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God Is Still Speaking...
Our Church Is Still Speaking...
What's It All About?
One of the questions that bug me the most is this one: "Which church do you go to?" While we go to the movie theatre, gas station, grocery store, and bathroom, it's not quite accurate to say we go to church. At least not for those of us who actively participate in the life of a church.
Let's take our church for example. The Congregational Church of Austin, United Church of Christ. It's not a place we simply go to, it's a community God calls us to create. Not all by ourselves, but with God. It's our church and God's church. Or if you prefer, God's church and our church. And the creation of our church is an ongoing act that requires God's persistent, uninterrupted self-investment, and our persistent, uninterrupted self-investment. Moment by moment, day by day, week by week, year by year, we create and recreate our church. In response to God, with God, for God. In response to one another, with one another, for one another.
And for other people. So some of them can go to church. Our church.
Do you see where this is leading? Good, keep going.
God is Still Speaking. That's the new United Church of Christ mantra. Let me back up a bit. It actually goes like this: "Never place a period where God has placed a comma...God is still speaking." Gracie Allen came up with the period and the comma bit. Ron Buford and some other UCC folks came up with the God is still speaking angle.
I like it. Our church is a community to whom God speaks and through whom God speaks. God is still speaking means our church is still speaking. Or if you prefer, our church is still speaking because God is still speaking.
But this raises an obvious question, one you've no doubt anticipated: What is God saying to us, to whom is God speaking through us, and what is God saying through us to those whom God is speaking?
It sounds like an awfully important question. Related questions quickly come to mind: How clearly and accurately are we hearing what God is saying while God is speaking to us? And how good a medium are we in communicating what God is saying through us to those whom God is speaking?
It gets a bit confusing, doesn't it? I'm not sure all the italics are helping. Nevertheless, press on.
The Deacons of our church recently sent hundreds of postcards to people who recently purchased homes in Austin. One side of the postcard features a UCC "God is Still Speaking" logo. The other side includes the following: "If you're looking for a small, friendly church where everyone will quickly know your name...where you'll be loved and accepted regardless of age, class, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation...where you'll be challenged to reflect on your beliefs, acknowledge your doubts, ask your questions, and grow in your faith...where God's desire for compassion, healing, reconciliation, and justice is preached...where you're given the opportunity to put your faith into action through effective outreach ministries...then please accept our invitation to drop in sometime." Signed: The Congregational Church of Austin, United Church of Christ.
Here's what it all boils down to: We created the church this postcard describes. We being God, you, me, and the saints who came before us. We are creating it still. Our church is the creative product of God speaking to us, being with us in Jesus Christ, and empowering us with the Holy Spirit, and our active, engaged, and creative response to God. This church is the on-going creative product of generous Divine self-investment and the generous investment of our own time, talent, and resources, not to mention our impassioned faith, love, and hope.
And one hope is this: Our church will speak to people out there who are in need of an inclusive Christian community, who want to reflect deeply on their faith, and who want to hear and respond to God's message of healing love and reconciling justice. Or if you prefer, that God will speak to these people through our church, that our church will be a faithful and effective medium of this Divine message, that people receiving this message will decide to go to our church some Sunday morning, and that after going to our church, and being welcomed into our church, they'll decide to join us in creating our church.
That, in a run-on nutshell, is what the United Church of Christ's God is Still Speaking campaign is all about. And it's what our church's stewardship campaign, Our Church Is Still Speaking, is all about.
It's all about being a Christian community that listens to the Good News God speaks to us. It's all about responding to God by creating a Christian community through which God speaks Good News to the world. It's all about creating the Congregational Church of Austin, United Church of Christ, by investing our time, talent, and resources into our church. It's all about inviting and welcoming new people into our church so that they can invest their lives into this Christian community.
Now that it's all clear, I'll end by simply saying this: Thank you for inviting me to create this church with you and God. Or if you prefer, with God and you.
The Board of Christian Outreach continues to focus on issues of economic justice. This past month we helped promote the Micah 6 forum on HB2292, the reform bill which seeks among other things to consolidate human services for the poor into a limited number of call-in centers, largely removing the more costly human element in the form of local service centers. The forum was very well attended (~75 people), and the discussion was lively as proponents of both sides of the issue gave presentations. The main worry here is that this reform will effectively inhibit access by making it far more difficult for someone to navigate the system. The state justifies the cut-back in service by assuming that local churches, through thousands of hours of volunteer work, will pick up where the state leaves off. Those concerned should contact your local state representative.
