Our Happenings

Happenings
Summer 2010

This is our news page, to keep all interested folk up to date on projects, events, and personalities at the Congregational Church in Deerfield.

Summer Message From Our Pastor

(Click on the headlines to get to more information about what's happening!)

	"Be the change you want to see..."
	A Stillspeaking Devotional: Mentors
	Faith is...
	Bookworms News
	Our Mission to New Orleans: All Aboooarrrd!
	Stained Glass Coffeehouse Season V Schedule
	Our Mission
	This Place
	A Special Mission
	Come Walk Our Labrinth

Summer is a time when we try to do all those things that warm weather, and a less hectic schedule allow for. We try to go on a trip, or invite folks over for a meal but the truth that our desire to be in relationship with God is still as ever present, no matter what the season.

In our moving about, it might be helpful to log onto the Still Speaking Daily Devotional from the UCC. The devotional from a recent entry is included here. This might be helpful for you to check the first thing in the morning before you sit on your porch and read or go for a walk or, yes, go to work, for most of us still have to work in the summer.

This summer I am working in a different way. I will be on sabbatical writing a minimum of four hours a day. Sabbatical, as a concept, is a time from several months to a full year when clergy persons, or academic professionals, takes time off from their myriad of regular duties to concentrate on a specific area of work. This is usually given after seven years service at any particular church or university. After fifteen years as your pastor, I will be taking my second sabbatical this summer.

For my last sabbatical we were blessed with a Lilly Foundation Clergy Enrichment Grant for $35,000 and with this grant, I was able to do some pretty amazing things. This time we have no money for my sabbatical. As I was planning for this time away from church, I knew I was going to write, (and rest, and relax). I just didn’t know where I was going to do it.

First, my plan was to spend most of the summer at a friends’ cabin in Wisconsin, which they were going to let me use for no charge. Perfect. When they opened the cabin for the summer, they found water damage so this was no longer the place I could go. After a little scrambling, I found a cottage to rent in Door County for three weeks, and then I am going to California to stay with family and friends for the remainder of my sabbatical.

My limited experience is that a sabbatical isn’t really a plan that follows a predicted trajectory but a journey that unfolds day by day. Already there have been some surprises but that is ok. I pray that I relax into the process and enjoy the journey.

I will, from time to time, send you updates on what I am doing as this whole, exciting adventure unfolds. While I am gone I will hold all of you in my thoughts and prayers and I would most appreciate it if you would do that for me as well.

Many blessings to all of you, and I will see you in August,

Rev. Blair Hull

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Announcements and Kudos

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All Aboooarrrd,

“Where are you headed?” the conductor asks. “NEW ORLEANS”, we respond. ˝Go to the car at the head of the train,” he instructs. We step on board.

Bags are put in the racks on the lower level, before we climb the little spiral stairs up to the second floor seating. Big wide seats that recline way back and have footrests, promise a pretty comfortable ride. Dinner will be in the diner, three cars to the rear.

We’re packing our bags for some hot weather work down on the bayous. In just a few weeks, some ten to fifteen volunteers will step aboard Amtrak’s City of New Orleans for the 18-hour ride southward. When we next step off the train, we’ll be met with very hot and humid weather. So, I’d suggest everyone buy stock in whatever company it is that makes Gatorade (Coca Cola, or Pepsi?), and Ice Mountain spring water (Nestle (?). Each day we’ll load up a couple of those 48 quart cooler boxes, and it’s not unusual to use up a case or two of each beverage every day.

Our favorite pastime on the trip down is speculating about what our work assignment will be. Will it be siding, or drywall, or flooring, or painting or, or . . . you get the idea. But, no matter how grungy and sweaty our job, we will have the joy of meeting the people on whose homes we are working. They are remarkable, and a list of those with whom we are still in contact, long after our work is ended, now fills a whole page. They are the real blessing, the real reward of this work.

A friend of Tyron Smith

Past Mission Trips to New Orleans

Back to New Orleans...

We’ve found some seats together. The overhead lighting is dimmed and diffuse, and our bags are all stacked in the luggage racks below, at the bottom of the stairs. A muffled thud tells us that the big stainless steel door through which we entered is now closed. Moments tick by, and without a sound, I notice the concrete column and the platform beyond the window begin to slide away from me. I check my watch and see that Amtrak #59, The City of New Orleans is underway right “on the advertised” time of eight o’clock P.M. The winter night is very dark and the lights of the city start falling behind us more rapidly. Soon we’re passing Comiskey Park (sorry about that, U.S. Cellular).

“The lounge car will be open in fifteen minutes,” intones a cheery voice over the overhead speaker system. “Lounge opens in fifteen minutes.”

Thus begins the journey of the sixth group of volunteer workers of the Tyron Smith Mission Project. This time, there are seven of us riding on the train, and we’ll meet up with five more who are flying down to the Crescent City to help rebuild. Our groups have not ridden the train before, so this is a big test of a new way to travel to New Orleans.

We’ll be back in eight days, and there will be many stories for us to share about the good folks and their homes, on which we’ll be working. In the meantime, please keep our safe passage in your prayers. See you in a week!

Blessings, Roger

It Was NOT Mardi Gras, but . . .

We did take another trip to New Orleans. Our roster had fourteen names on it. The majority of the group hailed from The First Congregational Church of Des Plaines, where Rev. Francois “Co” DuToit is the pastor. This particular trip found the volunteers traveling on several different schedules. One group of five left on Saturday, September 12, a second group starts driving on Sunday, and our Harriet Dart took Saturday’s “City of New Orleans” so that she arrived at about the same time those of us leaving by car on Saturday arrived.

