| |
Appreciating God's Creation
Summer Event:
Picnic at the Pelletiers'
Join the Nativity Creation Care Team on the shores of Long Cove for an afternoon of fellowship, wonder, and God's good creation.
On August 30, after worship, we'll gather at the home of Judy and Dick Pelletier for a bring-your-own, ready-to-eat picnic (no grills available) at 62 Point Judith Drive in Tenant's Harbor. The Creation Care Team will provide dessert and lemonade. This is an outdoor, weather-permitting event, so please check your email if the forecast looks doubtful. We'll email out directions closer to August 30 — if you're not on our weekly email list, contact the church office to get added.
Dick and Judy's property sits on a peninsula reaching into the upper end of Long Cove, shared with birds, wildlife, and native plants and trees. Easily walkable trails lead down to the Point for those who'd like a short hike, and Dick will point out places of interest along the way, including efforts to help fish make their way upstream across the road. The main gathering area is accessible and doesn't require the walk down to the Point, so everyone is welcome to enjoy the setting at their own pace.
We've timed the gathering for a favorable tide, so kayakers are welcome to bring their boats and launch for a paddle in the cove. We’ll also have lawn games including Kubb (the Swedish game sometimes called "Viking Chess" and Corn Hole. For those who'd rather sit back and take in the view, there's shaded space to gather, talk, and enjoy the breeze off the water.
If you have a favorite nature poem, bring it along to share — we'd love to hear what's
spoken to you.
Along with your lunch, bring a chair and the usual outdoor essentials: sunscreen, insect repellent, a hat, perhaps binoculars or camera, and anything else you'll want for an afternoon in nature. It can be cooler there near the water so check the expected temperatures in case you’ll want a sweater or jacket.
Whatever way you spend the time — hiking, paddling, playing games, or simply sitting in the shade — come enjoy this beautiful corner of creation together.
If you have any questions, speak with a member of the Creation Care Team.
| | | |
I sign up for a lot of blog posts and Substack articles that land in my email. Sometimes I read them, often I don't. One that comes regularly is from my friend and our former bishop, Jim Hazelwood, called "The Notebooks of James Hazelwood." His writing ranges from theological to social-justice-minded to just plain whimsical. Some days I read it, some days I don't.
A recent one caught my attention, and I did read it. It was titled "Kintsugi: The Beauty of Imperfection," and it spoke to the human condition of sin and brokenness — but it spoke to me in an unexpected way.
Jim explained kintsugi as a Japanese technique for mending broken pottery with lacquer mixed with gold, silver, or platinum dust. Rather than hiding the cracks, the technique highlights them as part of the object's beauty. The stories behind its origin vary — one involves a shogun displeased with an ugly metal-stapled repair on a treasured tea bowl, prompting artisans to develop something better; another tells of a servant who broke a teacup during a diplomatic ceremony and returned it repaired with veins of gold, more beautiful than before. True or not, the stories point to the same thing: the break isn't hidden, it's celebrated. The mended object becomes more beautiful than it was before the damage.
Jim went on to unpack the theological and spiritual meaning of that image — well worth an internet search if you're interested. But as I read, I wasn't thinking about my existential condition. I was thinking about the still-mending crack in my foot, and how the healing of that tiny bone has changed me for the better.
As healing was coming, I learned to look for meaning and beauty in stillness. I learned how to wait, and how to be more patient. I learned to accept help when it was offered, and to ask for it when I needed it. I learned it’s okay to sometimes share one’s vulnerabilities. All of these were steep learning curves for me. I have always been fiercely independent, and I've long lived by the motto "if you want it done right, do it yourself." I see now that this isn't the healthiest attitude — not for one's physical well-being, and not for one's relationships. Relationships are strengthened, not weakened, when you let someone care for you or help you.
Through this experience, and these last six months of leaning on others more than I ever have, I believe I have become a stronger, better "me." Not despite the break, but in some ways because of it — mended, and maybe more beautiful for it, gold showing in the cracks.
Thank you for your help and your prayers.
Faithfully,
Pastor Anderson
| | Out of the Office in August | | |
Come join Pastor Anderson and a few faithful regulars on Tuesday mornings, 9:30 - 11:00 AM, for casual and spontaneous conversation “out of the office” at some of our local coffee shops. Come and go at whatever time works for you.
-
August 4 Dot’s, Rt. 1, Lincolnville
-
August 11 Wharfside Coffee, 12 Commercial St., Tenants Harbor
-
August 18 Old Time Donuts, 748 Main St, Damariscotta & Whaleback Shell Midden, 535 Main St, Damariscotta
-
August 25 Cosmic Café, 12 Moody Drive, Thomaston
| | Out of the Office Goes on the Road | | |
We'll have a special edition of Pastor’s weekly “Out of the Office Hours” on Tuesday, August 18 as we travel down Route 1 to Old Time Donuts, 748 Main St, Damariscotta. We’ll meet there at 9:30, enjoy donuts together and then move on to the Whaleback Shell Midden State Historic Site right down the road.
