The Columns

From Rev. Debbi  

 

The origins of the Advent wreath are found in the folk practices of the pre-Christian Germanic peoples who, during the cold December darkness of Eastern Europe, gathered wreaths of evergreen and lighted fires as signs of hope in a coming spring and renewed light.

 

Christians kept these popular traditions alive, and by the 16th Century Catholics and Protestants throughout Germany used these symbols to celebrate their Advent hope in Christ, the everlasting Light. From Germany the use of the Advent wreath spread to other parts of the Christian world.

 

Traditionally the wreath is made of four candles in a circle of evergreens. Three candles are violet and one is pink, and in the center of the wreath is a white Christ candle. Each day at home, the candles are lit prior to the evening meal-one candle the first week, and then another each succeeding week, until December 25th when the Christ candle is lit.

 

My prayer for you this Advent is:

As our nights grow longer and our days grow short,

We look on these earthly signs-light and green branches-

And remember God's promise to our world:

Christ, our Light and Hope, will come. Amen.

 

May your homes be enriched with the everlasting life and love promised by God to all people.

 

Rev. Debbi

 

Another Advent. Another reminder of my old foe, impatience.  My favorite coffee mug insists (a bit more smugly than usual, does it seem?), "Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength..."  Perhaps. But these rather speculative benefits seem cold comfort, as the early evenings descend earlier and earlier. Was is just a few weeks ago that the wafting aroma of turkey ascended from Fellowship Hall? No! That was months ago, ages and ages ago! Oh help, I need something, something transcendent, to shake me out of these doldrums. I hear a rumor of its coming and I want to believe, but I want it now!  Now, now, now!!!

Still a graceless novice, you see, to the graceful art of expectant living. Oh well....  But fear not!  Yes, it is Advent. And yes we have great expectations! But The Eliot Church of Newton has not simply been sitting around on its collective duff, waiting for something good to happen.  Lots and lots is actually happening at Eliot, right now!

Our hard-working Pastoral Search Committee continues its intensive labor, focused intently on the important process of calling a settled Pastor. Our newly commissioned Leadership Council has begun to engage in the critical commitment to strategic planning that will enable us to continue to flourish as a vibrant Church, now and in the future. Our Membership Commission has been extremely active in developing new initiatives to spread the good news about what Eliot has to offer, both to the outside world and within our community.

Our Mission and Social Justice Commission has been actively promoting ways to enable us to give meaningfully to such inspirational causes as Communities Without Borders at the same time that our children, too, have also been engaged in direct service work, fundraising for the Heifer Project.  These are two ways in which Eliot is actively spreading the good news and bravo!! We see here (and elsewhere, whether it is restocking Newton food pantries or the City Mission Society's Christmas Shop) that Eliot continues to be a shining example, across generations, of ways we can make our faith's message of social justice, and service to others, real in the world.

Meanwhile, we continue to be blessed, of course, by the loving pastorship of Pastor Debbi and Pastor Karla, our brilliant Minister of Music Charles Raines, our hard working Office Administrator Liliane Aislyn, and our not-so-wet-behind-the-ears-anymore Seminary Intern, Michael Fritz.

Surely, grace abounds in our midst this very moment. A good look around at the beauty of our well-maintained sanctuary (thank you Facilities Commission), in its Christmas greenery, and a good listen during our worship service at the glorious way in which music and the word combine in touching majesty is a revitalizing weekly reminder. Thanks to the important work being done in Spiritual Life and Music! The Christmas season of course is a special time of growth and impact in our Christian Education program as well. Thanks for the dedication and love of our CE teachers! And the Christmas Pageant is just around the corner....

Reflecting on such bounty, how can one be impatient, even if the best is yet to come?

• Winter coats, sweaters and sweatshirts
• Hats, mittens, gloves and scarves
• Socks and underwear
• Blankets and backpacks
• Toys, books, and games for all ages
• Gift cards from Target, Walgreens, Marshalls, CVS, Kohls etc.

Jon Bassett is again directing our annual Pageant, The True Meaning of Christmas, in worship on December 23. All ages and talents are welcome to participate; there is a job for everyone!  

Rehearsals will be after church on December 9, & 16th, with a dress rehearsal Saturday morning, December 22. Commitment required: Attend 2 of the 3 after-church rehearsals and the dress rehearsal.

