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"Imagining
Church" Sermon Series
Moderator's Moment
Minister's Musings
PF Place
Christmas Special Offering Recipients
Milwaukee Rescue Mission Profile
New Spiritual Formation Classes
We live our covenant both through our planned giving to support
the programs of the Church (our pledges) and in the way in which we live our
lives. The level of participation in our Rekindle the Gift program reflects
our dedication to living the Covenant.
At this Christmas season it is particularly appropriate to
live the Covenant by reassessing our priorities. Our obligation to return
to God a portion of
God’s gifts is an important part of our responsibility. Support for the
Church, financial and otherwise, should occupy a primary spot among our priorities,
and reflect our ownership of the covenant.
Only if our priorities reflect our obligations under the Covenant, will we
be able to achieve a balanced budget and reach out in a meaningful fashion.
Let us all act to make this happen!
On behalf of the ministers, the staff and the Council, may you enjoy a blessed
Christmas season and New Year.
In His Name,
Harry G. Holz, Moderator
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The word of the Lord came through the prophet Isaiah, “Do
not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to
do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” Every
year, for that matter every day, the Lord does a new thing, gives opportunity
for new beginnings, but the key is “do you not perceive it?” Unless
we open our eyes to God’s presence among us, to God’s willingness
to make “all things new,” as we read in Revelation, then it happens
around us and we miss it. Like my favorite poem Aurora Leigh, by Elizabeth
Barrett Browning, says:
Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God:
But only he who sees, takes off
his shoes,
The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries,
And daub their natural faces unaware
More and more, from the first similitude. (book 7)
Unless we recognize, perceive that God is real and that what God is doing is
real – more real in fact than what we call reality – it will pass
us by and we will live as we always have. We won’t hail the new because
we can’t see it.
How do we get around that? I think there is wisdom for us in the old Scottish
blessing for the New Year:
God, bless to me the new day,
Never vouchsafed to me before;
It is to bless thine own presence
Thou has given me this time,
O God.
Bless thou to me mine eye,
May mine eye bless all it sees;
I will bless my neighbor,
May my neighbor bless me.
God, give me a clean heart,
Let me not from sight of
thine eye;
Bless to me my children and
my wife,
And bless to me my means and my cattle.
Amen.
We see three things in that very typical Celtic blessing. First, we recognize
God as the Giver of the gift of life and all that is new, and we hold that
recognition in ourselves. We start by looking inward. Second, we recognize
God in our neighbor and we bless God in the blessing we give and are – just
as we are blessed in return. We continue by looking to the world around us.
Third, we see God in the people, the things, and the events most near and dear
to us. If we open our eyes we’ll see God in the ordinary – from
the center of ourselves to the world around us.
I think we’ve seen the truth of that here on Church Street, yet we can
still open our eyes a bit more. We’ve been trying to grow inward to prepare
us to grow outward. Our covenant renewal was successful, but we’re still
learning what it means to be church. Beginning in the middle of January and
through February we will explore just that – what it means to be church,
in a seven-part sermon series. (See page one.) Two distinguished guest preachers
will join us during our series: the Rev. Dr. Thomas Richard, Executive Secretary
of the NACCC on Jan. 22 and the Rev. Earl Holt, minister of King’s Chapel
in Boston, on Feb. 19. On the other Sundays Rev. Schaal, Rev. Kreps Wegenast
and I will look at aspects of our life together.
During those months leading up to Lent we will also have a number of small
group opportunities. I will be leading a book study on a provocative book by
Brian McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy, on four Wednesdays (see page seven). McLaren,
an acknowledged leader of the “emergent church movement,” offers
interesting viewpoints on faith that relate to what we’re trying to become
here on Church Street.
It all comes down to relationship – opening our eyes to the reality of
God with us, Christ among us – and then living as if it makes a difference.
You see, it does make a difference, to ourselves, to our families, our friends,
our community and, indeed, to the whole world. God is doing something new in
you, in me, in us – we have to act like it is real, because it is and
we have to open our eyes to perceive it. That’s my prayer for First Church
this year; that we open our eyes to see God at work and open our hearts to
perceive the new thing God is doing among us.
On a personal note, Julie and I want to thank you for all of your kind remembrances
at Christmas. It is a blessing and a privilege to serve as your minister. Hail
the New Year and may it be blessed!
Yours in the Lord’s service,
Rev. Steven A. Peay, Ph.D.
Senior Minister
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Win a Movie Pack! During January and February the Junior and Senior PFs will
be using Devo’Zine.
Come on Jan. 8 to get your FREE copy. Come to PF four of the seven Sundays
and get a FREE T-shirt. Come to PF six of the seven Sundays and be entered
to win a movie pack, including a $20 gift card for AMC Theaters, a DVD to watch
at home, and movie snacks. A movie pack will be raffled off at both theJunior
and Senior PF meetings on March 5. Junior PF will meet 4:30-6 p.m. Senior PF
will meet 6:30-8 p.m.
