For its part, Government will listen. We will strive to listen in new … · 2016-03-29 · We're Fighting for Now is Each Other - Dispatches from the Front Lines of Climate Justice."

The Pastoral Perspective

In the fourth episode of the new House of Cards, Frank Underwood, the incumbent President of the U.S. is running for re-election. He a guest in a church service and ends his uplifting speech to the congregation by saying, “I hope you will all go to the polls and vote for me in the coming election.” All I could think of was, “There goes their tax exempt status!”

It is illegal for churches to engage in partisan politics. Endorsing particular parties or candidates from the pulpit is forbidden. We’ve all heard that saying “Religion and politics don’t mix.” But … if there was ever a mistaken idea, that’s it!

In the Judeo-Christian tradition, politics and religion have mixed from the beginning. The Hebrew scriptures were all about how a nation should order themselves as a benevolent people, they were chosen to be representative of God’s ideal realm.

And as Christians having just gone through the events of Holy Week, we have been reminded that Jesus was executed as an enemy of the state. His message of empowering the poor and conferring dignity upon the downtrodden was judged to be political. He was accused of fomenting unrest by threatening the rigid class system imposed by the Roman Empire, by raising hope of liberation among the oppressed. (His manifesto in Luke 4:18 would certainly have put him on the Roman watch list.)

So, what we do as people of faith is inherently political. We cannot help but mix our religion with politics. Congregationalists especially have had a long history of political involvement being leaders in movements from the Abolitionists, through Civil Rights, and LGBT equality, advocacy for the homeless, and for many churches now, Black Lives Matter. As churches we cannot endorse candidates but we are not prevented from talking about issues or even specific platforms.

Politics is a dirty word in 2016, but in its purest form, it is about governance—determining the best way for people to live together in society. Christians share that goal.

As responsible citizens, it is our duty unashamedly to bring our religious principles to bear in every aspect of our lives—as we vote, as we participate in community life. “Love your neighbor as yourself,” says our Prophet. And then he expands the concept of “neighbor” to “the people we have been taught to hate and fear.” How does that core teaching of our faith translate into public policy? It seems to me that if we are people whose goal it is to create the realm of God on earth, we must ponder that.

How about beginning with a statement like this from a seasoned politician.

For its part, Government will listen. We will strive to listen in new ways – to the voices of quiet anguish, to the voices that speak without words, the voices of the heart, to the injured voices and the anxious voices and the voices that have despaired of being heard. Richard M. Nixon, First Inaugural Address 1/20/69

Judy Brain

Page 2 Trinitarian Congregational Church Newsletter April 2016

SEE our website www. triconchurch.org, LIKE us on Facebook (triconchurch) and FOLLOW us on Twitter (@TriConChurch)

APRIL WORSHIP

EXODUS 2016 During APRIL we will have one Service - on Sunday, April 10 - at 51 Walden Street. Services on Sundays, April 3, 17 and 24, will be in the Parish Hall.

April 3 Service at 10:00 Faithworks Sunday

First Sunday Service at 5:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall

April 10 Service at 10:00 Wen Stephenson preaching at 51 Walden Street Climate Justice Sunday Author, independent journalist and climate activist, Wen Stephenson, left his career in mainstream journalism In 2010 to devote himself to sounding the call to action on climate change. He sees the climate crisis as a profoundly moral issue of human rights and social justice comparable to abolitionism in the nineteenth century and civil rights in the twentieth. Mr. Stephenson is a contributing writer for The Nation, a former editor of The Boston Globe and The Atlantic, and the author of the recent book, "What We're Fighting for Now is Each Other - Dispatches from the Front Lines of Climate Justice." There will be a forum with Mr. Stephenson in the church parlor following the service.

