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E-Link Archive 2008
The Weekly newsletter of Open Arms Church
Archive of Past
E-Link Edition's
Highlights from January edition's:
If you would like to subscribe to the Open Arms MCC
weekly e-link newsletter.. CLICK HERE
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E-Link
Open Arms MCC 740 Marshall
Road Rochester, NY 14624
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January 2, 2008
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Deacon's Corner:
Yo God...Happy 2008!
This is the year for relationship
building for me and You.
After fifty-five years it dawned on me
that being in relationship is what it is
all about.
First my relationship with You,
praying, listening, following, talking
and being with You.
Having You with me all of the moments of
my day...bonding, connecting, and
learning how to follow the path You have
called me to.
Second my relationship with
myself....learning to love myself with
all my faults... knowing that I am of
value and not playing those old records
that said I was fat, not smart enough to
go to college, sinner because I am a
lesbian, but hearing that God loves me
just they way I am and so should I.
Third, there is my relationship with
my partner, my family, my friends, and
my Church. Remembering that being in
relationship is hard work That it is a
give and take and not always does it
balance out. That there will always be
moments of joy as well as pain.
That forgiveness is key; after all we
are all just human full of faults and
short comings.
This is the year for relationship
building for You and me God!
Praise and Amen
Deacon Debbie
Pastor's Reflection:
Recently, I preached a sermon on
unconditional love. I did that to
compare and contrast our kind of love
with God's kind of love. And also to
prepare for the Christmas gift we
receive from God - the birth of Jesus.
Enough questions arose from that
sermon that I decided to preach part two
of that sermon, and possibly part three,
soon.
We can't spend too much time
reflecting on love - what it gives to us
and what it demands from us.
How I would love to take the whole
church for a 30 day retreat in the style
of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder
of the Jesuit religious order. Most of
it would be in silence. Much of it
would be spent in guided reflections on
the spiritual life and time for personal
meditation and prayer. Each day would
begin and end with vibrant worship. We
would go into ourselves deeply and root
out all the internal weeds that had
grown. We would do a kind of spring
cleaning of the soul. We would
experience solitude and also
community. We would build ourselves
and others.
OK, so that's the kind of daydreaming
this pastor does. Since that 30 day
retreat is not going to happen, we are
just going to have to accomplish all
those good things in different ways
throughout the year.
On Saturday, January 26, we will have
a
retreat/leadership/planning/praying/community
day from 10 to 4. I hope you will plan
to come to that
Lent begins in early February and we
will have Wednesday evening soup and
bread suppers and a guided bible study.
This will continue our retreat and
community building theme. Plan now and
mark your calendars.
On Sunday, January 13, there will be
a membership class for those who joined
but still have to fulfill the
requirement of membership class. It is
also for seekers to question what MCC is
and where Open Arms MCC came from.
We can never take love for granted.
We can never stop asking what love is
requiring of us today. Each day we
must ask and stand ready to say, "Here I
am, Lord."
Rev. Jim
Prayer Requests:
Please keep Joe S. in your prayers as
he prepares to be deployed to Iraq. He
is counting on our prayers
For all those who suffer depression
and loneliness
For those who struggle with cancer
and for those who support them
For our widespread sister and
brothers who feel a connection to Open
Arms but can't attend: Linda S., Donna
and her family, Jill and Ellen, David
E., Bill VT, Doug McD and the many
others who think of Open Arms as their
home church
For Rev. Delores Berry as she heals
For those who celebrate birthdays
this month
For the health of our church
community and financial stability for
individuals and couples and the church
For those who seek jobs
Upcoming Events:
January 11 - Board Meeting
January 12 - Potluck and
Games
January 13 - 1 to 4pm
Membership Class
January 26 - Retreat and
Planning Day 10-4
January 25 and 26 - Buffalo
Gay Mens Chorus Concerts
Until next time, Oremus pro invicem -
let us pray for one another.
If you would
like to be removed from this mailing
list, please send an email to
oamcc@frontiernet.net with the
subject line Unsubscribe
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Open
Arms Metropolitan Community Church
E-link January 9, 2008 |
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This Sunday from
1-4, there will be a membership class. There are several
people for whom this is a mandatory make-up class. All are
welcome.
Deacon's Corner:
"How wonderful it is that
nobody need wait a single moment
before starting to improve the world. " Anne Frank
This is a remarkable statement from a remarkable young
woman.
Let me improve the world by improving myself.
Let me listen to others, being in the present moment, not
thinking about where I'ld rather be.
Let me speak in words of care and wisdom, not language of
hurt and ignorance.
Let me celebrate the beauty of the Earth, not pollute it and
abuse her resources.
