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Worship This Week
Please join us
in the Sanctuary
or online at 10am for the
Fourth Sunday
after Pentecost
with Baptisms
Coffee hour will be held
after the service
in the Sanctuary.
The service will be live streamed
through Facebook Live here
or on 3CX here
Reader: Paul D'Adamo
Coffee hour host: Donna Hanson & Judy Ross
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Rev Paige's Corner: God's Unexpected Choices
This summer, the lectionary gives us a whole series of readings about David - the shepherd boy who becomes king of Israel. I will confess to having mixed feelings about David. He truly reflects some of the best and worst qualities of humanity. He makes some really big mistakes but also accomplishes some great things. It is clear that through his life he is engaged with God - learning and growing in his understanding and his faithfulness.
In 1 Samuel 16, we get the story of how Samuel seeks out the one God is planning to make the king and annoints him. The thing is that Samuel doesn't know exactly who God has in mind. God has told him that it is one of the sons of Jesse. So when Samuel finds Jesse he asks him to gather his sons so he can look them over. It almost reads like a bit of beauty contast as they each come before Samuel. And as each one comes, Samuel thinks they might be the one based on their size and handsomeness. But God tells Samuel: "The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." And so all the sons pass by Samuel and none of them is the one God has chosen. As last, Samuel turns to Jesse and asks if all of his sons are there. It turns out that the youngest son has been left out in the fields to take care of the sheep. After all, the youngest and smallest among them can't possible be the one God chose, right? But Samuel has Jesse send for his youngest and much to everyone's surprise, it is David whom God has chosen and David who is annointed.
There are other origin stories about David. The best known is David and Golliath, but we also get a tale about how as a boy David played his harp for King Saul when he was having something of an emotional breakdown.
Actually, all though the scriptures, we find God chosing unexpected people to serve. Think of Moses and his stutter or Paul who was actually persecuting Christians before his conversation. Noah got drunk. Jonah ran from God. Martha was a worrier. Abraham and Sara were old. And on and on. But God doesn't see us the way we see ourselves or one another. God surpises us and transforms us.
I suspect this is not only true of individuals but of congregations as well!
Blessings and peace!
Rev Paige Besse-Rankin
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Transition Talk rescheduled to June 23 following worship
Our second Transition Talk has been postponed to June 23 (so people won't be tired out from the Strawberry Festival.) It will take place over Pizza lunch in Hadley Hall.
Who is our neighbor? A program called "Mission Insite" gives us a lot of demographic information, but it also tells us about what marketing groups are here (age, household type, economic realities and more). And then it gives us information about the trends of those groups with regards to what they are seeking in churches! Looking at this information can give us information about possibilities for ministry moving forward (which will also have an impact on the qualities we hope to find in the next pastor!)
So come and learn about our neighbors!
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Questions From the Transition Team
Friends,
The Transition Team is gathering information and working to engage the entire congregation in the discernment process as we prepare to search for our next settled pastor! When the Search Committee prepares the Local Church Profile, the information included will have a significant effect on the types of individuals who respond to the profiles as applicants for the settled pastor position. Your feedback will help provide an accurate picture of our church and where it is going.
If you haven't had a chance to answer the questions from the last 2 weeks, we would encourage you to click the links below to share your thoughts!
Blessings!
Answer first question here
Answer second questions here
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Summer Office Hours Begin July 1st
Just a reminder that the summer office hours will begin on Monday, July 1st until August 31st.
Office hours will be:
Monday 9am-12pm
Wednesday 9am-12pm
Thursday 9am-1pm
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Steeple Lighting
Steeple Lit June 16th to June 23rd
In Loving Memory of
Matthew Griffin
Love, Your Family & Friends
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Peace & Justice
I ran upon an article by Arnie Alpert in In Depth NH about a Concord church hosting an event to turn unwanted firearms into tools, jewelry, bowls and even flutes! It began with a testimony from Ingrid Halverson who didn’t want her late husband’s shotgun and rifles. She did not want to sell them and put them back in the market and heard about New Hampshire Guns to Gardens event at Wesley United Methodist Church. When she drove up a volunteer met her and asked her to remain in the car while another volunteer, a former police officer, removed each firearm from the car, making sure each was not loaded. Then each gun’s make, model, and serial number was logged. She watched as each one was taken to the grinding tent where another volunteer cut them up to make them inoperable and toss the parts into boxes.