Now this fifth Tyron Smith Mission Project trip is an accomplished fact. Fifteen people made the 900-mile journey to New Orleans and back, stepping away from families, friends, and the very lovely late summer of northern Illinois into the steamy blast of the Gulf Coast, and the first month of the hurricane season. There were moments when I felt as if I were on an island in the Caribbean, especially with the way people dressed, talked, and acted.

I can report without hesitation that the most consistent thread running through all of these trips is the strong sense of empathy and connection with those who are working so hard to rebuild their lives that the participants experience. Each of us is just scratching the surface of what James’ letter to commends to us.

This trip is notable in one special respect. On Monday evening the people of Beecher Memorial United Church of Christ came to our ‘dormitory’ at St. Paul’s UCC, and with them came a glorious feast of three kinds of red beans and rice, fried chicken, tossed salad, and three kinds of cake. The love and joy created by this event on September 14, 2009, stands as sparkling testimony to Jesus words.

Roger

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The Bookworms of CCD

Our journey across more than two thousand years of the formation of the Bible, led by Karen Armstrong, has reached that point that, in Chapter 8, that she calls Modernity.

‘Modernity’ actually refers to the time beginning in the late 17^th Century, the age of Reason. While Chapter 8 is the final chapter in the book, it is not, of course, the end of the formation of the Bible.

Perhaps the most valuable insight into understanding the Bible is that it has been, and remains, a “work in progress”.

This sort of ‘discovery’ is troubling to many, but consider that most other things in our lives have also undergone significant change as the contexts of human life have gone in new directions.

Can you imagine one of our astronauts toting one of those molded plastic suitcases of the 1960’s onto Atlantis or Discovery for their trip to the International Space Station?

Wouldn’t fit the needs and limitations of the environment of the ISS, would it?

Our final session on this book will cover the Epilogue and the Schofield Bible and will convene on Monday, June 7^th at 6:30 PM at the church.

Don’t throw away your bookmarks – we’re looking for something new to work on.

The Bookworm Librarian

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A Stillspeaking Devotional

"[Elisha] took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him . . . "

Excerpt from 2 Kings 2:1-15a

Reflection by Quinn G. Caldwell

Everybody recognizes the importance of mentors on the job. The best mentoring relationships tend to be the intentional ones, where the older, wiser, seasoned person agrees explicitly to take some promising green young thing under her or his wing. Usually, not only the mentor and protégée profit, the organization or profession does as well.

Elisha followed Elijah around being mentored for years before he inherited the mantle of leadership. Presumably, the time he spent learning at Elijah's knee made him a better prophet. Certainly he seemed able to wield his powers without mishap (well, with the hilarious dreadful exception of this incident).

What works for professional prophets ought to work for Christians. A colleague of mine requires any couple that gets married in her church to be paired up with a mentor couple that has been married a long time and knows a thing or two about making it work.

Why not find yourself a church mentor? Look around your congregation. See somebody you want to be when you grow up? Somebody who seems to know a thing or two about the Christian life? Invite her out for coffee and ask if she'll mentor you in being a Christian. She'll probably say no the first time you ask, because she'll be all modest and stuff . . . but keep asking, and you just might find yourself inheriting the mantle of a saint.

Prayer

God, send me mentors wise in the ways of life with you. And if by your grace someone asks me to show him or her the way one day, grant that I might say yes. Amen.

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Mission and Outreach

Having our presence reach beyond our field of vision is the essence of mission. It is worth noting that a tally of the sheets of paper on which you identified the one thing that you would decree if you were “queen / king for a day” resulted in a very diverse list. Of the seventeen sheets that were completed, only two items were listed more than once. Those two were “peace for the whole world” and “essential health care available for all of the people of the world.”

The sheets have been pinned up on the wall in the Fellowship Room: please take a look at them to see what your neighbors have said. In case you don’t get to look at them, here’s how they went:

Every child literate

No one left out

Individual Value recognized

Religious Freedom

Goodness reigns

No hunger

No suffering

Food, shelter, and safety for all

Everything be equal and fair for all people

Freedom from physical and mental sickness

Mental and Physical Health

It would appear, from this exercise, that a new challenge has arisen. What do we, a modest number of followers of Jesus, the Christ, do to begin to make these wonderful goals become reality?

It begins with each of us making little steps. In one of his many notable speeches, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used a short statement that applies here. He said, “The arc of the universe tends toward justice.” I would add that the arc of the universe could sometimes use a nudge (or a shove) from God’s co-workers. We may not see the ultimate justice, but we can either work to support realization or we can delay it by not participating.

During the coming year, we will start a campaign to collect outdated or unused prescription medications that I can take to the Norma Jean Sanders Free Clinic for dispensing, at no cost, to those who seek our help. Our statistics indicate a noticeable increase in the number of patients who are coming to the Free Clinic for treatment, and many of these people are not clients of the meal program, but come from increasingly diverse areas of the city just for the free medical attention.

Without our participation, these people might not receive any of the medical care they cannot otherwise afford.

Blessings,

Roger

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Reverend Roger Dart and Harriet

The activities of the afternoon of Sunday, March 22, 2009, really began in the second pew on the right hand side of the sanctuary quite some time ago – 1996 to be more accurate.

There are few words that can adequately describe the sensations that I have felt during the last four or five weeks. The joy of anticipation, a sliver of apprehension, and a fair amount of curiosity about all of this amazing new place into which I am headed...