On Labor-Day Sunday we hosted Louis Malfaro, president of both the Central Labor Council and the Teacher's Union, to provide a reflection as part of the Religion and Labor Coalition's Labor in the Pulpit program (which also got us some free press in the Statesman). Louis was very eloquent on the topic of economic justice and the connection between Christianity and issues of importance to organized labor. He expressed his gratitude for the gracious reception he received during his visit, and greatly enjoyed the conversations he had. The Board of Christian Outreach looks forward to working with Louis in the Labor and Religion Network.
Day labor continues to be an important issue for the Labor and Religion Network. Tom has become closely involved with their efforts to mediate on the issue of using the Home Depot at St. John's as a day labor pick-up site. There are many sides to the issue: the day laborers and contractors, who are not happy with the City's day labor center at 51st street and find the Home Depot far more convenient and efficient; the more established African-American residents of the St. John's neighborhood, who are concerned about their children walking by the Home Depot on the way to school; the newer Hispanic residents of the community, many of whom are day laborers who use the Home Depot to look for work; the City of Austin, who are reluctant to give up on their centralized day labor facility; and of course the Home Depot itself, which is trying to be a good neighbor to the St. John's residents while also wishing not to inhibit the economically important interaction between contractors and day laborers.
As announced recently in church and via email, the The Board of Christian Outreach is organizing a trip to visit the UCC-supported BARCA and Comite de Apoyo ministries on the Texas/Mexico border October 29-31. The plan will be to first car pool down to Edinburg, TX on Friday (about a 5-hour drive), where we will check into a motel. Arrival times can vary, but for whoever can make it down early enough we will go out to dinner with Ed and Ninfa Krueger, who run the ministry. On Saturday we will rent a large van or two and cross the border into Reynosa, where the Comite de Apoyo ministry takes place. There we will spend the day touring the area and meeting with the maquiladora workers that Ed and Ninfa work with, including those they see as the next generation of leaders for the Comite de Apoyo. Our hope is to establish a long-term supportive relationship with this ministry as it transitions into this new leadership. We'll stay the night again in Edinburg, and then return to Austin Sunday morning (back in plenty of time for Halloween festivities!). If you are interested, please let Tom or John Goff know. Some time in October we will then arrange an organizational meeting to pin down logistics. Financial assistance will be arranged for those who request it.
Trustees: John Moore & Pam Tucker
Deacons: Liz Nash
Christian Education: Marilyn Vaché
Christian Outreach: John Goff
OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS
1 Ann Horner
Frances Alford
Emily Grace Knowlton
2 Gary Pickens
4 Marie Scheel
7 Catherine Hubbs
10 John Burlinson
15 Marguerite White
18 Olivia Deisler
19 Beth Oakes
George Carruthers
Conrad Deisler
Don W. Brown
25 Michael Sparkman
26 Mark McCoy
PERSONALS
By Pat Oakes
Debbie (Appel) and Bob Knowlton and Emily Grace are in their new home--and baby brother may be here (due Oct. 10) by the time this appears in your mailbox. Their new address is 1717 Valeria Circle, North Salem, NY 10560 (phone 914-232-8499). Their fifty-year-old three bedroom, 2 bath home is in the far north end of Westchester County. It has a full basement which gives them much more room than they had with their apartment. Bob can get to work in 25 minutes which is a real bonus!
There is a reason that we haven't seen Stella Morrison recently. She had laser surgery on her eye 4 months ago and it has not gone as well as she would have liked. Her distance vision is OK, but she cannot see close up to read. Her depth perception is not good, but she (87 in November) is still dancing with Kinka's Dancing Grandmas. The group danced for folks every Saturday night in July. Her biggest news is that she is now a great-grandmother! Her granddaughter Kimmie (whom many of us remember) and her husband Giovanni are the proud parents of Audrey Layne Wright. Audrey weighed in at 6 pounds and 6 ounces (Stella says that she weighed 4 pounds and 12 ounces when she was born). They live in Carrollton, TX, and Stella has gotten to see Audrey several times.
Jim and Mary Tomasek had a wonderful 10 day trip with daughter Dorcas to Atlanta, Baltimore, and Annapolis where enjoyed seeing old friends. Dorcas was recuperating from the effects of Hurricane Frances. She lives about 25 miles from Orlando and works at Boggy Creek Camp where they lost a good many trees as a result of the storm. Jim was pleased that he was able to get around OK on the trip as his Parkinson's disease is a constant challenge.
