Simon’s Says I read the results of a survey the other day – and I confess, since I read it on vacation, I can’t recall the source of the survey – that found the most politically engaged group among the nation’s major Christian denominations is the Episcopal Church, followed closely by our United Church of Christ. And yes, I am quite familiar with the canard that the church should stay out of politics, but even a passing familiarity with the Bible reveals the hollowness of the claim. Old Testament prophets like Isaiah and Amos called out the kings and rulers…
July 26th Worship Service Information Please welcome Rev. Joseph M. Tobin who will be leading us in worship this Sunday. Below are links to the online bulletin and service. Link to Bulletin Link to Service
Simon’s Says I want to share the latest update on the Silver Lake Conference Center and the Connecticut Missionary Society, from the SNEUCC; click here to read the details: https://www.sneucc.org/postdetail/third-way-would-allow-ct-delegates-to-vote-on-silver-lake-proposal-19846343 It looks like the voices of the historic Connecticut Conference have been heard and honored, and we are grateful to Conference leadership for their faithful response. This Sunday we will honor and celebrate our outgoing (in both senses of the word!) Music Director Karli Gilbertson. Please join us in saying thank you and Godspeed as she embarks on the next part of her journey. Karli has been a true gift…
The Villager Voice Say this for the World Cup tournament – it is one of the few things we can all talk about without fear of devolving into rank partisanship. Whether your favorite team is still in the hunt or not, the entire tournament has been an exhilarating experience, even for the fair-weather fan. I happened to be in Boston the day the Scots took over the city, and it was so fun to see folks of different cultures (and accents!) treat each other like long-lost friends. Whether you were rooting for uber-underdog Cape Verde – and it seemed like…
Simon’s Says I have fond memories of the bicentennial. I had just graduated from college, and the start of graduate school was on the near horizon. The family (grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, the whole crew) July 4th picnics were always held at our house, we had a pool in the backyard, and the adults saved all year so we could celebrate in fine fashion with steaks on the grill. The city of Meriden held a bicentennial parade, high school and college friends dropped by through the day, and the weather was perfect. Some have observed that this year’s 250th anniversary…
June 28th Worship Service Information Reminder that there is a Council Meeting following the worship service this Sunday. Below are links to the online bulletin and service. Link to Bulletin Link to Service
The Villager Voice We have called on the poetry of Phyllis Wheatley for our Sunday service on more than one occasion. Phyllis was born in West Africa around 1753, sold into slavery at a young age, and brought to Boston, where she was purchased by the Wheatley family. Though enslaved, she was provided with an education by the Wheatleys; among the subjects she studied were the Bible and the classical languages. She began writing poetry at the age of 14, and earned the notice of her owners and neighbors. On the publication of her first book of poetry, in London…
Simon’s Says Last week I joined a group of about seventy clergy and laity across the historic Connecticut Conference to register our concern about the Southern New England Conference’s plan to sell Silver Lake Conference Center and dissolve its parent entity, the Missionary Society of Connecticut. A vote to effect both plans was scheduled for September’s Annual Meeting of the SNEUCC, and we felt that Connecticut’s voice was neither heard nor honored in the process. (When the SNEUCC was formed in 2020, the merger among the CT, RI and MA Conferences included the stipulation that the former, or historic, Connecticut…
The Villager Voice Our quarterly (roughly) Sermon Talk-back will occur this Sunday after church during Coffee Hour. We’re going to take a look at Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances to the women and the disciples and the ways they recalled his encounters with them while he was still alive during his earthly ministry. The stories are in Matthew 28, Luke 24 and John 20 and 21. (Mark does not include any post-resurrection appearances, but even that absence might figure into Sunday’s conversation.). To offer a clue of where we’ll be going with this, Sunday’s sermon is titled Déjà vu All Over Again….
WFH (Working from home this morning because I lost a day off twice in the past two weeks…) We’re in for a treat this Sunday morning during worship. It is Katie Wilcox Day at the United Church, and our own Diane Adams will be sharing her experiences with us from her trip to Lady Doak College in India earlier this year. Diane spent two weeks with students, faculty and staff from the college, and learned firsthand the legacy of Lady Doak’s founder, Katie Wilcox, who was a member of the United Church and heard the call to mission here more…