From the Pastor….embracing lament
Often, a word’s meaning in modern culture does not match the meaning it has had in Scripture or the theological meaning it had for our ancestors in faith. When that happens, spiritual practices can disappear as words take on cultural nuances and assumptions that differ from the meanings and practices of biblical times. Peer pressure, family and ethnic perspectives, educational experience, and social location can lead us to a misunderstanding of the biblical/spiritual aspects of words that have been in use for thousands of years but whose original uses have changed or been lost. The word I’m thinking of now is “lament.”
Until recently I had a pretty negative view of what I understood as lament. For me it meant complaining, griping, or whining; even moaning or wailing. And I don’t think I am alone in that understanding. In fact, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definitions for the noun are 1) a crying out in grief : wailing; 2) dirge, elegy; 3) complaint.
But when I started researching the biblical examples of lament literature, I began to understand that for God’s people, lament is actually a multi-part process. In most of the scriptural occurrences of lament, after crying out to God, the one who laments remembers God. And while that doesn’t fix things in the moment—the injustice, the loss still exists—the lamenter is strengthened to face the world and to hope. And for us as Christians, hope is not just an emotional response or an attitude of pie in the sky. Hope implies movement: both God’s inherent movement toward justice and our movement closer to God through trust.
As I’ve opened my mind and heart to explore lament on a deeper level, I’ve discovered that far from just complaining and whining, lament is a form of praise and prayer with the intent of drawing closer to God in times of disappointment, suffering, or pain. The mere fact we are able to approach God in lament is a sign of intimacy and hope.
Much of my “enlightenment” and growth regarding lament has come from the work our “Small Church Leadership Community” has been doing. (The SCLC is a group of teams from five small New England congregations. The Nativity team is Elaine, Kim, Ann, Paul, Ted, and me.) The Nativity team and I are coming to understand that lament as a spiritual practice, both individually and communally, can deepen our faith. We are hoping we can provide our congregation the opportunity to learn more about lament and reclaim it as a part of our relationship with each other and with God.
One way to experience lament is through worship. When we come to worship, we are invited to praise God with our whole selves. If we are to do that honestly, it means that some of what we bring to God is our disappointments and hardships. Unfortunately, many of us don’t feel as free to do this as we should, believing instead that, when we come to church or come before God, we must bring our best selves — our grateful, thankful, joyful selves. But concealing our feelings of grief and pain does nothing to help us or our relationship with God. Naming our heartaches heals. An essential aspect of dealing with stress and grief is to name what is stressing us and to be able to identify and name our feelings. And we should feel that we can do that within our faith community.
To that end, the first four Sundays in Lent our worship will present scriptural examples of lament and our sermons will explore the stages of lament and how it can strengthen our relationship to God. Our SCLC Team will provide a visual way for worshipers to anonymously offer their laments. On the fifth Sunday, our worship service will be a service of lament which will incorporate elements of communal lament as well as spoken prayer that includes the individual laments we have collected.