April 17 Service at 10:00 Rev. Judith Brain preaching in the Parish Hall

April 24 Service at 10:00 Rev. Robert Brown preaching in the Parish Hall



THIRD ANNUAL -- FAITH WORKS TriCon Celebration of Service Sunday, April 3 At 10 AM we will gather in the parish hall for an inspirational commissioning service and communion. At 10:30 AM, we’ll grab coffee and a donut and head to our work sites. Here’s the menu - you may sign up before April 3rd at the church, on the following page or online. Some activities have

limited space: Questions? Email Russell Sanna ([email protected])

1. Yard work at TriCon. Help with the Spring clean up of the TriCon grounds - a very family friendly activity for all ages.

2. Baking for Seafarers. Work in the TriCon kitchen preparing baked goods for the Seafarers’ Friends

organization. The mission of Seafarer’s Friend is to extend the ministry of area churches to meet the unmet spiritual, social and practical needs of seafarers in the New England Maritime Community. A very family friendly activity for all ages.

3. The Fab Four – your choice: 1. Letter writing to soldiers - personal notes to those serving in the

armed forces. 2. Holiday cards to prisoners. - cards for the prison gift bags. 3. Decorating and assembling kids’ bags for Open Table, providing healthy snacks to school kids in our community who have food insecurity. 4. Making table decorations for nursing homes, bringing joy to elders in the Concord area. A very family friendly and intergenerational activity in the Parish Hall.

4. Musketaquid Earth Day: Help create an earth float of natural materials to be launched on Saturday,

April 30 at 9:30 and consider the theme: “It’s About Time”.

5. Work for clients of Minute Man Arc: Support adults with disabilities in our community by helping with yard work at group homes.

6. Town Clean up: Work in groups at sites around Concord that the Town assigns to us to pick up trash.

Great activity for those who want to work outside and help keep Concord beautiful.

7. Pizza For Lunch!!! All Day of Service participants are invited to come together for a pizza lunch after your work with the service activities to enjoy and share fellowship.

Please sign up!



YES, I want to join in FAITH WORKS on April 3! ________________________________________________________ would like to volunteer for: PLEASE PRINT: ______ 1. YARD WORK AT TRICON ______ 2. BAKING FOR SEAFARERS ______ 3. THE FAB FOUR (Check One or More) ❏ Letter writing ❏ Cards for Prisoners ❏ Kids Bags ❏ Table Decorations ______ 4. MUSKETAQUID EARTH DAY ______ 5. WORK FOR CLIENTS OF MINUTEMAN ARC ______ 6. TOWN CLEAN UP ______ 7. PIZZA FOR LUNCH!!! MY PHONE AND E-MAIL CONTACT INFORMATION: Phone ___________________________ Email ________________________________

Thanks for volunteering! Together we can show how our FAITH WORKS !



Exodus 2016 is going very well – all have been patient, flexible and cheerful and it’s even been fun! All services at 10.

April 3 Parish Hall April 10 51 Walden; *Children’s Chapel April 17 Parish Hall April 24 Parish Hall May 1 51 Walden; *Children’s Chapel May 8 51 Walden; *Children’s Chapel May 15 Parish Hall (note, this is a change) May 22 Parish Hall (note, this is a change) May 29 Parish Hall June 5 51 Walden; *Children’s Chapel June 12 Parish Hall June 19 Parish Hall June 26 Parish Hall

*Children’s Chapel – on the Sundays when the service is at 51 Walden, parents should drop their children off at the church before the service where there will be a special children’s chapel worship service before they proceed to their church school classes.

EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

WELCOME TO TRICON!

Whether you are just visiting, looking to find a church home or still feeling your way after several visits, we encourage you to

pick up brochures and other information in the parish hall, and to stay for refreshments in the parish hall following the service. You are welcome to participate in any of our church programs and activities and to sign your children up for Church School or youth programs. For more information, contact Christian Education Director, Carrie O’Brien or Youth Leader, Nick Bruning. Call the church office if you have any questions.

