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November 2015

Windows, Backpacks, & Pork – Oh My !

It’s been a busy time in our church lately. With the extended summer season, along with our passion for engaging our community and bearing Christ’s light into the world, it can feel like a flurry. Add to that our upcoming Annual Meeting, reception of new members, and the over-the-horizon holiday season, not to mention all the unexpected challenges life brings us, and we’ve got a recipe for exhaustion. The question arises for us: how can devoted givers find renewed strength and reinvigorated purpose ?

Like the tides, there’s a rhythm to this, but in our community the tides have become relentless. Whether it’s the economic urgency of more and more visitors, or persistently good weather that allows for very few `rainy days,’ external forces keep us moving at a lightning pace. It always feels like a flood tide.

So if a healthy rhythm isn’t established for us, it becomes even more important for us to establish it ourselves (with the discernment and wisdom of God). Did you hear: REI (the adventure clothing & supply retailer) has announced it won’t open for Black Friday ? (I’m sure they’ll end up meeting sales goals anyway.) What impossible-to-set-down role or task do we

yearn to let go of ? Remember Blue Laws ? Remember Sabbath ?

Making and taking time to set aside pressing tasks that cry out for attention can be really hard. Somewhere in our common yearning for meaning, purpose, and productivity, we confuse busyness with effectiveness.

Our spiritual task together is to begin to ask, `what gives me joy ?’ Not in a self-absorbed way, not as in “our lives are meant for pleasure,” but as in a) `what crowds out that sense of generosity and joy that we get when we’re doing what we love and what we’re called to do,’ and b) `what do I feel called to do now, and what do I need to let go of in order to be able to do it ?’ Where is the ebb tide of exhaustion, and where is the flood tide of grace?

Listening for this reply requires Sabbath – time intentionally taken, in the presence of God, apart from the insistent rhythms and pressing tasks of our daily lives.

It seems an important time of year to hear again Christ’s promise: “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”

Blessings and peace,

Rob

Pastor Rob’s Message

THE CHIMES THE NEWSLETTER OF

THE BAR HARBOR CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

AN OPEN & AFFIRMING CHURCH

29 Mount Desert Street, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609 Office Hours: Monday, Tues., & Friday, 9am-3pm

Pastor’s Hours: Tuesday 11:00-1:00 and Thursday 12:00-2:00

(207) 288-3280 office@barharborucc.org

www.barharborucc.org

Facebook: BarHarborCongregationalChurch

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Here is this month’s news from your Outreach Board. November is a fitting month to give thanks to

all who support our church’s outreach activities and projects. We also have some great new opportunities

and a very special event.

BAR HARBOR FOOD PANTRY

Thank you to all who volunteered for our church’s eight shifts in October! Our church will

volunteer again in January. It was great to have some first-time volunteers. It’s great fun, isn’t it?

HELPING HANDS: OUTREACH

THE SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS & MOUNT DESERT ISLAND: a community forum on Saturday, November 7

Area religious and civic organizations, libraries, and citizens will hold an event on

Saturday, November 7 from 3 to 5 p.m. at our church to learn more about the tragedy

affecting the Syrian people and what can be done about it. The program will also feature

local musicians, a singalong, and puppets for children.

Speakers will feature Tarlan Ahmidov from Catholic Charities in Portland, which is the

U.S. State Department's designated organization in Maine to resettle Syrian and other

refugees. Also College of the Atlantic student, Moni Ayoub, from Lebanon, who has

worked in a Syrian refugee camp, Heath Cabot on the COA faculty, who will comment on

the Syrian refugees flooding into Europe, and others who will speak on drought and climate

change as some of the driving forces behind the Syrian refugee crisis. Information will be

provided about organizations dealing with the crisis, and contributions to one or more of

them will be encouraged. They include the USA for UN High Commission for Refugees,

Doctors Without Borders, Mercy Corps, and others. Gray Cox will be Master of

Ceremonies for the occasion.

