Winthrop Congregational Church, UCC
No matter who you are. No matter where you are on life's journey. You are welcome here!
God empowers us to do great things together!
Easter 2021
Beloveds in Christ,
I have been learning to make maple syrup. It is a messy and delicious business, making maple syrup. I am writing this letter as I experiment with boiling sap on my stove. The evaporator pot is steaming and just starting to bubble. I’m going to add a little more sap to it in a minute, trying to find the sweet spot (pun very much intended) where the sap is boiling, but not too hot... thickening, but not burning. Basically, I’m watching a pot, waiting for it to boil, and trying to make sure the kitchen doesn’t turn into a sticky disaster. You know what they say about watched pots.
This year seems like it has been a lot of waiting. Waiting for clear answers about how we might slow the spread of Covid. Waiting for supplies we need to be back in the stores. Waiting to learn if we have been infected after an exposure. Waiting for our turn to get a vaccine. Waiting to be back in public in ways that feel "normal." And, while we waited, we worked. We worried. We checked in on people we care about. We mourned our losses and raged about the things that just didn’t seem fair. We also learned new things, like syrup making and audio mixing and video production, and we tried to do church in new ways. As we come upon a year of worshiping digitally, I am reminded of the words of Psalm 130:5-6:
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning.
The snowdrops at the edge of the woods are blooming. I think the pussywillow will be ready just in time to include in the Palm Sunday altar. It looks like I’ll be eligible to be vaccinated in late April. Today, I am watching a pot, waiting for it to boil. I keep noticing movement. More bubbles. More liquid roiling. When I stir the pot, the browning sap drips, still too liquid. It’s not syrup yet. So, I will keep working and I will wait. My soul waits, and in God’s word, I hope.
Lent is the season where we wait and work. It is a time when we pray and worship and make dinners to share and call representatives. It is a time when we wait for the Lord, more than those who watch for the morning. It is a good thing that we are seeing signs of new and renewed life, bubbling up and blooming in the margins. They show us that Resurrection is real and almost here. I hope you are seeing signs of New Life, wherever you are, rising like the sap in the trees in our yard. I trust that, soon, you will taste the sweetness of the Resurrection, even as you have put so much work into waiting for it. May it be all the sweeter because of your labor.
Christ is rising. Christ is rising, indeed.
Pastor Chrissy
Beloveds in Christ,
I have been learning to make maple syrup. It is a messy and delicious business, making maple syrup. I am writing this letter as I experiment with boiling sap on my stove. The evaporator pot is steaming and just starting to bubble. I’m going to add a little more sap to it in a minute, trying to find the sweet spot (pun very much intended) where the sap is boiling, but not too hot... thickening, but not burning. Basically, I’m watching a pot, waiting for it to boil, and trying to make sure the kitchen doesn’t turn into a sticky disaster. You know what they say about watched pots.
This year seems like it has been a lot of waiting. Waiting for clear answers about how we might slow the spread of Covid. Waiting for supplies we need to be back in the stores. Waiting to learn if we have been infected after an exposure. Waiting for our turn to get a vaccine. Waiting to be back in public in ways that feel "normal." And, while we waited, we worked. We worried. We checked in on people we care about. We mourned our losses and raged about the things that just didn’t seem fair. We also learned new things, like syrup making and audio mixing and video production, and we tried to do church in new ways. As we come upon a year of worshiping digitally, I am reminded of the words of Psalm 130:5-6:
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning.
The snowdrops at the edge of the woods are blooming. I think the pussywillow will be ready just in time to include in the Palm Sunday altar. It looks like I’ll be eligible to be vaccinated in late April. Today, I am watching a pot, waiting for it to boil. I keep noticing movement. More bubbles. More liquid roiling. When I stir the pot, the browning sap drips, still too liquid. It’s not syrup yet. So, I will keep working and I will wait. My soul waits, and in God’s word, I hope.
Lent is the season where we wait and work. It is a time when we pray and worship and make dinners to share and call representatives. It is a time when we wait for the Lord, more than those who watch for the morning. It is a good thing that we are seeing signs of new and renewed life, bubbling up and blooming in the margins. They show us that Resurrection is real and almost here. I hope you are seeing signs of New Life, wherever you are, rising like the sap in the trees in our yard. I trust that, soon, you will taste the sweetness of the Resurrection, even as you have put so much work into waiting for it. May it be all the sweeter because of your labor.
Christ is rising. Christ is rising, indeed.
Pastor Chrissy
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Support Our Ministry! As we often say, no matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here. Since its founding in 1776, our Winthrop Church has borne witness to the belief that God's love is a gift for all people and for all times. In January of 2017, the church took a step of faith and committed to raise the funds to help us live into our next steps as a place of welcome for all people. With our neighbors' help and the commitment of our church members, we were able to fulfill the promises we made. |
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Our Capital Campaign Priorities
Here is what we needed to do to make sure our building was both safe and welcoming:
- Fix the iconic bell tower: This is the first part of the building people usually see. The bell tower had been leaking during heavy wind-driven rains resulting in some water damage in the sanctuary. We installed new windows and weather proofing to the bell tower to eliminate water intrusion.
- Fix our roof: The church roof shingles on the Main Street side had been loosening and blowing off. This resulted in roof leaks and some damage to the sanctuary ceiling. For a more permanent repair, we removed the shingles, installed plywood and installed new shingles.
- Repair the sanctuary ceiling: Once we eliminated sources of rain water intrusion through the roof and bell tower, we repaired the water damage to the sanctuary ceiling.
- Update our entryway: The wall paper, paint and carpet in the main entry way of the church are worn and needed replacing. We painted the walls and ceiling and replaced the carpet.
Our church community endeavors to accept and embrace all who enter here. We welcome individuals of every race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, family structure, marital standing, socio-economic status, age, physical and mental ability to join us in the ministry of our church. All are invited to participate in worship, fellowship, and leadership.
Even though those projects are complete, our Gospel Work is never truly done. If you value having us as a faith community and faith partner in our town, please donate today.
Even though those projects are complete, our Gospel Work is never truly done. If you value having us as a faith community and faith partner in our town, please donate today.