The Williston-West Navigator

My older brother was the first to wise up to the fact that Santa sure tickles a child’s fancy but only exists in the mythological world of wishful thinking. I was the next to make the journey down that fateful road to growing up. On Christmas morning, many years ago, I tried to enlighten my little sister but she assured me that she had heard Santa and his reindeer touching down on our roof the night before. I didn’t pursue it any further that year because truthfully I didn’t want Santa to die either.

Santa was a big part of my childhood Christmases that my mother and father masterfully crafted into the lives of their children. It will always be a most pleasant part of my memories of growing up and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. The memory of the list kept in a corner cabinet where ‘Santa offenses’ were duly tracked can go, but other than that I am filled with warm feelings for all that my mother and father sacrificed to make a good home for their children.

The truth is, like it or not, the myth of Santa is destined to closure as we approach adolescence and abstract thinking becomes possible. But the thing that I have noticed with children is that when Santa goes down Jesus often goes down with him. This says more about us as adults than it does about our children. In the stress and uncertainty of today we hold on to wishful thinking and unexamined theology and our children quickly see through it and move on.

Jesus is real even though we have built a mythology around him that must go. Jesus was the man of Nazareth born of humble origins who encountered the forces of religious and political evil with nonviolence. This cost him his life but set free a transforming grace in the world that the world cannot destroy. Perhaps Jesus’ greatest foe in the world today is the church itself when it does not take what he did seriously enough to be called to a commitment that our children can see as real.

Please be assured that Santa will always be a wonderful part of my Christmas. On a quiet Advent evening in front of a fire burning in the fireplace, with the pleasant company of my wife, Santa will invade my memories and I will mist up with warm-sad feelings of Christmas past. I love those moments for they ground me in the past, but if the past is all we have the sadness is not sweet but repressive and deadly.

Have a most blessed Christmas filled with the joy that Santa brings but make sure you show your children and grandchildren that Jesus is real. Could you give them a more important gift? You can only give it if Jesus has been born in your heart and is real to you.

I have always looked at myself as self-reliant. I have worked since I was eighteen, rarely miss a day at work, look out for others when I can. I have often joked that, when I join a group or organization to simply help out, others slowly leave until I end up running the group by default (I have trouble leaving like the others, so it becomes my responsibility forever!) Is that a bad thing? No. I think I am usually good at being there for others. But sometimes I think I just don't want to be the responsible person, I want my turn at being taken care of.

So why these ruminations? Well, my turn came and I am not happy about it! I fell walking down the two steps leading to my own kitchen several days ago and broke a bone in my right foot. (The howls and curses I let out are not worthy of a church newsletter!) The misstep feels even worse because I consider myself a very sure-footed runner and, when I am running, I know how to react quick enough to prevent such an accident. Apparently, in the kitchen my reactions were not quite so quick. Now I am on crutches, learning to navigate through my world in a new way.

Why, sometimes, does it take such a jolt to 'help' someone (me in this case) understand the struggles of others? I don't ask because I am an unsympathetic lout, rather it is the sudden realization that I am no longer self-reliant. A little over four hundred years ago, John Donne said, "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main". How easy it is, all these years later, for some of us to think otherwise. How easy to think we can do it alone, that we interact with others only to help the less fortunate, those 'in need of our assistance'. Life is not so.

"Well, We all need someone we can lean on", sang Mick Jagger in 'Let It Bleed', sort of an update to Jonn Donne's poem. And we do. Perhaps there are many things we CAN do for ourselves, but the kindness of others makes it easier. Here are a few of the things I have taken for granted, that now require help:

Driving. No can do...yet. I can't imagine having to jam on the brakes with my broken right foot.

Getting a cup of tea at home or at work - something I do several times a day. I can fill the cup, but carrying it back to my seat is a little messy.

Carrying my 'stuff' up and down the stairs. Up to a certain point, I can put things in a backpack and haul them with me. Beyond that point I gaze helplessly at passers-by.

