Lenten Conversations:
Answering the Questions of Jesus

Who is Jesus to us?   Where is God in our suffering?
Why did Jesus die?   What do we believe about the resurrection?

 Join us in the Living Room every Sunday in March at 11:30 a.m. for a series of informal, guided conversations reflecting on the questions of Jesus as they appear in the Gospels. In the spirit of Lent, we will focus primarily on the questions Jesus asked in his final days and just after his resurrection:

 March 7^th – “Who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29) -  Who is Jesus to us?

 March 14^th – “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34) -  Where is God in our suffering?

 March 21^st - “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer?” (Luke 24:26) - Why did Jesus die?

 March 28^th – “Why do doubts arise in your hearts?” (Luke 24:38) - What do we believe about the Resurrection?  

Each session will begin with a 10-minute introduction of the topic/question and a 50-minute group discussion will follow. All are welcome to participate regardless of theological beliefs, as we come together to celebrate the diversity of the United Church of Christ.  Reflection questions will be distributed a week prior to each session.   Led by Second Church seminarian, Maureen Frescott.

One Great Hour of Sharing – A UCC Offering
Received March 14

 If you were searching for God’s treasure, you’d find it in people.  Every person, in every nation on earth, is treasured by God!  Yet for many people, life can be searingly tough.  One Great Hour of Sharing joins our hearts with God’s by providing decisive aid when disaster strikes and by helping refugees rebuild their lives.  Your gift strengthens struggling communities with basics like education, health care, tools, seeds, and wells.  When we care for God’s treasured children, we ourselves are transformed.  We see more clearly what matters most in life and are inspired to live courageously.  Our hope rises as we realize new life is possible.  May that hope enable you to share resources and change lives with a generous gift to One Great Hour of Sharing.

Senior High News 

March is an exciting month for the Senior High Youth Group as we continue to grow together and enjoy the many gifts God has given us.  We are officially launching our fundraising efforts this month for our trip to Washington, D.C.  We have changed the format of the fundraising project formerly known as the “youth auction” so this year we are offering our services (indoor cleaning, babysitting, music lessons, etc.) for two days in March.  The youth will be available anytime during the day on Sunday, March 14 (12:00 PM – 8:00 PM) and/or Saturday, March 20 (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM).  Simply sign up during coffee hour at the youth table (in front of the youth bulletin board) by designating the type of service you need done, how many hours you expect it will take, and how many students you need to complete the job.  Our sincere desire is that by containing the work to these two days, we can ensure quality completion of every job in a very timely manner.  (We are also planning to offer our help to you if you have outdoor projects that you need help with on Sunday, May 23 from 12 PM to 8 PM).  Thank you, in advance, for your support.

 Tracy Summerer

March Sr. High Schedule

March 5 - 6 (Friday and Saturday): Lock-In! 5 PM Friday to 12 PM Saturday
March 14 Fundraiser: Service Day 12 PM to 8 PM
March 20 (Saturday): Fundraiser: Service Day 9 AM to 5 PM
March 28: “Trust” Discussion: 4 PM to 6 PM

Fellowship for the March Blahs 

Ah, March...when spring officially starts, but we know things are going to be gray, too cool, and muddy for many weeks to come...  We'll get together for some mid-March cheer at a potluck supper on Saturday March 13, starting at 6:30 p.m.  Consider using a recipe, your own or someone else's, from our Second Church cookbook.

Loaves and Fishes

The new Second Church cookbook “Loaves and Fishes” is beautiful, chock-full of great recipes, and almost sold out. If there is sufficient demand we will look into ordering more. In the meantime, there are a few copies left. If you’d like one, please call Barbara at the church office. We will arrange to give it to you at church or will send it to you for an extra $5. They cost $10 each.

SAVE THE DATE!!!!!

On Sunday, March 28, 7:00 p.m. at Newton Presbyterian Church, 75 Vernon Street, Newton Corner, the Newton North High School Family Singers, Concert Choir and Orchestra will perform Mozart’s REQUIEM.  This beautiful piece will have many of our Senior High youth involved.  Please contact Lindsay O'Donovan (617-964-4951) or Gay Williams (617-244-2690) if you are in need of assistance with transportation and would like to attend.

From the Music Desk

This spring will be particularly active at Second Church. 

Through Lent the choir will sing the Kyrie eleison at each service.  This phrase in Greek, “Lord have mercy,” was repeated at the beginning of services in the very early Greek church and became a staple in both the Byzantine and Roman church. 

The Lenten Cantata will be on March 7^th.  The Choir will sing the Berlin Mass by Arvo Pärt as well as his work the Beatitudes.  Both works premiered in 1990.  They are both simple, but hauntingly beautiful works.  The singing of the mass will be distributed throughout the service as it was sung anciently, and the choir will sing the Angus Dei portion of the mass during the distribution of Communion.

