Beautiful Beloveds,
As we move into the second week of Advent, we turn our attention to LOVE. Amidst all the suffering and sacrifice of the pandemic, have you noticed the love? Love is everywhere: neighbors delivering groceries, care-givers going above and beyond, drive-by parties, grandchildren teaching grandparents Zoom and vice versa, people sending cards and checking in. Compassion and empathy surround us if we but look. Even the stuff we complain about is grounded in love: masking, distancing, staying home. Love is everywhere. Love is powerful. Love is changing our lives and our world, day by day, year by year. This Sunday, we’ll explore the power of love. We’ll hear again the promise and story of Love Incarnate.
Peace, Heather
To limit people moving around on Sunday mornings, we encourage you to submit your prayer requests by 10am on Sunday morning.
Mark Your Calendars
Sunday, December 6:
Second Sunday of Advent “I Believe In Love: Daring Right Relationship”
8:30am Facebook Premiere Worship, also available on YouTube as early as 5:30am
11am Worshipful Engagement continues at the church. Register Here
**Please remain in your car for our worship.
Monday, December 7:
7pm: Men’s Study Group (via Zoom)
Tuesday, December 8:
Noon—Deadline for “A Word on Wednesday”
6pm – Bishop’s Day on the District via Zoom (Link at end of email)
7pm – Girls on the Wall Film Festival Conversation via Zoom (Link at end of email)
Wednesday, December 9:
Noon—Deadline for Saturday Tidings Submissions
Thursday, December 10:
10 am Bible Study via Zoom (Link at end of email)
Friday, December 11:
Saturday, December 12:
Sunday, December 13:
Third Sunday of Advent “I Believe in God: Ode to Joy”
8:30am Facebook Premiere Worship, also available on YouTube as early as 5:30am
11am Worshipful Engagement continues at the church. Register Here
**Please remain in your car for our worship.
Building Use Update
Effective Immediately: While rates of COVID-19 remain in the red, we will be suspending building use. This includes the main church building, the annex (craft building) and Rainbow’s End, our church store. We will re-open the buildings to groups after 7 days “in the green.”
The building will be open to staff and by appointment only.
We lament the inconvenience and inability to gather, but we believe this is the safest course of action at this time. Any questions, please reach out to to any member of the COVID-19 Leadership Task Force.
Heather Bailes Baker, Dave Eaton, Carole Eichner, MaryAnne Farley, Paul Gannett,
John Greene, Misti Hedges, Donna Kahelin, Wendy Lithwin, Allen and Patty Morell
Together in Christ—We worship, learn and grow
Advent Film Festival
To accompany our worship series, “I Believe Even When,” we’re offering a virtual film festival. Each week you will be invited to watch a different documentary on your own and then join others for conversation about that film.
Week 2: Girls on the Wall. Conversation: December 8
This documentary is available on Amazon Prime. Please be advised this film has very strong language. We encourage you to embrace the language as an act of deeper love and listening for greater understanding. Don’t dismiss too soon.
Week 3: Following the Ninth Conversation: December 15
You can watch this film in its entirety on the director’s YouTube channel.
Week 4: Sweet Honey in The Rock: Raise Your Voice! Conversation: December 22
This video is available on Amazon Video.
Week 5: The Singing Revolution
Available on Vimeo On Demand or Amazon Prime
**All of these titles are meant for older youth and adult audiences. If your family would like to have family-friendly film festival, consider these films for each of the themes of Advent.
A Charlie Brown Christmas – Hope
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated version) – Love
Frosty the Snowman – Joy
The Muppet Christmas Carol – Peace
The Polar Express – Believe
Bishop’s Day On Seacoast District: 6-7pm, December 8, 2020 via Zoom
An opportunity to talk with Bishop Devadhar and hear how the New England Annual Conference and Seacoast District are weathering the pandemic. This is a mandatory meeting for clergy and the laity from your church are invited to participate as well. The Zoom Link for the meeting is at the end of this email.
