May Issue of The Columns

The Eliot Church of Newton

474 Centre Street, Newton MA 02458

617-244-3639

www.eliotchurch.org

No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you're welcome here.

The Columns

May, 2011

In This Issue

From Pastor Karla

Sundays of May

Spiritual Life

Sunday Sexton

Music Appreciation

Denominational Meetings

Christian Ed

Membership

OGHS

We're on Facebook!

Church Family News

Quick Links

April's Newsletter

Calendar of Events

Visit our Website

Greetings!

The weeks are hastening along, and in only about a month, my time with you at Eliot Church will be coming to an end. I am feeling the sadness of that ending, for even though my family and I will continue to live in Newton Corner, I will no longer have a pastoral relationship with any of the members of the congregation. By UCC policy and practical wisdom, there can be no exceptions to this - it will be time to let an interim step into the pastoral role, so that when a new settled pastor is eventually called, she or he can fully be pastor to the Eliot congregation.

The month ahead will be much occupied with sorting files, documenting and passing on information that might be needed in the future by other staff and lay leaders, and packing up my (always over-cluttered) office. All that, and saying lots of goodbyes. I have visited most of our elders and shut-ins, and am arranging for visits with several more. If any of you would like to meet with me during May, or if you know of someone in the congregation who might, please let me know soon, and we'll make an appointment.

May the joy and promise of the Easter season, so fittingly housed in the budding beauty of a New England spring, lighten your hearts and lift your spirits as we move into this time of transition together.

With care and deep affection,

Pastor Tony

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Greetings from Pastor Karla

Before I went to seminary, I taught at a Presbyterian Day School in Florida, that went up to grade 6. We started a ritual for our sixth graders in the spring, which was called, "God-be" time. Did you know that the phrase, "Good Bye" actually means, "God-be-with-you"-hence, our "God-be" time became a sacred time of sending off our sixth graders-helping them to fly out of the nurturing environment of our school to middle school and beyond. We always had a special chapel service, and as you might imagine, many tears and stories and laughter were shared.

At Eliot, we are entering into a very sacred God-be time, as we say farewell and thank you to Pastor Tony, and as we recognize his sixteen years of service to our congregation.

God-be time is important - because it helps all of our transitions - for those of us letting him go, it will help us to move on into an interim period, where we will work hard with an interim minister to help prepare for the next called Sr. Pastor. This interim process is so important, and healthy - I fully support it, and of course, hesitate a little, too. The future is unknown, but God is with us!

For Tony, God-be time helps the transition from a long-term pastorate to a new calling of interim ministry. God-be time can be sad, it can bring us tears, it can make us uncomfortable-but it is still sacred. We will all miss Tony so much, for his ministry has been rich and full, and I have been so fortunate to have him as my colleague here at Eliot.

So, I hope that you can join us in our God-be-with-Tony times-at the Sweet Sixteen Farewell Celebration on May 21, and on Tony's last Sunday, June 5th.

Please watch your email and snail mail for certain details about those events! (shhhhhh, it's secret!)

May God be with all of us in this transition time!

With love,

Karla

The Sundays of May

May 1: Second Sunday of Easter

Seminary Intern, Brendan Curran preaching

A service of Holy Communion

One Great Hour of Sharing collection

Annual Congregational Meeting following worship

May 8: Eliot Youth Clown Service

Festival of the Christian Home

May 15: Music Appreciation Sunday

May 22: Fifth Sunday of Easter

Pastor Tony Kill preaching

May 29: Sixth Sunday of Easter

Pastor Tony Kill preaching

June 5: Pastor Tony's Farewell Sunday

Spiritual Life Commission News

Celebrating Sweet Sixteen Years of

Pastor Tony's Ministry at Eliot

Farewell Party

Saturday, May 21 from 5:30 - 8:30 pm in Fellowship Hall

Celebrating 16 years of a ministry filled with passion, academic prowess, honesty, sincerity, and love for his congregation. How do you honor that?

With the presence of your company!
Bring a story
Share a story
Enjoy a story

There is a lot to be said about sixteen years! Please RSVP by May 15, either by responding to the e-vite, or calling the church office at 617-244-3639.

