Message from the Pastor

I have been asked to serve as your Pastoral Care Pastor.  The congregation has not called me to be your pastor but I come as a temporary pastor.  I expect to be with you during this in-between-time until Resurrection Lutheran Church calls a pastor, a process that may take up to a year in length.  There are others who have been asked to minister here, and you will hear from them in the future.  But for now I come as pastor.  You may call me Pastor Mary or Pastor Robinson.  I answer to both.  I live in New London, CT with my husband Mitch who works for the Navy as a contract specialist.  I received a Master of Divinity Degree from Yale Divinity School, New Haven, and CT. in 1983.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ordained me on March 21, 1984 and I have served congregations in Papillion, NE; Redwood, NY; Orleans Four Corners, NY; Berlin,=2 0NJ; Fairhaven, MA; Tolland, CT; Vernon, CT; West Warwick, RI; and Brooklyn, CT.  I retired in 2006.  Retirement has given me the opportunities to be with my father in Wisconsin during the last six months of his life, build a charming tool and wood shed, go swimming with my six grandchildren, and think about taking up oil painting again.  I am like all other pastors you have had and yet I am not like any of them so I trust in the promise that God’s Spirit is at work. My e-mail is mimarobinson@aol.com.

Alive is Christ,

Pastor Mary Robinson

Faithful Attendance . . . .

Submitted by Kurt Wallin from an old newsletter clipping

A pastor was once asked to define faithful attendance at worship, and this was his reply:

All that I ask is that we apply the same standards of faithfulness to our church activities that we would in other areas of our lives.  That doesn’t seem too much to ask.  The church, after all, is concerned about faith fullness.  Consider these examples:

If your car started one out of three times, would you consider it faithful?

If the paper boy skipped Mondays and Thursdays, would those papers be missed?

If you didn’t show up at work two or three times a month, would your boss call you faithful?

If your refrigerator quit a day now and then, would you excuse it and say, “oh, well, it works most of the time?”

If your water heater greets you with cold water one or two mornings a week while you are in the shower, would it be faithful?

If you miss a couple of mortgage payments in a years’ time, would our mortgage holder say, “oh, well, ten out of twelve isn’t bad?”

Do you belong to any clubs or groups in which your membership would be in danger if you attended only as often as you attend worship?

So. . .

If you miss worship and attend meetings only often enough to show you are interested but not often enough to get involved, often enough to complain but not often enough to solve problems, are you faithful?

WHAT’S   NEXT   ??????

Submitted by Randy

As we enter this Pastoral Vacancy, we all wonder what is next?  The New England Synod has stepped up and is more than willing to help us in this transition.  Hopefully this will help explain what is next.

Usually the first question is “When will we call our next pastor?”   For now, it probably won’t happen for at least 12 - 15 months.  What will happen is a Team of People will be here to help us stabilize from the last pastorate and put things in place to be able to call another pastor, not just financially, but in many areas.  We are all members of that Team, and the Synod will help us with some of the leadership, through staff with expertise in certain areas.

Names that we need to introduce:

1.  Rev. Mary Robinson, Pastoral Care  Pastor  Pr Robinson will be leading us as Interim Pastor in the area of Worship, leading, preaching  and conducting our Sunday Liturgies.  She will also be responsible and helping us in visiting shut-ins, the sick, and similar pastoral duties.  She is with us 15 hours a week, mostly on Sundays.

For those times that Pr Robinson is not available (since she lives in Connecticut) a plan for the area Lutheran Clergy to assume responsibility for one week a month “emergency” coverage is being developed.  When finalized, the clergy person on duty for the week, with contact phone number, will be posted in the weekly liturgy folder, monthly Newsletter, as well as the office phone message.

2. Rev. Edward Dufresne, Transition Pastor  Pr. Dufresne will be helping us in the area of “Administrative” matters, finances, staff support, and most importantly meeting the congregation in small meetings to hear their concerns, their praises, their ideas of where things could be better where things “ain’t broke” and visions of where we should be going, given the chance.  He will help us discern where the Spirit is leading us in the future as a parish.  Pr. Dufresne will be with us starting in January 2009, due to prior other commitments.  He will be with us 15 hours a week.   Until then, Pr. Bob Goehrig, will be attending monthly Church Council meetings to help us in this process on a limited basis.

3. Ms.  Maria Perez, Transition Ministry Guide  Ms. Lopez will be assisting us in our discernment process as a member of the Healing the Wounds of Racism Project of the New England Synod, listening to us, and hopefully helping us heal some of the wounds and pains of what has happened and look to the future. She will be with us for 10 hours a month.