2 0 1 6a t 5 1 w a l d e n

Exploring Membership

An informal gathering with clergy and the Membership Committee for those interested in learning more about TriCon and about membership

Sunday, April 10 -- 11:00 a.m. Welcoming Coffee

New Members will join the church on Sunday, April 24



CAREGIVERS GROUP The TriCon Caregivers Group is an opportunity for parishioners and friends in caregiving roles to come together to share accomplishments and failures, joys and sorrows, laughter and hope, as well as information about caring for others and ourselves. If the role of caregiver is part of your life, please consider joining the TriCon Caregivers Group. We will meet on Wednesdays, April 13 and 27 at 10:00 a.m. in the church parlor. Call the church office (978 369-4837) for more information.

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RETIRED MEN’S GROUP The Retired Men’s Group will meet for lunch on Thursday, April 14 at noon. The speaker will be Charles Davis who will talk about Alaska. Come and bring a friend for good food, good fellowship and an interesting program. If you have not attended these luncheons before and would like to attend on April 14, please call Robert Nelson (978 369-3105) or Charles Davis (978 369-6250) by April 8. The cost of the lunch is $10.00.

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THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

We will be celebrating the sacrament of Baptism during the worship service on April 24th. If you are interested, please contact the church office by April 8th.

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JOIN US IN THE PARLOR Wednesday, April 27 AT

NOON!

The Knitting Group meets in the church parlor once a month. Everyone from beginner to expert is welcome. Bring your own project or work on one of ours’. You need not come every month but can join in when it is convenient for you. You may also choose to work on projects at home. Prayer shawls may be left at the church any time.

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Were you born in 1936

or earlier?

If so, you’re invited to a party on Thursday, June 2!

Every year, the Caring Connection holds an annual Birthday Luncheon for all those in our congregation who are at least 80 years young. It will take place this year on Thursday, June 2nd. If you qualify but didn’t get an invitation last year or are just turning 80 in this calendar year, please call the church office so we can be sure that you are included in this fun event.

__________________________________________________________________________

The deadline for the May Newsletter

is April 15.



ATTENTION MEN OF THE CHURCH

Join the Anchor Group

The Anchor Group meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7:00 a.m. in the church parlor. The Anchor Group is a group for men of all ages who discuss and share issues of religion and spirituality in light of contemporary culture. Any questions, email Greg Howes at [email protected].

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ITEMS OF INTEREST

THANK YOU

The many organizations our congregation supports through our Mission donations often send us thank you letters. Below are two. I want to thank you for your very generous donation of $2,000…With your help and the work of Open Table’s dedicated volunteers, we now serve over 300 guests at our weekly dinner and pantry services…These are difficult times for many, and your donation makes a true difference in the support we can provide. With sincere appreciation, Jeanine Calabria, President On behalf of Concord Prison Outreach (CPO), I am writing to thank you for your generous donation of $4,800…Your financial support enables us to develop new programs, recruit/train volunteers, and provide books and other teaching materials needed in the classes we offer inside two local prisons…Thank you for your decades of support for CPO! Your generosity is a blessing that helps so many With gratitude, Kaia Stern, Executive Director, CPO

_________________________________________________________________________

ON-LINE GIVING AVAILABLE AT TRICON

We are able to accept on-line donations and payments via our website – Triconchurch.org. On the homepage, you will see “Click here to make donations and pledge payments”. You will have the option of transferring funds from your bank account or using a credit card. You can make a one-time payment or set up recurring ones. If you have any questions, please call or email Judy or Amy at the church office: ([email protected] or [email protected]).

PAYING ON-LINE? DON’T FORGET

TO UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION If you have chosen the option of paying a pledge by a weekly or monthly electronic transfer or credit card payment thru our website, please be sure that you have updated the information so that your donation continues in 2016.

TRICON’S QR CODE

This QR code automatically opens a special webpage on mobile devices (phones, iPads, etc.) that’s designed for smaller screens. You can scan the code with your phone to make the process of giving to the church that much simpler.

_________________________________________________________________________

ALTAR FLOWERS If you would like to donate flowers for a Sunday service in 2016, you may sign up on the flower chart in the parish hall.

