Park Avenue Congregational Church
50 Paul Revere Road, Arlington Heights, MA 02476 — (781)643-8680 — office@pacc-ucc.org
Studio Recital, April 10
PACC Artist in Residence Joanna Porackova will be presenting her voice students on Sunday, April 10, at 2 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Maestro Jeffrey Brody, our Director of Music, will be accompanying the singers. Come hear some beautiful vocal music and support these wonderful singers! The recital is free and open to the public. All are most cordially invited to attend.
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Join us at Sarah’s Circle. Continuing on the wise old woman theme, we have chosen Eleanor Roosevelt’s You Learn by Living, where she writes of her guiding keys to life. Our April meeting will be April 2 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. in the Fellowship Room at PACC. Those who wish to meditate should come at 9:30 a.m. We need volunteers for milk/cream and goodies. All women are welcome!
Sacred Conversation on Race is a church-wide initiative for United Church of Christ congregations, as we seek to confront the sin of racism in our desire to see the Church live and be as one.
Sacred Conversation on Race takes many forms. Some take on anti-racism training to get to the heart of how to make a difference in their own attitudes and behaviors. Others focus on addressing white privilege which contributes to the racism experienced by non-white individuals living in the United States.
The Council of Deacons promised to provide opportunities to engage deeply in discussing this important issue.
We’ve posted a Black Lives Matter banner, read and discussed Waking Up White, are reading and will talk about America’s Original Sin, and we’ve invited The Rev Cindy Maybeck to facilitate PACC’s Sacred Conversation on Race.
The Reverend Cindy Maybeck is a popular preacher, storyteller, workshop and retreat leader. Her Spirit Story website can be found at www.cindymaybeck.com
One of the Massachusetts Conference’s facilitators for Sacred Conversation on Race, Cindy will preach on April 10th and lead our Sacred Conversation after worship in the Fellowship Room.
April 2016
Sunday school
We are continuing to learn about the stories of Jesus’ life and ministry, focusing on stories of biblical shalom—peace with ourselves, with creation, with others and with God.
There will be a multi age class for children in preschool through fifth grade on Sunday, April 17. We’ll be learning about the story of the Good Samaritan.
Confirmation
We’ll meet on Sunday, April 24 from 6:30–8:00 pm
in the Fireplace room for pizza to talk about
Confirmation Sunday (May 15). Mentors should also plan to come. Also mark your calendars for May 1 after church when we’ll meet to go over any last minute questions and details about Confirmation.
Youth Group
April 3—Communion Sunday, Walk for Affordable Housing from 1-3
April 10—History of Christianity Jeopardy
April 17—stay in the worship service
April 24—make salad for the Community Supper
Evening Bible Group typically meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month in the Fellowship Room at 7:30-9 p.m. April dates are April 13th and 27th. Join us for a lively discussion! All are welcome.
We meet Sunday, April 17, at 11:15 a.m. in the Fellowship room to discuss America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege and the Bridge to a New America, by Jim Wallis. This book explores racism in our country and the voice our churches can have in this important conversation. If you’d like a copy to read, please speak to Kate.
April 2016
The Festival of the Resurrection brings home again the wonders of spring and renewal around and within us! Even after a remarkably mild winter, it’s energizing to feel the warmth of the sun for a little longer each day, to find flowers and trees budding, and to begin planning for the months ahead.
Ecclesiastes, the Preacher, reminds us, “For everything there is a season”. As we walk together into the new thing that God always is doing, we’re ready to begin planning for the next season of this interim period. The framework for this season is “discernment”.
What does that mean? In this context, I’m using it to mean prayerful reflection on how God is still speaking to each of us individually and to all of us together. I’ll be working with the Council of Deacons to coordinate opportunities for thinking and talking about PACC’s present identity and its vision for the future. The three main questions posed will be: “Who are we? Who is our neighbor? Who is God calling us to be?” We’ll also be moving toward calling together a committee to search for your next settled pastor.
In your personal prayer time, as you pause in worship on Sunday, even as you daydream, invite the Divine to guide you in discerning how you would begin to answer those three questions. Listen for the still speaking voice. I can assure you, God is there with you and for you, with us and for us, in all of our hopes and beyond our imagination.
Peace,
Jill
The Reverend Jill H. Small
March 2016
We will be collecting non-perishable food items and household goods for the AFP on Sunday, March 6th. For a list of recommended items and for “How to Register to Receive Food from the Arlington Food Pantry” visit www.facebook.com/foodpantryarlington arlingtonfoodpantry.org. Your donations make a difference! We are also looking for volunteers to take over our food donations regularly or occasionally.
Talk to Kate Lindheim, Lauren Evans or Mike Rich.