We’ll wander down to the shore through a historic apple orchard and learn the story of the huge ancient shell heap that once lined the shore. The Rhoda and Lee Cohen River Trail begins at the Whaleback parking area and curves gently down to the top of the old apple orchard before cutting south to cross into the neighboring preserve on its way to Round Top Farm. This trail is rated accessible by Forest Service standards: 8 feet wide, gently graded, and surfaced with firm crushed stone dust. For those who want to do more, there is a mown loop trail down to the river and back branching off from the accessible trail. The terrain drops significantly as you descend to the river. There is also a spur trail extending north into the woods along the river. It is narrower, but relatively flat and smooth.
The site once contained a massive oyster shell heap, or midden, formed over a period of more than 1,000 years by prehistoric people. The shells were processed for chicken feed in the late 1800’s, leaving behind just a fraction of the original mounds. Interpretive storyboards relate the history of the middens, their accumulation and destruction, and also share stories of the Upper Damariscotta River. The swinging bench by the shore offers an ideal view of one of the largest intact middens on the east coast, the Glidden Midden, just across the river. For fascinating details about the shell middens, along with some historical images, visit the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s website.
The trail is not shaded so be sure to bring sun protections and water.
| |
What's Happening at Nativity
http://www.nativityrockport.org/calendar.html
2 AUG, SUN
9:30 – 10:30am Worship Service - in person and online
3 AUG, MON
7 – 8pm Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting
4 AUG, TUE
9:30 – 11am Pastor's Out of Office Hours - Dot’s, Rt. 1, Lincolnville
5 AUG, WED
12:15 – 1:15pm Stronger Together Alanon Meeting
6 AUG, THU
8 – 8:30am Morning Prayer - via Zoom
9 AUG, SUN
9:30 – 10:30am Worship Service - in person and online
10 AUG, MON
7 – 8pm Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting
11 AUG, TUE
9:30 – 11am Pastor's Out of Office Hours - Wharfside Coffee, 12 Commercial St., Tenants Harbor
12 AUG, WED
12:15 – 1:15pm Stronger Together Alanon Meeting
13 AUG, THU
8 – 8:30am Morning Prayer - via Zoom
3 – 4pm Coastal Family Hospice Volunteers Grief Group for Parents Meeting
6:30pm Congregation Council Meeting (Zoom)
16 AUG, SUN
9:30 – 10:30am Worship Service - in person and online
17 AUG, MON
7 – 8pm Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting
18 AUG, TUE
9:30 – 11am. Pastor's Out of Office Hours - Old Time Donuts, 748 Main St, Damariscotta & Whaleback Shell Midden, 535 Main St, Damariscotta
19 AUG, WED
12:15 – 1:15pm. Stronger Together Alanon Meeting
20 AUG, THU
8 – 8:30am Morning Prayer - via Zoom
23 AUG, SUN
9:30 – 10:30am. Worship Service - in person and online
Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen
24 AUG, MON
7 – 8pm. Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting
25 AUG, TUE
9:30 – 11am. Pastor's Out of Office Hours - Cosmic Café, 12 Moody Drive, Thomaston
26 AUG, WED
12:15 – 1:15pm. Stronger Together Alanon Meeting Room
27 AUG, THU
8 – 8:30am Morning Prayer - via Zoom
3 – 4pm Coastal Family Hospice Volunteers Grief Group for Parents Meeting
30 AUG, SUN
9:30 – 10:30am Worship Service - in person and online
After worship: Appreciating God's Creation Summer Event: Picnic at the Pelletiers'
31 AUG, MON
7 – 8pm. Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting
Email Pastor at office@nativityrockport.org if you would like the zoom link for Thursday morning prayer or Sunday Worship.
| |
AIO Back-to-School Drive & Summer Fill the Strand
Picture 225 children walking into AIO this August, each with their own basket, picking out the folders, markers, and backpacks they'll carry into the first day of school. That's the goal of this year's Back-to-School drive, building on last year's momentum — and it happens because our generous communities show up to make it happen.
Collection boxes have been out at area businesses since July 6, and the drive culminates at Summer Fill the Strand, Friday, August 7, 10:00am–2:00pm at the Strand Theatre. Stop by with school supplies in hand, or sponsor a "virtual seat" and help fill the theater without leaving your kitchen table.
The most-needed items are simple, everyday things: folders, lined paper, markers, and crayons for back-to-school; granola bars, cereal pods, single-serve microwavable meals, jerky, nuts, and dried fruit for the middle and high school pantry program; diapers in any size, boxed or not; and non-perishable food with a current expiration date (no glass, please).
Alongside Fill the Strand, AIO has launched a summer appeal to raise $100,000 for its children's programs — diapers, weekend meals, after-school snacks, and back-to-school supplies. And this year, a generous donor is doubling the impact: every gift between now and the end of August will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000. Give $30, and it becomes $60. Give $100, and it becomes $200.
