The
Clapboardtree Spire
News from the First
Parish of Westwood, United Church
December, 2006
FEATURES
Advent & Christmas at First Parish
ADVENT SERMON TOPICS:]
Sunday, Dec. 3: “The Light of Hope”
Sunday, Dec. 10: “The Light of Peace”
Sunday, Dec. 17: “The Light of Joy”
Sunday, Dec. 24: “The Light of Love
ADVENT ADULT EDUCATION
OPPORTUNITIES
(See page 6 for details and
registration information)
“O Lord, O Lord – What Have We
Done to Christmas?”
7:30 PM, at the home of
Bob & Carol Gracia
Nov. 29th,
Dec. 6th, Dec. 13th and Dec. 20th
“O Come, O Come,
Emmanuel”
Sunday, Dec. 17th, 4-5 PM
in the Meeting House
ALTERNATIVE GIFTS
12/3, 12/10 & 12/17
Catalogues and gifts
available during Coffee Hour
MUSIC IN THE MEETINGHOUSE
Sunday, Dec. 3rd at 4 PM
“Christmas Choral
Masterworks”
With the 1st
Featuring Vivaldi’s Gloria
and Britten’s Ceremony of Carols
LIVING NATIVITY
Sunday, Dec. 17th at 5 PM
At the crèche outside the
Parish Hall
CHRISTMAS FAMILY OUTREACH
Ornaments: Sundays 12/3
& 12/10
Wrapping Party: Sunday, Dec. 17th at 5:30 PM
CHRISTMAS EVE WORSHIP
10:00 AM
Intergenerational Worship
& Christmas Pageant
6:00 PM
Intergenerational Service
of Lessons & Carols
with special music by the
Synergy Brass Quintet
The Hanging of the Greens
On the first Sunday in Advent, everyone is
invited to participate in the preparation of the Meeting House for the Advent
and Christmas season!
At 10 AM on Dec. 3rd, worship will be
intergenerational, with no church school classes. Dress is casual. This will be a fun, “hands-on” service. Questions? See Donna Bertazzoni.
Stewardship Celebration Sunday is Dec. 3rd!
The Stewardship Committee is appreciative of all who have already submitted their pledges for 2007. If you have not yet done so, please drop off your pledge cards at the office, send it in or bring it to church this Sunday. Extra cards are available in the office or church pews. Thank you from Stewardship.
Music in the Meeting House
Save Sunday, December 3rd for the final concert
of the 2006 season! At 4 PM in the
Meeting House, “Christmas Choral Masterworks”, featuring First Parish’s
own Senior Choir and the Milford High School Chorus, will present Vivaldi’s Gloria
and Britten’s Ceremony of Carols.
First Parish Music Director Josh Nannestad will conduct. Admission is free.
So, mark your calendars and join us for an afternoon of
wonderful music.
Come to the Christmas Cookie Feast!
As you probably know by now, this year
Christmas Eve is on a Sunday, making the Coffee Hour after the 10 AM worship
service just a little more special. So,
it’s time for a new First Parish tradition – the Christmas Cookie Feast! Here’s how it works:
·
When
you’re making all those delicious Christmas cookies, make an extra plate for
your friends at First Parish (or buy some from the store – they’re great too!)
·
On
Sunday, Dec. 24th, drop them off in the Parish Hall kitchen on your
way to church.
·
After
a wonderful hour in the Meeting House enjoying worship and our annual Christmas
pageant, cross the street to the Parish Hall for a time of warm fellowship –
and great cookies!
And – the good news is that you’ll be
doing a double good deed! First, your
cookies will help make Coffee Hour wonderful.
Second, they will be emissaries of holiday cheer when the extras are
packaged for delivery to local shut ins. So many good deeds from just cookies!
Looking Ahead
Annual Meeting
As always, First Parish’s
annual meeting will be held on the last Sunday in January (Jan. 29th) immediately
after the 10AM worship service.
Annual Reports
Ministry chairpersons and lay
leaders are reminded that Annual Reports are needed in the church office by
Monday, January 16th. Ministry chairs should contact subcommittee
and team leaders for information or reports.
Christmas Memorials
It’s that time again!