To complicate things, it seems as though I had hardly packed my bag with my shower clogs and grungy work clothes than I was back home, at my computer keyboard, pounding out last minute ideas for my now days-away ordination service. A week of working on the Garner’s home in New Orleans, and eighteen hundred miles of travel in a very full minivan seem almost dreamlike. I’ll get to the New Orleans part in a separate story next month.

The morning of Sunday, March 22, 2009, has begun just like many other Sundays before. Shower, shave and dress for church. Do I have everything? Have I done everything? The day is taking on a surrealistic aura.

Worship seems especially filled with the Holy Spirit today. I wonder what that’s about? Well, it is Lent, and we are moving through a different sort of place now, I muse.

This particular Sunday is already unlike any other I have ever lived. Something is going to take place, the outcome of which seems quite unclear. In all of my life, I have never done, or felt, anything like this before.

Suddenly it is four o’clock. The church is filling with my family and my friends. Their presence is both exciting and assuring, but at the same time, I feel humbled by it. The prelude suddenly pulls me back into the room.

The hymn ends. At what point are we now? Cynthia and Rev. Rita Root rise and speak about what the church wants to do, and what they want me to do. I am following them with intensity, hearing every word, yet I almost feel as though I am watching from outside the room; I seem suspended in time and space.

Rev. Root then speaks directly to me, and motions me to come forward. IT IS HAPPENING – NOW!

She questions me; I reply. We repeat the exchange several times. How is this happening so quickly?

Rita motions me to turn around. Blair places the kneeler in front of me and I ease down carefully.

The only thing I can see now is the communion table, the white linen runners, and the several loaves of bread covered with more white linen. I hear Rev. Root’s voice, reading something about the tradition of the laying on of hands as a symbolic way of assigning an identity to a new clergy person, but I cannot make out all of her words, even though she is only a foot or two away from me.

Now there is a hand atop my head, more hands on each shoulder, and many more between my shoulders. They are pressing a bit more firmly; I am being moved forward, and I have to stiffen my back and legs so as not to be moved right into the table. I can’t tell how many hands there are, but there are many. The energy they are transmitting is very tangible inside of me, and it is getting stronger.   I can hear Rita still reading, and then she is praying, I think.

I cannot tell you just where I am right now. I know I am in the church sanctuary, but that’s all. I feel as if I have been somewhere else at the same time.

Suddenly, the hands are all gone, and my awareness slowly comes back into the room. I hear Rev. Root say that I can now get up. My new knee has passed the big test, and it is fine. She says, “Turn and face the people.”

“It is time for us to give our gifts to the ordinand.” Blair has something in her hands. She allows the bundle of fabric to fall, and a fine white stole, with a deep red UCC symbol on it, falls open. She places it over my head, onto my shoulders, and I hear Rev. Root declare to the gathering, “Let me introduce The Reverend Roger Dart.”
I can only breathe in, bow slightly and look at all of the faces in the room, one at a time, feeling a powerful connection with each of them. I think I am smiling, and words are useless.

The rest of the service seemed to move with much greater speed, except for the time during which so many of you chose to take communion from me. That is perhaps the most unique moment of the day for me. I can see each of your faces more clearly and closely than I ever have before.

And now, we will all see how the rest of the story will unfold.

Blessings,

Roger Dart

A Thank You

My deepest thanks for creating a day like no other I have ever lived. My ordination and installation went more smoothly than I could ever have imagined. That most of the guests lingered for conversation amidst the abundance of the buffet tables is lively testimony to your generosity. To Sarah and Don who headed up the entire hospitality effort I owe a loving debt of gratitude. But I also know that they had many helpers, all of whom added to the joyful festivities, and for you I am most deeply grateful.

Thank you for blessing me,

Roger

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A Special Mission

About a year ago, I was invited to preach at the Mont Clare United Church of Christ in Oak Park. This is one of just two church communities that is comprised of a significant number of members of Phillipine ancestry, and many with a European history. Mont Clare is a dynamic and loving community. When I arrived on that spring morning, I was greeted by the young man who would be my "lay" worship leader. His name is Epenito Ursos (Rambu). Epenito is a gifted leader, who, it turned out, was a fellow classmate in the course "Good and Evil" that Blair and I audited at Chicago Theological Seminary this spring.

"Rambu" graduated from seminary this May, but he missed the ceremony due to his powerful commitment to his home country, the Phillipines. He left for Manila a week before graduation! His return there, to lead a mission trip of young adults up into the mountains is an amazing beginning to his life in ministry. It is both amazing and extremely dangerous, as there is a growing confrontation between Christians and a small, but very militant band of religious opponents.

This is the first of his communications from there, and we will continue to bring them to you as he is able to send them. Pray for all of them,

Roger

“A Blessed Day Dearly Beloved,

“The grace and peace of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior continuously embrace you.

“Yesterday was our last full day for our dry-run here. Since Manila is more of a vision site, we did a lot of vision endeavor to explore places where the mission team could immerse on public education and recreational activities. We visited Intramuros and Luneta Park for a historical walk. We explored Enchanted Kingdom to look into the Filipino perspective of entertaining self, family and friends. We engaged with several establishments like malls and local family-owned restaurants to find out great treats discovering cheap and not-so-cheap prices. We also enjoyed the educational atmosphere of Manila Ocean Park that exhibited Philippine marine life.

