Advent and Christmas Festivities Fill the Halls of First Congregational Church
Welcome Our New Members!
Brr, It’s Cold Outside...
And Inside, Too?
Minister’s Musings
PF Place
Stewardship Update
Nehemiah Names Volunteers of the Year
Advent and Christmas Festivities Fill the Halls of First Congregational Church
The heart of First Congregational Church again prepares for the birth of Christ in all of our traditional festivities, including a new one this year: a special worship experience for those who carry sadness amid the gladness of this season.
Children will enjoy the Friendly Beast Breakfast on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 9 a.m.
Kids can wear their pajamas, bring their favorite stuffed animal and have breakfast
with Baby Jesus. Tickets are available in the office: $3 for adults and $1.50
for children under 12. Please RSVP to the office by Dec. 2.
At the Christmas Workshop Sunday, Dec. 4 at 3–5 p.m., you may purchase
and make Christmas crafts priced from 25 cents to $1 (and a few special items
for a bit more.) These are great for kids to make and give as gifts. A pizza
dinner will be served afterward, but be sure to RSVP for dinner by calling
the office. The cost is $5 for adults and $2 for children under 12.
So much of Christmas is food-focused, and so are we! On Wednesday, Dec. 7,
we will gather in the Social Hall for an all-church dinner at 6 p.m. Dr. Peay
returns to the kitchen where he and a team of volunteers will prepare a traditional
English dinner. After the traditional roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, green
peas, green salad, and plum pudding with hard sauce, stay to listen to the
Steeple Belles as they serenade us. Pre-paid reservations for dinner and/or
childcare must be made by Sunday, Dec. 4. The cost is adults/$8; children under
12/$3; under 3/free.
Our annual choir concert is Sunday, Dec. 11 at 4 p.m. Under the creative direction
of Lee Jacobi, enjoy the depth of our congregation’s musical gifts with
the performances of the combined adult choirs, junior choir and handbell choir,
with expert piano and organ accompaniment by Betty Dethmers and Ralph Ehlert.
On Dec. 18, we experience the traditional Lessons and Carols worship
service,
a service that leads us through the story of salvation, from Genesis to the
coming of the Christ. Carols or other music follow each reading to emphasize
the lessons.
At 4 p.m. on Dec. 18, there’s something new in our church tradition:
a worship service in the chapel commemorating the sadness that some of us feel
during Christmas. If you struggle with past grief, loss, or any feeling of
being “blue” at Christmas, please join us for a “Blue
Christmas” service
where we will gather to honor how we sometimes feel at the holidays, in the
hope of leaving more renewed and sustained during what is for some a difficult
season.
On Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, the family service is at 4 p.m. At 7 p.m. we worship
with communion. At 11 p.m. our traditional Christmas Eve candlelight service
features the Chancel Choir.
Spread Holiday Joy to
Homebound Church Family
For years the members of Circle 7 have volunteered their time to pack boxes
of cookies for our members who are home bound or experiencing an illness. On
the day of our choir concert, these boxes are packed and labeled with the names
and addresses of the recipients. Members of the congregation are asked to pick
up a box or two (or more) on their way out of the concert. The idea is that
the cookies are delivered that day or the next, and the homebound member has
a “surprise” visit from a church member during the holidays.
In the past few years we have observed that the number of those in need has
been increasing (This year we have 40 people on our list!) and sadly, the number
of cookies being baked has declined. We are asking those of you who enjoy holiday
cookie baking to please make an extra batch (three to four dozen) for the church.
Please deliver the cookies to the office or the catering kitchen before 4 p.m.
on Sunday, Dec. 11. If you are not able to bake something, be sure to grab
a box when you leave the concert and deliver Christmas greetings to a member
of your church family. Your kindness will be much appreciated!
Steve and Mary Chapin reside in Wauwatosa and are the parents
of one son, Samuel Oliver, who is two years old. Steve is employed at GMR Marketing
and Mary is an Assistant Curator with the Milwaukee Art Museum. They transferred
to our church from Fourth Presbyterian in Chicago.
Matt Jeide is the husband of Susan York Jeide. They were married here in 1998
and reside in Elm Grove. He is the father of Brendan, age two and Brynn, age
five months. Matt is an IT Manager with Metavante Corp. In his spare time,
he plays the piano and is involved with the Center for the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing and Pewaukee Yacht Club.
Dermot and Karen Kerin were married in our church in July of this year. They
reside in Milwaukee. Dermot has taught adult classes in self-improvement and
meditation skills and is interested in many areas of volunteer work at the
church. Currently he works for an environmental agency. Karen is a trained
massage therapist, has taught seminars in people skills for several years and
has developed several on-line courses.