It is my hope and prayer that this emphasis on an ancient tradition will not only deepen our individual spiritualities, but also strengthen our commitment as a congregation to provide a safe space for all to deepen their faith and spirituality as they grow in their relationship with God.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Anderson
Thursday, February 1
8:00 AM - Morning Prayer, via Zoom
Sunday, February 4 - RIC Sunday
9:00 AM - Choir practice in Sanctuary/Adult education in Meeting room
10:30 AM - Worship in-person and online
Assistant: Kim Murphy
Reader: David Paul
Usher: MaryAnn Hawkins
Lunch, with Representatives Geiger and Skold, will follow Worship
Monday, February 5
4:00 - 5:30 PM - Congregation Council Meeting
7:00 PM - Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting
Tuesday, February 6
9:30 - 11:00 AM - Out of Office Hours
Rock City Coffee, Main St. Rockland
Thursday, February 8
8:00 AM - Morning Prayer, via Zoom
3PM - Coastal Family Hospice Volunteers Grief Group for Parents, Meeting Room
Friday, February 9
8:00 AM -3:00 PM - AIO, Meeting Room
Sunday, February 11
9:00 AM - Choir practice in Sanctuary/Adult education in Meeting room
10:30 AM - Worship in-person and online
Welcome to Bishop Hazelwood who will join us via zoom
Assistant: Kim Murphy
Reader: Charlie Rowling
Usher: Mimi Moore
After Worship - Questions with the Bishop
Monday, February 12
7:00 PM - Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting
Tuesday, February 13 - Shrove Tuesday
9:30 - 11:00 AM - Out of Office Hours
FlipSide Coffee, Main St, Thomaston
5:00 - 7:00 PM - Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, Fellowship Hall
Wednesday, February 14 - Ash Wednesday
12 PM - Worship in-person and online
Assistant: Fred Walker
Reader: Sue Ann Moore
Usher: Jennie Dynesius
Thursday, February 15
8:00 AM - Morning Prayer, via Zoom
Sunday, February 18 - First Sunday in Lent
9:00 AM - Choir practice in Sanctuary/Adult education in Meeting room
10:30 AM - Worship in-person and online
Assistant: Fred Walker
Reader: Fran Kresge
Usher: Carol Brazier
Monday, February 19
7:00 PM - Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting
Tuesday, February 20
No Out of Office Hours
Wednesday, February 21
Lenten Jazz Vespers, via Zoom - 6:00 PM
Thursday, February 22
8:00 AM - Morning Prayer, via Zoom
3PM - Coastal Family Hospice Volunteers Grief Group for Parents, Meeting Room
Sunday, February 25 - Second Sunday in Lent
9:00 AM - Choir practice in Sanctuary/Adult education in Meeting room
10:30 AM - Worship in-person and online
Assistant: Marty Taylor
Reader: Mimi Moore
Usher: Sherry Cobb
Monday, February 26
7:00 PM - Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting
Tuesday, February 27
9:30 - 11:00 AM - Out of Office Hours
Hole In the Wall Bagels, 754 Main St, Rockland
Wednesday, February 28
Lenten Jazz Vespers, via Zoom - 6:00 PM
Thursday, February 29 (Happy Leap Year!)
8:00 AM - Morning Prayer, via Zoom
Month of February
Altar Care: Donna Perry
Flower Arranger: Donna Perry
Acolyte: Jennie Dynesius
Note For midweek prayer via zoom - there is a separate Zoom link.
Email Pastor at office@nativityrockport.org if you would like the zoom link. Please also email Pastor if you do not have the Sunday link.
RIC Sunday—Roll Down Justice
On February 4, we will celebrate Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Sunday, an annual worship celebration created to share in the commitment Reconciling Works and partnering faith communities have in the ongoing work of welcome, inclusion, celebration, and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ people in the life of the church. Our worship theme will be “Roll Down Justice,” and our guest preacher will be Charles Skold, a Maine State Representative AND Charlie Brown’s nephew. Skold holds master's degrees from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard Divinity School and worked for five years in college ministry at Tufts University. He attends St. Luke’s Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, where he volunteers with the congregation’s Public Policy and Environmental Action Team. He also volunteers with another environmental group, the Portland Climate Action Team, and Greater Portland Family Promise, which assists low-income and unhoused families.
We will take a special offering for Reconciling Works, the organization that designates Lutheran faith communities as “Reconciling in Christ” and provides resources to help them see, name, celebrate, and advocate for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions in the church.
Our “Roll Down Justice” theme will continue after worship as a second special guest, Representative Valli Geiger, joins us and Representative Skold for lunch. Rep. Geiger earned a master’s degree in sustainable design from Boston Architectural College after growing increasingly concerned about climate change and the threats it poses to Maine and coastal communities. She is passionately interested in increasing the availability of housing for all members of the community. We’ll gather for soup, bread, and conversation about faith-based advocacy, justice, and creation care/climate issues. Please speak with Ann Walker or Elaine Isakson if you can help with lunch.