You do not need to memorize lines. Please sign up by contacting Jon, after worship, or by emailing jabassett@gmail.com

We're currently looking for members for the Eliot Flower Committee, which is by far the best committee here at church because we hold absolutely zero meetings.  The committee is responsible for coordinating altar flowers approximately three Sundays each month and for sourcing and placement of seasonal plants in the Sanctuary for the Christmas and Easter holidays.

 

If you are interested in finding out more about this fun and creative way to serve, please contact Elizabeth Woodbridge or Mary Anne Schoonover.  Thank you.

As you may have noticed, for the past two program years, each commission has taken a turn at hosting Coffee Hour for "a month of Sundays."  This rotation has worked wonderfully, but there is a slight flaw:  We don't have quite enough commissions to cover all the months of the year.

 

This year, the month of January is untaken and we are looking for a few volunteers to organize Coffee Hour during that month of (four) Sundays.  Please join up if you are available for one or all of the following dates:  1/6, 1/13, 1/20, 1/27.

 

For information, please contact Mary Anne Schoonover.  Thanks.

Church Family News 
BIRTHDAYS, ANNIVERSARIES, WEDDINGS and more...

In September, Lena Sharp, daughter of Ann & Phil Sharp married Matthew Gordon, son of Rick & Linda Gordon.

The wedding was held at the Sharp Cape home in Pocasset MA.

Lena & Matt are moving to Vermont where Matt has accepted a job with The Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association as their new Executive Director.

1   Ann Brown            
4   Virginia Robinson        
4   Kate Reardon            
5   Debby Jasset            
5   Philip Mann            
7   Tom Abbe            
7   Joslin Pettingell        
8   Ted Palés            
10  Julie Totten            
11  Katrina McCarty
11  Henry McPerson        
14  Justin Robichaud            
17  Pam Cunha            
17  Jackie Scott            
17  Tim Zielinski            
20  Jon Ravin            
21  Rich Bibbo            
21  Francesca Curtin        
23  Lucas DeVol            
23  Gary Hashimoto        
23  Nancy Dick Atkinson
23  Kate Minehart        
24  Daniel Smith            
28  Jesse Creedy-Powers        
31  Mary Ann Sanders   

Happy December Anniversary!
4   Dee McMeekan & Michael Apstein    
19  Virginia & Bill Robinson
20  Calder & Tom Reardon

 

One morning back in 1977, as was their custom, Herb Davis, a former pastor of Eliot Church, and a couple of his UCC minister buddies, Bill Tolley and Dave Kreider, were having breakfast together and discussing the state of the world. They had just heard about congregate housing, and began thinking about the benefit of such housing for elders in Newton. Congregate housing is an arrangement whereby residents have a private bed/sitting room and share kitchen, dining and living rooms. The shared housing would help elders stay in their communities, maintaining their support systems, provide affordable housing, and offer companionship.

 

The three enlisted the interest of the other three UCC ministers in Newton, and appointed a committee, with two members from each Newton UCC church. They asked the committee to explore the feasibility of developing a shared living house in each of Newton's villages, and asked Chuck Harper, then head of Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries (CMM), an association of 47 churches and temples, to staff the effort.

 

The new committee, Cooperative Living of Newton (CLN), went to work, talking to seniors and service providers, and recruiting folks interested in living in such a facility to help with the planning. Marv Murphy succeeded Chuck at CMM, and staffed the group for two years of planning. The outcome led to a major fundraising drive to purchase a beautiful old Queen Anne Victorian house at 390 Newtonville Avenue, to be Newton's first congregate or shared living house, for 10 people.

 

Eliot dug deep and produced a loan of $10,000, payable at 8% over 10 years. At that time the mortgage interest rate was rising. Herb helped CLN get an $80,000 mortgage from the Mutual Bank for Savings at 16 ½% (later reduced), 25 years payback. Other UCCs dug deeply, too, especially Bill's Central Church and Dave's Auburndale Church, and CLN raised ca $226,000 to buy and rehab the house through the loans and grants from foundations and individual gifts. Alas, by 1981, the mortgage interest rate had gone wild, and more was needed. But by 1982, the house was purchased and renovations begun, with the help of many Eliot members and others, who washed and scraped and painted and cleaned. In March of 1983 the first residents moved into their lovely new home.

 

It was initially thought that the house would serve UCC members only, but was soon recognized that CLN worked for all. The committee was pleased that the first resident, Rose, was the quintessential Jewish mother, taking care of and cooking for other residents. The second, Millie, also Jewish, was the soul of generosity. The third resident described herself as a "Hard Shell Baptist", and the fourth, Alice, a lifetime Newton resident, was Catholic. But UCCers too, came into the house. Residents chose to be inter-generational, with up to 30% of residents under age 60. At one point a young mother with a seven-year-old daughter wanted to move in. The residents voted to welcome them, and one could often find the little girl piled up in the bed with Alice, reading a story.