One person who many have met and continues to be with us, even though not as visible throughout this process, will be and is Pr. Ted Asta, assistant to the Bishop ( as well as our Bishop, Bishop Margaret Payne ) .

For now, this will have to suffice.  Address questions and concerns to the Church Council. Continue to be generous, in prayers, time, talents and tithes as we continue this journey.  It all starts on Sunday with our worship.

A reminder. . .

If you or someone you know from RLC is or will be in the hospital, please call the church office and let us know.  We can’t support you if we don’t know where you are!

When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.” John 15:26-27

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As our Nation prepares for Election Day, chances are good that you are overwhelmed with televised debates, opinion poll analyses and feature stories tracking the presidential candidates. It's easy to become sidetracked by the political mudslinging and partisan bickering, unless we consider how our faith can focus our need for informed civic engagement.  In his Large Catechism, Martin Luther describes ‘government’ as a means through which God works to preserve creation and to help maintain a peaceful and just social order in a sinful world. Our faith values should guide how we look at public issues and interpret what is happening in political life. The ELCA is called to be a public church and we have the gift of a heritage that sees government structures in their instrumental role. Thus, we have a responsibility to engage potential political leaders on the values and ethics affirmed by our faith. This is what the ELCA calls the ministry of advocacy.

The ELCA’s efforts are not about partisan politics. In fact, in order to protect religious liberty and our nation’s democratic system, we must remember that it is not the church's role to promote or belittle any single candidate or endorse any activity that will provide any form of partisan gain. Our ELCA advocacy offices hope to encourage Lutherans to get involved and vote as they become more aware of issues of importance to our church community. Now is the time to think critically about our civic responsibility, including voting, and prayerfully and thoughtfully evaluate political issues as we keep the promise for a faithful democracy.  To assist you in reflection, ELCA advocacy staff have developed a series of bulletin inserts grounded in our shared Christian values such as care for creation, concern for people in poverty, hospitality to strangers, and peacemaking.

The inserts are also based on issue briefs found in our election and voting resource “Called to Be a Public Church: 2008 ELCA Voting and Civic Participation Guide.” These inserts will be available consecutively with a new insert available each week for five weeks. The subject of the inserts will address the following issue areas: (1) Hunger and Poverty in the U.S. (2) global poverty and hunger, (3) global warming, (4) immigration, and (5) peace and conflict.  This project is not about WHO anyone casts their vote for. It is about building knowledge regarding our mutual pursuit for a common good. Thanks for reading!

*** For further information, you can access “Called To Be A Public Church: 2008 ELCA voting and Civic Participation Guide” at www.elca.org/advocacy or you can order it at www.augsburgfortress.org. You can find the social statements of the ELCA at www.elca.org/socialstatements. See also the “Lutheran Letter to the Candidates,” dated July 8, 2008 (http://archive.elca.org/bishop/messages/candidatesletter.html) signed by Presiding Bishop Hanson and the leaders of Lutheran partner organizations.

Global Hunger and Poverty

“Jesus unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor’.” Luke 4:17-19

“The power of God’s suffering; self-giving love transforms and challenges the Church to stand with all who are overlooked for the sake of economic progress or greed. Confession of faith ought to flow into acts of justice for the sake of the most vulnerable.”

-- Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All

From the message of the Old Testament prophets to the ministry of Jesus Christ, the Bible declares God’s outrage at the plight of those living in poverty and suffering from hunger. As a result of God’s expressed concern for the poor and oppressed, the Bible presents a unique challenge to people of faith to respond to economic disparities in our world so that all people experience the fruits of the earth and live with dignity. Additionally, the ELCA social statement For Peace in God’s World affirms that “our nation has responsibility to contribute a portion of its wealth to people in poorer nations through effective economic assistance,” and that the purpose of such assistance “should be to reduce hunger and poverty in sustainable and environmentally sound ways.”

In concrete terms, we have to deal with the fact that more than one billion people suffer in poverty today. One-fifth of the global population goes to bed hungry every night, and six million people die each year from HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria - all preventable illnesses. Most of these cases happen in the so-called developing countries. While the United States gives the largest volume of official development assistance when compared to every other country in the world, its giving is second to last in terms of percentage of gross national income. Even a 1% increase in giving would make a big difference around the world (it would add $29 billion in aid). Furthermore, the United States could significantly help in the fight against poverty by canceling some decades-old debts of the world’s poorest countries, supporting fair-trade, and helping finance education campaigns throughout the world.

