August 2023 Newsletter

A Note from Pastor Todd

Awe-gust!

A little sunlight goes a long way. Two weeks ago, I had given up my basil for dead. The nine little plants stood yellowing, still the exact three inches tall as they were from the nursery. When I bent to smell them, I detected no fragrance. Once the sun came out, photosynthesis kicked into high gear and stirred a revival. Yesterday, I cut the top three inches of the now-foot-tall, healthy basil to sprinkle on tomatoes. As I chopped the leaves, their fragrance spread to fill the kitchen with delight.

I have also felt a revival with the sunlight. I honestly did my best to find awe in the fog and rain. As much as I enjoy seeing the fog roll into our little cove or a heron barely visible in the mist while poised on a rock, sunlight swells my heart. We have kept the kayaks on top of our Honda CRV to take every opportunity to paddle. Even though it is raining, as I write today, a few days of sunlight has undampened the mood.

As August begins, I am continuing my theme of “Be Awe-some.” (As one astute observer noted, it is my Awe-gust theme!). On the last Sunday of the month, we will meet at Barrett Park (Lobster Cove Road, left of Atlantic Avenue, coming out of Boothbay Harbor). This theme will continue exploring our inter-relationship with nature, our role as stewards and sabbath keepers, and finding our spiritual connection with God in nature.

If you have stories of awe and insight from nature, please share them. You can post them in Realm, email them, or consider sharing them in church.

Blessings for an awesome summer!

Pastor Todd

August Worship Schedule

August 6 | Guest Preacher Rev. Ken Bradsell | Communion Sunday

August 13 | Be Awesome: Part III

"From Dominion to Stewardship"

Genesis 1:25-27, Genesis 3:16

Be the Change Moment Guest: Megan Taft, Farm Development of Twin Villages Foodbank Farm

August 20 | Be Awesome: Part IV

"From Productivity to Sabbath"

Leviticus 25:1-7

August 27 | Be Awesome: Part V | Outdoor Service

"Finding Our Place in the Cosmos"

Job 38:1-18

Outdoor Service at Barrett Park, Lobster Cove Road, Boothbay Harbor (Left off Atlantic Avenue)

Announcements

Announcing This Year's Stewardship Theme

Greetings from the Stewardship Committee! We all hope you are having a wonderful summer. Although the weather has not been the greatest, today the sun is shining, the sky is blue, and the humidity has disappeared!

The committee had its initial meeting this year in July to begin planning for the Annual Stewardship Campaign for 2024. Every year we choose a new theme. This year's theme is Because of YOU Our Church Changes Lives. We all agreed that this was an awesome theme, and it complimented our recently revised Mission Statement of "Rooted in God's unconditional love, we welcome everyone to grow with us, cultivating faith, justice and joy."

November 5, 2023, will be Stewardship Sunday. You can go ahead and mark this date on your calendar. Please plan to join us at church for that morning's service and afterward to celebrate the abundant generosity we have received during the campaign and to partake in joyful fellowship—more information about Stewardship Sunday to follow in the monthly newsletters.

In past years, the Stewardship Committee always mailed out the Time & Talent cards and the Pledge cards with the initial letters announcing the annual campaign. To give the Church Council and the Committee Chairs more time to review the responses on the Time & Talent cards, they will be mailed out by themselves several weeks before the campaign announcement letters and Pledge cards. When you receive your Time & Talent card, please thoughtfully and prayerfully look over all the options listed and choose as many as you are interested in. Do you want to serve on a different committee? Time & Talent cards allow you to tell church leaders what committees you are interested in joining, what activities you wish to participate in, and what volunteer opportunities fit your skill set. You may mail your card back to the church in the envelope provided or submit it electronically, stay tuned for a link that will be provided in the letter and future emails. If you want to learn about what any of the Committees or Ministries do, how often or when they meet, or any questions, please get in touch with our church office for more information.