Let me walk in the footsteps of Jesus, knowing that in my
humanness I will fall short.
God, I can improve the world beginning with me. Amen
Deacon Debbie
Pastor's
Reflection
Well, it certainly was one of those
days! One of the effects of aging and also of the Lupron
shots I get is to make me achy. I was really achy and got
up at 3am. I went down to make coffee. I was out of
coffee. I threw on jeans and drove down to Nunda to get a
large cup at Sugarcreek. Then, I did this and that and
booted up my laptop to write the elink. It was pouring rain
and windy. As soon as the laptop was ready, the power went
out. I set up candles all over the house and called RG&E
to report. I sat in the dark and fidgeted. In the
country, if you have no electricity, you have no water. I
had some jugs of drinking water that were very cold. That
was my morning bath. Brrr... As soon as I got dressed,
the power came back on!
I went to work at hospice which went well
but I was really tired all day and found it hard to pay
attention at meetings. Around 3, I went to church to work
on some membership issues. There was no power at church so
I couldn't boot the computer. I gave up and came home.
So, sixteen hours after I tried to start
the elink, I am starting it.
Oddly enough, we need these interruptions
to call us back to ourselves. We spend so much of our lives
pulled in many directions that we need a literal power
outage to stop and sit in the dark for a little bit. It's
almost like we need to be forced to take a step back from
all the "stuff" we have to do every day.
So, the elink is late today and that was
beyond my control. How freeing to not have to be in charge
of everything for a little while!
Love,
Rev. Jim
Until next time, oremus pro
invicem, (let us pray for one another)
If you would like to
be removed from this mailing list, please send an email with
the subject line "Unsubscribe"
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Potluck and Games is
Saturday at 6
The Second Annual Camping Trip to Letchworth
is March 28-30. See Ray for details.
Casting Crowns is
appearing in Rochester on Saturday, March 15.
Tickets are $25. Ray is willing to coordinate but
he must know this Sunday if you want him to get your
ticket.
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Save the Dates:
On Sunday, January 20,
Anne and Bess will show the documentary Anyone
and Everyone at their home at 1:30.
This is an especially good documentary on the coming
out process for the parents of gay and lesbian
children. It reflects a wide range of religious and
cultural perspectives..
Saturday, January 26
10am to 4 pm. Leadership Retreat and Planning Day
at church. All who are in leadership, board,
pastoral care team, leaders of any ministries and
ALL who would like to be part of this planning and
prayer day should attend. Lunch will be provided.
Buffalo Gay Mens
Chorus
Friday, January 25 and Saturday, January 26. Mike R
and Vern W will have tickets at church this Sunday.
Ash Wednesday is on
February 6. Service will be at 7pm.
Each Wednesday in
Lent, we will have a soup supper and bible study on
the life and writings of St. Paul, facilitated by
Rev. Jim and Rev. Lu.
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Prayer Requests
For Maria R, Anthony's mother,
who had total knee replacement surgery on Tuesday.
She will be in Park Ridge for a few days. Prayers
for a speedy recovery.
Prayers for a special
intention
Friends of Open Arms, Jeanette
and Pam received difficult news. Pam has a cancer
that has required very strong and difficult
chemotherapy. Please keep Pam and Jeanette in your
prayers.
Prayers of thanksgiving. Deb
C doctors have declared after 8 long years that she
no longer needs to take anti-cancer meds. She is
free!
Mike R asks prayers for
strength as he is working long hours. He reminds us
to keep praying for Sarah as she and her husband
deal with her cancer and with financial
difficulties, and also for another co-worker whose
father just died.
For Joe S. and Steven as they
serve in the military.
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Open
Arms Metropolitan Community Church
E-link January 16, 2008 |
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Deacon's Corner:
Yo God…addiction, compulsion, dependence, obsession,
craving…
So many of us struggle with food, drug, gambling, sex,
even spiritual addictions.
Our country has become obese. Casinos are being built
and gambling has become an illness. The news is filled with
drug wars and violence brought on by drugs. Even our faith
leaders have fallen into a cycle of spiritual addiction.
Give us the strength and support we each need to stop.
Hear our cries for release from our obsessions.
God, hold us up so that we can take the steps we need…one
step at a time. God be there when we fall and help us to not
stay down.
Yo God, addiction, compulsion, dependence, obsession,
craving…these behaviors have taken a toll on so many of us…I
pray for You help in over coming them. Amen-
Deacon Debbie
Pastor's
Reflection
Deacon Debbie, in her Yo God, spoke of
all the things that chain us and cause us pain. With God's
help, we can overcome anything that binds us. We can look
at areas of our lives and say truthfully, "it doesn't have
to be like this." And then we have to believe it.
