The season of gift giving

We are approaching Christmas.  This is the traditional season of gift giving.  We set up the Christmas tree and Santa puts presents under the tree and fills the stockings hung by the chimney.  The children wait with expectation for Santa to do this.

 

Right after Thanksgiving or this year even the day of Thanksgiving Santa's elves go shopping to help Santa with all the requests of the members of the family.  They come home loaded with gifts or wait for UPS and or FedEx to deliver the gifts to our doors where they are whisked away in hiding for the big day.

 

But what about people who have no money to go shopping for gifts or after Sandy have no homes for gifts to be delivered to.  At Christ Church we will be giving gifts of warm hats and gloves to the homeless in New York City and elsewhere for our bridges run.  You can purchase them or knit them humm! and bring them to church on December 16.  I hope you will also adopt a family to give gifts to as well.  My local newspaper has a list and there is also Toys for Tots which you can bring an unwrapped toy for a child.  I am sure there is also a site where you can help a family that was a victim of Superstorm Sandy.  Then when you sit around your Christmas tree you can feel happy that you have done something for someone else.

 

Speaking about money and donations this is the time of year when we would like you to remember the Church.   Our staff does not work just because they have a calling.  They also have families they need to feed and bills to pay.  Our church building does not fix or maintain itself.  There are people who come and work to make sure the lights are on and the heat or AC is working.  Then there is the organ which is a priceless instrument which needs to be maintained. But that's in another blog.  So think about that when you are thinking about your pledge to the church.

 

As you know I subscribe to the UCC Daily Devotional.  I started at Lent last year and it continues.  The following is a devotional that has to do with giving and financial matters.

Jeannette Brown

UCC Representative

Christ Church Summit New Jersey

561 Springfield Ave

Summit, NJ.

Service Sunday December 2  9:30 AM followed by Advent workshop and lunch

All are welcome  No 11:15 Service.

__________________________________________________________________

The After-Tax Blessing

Excerpt from 2 Corinthians 8:1-7

"For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means…"

Reflection by Lillian Daniel
Early in my working life, I met with a financial planner. It seemed absurd since we were deeply in debt. We had nothing to save, let alone invest. But a wise friend had said this was just the time for such advice.

He reviewed our budget. We had been making progress with our credit card debt but there was more to shovel out from under. We had also recently become tithers, giving ten percent of our income to the church. The two felt connected in my mind. We had made progress on the debt while growing in generosity. But I was embarrassed to tell that to a financial planner. I knew he was going to tell us to give less away, and to pay off the debt as soon as possible.

So when we got to the subject of charitable giving, I told him we were tithers. "Tithers, huh?" he said. "Is that ten percent of after-tax income or pre-tax income?"

"After tax, of course," I said. After all, we were tithers, not fanatics.

After a long awkward pause, I asked, "So what do you think of that?"

"It's fine," he said, "if all you want is an after-tax blessing!"

Then he laughed heartily and joyfully. Turns out, he was a member of a UCC church himself. His philosophy of financial planning had extreme generosity at its core. God had clearly sent a prophet our way, and he had issued us a challenge.

Prayer

Generous God, please take my worries about money and put them on your shoulders, so that I do not carry them alone. Grant me a generous spirit, and the means to give beyond my means. Amen.

About the Author Lillian Daniel is the senior minister of First Congregational Church, Glen Ellyn Illinois and serves on the board of Interfaith Worker Justice.

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you will meet and eat with your family and or extended family tomorrow and enjoy a family feast.  As pastor Rush says just be calm and have pleasant conversation.  Thanksgiving is no time for family arguments or to discuss politics or even route for different football teams.  Well, you can do the latter, but quietly if you are not in your own home.

I received the following Langston Hughes quote from the Princeton Center for African American Studies.

Remember Christ Church Summit will meet on Sunday November 25 for our regular Sunday Services 9:30 and 11:15 AM Hope to see you there if you are in town or just drop in if you are visiting in town.

We are collecting food for the Food Bank so bring a bag of food. Check with what is needed from previous posts.

Jeannette Brown
UCC Representative

All are Welcome!

Christ Church Summit 561 Springfield Ave. Summit, NJ www.ccsnj.org     "Thanksgiving Time" Langston Hughes, 1921   When the night winds whistle through the trees and blow the crisp brown leaves a-crackling down, When the autumn moon is big and yellow-orange and round, When old Jack Frost is sparkling on the ground, It's Thanksgiving Time! When the pantry jars are full of mince-meat and the shelves are laden with sweet spices for a cake, When the butcher man sends up a turkey nice and fat to bake, When the stores are crammed with everything ingenious cooks can make, It's Thanksgiving Time! When the gales of coming winter outside your window howl, When the air is sharp and cheery so it drives away your scowl, When one's appetite craves turkey and will have no other fowl, It's Thanksgiving Time!"

Christ Church Organ

This Sunday, November 18^th Christ Church will have a concert to honor the life of Harriet Johnson at 3 p.m. in the sanctuary. Harriet was a musician and taught piano at Kent Place School for many years. Our own Minister of Music Mark Miller will join a number of musicians from Kent Place to make a fitting tribute to her wonderful and zany life.