“We also met with people here to talk and prepare for the youth mission this coming June. We meet Rev. Deslate of Ellinwood Church and I had a breakfast meeting with kuya Cito Fontanilla. The one thing we were not able to do was to look into the church's outreach programs since most of the key persons of these programs left for Dumaguete to join the United Church of Christ in the Philippines General Assembly now being held at Silliman University.

“Today, we will fly to Dumaguete by Cebu Pacific Air at 2:40PM and will arrive at 3:40PM. We will update you of our trip there. For those of you following us on Facebook for the video logs, expect such logs to be delayed since there might be no internet connection in the place we will be staying--that would be my paternal grandmother's home. We will visit and engage with people in Silliman University and will endeavor to meet the people of Kalauman Development Center.

“We praise, thank and glorify GOD for our wonderful journey here in Manila and nearby places. The young people accompanying Deaconess GJoy and I are enjoying the journey and have visited many of the places for the first time. It is also there first time to visit Dumaguete City.

“I humbly encourage everyone to continuously pray for our journey as much as we pray for you. Let all our hearts and prayers walk with each other in Christ Jesus our Shepherd and Mission Director.

“Prayers & Blessings,

“Rambu (youth missions)”

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Moderator

"Be the change you want to see in the world." Gandhi

When I look at the physical building of our church, the size of our congregation, and consider what some people may think of us based solely on our size, I'm amazed by the number of things we've accomplished and continue to accomplish outside our church community. When Matt became involved in sports in high school, there were some of his coaches who said, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog." By this standard, we're a Great Dane among the larger churches in Deerfield! I believe our little church is the change in the world that we want to see.

Whenever we have taken on a project, whether it's a vegetable garden for the pantry, or lunches, socks or coats for the night ministry, the Heifer project donations, the lofty goal the children set for UNICEF (and have nearly reached), Roger's trips to New Orleans, special offerings with proceeds going to a number of charities, and so on, we have poured our hearts, prayers and money into each of these projects as if our lives depended on it. Well, maybe that's going a little far, but whether it is food or clothing somebody’s life depends on it and we've shown with consistency we can be depended upon, even to those whom we've never met. We rally for those in sudden time of need, as well as our many ongoing projects.

We've learned that Jesus didn't have walls in his charitable acts. Let us continue our mission to help those with little or great burdens that we may be able to lighten their load as we follow God's path showing love and kindness to all.

Peace in this New Year,

Cynthia

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From the Moderator:

“I will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” is the line of one of my favorite solos. It’s upbeat, uplifting, and it makes me feel glad when I sing it. I hope it lifts your spirits when you hear it as well. But there’s something I hope even more; I hope that when the choir and/or I sing, it enhances your worship experience and brings you closer to God. Music has been a part of people’s daily lives since the beginning of time. I would challenge any of you to find a day when there wasn’t some kind of music improving your activities and making life easier.

In the first centuries of the church when persecution of believers was widespread, people often met in caves and homes where they would chant and sing to Christ a cappella (without instrumental accompaniment). During the 300’s AD, people were able to meet more openly, often in large buildings or chapels, singing sacred melody, Gregorian chant (originally based upon Hebrew scriptural chant), to worship God. As Christian history moved into the 800’s, the organ became a mainstay of church music both in accompanying and as a solo instrument. As people were becoming more eager to praise God with music, new forms of music were developed: music that contained harmony and more than one melody would replace Gregorian chant, but worshipping through song was mainly done by clergy. Congregants were only allowed to participate as listeners. As hard as it may seem to believe now, then women were forbidden to sing in church (that is until Martin Luther began the protestant religious revolution). Martin Luther helped return the singing of hymns to the people, but even with Luther’s contributions and pressure, it took another 150 years before real change took place.

Real musical expression, however, was lacking in congregational singing. It was dull and lifeless until Dr. Isaac Watts, English minister and physician, searched for a solution to this “lifeless” singing. Watts gave us the “hymn” for a freer, more powerful way to express our faith in song and worship. Since that time there have been many contributors to our hymnals, psalm singing, spirituals and anthems, gospels and modern praise music, each of them breathing new life into the music of the church and adapting it to their culture, history and situation.

Imagine a church service without music. Is it even possible? Consider these: “Where there is devotional music, God is always at hand with His gracious presence” – Bach. “Music is God's gift to man, the only art of Heaven given to earth, the only art of earth we take to Heaven.” – Walter Landor. “Nobody dreams of music in Hell, and nobody conceives of Heaven without it.” – anonymous. Music triggers emotions and feelings in us we can’t stop, even if we try. Within the sacredness of the sanctuary, the elevation of the human spirit is music’s job and to that end, we sing.

Cynthia Fremling, Moderator

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Happy New Year!

Warren and I received a wonderful e-mail from a friend that had some beautiful pictures and the perfect message for all times. I would have loved to figure out a way that I could send this to Happenings for all to see, but as you know, I’m technically challenged. Actually, that’s a lie. I just don’t want to spend any more time on the computer than necessary. So I’m going to try paraphrase the story and message and paint you some beautiful pictures with words.

The Daffodil Principle

The story begins with several calls from someone named Carolyn to her mother insisting that she come to see her before the daffodils are done blooming for the season. After the third call, the mother reluctantly agreed to come on a Tuesday. When Tuesday rolled around, it was cold and rainy. Driving for two hours was the last thing she wanted to do. Having promised her daughter, however, she drove the two hours to her daughter’s home. After being greeted by the grandchildren she said, “Forget about the daffodils. The roads are invisible in the clouds and the fog”. Her daughter insisted and after much persuading, they headed out to see the daffodils. The fog persisted and Carolyn’s mother firmly told her to turn around. Caroline persevered saying, “Mother, you’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t experience this. Besides it’s only a few blocks.” After about 20 minutes, they turned on to a small path with a little church. They parked the car and got out, each taking the hand of a child as they proceeded up the path. Just beyond the church Carolyn’s mother could see a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read “Daffodil Garden”. As they turned the corner she gasped and stood in absolute amazement. She was stunned by this glorious blanket of gold ahead of her.