The Acadia Friends (Quakers) Meeting initiated planning for the event and has been

overwhelmed by the positive response. Co-sponsors who promote attendance, participation,

and financial contributions include our church, the Maine Sea Coast Mission, St Saviour's

Episcopal Church, Parish of St. Andrew and St. John Episcopal in Southwest Harbor,

YWCA, MDI YMCA, Southwest Harbor Library, Jesup Memorial Library, Bass Harbor

Library, and Charles Hendricks, MD.

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THANKSGIVING BASKET PROJECT IS HERE . . . WE NEED YOU! Thank you for your ongoing dedication to this wonderful outreach project

that makes Thanksgiving special for so many! The orders are being collected

from dozens of families in the area. We look forward to our BIG FOOD SORT

right after church on Sunday, November 22nd

. We’ll need BASKET PACKERS

at 10 AM to 11:30 AM on Monday, November 23rd

. It’s a community effort and

great fun for singles, couples, friends, families (even those with young children),

scout troops, etc. As always, we welcome your donations of cash and food items.

See you there. Please sign up in the parlor.

HAITI MISSION TRIP 2016 UPDATE:

Thank you for continuing to pray for the Mission: Haiti

2016 Team as we discern God’s plan for us in Haiti. Our

team of mission trippers (from both Bar Harbor and

Falmouth) met in late October for a retreat to build

community, pray, plan, and train for our work in

Ouanaminthe. Thank you, Donna Beals, for hosting our

Friday night potluck. Our excitement is palpable; twelve

members and friends (including four youth!) of our church will travel to Haiti in late February along with

our Falmouth friends under the guidance of trip co-leaders, Marti Torbeck, Becky Pride (Falmouth), and

our own Pastor Rob. We can’t wait!

GOT COFFEE? Thank you for supporting our Haiti Mission Trip by buying coffee. We continue to

sell Singing Rooster Haitian Coffee during coffee hour each week. Come see us! We will

have special holiday gift bags of coffee available for purchase this month and through

December. We’ll also sell these at the Christmas Fair. The gift bags make great hostess

and holiday gifts as well as super stocking stuffers!

WINDOW DRESSERS – A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS!

A hearty thank you to everyone who helped to complete the final assembly of 315 insulating window

inserts! Our church building was the perfect spot with plenty of space for every step of the process. A

special thanks to Pastor Rob for taking the lead recruiting and scheduling volunteers. It is highly likely that

the Windowdressers project will continue in our region for at least another couple of years. Fabulous!

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COFFEE’S ON RESUMES AT MAINE SEA COAST MISSION Beginning on November 3

rd, a Coffee House at the Sea Coast Mission will be

held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month from 9:30 – 11:30 through

the winter months. Transportation is available; please call our church office. This

is a wonderful gathering of folks to get out during the winter months to make new

friends, and to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, baked goodies and fruit, a board

game, live music, and great conversation. See you there!

HARVEST FESTIVAL SUNDAYS Our final Harvest Festival coffee hour will celebrate the Cranberry on November 15

th. Bring out your

favorite recipes or search out a new one to try at http://www.oceanspray.com/Ocean-Spray-Recipes.aspx

Thank you for contributing a favorite treat and for supporting our annual Harvest Festival.

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM AT MAINE SEA COAST MISSION Once again, volunteers are needed at the MSCM to help with the Christmas program. Each Wednesday,

volunteers will gather to sort and organize gifts for thousands of recipients in Downeast Maine. This

important program has been in place for more than 100 years! To find out more about how you can help,

email Marilyn Nickson at mnickson@seacoastmission.org or feel free to call her at 207-546-5869.

BACKPACK PROGRAM

Thank you for your faithful donations of both cash and the specific food items listed below.