Mark and Holly Wright moved to downtown Milwaukee in the summer of 2004 and
immediately began looking for a home church. Their search brought them to our
church via the internet. Mark is a physician and Holly is a veterinarian. Holly
is also a scuba diving instructor and does pro bono surgery for the wildlife
center of the Humane Society. Both Mark and Holly have taken up rowing and
enjoy the scenery while gliding on the Milwaukee River.
Due to the steep increase in costs of natural gas and electricity,
the Board of Trustees asks your help in minimizing the energy usage at church.
To conserve our natural gas usage, the thermostats have been set to 65 degrees.
This is a comfortable temperature when wearing winter clothing, however, personal
preference and your comfort level may dictate your wearing your coat in the
nave on Sundays for worship or perhaps adding layers when you attend meetings
at the church.
Electrical energy is the second largest energy item. We ask that you please
turn on only the lights you need to do the task at hand. Along with that, turn
off lights that you see in use that might not be needed. Whenever you leave
a room, always turn the lights off.
Thanks for helping us conserve energy at our church this winter!
Back to the Table of
Contents
’Tis the season . . . again. I could tell by the tinkling bell and red
kettle I saw outside the supermarket. I could tell by the commercials for “Toyland” and
the decorations changing, rapidly, from black and orange to red and green.
I could tell, too, by the lengthening darkness and by the readings from Scripture
in worship reminding me of the Lord’s promised return. Scriptures tell
us to “read the signs of the times” and it is easy to read these
as we go from one season to another.
Soon we’ll talk not about the Lord’s second coming, but his first.
We’ll wait with Israel in the darkness, longing for the Messiah, looking
to the promise of Emmanuel – “God with us.” The themes of
darkness and light, so much a part of the Advent-Christmas cycle, go deep into
the history of the Christian experience. Maria Boulding, an English spiritual
writer, points this out in her wonderful book, The Coming of God.
“Christianity arrived in the world of pagan culture with firm beliefs
grounded in this Old Testament tradition and in history. The sun was no god
but a creature
of the true God. Helios was demythologized, but the very firmness and clarity
of Christian belief made it possible to welcome the poetry and imaginative
power inherent in the cult of the sun, moon, and stars. . . The northern darkness
was all too real, however, and the missionaries spoke a language northern peoples
could understand. Yes, they explained, the promised light of the world has
indeed come, the Dayspring from on high, and has delivered us from the dominion
of darkness. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; for
us, who well in the shadow of death, light has shone. The yoke of our burden
has been lifted. Some of the glory spilled round shepherds who were keeping
their watch through the night. And certain men came from the East – from
the East, the sunrise place, as the Greek of Matthew makes clear – but
they had unsatisfied hearts, and put their trust in the leading of a star in
their long search through the night. They too came to the real light:
“ Out of the dark primeval night,
as from the womb of time,
and all alone,
came Man.
When did he first look up
and find the stars his friends?
For a thousand times three thousand years
they did not fail
in their circling paths of light,
to stand above the dark
keeping their promise safe,
until beyond their unimaginable end
the Word went forth.
And Eastern Kings
saw how their magic paled.
And Glory stood above the cave-born child.”
[From Dame Maria Boulding The Coming of God (SPCK, 1982), p. 30-32. The poem
is from an unpublished poem by Dom Philip Jebb.]
God’s coming among us as one of us is like a ray of light breaking into
darkness, like the promise of lengthening days and warm sunshine. God’s
coming among us holds the hope, the promise, of renewal and life reborn. This
season of Advent waiting and Christmas joy remind us that God still comes to
us – in quiet moments, in the beauty of nature, in shared time with family
and friends, in laughter and in tears. God comes among us if we look, and listen,
and wait. God’s coming to us, coming within us is what we ask for each
time we sing “cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.” Christmas
may be the great celebration, but in so many ways Christians are Advent people – we’re
always looking for the coming of God.
So, ’Tis the season and while we’re trying to be jolly midst all
the stresses and expectations of this time of year, take some time for ourselves – take
some time to look for the coming of God. ’Tis the season and there in
the middle of all the shopping, baking, cooking, decorating, partying, scurrying
and hurrying, believe it or not, we can find God – but we have to look.
A little meditation on God’s gift of life and hope to us as we’re
shopping or wrapping gifts can be one window. Another might be to offer a prayer
of thanksgiving as we prepare for visits from our family and friends – if
we look we’ll see God coming to us in them, too. It is also a good time
to read some of the passages from Isaiah’s prophecy, Matthew’s
or Luke’s account of the Lord’s nativity, or John’s great
hymn of the Incarnation. And, don’t forget to look for God in those less
fortunate and, as the old prayer goes, “rejoice God’s heart” by
seeing to their needs in this season of happiness. There are so many ways we
can look for the coming of God!
’
Tis the season and may it be filled with the signs and promise of God’s
coming to you and to yours!
Yours in the Lord’s service,
Rev. Steven A. Peay, Ph.D.
