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Second Sunday after Pentecost
Reconciling in Christ Affirmation
Last Saturday reportedly one million people gathered in Boston at a convergence of people celebrating PRIDE and people declaring their resistance to the current state of affairs in our current government. Some of you may have joined in this gathering or a similar smaller one closer to home. Some of you may have steered clear of them for either ideological or practical purposes.
This past week we remembered the Emanuel Nine - those who were murdered by a young white man (who was raised in an ELCA congregation) who received a welcome into their church building to study the bible, only to turn around and act on his hatred. On Thursday some of us had the day off for the newest federal holiday - Juneteenth. When we celebrate this freedom from slavery, I also feel the tension of why it took two years for word to finally get to Galveston, TX. While we held the first council meeting with newly elected members, I commented on how our theology informs my own recognition of this holiday, already free, but not yet fully living into it.
This Sunday we will be celebrating the action we took last year to become a Reconciling in Christ congregation. Thanks to the guidance of Reconciling Works, we were able to come to a consensus together that we need to publicly state our invitation, welcome and support to ALL with particular attention to those who have been historically excluded. We want to affirm the undeniable full humanity of each person here at SOV. Our worship service will contain references particularly to members of the LGBTQIA+ community, but we also recognize that we are more than just our sexual orientation. In particular, the music highlights a full welcome and the creed we will use gives us expansive language for our faith in the Triune God.
This month we are also inviting designated gifts to offset (and perhaps even surpass!) the $1,000 commitment we make to Reconciling Works to support other congregations going through the process as well as accessing resources to more fully live out being RIC. We have a line item in our budget for a $1,000 commitment. Any gifts marked for Reconciling Works will help offset that amount. If we receive gifts designated to Reconciling Works that surpass $1,000 the total amount will be sent to the organization. Please make a gift by the end of the summer at the latest. Put RIC in the memo of a check or in "extra details" if you are giving online.
Peace,
Pastor Gaeta
p.s. You can also use the link above to give online to support the mission trip! We raised over $1,000 at the Spaghetti Supper a couple of weeks ago - THANK YOU! We are still raising money to help cover our transportation costs and to contribute a gift to the community of Elizabeth City, NC. Every bit helps!
Where in the Bible are we?
Where in the Bible are we?
If you are joining along in reading through the bible this year, we began on Monday, January 6 - the Feast of the Epiphany. Here's a link to the website to follow along: The Bible Project If you choose to download the app for your phone, look for me! I'm on there as Pastor Susan Gaeta. We are finally through the history books of the Old Testament. Now we are almost half way through Job.
Coming Up This Week
Coming Up This Week
Pastor Gaeta's schedule: Monday off (will be in NYC until Tuesday afternoon), Tuesday Synod work, Wednesday Synod/SOV work from home, Thursday and Friday SOV, Saturday work from home
Saturday, June 21
9 - noon Stone Soup Kitchen pantry pickups
Sunday, June 22
10 am Worship Service with Holy Communion and on Zoom - Reconciling in Christ Affirmation
Saturday, June 28
9 - noon Stone Soup Kitchen pantry pickups
Sunday, June 29
10am Worship Service with Holy Communion and on Zoom - Farewell and Godspeed for Ropers and Installation of Council members
Looking Ahead:
July 5 - 12 Youth Mission Trip
July 6th 10 AM Worship on Zoom Ony - Independence Day Weekend
Stone Soup Kitchen
Stone Soup Kitchen
Many Thanks for the Thrivent Action Team grant for $250 for funding a SSK Meal on this past Friday!
(if you are a Thrivent member you can help fund the next meal)
SSK food donations may be dropped off and left in the plastic tub under the coat rack on the first floor outside of the Stone Soup Kitchen room. Here is a list of items most needed:
baked beans
ramen noodle packets (any flavor except for shrimp),
apple juice
coffee
shampoo and conditioner
Please note that when there is extra produce from the SSK's Saturday pantry pickup, it will be available on Sunday morning on the counter in the kitchen. Feel free to take home.
Habitat Update - 12 Newton St.
Habitat Update - 12 Newton St.
Progress is being made! We hope to finally have a resolution to the issue with National Grid and location of power line in front fo the house. Most of the plumbing and electric rough work has been completed by the students at Nashoba Tech. Experienced drywallers are needed!!! Any time/skill donated is welcome, but Habitat may also need to hire someone to stay on track.
We have been invited by Habitat to enter into a covenant relationship with them. Please look at the proposal, talk amongst yourselves and share feedback with council members. We will have an opportunity to come to consensus on what we would like our commitment to look like. On October 12 we will have a Habitat Sunday and Curt Logee, president of the board of directors and Ayer resident will join us with St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. After we all worship at SOV, we will go down to the house and work on getting the place ready for Nikki, Nina and their children!
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