Visit from the Bishop
On Sunday, February 11, New England Synod Bishop James Hazelwood will join us for worship live via Zoom for those in our space and others also on Zoom. Bishop Hazelwood will be the preacher that day (in real time---not recorded) and will be available after worship for a time of questions and discussion.
Bishop Hazelwood is in the last few months of his second six-year term as bishop of our synod. He is not seeking re-election in June. Using our technological resources to bring him to worship via Zoom allows us to avoid the uncertainty February weather in Maine creates for traveling, cares for creation by conserving fuel, and is good stewardship of the synod’s finances. We celebrate Transfiguration Sunday that day. Please join us either in-person or via Zoom at 10:30.
Hazelwood was elected to his first term as bishop in 2012, when he was then the pastor of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Charlestown, RI. Born in Concord, Mass., Hazelwood earned a bachelor's degree from California Lutheran College in Thousand Oaks, Calif. He attended Union Theological Seminary and earned a Master of Divinity degree at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, Calif. He earned a doctorate at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. He and his wife, Pastor Lisa Hazelwood, live in South Kingstown, RI.
Figuring Out Faith with Peter
“Wandering Heart: Figuring out faith with Peter” will be our midweek theme for Lent. The theme was created by “A Sanctified Art”. In Peter, we see a person who is both steadfast and unsteady, a dear friend and a betrayer, a follower and a wanderer. In Peter, we often see ourselves. By following Peter’s journey this Lent, we will watch the story of Jesus unfold through the eyes of a very normal human trying to figure it all out just like us. For each step in Peter’s journey, the theme creators have selected a phrase from the hymn. “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” As we follow Peter’s story, we will bind our wandering hearts to God.
Through a weekly devotional booklet and our Wednesday night Jazz Vesper worship services, we will look for ourselves in the stepping stones of Peter’s story. We will reflect on the stages of our own faith journeys as well as who and what has shaped us along the way. As we wander, let us tune our hearts to sing God’s grace. May we rest in streams of mercy, never ceasing. Worship will be via Zoom, Wednesdays at 7:00 PM, beginning February 21 through March 20.
The devotional booklet will be available in several formats. We will email a PDF version that can be printed on a home printer to create a booklet, and a version that can be used electronically on a device. For those who prefer a printed copy and are not able to print it at home we will take “orders” for printed copies and make those available by Ash Wednesday. If you would like a copy printed (one per household, please) sign up on the sheet in the narthex or call the church office.
Shrove, Fat, or Pancake—take your pick for a tasty Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday is the day immediately preceding Ash Wednesday. Its date varies, depending on the date of Easter. In 2024 Shrove Tuesday is on February 13.
Shrove, derived from shrive, refers to the confession of sins as a preparation for Lent, a usual practice in Europe in the Middle Ages. Although the day is sometimes still used for self-examination and introspection, Shrove Tuesday eventually acquired the character of a carnival or festival in many places and is often celebrated with parades. As the final day before the austerity of the Lenten fast, Shrove Tuesday also has many customs pertaining to food. Pancakes are traditional in a number of European countries because eggs, sugar, and fat, commonly forbidden during the Lenten fast, are used up so they will not go to waste; the day is known as Pancake Day or Pancake Tuesday in Ireland and in many Commonwealth countries. Similarly rich pre-Lenten treats are popular in other ethnic traditions. Sweet pa̡czki are traditional in Poland, and king cake is an iconic part of Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”) in New Orleans. (From the Encyclopedia Brittanica)
We’ll have our own Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper at Nativity on February 13, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.. Hans and his crew will be in the kitchen cooking up pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon and good coffee.
Ash Wednesday Worship
For centuries Christians have begun the season of Lent with the imposition of ashes. An ashen cross is placed in the same spot as the cross of baptism was marked on their foreheads. Early Christians adopted the use of ashes from ancient Jewish practices of using them as a sign of repentance. In baptism the words spoken are “[Insert your name here], child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.”
On Ash Wednesday the words spoken are “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
We will worship in-person at Nativity on Ash Wednesday, February 14, at 12 noon and the service will be available via Zoom. The service will include the imposition of ashes and Holy Communion.
