The High Falls Messenger Community Church of High Fal ls

A Word from Our Pastor...

March/April 2020

This spring we’re engaging a sermon se-ries on The Apostle’s Creed. The idea was born of the fact we currently have a confirmation class – nine kids from both CCHF and Rochester Reformed who are working their way through the main convictions of the Christians faith on the way to making their own public profession of faith. And once they get there, on a Sunday morning in May, the liturgy asks everyone else to stand and “give the strong support of God’s people” to them. One of the ways we do this is by saying the words of The Apostle’s Creed to-gether – this common confession ubiquitous to Christianity and almost as old as the religion it-self. History suggests the basis for the words in The Apostle’s Creed began to emerge among Christians in the first centuries after Jesus’ earthly ministry. It’s second only to the Bible in its ability to give us a picture of Christian faith through the ages.

How do we hold the confession? No, I don’t mean something like do you hold it in your left or right hand. I mean something more like how do we use this creed as the Church of Jesus Christ? What is it for? Why do we say it? How is it supposed to help? As I look at the kids making confirmation, I am endlessly aware how much our society has changed, and with it, how much the Church needs to know what really matters to find our way. I can no more assume anything about the way the Church understands the use of a creed, than I can assume I know what Tik Tok, Baby Shark, or a vine is. By the way, if you don’t know what those things are either than you get my point. All that stuff is internet-based and, apparently, I am not the target audience for it. Apparently, while I was wasting time on Facebook, the internet moved on without me.

The biggest concern I have is that we will weaponize the The Apostle’s Creed. It will be-come a yard stick by which we define who is in, and who is out, as a child of God. Of course, no where in our theology would anything other than God be the one to determine who is called a child of God, but that doesn’t mean people have-n’t tried to play God and make those decisions

for God. Unfortunately, it has happened, and continues to happen – the weaponizing of our beliefs (and our belief statements) to win some theoretical war of ideas and social norms. And the worst part is, when that happens, what is so good about a creed goes missing.

I believe we are all pilgrim’s through life. Trying to find our way, trying to seek after the truth the best we can understand it, and trying to find friends who want to go with us. God, and what we think about God, and how we experi-ence God, is going to be a pilgrimage defining part of our lives. Even the choice to reject a be-lief in God is a choice made on that pilgrimage. Yea or nay on God, God still defines.

And a creed, The Apostle’s Creed, is sup-posed to help. It’s supposed allow you, if you’re willing to trust it, not reinvent the wheel as you start out on the pilgrimage. Sure, you can rein-vent a wheel. You can challenge the way we’ve been building wheels for centuries; you can claim our old wheels are of a poor design, and demand innovation, and you can be the innova-tor. But you’re going to want a wheel.

Do you see the difference between a weapon and wheel? How they are used? What they’re used for? Do you understand the differ-ence in who you are when you make that choice? The commitment I make to those con-firmation kids, to the church, to all of you – eve-ryone, everywhere, is to share what I know about wheels, not weapons. And that’s what we, as the church, are making a commitment to. When we stand, and give the strong support of God’s people, we’re trying to share what we know about making the pilgrimage. The pilgrim-age – not a pilgrimage – the pilgrimage. What we know, and what we are humble enough to admit is more like what we think we know, with each other and with you. The Apostle’s Creed is a better wheel than a weapon and may we all use it well.

God bless, Pastor Aaron

Office Hours:

Pastor Aaron does not hold specific office hours at

either church but is available by appointment.

