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- March 27, 2025
March 27, 2025
"When the people of God gather for worship, the whole earth trembles and the angels sing" -Ann Weems, "To Worship"
In This Edition:
“Significant Other Sunday”
This Sunday, members of the congregation are inviting a “significant other” to come to worship! As a church, we agree: (1) Everyone will at the very least invite someone to church with them (2) Visitors will not be asked to do anything else (i.e. serve on a committee, help out around the church, etc.) (3) Pastor Shepherd will keep the sermon short, with the goal of keeping the service under 1 hour.
March 2025 CIA
Our Monthly Newsletter, “Concern in Action” is attached here:
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One Great Hour of Sharing
On March 30, we will collect a special offering for One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS).
Chowdahfest is Coming!
Volunteers Needed Next Week
We will need people to help with prep on Thursday, April 3rd, as well as servers and sellers. You can also donate some of the items needed to make our delicious Fish and Corn Chowders. Questions or comments, please contact Laurie Kerns to volunteer ([email protected]). Please reply to Rich Keen ([email protected]) if you can donate any of the items listed below:
4 qts. Heavy Cream
The Thursday night potato preparation is at 6:30; church kitchen. No peeling is involved, just wash and dice. Please bring your own knife.
Sunday School
Hi all!! A big 'thank you' to Mary Wallan for signing up to help us with Sunday School in the upcoming months.
We still have 3 openings, before the end of the year.
4/20 Easter Sunday ~ will be a shortened class.
5/11 &
5/25
Please sign up via the "Sign-Up Genius", if you are available to help us one of these Sundays! Thank you very much!
- Joanne Grant & Deidre Donaldson; C.E. Committee
Spring Concert Tickets On Sale Now
Save the date and spread the word! The talented musicians of Union Congregational and Band Together (and some of our favorite special guests!) will join us for a wonderful program celebrating the coming of Spring. Please plan on attending and make sure to invite your friends!
Thank you to all who attended the ONA Task Force Congregational Conversation session on Sunday, March 23rd.
There were 13 members in attendance along with 4 members of the task force. The meeting lasted approximately 1 hour, and we accomplished the following in our discussion:
1) The definition of "Open and Affirming" was read aloud (as provided by the Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ), 2) the Task Force circulated reading materials about the Open and Affirming designation from the Southeast Conference as provided by our consultant Kathie Carpenter,
3) Task Force members shared experiences of other churches in the region who have become ONA designees, 4) attendees asked several insightful and probing questions and shared thoughts that the Task Force will use in next steps, including posting the materials shared on the bulletin board right outside the church office.
The next ONA task force meeting will be held Thursday, April 10 at 7:30 pm on Zoom. All are invited as usual.
We will host another Congregational Conversation on Sunday, April 27 at 11:45 a.m. in the Parlor following Worship. Please join us!
“The King of Kings” Coming Out April 11
Nancy Farris is wondering if there might be an interest in getting a group together to watch it. Please get in touch with her ([email protected]) or reply to this email, and I will let her know.
Show Your Church Spirit!
We’ve partnered with The Run House in Walpole to produce some high quality apparel to show our church spirit! You can order your very own “Church by the Park” T-shirt or Hoodie by clicking the link below.
Music Notes
Thank you to all for the resounding success of Bach Sunday! The choir sang Sicut locutus est from Bach's Magnificat with great passion. We sang hymns Bach loved or composed, the bell choir gave a beautiful introit, and Gillian and Sam on low brass were an added treat.
Charleen Andujar joins us this coming Sunday, March 30, for the 4th Sunday in Lent. She'll offer contemporary Christian tunes “Mi Pastor”, and the much-loved “Hold on to Me” by Lauren Daigle for prelude. We'll also reflect on Aaron's message with “Cristo es la pena de Horeb” (“Christ is the Mountain of Horeb”) in both Spanish and English.
Our Annual Spring Concert is 10 days away!! Mark your calendars and take a moment out from our busy lives to celebrate the Lord's Creation with our choir, handbells, keyboards, and a range of vocal and instrumental tributes to the beauty of the Earth! This will be Saturday, April 5, 3:00pm in our sanctuary. Tickets available online or at the door. Invite friends to support of our thriving music program!
Sunday Sermon Snippet
The “Parable of the Prodigal Son” is one of the most well-known of Jesus’s teachings (probably second only to that of the “Good Samaritan”). What new lessons can be wrung out of this well-known illustration of the profound grace of God? Frankly, not many…but that’s because the old lessons never get old: that disconnection and dissolute living call for repentance, and that our repentance is met by God’s extravagance, just as the prodigal son is extravagantly welcomed home by his father.
“Prodigal Son,” by John Swan (1888)
*One thing to wonder about: why does the father throw a party on the occasion of his son’s return? Is it simply to celebrate? Or is there more to it than that? Come and hear my answer this Sunday! — Pastor Shepherd
Holding in Prayer
This week, as a community of faith we pray:
for the McNeil/McCarthy family, as they mourn the death of Eamon McCarthy, who passed away unexpectedly at the age of 27
with concern, for the future of Venezuelan families living in temporary housing in Sharon and those supporting them
for Dave Walsh, who is in need of healing
with joy, for Lew’s grandson Will Howes, who ran a great race in NYC this past weekend
with joy, for the music of Bach and the gift of that music to Jim from his dad
for those struggling with mental illness and those who are without a job or a home
for comfort, at the death of Dick Grant
for Peter Nixon, who’s going through a bad spell right now
for Joe Maiewski Jr., who is at home recovering his health
for Lauren, and for those searching for employment, and for health
for Jane’s friend Diane, whose husband was recently hospitalized
with joy, for Lew’s recovery from the Flu, and for continued improvement.
for Pastor Shepherd’s cousin Rachel and her husband Adam and their newborn daughter Lorelei, who is back in pediatric intensive care to treat an infection.
for healing for Lew’s brother Richard, and his wife Paula