 

The beautiful house burned to the ground in 1991, apparently due to a malfunction of the furnace. Fortunately no residents were harmed, and Newton turned out to help. CLN, with a wonderful amount of caring help from the city and its citizens, rebuilt, creating on the site a handsome home which won an award for its architecture. A second house, 45 Pelham Street in Newton Centre was later purchased and turned into 10 units of affordable shared living for elders. A lovely garden was created in its front yard.

 

For 30 plus years the organization grew and developed into a housing advocacy and provider organization, dedicated to ensuring a continuum of safe, affordable housing options of high quality, to meet the needs and preferences of local elders. Hundreds of private citizens, foundations, organizations, and city officials helped CLN over the years to reach that goal.

 

Among the accomplishments of the organization:

• undertook a major (and nationally a model) survey of housing needs and preferences of Newton elders - Newton's first
• played a leading role in widening the acceptance and passage of ordinances permitting accessory apartments
• began an Accessory Apartment Assistance program
• began a Home Repair Project
• began a Senior Housing Information Program
• worked with 5 development teams proposing continuing care retirement communities (CCRS's), encouraging affordability and appropriateness
• ran major educational forums on housing options (ex. accessory apartments and CCRCs)
• presented fact sheets on aging issues, articles in TAB and Golden Times, and newsletters
• presented programs and interviews on local TV stations
• contributed to Newton's Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) recommending elder housing issues and considerations to be included in the city's federal requests to the federal government
• ran Senior Expos, to present ca 100 local services, and education on housing options
• worked for tax deferrals and abatements for Newton elders, and for clear descriptions of them to accompany tax info
• participated regularly in the Newton Housing Partnership and the Newton Affordable Housing organization

CLN ceased to function as an organization in 2009. Both houses were sold to the Newton Housing Authority, which promised to keep them the same as CLN had, both shared living, primarily for elders. The proceeds of the sale, after all debts were paid, went to Newton Community Development Foundation, NCDF, a prime Newton provider of affordable housing.

 

Over the 30 plus years of CLN's work in Newton, Eliot has regularly made donations through the Outreach/Mission and Social Justice budget, and made larger donations for special projects. Its members have regularly supported activities with their money and their time. A number of Eliot people served on the Board, including Chris Dame, Chris Bauer, Rich Bibbo, Anna and Jake Smith, David Wood, Greg Garvan, Josephine McNeil, Leslie Okrasinski, Pat O'Reilly, Co-president, Ginny Robinson, President and Co-president.

 

We are proud of Eliot Church, that it has truly and generously loved its neighbors.

Ginny Robinson and Patrick O'Reilly

 

"Speaking Christian" by Marcus Borg

Forum, Sunday, January 13th, 11:30 am Parlor

 

Join the Eliot Church staff in a lively book discussion around the book, "Speaking Christian" by Marcus Borg. This is the book that was referred to at the last women's retreat in February, 2012.   Bring a bag lunch, and we will provide beverages, salad, and a sweet treat.   The book is available at Amazon, in hardcover and Kindle editions.   Karla has two Kindles she can lend, and we will order books at $16/copy.

 

Book Description: Modern Christians are steeped in a language so distorted that it has become a stumbling block to the religion, says internationally renowned Bible scholar Marcus J. Borg. Borg argues that Christianity's important words, and the sacred texts and stories in which those words are embedded, have been narrowed by a modern framework for the faith that emphasizes sin, forgiveness, Jesus dying for our sins, and the afterlife. Here, Borg employs the "historical-metaphorical" method for understanding Christian language that can restore for us these words of power and transformation. For example,

*Redemption: now narrowly understood as Jesus saving us from sins so we can go to heaven, but in the Bible it refers to being set free from slavery.

*Savior: now refers to Jesus as the one who saves us from our sins, but in the Bible it has a rich and  wonderful variety of meanings having nothing to do with the afterlife.

   *Sacrifice: now refers to Jesus's death on the cross as payment for our sins, but in the Bible it is never about substitutionary payment for sin.

 

In Speaking Christian, Borg delivers a language for twenty-first-century Christians that grounds the faith in its deep and rich original roots and allows it once again to transform our lives.

 

Please let Rev. Debbi or Rev. Karla know if you would like us to order a copy of this book for you through Amazon.