There were five acres of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink and saffron and butter yellow flowers planted in majestic, swirling patterns. The large groups of different colored flowers were planted so that they swirled and flowed like a river.

“Who did this?” Carolyn’s mother asked. “Just one woman,” was Carolyn’s reply. “And she lives on this property. That’s her home.” She pointed to a modest, well-kept A-frame home sitting in the midst of all that beauty.

They walked up to the house and on the patio was a poster which said, “Answers to the questions I know you are asking: 1. 50,000 bulbs. 2. One at a time, by one woman, two hands, two feet, and one brain. 3. Began in 1958.”

For Carolyn’s mother this moment was a life-changing experience. The article sent us continued, “She thought of the woman whom she had never met, who, almost 50 years before, had begun, one bulb at a time to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty and inspiration. The principal her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration, that is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time, often just one baby step at a time, and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we, too, will find we can accomplish magnificent things, we can change the world.”

The article continues: “’It makes me sad, in a way’, she admitted to Carolyn. ‘What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal 35 or 40 years ago and had worked away at it one bulb at a time through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve.’” Her daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. “Start tomorrow,” she said. She was right. It’s pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration, instead of a cause for regret, is only to ask, ‘How can I put this day to use today?”

Use the daffodil principle. Stop waiting. . .

There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. Beginning this month, the Council will be revisiting some of the goals we set last February at our retreat meeting. Over the next month, why don’t you jot down on a piece of paper something that you’re going to do to make your world better, and something you’re going to do to make our church better. Drop your anonymous note in my mailbox at church and I will use your visions and goals in next months’ Happenings. This will also help the Council members to see where we need to focus and if we have remained in line with your needs and visions for our church community.

Joy and Peace for a Great New Year,

Cynthia

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This place…

This is a conversation about us – and this place. It really applies to every church community, and to every building that is referred to as a church, but today, I want to focus on “our house”.

The word church is a funny sounding word, isn’t it?

Church. It rhymes with lurch, and that’s about it.

The only other words with which it is often connected are -- warden, and -- mouse, and of course, -- steeple. When the Pilgrims landed here, they believed that having a mouse living in the church building was a sign of good luck. Such a church was assured an extra measure of holiness. Therefore, their presence was encouraged. The guy who lived in the church, and kept track of their mouse was called a churchwarden.   Today he’d be the maintenance engineer.

Happily, we now have a very different opinion about that mouse idea and so it has died a suitable demise.

So, what then is a church?

According to Scripture, and the Polity of the United Church of Christ, you and I ARE the church. We are also called the body of Christ. And, just for the record, the body of Christ includes not just us, but every person who has EVER been a follower of Jesus.   Uh Huh, you belong to the very same community as Peter, his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James, son of Alpheus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas, son of James, and Judas Iscariot. Oh, and let’s not leave out Mary, mother of Jesus, and Mary of Magdala, and Martha, and Oh, yes! - Paul of Tarsus.

What does it feel like to be included as part of the same group as those folks? Surprised?
   So, whose is this place, anyway?
   We built this place
   We consecrated this place
   We worship in this place
   We find Sanctuary in this place
   We get married in this place
     We discover God’s truths in this place
   We enjoy the beauty of God’s natural world in this place
We find Love in this place
   We cry in this place
   We find Peace in this place
   We know sorrow in this place
   We sing our praise in this place
   We experience grief in this place
   We teach others about God and Jesus in this place
   We find acceptance in this place
   We create welcome in this place
   We find joy in this place
   We remember others of the body of Christ now gone in this place
We meditate in this place
   We walk and pray the labyrinth at this place
   We provide a place of growth and learning for others in this place
   We use this place every day
   IT FEELS LIKE IT’S OUR PLACE

But, try as we might, none of the things we do and experience here would take place in a meaningful way without God’s presence.

I believe that as much as we have had to do with this place, it would not exist without God’s presence and God’s continuing participation through the Holy Spirit.

The story from Exodus that we heard only last week recalls some familiar situations for me. The story tells about Moses having to address God, because Moses must inform God of the very unhappy state of mind of the Israelites, who are sure that God has abandoned them after bringing them out of Egypt. Who would not feel a bit ticked off if the newly declared leader seems to have disappeared?

The other side of this situation is that this confrontation presented God with the opportunity to clarify for these people that they are responsible for continuing to be God’s doers here. They (and in these days, WE) are the implementers of God’s plan. We hear, in the story from Exodus, that the Israelites are sort of sitting on their hands, and feeling very put out at this God of theirs. They are pouting.

Of course, God did not depart from the conversation, and the story continued onward.

We most often view our church like any other kind of building. That is the easy, and normal way for us to think. It is made of the same sort of stuff as other buildings. It is as easy as the Israelites thinking that the desert was a rotten place for their leader to disappear.

But, as I have hinted earlier, we are not the only investors in this place. What about God’s investment in us? Your question might be - What did God contribute? Did we give God a pledge envelope last year? Or the year before?