Just recently, the Backpack Program received generous grants from both the MDI Rotary Club and the

Stroud Fund out of the St. Mary / St. Jude Church in Northeast Harbor. Note: Because of the

opportunity to buy food at cost from several sources, cash donations are particularly appreciated. For

example, for the cost of a pack of juice boxes that you might buy at the supermarket, we could purchase

DOZENS of juice boxes.

Granola bars

Mac and cheese (both individual and reg boxes)

Canned fruit – individual serving sizes only

Cracker sandwiches with peanut butter or

cheese

Chicken noodle & vegetable beef soup

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Haitian chicken en sauce creole:

1 lb chicken, cut-up (I used boneless thighs)

3 Tbsps. olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

2 tsps minced garlic or to taste

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp thyme

red pepper flakes and/or Tabasco or other hot sauce

and/or minced hot pepper, pref. Scotch bonnet - to taste

1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 red bell pepper in large dice (I added a green

pepper, too)

1 Tbsp Adobo seasoning (in Mexican food section)

1/2 C. white vinegar

2 Tbsps. tomato paste

Mix together lime juice, garlic, thyme, black pepper and Adobo seasoning. Marinate chicken several hours or

overnight in the refrigerator in a heavy Ziploc bag.

In a heavy pot, brown chicken in the olive oil (add more oil if needed). Add onion and peppers and cook for 5

minutes. Add tomato paste to pan, stir well and cook for 2 minutes.

Add vinegar, 1 cup of water (or to barely cover) and simmer for 45 minutes on medium-low heat.

Serve with rice and beans.

Prep time - 1 hour; serves 4-6

Tres Leches Cake (ok, 4 milks)

Prepare 1 pkg. yellow cake mix in a 9" x 13" pan as

directed and cool completely.

Mix together 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1 can

evaporated milk, 1/2 C. heavy cream, 1 can Cream of

Coconut (CocoLopez, not coconut milk).

When cake is cooled, poke holes all over and pour milk

mixture over. Top with whipped cream and shredded

coconut if desired.

Prep time: 1 hour plus resting; serves 1-12+

Robin’s Legendary Haitian Recipes

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Stewardship –

The careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s

care. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

In thinking about stewardship, if we view it through the widest lens possible, we see all that it includes.

Making the most of talents and skills … being responsible and generous with our finances … paying

attention to our families and relationships .... it's all stewardship. It means striking a balance between our

personal needs and sharing our gifts with the world. We give not because we have to, but because we

wish to express gratitude for the abundance in our lives.

We might consider taking an inventory of where our money goes by asking: does my giving reflect my

values? As I look to the amount I give the church and other organizations, how does it compare with

other expenditures in my life? Do I spend more on my cell phone bill than I donate to causes about which

I care? Does my family spend more on eating out than on sharing what we have, so others may eat?

We are charged with an ever-present challenge to live into our values by means of the spiritual practice of

giving. By recognizing and acknowledging our abundance, we find we can demonstrate our appreciation

for the gifts we receive and pass a portion on so that others may experience this bounty.

“Arrange in advance for this bountiful gift…so that it may be ready as a voluntary gift…Each

of you must give as you have decided in your heart…”

- 2 Corinthians 9:5-7

- Paula Moody

Inspiration, ideas and words borrowed from Live Justly, Love Abundantly, Walk Humbly by Land of the Sky United Church of Christ, Asheville, NC

Stewardship

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MEET OUR NURSERY MINISTRY TEAM: Katie Skeate and Gabrielle Uliano ! Katie (below) has worked in the nursery for nearly four years, and

she lives with her husband, Patrick, and 7-year-old daughter,

Peighton. She enjoys running, traveling and spending time with

her family. “I love working in the nursery and being a part of the

church family !”

Gabby (right) has worked in the nursery for a little over a year. A 2015 graduate of MDI High School, she’s a first-year student at Thomas College pursuing a degree in Special Education.