Minister
AIM: revkw1511
The Backward Christmas Pageant : Junior and Senior PF join us
for this year’s youth play. Rehearsals are Saturday mornings – 9
a.m. to 12 noon – on Dec. 3, 10, and 17. Please let Carrie Kreps Wegenast
know if you are interested before the first rehearsal. There is a part for
everyone and we need you to make this year’s play a success.
Mission Mazahua Countdown: The team is starting to pack for their mission trip
to Mission Mazahua, Mexico, Dec. 26, 2005, through January 2, 2006. Thanks
to the congregation for your support as we have hosted a Mexican Fiesta, a
coffee hour, offered childcare for the covenant renewal classes in the fall,
and asked for your prayers. Prayer Packs are still available in the church
office. Please do not miss this opportunity to support the team financially
and spiritually. Headed to Mexico are Makenzie Blazich, Phil Callen, Mike Elwing,
Rachel Halvorson, Julianna Hayes, Parker Hoerz, Tim Holtz, Carrie Kreps Wegenast,
Caitlin O’Meara, Leslie O’Meara, Neal O’Meara, Katie Rowbottom,
Maggie Rowbottom, Molly Rowbottom, Diane Schowalter, and Melanie Schowalter.
Please pray that the team might serve Christ through our service to the Mission
Mazahua community.
The Junior and Senior Pilgrim Fellowship proudly present
The Backward Christmas Pageant
December 24, 4 p.m.
at First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa
Families with children (young and old) are encouraged
to attend as the story of Jesus’ birth is revealed with a Green Bay Packer’s
twist.
Youth Calendar
DECEMBER
3 - Christmas Play Rehearsal 9-Noon
4 - Mission Mazahua Team Meeting 10 a.m., Junior PF Help with Christmas Workshop
3-5, Senior PF Advent Meeting 6:30-8 p.m.
10 - Christmas Play Rehearsal 9-Noon, Second Saturday “Reindeer games” 6-9
p.m.
11 - Junior PF 4:30-6 p.m., Senior PF 6:30-8 p.m.
17 - Christmas Play Rehearsal 9-Noon
18 - Commission Mission Mazahua Team in Worship 8:45 a.m., Junior PF 4:30-6
p.m., Senior PF 6:30-8 p.m.
24 - Christmas Play Rehearsal Noon, Christmas Even Play 4 p.m.
26 - Mission Mazahua Trip
Our six-week journey exploring our covenant was a resounding
success. We had the opportunity to meet with old friends, make new friends
and discuss our relationship with God and each other through a deeper understanding
of our covenant. Now it is time to demonstrate how we choose to use the gifts
we have been given and to…
“
Return to God a portion of God’s gifts”
Several hundred pledge cards have already been returned and the congregation
is indeed expressing its generosity. But we have much to do. Our Budget and
Finance Committee must prepare our budget for next year and for that we will
need everyone’s pledge card turned in. Please help us out by giving prayerful
consideration to your pledge and returning the card to the church office as
soon as possible. In the words from 2nd Timothy which launched our covenant
renewal…
“ For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is
within you”
Doug Jacobson
Chair
Board of Christian Stewardship
Back to the Table of
Contents
The following comments were given in a Nov. 3 speech by Alice
Hanson-Drew, Director of Fund Development and Marketing for the Nehemiah Project,
a group home for youth. The event honored the volunteers of the year, all from
our church: Dick Berger, Chapman Wakefield, Breanne Sherman and the Rev. Carrie
Kreps Wegenast. They were so named for their leadership with the junior and
senior Pilgrim Fellowship youth in refurbishing the basement of the building.
Pastor Carrie came for a visit with Ed Ruen (Executive Director of Nehemiah)
in July 2004. She determined that First Congregational’s youth group,
Pilgrim Fellowship, would redo Nehemiah House’s basement. The youth group,
comprised of kids from sixth through twelfth grades, their parents and other
adults, participating on succeeding Saturday mornings over many months for
several hours at a time.
They scraped peeling paint from walls, tore down old, warped paneling and demolished
the non-functioning bathroom walls and stall. Eventually they put up new dry
wall, applied primer and then the final coats of paint, often getting lots
of paint on themselves in the process. We had fun. Breanne Sherman was a good
worker. She attended almost every one of these Saturdays. On a couple of occasions,
her father, visiting from Florida, came along and worked, too.
Chapman Wakefield was marvelous in putting up dry wall. He also spray painted
the entire game room and came out of that experience coughing even with his
mask with white paint from head to toe. I imagine that his new wife Katie had
to help him scrub it out of this hair when he finally got home. You see how
tall he is. The rooms in the basement are for someone of my height. I can’t
imagine how tired his back must have been, but he was always so nonchalant
and good-natured about it.