Please do not hesitate to call him if you would like

an appointment at either church or if you would

like a home visit. 845-594-2214

Current Consistory Members: Elders: Amy Greene, VP, Worship & Education Cindy Angyal, Mission & Outreach Alan Pellicane, Pastoral Care Deacons: Dawn Letus, Finance Paul Wikane, Buildings & Grounds Lee Potter-Paashaus, Congregational Life Ellen Peters, Mission & Outreach Other: Clerk: Amy Greene Treasurer: Dan Boice Bulletin Editor: Dan Boice Newsletter/Webpage Editor: Merry Oakley PR: Melissa Styles Liaison to Food Pantry: Cindy Angyal & Ellen Pe-ters Choir Director/Organist: Aurora Northland Parish Nurse Program:

Jim Nerone, RN & Anne Marie Kitchen, RN

The number of blood pressure checks provided for the month of January totaled 14 and February blood pressure checks totaled 5. Are you all afraid of Jim? The next dates for blood pressure checks will be March 8th and April 5th. Card Ministry:

If you know someone who should receive a get-

well card, a thinking of you card, etc. please let

Anne Kitchen know. You can reach her via email

or phone at:

annefairkitchen@gmail.com or 973-668-3789

Prayer Chain:

If you wish to request prayer for any special

need, one phone call to Pastor Aaron (845-594-

2214) or Alan Pellicane (914-204-6456) will acti-

vate the chain.

Consistory Updates:

• Shared Ministry Financial Recommendations

discussed and Shared Calendar dates re-

viewed

• The April Consistory Meeting has been

changed to April 16th

• Enneagram Book Study and Workshop at Old

Dutch discussed...see Pastor for details

• Recent Congregational Meeting was reviewed

• A considerable anonymous donation to the

Sunday School has been received

• Discussion about proposed SS trip to Legoland

this summer

• An Elder’s Meeting was scheduled for 2/19

Shared Ministry Updates:

• Representatives from both churches met on

2/1. Discussion ensued over the issue of par-

sonage rent/office rent (and will be revisited

at future meetings).

• Ideas and calendar dates were presented for

2020—some of these dates will be found on

page 9 of this newsletter

• We will switch times for our Christmas Eve

service this year. High Falls will be at 6pm and

Rochester at 8pm

• It was noted that this group should meet

quarterly; next meeting is scheduled for May

2, 9am @ CCHF

Guild Updates:

• Our first meeting of 2020 will take place on

March 15th, following the 9:30 service. A few

notes from our November meeting:

• We did well with the Holiday Bazaar; in re-

viewing the event, we wondered if it was time

to change up the Homegoods and More ta-

ble...should we eliminate it or combine it with

something else? Be more specific in what we

offer? Things to think about as we plan for

2020.

• We plan to have another Gary Kitchen History

Event...this one will be on the North Mar-

bletown Church. Date has not yet been set.

• We welcome new ideas for 2020...join us on

March 15th!

Consistory and Church Happenings...

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Sunday School… The Sunday School is using a wonderful Learning with Legos teaching aid this year. The kids are having a blast with it, in case you haven't heard us downstairs! Every week they either build a scene and act out a story or do an activity to help engage them and teach them that week's Bible lesson. The wall above the kitchen counter has pictures of the fun times we are having, there are updates on the Facebook page every week, and you can always chat with one of the kiddos and get their unique interpretation! This last week we did the Prodigal Son story and they didn't like the idea of the fatted

calf so the Lego people feasted on fatted asparagus! We are also planning a FIELD TRIP TO LEGOLAND this summer...more details to follow...but if you would like to help show your support, we are collecting bottles and cans to help with the cost!

Sunday School and Confirmation Class...

Confirmation Class…

The young people in our confirmation class (from both churches) will make their pubic profession of

faith on May 17th. They are planning to hold a Pancake Supper on March 28th, 4-7pm at Rochester

Reformed (Rt 209, Accord).

This event is to help raise funds for the clothing swap room

that will be located at the Rochester Church.

Please add that date to your calendars, and if you should

care to help the kids or make a donation, please contact

Pastor Aaron.