CHILDREN, YOUTH, & FAMILY MINISTRIES

Piggly Wiggly Cider Press Fest ‘15

The First Annual Piggly Wiggly Cider Press Fest was a

huge hit ! Nearly 200 people enjoyed fresh-pressed cider,

delicious pork from Brown Family Farm, along with

hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, and scrumptious desserts.

Kids painted pumpkins and turned the cider press. Special

thanks to Tim Smith and all the folks from BHUCC and

Holy Redeemer Catholic Church who put this on, to those

who contributed food, and to everyone who attended.

We’re already looking forward to next year !

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Annual Living Nativity

The Bar Harbor Congregational Church will offer our annual gift of the Living Nativity to the

community on the evenings of Thursday, December 3rd

at 6-7 pm and Friday, December 4th

at

7-8:20pm. Friday’s presentation will co-ordinate with the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce’s

“Midnight Madness.” This event, depicting the Biblical characters at the time of the birth of

Jesus, will take place on the church steps. At least 60 volunteers are needed for the two

nights so we need your help! Sign-up sheets will be placed in the parlor before

Thanksgiving. Participants are asked to be at the church 5:15pm on Thursday and 6:15pm on

Friday. Dress warmly. The massive size costumes fit over most winter jackets. Don’t worry

about supper - as hot soup, cocoa, and sandwiches will be available. Newcomers to our church

and friends in the community are welcome to join in. Stop for a few moments during your

Holiday activities to ponder the true meaning of Christmas. This is our 42nd

year! Contact

Norma Spurling at 266-0459 or vintagelady@roadrunner.com if you have any questions.

Annual Christmas Fair News

The annual fair will take place on December 9th

, beginning at 10AM. It takes a whole church

to "raise" a Fair, so your ideas, time, and talent are important. There were 42 different

volunteer projects in 2014, so there is always a perfect post for everyone whether before,

during, or after the actual fair. Plan to join in one or more short (30 minutes tops!) meetings

after worship on many (not all) Sundays in November. Keep an eye out for sign-up posters in

the church parlor and announcements in the Weekly Messenger and by email for more info!

Annual Living Nativity

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Perhaps the greatest delight of our church is its children. We watch their faces and sometimes their

antics and we watch them grow and they bring us joy. I suspect that many of us say a prayer for them

regularly. We pray that God will watch over them and bless them with all good things, and, most of

all, we pray that God will protect them from all danger and harm.

Praying for God’s protection makes all sorts of sense given our affection for these young ones, but it

goes against the nature of life itself. No one is completely sheltered from the dark and stormy aspects

of life. Moreover, most of us would admit that we have grown as mature human beings because we

have faced the difficult challenges of life. While we would not wish some of our experiences and

mishaps on our worst enemies, we do acknowledge that we are better people because of our failures.

They have caused us to become more compassionate and understanding of others. So, in a perverse

way, it would not be kind to shelter our children from all of the dark side of life, even if we could.

Each Sunday Pastor Rob leads us through the intersection of scripture and contemporary life. We are

fortunate to have a good preacher in our midst. But his responsibility for our spiritual lives only goes

so far. He may throw the ball over the plate, but there is no game if we do not bother to swing the bat.

The sermon is not efficacious if we do not engage with the word that is delivered. We must open

ourselves to the challenge of the Christian faith and our shortcomings and our potential.

However, there is one lesson that we must learn for ourselves and it is the same lesson we would

impart to our children: the only way to live a tolerable life on this planet is to trust that God is with us

always. Our mission in life is to live closely with God, and that will make all the difference as we

move through darkness and light.

- Ken Brookes

Along the Journey

About Chimes Devotionals

The Deacons are hoping that one person in our church each month can contribute a devotion, or just write about why church is important to them. If you are willing to submit an article, please contact any of the Deacons.

Let’s work together to make the CHIMES reflect how God is at work in our lives!