Parents - Check it out!
See www.upperroom.org/devozine for details on this unique publication for youth.
Second Saturday presents The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,
Jan. 14, 6-9:30 p.m. in the First Church Social Hall. Please note the special
time due to the length of the movie. Popcorn and soda provided. Friends are
welcome.
Sign up for the PF e-mail list. Each week get up-to-date information on events,
meetings, and future activities through the PF Weekly Update. E-mail Carrie
at KrepsWegenastC@firstchurchtosa.org to sign up. Also, don’t forget
to check out the PF bulletin board next to the nursery.
Youth Calendar
January
Dec. 26-Jan. 2 – Mission Mazahua Trip
8 - 8:45 & 11 a.m. Mission Mazahua trip participants in worship
8:45 & 11 a.m. Children’s Chapel on Mission Mazahua
10 a.m. Mission
Mazahua Coffee Hour
10 a.m. Covenant Class – Spiritual Disciplines
4:30-6 p.m. Junior PF – Fighting Fair!
6:30-8 p.m. Senior PF – Fighting Fair!
14 - Second Saturday – 6-9:30 p.m. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship
of the Ring
15 - 4:30-6 p.m. Junior PF – Justice for All!
6:30-8 p.m. Senior PF (Stress Relief and Goodie Bags)
22 - 10 a.m. Covenant Class – Meditation and Prayer
4:30-6 p.m. Junior PF – Being Funny! Bring your favorite joke!
6:30-8 p.m. Senior PF Dinner & Discussion – Being Funny! Bring your
favorite joke!
29 - No PF
Looking Ahead…
Feb. 12 – Junior PF Valentine’s Day Cookie Sale
Feb. 24-25 – Senior PF 30-Hour Famine
This Advent season the Board of Benevolences is asking for your
support of three deserving benevolences for the Christmas special offering.
These groups all work hard to give help to the less fortunate and it’s
our hope that you will give generously so we can meet our goal of $13,000:
1) NACCC Ministerial Aid and Enrichment Fund is a non-endowed fund which is
broken into two parts. The ministerial assistance portion provides emergency
financial assistance to ministers, both active and retired. Many times the
grant a minister receives is a deciding factor on whether or not he or she
can continue in ministry or secure a secular position. The enrichment portion
of the fund is used as financial support for a variety of continuing education
opportunities. With resources fom this fund, the Ministers' Convocation is
planned and presented. The fund also provides the resources needed to help
with evaluating the ministries of churches and clergy, preparing compensation
planning guide for ministers, and helping interim ministry training costs.
2) Milwaukee Rescue Mission provides spiritual and material help for the homeless
and poor of the Milwaukee community – approximately 4,000 needy men,
women and children in 2004. (See Brian Bahr’s article on his visit to
the mission for more information.)
3) Mission Mazahua will soon be visited by our Pilgrim Fellowship youth group.
It is located about 60 miles northwest of Mexico City in the central highlands
of Mexico and is the hub of a region occupied by the Mazahua Indians. The central
emphasis at Mission Mazahua is upon a strategy known as "wholistic transformation." The
goal of the mission is to address the needs of the whole person by seeking
to touch the social, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of
a person's life. All of this is done in the love and compassion of Jesus Christ.
As we close out 2005 with this fifth and final special offering, the Board
of Benevolences would like to thank the congregation for their support over
the past year—especially with the unexpected Tsunami Relief special offering!
As we walk in the way of the Lord it is heartwarming to see our congregation
truly make a difference in the lives of those we have been sent forth to help.
God bless you!
Ed Probst
Board of Benovolence
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In early November I was invited to join Dan Parman for lunch
and a tour of the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. I enjoyed a nice meal and good
conversation about the many programs available at the mission and how our church
may be able to help support their efforts.
My perception of the mission had been that of an organization that primarily
provided meals and overnight shelter for homeless men. While this is still
a large part of their mission, there are many programs going on simultaneously
on any given day. They provide a 12-month residential treatment program where
men live and work at the mission while learning to deal with the issues that
have had a negative influence on their lives. They have an ongoing education
center which offers individual training based on the participant’s education
level. They provide long- and short-term shelters for women and/or families
with programs focused on improving parenting skills and other individual counseling.
An onsite day care and nursery allows mothers to attend school or work so they
may be able to better provide for themselves and their children in the future.
There is a large tutoring program designed to match children in the community
with volunteers on a daily basis.
All the programs provided by the Milwaukee Rescue Mission are Christian centered.
