April 2015 Spire - First Congregational Church of San Jose

The Spire - April - 2015
Volume XXXVI Number 4
First Congregational Church of San Jose, United Church of Christ
in Partnership with United Disciples Fellowship
Maundy Thursday (April 2) 7:30 p.m.
Service of Readings and Tenebrae (extinguishing of lights) will be held in the Sanctuary. Tenebrae reminds
us through scripture and the juxtaposition of darkness and light of the last few days of Jesus’ life and the
moment of his death, and the hope for resurrection that we hold as we approach Easter.
Holy Saturday 24-hour Prayer Vigil (April 4-5)
We are offering a 24-hour prayer vigil from 8:00 a.m. Saturday (April 4), through 8:00 a.m. Easter Sunday
morning. All are welcome to come when you please and stay for as long as you wish. However, to ensure
that at least one person will be in the sanctuary at all times during the vigil, we are asking 24 people to commit to a one–hour time slot. A sign-up sheet for those 24 time slots is at the Welcome Center in Fellowship
Hall. Please join us for a time of meditation and prayer in the sanctuary as we prepare for the celebration of
resurrection and new life on Easter Sunday morning
April 5, 2015 Easter Morning Worship at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
We are offering two celebratory worship services at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. During both worship services, the Board of Children’s Ministries will host an Easter Workshop in Fellowship Hall for all children
grades 5 and under, consisting of crafts to celebrate the rising of Christ. Between services, we will have a
time of Fellowship, as well an Easter Egg hunt for the children at 10:20 a.m. Please join us for any or all of
these special events!
Table of contents
Due to Bill Ferguson’s accident the mass singing of the
Hallelujah Chorus has been postponed.
SAVE THE DATE!!
Our next Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley project day is scheduled for April
25th! Bring your hearts and your energy and volunteer for this worthwhile
event. RTSV brings communities and volunteers together to rehabilitate the
homes of low income homeowners, particularly the elderly and disabled, so
that they may live in warmth, safety, and independence. Past projects have not
only brought joy and happiness to the homeowner but have also left our volunteers with a sense of accomplishment
and feelings of gratitude in knowing
that they have helped someone who
is truly in need. Mark your calendars and watch for future announcements and emails for more information. Contact Liz Carey at princessbasia@yahoo.com or 408-364-6186
Page
Adult Forums
2
United Disciples Fellowship
2
Church Council Highlights
2
The Sub Club
2
Reflections from Rev. Lois
2
Women’s Fellowship
3
Women of Faith
3
Acknowledgements,...
3
Labyrinth walk
3
CareGivers Support Group
3
In Our Thoughts & Prayers
4
2015 Spire Dates
4
Music Corner
4
In Gathering Sunday
4
Remembering Military
4
Children’s Ministries
5
Build a Playground
5
Youth Ministries
6
All Church Work Day
6
Birthdays & Anniversaries
7
Notebooks for Elmwood
7
FCCSJ Calendar of Events
8
Rev. Tom’s Message
9
Contact Information
10
Volume XXXVI Number 4
Page 2
United Disciples Fellowship
Saturday, April 4, 2015 – 6:00pm
“Jeanne Farrington”
Who is Jeanne Farrington? Where did she come from?
What does she believe? Where has her life taken her?
Find out! One of the newest members of UDF will share
parts of her life with us. All are welcome. Dessert will be
served.
When ............ Saturday, April 4, 2015 – 6:00pm
Where
Leta Shattuck’s Community Room
576 W. Parr #16 ,
Los Gatos (871.2313)
All Are Welcome!
April 12th (11:30, Friendship Room)
Wills & Trusts (George Kreider)
April 26th (11:30, Friendship Room)
Climate Change (Keith Casto)
May 3rd (11:30, Friendship Room)
Suicide Prevention — The Suicide Prevention
Bureau will be providing speakers
The Sub Club
April 04, 2015
Do you like submarines?
Do you like movies about submarines? Do you like people who like submarines? Of course you do; who doesn’t? So, for people just like you (and again, who isn’t just
like you?) a new, monthly, small group is being gathered.
On the first Saturday of each month we will gather in the
Friendship Room to watch one of the thousands of available Submarine related films. Some will of course be
longer than others, so we have booked the space from
2:00PM to 5:00PM every first Saturday. Bring your
friends, bring your family, bring your vast and underappreciated wealth of submarinating knowledge.