As a Church that “serves when it holds power accountable, advocates justice, stands with those who are poor and vulnerable, provides sanctuary, and meets human need” (For Peace in God’s World), we want to ask our electoral candidates at all levels to create and support policies that greatly reduce poverty throughout the world. Prayerfully consider: What plans do they have to help and create self-sustaining opportunities for people living in poverty abroad?

***This insert is based on the issue brief on global poverty and hunger in “Called to Be a Public Church” (see www.elca.org/advocacy). It is grounded in the ELCA social statements Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All (adopted 8/1999) and For Peace in God’s World (8/1995). You can find these social statements at www.elca.org/socialstatements.

Global Warming*

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it.” Genesis 2:15

“Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they should be found trustworthy.” I Corinthians 4:1-2

“The earth is a planet of beauty and abundance; the earth system is wonderfully intricate and incredibly complex. But today living creatures, and the air, soil, and water that support them, face unprecedented threats. Many threats are global; most stem directly from human activity.

Our current practices may so alter the living world that it will be unable to sustain life in the manner we know.”

- Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice

The situation before us is daunting. In a 2007 report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), leading scientists confirm that average temperatures are rising at an unprecedented rate, and they pin the cause of this global warming primarily on high levels of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere due primarily to human use of fossil fuels. As the concentration of carbon dioxide and other global warming gases grows, more heat is trapped by the atmosphere and fewer escapes back to space, causing altered weather patterns that can bring unusually intense precipitation, dry spells and more severe storms. (See www.ipcc.ch).

Though Americans make up just 4 percent of the world’s population, we produce about 25 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide pollution from our use of fossil fuels for energy, the largest per capita share of any country.

Making the situation more urgent is the fact that the consequences of global warming have fallen and will increasingly fall on those living in poverty, both within the United States and abroad. As a leading industrialized nation that has dis-proportionally contributed to greenhouse gas emissions, it is incumbent on the United States to rectify this situation.  As servants of the earth, we should urge our electoral candidates at all levels to create policies that ensure a significant reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (leading climate scientists say that we must reduce these emissions by 80 percent by 2050 in order to prevent the catastrophic impacts of rising temperatures in our environment – see www.pewclimate.org. Furthermore, we want them to ensure that the most vulnerable people do not suffer from either climate change or climate legislation. Prayerfully consider: What plans do the candidates have to care for our ailing planet? What policies have they proposed to help the poor and vulnerable through these turbulent times?

*** This insert is based on the issue brief on global warming found in “Called to Be a Public Church” (see www.elca.org/advocacy). It is grounded in the ELCA social statement Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice (adopted 8/1993), which you can find at www.elca.org/socialstatements.

Hunger and Poverty in the United States

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house…” Isaiah 58: 6-7

When we think about poverty, we may think of a distant problem that only affects people far away from us, a problem confined to inner-cities or third-world nations. However, we know that in every nation – rich or poor – fulfilling one’s God-given potential requires resources of various kinds: financial, physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, and communal. The sad reality is that many in America lack the necessary resources to fully live into who God has created them to be.

Are you surprised to discover that 58.5% of all Americans will spend at least one year beneath the poverty line at some point between ages 25 and 75?1 Additionally, nearly 95 million Americans have housing problems of some kind, nearly 50 million Americans have no health insurance (with millions more underinsured), and over 35 million Americans are considered food insecure.  These problems are often hidden, and they defy stereotypes. We find them in cities, but also in rural America and increasingly in the suburbs. People are not just struggling to make ends meet on the other side of the world, but down your street and even in your pew. Our faith teaches us that when any of us suffer, we all suffer. Martin Luther King, Jr. once reminded us that we are all “tied in a single garment of destiny,” and that “I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be.”2 Practical realities like rising consumer prices, the housing crisis, turmoil in the financial markets, growing unemployment, and skyrocketing health care costs affect us all and remind us that, indeed, we’re all in this together.

The ELCA’s social statement on economic life calls for sufficient, sustainable livelihood for all.3 How do we work toward this vision? To make that happen, all sectors of society must work in concert. Lutherans have a long-standing record of making a difference in the lives of poor and hungry people in this country through social ministries, disaster response, and charitable giving. These are important, but they alone are not enough. We must also address the systemic factors that contribute to poverty and erect the barriers that make escaping poverty so difficult.

Part of our responsibility, then, is to make sure that the decisions our elected officials make reflect our most deeply held values, including our belief that all people in America should have the resources they need to fulfill their potential and live a healthy life. If we truly desire to see an end to poverty in the richest nation on earth, we must strive for just public policies with the same passion with which we serve in our food pantries and give financially. What concrete and measurable plans will those running for office propose to reduce poverty and economic insecurity and create opportunity?