How about shoveling? Or filling the wood boxes with firewood? They were out of the question.

I am very fortunate. I have someone willing to share my struggles, someone willing to make my tea or hand me the towel & crutches as I get out of the shower, someone willing to listen to me moan about my loss of mobility. And for my part, there are two critical things I am learning:
1) There is nothing wrong with asking for help. Pride is not necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes it just gets in the way. And,
2) Say "thank you"... a lot! (Not "oh, you shouldn't have", or "I could've done it myself", just "Thank you".)

We're in this life together, folks. If you need help, ASK. If you can help, DO. It's that simple. And thank you, Christina, for the many good deeds - and to the many others who offer help when I need it.

The holidays are coming quickly upon us. For many, fond memories of family members, living and passed on, are conjured up at this time of year. Certain smells, music and sights create trips down memory lane much more frequently than at other times of the year.

For me, I have moments of honoring my grandmother. She taught me how to cook the important things like cranberry bread, apple pies and my favorite: cranberry orange relish. My grandmother lived on Cape Cod with my aunt and uncle for much of my childhood. She had a small walk up apartment, just down the street from the parsonage where my aunt and uncle lived. My Grandmother was a minister’s wife - a job unto itself, in addition to her professional role as an English teacher (the reason I am a bit wacky about the use of "well" and "good" to this day).

My grandfather was a UCC minister during a time when there were no retirement funds, no IRAs, no 401Ks (403B for those of us in the non-profit world). If not for the resources of the UCC Pension Board, it would have been very difficult for my family to assure my grandfather’s well being. He suffered from Parkinson’s disease for the last few years of his life, and passed away in 1960. Medicaid was implemented first in 1964. The UCC Pension Fund was incredibly significant to my family. My grandfather served in the UCC ministry for many years, ranging from answering the calling to specific churches, as well as working as director of a retreat camp for UCC clergy and lay people.

My grandmother lived beyond my grandfather for 16 years. She also dedicated her life to the mission of the UCC church. She did not need to access the UCC minister pension fund for health care or an emergency, but she did contribute to it annually. She also gave me many gifts beyond learning how to bake in regards to creating the base of a spiritual foundation that has supported me well after she died, even at times when I was unaware of that foundation and support.

I am sharing this piece of my personal history because I wish to encourage you to contribute to a special offering on December 15th known as the Christmas Fund. The Christmas Fund is designed to create a resource for retired UCC clergy and their families, as well as clergy who are experiencing crisis. Since my grandfather’s time, Medicaid and Social Security have improved sources of retirement funds. We also know that both of those safety nets for our elderly are consistently in jeopardy. The stock market environment lately creates a time of great instability for the elderly that does not allow for them to just sit tight and ride this tough time out.

I ask that each of us consider someone in our spiritual journey that has given us a gift we have carried with us, held it like an invisible gem, as we have traveled through our lives. Perhaps it was someone as close as a family member. Perhaps it was the youth minister when we belonged to the youth group, or a church pastor who clearly honored the sacred core of your being, and encouraged you to do the same. There are people like this throughout our denomination who are now experiencing retirement in a far different picture than what John Hancock, Smith Barney and Prudential suggest in their television advertisements. Please consider giving to the Christmas Fund on December 15, 2002. Click here to learn more about this offering.

I asked myself year after…why should I join the church? I had been coming for years - 15 to be exact. I could slip in the back door, sit anywhere, not talk to anyone if I didn’t want to, and no one expected me to know their name. I was a "perpetual visitor." My offerings were modest but no one seemed to care or called to ask me for more. No obligations, no expectations. A perfect arrangement.

Much changed over those years (including the color of Eric’s hair), not at church but in my life. I hit a few major bumps in my personal life but managed to ride over them. I came on Sunday and prayed (actually begged) for guidance and strength. It was provided. A wonderful turn of events in the form of a career change presented itself about 5 years ago. Again, feeling very ill-equipped to move forward into something new at such a mature age, I came to church and prayed for the tools I needed and the courage to trust in God’s guidance. It was again provided.

