SEEDS October 25, 2021
We celebrate Reformation Day this Sunday!
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Sabbatical Update from Pastor Erik |
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I continue to be so thankful that you offer me a three month sabbatical every four years! I've never had a church that has done that before. My first sabbatical is due in 2022 and in preparation for that, I applied for a grant from the Lilly Foundation. I am overwhelmed to announce that I was awarded that grant! Not only does this grant generously cover all my sabbatical expenses, including having Kelly come with me for as much as her work will allow, but it also grants $9000 to the church to cover all the costs of supply, pastoral care, and a congregational retreat while I am away. It really is quite a gift!
The plan was to take my sabbatical in January, February, and March of 2022. The trouble is, the places I planned to visit and outlined in the grant request are still all closed to visitors due to Covid. After a lot of consultation with other clergy, the bishop's office and our Vestry Council, I have decided to keep the same itinerary but put it off one whole year and take it in the first three months of 2023 instead. The grant, thankfully, allows this.
I think that is the best decision and, at the same time, I'm still in need of some significant downtime to recharge after nearly two years of Covid craziness. To help me with that the Vestry Council is allowing me to move my unused Continuing Education time from 2021 which I didn't take, to the beginning of 2022 and I will add two weeks of my annual vacation to that so I can use the whole month of January to recharge the batteries.
As we all know, Covid makes everything harder, but I think this is a good plan and I am again, so thankful to be a part of a congregation who understands the value of sabbaticals, continuing education, and vacation for their pastor. Not all congregations are that way and it is one of many reasons I'm so glad to be in ministry with you at Christ Trinity.
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All Saints Day celebrated on November 7 |
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Please email us the names of departed saints who you would like to have included in the list that we read aloud on All Saints Day, which we will celebrate on November 7th.
We will need the names by noon on November 1.
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Community in Faith
Tuesday Bible Study
An Invitation to Small Acts of Courage
The Book of Ruth
November 2, 9, 16 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom
Christ Trinity, St. Paul’s, and Grace
Three congregations coming together for study and support each week under a new name – “Community in Faith” – makes for lively discussion on a variety of topics in 3-6 week sessions. Our November series led by the Rev. Libby Wade will be a study of the Book of Ruth. Our primary source is the scripture, so there’s no need to purchase a study book, but please have a Bible (any translation) handy each week.
Ruth is a short story about scarcity and abundance, chaos and loss, loyalty and love, human action and redeeming grace. Tragedy, romance, even a bit of comedy – it’s all there in four chapters. Ruth, a destitute widowed Moabite refugee in Israel, becomes the great-grandmother of David and thus one of the foremothers of Jesus named in Matthew’s genealogy. How does she make that move? This intriguing and beautifully written book from the Hebrew scriptures makes a rare appearance in our Sunday lectionary readings twice this fall. In our Tuesday evening sessions, perhaps our exploration of Ruth’s small acts of courage in her ancient context will invite us to our own present-day small acts of courage.
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November 20th Silent Film Night: Alfred Hitchcock’s The Lodger
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Watch Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1927 silent film, “The Lodger,”
a story of the London fog, with live music by acclaimed silent film musicians Joanna Seaton and Donald Sosin. “A silvery soprano!” —NY Times
“The top of the line of film pianists!” - Leonard Maltin, film critic.
7:00 pm at Dewey Hall on the Sheffield Green. $12 admission
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Dominion leads to Climate Crisis
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This week EfM started an ‘interlude’ book, which the whole group read together, instead of separately reading the Old and New Testaments. Hospitable Planet looks at the five books of Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) and makes the case that scripture calls us care for creation.
Genesis 1:28 says “God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” Stephen Jurovics, the author of Hospitable Planet, argues that western society’s interpretation of the word ‘dominion’ has led to our climate crisis. If, he argues, we read the rest of the Torah thoughtfully we will see that at every turn and on every issue, our ‘dominion’ is constrained by the need to care for the health of the community, the wellbeing of animals that feed us, and the environment in which we live.
Our discussion was enlivened by the attached picture of William Shatner aka ‘Captain Kirk’ in his Blue Origin space suit upon return from his recent brief flight to space. We wrote the following collect:
We have entered into covenants for the care and keeping of our planet
We thank you for the trust you have placed in us
We pray that we are worthy curators
So that we can fulfill your hope for the Kingdom on earth.
AMEN.
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Broadway Comes to Sheffield! |
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December 4th Broadway Cabaret
At Sheffield's own historic Dewey Hall, we present A Broadway Cabaret Night filled with songs from the Great White Way! This night is packed with local talent who have literally performed on Broadway! It is certain to be a night to remember!
The curtain rises at 7:00.
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Here's what church looked like on October 24 |
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It was a glorious day for The Celebration of New Ministry of The Rev. Tina Rathbone at Grace Church in Great Barrington. The three Episcopal & Lutheran churches of South Berkshire joined to welcome Tina: St. Paul's, Grace in the Berkshires & Christ Trinity. Photos of the dynamic Tina in action in coming issues. |
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Christ Trinity Church 413-229-8811
180 Main Street
PO Box 127
Sheffield, MA 01257
In-person worship Sundays at 8:00 & 10:00
Previous sermons, our livestreams and great service music on:
Many photos appear on Instagram at CTCSheffieldMA and sometimes, nowhere else. Please follow us.
Questions you may have about us will probably be answered at:
If you have a loved one who you would like us to remember in our Sunday prayers, please email us Monday morning before 11:00.
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