¹ Hacker, J. S. (2006). The Great Risk Shift: The New Insecurity and the Decline of the American Dream. New York: Oxford University Press.

² King, Jr., Martin Luther. (1963). Strength to Love. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, p. 70.

³ Available at www.elca.org/socialstatements.

Immigration*

In the book of Leviticus we hear God's command to Israel: "The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as a citizen among you; you shall love the stranger as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt…" (9:34).

“Welcome one another, just as Christ has welcomed you, to the glory of God” (Rom 15:7).

“The newcomers in our church from around the world remind us that all of us in the Church of Jesus Christ are sojourners, ‘for here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come’ (Hebrews 13:14). As we journey together through the time God has given us, may God give us the grace of a welcoming heart and an overflowing love for the new neighbors among us.” – Immigration Message

Immigration Message:

Immigration is a contentious issue in the United States. There are currently more than 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., and each year around 300,000 more legal and illegal immigrants cross our borders. Some people argue that so many immigrants, and especially undocumented ones, jeopardize the U.S. job market, culture, and safety. Others advocate for the needs of these immigrants, arguing that they are not criminals but rather simply people who migrate here to join families, to work, or to seek refuge from persecution, violence, and other horrors. Regardless of where people stand, however, we must not forget our Judeo-Christian calling to treat all people with hospitality. Indeed, by welcoming the stranger we are welcoming Jesus himself (Mt 25:35). In the face of such hospitality, the way undocumented immigrants are detained is highly problematic: in the 2007 fiscal year, the federal government detained nearly 300,000 immigrants - this includes children and families - in jail-like facilities that provide grossly inadequate medical services to the detained. Equally problematic is the increasing number of raids on people’s communities, worksites, and even homes, leaving immigrant families and their local communities traumatized.

One recent example of how traumatic a raid can be for a community is the raid that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) conducted in Postville, IA on May 12, 2008. This is what Rev. Steven Ullestad, bishop of the Northeastern Iowa Synod, and the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service office had to say about the raid and its aftermath: “The impact on those arrested, their children and families, and the whole community was devastating, and more than two months later, the town continues to experience the fallout. In the days following the raid, an estimated 65 percent of Latino high school students and 90 percent of Latino students overall were absent from class. Some elementary classes shrunk from 25 children to less than ten. Children of U.S. citizen parents were also traumatized by the action.

These children reported having nightmares about their own parents being taken away and some drew pictures including the words, ‘Don’t take my friends away. (see http://www.neiasynod.org/synod_news/pdf/LIRS.pdf). As a church that takes seriously its call to be hospitable, especially to the most vulnerable among us, we encourage our electoral candidates at all levels to create and support immigration policies that are fair and humane. Prayerfully consider: What have the candidates said about the situations illegal immigrants face? How do they propose dealing with the undocumented immigrants currently residing in the United States? Is their stance toward immigration one that respects the human dignity of all?

*** See also the Immigration brief in “Called To Be A Public Church” (www.elca.org/advocacy); The ELCA message “Immigration” (adopted 11/1998), and the ELCA social statement Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All (adopted 8/1999) www.elca.org/socialstatements).

Peace and Conflict*

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” -- Matthew 5:9.

Therefore, the ELCA has made this region an area of special emphasis through the adoption in 2005 of a Church-wide Strategy for engagement under the banner, “Peace not Walls: Stand for Justice in the Holy Land” (see www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Peace-Not-Walls.aspx). Through awareness, accompaniment and advocacy Lutherans are making a difference. Awareness involves learning about the region; accompaniment has to do with supporting our Lutheran partners in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and others who are working for peace and justice; and advocacy means being active citizens, and using our voices for those who are not heard. Turning our attention to government, we see that the ELCA statement, For Peace in God’s World, affirms the legitimate role of governments in law enforcement and defense. At the same time, this statement recognizes that, “governments should vigorously pursue less coercive measures over more coercive ones: consent over compulsion, nonviolence over violence, diplomacy over military engagement, and deterrence over war.”

As we exercise the privilege and responsibility of our citizenship this November, we should look for how the candidates address peace and conflict. What are their plans for U.S. military and diplomatic involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere? How will they address the Israeli/Palestinian situation and what will they do to build a comprehensive peace throughout the region?