In her honor, Christ Church will also be doing some fund-raising for our organ that is need of repair. Eventually the church needs to raise $350,000 to repair the pipes which are hidden from view for the most part. This problem has been known for some time and have already had experts look at the complete system to apprise the church of what needs to be done long term.  The church would like to raise a substantial down payment on this occasion. I hope the readers of this blog will join with a bigger group to keep the music flowing at Christ Church.  You can still support this cause even if you read this after November 18th.  You can mail your contribution to Christ Church Summit 561 Springfield Avenue  Summit NJ 07901 designating it for the organ or you can donate via pay pal on the web www.ccsnj.org.

I did some research about the organ of Christ Church which is now over 50 years old.  It is an Austin Organ. I thought it was called Austin because our emeritus music direct Wayne Bradford came from Texas but I found out that it was made by The Austin Organ company which still exists in Hartford Con.  http://www.austinorgans.com/home.htm  The Christ Church organ is opus 2246 (First Baptist Church Summit) Christ Church Summit.  It is three manual and had 47 ranks. It consists of two organs, I believe there is an organ in the front and back of the church so that if you sit in the middle of the church and both are being played you get surround sound.  It is awesome!

If you have not heard our organ please come to the church some Sunday to hear it being played. 

Jeannette Brown

UCC Representative

Choir member

PS. I once visited a church in Rochester NY. because it was UCC and had an Austin Organ which I wanted to hear.

UCC Take Action The "Fiscal Cliff"

The UCC has a Take Action page as a result of the Justice and Peace Ministry.  They have worked on subjects such as racism, marriage equality , anti bullying etc.
The current topic is the Fiscal Crisis.  They urge members of the UCC churches to take action to avoid a recession.  Here is a copy of the e-mail I received:
______________________________________________________



With the election behind us, Congress will soon be debating the so-called “fiscal cliff.” Congress has already approved a mix of spending cuts and tax increases that, if unchanged, will sharply reduce the 2013 deficit and, according to experts, likely cause a recession.
Congress must not push the economy into a recession next year. The deficit must be reduced with a scalpel, not an ax.
But what spending should continue and what should be cut? Whose taxes should rise and whose should not? The details are vitally important. Read more, then contact Congress about this critical issue.
The federal budget is a moral document. Our nation’s taxes and spending priorities must reflect our values. This wealthy nation can avoid a fiscal showdown without punishing poor families, raising unemployment, or increasing inequality.
Learn more and contact Congress about this critical issue.

_______________________________________________________________________

By clicking on the link above you can go to the web and see  more information and a form letter which you can personalize and send to your congress  person and senator.  Just as I can not tell you how to vote, I can't tell you what to do about this.  It is up to you to decide what you want to do, all I can do is give you the information. 

Jeannette Brown
UCC Representative. 

Train of Hope

As you may or may not know I love Amtrak.  I travel exclusively nationwide by Amtrak.  Well currently there is a Train of Hope coming to New Jersey from Slidell Louisiana.  It is hooked to The Crescent which is the name of the train that goes from New York City to New Orleans via Atlanta.

The people of Slidell got together to gather up things to bring to the people of Hoboken New Jersey as a way of giving back for the help that they got from Hurricane Katrina. 

I think this is great.  Here is the link to the Nightly News which is a video about this effort.

You can volunteer  check out Jersey Cares.

 

Hope you are now all warm and well and see some of you Sunday in Christ Church Summit New Jersey New England Ave  Service 9:30 and 11:15.

 

Jeannette Brown

Christ Church Summit NJ

UCC Representative

Post Sandy what you can do

I hope you are recovering from Sandy.  Last night in Choir Rehearsal I was the only one who did not have a power loss.  I live in an area with few trees and underground wirering but I also think I was lucky.

But I feel for the people who lost everything.  I used to live on Staten Island and people in New Dorp, the community where I went to school are suffering terible losses.  New Dorp High school is a site where people can find help.  I graduated from New Dorp High school but not in that building but it was not far from there.  Then there is the community in New York where houses burned to the ground.  People there are suffering a total loss.

What can you do.  Well one thing we are doing in Christ Church is collecting food to be distributed to needy people.  I saw a video of a Food Bank where a woman who had donated to the Food Bank was now forced to go to the Food Bank as a client.  That was a different experience for her.  There is a television program on ABC TV Channel 7 called The Chew.  They cook and talk.  One of the segments this week they took food that you could get from the Food Bank and prepared a gormet meal.

When you bring food to Christ Church Sunday or anytime this week or next think of this list of things to bring

Donate Food/Grocery Items

The Community FoodBank is seeking donations of the following items:

• Meals in a can
• Canned tuna
• Peanut butter
• Canned Fruits
• Canned Vegetables

• Canned Soup
• Shelf-stable Milk
• Cereal
• Baby Food – No Glass Jars
• Diapers

You can also help by

Check Out Hunger

When is it?

