  suggested he “paint  the  ideas, not  the words.” One night, Rockwell a ended an Arlington Town Mee ng. One of his neighbors  (a very likeable farmer) stood up and spoke. Everybody in the room disagreed with the man’s opinion, but no one inter‐rupted. A er all, in America, everyone has the right to Freedom of Speech. Norman was, once again, inspired! He decid‐ed to illustrate “The Four Freedoms” in everyday American scenes, using his Vermont neighbors as his models.   

The  Saturday  Evening  Post  published  “The  Four  Freedoms,”  and  long  before  the  term was  used,  the  images went “viral”. The  four pain ngs became  iconic  images. By 1943,  the U.S. Treasury was broke, and  the Allied Forces were struggling across the Atlan c. Because of the images’ popularity, the Treasury Department asked Rockwell to go on tour with his original “Four Freedoms” pain ngs and sell war‐bonds.   

At a  me when the war was going against the Allies, those pictures raised $133 million dollars (The equivalent of $1.7 billion today.) That influx of cash changed the course of the war – and history. And it was all because a Vermont farmer stood up and spoke at a town mee ng!  

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The Federated Church of East Arlington Page 6

Adventures in Reading

This report is taking place in early April. Already I’ve received 4 reports for the 2017-2018 Reading year and looking forward to receiving the remaining reports by June 1st. Recently I reviewed the items in my jewelry box. I found I had saved an interesting article found several years ago—a message onj what we can learn from the episode of Noah’s Ark. Thus, I pass it on to you.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY REMEMBER OUR VETERANS

Janet S. Wilson Coordinator

Noah’s Ark

Author Unknown

Everything I need to know about life...i learned from

Noah’s Ark.

1. Don’t miss the boat.

2. Remember that we all are in the same boat. 3. Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the

Ark. 4. Stay fit. When you’re 600 years old someone may

ask you to do something really big. 5. Don’t listen to critics; just get on with the job that

needs to be done.

6. Build your future on high ground.

7. For safety’s sake, travel in pairs. 8. Speed isn’t always an advantage. Snails were on

board with cheetahs.

9. When you’re stressed, float a while.

10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs;

the Titanic by professionals. 11. No matter the storm, there’s always a rainbow wait-

ing.

Prayer Shawl News

Saturday, May 19, 2018

11:30 a.m.

Bring your knitting, crocheting, or needle-work and join the fun.

Also bring your lunch - coffee and tea are provided.

We pray that God will continue to bless this ministry, its participants and the shawl recipients.  

GRANGE BREAKFAST

Sunday, May 20, 2018

7:30—9:30 a.m.

The Federated Church of East Arlington

Bailey Hall

Pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, sausage gravy, biscuits, home fries, juice, coffee, tea.

May 2018 Page 7

Our Church Family Needs Help

These lists need names:

Sunday School

Ushers

Fellowship Time

Altar Flowers

Altar

Communion Servers

Northshire Marathon

The Federated Church is the location for:

Saturday, May 19

4-6 p.m. the participant’s packet pick-up

5-7 p.m. pancake dinner

Sunday, May 20

9-11 a.m. water and bathroom stop

Yoga for Every Body: May 9, 1:00‐3:00, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bennington, 108 School St. spon‐sored by VCIL.  Jane Schaeffer  from The Yoga Place will be  instruc ng this class  for people with disabili es, their caregivers and allies. The Yoga Place believes that yoga is an adventuresome method for exploring and expanding our inner view of ourselves and our percep on of our interconnectedness in the world as well as a method for strengthening and bringing flexibility to our bodies, our minds and our spirits. Most importantly, we believe that life is good and that prac ce on the yoga mat offers us opportuni es to open to new, more joyful ways of  living our  lives off  the yoga mat. These are scent‐ and chemical‐free events. To  register,  for more informa on or to request accommoda ons or an ASL interpreter, contact: Lynn Mazza at VCIL, 802‐442‐1876, [email protected] 

The Federated Church of East Arlington Page 8

Summer Lunch  Arlington, Sunderland, Sandgate 

How can I help feed hungry children here in our community? 

The Arlington/Sandgate/Sunderland Summer Lunch Program needs your support.  Here are some ways you can help: 

Volunteer to assist with the program.  We need help picking up food at Aldi and Clear Brook Farm on Tuesday mornings.  We need volunteers who will help pack bags of food on Tuesday mornings at Fisher Elementary School.  We will need one‐ me assistance moving items to the Fisher kitchen during the week leading up to the first day which is June 19.  We also want to do some cooking demonstra ons during pick‐up  mes so if you like to share your love of cooking using fresh sum‐mer produce this might be your big chance. 

Provide individually wrapped snack items from now through August.  A list of suggested items is cur‐rently being compiled – think healthy and yummy! 

Offer financial support and/or consider organiza ons that you are a part of from which we could re‐quest a dona on or maybe that group would like to do an event with Summer Lunch being the beneficiary.  We get no state or federal or town money – just private dona ons.  It costs approxi‐mately $4,000 to run the program for the summer and all the money goes directly toward the purchase of the food. Our goal is always to have enough money to con nue the program for the next year. 