Our first adventure will be light fare, an oldie but a
goodie, The Russians are Coming – a marvelous, and
family friendly, introduction into the vagaries of submarine navigational hazards. Come join us, you know you
want to…
Church Council Highlights:
Trustees Facility Report – Mark Knudsen
 1. All-Church workdays are scheduled for 5/16/15
and 10/17/15. Please announce and mark your calendars!
By-law Amendment reconsideration – Roger Tricco
 By-Law amendment: After much discussion, the
Council decided to refer the motion to amend the bylaw regarding electronic deliberations, and the motion
to establish a supporting policy back to the subcommittee for further clarification.
 MOTION: Cindy Eckhardt moved to refer the amendment and policy motions back to the sub-committee.
Second: Peggy Charlesworth. Motion carried
Special Gifts Committee Report – Roger Tricco
 Applications for grants are available in the church
office. Applications due 4/30/15
 The Special Gifts Committee’s fiscal year will be
changed to match the church’s fiscal year.
 Two scholarships are available:
a. Robert W. Porter Scholarship for students planning to enter a helping profession.
b. Burns Woodward Scholarship for students planning to enter a career in the ministry
c. Applications due 4/30/15
For your Easter Reflection
from Rev. Lois . . .
Ich liebe dich, du sanftestes Gesetz
by Rainer Maria Rilke
I love you, gentlest of Ways,
who ripened us as we wrestled with you.
You, the great homesickness we could never shake
off,
you, the forest that always surrounded us,
you, the song we sang in every silence,
you, dark net threading through us,
on the day you made us you created yourself,
and we grew sturdy in your sunlight….
Let your hand rest on the rim of Heaven now
and mutely bear the darkness we bring over you.
[From: Rainer Maria Rilke, Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems
to God, Translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy, Riverhead Books, New York, 1996, p.70.]
Volume XXXVI Number 4
Page 3
Women’s Fellowship
Circle Meeting
Deborah Circle will meet on April 8th at 10:00 am
(Please note date change.) in the Friendship
Room. Our program will be given by Joan Spencer
on “Quilts of Faith”. She will share her faith
through her quilts, and will bring some of her
quilts to display as well as showing pictures of
other quilts on our TV.
Hostesses: Neela Billawala, Sylvia Givens, and
Mary Remley.
Devotions: Claire Markus.
As always, our meeting is open to anyone in the
Church.
Acknowledgements,
Celebrations and
Thank-Yous




To Rita and Mark Knudsen for leading the Wednesday
Lenten activities, and to Becky Lake for preparing the soup
supper.
To Brian Link, Charles Weidmann and Dave Elliott, for
their work on the By-laws sub-committee.
To Marilyn Cohen and Maurice Stevenson for taking care
of the sanctuary garden.
To Pick-a-Party donors Deanne and Sean Everton; Ruth
and Noel Tebo; Peggy and Mike Charlesworth; Liz and
Brad Cox; Peggy Doyle and Uwe Kerkhoff; Michele and
Ken Durbin; Teri and John Heberling; Mary Rothgeb and
Carol Hagler; Jamie and Jürgen Schweizer; Michal and
Eric Stachnick; Sonia Molina; Lea Giametta; Becky Lake;
Ellen Cook; Jennifer Busam; Rev. Tom Gough; Diane
Noren; and Deb Gordon
Thank You!
Darlene and Becky wish to thank everyone for the
prayers; cards, calls and emotional support during this
time of grieving.
You all mean so much to us, and I feel cradled in your
love.
Thank you so much,
Darlene.
Women of Faith
All women are invited to attend our Women of Faith
Groups. We meet monthly for discussion of a theme and
loving support for one another. You are welcome to join
either or both groups.
Morning Women of Faith
Meets the 4th Monday at 10:00 am each month. Our next
meeting is April 27th. We will read Section VII of Kitchen
Table Wisdom. All women are welcome to this time of
mutual support and caring conversation. Please join us!
Evening Women of Faith
Meets 3rd Wednesday at 7:00 pm. Our next meeting is
April 15. We will start reading Kitchen Table Wisdom.
All women are welcome to this time of mutual support
and caring conversation. Ask Jennifer Busam or Karen
Winchester for more details.
Journey to the Center
of a Labyrinth
April 25 at 4:00
Join us for a group walk from 4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
on the 4th Saturday of each month. Walking with a group
is a different experience from walking alone. Participants
gather to share an Opening ritual at 4:00 p.m., followed
by Walking the labyrinth, and then a Closing ritual.
It’s been said that labyrinths are not a place to lose
yourself, but rather a place to find yourself, through meditation, reflection and/or prayer. A labyrinth is universal
and we are fortunate to have one in our back yard!