If you would like to place a
poinsettia in the chancel during Christmas week or make a donation in honor or
memory of a loved one, please complete the order form below and return it with
your payment to the church office by Monday, Dec. 11th.
Christmas Memorials will be
listed in the bulletins on Sunday, Dec. 24th.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2006 Christmas Memorial Gifts
To honor the memory of loved ones, I would like
to: (check the appropriate spaces)
_____ Place _____ POINSETTIA
PLANT(S) in the Meeting House (Dec. 17-25)
(Plants
are $11 each and will be ordered by the church on December 11th.)
_____
I will pick up my plant after the last service on Christmas Eve
or the following Sunday
_____ Please deliver my
plant to a hospital patient, nursing home resident or shut-in.
_____ Make a gift of
$____ for CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS in the Meeting House
_____ Make a gift of
$____ to be used for SPECIAL MUSIC PROGRAMS.
All gifts will be listed in the bulletin
on Sunday, December 18th.
I would like
the bulletin to read: (Please PRINT clearly)
IN MEMORY OF GIVEN BY
__________________________________ ___________________________________
__________________________________ ___________________________________
__________________________________ ___________________________________
Enclosed is a check for $_____ to cover the above gifts. (Please make it
payable to THE FIRST PARISH OF WESTWOOD and send or bring it with this order form to
the church office,
Date: ______________ Signature: ____________________________________________
STAFF
ARTICLES
PASTOR
You may have viewed this year’s Oscar
winning film, Crash, which brings to light issues related to diversity
and racial tension in the 21st century. While the language of the film might offend
some, I highly recommend this powerful movie.
It skillfully and imaginatively intertwines the lives of a number of
During the upcoming Advent and Christmas
seasons, many who come into our church here at First Parish will have a deep
longing for a “special” touch that will make their lives better. We have a chance to remind them once again that
God touched earth long ago by sending Jesus to be born and to live among
us. That is Good News for us all to
celebrate, for the touch of God is stronger than any human touch.
The Good News of the season is for all of
us who truly need Jesus’ touch, for that child in the manger had, and has, the
capacity to cut through all issues of diversity, race and class. “Joy to the world”, the carol says, “The Lord
has come!” May that be the message we
anticipate during Advent, and the message we proclaim with joy on Christmas and
as we move into the new year.
What a joyful December we have planned in
our church! Please see the front page of
this Spire for a list of our many Advent opportunities. Participate in as many as you can – and invite a
friend or neighbor to share in the joy!
Rev.
Assistant Minister
I’ll admit it. I absolutely love Christmas! Annie and I started listening to Christmas
music in early November and started Christmas shopping in October. I love the music. I love old Christmas movies. I love getting presents and I kind of enjoy
giving presents. I love Christmas for so
many reasons that it is hard to put them all down here. Christmas is a time filled with hope, peace,
joy and love. Days are filled with
family gatherings and Christmas shopping in overly crowded malls. There are so many things at Christmas time
for us to focus on that we can sometimes forget the most important thing about
Christmas. It is Jesus’ birthday! It is so easy for us to forget this important
detail about Christmas. So often we
focus on making sure that we buy the right presents and that we bring the right
food dish to our family party.
With all of the distractions at Christmas
time it becomes so important for us to focus on the fact that this wonderful
season of Christmas is not just about presents or good food. Christmas is most importantly about the birth
of Jesus Christ. It is hard to remember
this sometimes as we think about what we might be getting for Christmas or as
we worry about how we are going to survive our family holiday party! I know that my mind is racing trying to
figure out what Annie is going to get me.
I do not really want to know what she is getting me, but I have such a
hard time waiting.
One way that I have found myself
remembering the importance of this is through a song by John Legend, “Jesus, What a Wonderful Child.”
The song begins with the lines, “Jesus Jesus/Oh what a wonderful
child/Jesus Jesus/So lowly meek and
mild/New life new hope/new joy He brings/Won't you listen to the angels sing/Glory
glory glory/To the new born King.” This
is a beautiful song that helps me to remember the meaning of Christmas. Christmas is about the hope, peace, joy and
love that Jesus Christ brought to this world.
Jesus is indeed a wonderful child, and at this time of year let us all
try to find a way to remember the importance of his birth.
