Volume 14, Issue 3
Monthly newsletter of First United Church of Christ
27 North 3rd St., Easton, PA 18042
(Mailing address: 229 Church St., Easton, PA 18042
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.firstucceaston.org
Join us for Worship & Sun
day Sch
ool at 10 a.m.!
The Children join us for the
beginning of the worship service,
then dismiss to their classes
After Jesus had said this, he went on
ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he
approached Bethphage and Bethany at
the hill called the Mount of Olives, he
sent two of his disciples, saying to
them, “Go to the village ahead of you,
and as you enter it, you will find a colt
tied there, which no one has ever
ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If
anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying
it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
Those who were sent ahead went and
found it just as he had told them. As
they were untying the colt, its owners
asked them, “Why are you untying the
colt?”
They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
They brought it to Jesus, threw their
cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.
As he went along, people spread their
cloaks on the road.
When he came near the place where
the road goes down the Mount of
Olives, the whole crowd of disciples
began joyfully to praise God in loud
voices for all the miracles they had
seen:
“Blessed is the king who comes in the
name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the
highest!”
(And bring a friend!)
(“Jesus King” continues on pg. 20...)
-2-
~ Easter Adult Bell Choir practices every Thurs. at 7:00 p.m. ~
~ Senior Choir practices every Thurs. evening at 7:30 p.m. ~
Sun., Mar. 1st - 10 a.m. - 2nd SUNDAY OF LENT ~ Morning
Worship with FOOD BANK SUNDAY.
SUNDAY SCHOOL begins at 10 a.m.
Everyone is asked to bring a nonperishable food item
(Tomatoes or dried or canned beans or other item) to
help restock ProJeCt’s Food Pantry.
Mon., March 2nd - Dr. Seuss’ Birthday, Read Across America!
Tues., March 3rd - C.W.U. Lenten Meditation at St. Paul’s 3rd
Lutheran Church, Newburg Rd., 11:15 a.m.
Wed., March 4th - Christian Witness meets at 7 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 6th- World Day of Prayer - C.W.U. Program at
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Wilson
Register 1:00, Program 1:30 p.m.
Sat., March 7th ~ DON’T FORGET TO “SPRING FORWARD” &
turn your clocks ahead before you go to bed or you will be an
hour late for church! Daylight Savings time Begins!
Sun., Mar. 8th - 10:00 a.m. - Daylight Saving’s Time Begins!
3rd SUNDAY OF LENT ~ Morning Worship at 10 a.m.
SUNDAY SCHOOL begins at 10:00 a.m.
Mon., Mar. 9th - Consistory Meets at 7:00 p.m.
Tues., March 10th - C.W.U. Tues. Lenten Meditation 11:15 a.m.
at St. Paul’s 3rd Lutheran Church, Newburg Rd.
Sat., March 14th - Pi Day (3.14 right?!?!?!)
Sun., Mar 15th - 10:00 a.m. - 4th Sun. in Lent ~ Morning Worship
SUNDAY SCHOOL begins at 10:00 a.m.
OUR ANNUAL MEETING begins with lunch following
worship! Please sign up!
APRIL STEEPLE NEWS deadline.
(“March Events” continue on page 4)
-3-
(“March Events” continued from page 1)
Tues., March 17th - Happy St. Patrick’s Day
C.W.U. Tues. Lenten Meditation 11:15 a.m. at St.
Paul’s 3rd Lutheran Church, Newburg Rd.
Fri., Mar. 20th - First Day of Spring! HALLELUJAH!
Sun., Mar. 22nd - 10:00 a.m. - 5th Sun. in Lent ~ Morning Worship
Tentative Consistory Installation & Sun. School
Our Annual Meeting SNOW DATE!
Tues., March 24th - C.W.U. Tues. Lenten Meditation 11:15 a.m.
at St. Paul’s 3rd Lutheran Church, Newburg Rd.
Palm Sun., Mar. 29th- ~ 10:00 a.m. - PALM/PASSION SUN. ~
OGHS Sun. & Morning Worship with Palms &
Praise as we begin Holy Week!
Join us for our EASTER BREAKFAST
immediately FOLLOWING worship
Sun. School begins at 10 a.m.
DEADLINE to order Easter Flowers or dedicate Easter
Sunshine Fund gifts
Tues., March 31st - (Last) C.W.U. Tues. Lenten Meditation
11:15 a.m. at St. Paul’s 3rd Lutheran Church.