Bee Harris Polomé is continuing her battle with lung cancer. She and her husband Milt Weiss will be going to Norway for a visit with Bee's eldest daughter Carole Marie and her family. Bee's biggest news is that her next daughter down, Marilyn Harris (cellist for the church for a number of years) is moving back to Austin after having been in California for many years. The biggest surprise is that Marilyn is planning a career change--she's not sure what she will be doing, but it will not include the cello. Welcome home, Marilyn, and we hope you find a wonderful job. Bee and Milt had a garage sale to get rid of stuff and make room for Marilyn to store her stuff while she finds a place to live.
Rizer Everett continues to be a role model for retired folks. When his wonderful wife Hildegard died several years ago, he vowed not to become a hermit and to stay involved in life. He has certainly done that! He thoroughly enjoyed watching the Olympics, worked on Mt. Bonnell for the church workday, and continues to be a good friend to many of his widowed friends. He has made the rounds of even more Austin restaurants--Tres Amigos with Kate Winkler Shanks, the Olive Garden with Natalie Kreisle, Habana with Johanna Householder, The Oasis on Lake Travis with Marian DeFord (a meeting of the Exxon Mobil Retirees Club), and friends from TN went with him to Matt's El Rancho. He also enjoyed a presentation by Chock Woodruff at the Austin Geologic Society on the variable bedrock properties in the vicinity of Tom Miller Dam.
Lisa Kirch reports "We have a new family member, a four-legged, shaggy one named Ashes. She was a' foster dog' who happened to be at a slumber party Sarah attended a few weeks ago. So much for the answer, 'No, you can't have her. She already has a home.' Sarah is thrilled. So is the dog. I am semi-thrilled, mostly because now, whenever a shoe is missing, I know to look for it in the dog's bed. She doesn't chew on the shoes, just lies there and cuddles with them while we're gone. She is an affectionate animal. Sarah has also been learning--while on dog walks--about Important Things, such as the Constitution. This has its negative aspects. The other night, she wrinkled her nose, stuck out her tongue, and said, "Yuck" about the lima beans at supper. Then she added, 'That's freedom of speech, and you can't do anything about it. So there!' We will have the conversation about A Family Is Not a Democracy when I can figure out how to explain this and not sound like Stalin.
"Former church violinist Earl Cornwell celebrated his 91st birthday on September 19th. He is doing well although he has not played the violin in many years. He tends to go to bed early as his assistant arrives at 3:45 a.m. (gasp!) to help him get up and ready for the day. He plays solitaire he says "to keep the mind alive." He says hello to one and all.
Weldon and Marie Scheel got through the summer just fine. Former avid gardeners, Marie says that since they are in their 90s they will just put out pots of plants. The pots of bell peppers did very well, but their tomato plants did not produce. Better luck next summer!
Congratulations to two couples of in the church who have just celebrated 55th wedding anniversaries. Tommie and Doyal Pinkard celebrated theirs in August and Cathy and Clark Hubbs celebrated theirs in September. Cathy says, "We've all made plans to hold a church party five years from now. We should live so long!" (Editorial note--I will make the cake!).
In August Clark and Cathy Hubbs went to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and even spent a day in Belarus, the last remaining European Communist dictatorship. They found the Baltic republics beautiful--verdant fields and forests. Having survived two holocausts, first the Nazis and then the Soviet Communists, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania finally are independent. The Lithuanians have even transformed their socialized agricultural lands into a moneymaking, share-holding operation. They did come home a bit prematurely. Cathy went to a Lithuanian-American clinic to get eye drops, happened casually to ask about some red marks on the lower part of her legs, and found herself in the hospital with IV's full of antibiotics, a cardiologist listening for blockages, and a nice Australian roommate with exactly the same symptoms. Diagnosis: Erysipelas. Cathy and Colleen watched the Olympics together. The clinic sent them on their way with elastic stockings. At home Cathy's doctor verified that all is well, and she has enough insurance papers to fill out to last till next summer.
Mel Oakes is retired--well, sort of. The physics department found that they really could not get along without him and convinced him to come back quarter time. Mel agreed, with the caveat that the time not be linear. He is advising students, working on lab manuals, helping with seminars, etc. on an as needed basis, which leaves him time to pursue other interests like woodworking and making repairs at the church.
Jennifer and Jim Howicz are delighted that Emily is doing wonderfully well in third grade and loves her new teacher. And they were thrilled to report that two-year-old Tess got what they hope will be her last scoliosis cast for awhile. During the procedure, she was fitted for a brace, which (after she grows out of the new cast) she'll wear 23/7 - giving them an hour each day for real baths and better pre-bedtime cuddling!
