SPRING/SUMMER 2015
NEWSLETTER
First Congregational Church of Wilmot
United Church of Christ
“The Church on the Rise!”
From our pastor…
The Lanyard – by Billy Collins
The other day I was ricocheting slowly
off the blue walls of this room,
moving as if underwater from typewriter to
piano, from bookshelf to an envelope lying on
the floor, when I found myself in the L section
of the dictionary
where my eyes fell upon the word lanyard.
No cookie nibbled by a French novelist
could send one into the past more suddenly—
a past where I sat at a workbench at a camp
by a deep Adirondack lake
learning how to braid long thin plastic strips
into a lanyard, a gift for my mother.
I had never seen anyone use a lanyard
or wear one, if that’s what you did with them,
but that did not keep me from crossing
strand over strand again and again
until I had made a boxy
red and white lanyard for my mother.
She gave me life and milk from her breasts,
and I gave her a lanyard.
She nursed me in many a sick room,
lifted spoons of medicine to my lips,
laid cold face-cloths on my forehead,
and then led me out into the airy light
and taught me to walk and swim,
and I, in turn, presented her with a lanyard.
Here are thousands of meals, she said,
and here is clothing and a good education.
And here is your lanyard, I replied,
which I made with a little help from a
counselor.
Here is a breathing body and a beating heart,
strong legs, bones and teeth,
and two clear eyes to read the world, she
whispered,
and here, I said, is the lanyard I made at camp.
And here, I wish to say to her now,
is a smaller gift—not the worn truth
that you can never repay your mother,
but the rueful admission that when she took
the two-tone lanyard from my hand,
I was as sure as a boy could be
that this useless, worthless thing I wove
out of boredom would be enough to make us even.
Dear Friends,
I first heard this poem at Star Island one summer. It made me laugh so hard it brought tears to
my eyes. It is funny in print, but funnier by far read out loud, with pauses to emphasize the word and
presence of the infamous ‘lanyard’. Yet, this poem, far from being just a joke, also brings to light one
of the greatest truisms of life, for some gifts it is impossible to fully express our gratitude, and the
most we can do is ruefully offer up our own, different lanyards.
It strikes me that The Lanyard is also a wonderful reminder of the impossibility of recognizing
all the blessings given us by God. Here we are, given life and spirit, love and joy, an earth on which
to abide, food to sustain us, the promise of comfort in human and divine arms, and beauty beyond
measure in the experiences and emotions of life. And for this, each Sunday (and hopefully through
prayer in between!) we offer our lanyards; our small tokens of appreciation to God, our prayers, our
songs, our gifts, our words that really can never capture the significance of our debt - all of them our
so very human, fumbling attempts to say ‘thank you’.
But, speaking as a mother, I know that if my child were to offer me a useless, perhaps even
ugly, plastic lanyard, that he made by himself (or even with a little help) one summer day, my eyes
would well up with tears, my heart would burst with pride, and I would wear that lanyard no matter
what it looked like. I have to believe that our mothering God feels the same way about us.
So, Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers out there, whether by birth or by nativity of the
heart. Thank you for all that you do to make our world and our lives beautiful, full of love, full of
hope. Thank you for the sacrifices which you have made to bring life into this world, to sustain it,
and to teach us to mother on our own. May this season be a time for offering to our mothers, those
we were born with and those we meet along the way, those that are human and the One who is divine,
our lanyards of love.
With much love and many blessings,
Rev. Sara
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS
May 2 – Church clean-up day – see Trustees report page 4
May 17 – Community breakfast to benefit KREM – 7:30 -9 a.m.
June 7 - Potluck brunch following worship (See following article on page 3)
June 14 – Children’s Sunday – page 3
June 19 – Chicken BBQ supper – page 3
August 2 – Singing at Fisher Cat’s baseball game – page 6
August 8 – Wilmot Bandstand – church supplies food
August 22 – Church Yard Sale from 8 a.m. – 1:30 see page 4
MAY IS “OPEN AND AFFIRMING” MONTH!