Check-Out Hunger runs every year, from late September through the end of January. Our Check-Out Hunger retail partners run the campaign at varying times over the four month period. Shoppers can donate whenever they see the Check-Out Hunger displays.

How do I donate?

Shoppers can find a display of Check-Out Hunger donation slips right at the checkout aisle. Every $1, $2, $3 and $5 donation slip has its own UPC, just like any other item in the store. Whenever a shopper makes a donation, the cashier scans the Check-Out Hunger donation slip. The donation is added to the bill and appears on the receipt. Please give generously whenever you see the Check-Out Hunger displays.

Where is it?

Our retail partners’ dedication to the Check-Out Hunger campaign is a crucial factor in its continuing success. Their corporate support allows the thousands of store employees and the hundreds of store volunteers to set up and run the campaign, so that hundreds of thousands of generous food shoppers can make donations to help their neighbors in need.
You can Check-Out Hunger at these participating retailers in our area:

I just did that today.  I bought a bag of stuff to bring to Christ Church on Sunday and I Checked Out Hunger as I purchased my groceries.

Jeannette Brown
Christ Church Summit NJ
UCC Representative.

Public Education Results from the vote Yesterday

As you know the UCC is very much involved with Public Education for students.  The UCC has a minister whose only job is to track and advocate for Public Education.  I have received the following e-mail from her about election results, state by state.  New Jersey did not have any ballot questions about public education but other states did.  Here is a copy of her e-mail.
Jeannette Brown
UCC Representative

_______________________________________________________________

"Here is an update on the election results for some of the key statewide ballot issues related to public education.

Voters defeated Michigan’s 2011 emergency manager law that allowed the state to appoint managers for municipalities and school districts deemed to be in fiscal emergencies and then allowed those emergency managers summarily to throw out previously agreed-upon collective bargaining agreements and unilaterally impose policy. There is some disagreement about whether a previous 1990 statute which established emergency managers will now be in effect.  This earlier law did not permit the nullification of collective bargaining.

California’s voters passed Proposition 30, an initiative backed by Governor Jerry Brown to increase personal income taxes for seven years on those earning over $250,000.  The tax issue, that will raise $6 billion annually, passed by a large margin—54 percent to 46 percent.  The new revenues will prevent massive additional cuts to the state’s public schools and universities and will help balance the budget.

Voters in Maryland passed a version of the DREAM Act to allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at Maryland’s public colleges.

Voters in Indiana defeated state school superintendent Tony Bennett, who—along with Governor Mitch Daniels—has been a darling of the American Legislative Exchange Council because he has worked to increase emphasis on student test scores, blame teachers,  implement state takeovers of struggling schools, and rapidly expand charterization.

Voters in Idaho overturned three ballot issues known as the Luna Laws, named for state school superintendent Tom Luna.  According to education historian, Diane Ravitch, “The Luna Laws imposed a mandate for online courses for high school graduates..., made test scores the measure of teacher quality, provided bonuses for teachers whose students got higher scores, removed all teacher rights, eliminated anything resembling tenure or seniority, turned teachers into at-will employees, and squashed the teachers’ unions.”  Fully 67 percent of voters rejected the mandate that every high school student have a laptop and earn online credits. 

In Florida, citizens voted to protect religious liberty by rejecting Amendment 8 to Florida’s constitution.  Amendment 8 would have removed the Florida constitutional provision that prohibits the use of vouchers at religious schools.

In two states, voters approved measures that will rapidly expand charters and undermine funding for public education.  Georgia voters voted to establish a state commission to authorize charter schools, and even to override the will of the local school board in cases where the local school board does not concur.  In the state of Washington which has till now not permitted charter schools, citizens voted to permit the authorization of charter schools either by the local school board or a state commission to authorize charter schools.

--Jan

Ms. Jan Resseger
Minister for Public Education and Witness
Justice and Witness Ministries
700 Prospect, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
216-736-3711
http://www.ucc.org/justice/public-education

 

 

Your Vote

Tuesday you will do the most important thing you do as a citizen of the United States.  You will vote for national offices and local offices.  People have fought and died for the right to vote.  Women walked in picket lines wearing long skirts and carrying posters and signboards to get the right to vote.



http://forthesomedaybook.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/womens-suffrage-at-90/
 

 

 

 

African Americans also fought hard for the right to vote.  Here is an article about that struggle for  the vote.  http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1072053/posts

 

The point of this is that YOU should vote on Tuesday.  I have already voted by absent ballot which I am going to take to my County Clerks office today.  People affected by Sandy in the wiped out areas will be able to vote in US Army truck.  Christie has extended the deadline for receipt of Absentee ballots.  In my county you can pick up an absentee ballot today at the County Clerk's office.  Check with your county clerk.

 

The UCC has a web page with a lot of information about voting.  http://www.ucc.org/ourfaithourvote/

 

I am not allowed to tell you how to vote.  I can only say you should vote.  Also tell your young people to vote.  The voting age is 18.  I remember in my day it was 21 and I was frustrated because having learned a lot about voting and history in high school I could not vote!  I remember debating that in high school.

 

Jeannette Brown

UCC Representative