Farewell Sunday

June 5

Tony's last Sunday with us will be June 5. There will be a special ritual of saying goodbye to him in the worship service. There will be a reception afterwards. Please look for more information about this Sunday in your email/mail box.

Thank You!

Warmest gratitude and appreciation to all who participated in, and all who helped behind the scenes on, the Worship Services, Lenten Potluck suppers, Musical offerings, sanctuary decorations, Sunday school programs, and other activities that make the season of Lent, Holy Week and Easter so special: The Ash Wednesday service, the Lenten Study series, the Palm Sunday Service, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the great festival of Easter. All you who helped make it happen: You know who you are, we know who you are, and we thank you!

Care Team Ministry

Nine years ago a Care Team ministry was established as part of the Parish Life Commission. The purpose of the ministry is to "support Church members and participants in need, planning and implementing parish visitation to sick and shut-in members and participants and otherwise provide care to all such persons in time of special need."

(from the By-laws)

Since that time members of the Eliot congregation have provided meals, given rides, made phone calls, sent cards and visited many folks at times of need. In addition people have "partnered" with some of our less "out and about" members and friends and developed a special, supporting relationship, supplementing the pastoral care provided by our pastors. If you would be interested in becoming a "partner" to someone or if you would like someone to partner with you, or if you have questions about this ministry opportunity, please contact either of the pastors or Susan Nason.

Be a Welcomer!

Looking for an easy and fun way to serve your church community? Be a Welcomer for our worship services! Signing up has never been easier: just click on the "Doodle" link below and check off the days that you are available. This service is a vital part of making Eliot Church warm and welcoming and we appreciate your support. http://doodle.com/ffftba5ufxepfmgc

One Great Hour of Sharing

Sunday May 1

Joy motivates us to share our resources with a hurting world through OGHS. Where does the joy come from? From God!! Sharing invites God more fully into our lives. One Great Hour of Sharing has been been doing that for over 60 years...sharing your resources with those who need them most. Please join in giving to OGHS...sharing your resources really does change lives - your own life and the lives of others. Look for the special insert and offering envelope in the May 1 bulletin.

37th Annual Newton Mayor's Community Prayer Breakfast

Wednesday, May 25 at 7:30 am

At McElroy Commons, Boston College

Music Appreciation Sunday

Sunday, May 15

This year we will feature the music of George Frideric Handel.

On Sunday morning 15th May, our Eliot Chancel Choir and soloists with a chamber ensemble of experienced baroque string players and oboists will offer in worship the delightful music of Handel. The prelude and postlude will consist of two movements each of an organ concerto. During the course of the service the choir and soloists will present the several movements of "O sing unto the Lord," Chandos Anthem No. 4.

The Handel organ concertos Opus 4 refer to the six organ concertos for chamber organ and orchestra composed by George Frideric Handel in London between 1735 and 1736 and published in 1738 by the printing company of John Walsh. Written as interludes in performances of oratorios in Covent Garden, they were the first works of their kind for this combination of instruments and served as a model for later composers.

Handel's prowess as an organist had already been demonstrated in Rome in 1707 in a contest with the composer Domenico Scarlatti, when his playing on the organ was rated higher than Scarlatti's playing on the harpsichord; his reputation as a great organist had already been established during his one year position as cathedral organist in Halle in 1702. Handel's organ concertos thus have a special place among his works. They paved the way for Mozart and Beethoven, who like Handel achieved fame in their lifetimes as composers and performers of their own concertos.

Handel was the house composer at Cannons from August 1717 until February 1719. Cannons was a large house in Middlesex, the seat of James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos who was a patron of Handel. The duke, a flute player, had a private orchestra, consisting of 24 instrumentalists.

The Chandos Anthems (essentially cantatas) were written at a time when the musical establishment at Cannons was still being expanded. The scoring of the anthems varies: the strings are first and second violins (with violas occasionally), cellos and basses. There is usually a separate part for an oboe, and occasionally bassoons join the basses,
and a part for organ.

The number of singers at Handel's disposition is not known, although Daniel Defoe referred to the duke having a "full choir" at a slightly later period. It seems altos were missing at the start of Handel's association with Cannons.

