Newsletter of the Richfield United Church of Christ
THE COLUMNS
October 2016
Canned Food Collection Rematch
Canned Green Beans Canned Sliced Potatoes
Two weeks remaining in our competition!
We are having a rematch of our competition between the piano-side pews and
the organ-side pews to collect canned food for the Feed My Sheep soup kitchen.
Help your team by placing your donations in the front pews.
Coffee-hour treats will be provided on October 30th by the losing side.
You are invited to a Peace of Mind Seminar
Thursday, October 13
The Men’s Health Group will host this seminar, presented by Julie Graf
Skinner, on Thursday, October 13, 2016 at 10 am in the Gathering Room.
How do you want to be remembered? Do your loved ones know your favorite song or
scripture? Losing a loved one is a difficult experience for anyone to go through, but
the weight of the loss for your family can be lightened knowing that your wishes were
honored. We invite you to a special presentation on the importance of arranging your
final wishes so you will feel confident that your final wishes will be granted.
We will outline the steps in the planning process and answer any questions you may
Neighbors In Need Special Offering
Sunday, October 2
The United Church of Christ’s annual Neighbors in Need
special mission offering supports the UCC’s ministries of justice
and compassion throughout the United States, including the
Council for American Indian Ministries, justice and advocacy,
and direct service projects supported by Justice and Witness Ministries.
have. This presentation is brought to you by Busch Funeral and Crematory Services.
We hope to see you there!
A Preacher Goes to Hell
You've never heard a sermon from me about hell. Maybe I've got too
much Good News to share to squander it on threats. Maybe I think
love and truth are sufficient motives for doing the right thing, without
punishments and rewards. Maybe I just don't believe that a loving
God would punish his beloved with eternal suffering. At any rate, the
Biblical idea of hell is actually less clear than many people seem to
think.
But Jesus sharply disagreed with the Pharisees about whom they
destined to hell. Pharisees condemned the ritually impure, those
whose beliefs differed from theirs. But Jesus' references to "hell"
tend to turn the Pharisees judgment of others back on themselves.
Jesus told parables, stories in which the condemned were, well, a lot
like the Pharisees.
Neither the prostitutes nor the ritually impure were condemned by
Jesus. Rather, harsh judgement went to those who condemn others
in their own religious self-righteousness (Lk 18:9); people like the rich
man who ignored the poor (Lk 16:20); people who would not help
those in need (Mt 25:41). Jesus had particularly harsh words for
those who viewed the religious community as exclusive, rather than
inclusive. “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
The Old Testament speaks of a shadowy afterlife known as "Sheol," For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go
the place of the dead to which both good and evil went without in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them!”
distinction. "There is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in (Mt. 23:13).
Sheol." (Ec 9:10)
Thus, Jesus took the Pharisees understanding of hell and flipped it
In the New Testament, there are three Greek words you might upside-down.
translate as "hell." Hades appears 11 times and comes from Greek
mythology; it is the underworld of Homer's Odyssey and includes The old time preachers liked to use these stories to scare the hell out
Elysium for the good and Tartarus for the evil. The word Tartarus is of us. But it turns out that Jesus' parables were actually teaching us
used once in the Bible (2 Pt 2:4). The third word is Gehenna, which a radical transformative vision of a God who loves everyone,
appears 30 times. I've actually been to Gehenna. It is a valley just including those whom the religious elite thought didn't have a
outside of Jerusalem where trash was burned in Jesus' time. It was snowball’s chance. In the words of Brian McLaren, "he wasn't so
considered especially evil because apostate Jews had offered much teaching about hell as he was un-teaching about hell."
sacrifices to the god Ba'al there.