Restorative Justice and Gendered Violence, with Rev. Susan Chorley of Renewal House and Prof. Jim Ptacek, editor of Restorative Justice and Violence Against Women – Monday, March 14th, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington.
“RSVP: Using Restorative Justice to Stop the Cycle of Violence” with Charlotte Simpson and Dr. Margaret Seater. This evening will start with a showing of “Fatal Peril,” a 60-minute film about violent men exploring the roots of their violence and how they can change their behavior and their lives. Wednesday,
March 30th, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington, 630 Massachusetts Ave.
The Criminal Justice Policy Coalition provides a calendar of activities in Massachusetts for activism to help reduce mass incarceration, to promote racial and economic justice and to support the Black Lives Matter, Black & Pink, Solitary Confinement and Torture Abolition movements, Prison Book Program and others. Their webpage is cjpc.org, where you can sign up for a newsletter, see a calendar of events and read articles about criminal justice reform. Also see: www.facebook.com/pages/Criminal-Justice-Policy-Coalition/178954278781568
Together with the Southeastern Middlesex Assoc. of Queer Youth (SMAQY, pronounced semma key) Mystic LGBTQ Youth Support Network has been running a community gathering for youth on Fridays 6–9 p.m. at the Arlington Center for the Arts. They are looking for snacks for the weekly meetings, volunteer adult LGBTQ+ chaperones and workers. See Mike Rich if you’d like to be put in touch with SMAQY’s Youth Advisory Council or the volunteer coordinator. www.signupgenius.com/go/10c084daca92aa20-dropin
Mass., Rhode Island and Connecticut Conferences to hold joint Super Saturday Day of Workshops
On Saturday, March 12, from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM, at Killingly High School, 226 Putnam Pike, Killingly, CT (one hour from Arlington) for a day of presentations, worship, celebration and workshops featuring the Rev. Traci Blackmon, Community Leader/Civil Rights Activist, Pastor, Christ the King United Church of Christ, Florissant, MO and Newly Appointed Acting Executive of the UCC Justice and Witness Ministries. If you are interested in going, contact Mike Rich at 781-373-1582 or KidLaw@comcast.net so that we can get the group discount. For more information see: http://www.macucc.org/eventdetail/487028.
MACUCC “Conference Buzz”
The top page of the MACUCC website has links to many interesting articles, blogs and events. See http://www.macucc.org/.
Thursday, April 7, 7:30 p.m., at Arlington Town Hall – The Vision 2020 Diversity Task Group, PACC and several other organizations Present “Unconscious Bias” – Christopher Dial, Lab Manager of the Social Cognition Laboratory in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University, explores the mistakes that our minds make even when making big, important, thoughtful decisions, and how—without realizing it—our minds can lead us to behave in ways that don’t align with our personal values.
Sunday, April 10, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. – 9th Annual ADL “A Nation of Immigrants” Community Seder at UMASS Boston, 100 William T Morrissey Boulevard, Boston. Register for free at bostonseder.eventbrite.com. Talk to Mike or Betty Rich for more information.
March 28, 2016
Monday, March 28 is our week to provide the meal for the Community Supper at First Church Somerville. They have asked us to scale our portions up for 20-25 people. Any food that is left over will be sent to the shelter across the street. We need a main dish, salad with dressing, bread, a quart of half and half, drinks (some sugar free) and dessert (sugar free) or fruit.
Kate can deliver the meal, so bring food to church or coordinate a pick up/drop off with her. If you’d like to provide food, help serve or coordinate, please speak to Kate Lindheim. Thanks!
March 20, 2016
Join us for pancakes, sausage, bacon and fruit on Palm Sunday, March 20! The youth group will host and serve the pancake breakfast on Palm Sunday, March 20 from 8:30-9:30 in Parish Hall. $6/adult, $5/child, $20/family maximum. All proceeds benefit the youth fund. Thank you!
March 17, 2016
The Women’s Guild will meet on Thursday, March 17, at 11:30 in the Fellowship Room. We will continue with our brown bag lunch approach which means individuals bring their own brown bag lunch and the hostesses provide coffee/tea and dessert. As always during the winter months, use your best judgement for being safe during cold or snow. All women of the church are most welcome, and encouraged to join us. It doesn’t matter if you’re able to come just once in a while or every time. We will be happy to see you.
Saturday, March 5
Choose your own book on the topic of “spirituality as practiced/found/embodied by the older wise woman.” This can range from Crone symbolism and spirituality of the Maid/Mother/Crone trinity of Goddess Religions, how different cultures/religions treat their elder women (e.g. revere their elders, particularly the mothers), to books authored by “elder stateswomen” in spirituality/ religion like Pema Chodron and Louise Hay.
We meet from 10 AM until 12 noon in the Fellowship Room at PACC and, as usual, those who wish to meditate should come at 9:30 AM.