I dreamed about my ideal job, the one I felt drawn towards, the one that everyone said could not be done and did not exist. I imagined myself doing the job and felt elated at the thought. Church again gave me the chance to express gratitude for the vision and the opportunity and to ask for guidance and strength as I dove into a job that seemed heaven-sent.

My vision continues to expand, my faith continues to grow, and the opportunities to serve continue to manifest. I feel so blessed to have the life that I have. At first, it seemed like a risk to listen to the direction God was asking me to go. Now, I realize that when you are on the path that God has paved, there is no risk, only bumps and turns and challenges. And sometimes a great deal of joy.

How does this tie into joining the church? I realized that God was certainly taking care of me through these very challenging times. Now I needed to commit to Him. Going to church was part of it, but I needed to take the next step and make a covenant with the Church. I needed my children to see me commit, even though they were not ready to take that step. I needed to commit to contributing more financially to the Church because God had clearly created a sense of "richness" in my life. I needed to know people by name and to take part in church life because my small self-centered world was blown wide open, and interconnectedness was to be a source of energy and vitality.

Since joining the Church, I care about whether I miss a Sunday or not. I care about whether there are enough programs in large print for those of us who can’t read small print as easily as we used to. I care about whether there are enough people to help out for Coffee Fellowship. I want to be on a committee. I want to go to the Christmas Fair. What made me feel differently? The simple act of joining, of feeling very vulnerable up in front of everyone but surviving, of saying I need to be here because I can’t do this life alone.

Gratitude brings me to church, and joining the Church has added richness in ways that I didn’t expect. Should I have waited 15 years to join? Well…I guess I needed to be carried some of those years. Now I feel a need to carry my own weight in the Church. What a blessing to have found such a great church family as Williston-West!

When we first moved to this neighborhood, we would walk our dog past Williston-West Church and always comment on what a lovely church it was and how it must be a source of pride to the neighborhood.

When Jackie and I decided we wanted to return to a church community, and because it was so close to our new home, we decided to give Williston-West a try. On our first visit, we were greeted at the door by two very pleasant people. This was the first time we had experienced being "greeted" on the steps of a church. Although we were made to feel welcome in the church, and thoroughly enjoyed the service, it was that first act of "welcoming" that set the tone for the visit. It has been both our experience when visiting a new church to typically get the "once over" by the parishioners – an act that makes you feel like an "outsider" and not very welcome.

Last December we both decided to join the church. Certainly that decision was not based on having been warmly greeted at the door, but, for us, it was the first indication of how Williston-West feels towards it parishioners. And it says a lot.

December is always an exciting month for Christian Education.  This is the time we as Christians can try to instill the true meaning of the holiday.  As you will see, the kids really enjoy learning the Christmas story from the Bible---then telling it to others.  Isn't this the magic of Christmas? To help reinforce this creative learning process, John Tewey has graciously agreed to direct again the Williston-West Christmas pageant on Sunday December 22nd during the regular worship time.  We will have a dress rehearsal on Saturday December 21st from 9:30 a.m. until noon.

Knowing that December can be a stressful month for those with small children, the Christian Education Committee is happy to host the first annual "Parents Afternoon."  What is this?  The parents’ afternoon is time for the kids that will be fun, festive, creative and a whole lot more.  And parents have the afternoon to go shopping or smuggle presents into the house (or assemble presents that come with "some assembly needed" instructions). When will this be? 

We will be open to take care of the kids from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 14th.  They will have a Christmas party, games, crafts and a lot of fun.  At 5:00 the parents will come back, have pizza with the family.  What, dinner too? What will parents be able to do with the afternoon off?  Imagine the possibilities.  This is a fund raiser for Williston-West with a suggested donation off $5.00 per hour per family.  However, if the bucks are tight for the holidays you and your family as always are welcome too. There will be plenty of adult supervision along with the Williston-West teens.  And rumor has it that Santa may even pay a visit.