Worship Matters…Why do we do that?
Confession and Forgiveness
(Over several months we’ll explore pieces of our worship service and why we do them)
Our Sunday worship still follows a pattern established in the earliest days of the Church. The basic elements of gathering, word, meal, and sending are still the basis of our worship. The Holy Spirit gathers us in unity on the first day of the week, the day of Christ’s resurrection. Our weekly worship most often begins with a gathering rite which is a remembrance of baptism. Sometimes that is in the form of a brief corporate order for confession and forgiveness. Other times it can be in the form of a thanksgiving for baptism which might include sprinkling the people with water from the font. (Pastor Anderson loves those times.)
We begin there because baptism is the place of entry into the Christian community, a gift of God for all. It is a gift that can be returned to, reclaimed, and remembered. This remembrance often takes the form of confession and forgiveness because our Lutheran identity connects us to Martin Luther’s insight (presented in the Small Catechism) that “all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus are daily put to death so that we might be raised daily to newness of life.” Our corporate confession and forgiveness allows us to confess our sins and embrace the forgiveness promised in baptism. The rite generally begins with words like “Blessed be the Holy Trinity, + one God, who creates us, redeems us, and calls us by name.” This is an acclamation of the God who creates and restores, and it is accompanied by the sign of the cross made in remembrance of baptism. Silence follows to allow people to call to mind the many ways sin has scarred their own lives and the lives of others or the community. Next, we speak out loud together the prayer of confession, acknowledging both communal and individual sin. Then the presiding minister declares that God forgives our sins, not based on anything an individual or assembly does, but through the mercy of God.
During the season of Easter and some other festival days or special occasions, we sometimes use a brief order for or remembrance of baptism as an alternate to the confession and forgiveness. This type of remembrance allows us to place greater emphasis on the visible tangible signs of water and its role throughout the history of Gods people along with the cross marked on our foreheads in baptism. Acknowledging our need for God’s saving grace through baptism acknowledges our sin and need for forgiveness.
Although we normally begin with one or the other, sometimes we don’t include either a confession and forgiveness or a remembrance of baptism. This could be for several reasons. Perhaps we have another type of litany included for a special day or reason. Sometimes a similar rite might be included later in the service. Sometimes we are acknowledging our sin and asking for forgiveness in other ways through prayer, song, and coming to the Communion table. There are many ways to ask for and receive God’s gift of grace.
Living Simply and Sustainably
Rachel Carson wrote in the 1960s, “Man’s attitude towards nature is today critically important, simply because we have now acquired the fateful power to alter and destroy nature. But man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself. [We are] challenged as mankind has never been challenged before to prove our maturity and our mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves.”
Living simply and sustainably with nature is one measure of our maturity and mastery over ourselves. Simple living refers to practices that promote simplicity through lifestyle. These lifestyle practices include minimizing possessions, depending less on technology, and spending less money. Simple living reflects a change in one’s mindset and values, which in turn, affect our behaviors. One of these values is: Living sustainably. Living sustainably attempts to reduce the use of the earth’s natural resources.
We live in a convenience and consumer driven world. Try not to be swayed by advertising. Be intentional about your purchases. Ask yourself, “Do I actually need it, or do I simply want it?”
Change behaviors:
- Plan a menu for the week and then go to the grocery store with a list.
- Are you a shopaholic? Create a monthly budget for clothes. Once you have reached that amount you need to wait until the next month.
- Eat a plant based diet. Lynne Taylor has been giving us great recipes to try.
- Plant a garden this coming summer.
- Replace old appliances with more efficient ones.
- Need a new car? Take a look at electric vehicles or hybrids.
- Look at heat pumps. Heat pumps are playing a role in Maine’s goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. On average, they save 50-30% on energy costs. Plus, they can do both heating and cooling.
- Walk or ride a bike instead of driving.
- Install solar panels on your roof.
- Become more aware of legislation that can help promote systematic change.