New Austin arrival Becca Zwerling recently returned to Connecticut for a visit. While she was back in New England, she celebrated her mom's birthday, saw many family members and friends, and enjoyed at least the beginning stages of the fall foliage. While she was there she says," I continued to share the details of just how welcoming this congregation has been! Each time I speak with them by phone, I know how much it pleases my parents and sister to hear that I've found a wonderful church home! Thank you so very much for your care and interest! It truly is an honor to know you and be a part of your lives!" Becca, the feeling is mutual. We are so delighted to have you and your wonderful smile as a part of our church family.
Long-ago members Steven and Jeanine Neuse, our church's favorite Arkies, are doing fine in Fayetteville. They are both (over)active in the League of Women Voters and Senior Demo work. Steven is also running a state senate campaign and is Arkansas VP for Partners of the Americas (POA)--their partner is East Bolivia. Son Jonathan, daughter-in-law D'Lana, and grandson Nathaniel are still in San Antonio. Son Micah, (Major) Kara, Bryce and Jayce are being transferred to Ramstein AFB in Germany. They have been doing some traveling--were in California helping Micah pack up and move by car to see relatives in Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi before heading for Germany. Steven and Jeanine took the NPR Christmas trip to Austria and Czech Republic last December, their first trip to Europe. They will be in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Bolivia in November and December on POA business and then will probably go to Germany in February to visit Micah and family. Perhaps Steven and Jeanine can drop by and see us one day.
Brita Jenquin's new phone number is 631-689-1863. She's been having a great summer -- it's been beautiful in Stony Brook, NY -- in the 70's and 80's all summer. They didn't even need to buy an air-conditioner for the house they're renting (it was built in the '30s). They made a great discovery -- there is a nature preserve just down the road from where they live, so they've been hiking and running the trails pretty regularly. They've also enjoyed discovering the very tasty pizza joints in all the local small towns.
Members of the CCA Cycling Team joined over 8,000 other cyclists to complete the Wichita Falls Hotter Than Hell ride on August 28. Team captain, John Goff, and team chaplain, Tom VandeStadt, completed the 100 mile course in 6hours. Team members John Moore and Suzanne Bradford provided support and pool-side refreshments after the ride. The next event for Team CCA was on September 25th when team members tackled the challenging 100 mile Rip Roarin' Ride starting in Liberty Hill. We will have news on that race next month. Team CCA is an informal group that includes John Goff, John Moore, Suzanne Bradford, Ben Gammie, and Tom VandeStadt. On October 9, Dennis Murphy, Robin Chapman, and Alex VandeStadt will join the team to ride distances from 10 to 100 miles in the Outlaw Trail Ride beginning in Round Rock. If you like to pedal....pedal with us!
Bill and Betty Phillips are concluding a 4 year experience in the Republic of Panama. They will return to Austin, for good, in late December. Betty has been the visiting Professor of Voice at the University of Panama and has been the music director and vocal coach for the members of the Fundacion Bel Canto, Panama's premier operatic performance organization. The group was recently involved in the inauguration of Panama's new President (Martin Torrijos. who, incidentally is a Texas Aggie). Betty has sung on stage at Panama's two largest theaters and has been featured on television in Panama and in Peru. Bill has been on the Church Council of the Balboa Union Church for almost 4 years. Recently Bill helped to secure a new pastor for the church. Bill has been writing poems with such titles as, "Singing in the Rainforest," "Pirates Always Attack from Behind", "All of the Mosquitos Committed Suicide," and "I Was Framed: Story of a Blue Butterfly."
Thanks to Sharon and Don Brown, Dave and Sara Ross, Nodie and Dennis Murphy, Tom Vandestadt, and Mel and Pat Oakes who have worked on a variety of projects at the church. Don and Mel installed a new exterior door in Tom's office, Sara and Pat finished up the work on the high school classroom, and the rest were involved in spiffing up the choir room with a new coat of paint and other improvements.
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POT LUCKS!!!
Get ready for potluck season: We're planning four mini-potlucks for the coming months.
Each will be after Sunday church services. We are looking for simple, casual, finger foods (no forks or spoons allowed!), so we can load up our plates and get back into the sanctuary for special presentations.
Bring sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, or cookies, and deposit them in the Fellowship Hall. Then, after our regular services, we'll have 15 minutes to select our goodies and get ready for our guest speakers.
The dates are October 3, October 31, November 14 or 21 (not yet affirmed), and January 9.
