Lighted Tower Newsletter

 
We're now in the season of Easter. We had a wonderful worship service this past Sunday to celebrate Christ's resurrection. As with other seasons of the church year, such as Christmas, the day that we celebrate is only the first day of that season. So it is with Easter. The season of Easter goes until Pentecost, which is on Sunday, May 19. For Easter the color is white.

Easter is a time to celebrate the presence of the risen Christ with us. Easter doesn't just celebrate Christ's resurrection but also a renewal of hope. We've all experienced disappointment at times, and have felt hopeless. That's how the disciples felt after the Crucifixion. Their hopes were dashed. The joy and surprise of Easter renewed their hope that Jesus' mission would go on. What they didn't know right away was that he wouldn't be with them always. In John's gospel we read that Jesus tells the disciples that the Holy Spirit will be his presence with them. The same is true today. The Holy Spirit is Christ's presence with the church. That's what we celebrate at Pentecost. This time of Easter is a season to regroup and learn as the disciples did.

The more complete accounts of the days after Easter which Jesus spent with his disciples tell us that he continued to teach them. Interestingly, except for the encounter that Jesus has with them on the beach of the Sea of Galilee, when Peter is reconciled with Jesus, we know very little about where they were or what they did. We can speculate that he was preparing them to go out into the world and preach.

Easter is a time for us to prepare also, to be open to the world. The biggest mistake the church can make is to keep among themselves. We're called to be out in the world. Let's think how we can do that!

In Christ,

Pastor Craig

 A NOTE ABOUT CHURCH WOLD SERVICE

Church Word Service (CWS)   was started in the devasting wake of WW11. Seventeen Christian denominations came together “to do in partnership what none could hope to do alone.” The Missions of CWS is to bring together Christians in the USA with worldwide partners to give and receive Christ’s love. This is achieved by providing opportunities for communities to work together, meeting basic needs of the people, advocating for Justice and human rights, educating for peace, and understanding while preserving the integrity of environment.

Today CWS is committed to: Responding more readily to the hurts and pains of the world. CWS has expanded its capacity for helping the lame, sick, poor, orphans, refugees.  Those whose lives that have been swept by hurricane winds and the tide of political change.  Make Christ in what CWS does, adhering to the mission, speaking deceivingly, acting with courage and be a mediating presence.

The Emergency Preparedness, Response Recovery program ensures that the most vulnerable neighbors receive support as they rebuild their lives.  This support can come in the form of CWS Kits and Blankets.  This program helps individuals meet their basic needs by giving them materials to clean up in the aftermath of disaster.

Center Congregational Church (CCC) has been a part of the CWS Blanket and Tool program for many years.  Ten years ago, we (CCC) expanded to become a yearlong CWS Depot for the Kit Program.  We store the hygiene, school, period kits, cleanup buckets, and welcome backpacks.  These items are dropped off at our depot from around New England from May-April.  The CWS Truck come in April to pick up everything.  The truck then goes to Maryland for distribution of the items. Most depots are not open yearlong or as large. By being open year long, we significantly have increased the amount of kit donations.

A Testimonial from Beth Wilson, Plymouth Harbor Retirement Home, Florida.

“When God gives you lemons like hurricanes, God also gives you angels like Church World Service.  Thank you for the kits and blankets for our clients after Hurricane Idalia.  Thank you CWS volunteers and donors who made this donation possible.  Your volunteers give humanity a good name.”

You (CCC) allows this to happen.  God’s Love happens thru your help.  Thank You

 Handbells

Greetings and an update from the Music Committee at CCC.

Years ago, the church had an active accomplished English

Handbell Choir. The Choir met once a week and performed

monthly at the Sunday Worship service as part of the Prelude,

Postlude and often to accompany the church choir on anthems,

and hymns. The church owns Three Octaves (36 bells) of

Handbells and 36 Hand chimes.

Unfortunately, since the departure of Matt Bartlett as music

director and the aging and relocation of key performers, the

handbells have been silent for the better part of the last decade.

Through a collaboration with The First Church of Christ in

Hartford, the bells are once again being heard.

With Pastor Cowing as a contact, Robert Gilbert the

organist/music director at Center Church in Hartford, (a UCC

church and Craigs home church), reached out to the music

committee to arrange a long-term loan of 29 of our handbells to

try and start a bell choir at their church. Director Gilbert is an

experienced ringer and the music committee thought this was an

acceptable agreement to put a valuable unused asset to use at a

sister UCC church.

Best wishes to Mr. Gilbert and the musicians at First Church

Hartford.

Sincerely,

CCC Music Committee

Frank Covey

Ardene Courchesne

Mary Zysk

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

The Sunday School meets the first Sunday of the month to allow youth to participate in Communion.  In May it is time to plan for Youth Sunday.

On East Sunday, the role of the Easter Bunny was played by several of the church youth, as they planted eggs high and low for the children to find.

DOT'S PLACE UPDATE

Trustees have spent this past year devoting more time, labor and funds than planned at 303 East Main Street. Building repairs, plumbing issues, and abatement costs from the latest finding of asbestos have all strained an already tight budget.

The current tenant at Dot's Place is appreciative of all Center Church.  

Board of Missions

The Board of Missions coninues to support local missions such as the food pantry down East Main Street a the Meriden Church of Christ.  In non-local efforts, please remeber to send donations in support of our traditional affiliation with Seafares.  There is a critical need in Baltimore where many seamen are stranded on ships that became bottled up in the harbor when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being struck by the SS Dali in March. 

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