_____________________________________________________________________________



OFFERING ENVELOPES

Cherry colored OFFERING ENVELOPES FOR 2016 are now available in the parish hall. Please take as many or as few as you need. If you use cash, kindly put your name on the envelope.

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SERMONS ON LINE

You can HEAR SERMONS on line by going to

www.triconchurch.org OR

Facebook.com and search Trinitarian Congregational Church

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LIFE CHANGES

Sincere condolences to Lee and Kim Thurston and their family. Lee’s mother, Mildred Chase, died on March 2. A service was held on March 5 in CT. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of our member, Emily Mitchell, who died on March 19. Information about a June memorial service will be in our May Newsletter.

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OPEN TABLE APRIL

PAPER PRODUCTS Paper Towels, Toilet Paper, Facial Tissue

Spending their limited funds on necessary paper products is challenging for our friends and neighbors who are struggling to put food on the table to feed their families. Our contributions of paper products will be most welcomed and appreciated.

COMMUNITY EVENT

Helen Epstein keynote speaker

Holocaust Remembrance

May 1, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Concord Town House

Helen Epstein, veteran journalist and author, was born in Prague in 1947. She grew up in a Czech community in New York City, becoming a published journalist in 1968 while a 20-year-old college student who was caught in the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia. Sponsored by The Concord-Carlisle Human Right’s Council and the Town of Concord, the public is welcome; no reservations required.

________________________________________________

_____________________

A STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE Come to the Table - Share in the Bounty

Stewardship at TriCon means giving and receiving. We bring to the table our

gifts of time, talent and treasure. We take from the table gifts of hope, faith and grace. We share in the bounty offered by our community of faith – the opportunities to work, learn and grow together. A recent Call to Stewardship given by Suzanne Giles illustrates what these gifts mean to our young people. “Yesterday morning at 3:30 a.m. we sent 46 High School youth and 8 adult chaperones off to West Virginia, where it is freezing cold, rainy with possible snow showers, to do home repairs and construction work for those in need. My daughter Margaret, now 20, went on four of these Mission Trips and would stand here today and tell you those were the best four weeks of her life! That is a pretty profound statement, right? Now, what makes it so profound, is that this young lady has had the luxury of traveling across the globe – multiple trips hiking the most beautiful rivers and mountains of Newfoundland, Canada; a 5 day Safari in South Africa; 10 days with her school touring China; a child’s dream vacation at Disney World. She swam with the dolphins at Sea World; rode bikes all over Key West; parasailed in Puerto Rico; not to mention multiple trips across America; and the endless summers enjoying time with cousins galore with beach parties, talent shows, ice cream socials, kayaking and just “hanging out” on Capitol Island in Maine. So what is it that these Mission trips have that all these other vacations don’t? Community and Service - That is it!! How powerful these two are separately and how dynamically magical they are when put together!!! WOW!!! How lucky we are to have these opportunities provided for our youth to serve, to learn, to grow and to cherish. Margaret continues her work of service as a mentor to a 2nd grader in her community who comes from a disadvantaged family – for the past two years Margaret has tutored her with academics, taught her social skills, and helped her with making healthy and safe choices in her everyday life. Why does she do this? She would tell you because she learned at TriCon that this work is important and it makes her feel good. Thank you TriCon for providing my daughter and hundreds of other young adults with these life long gifts.”

YOUTH GROUP

Sundays, April 3 and 10 -- 7:00 p.m.

DISCUSSION GROUP Wednesdays, 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Discussion Group meets in the Youth Room on the lower level every Wednesday. If you’re new, come tell us what’s on your mind. If you’ve been to Discussion Group before, come bring your opinions, and let yourself be heard. You are not alone. NO Youth Discussion on Wednesday, April 20.