Josh
Gray
MUSIC DIRECTOR
It’s
December! Why aren’t we singing
Christmas Carols?
This is a question heard in many houses of worship at this time of year. Let me answer by telling you a quick story:
My first “real” job
was church custodian at my home church in
Between the church and my home were several other churches. These churches, of several different denominations, did not have any Holy Week services (Maundy Thursday or Good Friday.) Therefore, imagine my surprise when, on Maundy Thursday, I drove past one of these churches and their sign read “Jesus is Risen! Alleluia!”
Of course, they had changed their sign early. It jarred me, though- we can’t really welcome Easter without the days of Lent and Holy Week, including Good Friday! Similarly, we can’t truly celebrate Christmas without observing the period of Advent.
Let me assure you: I get it! We have been bombarded by Christmas advertising for two months now! We have finally turned the corner past Thanksgiving and it feels like Christmas is finally, legitimately here. But, friends, are we to let Wal-Mart and Stop and Shop determine the celebration of Christmas? If we are to celebrate Christmas as a Christian holiday, rather than as a Hallmark card or a marketing bonanza, it must be on our terms.
That means that this month of December is largely the celebration of Advent. We wait and prepare for the coming of Christ- by the way, not just preparing for the baby Jesus, but preparing for the return of Christ. When Sunday morning December 24th arrives, we can burst forth with hymns and carols celebrating this joyous time. Our worship must stay centered in our faith traditions- despite concerts, parties, and everything else tagged “Christmas” that happens in December,
Incidentally, if you feel cheated out of lots and lots of carols, let me remind you that we will sing Christmas hymns and carols on Dec 24th… and Dec. 31st… and January 7th. If Christmas worship means that much to you, make sure you come to worship throughout the Christmas season, and do not “take a vacation from church” while the kids have vacation from school.
There was a lot of silliness in the media last year about “the war on Christmas.” I suggest that we protect Christmas as a Christian holiday. Use Advent as a time of reflection, prayer, and contemplation leading to Christmas. Follow some of Donna’s excellent suggestions for observing Advent in the home. And, if you just can’t stand it and you must hear some Christmas carols on Dec. 8th, do what I do- go to the Natick Mall. You’ll hear plenty!
Josh Nannestad
CHURCH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR
“On the first day of Christmas, my true
love gave to me…”
While the words of this English carol are
familiar, the idea of celebrating Christmas for 12 full days is probably not.
Still, the season of Christmas does last for 12 days. The liturgical calendar
reverses the way the commercial world packages Christmas (party, decorate, eat
and shop till you drop – ending the festivity almost moment the last present is
opened). In the church, beginning four Sundays before Christmas, the season of
Advent focuses on expectation and longing for nearly a month, then Christmas Day
begins twelve days of celebration that last until Epiphany.
The origin of the season is complicated by
differences in calendars, traditions, and cultural expectations, shown by its
array of names: the Twelve Holy Days, Twelve Holy Nights, Christmastide, or the
season of Christmas. This time was once important, with saints' days and pagan
festivals adapted to Christianity being celebrated, beginning with a day of
charity on Good King Wenceslas' Feast of Stephen and ending with an ultimate
celebration of Christmas foolishness on Twelfth Night. There was much silliness
and a general theme of role reversal. The
Even though the heritage of the ‘12 Days’
has reached us as a cultural remnant, on the church calendar this period
connects the birth of Emmanuel, God-with-us, to Epiphany, when we recognize the
manifestation of Christ coming for all of humanity in the arrival of the Wise
Ones and Jesus’ Baptism. Reclaiming the Twelve Days of Christmas may help us to
‘hold that thought’ and be reminded of the grace that joyously transforms our
lives and our world. After all, isn’t that the meaning of Christmas?
Help your family continue the celebration
of Christ’s coming through the 12 days of Christmas with some of these ideas.
· Have a Christmas party. We’re all busy before Christmas arrives;
consider holding your party during the actual Christmas season.
· Create a Hope chest. Have each family members write one hope
for the new year. You could write them in the form of
a prayer or a resolution and place them in a small box decorated with symbols
of the upcoming Epiphany season, such as stars.
· Recycle toys. Children who have received new toys for
Christmas may want to share some old, still good, ones with a crisis shelter.