Wed., April 1st - April Fool’s Day!
Thurs., April 2nd - MAUNDY THURS. Evening Worship.
AGAPE FEAST begins at 6:30 p.m.
TENEBRAE COMMUNION SERVICE begins at
7:30 p.m. in our Sanctuary.
Fri., April 3rd - GOOD FRIDAY ~ Community Service at
Trinity Episcopal at noon
EASTER SUN., April 5th- ~ HE IS RISEN! ALLELUIA!
COMMUNITY SUNRISE SERVICE at 7 a.m. At
Riverside Park. A time of fellowship & refreshment
will follow at Riverside
TRADITIONAL EASTER MORNING
COMMUNION SERVICE here at 10 a.m.
-4-
Don’t forget! The first Sunday of each
month is Food Bank Sunday so please
bring along something for ProJeCt’s Food
Pantry. They are especially in need of
canned tomatoes & dried or canned beans.
rch
Chu NeBwusi ness
s!
All of our members are
invited & encouraged to
attend our Annual Meeting
scheduled for Sunday, March
15th following worship. It is
OGHS Sunday too!
The First Ladies will be serving lunch that day, so plan on joining
us. The lunch will be soup, sandwiches, beverage and dessert
for $4.50, and there will be a sign up sheet in Memorial Hall for
helpers and eaters. Everyone is asked to stay after worship, enjoy
lunch & participate in the decisions about the future of your
church, by supporting your Consistory in the works of your
congregation.
Okay, it just wouldn't dare snow for our Annual Meeting on the 15th of March, but just in case it does, we will meet on
the 22nd to hold our meeting. Maybe if we all chant "no snow!",
"no snow!" that will work.....lets hope!
Attention: Copies of our Annual Report are available at
the church. If you need one mailed to you, please call
the church office at 610-258-3361.
-5-
The First Ladies will again
be seeing that everyone has a
hot, hearty lunch before the
Annual Meeting on March
15, for a cost of $4.50. If you
can, please sign up in the
Narthex, so we
know how
many to plan
for.
Easter is the first
Sunday of April
(April 5) so in order to
make sure everyone has plenty
of time to order & dedicate their
Easter flowers & donations to
our Easter “Sunshine Fund”, we
have enclosed a Flower &
”Sunshine Fund” form in this
newsletter.
Soup, sandwich, dessert and
beverage are all included, so
come join us for a good
lunch, and stay for the
meeting to hear all that's
going on at First UCC.
Proceeds will go to our
missions.
Cierech’s Greenhouses has
(somehow) kept the prices the
same for the last several years &
their plants are always very
healthy & beautiful & make our
Sanctuary so glorious! The
DEADLINE for orders &
donations is PALM SUN.,
March 29th.
Well, it’s that time of year when weather becomes a consideration.
Do you know where to look or listen when the snow and ice make
travel tricky? There are lots of ways to find out if our Sunday service
is still on. (power permitting)
Please check your e-mail (please make sure we
have your current e-address), check out our
website (www.firstucceaston.org) , call the
office (610-258-3361) for a current message,
watch WLVT or channel 69 for news of any
service cancellations.
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Adult Handbells 7:00-7:30 p.m. ~ Senior Choir at 7:30 p.m.
Everyone is invited to join any of our choirs, no experience is
necessary. Please see Sheila Cooke for more info.
~
TUESDAY LENTEN MEDITATIONS
Continue, every Tuesday in March!
11:15 a.m. at St. Paul’s 3rd Lutheran Church on Newburg Rd.
March 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31.
Bring a friend, men & women are welcome! Bring a bagged
lunch. Desserts & beverages will be provided.
~
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
Fri., March 6th
At Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
2115 Washington Blvd., Easton PA (Wilson Boro)
Program: Jesus said, “Do you understand what I have done
for you?”
Registration: 1 p.m. Program: 1:30 p.m.
Dessert & Beverages Provided
March 2nd is Dr. Suess’s birthday &
schools all over the country will
celebrate “Read Across America” in
March. So, remember...
"You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up
a book and read to a child."
-7-
Our Sunday School will be collecting books for kids of all ages,
from picture books for the littlest ‘readers’ to great literature for
High Schoolers.
The local “Cops & Kids” program needs books for their reading
room, located at the Easton Community Center (St. Anthony’s) &
to hand out to kids at the many community events they attend.