Caregiver Support Group
Our next meeting is April 18, 2015, noon - 2 p.m. in the Friendship Room. If you are in the position of being a caregiver or
support person (long distance, or nearby), and would like to
connect with others experiencing the same kind of challenges,
this is the group for you. Whether you are caring for a parent or
a spouse, sibling or neighbor, you are welcome to join us. We
meet on the third Saturday of each month. Each
meeting we have a time of check in, and then explore a topic related to caregiving.
Bring a dish to share for our monthly potluck.
Volume XXXVI Number 4
Page 4
Love, Laughter, & Song
Remembering Our Military
Our Tenth Annual Concert
Please send updates when possible.
Saturday, May 9th at 3:00 p.m.
Our beloved Chancel and Handbell Choirs will
present gospel, contemporary and traditional sacred music
along with some fun non-religious pieces from Broadway
and Movie Musicals. This will be a delightful program,
very appropriate as an afternoon of entertainment for
Mother’s Day weekend, to introduce neighbors to our
church, or for you to enjoy some of our favorite anthems
from the last year.
We hope you will make plans to attend this always
popular event! Tickets are not required. A free-will offering will be taken and there will be a reception afterwards.
In Our Thoughts and Prayers




Eleanor Tibbetts

Sean & Deanne Everton and Family as they
grieve for his father Harold Everton


All those who are recipients of hospice care.
Billie & Hal Cole
Aileen Daily recovering from surgery
Nancy Kell as she grieves for her mother, Beverly Duba
The women at Elmwood Jail.
In Gathering Sunday
Army
Greg Smith,
Prayers requested by Katie Brown
Carl Blöm,
Prayers requested by Billie and Hal Cole
Rob Flournoy, David Christopher and
Luke Groeninger,
Prayers requested by Jacqui Reed
Nicole Brookwell,
Prayers requested by Donald and Eugenia Allen
Egbert
Isaac Swiftbird,
Prayers requested by Lorraine Casto
Marines
Uriel Huizache,
Prayer request by Susan Price-Jang
Brad Flournoy,
Prayers requested by Jacqui Reed
Navy
Travis Hamilton
Prayers requested by Patrick Campbell and
Laurel Eby
All Military active duty and all Veterans;
May we be a welcoming congregation for all
those who have served (and their families) in the
Armed Forces
Prayers requested by Rev. Penny Phillips
May 3, 2015
**Marks the official conclusion of our Annual Stewardship Pledge Drive**
The Stewardship Committee will host a Sandwich Potluck
in the Fellowship Hall following Worship. Drinks and
Dessert will be provided to celebrate, with gratitude, the
Stewardship Pledges received.
Plan to bring: A tray of sandwiches to share
(sliced in half or quarters).
Please sign up: At the Stewardship table in the Fellowship
Hall following Sunday worship during April. Let us
know what type of sandwiches you plan to bring (meat,
vegetarian or gluten free). Sandwich trays can be stored in
the refrigerator during the worship service.
Please contact us at Stewardship@firstccsj.org with any
questions, or speak to us at church.
The Stewardship Committee: Margaret
Gainer, Gregory Sgarlato, Lori Biesen
Tricco, Ellen Cook, Lorraine Casto
(Chair), Brian Link and Jenifer Busam
2015 SPIRE DATES
Month
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Deadline
Mon. Dec. 15
Mon. Jan. 19
Mon. Feb. 16
Mon. Mar. 16
Mon. Apr. 20
Mon. May 18
Mon. June 15
Mon. July 20
Mon. Aug. 17
Mon. Sept. 21
Mon. Oct. 19
Mon. Nov. 16
Mailing
Fri. Dec. 26
Wed. Jan. 28
Wed. Feb. 25
Wed. Mar 25
Wed. Apr. 29
Wed. May 27
Wed. June 24
Wed. July 29
Wed. Aug 26
Wed. Sept. 30
Wed. Oct,. 28
Wed. Nov. 25
Volume XXXVI Number 4
Page 5
Spiritual Formation for Children
(5th Grade and Younger)
Please contact Michal Stachnick, Director of Children’s
Ministries, cmdirector@firstccsj.org or call the church office if
you have any questions about our children’s program.
All Children
Godly Play
We are still in need of people to help with church school. If you would like to work with our children, please contact
Michal Stachnick.