Here's what that looks like on the ground. Thirty dollars puts a backpack and supplies in one elementary student's hands. Fifty dollars covers a quarter of the Weekend Meals program for a child who might otherwise go hungry over the weekend. Seventy-five dollars feeds 125 elementary students an after-school snack through the YMCA-sponsored program — for a single day. A hundred dollars keeps one baby in diapers for a month.
Whether it's a box of crayons or a check in the mail, your gift lands directly in the hands of neighbors who need it.
Learn more or donate at https://www.aiofoodpantry.org/strand-back-to-school
| | | |
| |
Take the Food Waste Challenge
Our Creation Care Team invites you to take the Maine Home Food Waste Challenge in August to identify how much food you waste and why. Once you have tracked your habits it will be easier to make positive changes. You can find paper copies of the challenge in the pocket on the bulletin board beside Pastor Anderson’ office. If picking one up at Nativity doesn’t work for you, email the church office (office@nativityrockport.org) and let us know if you would like a PDF copy emailed to you or a paper copy “regular” mailed to you (be sure to include a preferred address). Even small efforts can make a difference.
| | | |
Counting on The Counters
by Carolyn Ramm
It’s time to give some recognition and appreciation to our team of counters. They operate behind the scenes, but they form a crucial link in the financial chain that keeps Nativity going.
When funds come in – whether in the collection plate, through the mail, or in any other way – the counters are the people who have first contact with those funds. They ensure that the amounts are recorded and credited correctly, and then they make up the bank deposits and deliver the funds to the bank. Without them we simply would not know how much money we have, or where it is.
Counting is a back-of-house operation, and the people who do it are not visible to the congregation in the same way as those who serve as ushers, readers, worship assistants, choir members, and so on. This is all the more reason to give credit where it is due. The counters’ job calls for a high level of integrity and trustworthiness, and we are so fortunate to have the following individuals doing this work: Bruce Cobb, who has been counting for years, at times virtually singlehandedly; Mimi Moore, who also has been counting for a long time; Fran Kresge, who last year took on the role of recruiting and scheduling the counters at the church council’s request; and Barbara Alberda, Kathy Ash-Flashner, and Ollie Jones, who stepped in to fill a need after the financial review committee strongly recommended adding counters in their 2025 report.
If you happen to be chatting to any of these people at coffee hour or elsewhere, please take the opportunity to thank them for all they do. And please speak to Fran if you would like to become a counter yourself!
| |
Assistant Schedule
Month of August:
Flowers: Annie Appleton (wks 1,2), Gretchen Hanna (wks 3,4,5)
Altar: Jennie Dynesius
Acolyte: Jennie Dynesius
August 2
Assistant Minister: Betty Long
Usher: Carol Brazier
Reader: Fran Kresge
August 9
Assistant Minister: Marty Taylor
Usher: Tina Huntley
Reader: Carolyn Ramm
August 16
Assistant Minister: Hans Akselsen, II
Usher: Bruce Cobb
Reader: Jane Monhart
August 23
Assistant Minister: Kim Murphy
Usher: Denise Stadler
Reader: Ted Long
August 30
Assistant Minister: Ted Long
Usher: Kim Murphy
Reader: David Paul
| |
I hope you have enjoyed reading the August "Nativity View"! With this issue, we have moved to not only a new editor but also a new "newsletter platform". It may take an issue or two to "get our groove", so thank you in advance for your grace during this transition.
Some things to note about our new platform:
- All text in orange is a live link to a website or email address. On a desktop device (computer), click on the link to open the web page or an email window on your computer; on a mobile device (phone or tablet), tap the link.
- On a desktop device, most photos can be opened for a "better view" by clicking on the photo. These photos can also be downloaded: when your cursor is on the photo, look for a small "download icon" in the lower right corner. Be sure to check this feature out in the photo of the Pelletiers' red barn (Picnic article) to get a closer look at the "brown "stump" in the foreground. On a mobile device, "pinch your screen" to enlarge and on some mobile devices you will be able to open the photo to download or share.
- I can preview what the issue will look like on computers and on mobile devices and can adjust formatting if necessary BUT if you are having trouble "viewing the View", please let me know so I can try to make changes for the next issue (font, colors, etc...).
- We have multiple email addresses for several subscribers. If you would like to receive the View at a different address or received multiple copies, please let me know your preferred email.
- If you no longer wish to receive the Nativity View, you can unsubscribe using a button at the very bottom of this email.
Content Needed
Do you have an article (or an idea for one); photos from a recent church event; or maybe a community concert or program flyer that you think would be of interest to Nativity View subscribers? Please submit any of the above or other ideas you have to engage and inform our community to theview@nativityrockport.org. All submissions need to be received by the 20th of the month to be included in the next month's edition. Deadline for the September issue of the Nativity View is August 20.
Thank you, Kim
A huge shoutout and thank you to Kim Murphy who served as editor of the Nativity View for many, many years She has answered questions, made suggestions, and shared resources to help me get this issue put together and out to you. Thank you for everything, Kim.
Sincerely,
Heidi Anderson
Editor
theview@nativityrockport.org
| | Nativity Congregational Council | | | | |