· Pray for family and friends. Re-read the Christmas cards you
received, pausing to remember the senders with a special prayer.
· Delay un-trimming the tree. Consider leaving your tree up until
Epiphany.
· Read the lectionary. Try reading some of the daily passages,
available on website of the Massachusetts Conference of the UCC at www.macucc.org/education/lectionary.htm
Happy Holy Days,
Donna
Bertazzoni
FAITH COMMUNITY NURSE
This is the time of year when we hang lights on the tree and around the
house, burn candles and cook more than usual.
Thus, I am writing about fire safety. The information below is adapted
in part from the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
Statistics for Older Adults -
Older Adults
accounted for 14% of the population but 30% of the fire deaths in 2005.
Electrical
fires caused 1/3 of the fire deaths to older adults.
Smoking caused
2 of every 15 deaths that took place in homes.
NEVER smoke in a home where oxygen is in use, even though it may be turned off at
the time of smoking.
Fire Safety for Everyone -
Never overload
electrical outlets. Power strips may
allow you to plug more than one appliance into an outlet, but only one at a
time should be turned on!
Never smoke in
bed. Empty ashtrays often and dampen
contents down before discarding.
Be Kitchen Wise –
Never leave cooking unattended. Keep
children away from stoves and do not install stoves with knobs on the front
that children can reach.
If you use a
Space Heater, keep it at least three (3) feet away from everything, including
you. Just brushing against one could set
your clothing on fire.
Install Smoke
Detectors outside all sleeping areas and on every level of your home including
the basement. Test the detectors monthly
and change the batteries at least once a year.
Install
Carbon Monoxide Detectors – As of March 31, 2006, carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are required in all
residential property including apartments and condominiums. CO alarms should be on every level of your
home including attics and basements if they have habitable living space. On levels with sleeping areas the alarms
must be placed within ten feet of the bedroom doors.
Christmas
Lights - Only use lights
that have low wattage. Never leave
lights on if not at home. Follow
manufactures recommendations. If using a
live tree, make sure that it is well hydrated and do not light if it begins to
dry out.
Candle
Safety – Candle fires
have tripled in MA over the past decade.
They have become one of the leading causes of fire deaths in the home.
o Burn candles inside a one foot circle of
safety, an area free of anything that could come in contact with the flame and
burn.
o Never leave burning candles unattended.
o Use candles out of reach of children and
pets
o Keep all matches and lighters out of reach
of children
o Teach everyone in the family the rules of
safe candle use
I hope that this information is a helpful reminder to all during this busy
season. May you have a Blessed Christmas
and a Happy, Healthy New Year.
Peace,
Margery Eramo, RN, FCN
Faith Community Nurse
FROM OUR MINISTRIES:
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
& DISCIPLESHIP
Advent Adult Education
Opportunities
“What Have We Done to Chrismas?”
Lectionary Discussion Series
It’s Christmas season! Oh Lord, Oh Lord, Oh Lord and Taylor, what
have we done to Christmas?
The Adult Education team of the Education
and Discipleship Ministry will offer a four session Advent series on the themes
of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.
Participants will use selected Advent Lectionary readings to explore and
contemplate these traditional themes and their meanings historically and in our
lives now.
Meetings will be held at the home of Bob
and Carol Gracia at
May hope, joy and love be yours this
Christmas!
“O Come, Emmanuel!”
Sunday December 17
4:00-5:00 PM in the Meetinghouse
In the medieval western church, seven responsive 'O Antiphons' were sung at
vespers on the seven days before Christmas. These verses were combined to make
the hymn that we still sing today.
Join Donna Bertazzoni for an hour exploring the images of Jesus found in this
favorite Advent hymn.
Feed My Sheep
A
Seeing the sheep on the lawn during Advent
has become an annual gift of First Parish to the community and a favorite of
children of all ages. What would our Living Nativity be without them? Each year
Joe Major and his 4-H students generously lend us the sheep they have raised.
The children of the church school will say
thanks more tangibly this year, dedicating their winter offering (through
February) to the 4-H program.
Fox Hill Bible Study
On Wednesday, Dec. 13th at
10:30 AM, Rev. Stryker will lead a Bible study at
Questions?
See Rev. Stryker.