The pledge God has makes is a bit more difficult than that. All God did was pledge us Jesus of Nazareth, a one-time pledge that is being fulfilled every minute of every hour of every day of every year for the past two thousand years.

Our Trustees, with diligence, care, and wisdom, have created a spending plan, or budget for our next operating year. It is both realistic and optimistic. As you consider your participation for the coming year, I would like to ask you to reflect on the parable of the landowner who paid all of the workers the same amount, regardless of the amount of time that they had worked.

I am asking you to look at your contribution for the coming year and think about how your pledge will respond to your God instead of our spending plans

God does not limit the amount of love available to you in relation to the amount of time you have spent here, are spending now, or might need to spend in the days ahead.

Amen

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What is God Like?

The following article was part of the original Whole People of God Teacher’s Supplements to help teachers reflect on their own images and words for God in preparation for teaching. We reprint it here for your reflection.

What Is God Like?

This question has been asked again and again since the beginning of time. As we open our Bibles we read of one of the earliest awareness of God -- God as creator of the universe. As we read on into Exodus we read of Moses who encounters God in a bush that is on fire but does not burn up. When Moses asks how he shall name or explain God to the Israelites the reply is “I am who I am. Say 'I am' has sent me to you”. This is my name for all time. (Exodus 314 & 15b) Here is recognition that God is greater than we can imagine or name and that to name God would immediately be limiting.

As we read on, God's presence is described like lightning and thunder, and God seems to reside on the top of Mount Sinai. Later as they journey, God's presence is described as being with them in the form of a cloud-the cloud of the Lord's presence." Later still God's presence was somehow attached to the Ark of the Covenant, the box that contained the clay tablets of the Ten Commandments. When the Philistines captured the covenant box, the people cried out "God's glory has left Israel." (2 Samuel 4:22) When the covenant box was returned and the temple built, the ark resided in a special room called the Holy of Holies, where only the priests could go. God's presence was mediated to the people through the priests.

When the temple was destroyed and the people were carried off into exile this tragedy helped them to know God in new and different ways; a God who suffers with them-a God who forgives, a God who seeks justice, and a God not tied to any one place.

When Jesus taught about God he often spoke in parables. In Luke 15 we have three parables about God following after one another. In the first parable of "The Lost Sheep" God is described as a caring shepherd who actively seeks out the wandering sheep. In the second parable "The Lost Coin," God is described as a persistent woman who will not give up or abandon her search until the coin is found. In the third parable "The Lost Son" God is described as a loving and forgiving father who heads out to welcome his returning son.

After Jesus' death and resurrection the disciples were confronted with some new growth and understanding of who God is. They had been raised as part of a "chosen people," God's elect. Now people like the Ethiopian eunuch and the Gentiles of Cornelius' house were seeking baptism. Just how open was God's family? Was God the God of all or only a chosen race?

Throughout time our knowledge and concepts of God have been growing and changing. We have to constantly remind ourselves that our knowledge is partial and God is truly beyond our limited words.

As Christian educators we need to be very careful in the words we choose to name and describe God so that we are not limiting any student's view or understanding of God. This curriculum has been carefully worded with this important responsibility in mind. May we grow together in our searching and understanding of God, who is in all, through all, and beyond all.

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Diversity – What’s in a word?

On July 21, we began a three-part lecture / discussion led by Cecil. This series is a condensation of a 16-week long course he taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

I think it is fair to state that the first session revealed to most of us a series of new realities and truths. Our understanding of the word “race” and its origin and history has been very rudimentary and inaccurate. It can be said with a fair degree of certainty that our awareness, knowledge, and understanding of issues that relate to ‘race’ have been, at best, poor.

Cecil’s approach has been, so far, to educate us about our misconceptions and misinformation. It is my interpretation of his goal as being the establishment of a more accurate foundation of information from which to begin constructive conversations.

Why is there so much misconception and misinformation? Well, as Cecil puts it, “History is written by the winners.”

Diversity is about the history of human beings. It is about the history of human movement, migration, and how humans seem not to remember where they have come from, or where they might be going.

Who of you has lived in Deerfield long enough to remember that this community was once without a single person of color as a resident? I can. Now I see people from every continent of this planet walking in Deerfield Center, going to schools, and to church. I like it much better, and as Stan said to me last Sunday, “I’ve never been part of a place that is so diverse. It’s a beautiful thing to see”.

This is a fascinating conversation. It is completely contemporary, and as globalization moves ever onward, it will become even more important.

Roger

Issues of Race In Our Time

What is race? Is race just about skin color? Or are we basing the concept of race on ethnicity when we refer to Irish-Americans or African-Americans? Is race about class or money as F. Scott Fitzgerald is famously quoted when he said, “The rich are different from you and me.?”

Cecil V. Curtwright, the Associate Vice Provost for Academic and Enrollment Services at the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC), has offered to lead us in a discussion about diversity. He believes that the idea of race is evolving and has changed and continues to change over time. “Race is a historical construct,” he said. “In the past, race was based on geography and ‘The French’ or’ The English’ were considered two separate races. Today we sometimes use culture or class as a basis for race.”

Cecil will explore “Issue of Race in Our Time” in a series of three lecture/discussions at the Congregational Church in Deerfield.   His remarks are based on an honors lecture course he gave last semester it UIC. “My purpose in this series is simply to help people think afresh about race. My students enjoyed these discussions and I expect attendees will also find the ideas stimulating,” he said.

Blair explains that the church is sponsoring this series about race as a way to talk about the issues of our times. “I want us to explore concepts related to living and thinking differently, and what it might mean to our children and to us,” she said.   “Maybe discussions such as these can make a difference in our world,” she continued.