On Good Friday, April 2^nd we will present another musical Tenebrae Service.  This year the service will feature music from Caravaggio’s Rome, including works by Emilio de Cavalieri and Giovanni Felice Sancez.  It can be deeply moving to sit in the darkened sanctuary contemplating the passion of Jesus Christ listening to this profound music as candles are extinguished.

On Easter Sunday the Choir will sing works by Handel in addition to the Hallelujah Chorus.

The Sunday after Easter, April 11, the choir will present an Easter Cantata, a cantata written for Easter Sunday by Dietrich Buxtehude.

Andrus Madsen

ANNUAL SECOND CHURCH WOMEN'S RETREAT
APRIL 30 - MAY 2

Join other Second Church Women and their friends as we take some time to get away for a weekend to reflect on our lives.  Our time together will include opportunities to rest and be creative, to walk on the beach and sing with the Spirit, to join others in conversation and meditate in private.  We always return home refreshed and revitalized.  Women of all ages are encourage to attend.

See Barbara Cancellieri in the church office to find out more.

Shop at Shaws and Earn Contributions to Help the Hungry
 

No more saving receipts!  There's now a new way to earn contributions towards Second Church's gift cards for the hungry with Shaw's Community Rewards program.  

How it works:

Use this Shaw's website to link your Shaw's Rewards Card to Second Church's Community Rewards number.  When you shop, you can earn contributions on purchases made on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Certain items including prescriptions, alcohol, tobacco, stamps, money orders, gift cards, electronic gift cards, lottery tickets, photo processing, milk and other items prohibited by law are excluded. Contributions apply to total order purchases after discounts, coupons and sales tax.  Shaw’s will contribute a percentage of each registered supporter’s eligible monthly purchases, which will be paid on a quarterly basis.

 Signing up:

To sign up your Shaw's card, go to the Shaw's Community Rewards website at http://www.shaws.com/communityrewards, and follow the instructions to link the number on your Shaw’s Rewards Card to the Second Church's Community Rewards 11-digit ID number:  49001018878.   Then, just go shopping!

 We will have a sign-up sheet in Fellowship Hall for those who don’t have access to a computer.  We will need your name, Shaw’s Rewards Card number, and telephone number.  A volunteer will enter your information at a later date.

From the Parish Visitor
 

Here we are.  Lent has arrived.  It seems to be a season that many Christians might prefer to skip over, moving instead directly to Easter morning joy with its flowers, trumpets and shouts of “He is risen! Alleluia!”  However…in order to get to Easter joy, we really need to spend some time reflecting, going deep into our hearts and souls. 

In her book Fresh Bread and Other Gifts of Spiritual Nourishment Joyce Rupp writes “The church is wise in offering us the season of Lent because it can be the very time we need to find what is missing in our lives; it can be the season to deliberately seek what has been tossed away or misplaced or ignored, so that our lives can once again reflect the gospel which Jesus encouraged us to live.  Lent can be a searching out and a restoration time and the means for renewed direction and perspective.” [pg. 43] 

Some years ago I wrote a poem during Lent, and dare to share it with you here…

 Journeying to Jerusalem

Lent – an invitation
to reflect,
to reconsider,
to slow down,
to discover.
Invited by Jesus
to join him on the journey.
Invited
to humble ourselves.

 Sometimes on that dusty road
I feel lonely, and am fearful.
What lies ahead?
Will I be able to withstand the
challenges?
Will I be enough?
Will I respond with joy
to the blessings to be realized?

We are called forth
out of the winter of ourselves
to re-imagine our relationship with God.
On Ash Wednesday we are marked –
tagged as Christ’s own;
humbled now,
readied to be exalted
as we draw closer to that place called
Jerusalem.

 As the birds awaken in Spring,
the bulbs and the buds break forth
and the animals stir, so too we are
roused.
We enter the city triumphantly,
having discovered that we are whole,
loved, perfect,
now and always.

 As we move through this time of reflection and preparation, I pray that each one of us will find whatever might be missing in our lives – patience, recovery of relationship, respect for ourselves or for others, hope, trust – and find ways to renew our commitments to the aspects of our living which are most important…indeed those which are most Christ-like.

Faithfully, Gay 

IT WORKS!

What is “it” you ask?  Why, “the system” of course.  No, we’re not talking about the eco-system, rather the care system at Second Church!  Last month one member discovered that someone in our church community was ill.  Information was relayed to the Parish Visitor who contacted the one who was sick to find out what might be done to help, then alerted the Pastor, that person’s neighbor and friends as well.  It was seamless!  It was – and is – easy.  If you learn about someone in our church family who is not well or who is struggling with an issue, please don’t hesitate to let either Richard or Gay know…and it doesn’t matter if the news comes in multiple times from a variety of sources – “repeats” are always better than “misses.”  Thanks for all you do!