This event was organized by Gunsense NH, a project of Granite State Progress. Zandra Rice-Hawkins, the group’s director, said that there aren’t many ways to get an unwanted firearm out of circulation, “If you bring it to the police station, if they’ll even take it, they actually by law have to use it in their own operations or sell it at a public auction.” The article shared various reasons that individuals have brought their firearms to events like these. Doug Finkel, a Keene craftsman pictured below, was there to collect rifle barrels which he converts into flutes. He said, “The idea of making musical instruments from guns is celebratory.”
At this event, 17 firearms were turned in. Another Guns to Gardens event is schedule in Durham in the fall. Also, watch for an online auction where you can bid on wooden bowls, jewelry, and garden tools made from gun parts.
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Music Corner by Herb Tardiff
Historians estimate that the lute got its start in ancient Mesopotamia as early as 3000 BCE. These stringed instruments were made by using a turtle shell as the body, which accounts for the characteristic rounded back that the lute still has to this day.
As the lute traveled east into Central and Eastern Asia and west into Egypt, Greece, and Europe, it evolved into many different shapes and styles, each with its own unique name. The lute family has come to include any stringed instrument with a neck and tuning pegs.
Many of the ancient paintings show that the lute was being played by a woman. The lute itself fell out of favor during the Baroque Era because of its soft volume as compared to the strings, woodwinds and brass commonly used during this time.
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New Hampshire Conference UCC
Weekly News
We thought you might enjoy reading the NH Conference UCC weekly newsletter. You can read it with this link.
6/11/2024 Newsletter
Each week, we will update this section of our Weekly Word with the new link
for the current newsletter.
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New AMAZON Wish List for
Saint Anne's Food Pantry
St. Anne's Pantry is seeing an increase in the number of families who shop with them. They've almost doubled the amount of families who shop weekly since this time last year. They try to keep their shelves stocked as much as they can.
They are reaching out for some help...donations are needed. They thought they would try an Amazon Wish List in addition to listing items here.
Thank you in advance for any donations.
Please no expired items and non-perishable items only please.
Drop off in the foyer of Hadley Hall.
Looking for the following: cereal(no oatmeal), coffee, tea, Ritz Crackers, Saltines, granola bars, Nutrigrain bars, cheese and crackers, peanut butter and crackers, canned Chef Boy r Dee, condiments, salad dressing, brownie/cake mix, Coffee/K-Cups, Quickbread/Muffin mixes, Easter Candy, Ensure, Scalloped/Au gratin potatoes.
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To sign up for the next volunteer opportunity click here. If you are interested in volunteering contact Jane DeRosa via email at janederosa@comcast.net. | |
The Sonshine Soup Kitchen needs volunteers to prepare and package the food for "To Go Meals." We partner with Atkinson Congregational Church once a month on the 4th Wednesday of the month to help out from 3-6pm. | | |
Are you on Facebook? Do you follow Hampstead Congregational Church? Please like our page to know about all the great events in the church. Liking also supports our church when people check us out. If you are already connected, share our good news!
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Help Us Continue Our Mission at HCC | |
Want to get the word out about what’s happening at HCC? If you want to publicize your event or remind the congregation about something, please email the office (hcc1752@gmail.com) by Wednesday at noon so that your information can be included in that week’s Weekly Word. Feel free to send in information up to three weeks in advance of an upcoming event. We want all of the congregation (not just the Team leaders) to be empowered to get the word out about all the activities that are happening at Hampstead Congregational Church!
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Our Mailing Address:
61 Main Street
Hampstead, NH 03841
Church Summer Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday 9:00am to Noon
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Hampstead Congregational Church Website
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