- Cindy Fox

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November Birthdays

3 Tabitha Booher 5 Matthew Lambert 5 Susan Ackerman 5 Stephen Moulton 6 Natalie Rechholtz 7 Cindy Fox 8 Carolyn Meader 10 Robert Cooper 12 Richard Fox 14 Owen Kelly 20 Jeremy Bryer 21 Eric Beals 21 Stephanie Kelley-Reece 22 Caroline Woodworth 25 Binky MacQuinn 27 Pat Linscott 27 Owen Craighead 27 Cristy Benson 29 Alaina Duley 30 Betty Bryer

Sunday Worship

Contributors Liturgists- 1: 8: 15: 22: 29 Flowers – 1: Nancy Pelletier 8: Sheridan and Barb Steele 15: George and Billie Mitchell 22: Kathy MacLeod 29: Ben and Ruth Rossi Blaney

Home Bible Readings 1 Ruth 1:1-8

Psalm 146 Hebrews 9:11-14 Mark 12:28-34

8 Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17 Psalm 127 Hebrews 9:24-28 Mark 12:38-44 15 1 Samuel 1:4-20 Psalm 16 Hebrews 10:11-14 Mark 13:1-8 22 2 Samuel 23:1-7 Psalm 132:1-18 Revelation 1:4b-8 John 18:33-37 29 Jeremiah 33:14-16 Psalm 25:1-10 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 Luke 21:25-36

Coffee Hosts - 1: 8: 15: Cranberry Festival 22: 29: Cristy Benson

B I R T H D A Y S C O N T R I B U T O R S B I B L E R E A D I N G S

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This calendar is current as of Oct 30. For the most current information, click here.

*Note: MDI Community Thanksgiving Worship Service –

Tuesday, November 24th @ 5:30PM at St. Saviour’s.

ALL ARE WELCOME

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Sat.

1 Worship Service

10:00 AM

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS (“fall back”)

2 3 4

BHCC Choir 6:00 pm

5 6 Flower

Committee 10:00 am

7 Syrian

Refugee Benefit 3-5pm

8

Worship Service 10:00 AM

9 10 11

Veterans’ Day Service 11am

Outreach, 5pm

Choir, 6pm

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Called to Care

7:00 pm

13

Backpack Fundraiser

@SSC 5:00 pm

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15 ANNUAL MEETING

Worship Service 10:00 AM

Harvest Festival -

Cranberries

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Cub Scout Pack Meeting

6:00 pm

17 18 CHIMES

ARTICLES DUE

BHCC Choir 6:00 pm

Deacons 7:30 pm

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Trustees 5:30PM

20 21

22 Worship Service

10:00 AM

Thanksgiving Basket Food Sorting

11:00 am

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Thanksgiving Basket

Assembly 10:00 am

24 Thanksgiving Basket Pickup

*Worship @

5:30pm

25

BHCC Choir 6:00 pm

26 27 28

29 Worship Service

10:00 AM

Holiday Comfort Service 4pm @ SUMH

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Bar Harbor Congregational Church United Church of Christ 29 Mount Desert Street Bar Harbor, ME, 04609 www.barharborucc.org

The greatest gift one can

give is thanksgiving. In giving

gifts, we give what we can

spare, but in giving thanks

we give ourselves.

- David Steindl-Rast

BHUCC Annual Meeting Sunday, Nov. 15th

Harvest Festival (Cranberries) Sunday, Nov. 15th

Thanksgiving Basket Project Nov. 22nd, 23rd, & 24th

Community Thanksgiving Worship Service Nov. 24th, 5:30pm, St. Saviour’s

Holiday Comfort Service November 29th, 4pm Somesville Union Meeting House

Living Nativity December 3rd and 4th

Advent Brown Bag Bible Study Thursdays in Advent, 12-1pm at the church. Starting Dec. 3rd

Please check the Calendar on page 11 for church meetings,

and the BHUCC website and Weekly Messenger for current updates.

Bar Harbor Congregational Church: Love in Action

UPCOMING EVENTS