Sunday, April 10 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Spiritual Practices Confirmands Read: Words for the Journey Chapter 12, Prayer Chapter 14, Baptism

Chapter 15, Communion


CHURCH SCHOOL NEWS

Church School Newsletter Now On-Line Our monthly Church School newsletter is available on-line! Church School families, and any other interested TriCon members, will receive our newsletter via MailChimp, our new on-line email provider. In addition to important detailed program and event information, this version of our newsletter will also include Carrie’s Comments, photos and links to click that will directly connect you to family resources, Class Liaisons and other program volunteer staff, and our TriCon website. Only our Church School calendar and special announcements will be included in the monthly TriCon newsletter. All registered 2015 – 2016 families are already on our on-line email distribution list. If you are new and would like information about our Church School program, please contact Church School Director, Carrie O’Brien, at [email protected]. You may also visit our church website at www.triconchurch.org.

CHURCH SCHOOL APRIL CALENDAR

Church School takes place during the 10:00AM Sunday service. If the service is at 51 Walden Street, parents drop off Pre-K through 8th Graders

in the TriCon Parish Hall between 9:50 and 10:00AM before heading across the street. Nursery age children go directly to the nursery at the beginning of the morning.

Sunday, April 3 9:30AM Hosanna Singers Rehearsal 10:00AM Faith Works Family Worship in the Parish Hall

Sunday, April 10 10:00AM Children’s Chapel in the Parish Hall followed by Church School

Worship Service Location: 51 Walden Street

Sunday, April 17 10:00AM Family Worship Service in the Parish Hall

Sunday, April 24 10:00AM Family Worship Service in the Parish Hall

To sign up to receive the Church School newsletter, please contact Carrie O’Brien at [email protected] or call the church office.


The TriCon Fellowship Committee Invites YOU to a

Friday, April 29th --- 5:30 - 8:30pm (dinner served at 6:00)

You can sign up online through our website www.triconchurch.org

or in the parish or by calling the church office.

Indicate what you’d like to bring – main dish, salad, dessert, beverages or appetizer.

Everyone is welcome!

Families with children of all ages are encouraged to attend. (We will have age appropriate movies and pizza for the kids.)

Take a night to relax and enjoy the company of friends you know,

and friends you've not yet met!


TriCon Parish Hall

Friday, May 6th 1:30 pm

To honor mothers, women who are mothers

women who have mothers and women who had mothers!

Sign up on our website or in the parish hall.

Donations of cookies, bars and tea sandwiches are welcomed but not required. Indicate on the sign-up if you’d like to bring something.

Optional donations of new, unopened toiletries (including hotel or travel size)

to be donated to the homeless would also be welcome.

Our Song Shall Rise to Thee

What’s Going on Behind that Green Fence and Why?

As construction proceeds in the sanctuary and our new organ is coming together in the organ builder’s shop, we are reminded that we have new parishioners in our midst who will not know what we are doing and why! Here is a short recap of a very long story: The Problem: Our old church organ was hastily purchased in 1984 on a very limited budget. It was fashioned from a miscellaneous collection of pipes quickly gathered from various other instruments and installed in a very crowded space that is actually outside of the sanctuary. Very soon, problems were apparent, most notably the placement, limitations of the very cramped pipe chamber, inadequate height limiting bass pipes and substandard materials and workmanship. Some refurbishment work was undertaken in the late 1980’s but the basic deficiencies remained and worsened as the parts aged. Discussion about what to do about the organ continued from 2004 to 2014. Two years ago the problems, which our organist was skilled at masking, became very apparent as the organ malfunctioned on several occasions during services, causing a cipher – a loud note that cannot be stopped without turning off the organ. The increasing frequency and unpredictability of these audible problems highlighted the need to address the issue. After much discussion and study, the following was determined:

§ Refurbishment of the existing organ was neither prudent nor practical, § A new pipe organ is the appropriate instrument for our church § A new organ needs to be brought into the sanctuary, not located outside it.