PANCAKE SUPPER ON MARCH 28TH AT RRC

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Birthdays… 3/1 Richard Albert

3/2 Matthew Cline

3/4 Andrew Potter

3/5 MaryAnn Wright

3/8 Kelly Hassett

3/9 Dan Paashaus

3/19 Peggy Ayasse

3/25 Kathy Walbert

4/3 Ann Jackson

4/6 Brooke Bogart

4/11 Esther Stickley

4/17 Jane van Laer

4/24 Lorna Schimmrich

4/24 Dawn Letus

4/28 Grace Moone

4/29 Kristin Nerone

Anniversaries...

3/26 Amy & Eddie Greene

3/31 Colleen & Bruce Jones

4/10 Lorna & Henry

Schimmrich

Our Church Family: Birthdays and Anniversaries

CONGREGATIONAL LIFE…

The Community Church of High Falls has a full calendar of events, activities and ministry experiences for 2020! Beginning March 3, there will be a Lenten Bible Study on Tuesdays for 5 weeks throughout Lent. The series will be based on the book The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron. Please join us at 6 pm on Tuesday nights. Let Pastor Aaron know if you would like to attend, so he can ensure you get the book/materials! On March 10, there will be a Seder Meal Service, at which time Pastor Aaron will teach us about the Seder and the representations of the ritual performed by a community or by multiple generations of a family, involving the retelling of the story of liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. This story is in the Book of Exodus. Symbolic foods will be served as a tasting representation of a He-brew Seder. The Seder Dinner will begin at 6 pm. Although this is not a full dinner, there will be tast-ings of each food item. All are welcome, however, please sign up in church or call Lee Potter Paashaus (845) 687-4428, to ensure there is enough food for the attendees. On March 14, the annual Meatloaf Dinner, to benefit the Deacon's Fund, will be held from 4-7 pm. There will be live music in the Sanctuary during the dinner hours. The music theme is Traditional Coun-try Music and will be performed by some wonderful musicians from the Community Church of High Falls. The Deacon's Fund is used to assist local residents of High Falls in hardship or emergency situa-tions. Please join us for Easter Service at 9:30 am on Sunday April 12 to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus! On May 2, The North Marbletown Mission Thrift Store on Rt 209 opens for its season. Please come to see and buy used (and sometimes even new!) clothing and household item. A portion of the Mission's proceeds supports The Rondout Valley Food Pantry! On Saturday, May 9, our annual Turkey Dinner will be held from 4-7 pm. Join us for some deli-cious food and great community socializing! Keep your eyes out for more information about shared ministry activities with the Rochester Reformed Church, including a joint picnic/Sunday Worship Service, playing "pickleball”, Confirmation Sunday, a Confirmation Class Pancake Supper Fundraiser March 28 and more! Submitted by… Lee Potter Paashaus, Congregational Life Chairperson

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Jessie’s Kitchen...

Our recipe entry is from our ever pleasant funny

guy, Paul Wikane. A chef’s hat is one of many worn

by him!

Looking for something to do with leftover rotisserie

chicken from Emmanuel’s Market, I decided on

creamed chicken and biscuits. Did I use an old fam-

ily recipe? Nope—went right to the internet. I lost my original recipe that I had been using and stum-

bled upon this one from Gingham Apron. It goes like this:

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream (or 2% milk if you’re a sissy)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3 cups (or whatever you have leftover) cooked chicken

Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour, chicken broth, cream, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Mix well and

cook until thickens. Stir in chicken and vegetable of your choice (optional) or serve veggies separate.

I use Bisquick to make the biscuits. Just follow their recipe on the box. Serve and enjoy. This recipe

makes enough to feed 5. Word of advice—if you opt to use cream for this recipe, don’t schedule your

cholesterol test for the next day!

Pleasant words are a honeycomb sweet to

the soul and healing to the bones.

~ Proverbs 16:24

LETTER TO THE EDITOR…

Dear Editor,

I want to give accolades to our dear Merry Oakley. I’ve been thinking to write this for quite some

time. She is like a cool “shook up” can of 7UP, always effervescent and bubbly. Just a few of her

many talents are: editor of this newsletter, photographer, and assembler of our address book,

choir member, Guild secretary, just fill in the blank __________ and you have a true angel in Mer-

ry. What a joy I have in knowing her.