Food for Thought:
Breonna Taylor 1993-2020
Painting by Emma Eichner
What if Breonna was my daughter?
What if Breonna was your daughter?
If Breonna, this Child of God was your daughter, sister, cousin, friend or neighbor, would you passively accept that she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time?
If Breonna were my daughter, would you stand with me in seeking justice?
Would we trust that the legal system to be fair?
If, like me, you can answer, “Yes, we are protected by our legal system”; I am learning that this comfort is a privilege that not all our Brothers and Sisters know.
We are not all treated with the same dignity, yet.
We are not all treated as Beloved Children of God, yet.
There is something wrong. It has been wrong for a long time.
It is going to take many of us to want to make it better.
Breonna Taylor’s life matters. Black Lives Matter.
That is why I feel we need to do something.
It is not just about a flag.
It is about learning how to be part of the solution.
It is about showing others that we are on a journey of confronting injustice. It is showing our community that we are truly a welcoming sanctuary.
If not now, when?
Keeping Christ in Christmas: A Homily by John Greene:
The sky is blue, the air is warm and the leaves are starting to turn hues of red, orange and yellow. Could there be any place more beautiful than early Fall on Cape Cod. The car in front has a bumper sticker that reads, “ Keep Christ in Christmas”.
We’ve seen this line before; a plea to not let Christmas be downgraded to Xmas. The celebration of the birth of Jesus will be just as joyous no matter what we call it. We still will be enthralled with the songs of the angels announcing his arrival. We still will carefully set out our nativity sets. We still will smile when little children parade down the aisle dressed as shepherds, as sheep, and as angels. Christmas will always be special.
Christmas is only one day and at the most a couple of weeks, but is that enough? Is keeping Christ in those few days all we need to celebrate? What if instead we tried to find time in every day to celebrate the birth of Christ; to celebrate the special gift of sacrifice; to celebrate the special gift of grace ? What if we started and ended every day with Christ in it?
We need a new bumper sticker. We need one that declares,
“Keep Christ in Every Day”
John Greene
Warren Field – 1923-2020 Memorials
My husband, Warren Field, died on March 15 at Cape Cod Hospital just as the COVID-19 was approaching the area at full force. He died peacefully, no virus. He had planned years ago to be cremated and I accepted his final wishes.
With the blessings of Pastor Heather Bailes Baker, I have decided not to have a Memorial Service for Warren in the church or at a local cemetery. Fittingly, in April on Easter Sunday, a portion of his ashes were interred by the Japanese Maple tree that he had planted in the front yard. My grandchildren took part and each spoke loving words about him and the youngest always called hm Papa. The oldest said Warren. Later more ashes were left at Dowses’s in Osterville.
That June we gathered at York, Maine, another familiar spot during Warren’s life that he enjoyed very much. At the Nubble Lighthouse site and also at Long Beach we joined together as he wished.
With great respect Rev. John Taylor and Rev. Herb Taylor said prayers and blessings, memories and love at each of the four places.
On August 5, Warren’s birthday, the last internment was in Danvers, MA where his first wife Frances is buried. Their sons Gary Field and Wayne Field gathered with family and friends as Rev. Matt Wissell , paster of Holy Trinity UMC in Danvers, said the final words and prayers. If you wish to honor Warren with a gift to UMC Osterville, he would be very pleased.
Committed to Serve—We are making a difference
Opportunities for Blessing Others This Season of Advent:
CHAMP Homes: During these times of the pandemic, rather than presents, they would like $25 Food gift cards for each of the 40 residents. You can sponsor a resident by sending a check for $25 made out to BIC to Kathy Sandell, 423 Elliott Rd., Centerville, MA 02632. Kathy will deliver the gift cards to CHAMP Homes from our church. Deadline: December 8th.