And as a final note, please have a safe and wonderful Christmas. Many Christmases from now your children will barely remember what toys you bought but will always remember the time you spent with them.   

Just a reminder that the Warm Clothes Drive for the Preble Street Resource Center is going on. A box is located in the entryway of the sanctuary in the hope that it will be overflowing with jackets, gloves, hats, blankets, and any other warm and comforting items that you would like to donate. Children and adult sizes are desperately needed  to help protect those who are not as fortunate as we are against the chill of the Maine winter months.

If you would like further information about this project, please contact me through the Church office. Thank you.

Last year this newsletter spoke in some detail of the legacy of the Chapman family (click here to re-read that story) and its contribution to Williston Church well over a century ago. Although not a direct family connection, it was recently discovered that our entire endowment started from the same Chapman influence. In the mid 1970s Williston received $286,000 from the will of Mabel Steadman. She was not a Chapman, but it turns out her father, James M. Steadman, was the Vice-President of the Chapman National Bank and a close ally of Philip Chapman the bank president and the son of Charles and Anne Chapman to whom the round windows in the sanctuary are dedicated.

It is a lesson in how valuable the contribution to our church community can be for those that have the feeling and dedication to include Williston-West in their will.

Over the past two years many persons who had invested in stocks and bonds have seen their nest eggs plummet in value. Individuals interviewed on radio and TV and newspapers sometimes took a "philosophical" point of view saying, "We’re in it for the long haul. The market won’t go back to what it was, but it will come back eventually."

Unfortunately, for many retirees "eventually" is not soon enough. They have seen their pensions decline time and again in response to market conditions. Many were barely able to get by even before the current financial crisis.

On top of that, the cost of medical care – insurance, prescriptions, hospital stays, doctors’ bills – have skyrocketed. We have all shared to some degree in this experience but the elderly are disproportionately affected, because they tend to have a greater need for health care services, without the benefit of growing salaries to keep up with inflated costs.

Our fathers and mothers in the faith, the pastors and lay workers who served us in the past, are in need of our help. Please consider a contribution to the Williston-West Christmas Fund. This fund will supplement small pensions, subsidize the cost of health insurance, aid the needs of the disabled and provide emergency assistance with financial crises.

For those of you who have attended Williston-West, UCC, you are aware of the diverse community of faith that worships here. Our sigh in front says "an open and inclusive community" and we also use that phrase in our newspaper announcement each week.

Williston-West has been a place where all people are welcome and for many years, has been the church of choice among large numbers of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people in the Portland area. It is a church where all people are participating in various areas of our church, as deacons, Sunday School teachers, trustees, greeters and choir.

Although Somesville, UCC holds the title of the first UCC community in the state of Maine as becoming recognized as an "Open and Affirming" church, Williston-West was welcoming of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people into their fold before the little church located on Mt. Desert Island. We have been 'walking the walk' and 'talking the talk' for a long time. However, we have never become recognized through the national and local registry of UCC churches as "Open and Affirming". Two UCC churches in the Portland area are "ONA" - Woodford's Congregational and South Portland First Congregational.

"Open and Affirming" (ONA) can mean several things, which may not only include welcoming all people and recognizing them as valued and beloved brothers and sisters in the eyes of our faith, but also would include the celebration and blessing of unions between homosexual couples in the sanctuary, baptism of teh children of gay, lesbian and transgendered people and honoring all loving relationships between all people.

In January at the annual meeting of the Williston-West, UCC, a proposal will be put forth for a vote of the congregation to adopt an "open and affirming" statement into the chuch by-laws, which will insure in the future that all people will be welcomed, affirmed in the greatest sense of the word and valued as part of our church community. An affirmative outcome to this proposal will also designate Williston-West, UCC as "ONA" in the state, local and national registry of UCC churches. Feel free to contact Eric Kelley (our minister), Phil Crane (our moderator), Roxanna Brophy (Deacon) or myself with any questions you may have.