Fr. Harrison's Letter for September 25, 2016

Dear Hearts,

You won't believe all the useful and decorative things that have taken over the Parish Hall, driveway and the Rectory garage!  Do plan to come by between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. for The Tag Sale!  Folks have been ever so busy organizing all sorts of merchandise; there is surely something here for which you have been looking!  Thanks to all who worked yesterday afternoon and evening, and all day today to get all in readiness.  Once you have checked out the Tag Sale, you will be a good position to get your apple crisp from the Civic Women's Fair on the Green, and then there's the Friends of the Library Book Sale at the other end of Park Street!

Bring family and friends -- remember the proceeds from the Tag Sale will go towards continuing the Parish Hall improvements to better serve the parish and the larger community!

The second phase of our "God's Call to Us -- Now & Into the Future" Parish Planning Process offers a final HomeGathering this Sunday, to consider: Support for Families with Children and Youth. (4:30 p.m. this Sunday, September 25, at the Ste. Maries' residence.)    As with last year's first phase HomeGatherings, the second phase gatherings begin with a potluck of goodies appropriate to the time of day.  Mix good food with fun and interesting people, and you have the recipe for a great time!  The phase two gatherings focus on thoughtful considerations of a particular topic in our parish life.  So far, the HomeGatherings have yielded productive discussions on our service to one another within the life of the Parish, sustaining the financial well-being of the parish, and outreach-service by the parish in the larger community.   Details are on the parish web-site and in Senior Warden Pat Daunic's letter mailed to parish households on August 29th.  If you are unable to attend a HomeGathering of particular interest to you, please mark the return postcard accordingly or just send a note to me by replying to this letter.

The premiere of Andrew Doss's play was a hit during last week's Rectory Forum and Tuesday Supper!  Andrew, our seminary-intern, led both groups through a reading of introductory material and opening scenes of Song of a Man Coming Through.  The play keeps a promise Andrew's father made -- to tell the story of Earnest Knighton, Jr., as he grew into his baptismal identity and Christian community on death row.  The next group of scenes will be read and discussed beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday morning over coffee and tea in the rectory living room; the same scenes will be featured in the reading and discussion at the Tuesday Supper, beginning at 6 p.m. in the rectory. 

There are two videos you will want to check out: 

1. Music Director Mark Sullivan combined the Choir's September 11th anthem with Sue Shackford's photographs from Vacation Bible School, Acolyte and Youth activities, baptisms, and Bishop James Curry talking to the children on his last Visitation.  The combination of a lovely -- and beautifully performed -- setting of the 23rd Psalm, with pictures of our youngsters, is truly touching!  You can find it here.
2. If you have wondered what Presiding Bishop Michael Curry means when he talks about the "Jesus Movement," he explains it clearly, powerfully and movingly in a video here.  I will never think of the Gospel Procession in quite the same way again! 

Speaking of Presiding Bishop Curry, there's still time to sign-up to join your parish convention delegates for the Convention Eucharist at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 20, during which Bishop Curry will preach.  After watching the Jesus Movement video, you may decide you want to hear him in person. The sign-up clip board is on the Ushers' Table in the church.  If you decide against making the trek to Hartford, do plan to watch Bishop Curry's sermon here in Guilford: our 10 a.m. service will be a brief service of Morning Prayer, concluding in time for the congregation to move into the Parish Hall for a simulcast of the sermon as it is preached in Hartford. 

In faith and hope,
Harrison+
YFNR

p.s. I will be in back in Sewanee, TN, Wednesday through Friday this week to hear lectures by the former Archbishop of Canterbury, ++Rowan Williams.  His lectures are on the theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a  leader of Lutheran opposition to Nazi tyranny.  He was martyred in the last days of the Third Reich. 
If you have an opportunity to watch Ken Burns' latest documentary, "Defying the Nazis:  The Sharps' War," I highly recommend it.  It is the amazing story of a New England Unitarian pastor and his wife, who put their lives as risk saving hundreds of Jews and political leaders who opposed the Third Reich.