The God I believe in neither condemns countless billions of souls to
In Jesus' time there were mainly two philosophies about an afterlife: eternal torment, nor extorts us into conformity under threat of
The Sadducees had little to say about it; they dwelt on the need to be punishment. The God I believe in does beckon us with love, to love
righteous in this life. The Pharisees adopted many ideas of an one another (Jn 15:12) to feed the hungry (Mt 25:35) and to drive out
afterlife from the Greeks and Persian empires, in which they'd been all fear (1 Jn 4:18). I believe in a God whose mercy and love extend
exiles for generations. In fact, the "Pharisees" got their name from beyond our imaginations - even to those whom we would myopically
"Farsi" – an old word for Persian. To the Pharisees, you went to hell condemn.
if you were careless about religious rules and rituals, if you were
Rev. John King
economically poor or ritually unclean. In other words, you went to hell
if you weren't like them.
We're all familiar with popular imagery of a devil. He holds a
pitchfork, wags a bifurcated tail, gleefully and busily tormenting souls
amid fire and brimstone. Most of this popular folklore actually comes
from John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667) and Dante Alighieri's' Inferno
(1314). A careful reading of the Bible shows something else.
Jesus clearly agreed with the Pharisees that there is an afterlife. Yet
his message is full of hope. He speaks of "eternal life," of "going to
prepare a place for us." Jesus uses the word "heaven" 139 times in
the Gospels. This is a clear theme in Jesus teaching.
October Sermons and Scriptures
October 2: Sermon: “What a Little Faith Can Do”
Scriptures: 2 Timothy 2:8-15 Luke 17:5-10
October 9: Sermon: “An Attitude of Gratitude”
Scriptures: 2 Timothy 1:1-14 Luke 17:11-19
October 16: Sermon: “Gustav Mahler and the Blessed Perseverance”
Scriptures: 2 Timothy 3:14-17, 4:1-4 Luke 18:1-8
October 23: Sermon: “The Flaw in the Floor”
Scriptures: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 Luke 18: 9-14
October 30: Sermon: “A Call to Conversion”
Scriptures: Isaiah 1:10-18 Luke 19:1-10
Becky’s
Quilt
Fall Potluck and Farm Outing October 23
Come join the WPM Board as we celebrate
the fall season and wonderful fellowship
within our church. The afternoon fun
begins with a potluck lunch following the
church service. The WPN Board will provide
pulled pork sandwiches, drinks and table
service. Congregation members are asked to
bring a side dish or dessert.
Following lunch, we will be going to
Luther Farms (5126 Alger Road) for an
afternoon of fall fun to include face painting,
a corn maze, hayrides, a corn pit, pumpkin
cannon, petting zoo, hay maze and pumpkins
galore. There will be a nominal fee
payable at the farm entrance tent.
WPM Fall Collection October 23-November 27
OPEN M CHRISTMAS BASKET COLLECTION
OPEN M has requested help in filling their giving
baskets with the donations of toothpaste and single
rolls of paper towels. We will need to collect 100
of each and have them to OPEN M by November 28.
We are a very giving church and I know we can help
those in need. Please join us again for another
friendly competition and see which side of the
sanctuary will host a December coffee hour.
S&A Board Outdoor Cleanup November 5
The S&A Board needs your help with improving the
appearance of our entry driveway. We plan to clean
On September 11
at the 10:15 service
Becky Monegan was
presented with a
quilt, handmade by
congregation
members, in honor
of her work with the
RUCC children’s
programs.
My thanks to all for this lovely gift. We have hung the quilt
in the hallway outside the choir room so that all can enjoy it
before I take it home. I love looking at each individual block
and thinking about your reason for the design of each.
(Brenda Lindsey is still trying to collect your thoughts if you
have not written them down for her.) As I said at the service,
you all say I know everything that is going on around here, so
how could this have happened right under my nose?