Jessie F.

The Calusa Indians of Southwest Florida

I usually write articles about local history

and this one will be no different, except local for me this month is Southwest Florida. Let’s explore the presence and culture of the Calusa (Caloosa) Indians that occupied SW Florida from about 500

AD to the mid-1700s. They were known as the “Shell Indians” for reasons explained below. The Calusa tribe were a Native American

people that lived in villages that stretched from Charlotte County down to and including Lee Coun-

ty in Florida’s southwest coast and inland to about

mid-State. This tribe developed from older tribes in the Everglade region that existed for several thousand years. The Calusas had a population of at least 10,000 to possibly 50,000 at the time of

their contact with Europeans during the 16th and 17th centuries.

They are noted for developing their culture

around fishing along the coast and within Florida’s many estuaries: rivers and streams. The name Calusa meant “fierce people” and they were de-scribed as war-like and giant. Of course, the aver-

age height of the early explorers was a little over

5 feet, while the Calusa averaged closer to 6 feet tall with long hair. Spanish explorers in 1513 be-came targets of many Calusa Indian attacks. It is

reported that the Calusa killed the Spanish explor-er Ponce de Leon in 1521. He was shot by a Calusa arrow and died from these injuries in Cuba

shortly thereafter. The Calusa society consisted of “Nobles” and “Commoners”. The tribe was governed by a

few leaders, including the chief or king, the mili-tary leader and the chief priest. According to Eu-ropean sources, these leaders were members of one family, with the priest being the chief’s father

and the military leader being the chief’s cousin. Their diet consisted mainly of fish since they lived near the waterways and not usually ag-

ricultural. It was estimated that 93% of their diet was fish and shellfish, 6% came from mammals and 1% from birds and reptiles. They used nets, hooks and spears to catch their fish. Mollusk

shells were used as tools for grating, cutting and

hammering, while palm branches were fashioned into cord for nets. Boats were made from burning the core of cypress or pine trees, then scooping

out the charred wood to form the interior of the boat. The Calusa Indians lived in villages which

had large communal two-story houses. According to Spanish explorers, the chief’s house in the tribe’s capital village was large enough to com-fortably hold 2,000 people, which supported the

notion that his home was also used as the council house. Spanish sources from the 1500s also indi-

cated that the Calusa capital was comprised of 16

houses, which could hold about 1,000 residents. Many of these houses were built on stilts or upon large shell middens. A shell midden or

shell mound is an archaeological feature consist-ing of heaps of shells, bones and other discarded

objects. The Indians discarded the shells from their daily catch, which became the base for their

homes and also spiritual locations for burials and other ceremonies.

Calusa homes atop shell mounds

In the late 1600s and early 1700s, tribes

from the Carolinas conducted slave raids into Flor-ida, which included raids of the Calusa tribes. The

(Continued on page 7)

A Magical History Tour...a series by Gary Kitchen

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2020 Flower Committee

Many thanks to all of our Flower People… MaryAnn Wright, 845-687-9409

Calusa, while being fierce, were no match for the

Carolina tribes, who were friendly with the British and were given weapons by them. Between these raids and the disease epidemics brought about by

the Europeans, the Calusa were destroyed as a power.

The last of the Calusa tribes were living in

the Florida Keys and about 270 members were evacuated to Cuba in 1711, however about 200 died soon after the trip. It is believed that those who survived were integrated into the Cuban pop-

ulation. There is no evidence that the Calusa sur-vived in Florida after it became a British territory in the 1760s.