The Solution: Based on the above, the Organ Committee studied the space in the sanctuary and came to the unanimous recommendation that the organ and choir be moved to the balcony on the Walden Street side of the sanctuary. The basis for this recommendation was: The Walden Street balcony is the only area that can offer enough space and height for a properly sized organ and the tall pipes needed for the bass and it is the best location in the sanctuary acoustically speaking. It is also the only area that can accommodate the choir in the same space with the organ.

This relocation will vastly improve the quality of organ and choral sound, which will in turn enrich our worship and encourage bold hymn singing. The new location will significantly enhance the function/flexibility of our music-making space giving singers room to sit within their own vocal section, to stand naturally and hold their music. They will be able to direct their voices toward the congregation and the director at the console. The Music Director will be able to conduct effectively from the console and receive important visual cues during services, weddings and funerals. Putting the organ in this location allows us to preserve the aesthetics and character of the sanctuary. The front, including the organ façade, will remain as originally designed. Uses of the front loft could include overflow seating, dramatic/visual presentations and instrumental ensembles of many varieties. The Construction: To accommodate this change, there needs to be a modest expansion of the balcony to accommodate the organ console and the floor needs to be raised to accommodate the tracker section of the organ which connects the console with the pipes and wind chest. Handicap access is required by code so a small elevator is being installed. One of the two staircases will be removed to increase space in the balcony and in the back of the sanctuary. The Timetable: Most of the construction activity will be finished by the end of May and the organ will be installed right after Memorial Day. It will take about a month to reassemble and install the organ and to voice it for the space. The contractors will come back in July to complete any needed work. A dedication concert for the organ will take place in the afternoon of September 18th. The Funding: The total project is budgeted to cost $1,650,000. We have pledges and gifts to date of $1,342,000. Additional fund-raising efforts continue. Opportunities to Learn More: On Thursday, March 31, there is a tour of the Noack Organ, our organ builders shop in Georgetown, MA. There, attendees will learn how an organ is made, see the various components being fashioned by hand and specialty tools and view our organ taking shape. Sign up in the parish hall or on our website. Once the organ is completed, Noack will host an Open House where the completed organ will be on view and played for the public. This is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, May 21st. Photos of the organ in progress and of the construction work are can be viewed on our website.


Thank you TriCon from the Youth Mission Trip

1 10-lb fully cooked, bone-in ham

1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup honey

1/3 large orange, juiced and zested

2 tablespoons dijon mustard; 1/4 tsp ground clo

ves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place ham in roastin

g pan.

In a small sa

ucepan, combine all g

laze ingredients (sugar th

rough cloves).

Bring to boil. Set aside.

Bake ham for 2 hours (start it

uncovered, but use foil if it s

tarts to brown too

much).

Brush ham with glaze. Bake additio

nal 30- 45 minutes, brushing with glaze

every 10 minutes.

West Virg

inia Tangy Honey Glazed Ham

TriC

on Church

Baked Beans TriCon Church

Cook bacon, reserve to paper towel lined plate. Discard all

grease except for 2 Tablespoons. Sauté the peppers and onions

until softened. Drain beans. In a large baking dish, or deep cast

iron dutch oven, combine the beans, reserved bacon, pepper,

onions, the mustard and molasses. Mix well, cover with foil,

bake for one hour at 350 degrees.

1 pound bacon, thick style, diced canned baked beans, enough to serve 20 people 1 medium sweet onion, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 Tablespoon prepared mustard 1/2 cup dark molasses

We hope those of you able to attend the Mission Trip Dinner on February 27th enjoyed the evening.

We thank everyone who participated in our fund-raising RAFFLE and post trip DINNER!

We’ve had a number of requests for the recipes for the ham and beans served at the dinner, so they are printed here. Bon appetit!

We had a very successful trip to Webster Springs, WV

… made possible by the generosity and support of

the TriCon church. Thank you!

Documents

For its part, Government will listen. We will strive to listen in new … · 2016-03-29 · We're Fighting for Now is Each Other - Dispatches from the Front Lines of Climate Justice."