Simon’s Says On Wednesday I attended a day long seminar/workshop on Racial Justice Awareness. Clergy in the United Church of Christ are required to engage periodically in two trainings, Racial Justice and Boundary Awareness, in order to retain our standing (certification) within the denomination. There were 40 of us gathered via Zoom (so I was able to participate from the comfort of my dining room with Circe lazing at my feet) and the day involved a good balance of instruction and conversation with colleagues around the topic. To be honest, the workshop introduced topics at an introductory level, and having…
Author Archives: asquaredstudio
The Villager Voice Last weekend was a busy one for me. It included a memorial service for neighbor Dick Sperry, a service of installation for my colleague Rev. Amy Hollis at First Baptist in Essex, a going away fête for one of the charter members of the Chester Community Partnership, as well as a couple other community events. (One of our Chester neighbors commented on Dick’s service, “The church never looked lovelier, more welcoming or more terrific” – thank you to all who made it so!) Among the other events was a delightful chamber concert last Saturday afternoon at St…
October 20th Worship Service Information Link to Bulletin Link to Service
The Villager Voice Hurricanes 2024 Relief Efforts On October 9th, 2024, Hurricane Milton landed on Florida’s west coast, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. As of Thursday, October 10th, over 3.3 million customers are without power, and several communities have been devastated by tornados and flooding. Due to limited communications capability in the impacted areas, the Global HOPE team is still learning about the impacts of this devastating storm, gathering information from Florida conference staff and local churches. Hurricane Helene landed in Florida on September 26 as a category-four storm. It brought a devastating 20-foot storm surge and 140 mph winds. After…
October 6 Worship Service Information Link to Bulletin Link to Service
The Villager Voice Hurricane Helene made landfall last night as a Category 4 storm, and although it degraded rather quickly to a Category 1, it continues to cause death and damage along its path, and it still rages in the southern Atlantic states. Millions are without power, and homes are flooded beyond repair. And thanks to you, response teams are already primed to go into devastated areas and begin relief work. The United Church of Christ Disaster Response Team is poised to assist residents and families who have lost everything. Your generous contributions to our church, a portion of which…
Simon’s Says As I was going through my late Aunt’s estate several months ago, I came across a number of newspaper columns she had saved. I had largely forgotten about the fact I wrote a weekly column for the Meriden Record-Journal as a high school correspondent – she had clipped and saved nearly every one for the year I wrote. When I was young, I aspired to be a mild mannered reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper, but my career as a journalist was short-lived: while I wrote and worked as an editor for my college paper, that was about…
The Villager Voice In 2016, as part of a visit to Prague in the Czech Republic, Debbie and I visited Staronová Synagogue, which translates as the “Old-New Synagogue.” It is the oldest extant synagogue in Europe and is closely associated with its cemetery which sits right outside the door. One of the most memorable features of the synagogue is the list of citizens who were gathered up during World War II and sent to the Terezin Camp, at the time considered one of the most “humane” of concentration camps, though this was a bald-faced lie. I was reminded of the…
Simon’s Says Like yours, my heart was broken again at the news of the school shootings in Georgia earlier this week. Not only is it a horrible way to begin the school year, it is equally horrible that this is no longer an uncommon occurrence. You don’t have to be anti-gun to lament the all-too-easy access to them, but I believe the case can still be made for more sensible gun laws. Nonetheless, we mourn with and pray for those who have been impacted, whether family, friends, classmates, teachers, neighbors and members of the wider community. All of life is…
September 1 Worship Service Information Link to Bulletin Link to Service