Stories for April – Easter
1st – 5th graders
Date
3-6 year olds
April 5
Easter Workshop
April 12
Storyteller: Katie Brown
Storyteller: Michal Stachnick
April 19
Storyteller: Maryann Coole
Storyteller: Lorraine Casto
April 26
Door Person: TBD
Storyteller: Michal Stachnick
Door Person: Thomas Schweizer
Storyteller: Susan Price
Door Person: Zoe Campbell-Eby
Door Person: April Whalen
Easter Workshop & Egg Hunt
April 5
Join us for annual Easter celebration and
egg hunt! During worship children will
create Easter crafts, then join us for the
egg hunt at 10:20.
Help Build a Playground with the SHARKS.
On May 13 - 15, we have the opportunity to join with the Campbell Union School District, the San Jose Parks
Foundation, and the Sharks Foundation to create a playground for children living in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood,
just one mile north of our church. 75% of the kids in this neighborhood live in poverty. Their parents don’t allow
them to play outside their apartments due to the dangerous environment, and there are no parks nearby.
KaBOOM!, the national nonprofit dedicated to helping communities build playgrounds for their kids, is coordinating
this project. Campbell Union School District has donated a lot at the corner of Leigh and Fruitdale Avenues to be
transformed into a playground for the kids by community volunteers, together with members of the Sharks team who
also will be volunteering their time. Two ways for us to help:
Donate: $8,500 will make this project a reality!
San Jose Parks Foundation
C/O KaBOOM! at Sherman Oaks
P O Box 53841
San Jose CA 95153
To volunteer, contact Susan Price at sleeprice66@gmail.com, or visit the KaBOOM! table in Fellowship Hall
Volunteer:
Prep Days: Wednesday, May 13, 8 am – 5 pm
Thursday, May 14 (if necessary)
Build Day: Friday, May 15, 8 am – 3 pm
Volume XXXVI Number 4
Page 6
YOUTH MINISTRIES
“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It's about the
choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true
selves be seen.”
- Brené Brown
“That inner voice has both gentleness and clarity. So to get to authenticity, you really
keep going down to the bone, to the honesty, and the inevitability of something.”
- Meredith Monk
This August the senior high youth and youth leaders will be traveling to Taylorsville,
North Carolina. Over the past 20 years or so, the idea of “mission trips” has become a
bit complicated as churches have begun to realize that often times they do more harm
than good on their one week expeditions into an area dealing with poverty, illness, or
the aftermath of a natural disaster. Taking untrained, unskilled workers into an area
with the idea that they will “fix” the problems results in a Band-Aid solution for both
the afflicted community and the teens that are serving.
For our trips, we are focused on three main things: service, faith formation, and authentic relationships. Service is about more than just doing service; it is about serving
with a grateful heart and learning to see serving as a part of who we are. Faith formation is something that happens naturally as we serve and engage with people and see
how that influences our relationship with God.
The main focus of our trip this year is The Road to Authenticity. What does it mean
to authentically connect with someone? How do we engage with others in a way that
recognizes both our true selves and theirs?
These are the questions that we will tackle as we meet other youth and the people of
Taylorsville.
-Marlie Heberling, Director of Youth Ministry
All Church Work Day
"Calling all Drills, Rakes, Lopping
Shears, Brooms, etc. Spring Cleaning is
coming up; we need volunteers, skilled or
unskilled, for a few hours to do some
much needed work in and around the
church on SATURDAY, MAY
16TH." Sound exciting? Look for our
Sign Up table after church services, to be
announced later." MARK YOUR CALENDARS ! THANKS!"
YOUTH UPCOMING
EVENTS
APRIL SERVICE TRIP MEETING
April 12, 2015 7:00-7:30 PM in the Youth
Center
All youth participating in the trip are expected to be at the meetings.
SPAGHETTOGETHER DINNER AND
SHOW
April 18, 2015, 4:30-8:30p in Fellowship
Hall
Join us for a delicious pasta dinner and a
show put on by members of the congregation. All proceeds go to the Youth Scholarship Fund.
PICK-A-PARTY SALES
We still have parties available. Visit
www.firstccsj.org/pickaparty
OFFERED PROGRAMS
AXIS (Grades 6-12)
Sunday, 10:00 - 11:15 AM
Youth leave after the sermon
time. (No AXIS on the first Sunday of the month)
VORTEX (Grades 6-8)
Sunday, 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Youth meet in the Youth Center.
Dinner is included.
FLUX (Grades 9-12)
Sunday, 6:00 - 8:30 PM
Youth meet in the Youth Center.
Dinner is included. One the 1st
Sunday FLUX ends at 8 PM for
Youth Leadership Team.
YOUTH LEADERSHIP TEAM
(Grades 9-12)
1st Sunday, 8:00 - 9:00 PM
Youth meet in the Youth Center
to discuss upcoming events and
help plan elements of youth
group.