It has been my pleasure and a lot of fun to plan and organize
Vacation Bible School, Life of Paul and the children’s
Lenten programs. My past mentors of the children’s
programs here at RUCC helped to shape my programs (Mary
Jones, Debbie Rogers and John Nelson). Your support as a
congregation for items needed or staffing of these programs
made it easy. The youth group over the years have also been
very supportive in moving from being participants to being
staff members. And, I could not have put it all together
without the help in brainstorming and the building of props,
from Pieter van der Meer and Lew. I have had a lot of fun
playing with the kids for many years and will remember your
support and the fun the kids had as I enjoy your gift.
-Becky
With special thanks to the quilt block artists:
Betty van der Meer; Karen Butera; Sarah and Grace Luther;
Michal, Kirsten & Patrick Swan; Bonnie Obenauer; Nancy
Hartman; Marilyn Scarbrough; Marny Kuczmarski; Mary
Patrick; Dorothy Hooper; Tim & Linda Hnath; June
Dengate; Pat Worton; Polly Wheeler; the Christian Ed Board
with help from Peggy Couch; Barb & Diane Luther; Karen
Kiska; Rachel Luther; Nagwa Ahlborg; Brenda Lindsey with
help from Riley; Sally Heston; Lucy Snow; Katie & Ian
King; Emily Keppler & Patty Ellis, with help from Lillian,
Anna, Kayla, Charlotte and Dorothy; Ruth Joslyn; Mary
Summers; Cece Bard; and the behind-the-scenes planning
Richfield
United Church of Christ
Youth
Group
October 2: Youth Sunday
Please come prepared to usher, greet, and
bring a dessert to share for Social Hour.
We need readers for any first Sunday!
Adult Mission Group
Adult Mission Group Meeting
Sunday, October 2
The adult mission group will meet in the
Gathering Room after the 10:15 service on
October 2 to
discuss the possibility of an October
23-29 mission trip to West Virginia. If you
have an interest in helping others, feel free
to come or contact Pieter van der Meer or
Newt Heston. A light luncheon will be
served.
Election Day Bake Sale Planned in November
Report From
the ONA Committee
We have met three times, the first two were
open to all who were concerned, the last was
closed to review the questionnaires.
Thanks to all who participated; the discussion
was heartfelt. -Tom Barker
1. Do you have unanswered questions about the
ONA process?
2. Do you have strong feelings, either way, about
our church making this new covenant?
3. Do you have thoughts about how God is part of
this whole process?
We will be announcing further meetings for you
to be able to express your concerns. You can
also contact any of the members of this
committee:
Tom Barker, Dan Kuczmarski, Dawn Schilling,
Kevin Ahlborg, Katie King, Bob Neillie,
Jamie Tuttle
ONA Movie Night
“The Bible Tells Me So”
The Adult Mission Group will be looking for
baked goods donations from the church
family for the election day bake sale taking
place on Tuesday, November 8. This is a
fundraiser for the Adult Mission Group and
you will hear more about it in
the coming weeks.
There will be a sign-up sheet
in the social hall. Thanks for
your help as we use these
funds to help those in need.
A New Letter From Leydi Has Arrived
Dear Sponsors,
Receive cordial greetings.
Let me tell you that I’ve done well at school
but in the first period I failed a
subject.
Also, I go to church and I praise
to God in the choir. Also, I’m
paying attention to my mother.
Also, I’m happy because I attended to young service. I love
the homily.
October Birthdays
Ushers for October
October 2: Youth Group
Victor Stanko Gary Summer
Karen & Tom Kiska
10/1 Katie (van der Meer) Wilson
10/1 Robert Ballinger
10/19 Shellie Hart
10/4 Jeff Hooper
10/20 Mason Aquino
10/5 Kayla Hamilton
10/22 John Sikora
10/8 Paul Swan
10/23 Alicia Stanley
10/10 Greg Gerber
10/23 Mary Summers
10/10 Camryn Supelak
10/23 Pamela Supelak
10/13 Samuel Gill
10/26 Elizabeth Schreiner
10/16 Max Monegan
10/27 Gordon Brown
10/16 Maddie Rosene
10/27 Duane Simmons
10/16 Sean Wheeler
10/29 Shannon Best
10/17 Jean Krankowski
10/31 Candi Venus
10/18 Donald Venus
October Lay Readers
October 2: Youth representative
Bob Neillie
Boards and Council
Monday, October 10
7:00 pm Church Boards meet
8:15 pm Church Council meets
Men’s Health Group
You are invited to join the Men’s Health Group on Thursday,
October 13, at 10:00 am in the
Gathering Room for a presentation entitled, Peace of Mind
by Julie Graf Skinner from Bush Funeral Home.