If you want to help our local kids to expand their imaginations reading leads to better learning - or just need to clear some
bookshelf space, please see Beth B. with your books!
AND... It all goes hand in hand with the March 2nd celebration of
“Dr. Seuss’s Birthday &
“Read Across America”!
Because...
“Unless someone like YOU cares a whole awful lot,
NOTHING is going to get better. It’s NOT.”
Because our kids need to know...
“You have BRAINS in your Head. You have FEET in
your SHOES. You can STEER yourself any
DIRECTION you CHOOSE.”
~ Dr. Seuss
-8-
Thanks to Jean R. for again volunteering
to host a pizza night and book discussion of "The Wedding" by Nicholas
Sparks. We have had to re-reschedule &
do not yet have a confirmed date as of
this writing. As I am writing this, we
have had the last 2 Sunday services
“snowed out” so we re-rescheduled just
so folks would know about it. Please
keep your eye on the bulletins & your e-mail for an update
Our next book selection is called “The House of Sand and Fog”,
for those who like to check the local libraries for it. We will meet
in early April for discussion, food, and fun, so watch those bulletins for a date.
Your new slate of officers will be installed on Sunday, March 22
at the 10 o'clock worship service (as long as our March
15th meeting isn’t snowed out).
Please plan on attending to show your support to all those
who serve on Consistory, and make important decisions
about the future of First UCC.
The deadline for our April 2015 Steeple News is Sun., March
15th. Since Easter is April 5th, please get info about upcoming
Easter events, dinners, meetings, fund raising, & other happenings
to the church office by the 15th so we can get the word out in time.
Thanks!
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Dear friends,
When I first read the scripture for One Great Hour of
Sharing (OGHS), 2 Corinthians 8-9, I have to admit it was a bit
puzzling! Paul asks that early Christians in Corinth give, from their
abundance, to Christians in Macedonia who were beset by famines
and other misfortunes. It seems that the Macedonians, if I
understood correctly, GAVE, even in their poverty, encouraged by
their “wealth of spirit”, in service to others. Having NOTHING the
Macedonians GAVE what they could, their “fair share” to fulfill
their Christian commitment. Why, then, couldn’t the Corinthians,
who were much more “well off” give from their abundance setting
the example given by Christ who, was “rich” in
grace, became “poor” so that WE through His
poverty, might become “rich” in grace and
GIVING in abundance.
None of us have what we would regard as
extreme wealth! We’re not the “Bill Gates’s of
the world; nor are we the Mother Theresa’s”. Most of us fall
somewhere in the middle or lower… We could give a little more,
but, what if WE suffer need and nobody will help US?? Then what
do we do!!!! The scripture seems to say that we are all RICH in the
gifts of the spirit and we should share these gifts , both materially
and spiritually with the world in which we live, without the worry
of not having enough for us!! I guess God wants to be the “Great
Equalizer “for the “haves and the have nots”, so that all of His
children have sufficient for their needs.
In summation, I ask that YOU consider when giving your gift
to OGHS that this gift is governed by the joy you have received in
Christ and will receive by sharing your abundance with those less
fortunate. Thank you for prayerfully considering OGHS this year!!
Your OGHS Coordinator,
Sue B.
Please use the special OGHS envelope enclosed in this issue of our
Steeple News to return your OGHS gift!
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This year we will celebrate our Church Family with an
Easter Breakfast on Palm Sunday, March 29th
FOLLOWING our Worship Service. Everyone is
welcome to join us AFTER church, on Palm Sunday
morning for a fabulous breakfast. Please sign up!
Our Committee members are working to provide
what is needed but additional contributions are welcome! if you
are willing & able to help provide food items or help out with
serving & clean up, please contact the church office.
This very special evening of worship begins with our traditional
Agape Feast. There is a sign up sheet which includes a list of
suggested items (they are JUST
SUGGESTIONS, you may bring whatever
you like) for the simple meal, so please see
the sign up sheet & let us know how many
we can expect & what you may be able to
contribute.
Do you remember how much fun it is decorating for the
holidays? Okay. Now how much fun is undecorating?
Not so much fun right? Well our own Mark C. took it
upon himself to take down all the outside decorations
on a ten degree Sunday in February, no less!
Thanks Mark for doing what none of the rest of us wanted to do.
Job well done.
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This year, our celebration of the Last Supper
will be held on Thursday, April 17. We will
meet in our Parlor at 6:30 to join in a meal of
the foods that our Lord would have eaten with
his disciples the night before his Crucifixion.
By picking up a towel & a basin of water, Jesus, God in the flesh,
Creator of Heaven & Earth & man, stooped to wash the feet of His
friends. Knowing what was facing Him, he sought to teach them &
all of us, what it means to be a humble servant in love & that the
cruelty & evils of this world CANNOT break God’s loving grip on
us, EVER.
This is a very meaningful event for Christians who are aware of its
incredible importance in the life of Jesus, and in our lives as his
followers.
You may bring nuts, hummus, fresh fruits, dates, vegetables, fish,
pita bread, dried fruits….anything you think the group may have
eaten together. Worship will follow in the Sanctuary at 7:30.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
- 12 -
Thank you to so many people !!! for without
you, I could do nothing ! as I had said, I
received a lot of compliments on a job
well done and while I sincerely
appreciated that… all I really did was
hang up the ‘sign-up’ sheet….YOU ALL DID
THE REST !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I started the ‘soup-er’ bowl 10
years ago when Jil was away at college (for which she complains
that she has never been around to partake !!)
We raised a total of $344 !!!! all of which
went directly to Trinity to support the
Soup kitchen !!!!
And we also collected 35 cans/packages of soup for
ProJect’s food bank.
!
!
YEA!
We had 11 crocks of DELICIOUS soups !! some of
the favorites were... Mikes Italian chicken tomato
that he got from Pinterest. My wild rice
mushroom from Cook’s Country on PBS and my
personal favorite Linda Wright’s chunky sweet
potato that she found on the internet for her new
toy (pressure cooker !) there was plenty for every
appetite plus enough for takeout for some of our
shut ins! Now that is a blessing!
Plenty of fresh breads and awesome desserts, to include
a really cute snowman birthday cake !! (isn’t that
right Kathleen ??!?!?)
Thank you all so much for the outpouring of
support !!! both with your filling of crocks and pots !!!!
Love in Christ, Barbara and Tom
P.S. an extra Thanks to Sue B. (pre)and Denise C.(post) for the
kitchen help !
- 13 -
We lift up the family of Robert Goth in our prayers.
Bob passed away on Feb. 1st at age 95. He had been
residing at Gracedale & recently our Christmas
Carolers, as well as Bev Lambert & others had spent time
visiting with him.
Bob had served with the U.S. Army during World War II & had
worked for Taylor Wharton & Craft Rug Mill in the past.
He was a dear & kind soul. When his Libby was at Gracedale, he
faithfully visited her everyday. His faithfulness carried to us here
too as, for many years, as difficult as it was for him, he walked from
his apartment on 4th Street to Church on Sunday, rarely accepting
the rides that were always offered. It kept him going!
Bob leaves a son, Michael & his wife Karen & a grandson Andrew,
all of Emmaus. He will be fondly remembered by us all as we think
of him finally reunited with his beloved Libby, together at The
Lord’s Table.
We received the following note from Bob & Libby’s son Michael
& his family...
Thank you for all of your support, care and visitation of Robert
Goth (my father) during the past year.
Thanks to Pastor Bill Wightman for the beautiful funeral and
comfort to my family.
Your kind expression of sympathy will always
remain in our memories. Thank you for your
thoughtfulness.
From Michael Goth & Family
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1st - 2nd Sun. of Lent, Food Bank Sun.
Greeters - George & Sue B.
Ushers - George & Sue B. and David & Carl W.
Reader - Sue B.
8th - 3rd Sun. of Lent
Greeters - Kim & David K.
Ushers - Kim & David K., Linda A.& Linda R.
Reader - Linda W.
15th- 4th Sun. of Lent, & Our Annual Meeting
Greeters - Ray & Sue R.
Ushers - Ray & Sue R., Janet C. & Beverly L.
Reader - Janet C.
22nd - 5th Sun. of Lent,
Greeters - Linda & Don R.
Ushers - Linda & Don R. and Janice & Keith H.
Reader - Kathleen D.
29th - Palm/Passion Sunday & OGHS Sunday
Greeters - Carol S. & Larry M.
Ushers - Larry M., Gary R. and Tara &
Mark C.
Reader - Stewart W.
* All Acolytes will be chosen from those young people present
If you would like to participate in serving our congregation during
worship as a Greeter, Usher, Reader or Acolyte, please contact the
church office at 610-258-3361.
- 15 -
Since the kick-off of our
Restoration Fund in the fall of
2014, we are pleased to report
that progress is being made in
reaching our goal of $52,000.
1st - Brenda L., in
memory of loved ones
8th - Bob & Phyllis F., in
loving memory of Bob’s
parents, George & Hazel
Flemming, in commemoration of Hazel’s March
birthday.
15th - Jean R. in loving
memory of her husband,
John R..
22nd - Denise A. C. in loving
memory of her father,
Dennis J. Walker.
29th - Carol Ann S. in
memory of her best friend,
Carla LaCour.
As we continue to receive
pledges, we are encouraged by
the response, and remain
optimistic that we can reach this
goal.
To date, we have received
$42,840 in pledges, of which
$19,482 has been collected.
Thank you all for your
commitment and dedication to
this project, as well as, your
devotion to the well being of our
church. We will continue to
provide you with updates
throughout this campaign.
Bob A,
Stewardship Chair
If you would like to
sponsor the bulletins
for one of our Sunday
services, please contact the
church office at
610-258-3361.
- 16 -
After this brutal
winter, its time to
dust off those
wine bottles, and
join us for a Wine
Tasting at Nancy
& Ken’s home on Saturday,
April 11, 7:00. Now that's assuming that you haven't emptied all those wine bottles on
these frigid nights!
If you have, not to worry. Pick
up a new bottle or two, and
bring it (them) along with your
favorite appetizer to be enjoyed by all. We do get cheese
and cracker plates, but let see
if we can come up with something a bit more exciting for
the evening. Again, please
sign up in the Narthex, and
lets all think SPRING!!!!!
We often e-mail
important or
timely info to
our congregation
members for whom we have
e-addresses. Do you get our
e-mails? If not, please e-mail
our church office & we’ll add
you to our distribution list.
1st - Helen L., in loving memory
of her husband, Lester.
Additional Arrangement ~
Shirley G., in loving memory
of her husband, Russell.
8th - Bette W., in honor of
her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.
15th - The Dowd Family, in
celebration of St. Patrick’s Day
and their Irish heritage!
22nd- Tony B., in memory of
Val & their other loved ones.
29th - The Rush Family in
celebration of Phyllis’s
March 24th birthday!
If you would like
to sponsor altar
flowers for one of
our Sunday services,
please contact the church office
at 610-258-3361.
- 17 -
Please remember some of our
church family who cannot get
out or come & go as they used
to. Some would love to come
to church, but need a
“chauffeur” (would you be
willing & able to provide a ride?),
some cannot get out at all.
Please keep them connected
with our church family with a
card, call or even better - a
visit!
Did we forget to mention a
birthday, anniversary or
other special day, event,
milestone or achievement?
Please let us know because
we love to offer up
congratulations &
encouragement!
(“Jesus King” continued from pg.2)
Some of the Pharisees in the
crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher,
rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they
keep quiet, the stones will cry
out.”
As he approached Jerusalem
and saw the city, he wept over it
and said, “If you, even you, had
only known on this day what
would bring you peace—but
now it is hidden from your eyes.
~ Luke 19:28-42
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This year’s joint Community Easter Sunrise Service will be held at
the Riverside Amphitheater along the riverfront at 7:00 am on
Easter morning, April 5th.
Following the Sunrise Service, light
refreshments will be served at Riverside.
So, please join us at the Community
Ecumenical Easter Sunrise service. It is
always a beautiful time to worship our
Risen Savior at such a beautiful place.
Then stay and enjoy visiting and catching up with your First UCC
family & our brothers & sisters from our neighboring churches.
NOTE: we will hold our traditional Easter Communion service
in our Sanctuary at 10 a.m. ALL ARE WELCOME!!!
Pi = 3.14159..., is a very old number. We know
the ancient Egyptians & Babylonians knew
about the existence of the constant ratio pi
(πR2).
Pi is an infinite decimal. Unlike numbers such
as 3, 9.876, and 4.5, which have finitely many
nonzero numbers to the right of the decimal
place, pi has infinitely many numbers to the right of the decimal
point. Pi is a number that cannot be written as a repeating decimal
or a finite decimal (you can never get to the end of it) pi is
irrational: it cannot be written as a fraction (the ratio of two
integers). It is also a great reason to celebrate with PIE!!!!
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