We sometimes do the same things over and
over and over and then wonder why we are miserable. We're
miserable because we, like St. Paul, can say "the things
that I hate, I do." It seems that we each have within us
the image of how things could be for us and those we love;
the failure comes when we don't take any steps towards that
better life.
How often have I said that we are a
church of transformation rather than belief? That allows
us to be a community where people from the full spectrum of
belief can come together, united on a common journey of
faith towards and with God.
Being in this community united for the
journey (and don't forget that our second vision statement
says "embracing the journey") means that today we don't have
to be where we were yesterday. And tomorrow we don't have
to be where we are today. Some of us, though, have
difficulty getting ourselves out of the ruts we have created
for ourselves. Some of us seem to only know how to go in
circles, never getting any closer to our goals. Some of us
can't embrace the journey because circles don't go anywhere.
As a community united for the journey, we
can't allow ourselves to go in circles. Open Arms is a
different church than it was four years ago. Right now we
seem to be on an extended rest period where we have
stopped. We're not going backwards but we're not going
forwards either.
I see a few things that could get us
moving again: individual commitment to the journey by
weekly participation in worship and other church activities;
renewed inreach and outreach; each of us claiming Open Arms
as our own and rededicating ourselves to getting us moving
forward again.
Please plan on coming to the Leadership
Retreat and Planning day on Saturday, January 26. Because
truly, it doesn't have to be like this.
Love,
Rev. Jim
Until next time, oremus pro
invicem, (let us pray for one another)
If you would like to
be removed from this mailing list, please send an email with
the subject line "Unsubscribe"
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Hymnals. As
our congregation has grown, our supply of hymnals
has become inadequate. In February, we will begin a
hymnal drive. Anyone who donates $20 will have a
label inside the front covering indicating "Given in
memory of (or in honor of or by)" |
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The Second Annual Camping
Trip to Letchworth is March 28-30. See Ray for
details. |
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Save the Dates:
On Sunday, January 20,
Anne and Bess will show the documentary Anyone
and Everyone at their home at 1:30.
This is an especially good documentary on the coming
out process for the parents of gay and lesbian
children. It reflects a wide range of religious and
cultural perspectives.
Saturday, January 26
10am to 4 pm. Leadership Retreat and Planning Day
at church. ALL who are in leadership,
board, pastoral care team, leaders of any ministries
and ALL who would like to be part of this planning
and prayer day should attend. Lunch will be
provided.
Buffalo Gay Mens
Chorus
Friday, January 25 and Saturday, January 26. Mike R
and Vern W will have tickets at church this Sunday.
Ash Wednesday is on
February 6. Service will be at 7pm.
Each Wednesday in
Lent, we will have a soup supper and bible study on
the life and writings of St. Paul, facilitated by
Rev. Jim and Rev. Lu.
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Prayer Requests
For Maria R, Anthony's mother,
who had total knee replacement surgery that God send
a spirit of healing to bring her back to full
strength. And for Ralph, Anthony's father, as he
waits his own surgical procedure
For a friend at a distance who
is having a hard time
For Donna J's father as he
recovers from prostate surgery
For Kerry C as she searches
for a job
Send up a prayer of
thanksgiving for our three octogenarians: Bill,
Eleanor and Bud.
Friends of Open Arms, Jeanette
and Pam received difficult news. Pam has a cancer
that has required very strong and difficult
chemotherapy. Please keep Pam and Jeanette in your
prayers.
For Joe S. and Steven as they
serve in the military.
For DeeDee's brother, Mike, as
he continues to improve at physical rehab, that he
be released and begin the next chapter of his life.
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Flowers:
Because the Board wanted to keep the budget
manageable, there is no money budgeted for
flowers. Rev. Lu has put up a sign-up sheet on
which you can donate flowers on a Sunday in honor or
or in memory of someone. Sundays when no one has
signed up with not have flowers. |
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Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church
E-link January 23, 2008
Prayer and Planning Day
We will gather this Saturday from 10 to 4 to renew ourselves and plan for
the coming year together.
We need YOU to be with us. Please email Rev. Jim (oamcc@frontiernet.net) to
let him know you will be there.
Deacon's Corner:
Yo God, how come I have come to not expect honesty from myself and
others around me?
I think it comes from being told I was too honest or brutally honest at
times.
I have come to learn the game of what is expected of me and not to offend
others.
I, at times, have lost touch even with the awareness of being dishonest.
I think my boss is wrong, but I say that's a good idea.
My friend hurt me, but say no that's O.K.
My Church is welcoming, but I see myself turning people away.
I didn't mean to say that to my partner, but know full well I knew what I
was doing.