Think about families in Arlington, Sandgate or Sunderland who would benefit from weekly bags of lunch fixings for their children throughout the summer.  Applica ons are distributed through Fish‐er Elementary, Sunderland Elementary, Happy Days Playschool and AMHS.  Are we missing some household you know with hungry children? 

Offer your prayers of support. 

Please speak with Pastor Kathy or Sandy Grover if you have ques ons or need addi onal informa on or want to get involved.  On behalf of the dozens of children who will be fed this summer, thank you! 

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The Federated Church of East Arlington Page 10

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Narrow/Deep Quinn G. Caldwell

"The Lord said to [Moses], ‘Enough from you! Never speak to me of this matter again! Go up to the top of Pisgah and look around you to the west, to the north, to the south, and to the east. Look well, for you shall not cross over this Jordan."

- Deuteronomy 3:26-27

As I get older, I find myself sometimes hyper-aware of the narrowing of possibilities for my future. It's not popular to say, but it's true: as time goes by, so do certain possibilities for what you're going to accomplish in your life. You make some choices that actively close doors that aren't likely to open again; other doors just sort of slowly swing shut on their own when you aren't looking. Of course, you might still become famous for doing that thing that only people half your age are supposed to be able to do, but . . . probably not. Moses feels you. All that time, effort, patience, leadership, years of wandering—then God slams the door in his face just this side of the promised land. And you thought it was hard to realize you're never going to get on Drag Race. One way to look at this is as a narrowing, a series of no's closing in on either side of you. Nobel Prize? No. Major League baseball player? No. Another way to look at it, though, is as a deepening. The universe of possible yeses shrinks for each of us as time goes on . . . but that just makes time for us to dwell in the yeses we do have more fully. Now that it's (probably) too late for you to become President, you can spend more time in the garden, become your town's rose expert. Now that becoming a doctor and curing cancer is (most likely) off the table, you can spend more time with your kids, really find out what makes them tick. Your real world yeses may be more mundane than your old dreamy no's, but that doesn't mean they don't contain deep worlds of challenge and delight. Listen: it is not given to you to do everything. It is not even given to you to do most things. But the things that have been given to you? Do them like you're parting the Red Sea. Do them like you're bringing water from a rock to save a people. Do them like they've been handed to you from a column of fire and smoke on a mountaintop. Because there's a fair chance they have been. Prayer God, let me walk through the doors still open to me with grace and faithfulness. And if any have been shut to me unjustly or against your will, give me the power to kick them down. Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Quinn G. Caldwell is a father, husband, homesteader and preacher living in rural upstate New York. His most recent book is a series of daily reflections for Advent and Christmas called All I Really Want: Readings for a Modern Christ-mas. Learn more about it and find him on Facebook at Quinn G. Caldwell.

Consider automating your regular donations with our new electronic giving program.

The Federated Church of East Arlington relies on the financial support of the congregation and donations—electronic giving offers an easy way to give on a recurring basis. Visit the church office for more information or go to our webpage at www.federatedchurchofeastarlington.org or scan the qr code. Thank you!

WEBSITE NEWS federatedchurchofeastarlington.org

If you would like to add anything (pictures, articles) to the website or have suggestions, contact

Sue Wirkki, 375-9471 [email protected]

Like the Federated Church of East Arlington on Facebook.

CLIPBOARDS NEED NAMES

Choir Ushers Communion Servers Fellowship/Coffee Hour Altar

Sunshine Flowers Ride Share Sunday School Share the Love

We are a family, we love each other, we need each other, we are loved by God.

FROM THE OFFICE

If you know of a prayer request to add or

change in the bulletin, please let the office

know by Thursday.

“We, the members of the Federated Church of East Arlington, declare ourselves to be an Open and Affirm-ing and Reconciling congregation. With God’s help, we include all persons in our fellowship, embracing and celebrating differences of gender identity, marital status, age, mental and physical ability, and sexual orientation, as well as racial, ethnic and socio-economic background. We welcome into our community everyone who seeks to share in the work and worship of the church of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

The Federated Church of East Arlington

Arlington Area Food Shelf 2018

287 pounds collected.

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May 2018 Page 13

Calendar page

The Federated Church of East Arlington

May 2018 Newsletter

102 Ice Pond Arlington, Vermont 05250

802-375-2548 [email protected]

www.federatedchurchofeastarlington.org Visit us on Facebook

The mission of The Federated Church of East Arlington is to welcome all, follow Jesus Christ together, and live God’s Word with compassionate service.

Summer Lunch Program

Begins June 19th

Snacks needed

Please bring individually wrapped healthy snacks and put in

the box in Bailey Hall.

The children are very grateful!

Mother’s Day

“Blanket the World with Love” through the Church World Service (CWS) blanket appeal.

We can honor or remember our mothers by giving $10 per blanket (checks to Federated Church; blan-ket in memo).

Mother’s Day cards are available for gift giving. These CWS blankets provide comfort in many commu-nities hit by disaster, and in shelters or agencies assist-ing those experiencing hard times here in the U.S. and around the world.