Our performance of "O sing unto the Lord" is based on an edition by composer, Samuel Adler who currently serves on the composition faculty of the Julliard School of Music. For this edition, he modified Handel's original 3-part composition by judiciously crafting a part for altos and for a viola making the work more useful for choirs with sopranos, altos, tenors and basses.

Sunday Sexton Position to Become Available

Michael Atkinson, who has been our Sunday Sexton for the past three years, is going to college! To that end, the Sunday Sexton position will be open. This paid position is during the hours are 8:45 to 12:45 Sundays, with freedom to attend worship or participate in Sunday School from 10 to 11. The main responsibilities include setting up the Sunday School classrooms, preparing the Sanctuary for worship, and helping set up Coffee Hour before church, then returning things to storage and cleaning up after worship and Coffee Hour. A definite, regular commitment to these hours is required. Perfect job for a responsible high school or college youth. Occasional opportunities to set up for other events may also be available.

If you have a youth who might be interested, or if you know someone else who might be, please contact Terri Whitney-Jackson at office@eliotchurch.org. appealing.

Two Important Denominational Meeting Coming Soon:

Want to Come?

The Metropolitan Boston Association Spring Meeting

Sunday, May 15 at 2:30 PM

The theme of the meeting is "Bold Decisions in a Changing Landscape of Ministry".

The location is First Church, Cambridge at 11 Garden Street. See the flyer.

The Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Conference

of the United Church of Christ

Saturday, June 18

Come join delegates from UCC churches throughout the Commonwealth for a day of discussions, celebration, and lively worship, at a one-day Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Conference UCC on Saturday, June 19, at the Sturbridge Host and Hotel Conference Center in Sturbridge MA. The new Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, the Rev. Geoffrey Black, will be the keynote speaker, The theme for this year's meeting is "Changing Lives: So if anyone is in Christ there is a new creation." (II Corinthians 5:17)

Eliot Church is entitled to two official lay delegates to each of these events, and of course, others are welcome to attend. Funds to pay for the delegates registration are in the Eliot budget.

Contact to Pastor Tony or Pastor Karla for more information or to register your interest.

Christian Education

Kindergarten Story Bible Presentations

Sunday, May 15

We will be presenting our two kindergarten children, Justin Robichaud and Mia Allison
Hreczuck, with story bibles on May 15th.

It's that time of year!!

It's time to start thinking about NEXT year and when and how you would like to help out with the Eliot Sunday School. There are MANY possibilitiies!

Perhaps you would like to team teach for either Fall, Winter, or Spring? We will have five sections of Sunday School: PK-K-1, 2-5, 6-7, Confirmation age group, and older Sr. Highs.
That means we have 30 slots open for your consideration!

We also have been staffing our nursery with professional child care, but it is always helpful to have another pair of hands to help if there is an abundance of toddlers and babies (plus we need that for safe church!). Maybe you could consider taking one Sunday/month to help out. If you are into playing with a toddler or cuddling a baby for an hour a month, I can guarantee YOU a spot!!!

You can sign up by emailing Pastor Karla, or by signing up during coffee hour in the month of May.

Membership News

On April 10, we welcomed four new members into our Eliot Church Community.

Richard MacKay, hails from Watertown, MA, and is an avid walker. He is especially drawn to Eliot for our worship and music. Tam Belknap, a native of Oregon, is currently a doctoral

student in higher education at Boston College. She, too, came to Eliot via looking for a church with a great organ, and has never left since! We also welcome Holly Ryan, who has been worshiping with us for some time after being invited by Mary Anne Schoonover. A native of

Newton, Holly is active in justice and advocacy work around non-discrimination in our country and state. Finally, we are so happy to have Liudmilla Margaritova join our congregation. Liudmilla sings in the choir, and during the week, her grandchildren keep her busy!

Take a moment to say, "Hi" and "Welcome to Eliot!" to our newest members.

One Great Hour of Sharing

Sunday, May 1

Joy motivates us to share our resources with a hurting world through OGHS. Where does the joy come from? From God!! Sharing invites God more fully into our lives. One Great Hour of Sharing has been been doing that for over 60 years...sharing your resources with those
who need them most. Please join in giving to OGHS...sharing your resources really does change lives - your own life and the lives of others. Look for the special insert and offering envelope in the May 1 bulletin.