This is a complicated topic. We are fortunate to live in a first world country while third world countries take the brunt of climate change. By living simply and sustainably we show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God's creation. We have a symbiotic relationship with the earth. Our existence now and for future generations depends on our care and stewardship of the planet.
Denise Stadler
Creation Care Team
Our February vegetarian ideas to help you reduce your carbon footprint
Valentine’s Day is coming up and it might be fun to celebrate with a red vegetarian meal. An easy option is pasta with your favorite red sauce, a few veggies (maybe), and some grated cheese. There are some very tasty high-protein pastas in the grocery stores these days.
Tonight, Marty and I enjoyed another of our cold weather comfort foods, Vegetable Quinoa Pilaf. The recipe says it makes 3 servings, but if you’re using it as a main dish with a side salad, two servings is more realistic, at least for us. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/13925/vegetable-quinoa-pilaf/
Many of you are making delicious vegetarian recipes at home. Please send me some to include in the upcoming months. Thank you.
– Lynne Taylor for the Care for Creation Team.
Out of the Office in February
You are welcome to join Pastor Anderson on Tuesdays, 9:30 - 11:00 AM, for casual and spontaneous conversation. Come and go at whatever time works for you.
Feb 6 - Rock City Coffee, Main St. Rockland
Feb 13 - FlipSide Coffee, Main St, Thomaston
Feb 20 - No Out of Office Hours
Feb 27 - Hole In the Wall Bagels, 754 Main St, Rockland
Thrivent Action Project Wrap Up
Project Name: SOS (socks or sweatshirts) for Portland's homeless.
The SOS project was a success! On January 19th, Mimi, Elaine, Lynne, and Sue Ann delivered a large donation to Preble St. Shelter.
A total of 21 hooded sweatshirts and 58 pairs of socks were donated.
Many thanks to all for your generosity to those in need.
Mimi R. Moore
Project SOS Team Leader
Happy Birthday in February
5 - Bruce Cobb
15 - Betty Long
16 - Sonja Surek
24 - Carson Pavelich
26 - Dana Lear
Editor's note: Did we miss your birthday? Please email your birthday date to kmusicorama@gmail.com so that we can add you to our monthly salutation.
Announcements & Timely Reminders
- The Pastor’s Discretionary Fund: Please remember that an extra $5 or $10 each month may make a huge difference to a family in need! Please indicate any additional donations as "Pastor's Discretionary" when you mail in your monthly offering.
- Don't forget: One simple way to help care for creation is to download the weekly bulletin onto your smart phone or tablet and then bring that device to worship or use it when you zoom at home saving paper and resources. Need help figuring that out? Call Pastor for Android help or Denise Stadler for Apple help.
- Your aluminum pop tabs can help keep families with sick children close to each other and the care and resources they need. Look for the paper bag on the Social Ministry bulletin board in the Narthex. Place your tabs in the bag and take your container home and fill it again! The tabs are donated to the Ronald McDonald House.
A Note from your editor, Kim Murphy
Reminder - send articles and photos by the 20th of each month.
Email kmusicorama@gmail.com
Photos this month: Mimi Moore, Pastor Anderson, Barbara Alberda, Coffeeshop Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash, Bible Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash, Balloon Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash, Liturgy Photo by Grant Whitty on Unsplash, Internet resources; background Photo by Redd F on Unsplash, Heart Photo by Khadeeja Yasser on Unsplash, Earth Photo by NASA on Unsplash, Recipe photo from Allrecipes website, Rainbow Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash, Pancake Photo by Calum Lewis on Unsplash, Ash Wednesday Photo by Ahna Ziegler on Unsplash
Nativity Lutheran Church
Sunday Worship (Sept -May) 10:30 AM
Summer Sunday Worship (June - August) 9:30 AM
Email: office@nativityrockport.org
Website: www.nativityrockport.org
Location: 179 Old County Rd, Rockport, ME, United States
Phone: 207-594-4665
Facebook: facebook.com/nativitylutheranchurch.rockport.maine