The Second Baptist Church
100 NORTH MAIN STREET
SUFFIELD, CONNECTICUT 06078
THE REV. THOMAS G. CARR, PASTOR
TEL: (860) 668-1661 FAX: (860) 668-6126
Pastor@SecondBaptistSuffield.org
Office@SecondBaptistSuffield.org http://www.SecondBaptistSuffield.org
October 29, 2014
Dear Friends,
Cloudy and foggy as I write these words; quite different from the week Peg and I experienced
on vacation in Sedona and the Grand Canyon in Arizona last week: stunning, awe-inspiring,
glorious; words that are inadequate to express the experience of those places. I kept saying,
“This is so beautiful! But it is more than beautiful; there’s beauty in the beauty.” Before we
left on the 19th for our trip, a couple of people said that when I looked at the Grand Canyon,
you won’t believe it’s really real; I didn’t know what they meant when they said that but now
I do! Such beauty; such wonder; filled with spirit!
Prayer requests:
For the family of Judith Remington who died on Tuesday; there will be a funeral
service at Second Baptist on Monday at 10:00am.
For Jim Craig and family – Jim’s mother died early this week.
For Peg’s mother, Martha Bottomley, who is hospitalized in Michigan in critical
condition.
For Peace – in your own life, within your family, our community, between all peoples
and with Earth.
Remember to set your clocks back one hour on Saturday night as daylight savings time ends
(or begins, I can never tell which is which – we “fall back” is how I remember).
Upcoming Events in November:
This Saturday is the Holiday Fair from 9:00 – 3:00pm.
Book Group meets Sunday evening, November 9th at 6:30 in the Parlor. All are welcome to
join the discussion of “Immortal Diamond” by Richard Rohr.
The next “Painting the Stars” will be Monday, November 10th at 7:00pm at First Church,
Congregational. The theme is “An Evolving Faith.” If you have questions, contact me. It’s
been a lively, enlightening study – all are welcome!
Pasta Dinner: Celebration and Dessert Auction. Saturday, November 15th, 6:30pm in the
Fellowship Hall. Pasta, meatballs prepared by Cliff Barron, along with bread salad, soft
drinks and coffee – and then, stay for the auction! Dinner is $8 per person. We hope you’ll
purchase tickets prior to the event but if you can’t, get them at the door. Any questions – call
the church office at 860-668-1661 or Office@secondbaptistsuffield.org.
Small groups continue to meet on Friday evening at the Miller’s – 7pm – and Sunday
afternoons in the Church Parlor – 4pm. All are welcome.
Church Family Thanksgiving Dinner – Sunday, November 23rd immediately
following worship. I’ll write more in next week’s email but if you plan on attending, email
your reservations to the church office – Office@secondbaptistsuffield.org.
I hope you are prayerfully considering your financial commitment to the ministries of Second
Baptist Church in preparation for Commitment Sunday on November 16th. Last night, the
Executive Committee approved a proposed budget for 2015 with a pledge goal of $195,000.
This Sunday there will be a summary of the budget goals available and next week, I’ll include
it in the email. As we consider what the ministries, worship and fellowship of our Church
community means to us, I hope you’ll remember that ultimately, the stewardship of our
money, our time, our talents, our lives, is a response to the love of God in each one of our
lives.
From the Mission Committee: As we approach Thanksgiving, we will once again be
supporting the Suffield Emergency Aid in their efforts to provide a joyful holiday to our
Suffield friends and neighbors in need. We are invited to bless 8 families with food
donations for Thanksgiving. Starting next Sunday, November 9th, food tags of the items to be
donated will be made available during the time of fellowship following worship. We will
begin collecting these gifts of food items the following Sunday, November 16th. Please
consider how you can help others in need enjoy Thanksgiving. If you would like to help with
the packing and sorting, please contact Corey Haynes or Kris Pryce.
This Sunday in worship, we will gather at the Lord’s Table for Communion. The Sanctuary
Choir will sing two anthems: “Sing Praises Forever” by Liebergen, and, “Come to the Feast”
by Harlan as a Communion anthem. It is the Sunday following All-Saints Day (November 1)
and I’ve been drawn to one of the Lectionary readings – Revelation 7: 9-17. I rarely preach
from the final book of the Bible (except the first two chapters and the last two), but there is
something about this passage, along with All-Saints Day and my recent experience in the
Grand Canyon that, hopefully, will come together this week. The Gospel reading is the
Beatitudes, Matthew 5: 1-12, which we will read together as a Call to Worship. I hope you’ll
take some time reflecting prayerfully on these biblical texts and how God is moving in your
life and the world.
On the plane ride home into Hartford, I wrote in my journal some (more) reflections on our
trip to Arizona. I share with you small brief part of these:
“In some of the wilderness areas Peg and I hiked, there was such beauty and life – and
silence. That’s something we noticed: how quiet it is in the desert and wilderness, the
silence. And the Silence is life-giving, soul-expanding. It’s not an absolute silence but a
“pure silence,” a Silence when I think that I hear the Voice of Sacred Mystery, the Holy. I
must listen now, even though I’ve left the wilderness; the Silence is and will be here,
wherever I am. So, how can I hear the Voice of Mystery [God] if not through silence?”
Peace.
Tom