Respectfully,

Lana Brandt, Stewardship Committee Chair

New Reading Group for Summer

Awe: The New Science of Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life

Wednesdays at 4:00 PM Starting August 16

In-person or Online

Email Pastor Todd (pastor@congochurchbbh.org) if you would like to join the group to explore Dachar Keltner’s book about awe. Here is a paragraph from the review:

Awe is mysterious. How do we begin to quantify the goose bumps we feel when we see the Grand Canyon, or the utter amazement when we watch a child walk for the first time? How do you put into words the collective effervescence of standing in a crowd and singing in unison, or the wonder you feel while gazing at centuries-old works of art? Up until fifteen years ago, there was no science of awe, the feeling we experience when we encounter vast mysteries that transcend our understanding of the world. Scientists were studying emotions like fear and disgust, emotions that seemed essential to human survival. Revolutionary thinking, though, has brought into focus how, through the span of evolution, we’ve met our most basic needs socially. We’ve survived thanks to our capacities to cooperate, form communities, and create culture that strengthens our sense of shared identity—actions that are sparked and spurred by awe.

Mission Committee News

Workers from Away Welcome

The Congregational Church’s Mission Committee hosted a welcoming luncheon for seasonal workers from other countries and the US. This year, there were 33 attendees from several countries. Thanks to Cathy Shepard and Sarah Wilcox for coordinating the event, Ken Bradsell for welcoming workers, Shawn Lewin for transporting bikes, Officer Larry Brown for his discussion on bike safety, and all folks that helped with setup, cleanup, providing food for the luncheon, and mingling with our guests.

716 Candles

August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day, an annual worldwide event to remember without stigma those who have died from overdose and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind.

This year, Healthy Lincoln County is presenting 716 Candles (named after the number of people in Maine who died of overdose in 2022), a series of free events throughout the county to mark the occasion. The Boothbay Harbor Congregational Church has signed on, along with many other organizations, businesses, and community anchors, as a supporter, and the Church is also hosting an event.

On Thursday, August 31, from 5 PM to 6 PM, we will hold a 716 Candles event called “Love & Remembrance.” This takes place immediately after a larger commemoration event on the Boothbay Common (1:30 PM to 3 PM), whereas “Love & Remembrance” will be more of an intimate experience.

For “Love & Remembrance,” 10 individuals who have died from substance use or related causes will be memorialized through music, poetry, and words. One by one, family members will speak a few words about their loved one before each is honored with a song, piece of music, or writing. A candle is lit for each, and the audience sits in silent contemplation for a full minute before the next person is paid tribute.

The event is free and open to all. Detailed information is coming soon on the project's website, 716candlesproject.com, where you can also learn about the other events taking place the last week of August.

Jewelry & Scarf Donations

The ladies of the Church Christmas Fair Jewelry and Scarf table are accepting donations of unwanted costume and fine jewelry or scarves of any kind. Clean out those jewelry boxes and closets and ask your friends to do the same! Donations can be dropped off at the church during office hours. Questions? Email Alice Mutch at amutch11@gmail.com.

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Interested in visiting the Holy Land, but concerned that typical trips are either really commercial or really expensive or really steeped in Christian lore to the exclusion of the diverse ethnicity that is Israel and Palestine today? If so, read on.

Our church has been invited to join a pilgrimage, led by the Rev. Anne Weirich, to the land of the Bible that has been shaped by multiple ethnic and religious traditions and explore significant Jewish, Christian, and Muslim sites.

Participants will follow Jesus’ lead in exploring contemporary issues of territory and water, freedom, and control. The group will have the opportunity to discuss current events with Israel’s and Palestine’s “living stones,” the grassroots organizations working for the rights of all people. This is your chance to walk the cobbled streets of Joppa and Jerusalem. Worship in Bethlehem and renew your baptism at the Jordan River. Take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Share communion at Cana. Gaze in wonder at Temple Mount. Walk through the Beautiful Gate and renew your faith.

The pilgrimage will take place in the fall of 2024 and last approximately two weeks (including travel).

Rev. Anne, a retired Presbyterian minister who has found her calling in introducing congregations to the land of the Bible, will be joined by local and experienced guides in Israel and Palestine. Depending upon participation, the price is around $3000 per person plus airfare. A three-day extension to Jordan/Petra is available.

A meeting to discuss the possibilities and gauge interest will be announced soon in the weekly church emails. Meantime, please reach out to Rev. Todd or Marty Helman, (martyrotary@gmail.com) for more information. And start planning for the trip of a lifetime!