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Get ready for some important Open and Affirming meetings you won't want to miss.
The committee appointed by the coordinating Council to initiate a study on whether this church should designate itself as an Open and Affirming Church has scheduled the following information sessions for all church members and friends:
Sunday, October 3 - Gays and lesbians from the Austin area (adults and possibly youth) will visit to discuss their experiences in a religious context.
Sunday, October 31 - Professor Lewis Donelson from the Austin Presbyterian Seminary will speak on the Bible and homosexuality.
Sunday, November 14 (or 21, to be announced) - Dr. Richard Grant, psychologist, will discuss psychological aspects and problems of homosexuality, and recent insights into its basis.
Sunday, January 9 - Members of the Open and Affirming Committee will sum up what we learned in the previous sessions, and discuss exactly what is meant by the term, Open and Affirming. This is in preparation for a vote on this issue at our annual meeting later in January.
Each of these meetings will start about 15 minutes after the end of the regular Sunday morning worship service. Our guests will speak for about 30 minutes, and then there will be an equal time for questions.
During the 15-minute interval mentioned above, church members will have a chance to select snacks for lunch from a selection we hope they will provide - as a "mini potluck" of finger foods - sandwiches, fruit, veggies, cookies - that can be taken into the sanctuary and eaten during the meeting.
Designating ourselves as an Open and Affirming Church is a very important step, one that we should not take without serious study. For this reason, the O&A Committee hopes that all members will attend these sessions and feel free to discuss their concerns on this matter with our visitors.
BACK BAY MISSION TRIP PLANNED FOR SUMMER OF 2005
AND WE'RE GETTING' READY NOW!
MEETING ON OCTOBER 17 AFTER WORSHIP
The Congregational Church of Austin won the Back Bay Mission Lottery, which means our church was one of the lucky churches from all across the United States selected to travel to Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, Mississippi, to participate in one of their famed work camps. Our work camp dates are June 26 to July 2. Church work groups are given a project like housing construction or rehabilitation. Groups can be no larger than twenty- four and can be as small as eight people. Youth are strongly encouraged to participate. While the project is geared for high school youth, mature, hard-working middle school youth are able to participate if the church provides adequate adult supervision.
We'll be holding an initial meeting to see who's interested in going on Sunday, October 17, immediately following worship. This is the chance of lifetime. If you're interested, please come to the meeting.
Christian Education Matters
In light of the sell-out success of our Valentine's Chocolate Pops and the fun kids had making them, the Christian Education Committee is hosting a Pre-Halloween Family Night Out on Saturday, October 23, at 7pm in the Appel Room. The kids and youth will make chocolate Halloween-theme lollipops and decorate cookies to sell during Fellowship Hour on Sunday, October 24, in plenty of time to make great Halloween gifts.
Kids and Youth of all ages and their parents are invited! Any profits will again be donated to the Sponsor-A-Child Program in Palestine (see our bulletin board in Fellowship Hall for information about this program and about Hala, the child being sponsored through our donations to her school). Families, please join the fun on October 23 and come on Sunday, October 24 to watch the trick of the treats as they disappear and raise money at the same time!
This year, the middle school/high school Sunday School group will be planning and coordinating the Christmas Pageant and they already have some great ideas! If you are interested in working with them to channel their creative energy into a successful youth-led pageant, please let Sunday School Superintendent John Burlinson or Christian Education Chair Marilyn Vache know.
The Christian Education Board is also still in need of Sunday School assistants willing to provide an extra pair of hands to the elementary school group on occasion. Please let John Burlinson or Robin Chapman know if you're interested.
Austin Area Interreligious Ministries
What: InterFaith Arts Festival
When: October 9, 2004
Where: Downtown Austin
The InterFaith Arts Festival is scheduled for October 9, 2004, in downtown Austin. It will be an exhibit of spiritual art displayed at Central Presbyterian churches. There will also be live music and entertainment throughout the day, special foods and nourishments, and a children's bazaar. The event will culminate in a Sacred Music Concert at 5:30 pm.
Musical Offering in November
On Sunday, November 7th at 4 o'clock the united choirs of the Ecumenical Partnership of the Alliance of Baptists, the Christian Church, and the UCC will be presenting John Rutter's "Requiem." Various members of our choir are practicing diligently for the concert which promises to be a wonderfully uplifting event for both participants and listeners. The performance will be held at the University Christian Church, across from the Littlefield Fountain on the UT campus. The choir will be accompanied by organ and various instruments. Come support this ecumenical musical effort by the partnering churches.
Nodie Murphy
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