Gloves for Miracle Kitchen Guests: Help keep the homeless warm! Gail Bennett has purchased 40 pairs of winter gloves for the guests who have lunch at the Salvation Army. To donate please use our online giving portal, mail, or drop off your donation made payable to UMC, in the church mailbox. In the memo line please indicate, “Gloves.” The Church will then reimburse Gail. She sends along her thanks for all who help with the monthly lunch at Miracle Kitchen. The next one is on December 1, and she is all set with food.
Safe Harbor Shelter: They are also not accepting gifts, but would really appreciate $25 gift cards for each of their 20 moms. Please consider sponsoring a mom by giving via the same options as for #2 above. Please indicate you donation is for “Safe Harbor.”
Alternative Giving This Christmas for thePastor’s Discretionary Fund (PDF) and Sierra Leone (SL). Please make checks payable to UMC and put in the memo section either “PDF” or “SL.” Mail to Patty Morell at 35 Loomis Lane, Centerville, MA 02632 for any amount. Patty will mail you back holiday cards and envelopes for the PDF and/or Sierra Leone for you to give to your gift recipients. The money will go for programs supporting vulnerable children and patients at the Child Reintegration Centre and Mercy Hospital in Bo, Sierra Leone.
December Food Collection for Local Food Pantries: We are collecting winter foodssuch as canned soups, stews, chili, LaChoy canned meals, baked beans, saltines, instant coffee, tea bags, hot chocolate, powdered creamer, sugar cubes, etc. The homeless are also in need of new underwear and socks. Please put your non-perishable donated item in the large black labeled container to the right of the church front door.
Dress A Live Doll Program: Sponsor a child and provide them with new clothes and a toy. In addition they will be needing grocery gift cards to provide Christmas meals for families in need. Call Kim Riley at 508-775-0364 today at The Salvation Army office. Alternately, call Donna Kahelin president of UMW in Osterville at 774-238-1815 to find out more about this needed service.
The Outreach Committee is offering special $25 gift cards to the following: Barnes and Noble, Home Goods, Old Navy, Joann Fabrics, LL Bean, Land’s End, Macy’s, Panera Bread, Starbucks, Walgreens and Yarmouth House. Call Kathy Sandell, 508-790-7603 by December 1 to place your order. Make checks payable to BIC and either pay now or when you pick them up by December 13th. Checks can be mailed to Kathy Sandell, 423 Elliott Rd., Centerville, MA 02632.
Green Tip:
Clockwise from left: Rev. Priscilla Dreyman, Steve Hill, Linda and Rev. Robert Webster and Michael Leonard
Five from NEAC to be commissioned as EarthKeepers by Global Ministries
Five members of the New England Conference participated in Global Ministries’ EarthKeepers program in November 2020. The program trains and support United Methodist laity and clergy to address local environmental concerns and the systemic structures that give rise to those concerns.
They are:
Rev. Priscilla Dreyman
Steve Hill
Michael Leonard
Linda Webster
Rev. Robert Webster
Global Ministries will commission this cohort of Earth Keepers in an online service beginning at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020 Please join us via livestream at www.umcmission.org or on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GlobalMinistries.
Learn more about the Earthkeepers program
Zoom Links
Tuesday, 6pm, Bishop’s Day, Seacoast District
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/97597015901?pwd=TU1FaUxUVkxJamVwN2Rsc0hSNDUxdz09
Tuesday, 7pm Film Festival Conversation
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85642390387?pwd=cEdmdFhiOTdoc2JpYmlZay9FSVh2UT09
Meeting ID: 856 4239 0387
Passcode: 441969
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,85642390387#,,,,,,0#,,441969# US (New York)
Or Call:
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 856 4239 0387
Passcode: 441969
Thursday Morning Bible Study, 10am
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83958360902?pwd=K2Q1enBPQWJ4cGJLamI2UXJWVzhEZz09
Meeting ID: 839 5836 0902
Passcode: 477955
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,83958360902#,,,,,,0#,,477955# US (New York)
Or Call:
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 839 5836 0902
Passcode: 477955