Hancock UCC Weekly Messenger for February 22, 2026

Jesus, tempted in the desert, lonely, hungry, filled with dread:

“Use your power,” the tempter tells him; “Turn these barren rocks to bread!”

“Not alone by bread,” he answers, “Can the human heart be filled.

Only by the Word that calls us is our deepest hunger stilled!”

Choir will start rehearsals Sunday, February 22, at 9:10 am. All are welcome.

Pastor TJ will be on vacation and working from Wisconsin until the 25th.

On MESOM Sunday, Feb. 22nd, Ann Boudreaux, a Member-in-Discernment in our Sunrise Association will be our guest preacher, with TJ leading the service on Zoom, with much help from those in our sanctuary.

MESOM Sunday

Gifts and contributions

For theological education in the life of the church

On February 22 the UCC calendar marks church vocations and the gift of seminaries, from generation to generation asking an impossible question - and receiving only the answer of faith. Who among us will serve to build up the Body of Christ in answering the call of God in this world? How do we collectively equip them? The Maine School of Ministry is one part of the process, accompanying those who are drawn to theological education for lifelong learning, and/or those who serve rural and remote congregations in a pastoral role. MESOM’s certificate program offers classroom education that is affordable and accessible, and contextual education with mentors whose leadership spans church life and scholarship in many fields. Now in its 13th year, this program is as strong and vibrant as passion for church life and leadership in Maine! We are grateful each year that many congregations receive a special offering on MESOM Sunday, and direct it to the Maine School of Ministry.

Envelopes will be available for making a free will Offering to MESOM.

Our meetings are open to all. If you would like to attend a meeting, please let Vicky know and she will provide the Zoom link, or you are welcome to attend in person. Our meetings are held in person and virtually on Zoom.

Trustees will meet on Wednesday, February 18th at 4 pm via Zoom

Outreach will meet Thursday, February 19th at 4:30 pm

Council will meet on Friday, February 20th at 11 am

Pick up a copy of our Lenten Devotional, “Tell Me Something Good: Grounding Ourselves in the Good News this Lent” in our Sanctuary or Fellowship Hall. The following is an excerpt from the introduction:

“Lent was originally a season for new converts to learn and prepare for their baptism on Easter. During that time, they would study what was central to Chrisitanity. As we crafted this Lenten devotional, we studied what was central to Jesus’ life and ministry: radical welcome, love for neighbor, care for the vulnerable, nourishment for the hungry, nonviolence in the face of injustice. At the heart of Jesus’ teachings, we find liberation, love, mercy, and grace–all of which are meant to be very good news for us all.

Jesus’ ministry can be described as ‘radical’ which comes from the Latin word ‘radicalis,’ meaning ‘root’ or ‘ground.’ Therefore, the good news should bring us back to our roots. Emulating Jesus and embodying his teachings should ground us in who God created us to be. Can we be ‘good news’ people in a world too often burdened by bad news? …

We invite you to journey through this devotional at your own pace, as each week offers art, reflections, poetry, and hymns to ground you in the good news. This Lent, let the teachings of Jesus lead us forward. May the good news inspire us to take action in a world desperate to hear, see, and taste what is good.”

Handbells will start rehearsals next Sunday, March 1, after service. If you indicated to me that you were interested, please call once more to confirm this week. Thank you and I look forward to ringing with you. Pat 203-522-2781

During the month of March, we will be receiving the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering, one of the 5 for 5 offerings supported by the Maine Conference. One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) is a Special Mission Offering of the United Church of Christ that supports partners worldwide with ministries that fund health, education, and agricultural development, emergency relief, refugee ministries, and both international

and domestic disaster response. Envelopes are available in the back of the Sanctuary.

From the Outreach Committee

Beginning on Sunday, February 22nd, the Outreach Committee will resume our monthly Warming Center Dinners!  There will be a sign up sheet at the church for those who wish and are able to purchase food items.  A monetary donation is also appreciated if that is easier.  Our first meal will be a Taco Bar!  Please reach out to Tamara at 207-460-4148 if you have any questions or would like to make a donation. (food or financial)! This is a special outreach mission serving 25 - 30 members of our community who are most vulnerable.  We are grateful for the support of the congregation!

The Meditation Group meets Friday mornings, at 9:00 am in the Fellowship Hall. Reach out to Pastor TJ or Alison Boden with any questions. All are welcome!

(revtjmack@gmail.com, 207-323-6743 or aboden3321@gmail.com, 609-865-3236)

We have created a new YouTube channel. Please follow us on the new site by clicking on this link and subscribing.

https://www.youtube.com/@HancockUCC-c7w 

(The original site will be discontinued soon.)

Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:

Our prayers remain with Alex & Savannah and Andrew & Tamara, and with Tyler Crabtree and his family. We ask prayers for Gerry and Sonny as Gerry recovers from heart surgery. We ask prayers for Sarina and her Dad as he recovers from a major stroke. We pray for David, Brian, Brad, Donald, Kenny V, James, Marie, Charlie, Jonathan and Jane of Golden Acres. Prayers for Jeanne recovering from a broken fibula and her brother Clem receiving cancer treatments. We pray for Mike & Carol; Dexter B.; Cynthia W.; Judith C.; Eleanor A.; the Raymonds; Hollis & Debbie; Bruce’s sister Lynn; Ruth & Peter; Patrice’s step-sister Patricia; Herbie Lounder; Sandy Phippen; Sue Davies; Sue Davenport; Kirk; Kenny Stratton & Joy & David & Lori & Melissa; Debbie & Lincoln & Aaron & Ashley & Brielle. Prayers for all in Hospice Care. Prayers for all that are unsafe, unhoused, hungry & in need of care & compassion. Prayers for individuals and families affected by addictions. Prayers for all caregivers. Prayers for those who are grieving loss or change or experiencing family conflict; and prayers for all that is in your heart…

You're invited to join us for another PL BOOK CLUB!