Book Club
Book Club will meet on Monday,
October 24 at 7pm. The reading
selection for October is Everyday Faith
by Terry Pluto.
Caring Companions
The Caring Companions will meet in the
Gathering Room on October 26 at 7:15 pm.
Tom Emmett passed away on September 7.
We send our prayers to the Emmett family.
The next meeting of the Bicentennial
Committee will be Tuesday, October 18, at
7 pm in the Gathering Room.
New Members
On September 11 we welcomed
5 new members into our congregation.
The Gathering Room Gallery
The artwork of Phyllis Lawicki is now on
display in the Gathering Room. Stop in and take a
look at her beautiful paintings.
Peggy Couch has been a resident of Richfield
her entire life. She enjoys feeding and watching birds and is a
retired nurse. Peggy was also
baptized at the September 11 service.
“There is something so exciting about
filling your brush with water and color
and laying it down on a damp surface
and watching the magic happen.”
.
10/2 George & Anne Walker
10/5 Larry & Gail Cholensky
10/5 Terry & Ceec Bard
10/9 Ken & Jean Bennett
10/12 Paul & Michal Swan
10/15 Greg & Beth Gerber
10/16 Thomas & Jeanie Kerns
10/20 Emily & Jason Keppler
10/30 Larry and Amy Harsey
10/31 David & Karen Butera
In Loving Memory
Bicentennial Committee
Red Cross Blood Drive
RUCC
Wednesday, October 12
1-6 pm
October Anniversaries
Jean and Dennis Krankowski are Richfield residents and usually
attend our 8:00 service. Dennis is a retired millwright with BF
Goodrich and Jean is a retired manager at Sherwin-Williams.
At
Debbi and Jakob Dorsey are Richfield residents. Debbi works
in real estate sales with ReMax
and Jake is 16 years old and attends
Revere High School.
Richfield United Church of Christ
4340 W. Streetsboro Rd.
Richfield, Ohio 44286
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 4
GATHERING OF THE CHURCH FAMILY
EVERY SUNDAY
EVERY WEEK
8:00 AM
Early Worship Service
MON
7:30 PM AA
9:15 AM
Sunday school
WED
8:00 PM AA
SAT
8:30 PM
10:15 AM Worship Service
WEDNESDAY
AA
6:30 AM
MEN’S GROUP
THURSDAY
7:15 PM BELL CHOIR PRACTICE
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October Activities
October 2: Communion / Third graders receive their Bibles / Neighbors in Need offering / Youth Group greets,
ushers and hosts coffee hour at the 10:15 service / Adult Mission Group Meeting
October 5: ONA Movie at 7 pm: “The Bible Tells Me So”
October 10: Church Boards meet at 7 pm and Council meets at 8:15 pm
October 12: Red Cross Blood Drive at RUCC from 1-6 pm
October 13: Men’s Health Group at 10 in the Gathering Room with speaker Julie Graf Skinner
October 13: Retirement Village Board meeting at 7 pm in the Gathering Room
October 18: Bicentennial Meeting at 7pm in the Gathering Room
October 23: Potluck and Farm Outing after the 10:15 service / Adult Mission Trip to
West Virginia
October 24: Book Club meets at 7 pm
October 26: Caring Companions Meeting at 7:15 pm
Richfield United Church
of Christ
Phone: 330-659-3532
Fax: 330-659-2506
[email protected]