The Calusa had no organized religion, but instead held onto a belief system that can be de-scribed as follows:

The Calusa believed that three super-

natural people ruled the world, that people

had three souls, and that souls migrated to

animals after death. The most powerful ruler

governed the physical world, the second

most powerful ruled human governments,

and the last helped in wars, choosing which

side would win. The Calusa believed that the

three souls were the pupil of a person's eye,

his shadow, and his reflection. The soul in

the eye's pupil stayed with the body after

death, and the Calusa would consult with

that soul at the graveside. The other two

souls left the body after death and entered

into an animal. If a Calusa killed such an ani-

mal, the soul would migrate to a lesser ani-

mal and eventually be reduced to nothing.

(Winn, Ed (2003). Florida's great king: King Carlos

of the Calusa Indians. Buster's Books. ISBN 0-

9658489-3-0.)

The Calusa remained committed to their belief system and resisted being converted to Ca-tholicism by the Spanish. The “nobles” resisted

because they believed they were the intermediar-ies between their people and the gods. Conversion

would destroy the source of their authority. They resisted this conversion for 200 years until they

were finally decimated by disease and war.

Evidence of the Calusa civilization and their shell mounds have been discovered and protected

in Southwest Florida. Calusa research centers can

be found at Big Mound Key in Charlotte County, Mound Key in Estero Bay near Fort Myers Beach and at the Randall Research Center in Pineland on

Pine Island, the latter being the most accessible with tours and historical displays.

(Continued from page 6)

January: Mary Ann Wright

February: Dana Geiger

March: Mary Ann Wright

April: Merry Oakley

May: Jessie Feth

June: Gail Wikane

July: Lee Paashaus

August: Julie Boice

September: Judy Giordano

October: Ellen Peters

November: SOMEONE NEEDED

December: Mary van Laer

Page 8 The H igh Fa l l s Messenge r March/April 2020

Mission and Outreach

Rondout Valley Food Pantry The RVFP served a total of 1033 households in the Rondout Valley School District in 2019. This in-cluded an additional 76 households from the year before. The trend seems to be continuing for 2020. The composition of the households served in 2019 included 1171 children, 1880 adults, and 422 el-derly. The Community Church of High Falls has donated 134 items to the RVFP so far this year. The North Marbletown Mission donated $678.71 in January. Donations to the RVFP are greatly appreciated. The following items are always needed at the Pantry: (The Pantry relies on donations of these items which can’t be purchased through the Hudson Valley Food Bank.)

• Coffee • Soap • Shampoo & Conditioner • Deodorant • Toothpaste • Toothbrushes • Personal Care Items • Dish Detergent (small bottles) • Laundry Detergent (small bottles or pods)

~Cindy Angyal, RVFP

The Sunday School is planning a FIELD TRIP TO LEGO-

LAND this summer...more details to follow...but if you would

like to help show your support, we are collecting bottles and

cans to help with the cost!

What you see here was collected by Lee during one short walk

on the road near her house! Help the Sunday School while at the

same time, do some Spring Cleaning!

Be sure to rinse out all cans and bottles before bringing them to

the church. There will be a container set up next to the outside

garbage cans or you can leave them in the vestibule when you

come into the church.

North Marbletown Mission The North Marbletown Mission will be opening May 2nd. The heat and water will be turned on in April and help will be needed to organize and set up for the season. If you wish to help out in any way please contact Cindy or Ellen. Announcements will be made in church as we get closer to our opening date. The volunteer calendar will be posted on the Mission bulletin board in church as well as the bulletin board at the NMM. ~ Cindy Angyal, NNM

Monetary donations to the RV Food Pantry

may be given to Cindy Angyal and she will

see that they are delivered to the right per-

son(s).

Page 9 The H igh Fa l l s Messenge r March/April 2020

Little Ones Learning Center (LOLC)

A free early literacy program located at the Rochester Reformed Church, 5142 US 209, Accord.

Hours are Tues, Wed & Sat (10-noon) and Wed (1-3pm).

