Hancock UCC Weekly Messenger for January 14, 2024
There as the Lord, baptized and praying,
rose from the stream, the sinless one,
a voice was heard from heaven saying,
`This is my own beloved Son.'
There as the Father's word was spoken,
not in the power of wind and flame,
but of his love and peace the token,
seen as a dove, the Spirit came.
Upcoming services, meetings, events, and opportunities
Join us for Worship in our Sanctuary or on Zoom at 10:00 a.m.,
or watch the recording later on Facebook or YouTube
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 822 2425 2518
Passcode: 755650
Find us at Hancock UCC | Hancock ME | Facebook or
on YouTube at Hancock UCC - YouTube
Looking for a way to celebrate Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?
Committed to Listen: a free online gathering of The BTS Center on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
A public reading from “The Autobiography of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”
Event begins at 12:15 p.m. on Jan. 15th - Pre-registration is necessary using the link provided.
As the Boards and Committees meet for the first time in the new year, please remember to let Vicky know who the new Chairs and Council Representatives will be. Thank you.
Our meetings are open to all. If you would like to attend a meeting, please let TJ or Vicky know and they will provide the Zoom link, or you are welcome to attend in person.
Trustees will meet Wednesday, January 10th at noon virtually
Deacons will meet Friday, January 12th at 3:00 p.m.
Outreach will meet Thursday, January 18th at 4:00 p.m.
Council will meet Friday, January 26th at 11:30 a.m.
Upcoming January Birthdays and Anniversaries
15: Ben Wildes 16: Everett & Vicky Espling 21: Gary Hunt
21: Carol Skinner 23: Avabelle Havey 25: Holly Harriman
29: Jen Remick
Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:
Prayers for the people of Lewiston and all of Maine; Prayers for the world, suffering loss and grief in Israel, Palestine, Ukraine, Russia, and so many other ongoing wars and conflicts. Prayers for TJ’s colleague, Debbie Duvall, Pastor of High St. Congregational Church in Auburn, whose beloved spouse died very unexpectedly on January 7, 2024. Prayers for Cynthia Wood’s Aunt Barbara who is receiving Hospice Care; Ron & Kathy; Bob & Karen; Sally’s sister Martha & her husband John; Everett’s brother Darrell, who fell and broke his hip and is now in rehab; Jim Snyder; Kenny Houghton; John Wood; Nancy & John & Jonas; Doris; Vicky’s brother-in-law, Buster, in EMMC in Bangor; William; Sue Davies; Coulter; Jonathan Holmes; Sue Davenport; Austin’s cousin Danny; Liz & Jim; Debbie & Lincoln & son-in-law Aaron, daughter Ashley, and granddaughter Brielle; Kenny Stratton; Joy & David & Lori; Sandy Phippen; Betty & her step-daughter Mollie; Debbie & Hollis & Holly and Debbie’s Aunt Linda Reed; Patrice’s niece Erica; Amy Nickerson; Renata’s sister-in-law Joanne; Tom & Judy’s son Andrew & family; Prayers of strength and healing for all awaiting diagnoses and for all recovering from surgeries & procedures; Prayers for all that are unsafe, unhoused, hungry & in need of care & compassion; Prayers for all individuals and families experiencing addictions; for all caregivers; and prayers for all that is in your heart…
From Sally Knapp… Perhaps (especially) those that took part in our 2022 Lenten Study “Van Gogh and the Beauty of Lent” will be interested to know of this program offered on PBS in the coming days… Thanks for letting us know, Sally! Here is the Maine Public Broadcasting schedule of Secrets of the Dead
○ Van Gogh's Ear
The Pilgrim Lodge summer schedule is published and the website is open for registration. Check out the schedule here: Camp Sessions – Pilgrim Lodge Let’s make plans to go to Camp!
Shining the Light
A Letter from Pilgrim Lodge Director, Liz Charles McGough
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and God’s glory appears over you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
and rulers to the brightness of your dawn.
Isaiah 60:1-3
During a recent staff meeting, we reflected on this passage with an invitation to consider how the birth of Christ impacts our lives at this moment in time. It opened up for me the opportunity to articulate how we, at Pilgrim Lodge, seek to shine the light of Christ as the Outdoor Ministries program of the Maine Conference United Church of Christ in 2024. A few examples quickly came to mind for me.
We will shine the light of Christ through the extravagant welcome articulated in our Statement of Faith:
“Pilgrim Lodge is a ministry of the Maine Conference UCC. All people who strive for a just
world are welcome at Pilgrim Lodge and integral to our mission, regardless of faith journey,
age, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, skin color, ability, sexual orientation, income,
citizenship status, or any other similar labels. We live our faith through serving children,
groups and families of all backgrounds with the same loving grace that has so freely been
given to us.”
This extravagant welcome manifests at Camp Pride, a camp week that is intentionally interfaith and seeks to provide a community founded on love, openness and inclusivity for our LGBTQ+ youth to discover and to be themselves and Pride Across the Ages, a weekend retreat for individuals and families centered around LGBTQ+ identity and community. We invite campers to Pilgrim Lodge as part of the Level Ground Initiative of Maine Summer Camps, a project “designed to connect youth from low-income Maine families, particularly those of color, with summer experiences to which they would otherwise not have access.” We will shine the light of Christ by bringing youth together at Pilgrim Lodge for our first ever Climate Justice Camp in partnership with The BTS Center. During this unique and powerful week, young people will have the opportunity to explore imagination, kinship, and grief within the context of a climate-changed world. Climate Justice Camp begins with honesty about the hard realities the climate crisis is presenting for the human species, and offers a grounded hope that is deeper than wishful thinking. Climate Justice Camp has been created for young people of diverse cultural and religious backgrounds to engage in meaningful conversations that respect the spiritual and religious paths of all campers.
We will shine the light of Christ through our exploration of the summer curriculum called “Linked by Love.” This curriculum focuses on the love of God that is often manifested through relationships that weave through our lives. This love teaches us about commitment, intimacy, grace and faith, guiding us through creating and strengthening life giving relationships. In a world of polarization and isolation, we will come together for time in community with purposeful, faith centered programming to equip and strengthen us as people of faith in the world.
In these wintery days, we lay the foundation of doing the work of Christ through planning our welcome and invitations, our programming that lifts up the work of justice, and preparing our curriculum centered around love that comes from God. When summer arrives, the Holy Spirit will move in beautiful and unexpected ways.
You are invited! Please Pass It On. “Arise, shine, for your light has come”
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