Dick Berger put his expertise to work in many ways, one of which was replacing
several cement-based missing tiles on our entryway on Vliet Street. Dick measured,
cut, glued and painted wood, making the new tiles the same color as the intact
tiles. No one would ever know that they were anything but original. What an
ingenious guy.
After the basement walls were in great shape and newly painted, Pastor Carrie
and the youth group took on raising money to carpet the entire floor, except
for the bathroom, which was retiled. They raised thousands of dollars to do
that. What a committed group.
The basement of the Nehemiah House has been transformed from an almost scary
place to one which our residents love to spend time. A gameroom has a pool
table and foosball table. There is a large room where they can relax and watch
TV from beanbag chairs. And a computer area with four computers which they
can use for schoolwork.
First Congregational Church determined that they’d like to spruce up
the outside of our 76-year-old building. They spent one Saturday working very
hard pulling down vines that totally covered one wall, raking up debris from
amongst the shrubs and around the building, and trimming the shrubs. Another
Saturday in early spring they planted a multitude of flowers in a small area
that we have at the side of our building. It looked beautiful.
In all, more than 40 people have been involved in the upgrading of the basement,
cleaning up the yard and planting flowers. First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa
has made a tremendous difference at the Nehemiah House. We invite any and all
of you to stop by and see how they have positively impacted our group home.
Their actions are truly what ministry is about.
Dick Berger recently visited our mission in Argentina. As it
was a revival week, services were held Monday–Friday for two hours each.
Every night enjoyed a capacity crowd. The PF group (approximately 50 youth)
sang and performed with guitars. Dick reported that the mission was doing an
excellent job of “bringing the Word of God to the poorest of the poor.”
Back to the Table of Contents
Dec. 4
Advent and Archaeology
Dan Schowalter
Dec. 11
Dealing with sadness at Christmas
(guest speaker from Froedtert chaplaincy services)
Dec. 18
Reflections on the Season
Following the tradition started by Dick Buchman, everyone is invited to bring
along a brief Christmas memory or story to share with the group.
Dan Schowalter & friends
Dec. 25
Symposium does not meet
(one service at 10 a.m.)
Back to the Table of Contents
December 4 - 2nd Sunday of Advent*
Old Testament 2 Samuel 7:1–11,16
Canticle Luke 1:47–55
New Testament Romans 16:25–27
Gospel Luke 1:26–38
December 11 - 3rd Sunday of Advent
Old Testament Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11
Psalmody Psalm 126
New Testament 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24
Gospel John 1:6–8, 19–28
December 18 - Fourth Sunday of Advent *
Service of Lessons and Carols citations:
Gen. 3:8–15, Gen 22:15–18, Isaiah 9:2–7, Isaiah 11:1–9,
Lk 1:26–38, Matt 1:18–23, Lk 2:8–16, Matt 2:1–11. John
1:1–14
December 25 - Christmas Day
Old Testament Isaiah 52:7–10
Psalmody Psalm 98
New Testament Hebrews 1:1–4, (5–12)
Gospel John 1:1–14
* Changed from Revised Common Lectionary to match special worship in our congregation.
Back to the Table of
Contents
Red Cross standard first aid and AED (automated external defibrillator) training
is coming to First Congregational Church. Our own Jane Kolberg will be
the principal instructor for this two-session course:
Date: Dec. 6 and 8
Time: 6 - 10 p.m.
There will be a charge (to be determined). The class size is 12 members.
Sign up with take place in the atrium on Sundays, Nov. 27 and Dec. 4. Contact
the
church office or Jane if you have questions.
Suburban Retired Men’s Club meets at Congregational Home on
Nov. 28., 9 a.m. Douglas Jansson, president of Greater Milwaukee Foundation
will speak
about Charitable Giving in Metropolitan Milwaukee.
Monday, December 12, noon.
Please email to Beth
Linscott at ddinc@wi.rr.com or Sam Schaal at schaals@firstchurchtosa.org.
Hard copy may be brought to the church office and left in the Columns mailbox.
Rev. Steven Peay, Ph.D., Minister
Rev. Samuel Schaal, Associate Minister
Rev. Carrie Kreps Wegenast, Associate Minister
Rev. Charles Goldsmith, Ph.D., Congregational Home Chaplain
Cindy Payette, Administrator
Lee Jacobi, Director of Music
Betty Dethmers, Organist
Anne Callen, Office Manager
Sharon Cook-Bahr, Secretary
Charles Nelson, Pres./CEO, Congregational Home, Inc.
*
Congregational Columns (USPS 010-493) is published monthly by The
First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa, 1511 Church St., Wauwatosa,
WI 53213-2593, 414/258-7375. Periodical Postage Paid at Milwaukee, WI
53203-9998. Postmaster: Send address changes to Congregational Columns,
1511 Church St., Wauwatosa, WI 53213-2593.
Vol. 20, Issue 11