In 2020, the Little Ones Learning Center will be celebrating it's 20th year in operation. The program has been providing early literacy programs free of charge for children in the area. Special events are being planned for the year. March 20 - Friday - Bedtime With Books 6-8 PM Rochester Reformed Church dining room Come in your PJ's, bring your favorite stuffed animal and listen to bedtime stories. A snack will be available. April 18 - Saturday - Dinner This is a tentative activity. Check our website or face book page for further information. littleoneslearningcenter.org. April 25 - Musical Activity with Larry Balestra 10 AM - Noon - Rochester Reformed Church dining room Join us for a fun morning of music for youngsters. May 2 - Spring Fling - 10AM - Noon - Rochester Reformed Church Spring is here! Make a shoe garden, jump in the bouncy house, pet miniature goats and other animals, plus many more activities.

You may call 845-626-4112 for further information re the Learning Center

Check our face book page for details as they are posted: facebook.com/littleoneslearningcenter.

March 3: Lenten Book Study begins, 6pm at CCHF

March 10: Seder Dinner, 6pm at CCHF

March 14: Meatloaf Dinner, 4-7pm at CCHF

March 28: Confirmation Pancake Supper, 4-7pm at RRC

April 9: Maundy Thursday Service, 6pm at RRC *

April 24-25: Enneagram Workshop at Old Dutch **

May 9: Turkey Dinner, 4-7pm at CCHF

May 16: Paint and Sip for the Bodes, 2pm at RRC / Civic Association Pet Show at CCHF

May 17: Confirmation Sunday

June 14: Pastor away at General Synod

June 20: Beef & Berry Dinner at RRC

July 11: Chicken BBQ at CCHF (date dependent on HF Fair DAY)

July 19: Shared Ministry Service & Picnic, 10am at Accord Town Park

August 29: Chicken BBQ at RRC

September 12: Lasagna Dinner, 4-7 pm at CCHF

September 19: Pulled Pork Dinner at RRC

October 10: Ham Dinner, 4-7pm at CCHF

* Annual Maundy Thursday service at RRC. Gather around a large table for liturgy and communion in

remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice.

** This is a follow-up to our own book study—see Pastor Aaron for details

Some CCHF & RRC dates for

your calendar

PO Box 68

High Falls, NY 12440

We are located at 4 Firehouse Rd, High Falls

Communi ty Church of High Fal l s

Mar 3: Lenten Book Study begins, 6pm at CCHF

Mar 8: Time Change... Spring Ahead! /Second

Sunday Coffee Hour

Mar 10: Seder Dinner, 6pm at CCHF

Mar 12: Consistory

Mar 14: Meatloaf Dinner, 4-7pm at CCHF

Mar 15: Guild Meeting

Mar 28: Pancake Supper, 4-7pm at RRC

Apr 5: Palm Sunday

Apr 9: Maundy Thursday, 6pm at RRC

Apr 12: Easter Sunday

Apr 16: Consistory

Apr 19: Guild Mtg

Women’s AA Group: Wednesdays at 6 pm

North Marbletown Mission: The Mission Thrift

Shop will reopen on May 2nd

Shawl Ministry meets on most Wednesdays from 10am to 12 noon in the Fellowship Hall. Stop by to knit or crochet with us or just to have a chat.

2020 Directories are available at the Church

The Reformed Church Women Spring Conference Breakfast will be held at the United Reformed Church in Bloomington on May 2nd...more info will be posted as it becomes available.

Dates to Remember...

info@communitychurchofhighfallls.com

http://churches.rca.org/highfalls/

www.facebook.com/communityychurchofhighfalls

Pastor Aaron Schulte

aaronjamess@gmail.com

845-594-2214

Articles for the Newsletter or Photos for the Bulletin Board regarding Church Life & Church Family Events are

always welcome!! Deadline for May/June 2020 Newsletter will be April 26th. Many thanks to Philliber Research Associates for printing our newsletters and to the Women’s Guild for paying the postage on all newsletters not picked up in church. - Merry Oakley, Editor