For four Sundays in May and June we will celebrate the 4th anniversary of First Congregational
Church of Wilmot becoming an Open and Affirming church of the United Church of Christ.
May 17- During worship we will have a ONA moment in which a member of the congregation
will share a personal story about their experience of Open and Affirming.
Following worship Les Norman will lead us through a presentation on 'What does Open and
Affirming, and ONA, mean?', plus a review of the history of the process our church followed.
There will be time to answer all your questions.
May 24- During worship, an ONA moment.
Following worship, someone will be available in the sanctuary for one-on-one conversation
about any questions, thoughts, ideas individuals have about our ONA designation.
May 31- During worship, an ONA moment and, again, there will be time following worship for
a one-on-one conversation in the sanctuary.
June 7- During worship we will bless and dedicate our rainbow flag. Following worship we will
have a celebratory potluck brunch.
Please join us for this month of celebration!
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PANCAKE BREAKFAST on MAY 17
On Sunday, May 17th, we’ll serve a pancake breakfast to the community between 7:30 and 9
o’clock. Everyone’s invited! The breakfast is free but we’ll be seeking donations for KREM
(Kearsarge Ecumenical Ministires). If you can help or have any questions about the breakfast,
talk to either Marie or Allan MacDonald.
CHILDREN’S SUNDAY IS JUNE 14
Church School activities have been planned for the coming months. Mark your calendars for
Children’s Sunday, June 14th, when the children will be designing and leading some of the
worship service. Then comes summer! The children will plan and paint a mural to decorate the
side of the shed where the rainbow banner usually hangs. (The banner will move to a more
central position.) On rainy Sundays the children will use portions of their regular curriculum
from this past year which have yet to be implemented. Anyone interested in assisting with the
painting project or teaching during the summer, please contact Marie MacDonald –
[email protected]. Also, people who have leftover exterior paints in any color, we could
use them! Thanks!
CHICKEN BBQ PLANNED FOR JUNE 19
Last summer’s chicken BBQ was a big success, and Paul Fenton has agreed to cook for the
community again on Friday evening, June 19. Spread the word! Details and sign-up sheet will
follow closer to the time.
In case you missed it: What a wonderful atmosphere at the April 10th fund raiser dinner! In spite
of dense fog and competing local events, and with only about fifty guests, we were able to raise
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over $680 for New Horizons projects. Fred Ogmundson’s piano music, the sing-along by those
there and the dancing by a young girl just set the tone! Those folks who were clearing plates
repeatedly heard the food pronounced “delicious”! Twenty people from the church made this
dinner possible – cooking, providing foods, and then all the labor setting, serving and cleaning
up afterwards. A big thanks to Jane Norman for cooking all the turkey and biscuits!
With appreciation, Marie MacDonald 
REPORT FROM THE TRUSTEES
The Trustees had a chance to catch their breath this winter and get recharged for the upcoming
busier seasons. Some of the tasks that were accomplished more recently were:
1. Rewiring the organ and getting it functional again
2. In the process of dealing with the tempermental PA system
3. Fixed sticky outside door in the lower level
4. Had the propane tank filled recently (last refill was last July) at $1.81/gal for about 800 gal so
we continue to be pleased with the cost of heating the renovated church
Some of the tasks that need to be completed are :
1. Refinishing the floors in entries and stairs
2. Paint or replace upper railings on the steeple
3. Have tile floors stripped and rewaxed and….
Spring clean-up!!
All hands on deck for our spring clean-up day! It will be held in conjunction with regular
cleaning day on Saturday, May 2, beginning at 9 a.m. with the following chores to be done:
(a) Wash downstairs windows and install screens
(b) Shampoo carpets and runners
(c) Add bark mulch to shrub beds and flower gardens
(d) Recoat outside cement surfaces
(e) Tidy up/organize the shed storage area
as well as do a thorough cleaning of the inside of the church.