Lecture/discussions are scheduled for July 14, 16 and 21 from 7 PM to 9 PM at the church. Each session is free and open to the public.   Come join us!

A Message about Race and Politics and the UCC

I did promise you a word about race and politics and the UCC. There is no one here who does not know my political leanings or for whom I am voting. But I will never preach my choice from the pulpit or presume you should do anything but follow your own conscience, for you are as smart as I am and can make your own decisions. Flawed as anyone might think we are, this is a wonderful country. Just go to another country and see the difference.

My friend Maggie from Ireland said something to this effect: we might think you are a bit naive in your politics but we are all envious here that each person in your country identifies themselves as an American first, with all other human particularities, like religion, gender, or race coming second. That isn't true in Europe. In America we are a country that chooses our leaders by informed people voting for what they believe. And that is the key: being informed.

But, as Richard Nixon liked to say, I would like to say this about that… no one, not George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton, John McCain or Barack Obama, Geraldine Ferraro or Jeremiah Wright can destroy what and who we are as the American people. Only we, as a people, can be divided by power mongering and spin doctoring. Only we can take the responsibility for being uninformed about the issues.

I believe some decisions that have been made in the last few years would not have been made if I had been President. God forbid. But I would have made different decisions. And I would hope now for a leader that would make the kind of decisions I can get behind and support…

But as crazy as this seems, and as divisive as we are getting in our politics, especially about race and religion – we, as the people, can still make a huge difference in the direction of this nation. We can make a huge impact on our quality of life and the quality of life of the wider world by doing the right thing. We are not helpless pawns. In America we still believe that people have the power and intellect to make the changes we need. That includes voting in November, but more than this, it might be about educating ourselves regarding those differences in our country that stand to divide and hurt us as a nation and a people.

I would like for us to engage in conversations in this church, not about political candidates, but about race and fear mongering, about diversity, and about what living differently might mean to our children and to us. Maybe by doing this we really can make a difference in our world and make a fresh start. It is never too late to learn more about what we don’t know. And if not now, when? If not you and me, who?

This summer, after we have moved to our new house and the dust has settled, I will ask my busy husband to lead us in discussions about diversity… to offer us, and others in our community if they wish to participate, a book or two to read, and a forum for conversation about diversity. My husband is teaching a class on diversity at the university where he works. I asked him what was the racial make up of the class. He said he didn’t know yet, they hadn’t decided. Cecil is a thinker. He has been studying and living with issues of diversity his whole life. He will get us thinking in new ways about who we are and what we can do to not only think differently but maybe, if we choose, to act in new and different ways as well.

This summer I will also offer a talk and reading time around our spiritual journey as people of faith using the work of Brian McClaren – and his book Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crisis and a Revolution of Hope. And we will build a labyrinth in our churchyard.

As a people of faith, we are an amazing body of hope. That is clear whenever we gather for worship in this beautiful, little church. When two or three gather here we feel God in our midst and that is a fact! It is my joy and my blessing to serve as your pastor and I know we will learn a thing or two this summer that will shake us to the bottom of our feet. But that is what being of God and in this wonderful UCC is all about…

Blessings,

Rev. Blair Hull, Your Pastor

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                     Gardening God's Way

                   Plant three rows of peas:
                   Peace of mind
                   Peace of heart
                   Peace of soul

                   Plant four rows of squash:
                   Squash gossip
                   Squash indifference
                   Squash grumbling
                   Squash selfishness

                   Plant four rows of lettuce:
                   Lettuce be faithful
                   Lettuce be kind
                   Lettuce be obedient
                   Lettuce really love one another

                   No garden without turnips:
                   Turnip for meetings
                   Turnip for service
                   Turnip to help one another

                   Water freely with patience and
                   Cultivate with love.
                   There is much fruit in your garden
                   Because you reap what you sow.

                   To conclude our garden
                   We must have thyme:
                   Thyme for God
                   Thyme for study
                   Thyme for prayer

                                ...Author Unknown

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Come Join Us

In an era when church is like last year’s news, when religion is discussed more as a reason for war than spiritual enlightenment, I have come to understand that we are fighting an uphill battle to keep the concept of church… especially the thoughtful, open minded church alive. Often I say it is my life’s work these days to keep the liberal church alive until more folks come to their senses and come back.

It has dawned on me, however, that we, as a church, are no longer seeking members who are coming back to church after a long hiatus. No, we are searching for those who know little or nothing about church – those whose parents said, “I will let the children make up their own mind,” but never gave them the opportunity to know what church was all about. We are indeed seeking not just the ”unchurched” who might be content to go to a yoga class or read the paper on Sunday morning, rather than dive deep into a 2000-year-old religion that teaches love as its top and bottom line. We are seeking those who want to know love with a twist, love that is about loving others as well as yourself.

We are also seeking intelligent folks who can read the Bible and understand that the literal reading might not be the point of the words on the page. It takes a centered, open-minded person who isn't afraid to risk seeing things in a new way to be the kind of Christian I am talking about and I think our church is looking for.

As Harriet reminded me this morning we are called to be the church of the future and not just try to figure out how to maneuver our church into the future. We are going to need to think differently and for many that is uncomfortable.

But what an opportunity we have before us; let us be part of the change the church needs: come to worship, sing along at the coffeehouse, create a new bible study about topics you and others might be interested in, go on a work camp with Roger and others to New Orleans, come up with new ideas and edge yourself away from the TV, the newspaper, the old ways and risk a toe in new waters. You will be amazed at your reflection, your energy and the joy in the eyes of others with you too. And God will be so pleased!