* This bulletin insert draws from the issue brief on peace and conflict in “Called To Be A Public Church” (see www.elca.org/advocacy). It is grounded in the ELCA social statement For Peace in God’s World (adopted 8/1995, see www.elca.org/socialstatements), and relates to the ELCA document “Churchwide Strategy for Engagement in Israel and Palestine” (see http://archive.elca.org/assembly/05/0813/IsraelPalestine.pdf).

Thank You All

Submitted by: Audley Green

It seems that I am always being "welcomed back" by my friends at Resurrection.  Already this year I've been welcomed back from Australia and from Maine (several times.)

have been an active member for about 30 years.  Last year I was elected to be the US Representative on the International  Board, so now I am also on the National Board ex officio. 

At the end of October I will be away for one Sunday at the national board meeting and in November will go to Geneva, Switzerland, for the international meeting.

So you will continue to welcome me back to Resurrection and I will always be glad to be home again.

With love,

   SOME   NOTES  ABOUT   THE   MUSIC    

and the Music/Liturgy Program

As we enter into the End of Pentecost Season, this year as longest as it can be, 28 Sundays, since this past Easter, March 23^rd,  was so early, we also enter into the Festival end of our Church Year.  Readings start telling us of what is called the “end times”, reminding us that Jesus will come again.  Some of the greatest of church hymnody  has been written for these times, from the great classics such as “Up, Up Awake” (Wachut Auf ) to Andre Couche’s  more recent “Soon, Very Soon”.

Among the Festivals are Reformation Sunday, October  26, All Saints Sunday, November 2, and the Last Sunday of the Church Year, Christ the King, November 23.

Reformation Sunday, we remember our great Lutheran Heritage, in song and readings, that we have been reformed by the Word of God, and continue to be reformed to this day.

Through the month of October there will be special Memorial Offering Envelopes for All Saints Sunday, 2 November,  to remember our ancestors, friends  who have gone home to our Lord, or honor those still living.  These names will be remembered during the Festive Liturgy on November 2^nd when we again will chant the Great Litany of the Saints, and leave imploring the Litany of the God of Abraham.  It is a special day of celebration for us at Resurrection.

This will be followed by our Multi-Cultural Dinner, celebrating our diversity of cultures and homelands.  Help needed for organizing this.

Finally, Christ the King Sunday, 23 November, we hear of the Kingship of our Christ, we hear those wonderful and yet disturbing words of the Matthew Gospel, when Jesus says:  Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Friend of and gift to Resurrection Lutheran, Valerie Caldwell, will again join us to sing these wonderful words. 

PRAISE TEAM will continue to meet Tuesday nights, 6:30 PM, consider this as a possible place for your gifts and talents.                                         

COME,   NOW   IS   THE   TIME TO   WORSHIP.

Randy Rice, Dir of Music/Liturgy

Special Note:

Submitted by – Edwina Williams

The Lord be with you all:

I just wanted to take a moment to remind everyone about our newsletter and the fact that it is still very much a major form of communication for our members as well as others.  Here we will bring you the latest news and events of the congregation.  We will continue to keep you informed of all news and information as we receive it. Also, please do not hesitate to see either, Monica or myself as well as any member of the church council if you are interested in contributing information, short stories, experiences prayers, whatever.  I will be pleased to bring them to life in the pages of our newsletter.  All submittals are welcome.  So don’t hesitate come see us and share your news with your family in Christ.

I would also like to propose that we all commit to a congregation wide dinner that we can all bring a dish and a friend to.  In a continued effort to boost, and restore attendance.  We can discuss the possibility after the service on Sunday, October 5, 2008.  Let us continue to spread the peace, and word of the lord, always.

Blessings,

Edwina Williams

Contacting Pastor Mary Robinson

The most effective way to contact Pastor Robinson is to phone the church office at 617-427-2066.  You may either speak with the church secretary directly between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or leave a message in the voicemail, which is checked at the end of each business day.  Pastor Robinson will return your call promptly or as soon as possible.  If you would like to meet with the Pastor, please call to set up a time that she will reserve just for you.  

The alternatives--except in the case of emergencies--are (1) to speak to Pastor Robinson personally on Sundays or (2) You may drop a note in her mailbox.

Happy Birthday To:

Resurrection Lutheran Church, wishes the following members a very blessed, happy, and healthy birthday, and many, many more.

Ms. Anna Davison    October 28

FYI

In This Issue:     Why Choose ABCD (MFSC)  Head Start     Calendar Events     The Rose Garden     Parents Corner     Profile of the Month     The Sand Box      “Ask Leah”     Photo Gallery

Worship Assistants