God, I want to heal, I need to start getting honest with myself and others.
Help me to create the possibility for more truth in my life. Amen-
Deacon Debbie
Pastor's Reflection
Once again, I'll use Deacon Debbie's thoughts as my
springboard for this column.
Do you remember the children's story "The Emperor's New Clothes?" I was
fascinated by it when I was young - and now I am again. In the story, the
vain emperor was never satisfied with his tailor's creations. The clever
tailor had imaginary cloth and made imaginary garments for the emperor.
Then, everyone told him how wonderful he looked as he walked around naked,
thinking he was dressed in finery because everyone around him was fawning
all over him. Then a child asked his mother loudly, "Why is the emperor
naked?" In the story, that question caused the emperor to realize his vanity
and change his foolish ways.
Jesus said, "Unless you become like little children, you will not enter the
kingdom of heaven." Children say it like they see it with no pretense, no
dishonesty - at least until they learn that people around them don't want
blunt truth and that one learns to be "nice" and rarely say what one really
thinks.
By 2003, Open Arms MCC was in a really precarious state. Attendance was
down; one Sunday we had 14 people at church. Finances were precarious and we
were in great debt for our size. People were either openly or not-so-openly
discontent and showing that. We were in a major rut. Our very existence was
in doubt.
When Elder Arlene came to see us, we had a planning weekend and found out
who we were and where we were called to go. That meeting recharged us,
helped us enunciate our vision and got us out of our rut. Incredible things
happened for us and we began to grow; we got out of debt; we bought a
church.
In all churches and organizations and companies and relationships, there
come times when people get in a rut and need a shake-up to get moving again.
I believe that Open Arms MCC is in that place right now. We are nowhere near
the dangerous place we were in back in 2003. We are however in a rut.
Attendance at worship is not what it can be; finances are not what they
could be; enthusiasm is not what it could be. We are in a rut.
Now, let me also say that there are many wonderful things going on at the
same time. We are a church of joy and welcome. People who come are still
attracted to us and come back again and seek to join. We have two people
right now ready to accept membership and that's only several weeks after we
had a large reception of new members.
God speaks to us. God calls out prophets from among us. God calls each of us
by name and has a job for each of us to do.
So, as good stewards of God's good gifts, we will meet to pray together and
brainstorm together, and plan specific tactics together to refresh our
vision and dig ourselves out of the too-comfortable rut we've fallen into.
Prayer and Planning day is this Saturday from 10 to 4. Please email or call
me to let me know you will be there (oamcc@frontiernet.net). Let's learn to
speak the voice of truth together with nothing held back. Let's renew our
commitment to this wonderful adventure that membership in Open Arms MCC can
be. In 2003 miraculous things happened for us. God has more miracles in
store for us but we have to be willing.
Love,
Rev. Jim
Hymnals. As our congregation has grown, our supply of
hymnals has become inadequate. In February, we will begin a hymnal drive.
Anyone who donates $20 will have a label inside the front covering
indicating "Given in memory of (or in honor of or by)"
The Second Annual Camping Trip to Letchworth is March
28-30.
If you want to attend the Camping trip to Letchworth,
you must sign up with Ray no later than Sunday,
February 10th. This year Ray will need
to have a non-refundable 50.00 dollar deposit by the
10th of February. Please contact Ray
Ash Wednesday is on February 6. Service will be at 7pm.
Each Wednesday in Lent, we will have a soup supper and bible study
on the life and writings of St. Paul, facilitated by Rev. Jim and Rev. Lu.
The Terrys are hosting a Women's Superbowl
Party at their home. All women of the church are invited.
The Terrys are also putting final touches on the
2008 Church Directory. If you have not filled out an information
sheet or had your picture taken, please do so this Sunday.
Prayer Requests:
For Anthony’s parents:
Maria as she recovers from knee surgery and Ralph as he awaits surgery
For a friend at a distance
who is having a hard time
For Pam as she fights
cancer and Jeanette who supports her.
For Kerry as she searches
for a job
For Joe S. and Steven as
they serve in the military.
For DeeDee’s brother, Mike,
as he continues his recovery and move towards independence.
For Mike R’s co-worker
whose wife Sarah has died
For the success of the
Retreat and Planning Day on Saturday.
Flowers: Because the Board wanted to keep the budget
manageable, there is no money budgeted for flowers. Rev. Lu has put up a
sign-up sheet on which you can donate flowers on a Sunday in honor or or in
memory of someone. Sundays when no one has signed up with not have flowers.
Copyright Open Arms MCC, 2007. All rights reserved. Email: oamcc@frontiernet.net
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January, 2008 By:
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