There are three services held each day and participants are required to take
part in services or Bible study on a daily basis. A portion of this year’s
Christmas Special Offering will support the mission.
Brian Bahr
Benevolence Board
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“A Generous Orthodoxy”
A book study
Four Wednesdays: Jan. 11 & 25, Feb. 1 & 15 7–8:30 p.m., Parlor
This provocative book, A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical,
Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative,
Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green,
Incarnational, Depressed-yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished CHRISTIAN, by Brian
McLaren, suggests that being a faithful and generous Christian is not having
the truth captured, mounted and stuffed on the wall, but is living in a loving
community of seekers.
Purchase the book ($15) at the book cart
Register in the office
Dr. Steven Peay facilitates
Beginnings
A small group spiritual journey
Six Wednesdays: Jan. 11–Feb. 15 7–8:30 p.m., Friendship Lounge
This Christian formation experience explores some of life's deepest questions
from a Christian perspective. The January-February term explores Jesus Christ,
sin and the cross, death and resurrection, providence and suffering, and the
Bible. The second term at Lent engages salvation and conversion, forgiveness
and wholeness, prayer, the good life, and church membership. You may attend
either or both terms. Participants prepare by reading the text that presents
a general and life-application approach to basic theological questions. At
each meeting, a short video starts discussion of how these core ideas of Christianity
apply to lived life.
Purchase text “Beginnings: Along the Way” ($8) at the book cart
Register in the office
Rev. Samuel Schaal facilitates
Watch for the second term of Beginnings during Lent.
Invitation to the Old Testament
The story of God’s covenantal experience with Israel
Eight Thursdays: Jan. 12–March 2 12 noon–1:30 p.m., Resource Center
This in-depth study engages the Old Testament, or Jewish Scriptures. Participants
are expected to prepare for each class with daily Bible and study guide readings.
Important theological, historical, and interpretive information is provided
on video by a team of scholars. Learning is accomplished in small group discussion,
not lecture, and discipleship is the goal of the program.
This requires a commitment to most of the sessions. Make it on your lunch hour
and bring a brown bag – we’ll provide coffee and tea.
Purchase study guide “Invitation to the Old Testament” ($7.50)
at the book cart
Register in the office
Rev. Samuel Schaal facilitates
Watch for Invitation to the New Testament during Lent
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On Jan. 8, watch for the introduction of the book cart in the
Atrium on Sundays. This is a handy place where you can purchase the texts you
need for adult education, as well as a Bible and a few other religious books,
and pick up handouts in advance of the classes you attend.
The book cart is staffed by members of the Board of Christian Education.
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Jan. 8
Dan Schowalter
Healing In the Roman World
How was getting sick and getting well understood within the Greco-Roman religious
system?
Jan. 15
Dick Berger
Argentina Mission
Dick speaks of his mission trip to Argentina.
Jan. 22
Rev. Dr. Tom Richard, NACCC
Connecting Church
The executive secretary of our national association speaks of our wider fellowship
of churches.
Jan. 29
Dan Schowalter
Entertainment in the Roman World Why were games, sports, drama and music such
an important part of Roman culture and religion?
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January 1 1st Sunday After Christmas
Old Testament Ecclesiastes 3:1–13
Psalmody Psalm 8
New Testament Revelation 21:1–6a
Gospel Matthew 25:31–46
January 8 Baptism of the Lord
Old Testament Genesis 1:1–5
Psalmody Psalm 29
New Testament Acts 19:1–7
Gospel Mark 1:4–11
January 15 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany
Old Testament 1 Samuel 3:1–10 (11–20)
Psalmody Psalm 139:1–6, 13–18
New Testament 1 Corinthians 6:12–20
Gospel John 1:43–51
January 22 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
Old Testament … Jonah 3:1–5, 10
Psalmody Psalm 62:5–12
New Testament 1 Corinthians 7:29–31
Gospel Mark 1:14–20
January 29 4th Sunday after the Epiphany
Old Testament … Deuteronomy 18:15–20
Psalmody Psalm 111
New Testament 2 Corinthians 8:1–13
Gospel Mark 1:21–28
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The Care Board sends a big “thank you” to all the bakers
who donated cookies. Forty-four boxes were filled to the brim with beautiful
cookies. All the recipients were touched by your thoughtfulness at this special
time. Thank you also to those who helped deliver cookies to the homebound.
Senior Women
Circle 12, a group of senior women, meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month
at 11 a.m. in Friendship Lounge for fellowship, interesting programs, and a
catered lunch. We would love to have new members. If you are interested in
joining us, please contact Holly Krull at 262-560-0292. Our next meeting will
be on Jan. 25. The program, given by Ken Lindl, will be on the Scottish Rite’s
involvement in tutoring dyslexic children.
Monday, January 16, 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 12