RSVP here. 

Pick-up a copy of the book "A Little One Shall Lead | Small Congregations Create New Ways of Being Church" by Rev. Susan McNeily Craig and Rev. Dr. Douglas Allan Dunlap and join

PL friends via Zoom on March 16th to discuss the text. We'll once again be joined by the authors! To learn more about the book and to purchase, follow this link. 

We have been invited by Linda’s brother, Glen, a Pastor in Massachusetts, to join them on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm for a Bible Study. If you wish, please join by following this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83610104381.

February Birthdays

24: Heath Hudson     25: Michael Hodgdon          27: Antonio Blasi

I Hope you will take a moment for these reflections. Just click on the link that follows.

Ash Wednesday Reflections:

 Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson

General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ

Tiny, Untiring Ant

A Message from Liz Charles McGough, Pilgrim Lodge Director

Well, 2026 has been quite a year so far. I find myself sitting with what feels like consistent dynamic tension of trying to hold what feel like ever more extreme emotions in my body and in my spirit these days. As I watch the stories in the national news unfold in my own community, I feel grief and anger. As I witness humans coming together in pure demonstration of “love of neighbor” I feel a groundswell of love. As the shadows feel ever more terrifying, the light in my world shines a brilliant bright. In the middle of winter, we’re planning for summer at Pilgrim Lodge. When I feel despair about the world, I watch campers get registered to spend time with us this summer and I feel purpose in looking toward the children and staying focused on how to support them in this moment in time. One of our campers last summer wrote, “If you ever feel down or hopeless, this camp is probably the most supportive place I know.” I re-read this quote often as a reminder of the importance of being present to the experience of our youth.

One of the bright lights in the world of Pilgrim Lodge is the opportunity to deepen the intentionality of our programming through funding from the Character at Camp initiative of the American Camp Association. This winter, we’re in the thick of planning for the first summer of our two-year project. Through this opportunity, we’ll use our traditional camp programming as the foundation for nurturing the qualities of integrity, community-mindedness and leadership in our campers. When we began focusing on leadership development at camp, our first step was to define the qualities of a leader in the context of Pilgrim Lodge. We celebrate that Pilgrim Lodge leaders are:

       • empathetic, compassionate, and trustworthy people of integrity

       • campers who care about people and the natural world

       • role models who are willing to speak-up, take action, or be bold when called to             stand for justice

       • service-oriented, inclusive and loving

       • campers who draw resilience from their spirituality and community at camp

We are hard at work developing programming that nurtures these qualities in our campers across different developmental stages and are especially excited to have the opportunity to invite our high school-aged campers into our first ever Leaders-in-Training Program. Through the grant, we have created a new staff position called the Leadership Mentor who will help to facilitate this more robust camp experience at no extra cost to our campers. (Please help us spread the word!)

On the days when I feel powerless to change the course of destruction that I see playing out on the global stage, I find energy in turning toward the opportunity to be side-by-side with our children, who are not immune or naïve to the swirl of all that is playing out in the world around them. What a privilege we have, at camp, to support our campers in making meaning of their experiences and their place in the world. Another camper quote that I lift as a beacon reads: “PL is a great place to grow as a person. I always leave with a new perspective on life and feel motivated to use my PL learnings in my everyday life.”

As I think about how to nurture leadership qualities in our campers, it holds me accountable to considering, “How am I embodying the qualities of a Pilgrim Lodge leader in my daily life?” I invite you to consider the ways that you reflect the qualities of a Pilgrim Lodge leader in this moment. I believe that the qualities we seek to nurture reflect the ways that Jesus invites us to engage in the world: with empathy and compassion, as people who care about people and are willing to stand for justice, as inclusive and loving, as people who ground themselves in their faith to be people of integrity. How might the world be if, together with our children, we live our days as Pilgrim Lodge leaders?

I leave you with a poem that resonates for me. It is called “I Picture Sadness Sleeping” and was originally written in Spanish by Marinella Corriols Molina.* In a world with seemingly insurmountable problems, I turn to the power of the tiny, untiring ant.

     I picture sadness sleeping / among the pines of distant childhood.

     Rocked in that rhythm / detaching myself in beats from my tie to life.

     I think about loved things, / And everyone that I still love.

     Understand? / "I have filled even this sadness of flags with joy."

     Still, I want to share these harsh times, / this stubborn fury against senseless war

     that seeks to smother me with the smells of death.

     Still, I want to / impregnate my skin with the songs of the begonia,

     to saturate smiles with the music of birds, / to kindle tenderness. Tenderness,

     the indispensable, necessary to survive / the atoms which, exploding, kill us,

     the wandering hunger which eats the flesh / of our people, assaulted, in debt

     to the racism of the world where the colors / are beautiful.

     I want a new order! / To flood the world with laughter, songs, schools,

     bread, poems, children without hunger, young people without war.

     I want so much and am only a tiny untiring ant, / laboriously carrying the painful           grains of history. / I want so much and am only a girl

     of tenderness, hungry, / a mountain blossoming

     a waterfall / with a torrent of love / whirling inside / volcano-woman,

     imminent explosion.....

*Published in: "Ixox Amar Go: Central American Women's Poetry for Peace"

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me

                                             Psalm 51:10