Blessings and Peace,

Rev. Blair Hull

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JOHN USRY MEMORIAL WINDOW DEDICATION – October 22, 2006

October 22, 2006 marked the dedication of the John Usry Stained Glass Memorial Windows. The gathered community sang Now Thank We All Our God at the first worship service of the group that was to become the Congregational Church in Deerfield. The gathered community sang its praises together again on this Sunday.

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The Labyrinth at the Congregational Church in Deerfield

Our labyrinth isn’t fancy but we love it! Our friends, Mary and Brian, who have worked on many labyrinths, came to help set it up. They are formerly from Deerfield but now live in the western suburbs; we are grateful for their help.

Brian and Mary mysteriously set down a few lines using white spray paint and a ruler. Then they lined a few of us up on a rope marked with colored tape and we followed instructions, spraying paint where they told us to spray and stopping at said mysterious marks they’d just set down. Pretty soon we got the drift and could see the labyrinth taking shape. Very quickly the labyrinth was complete.

We joyously walked our labyrinth to make sure all the turns were right. A labyrinth can be walked any way you like, usually as a form of walking meditation, but we were skipping along the moment it was completed. We did pray a bit and sang a few rounds of the taize song, “In the Lord I will be Thankful” as well. To complete the moment, Carl took his lawn mower and mowed the path to make it easier to see.

What is a labyrinth? A labyrinth is not a maze – for in a maze you can get stuck – as with all things that are God, a labyrinth has a way in and a way out. A labyrinth is a pilgrimage, a way to seek God, make it to the God center of the labyrinth, and then return to the door of the labyrinth refreshed, knowing you have been praying and taking with God.

In the middle ages, Christians believed they were to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Rome or Santiago de Compestola at least once in their lives. But with the advent of the bloody crusades, travel was too dangerous. The labyrinth was developed as a way to go on a small pilgrimage each time you walked it.

There are many labyrinths and many are public – as ours will be once we get the word out. If you are interested in learning more about labyrinths, you can go the www.labyrinthsociety.com --- there you will see that our labyrinth is a six circuit Santa Rosa Labyrinth.

There will be much talk among us about what we will do with our new and still very temporary labyrinth. I think is clear, given the enthusiasm expressed already, that we would make it a permanent installation. But other decisions need to be made. Will we turn that area into prairie with indigenous wild flowers, or use wood chips and keep it low key? As with all things God, all things are possible and I, for one, am thrilled with our new labyrinth. I hope you are, too.

Walk it a bit, pray, sing and let me know what you think. This is open to the public and all who want to walk our labyrinth are welcome here!

Blessings,

Rev. Blair Hull, Your Pastor

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THE STAINED GLASS COFFEEHOUSE SEASON V

The first four seasons of the Stained Glass Coffeehouse have been a wonderful success. Good music, good people, and good times have added up to positive account books as well. Blair has already set the schedule for our fifth season. Mark your calendars and tell your friends!

Come Celebrate with us - as we kick off our FIFTH season on September 25, 2010

Music will start at 3 PM with sets by:

Trillium, Norm Siegel, Sue Fink and Dean Milano

           FOLLOWED BY OUR MAINSTAGE:

       Jan Krist with Alan Finkbeiner   at 7:30 PM

     Cost of admission for the whole day is $15.00

Come for food, music, a silent auction for the Tibet Girl's School, and much more!

    Volunteers are welcome to help for this fabulous event -

2010-2011 CONCERT SERIES

September 25        Jan Krist / Alan Finkbeinder

October 6               Michael Quick / Michael Jerling

November 13 Claudia Schmidt

December 11         Johnsmith

January 29            Diana Jones

February 26     Mustard's Retreat

March 18              Magpie (Friday night performance)

April 16                 Mark Dvorak

May 21 Nora Jane Struthers

For more information check out our "Coffeehouse" page!

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Faith is:

One Sunday I asked folks in church to tell me what faith is? Here are your answers – what a church we are!

•    Faith is trust not requiring proof of outcome.
•    Faith is what you know in your heart to be true without having to prove it.
•    Faith is my belief in God; the belief that all will be well; the courage to speak up and support what is right and just; the basis to know what is right and just; the way I try to live.
•    Faith is in the living our life everyday
•    Faith is loyalty. It calls for commitment and does not depend on evidence.
•    Faith is believing, trusting, with no “hard proof”. Faith transcends, lies beyond our realities.
•    Faith is a sturdy belief in an outcome; faith is usually construed as a belief in a positive outcome; faith is associated with religion but it can be faith in oneself. Sturdy is the key here.
•    Faith is trusting in God. Letting God show us the way.
•    Faith is belief in things that cannot be verified by scientific method.
•    Believing.
•    Faith is confidence AND uncertainty…Uncertain about outcomes we hope for that may be achieves, but confidence that we will live with whatever the outcome.
•    Faith is belief in something intangible. We can’t see it, can’t touch it but we know it is there—God, Jesus—that there is an afterlife.
•    There are so many famous eloquent verses about faith. Faith is the belief that—“Bidden or unbidden God is present” Karl Jung. Faith is heartfelt knowledge that you are never alone.
•    Faith is believing that God will always take care of you, in the way only God knows. God will always see you through in thick and thin.
•    Faith is hope.
•    Faith is belief in spite of doubt or question.

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A Message about Race and Politics and the UCC

The Pioneer Press Survey: