April 10th — “The Language of Love & Justice – Respect
or The Spiritual Practise of Caring” Rev. Marilyn Richards
“Sticks and stones may break our bones.” But, words have consequences. We would be wise to understand what some words or phrases imply philosophically and theologically, like “human resources, “ or “service utilizers” in a medical setting, etc. How we use words provides clues about our ideals, our beliefs and informs our actions.
April 17th — “My Spiritual Journey with the Shakers” — Christopher Coyle
April 24th — “Earth Day” — Kathy Richards
May 1st TED & Response with Steve Wills on May Day
EVENTS upcoming
First Church Coffee Stand during the River Rat Parade this Saturday, April 9, 2016
selling: coffee, Donna’s Muffins and cider donuts.
The Coffee table will be on the front lawn.
Set up at 8:00 AM & dress warmly!
Board of Management Meeting — Sunday, April 17th, after coffee hour.
Spring Fair — May 21, 2016
9:00 AM until 2:00 PM
Tables
* Plants table
* White Elephants & Jewelry
* Books
* Tin Can auction
* Raffles:
— A standard sized Women’s Bike with basket and helmet
— Baby “Car quilt” — road design, small cars included
— Baby quilt — Pink with ballet theme
— Baby quilt — Jungle theme
— “Scratch Ticket Tree”
What we need:
* Spring Cleaning? Please bring old jewelry and lightly used white elephants to our
Spring fair. Spring Fairs were made for Spring cleaning.
Help us, by cleaning out your closets, garage, under the stairs, etc.
* small plants and flowers for our Plant Table. It’s time to get our seedlings started indoors.
Rev. Richards is hoping that her Betty Amsden red petunias survive this cold snap.
* Scratch Tickets — The plan: have flowering branches ornamented with Scratch tickets.
* Donations with a theme for the Tin Can auction. Edith has lots of baskets.
Please let her know if you are planning to use a basket.
* * Specific request for NON-pierced earrings (Jewelry Dept)
Earrings that are not made for pierced ears; but attach with Clips or tiny screws.
IN CLOSING
With all the snow on the ground and in our weather forecast, I thought of Robert Frost’s description of a New England style April.
You know how it is with an April day
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You’re one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you’re two months back in the middle of March.
A bluebird comes tenderly up to alight
And turns to the wind to unruffle a plume,
His song so pitched as not to excite
A single flower as yet to bloom.
It is snowing a flake; and he half knew
Winter was only playing possum.
Except in color he isn’t blue,
But he wouldn’t advise a thing to blossom.”
from his poem “Two Tramps In Mud Time” by Robert Frost