…SPEAKING OF SPRING CLEAN-UP
Keep in mind the CHURCH YARD SALE when you’re doing your spring cleaning. It will be
held on August 22, with attic treasures, baked goods, plants, and all kinds of good things for
sale. This is our church’s biggest fund-raiser, and it all depends on how much “stuff” we have
for sale. Last year we had our most successful sale to date – over $2,000 raised for New
Horizons Mission projects. If you’re anxious to get rid of your “stuff” before August, you may
store it in Janet Howe’s barn on Shindagan Road. Just let her know when you’ll be coming.
(526-4559). This is another activity which requires a lot of help! So save the date, and you’ll
hear more in August.
GETTING TO KNOW OUR NEW MEMBERS
Lucy Mueller Young retired to Sunapee two years ago knowing it would be wonderful because
she had spent many summers and weekends there since 1957. She and her husband Greg love
their "vintage" lake house and create artistic and mechanical projects in their adjacent
studio. She sings in Kearsarge Chorale and exhibits sculpture and mixed media work at the
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Library Arts Center, Center for the Arts and Women's Caucus for Art, New Hampshire
Chapter. Lucy is very excited to be a part of the Wilmot Congregational Church community, "It
feels like the little church I grew up in!"
Susan Cowan Morse is originally from Macon, Georgia. She grew up in the Episcopal Church
and chose to join the Wilmot Congregational Church because of its proximity to her home, just
two miles up the road. She loves the small, warm community here. She has her own educational
coaching and consulting business in New London and has recently announced the opening of her
own school. She is starting her doctorate in education at NEC in July. Susan is married to a
“locally grown guy”, Matthew More, and has two grown stepsons. She loves to play tennis,
garden, hike, and write.
DEACON NEWS
The Deacons are catching their breath after a very busy Lenten season. We provided an Ash
Wednesday service for the second year. Our Maundy Thursday service included a Seder supper
in the gathering room followed by a Tenebrae service with eight readers and music by Fred
Ogmundson and Gay Ellen Rayno in the Sanctuary. Easter sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. was held
again this year at the home of Marion Best followed by a breakfast at the church. The regular
Easter service was well attended. This year as a part of the service, the entire congregation
participated in a “decorating of the cross” with flowers. Following the service the cross was
placed outside in front of the church for everyone to see throughout the day.
Rev. Sara took her quarterly Sunday off to be with her family on April 26. The Deacons
provided the service.
The Deacons are saddened by the resignation, for health reasons, of Gay Ellen Rayno from their
group. She will be missed. The Nominating Committee will be looking for her replacement in
the days to come. (Note: Lucy Young has agreed to be our fourth deacon. Thank you, Lucy!)
Paul Fenton, Chair
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TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME
Calling all singers!! On Sunday, August 2, our church has been invited to sing
“God Bless America” and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the 7th-inning
stretch at the NH Fisher Cats’ baseball game in Manchester. This is a unique
opportunity to get our church some visibility, but we need singers. If you would like
to join the choir for this special opportunity, please speak to Janet or Fred. Tickets
cost $11, and 20 seats have been reserved for us, so invite your friends and bring your
family…..they can join the singing, too!
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IN OUR PRAYERS
We hold Julianne and the Gachelin family in our prayers as they grieve for Jeep, who died last
Thursday. Jeep became an “official” member of our church in 2001 but had been active before
that – among other things, slicing pounds and pounds of meat for our early church suppers,
producing the bulletin, making lovely laminated signs and, most recently, producing this
Newsletter. He will be sorely missed.
Janet
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NOTE: PLEASE MAKE THE FOLLOWING CHANGES/ADDITIONS TO YOUR
CHURCH MAILING LIST:
CHANGE:
Peterson, George and Linda – new address: 438 West Grant Street, Lancaster, PA 17603
Rayno, Gay Ellen – delete email address
NEW LISTINGS:
Lynn Baker – 832 Franklin Highway, Andover 03216 735-5752 [email protected]
Nina Tasi and Charlie Brurell – 266 Brookside Dr., New London 03257 877-0022
[email protected]
Linda and George Peterson
438 West Grant St.
Lancaster, PA 17603
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