STAY UP-TO-DATE
Visit our website at
www.firstccsj.org/youth.html
Sign up to receive our enewsletter
Read this page in The Spire
each month
Like us on Facebook
Check out our bulletin board
in Fellowship Hall
Contact: Marlie Heberling,
youthdirector@firstccsj.org
Volume XXXVI Number 4
Page 7
Community Service Ministry Team –
notebooks for Elmwood women
~ by Margaret Gainer, CMST member
APRIL BIRTHDAYS
Jesika Sousa
Nancy Kell
John Carter
Glen Brynsvold
Cynthia Eckhardt
Logan Stachnick
Karen Armstrong
Charles Weidmann
Val Billuris
Rini Chadalavada
Amanda Grantham
Erik Houts
Darby Rystrom
Laurie Christian-Neff
Kris Neff
Jack Battad
Maurice Stevenson
Jeffrey Hickey
Dick Kenyon
Carol Zaworski
Brenda Eberle
Kellen Neff
4/1
4/3
4/5
4/6
4/6
4/6
4/7
4/7
4/8
4/10
4/10
4/11
4/13
4/13
4/18
4/19
4/19
4/21
4/23
4/23
4/27
4/29
APRIL ANNIVERSARIES
Laurel Eby and Patrick Campbell
Pat and Dave Elliott
Marilyn and Ralph Coole
Marilyn and Howard Cohen
Bob and Julie Horst
4/9
4/9
4/18
4/24
4/30
Thanks to all my church family for your cards, flowers, visits, and words of comfort and healing. I am getting stronger each day. I treasure the support of my
church family.
Helen Battad
A lot of you know that for many years I've been a volunteer teacher at Elmwood Correctional Facility for
Women, a division of the Santa Clara County jail in
Milpitas. Going weekly into the jail has let me become
aware of simple things that would make life easier for the
women. Several times you have transformed that awareness into action by offering bus tokens and reading
glasses.
Recently, a friend of the church mentioned to the
Community Service Ministry Team that she has seen
women in jail benefit from having their own notebooks
for journaling, note taking, drawing. After getting approval from jail administration, we appealed for and collected black and white composition books, the type of
notebooks permitted in jail.
On March 10 First Congregational Church donated
468 of these notebooks to the women's facility. They
will be distributed by rehab officers, going mainly to
women in high and medium security housing. In these
sections, the women's lives have a lot of restrictions, and
they will especially enjoy having a personal notebook to
use as they wish.
These notebooks were donated one by one, or a handful at a time, to our collection table during February.
They came mainly from church members, with an additional good number given by San Jose Insight Meditation,
a Buddhist group. And still more were given by friends
and neighbors of the church who heard about the collection.
Here is the appreciative, personal response from Ms.
Neelam Wadhwani, Program Manager at Elwood:
Thank you Margaret! Our community is so kind. I am
always reminded of how kind some people are, to be willing to give even when they do not have too much to
give. My heart goes out to all those who gave one book if
that was all they could afford. I know they do not do this
for praise or glory but in the name of the Lord.
And on behalf of any woman at Elmwood who will be
receiving her own notebook, thank you.
Volume XXXVI Number 4
Page 8
April 2015 Calendar of Events
Thursday
4/2
7:30 pm
Maundy Thursday Worship
Sanctuary
Saturday
4/4
8:00 am
Easter Vigil
Sanctuary
4/4
2:00 pm
Sub Club
4/4
6:00 pm
United Disciples Fellowship Meeting
4/5
9:00 am
Easter Worship
4/5
10:00 am
Fellowship Time
Fellowship Hall
4/5
10:20 am
Easter Egg Hunt
Courtyard
4/5
11:00 am
Easter Worship
Sanctuary
4/6
11:30 am
Dreamers Choice Lunch
Friendship Room
4/6
7:00 pm
Sanctuary Improvements Committee Meeting
Rev. Tom’s Office
Tuesday
4/7
7:30 pm
Church Council Meeting
Friendship Room
Wednesday
4/8
10:00 am
Women’s Fellowship Circle Meeting
Friendship Room
4/8
7:00 pm
Sacred Spaces Meeting
4/11
9:00 am
Art & Soul
4/11
9:00 am
Northern California Nevada Council Meeting
Sunday
4/12
11:30 am
Wednesday
4/15
7:00 pm
Evening Women of Faith
Off Site
Friday
4/17
2:00 pm
Pick a Party — Formal Tea Party
Off Site
Saturday
4/18
12:00 pm
4/18
4:30 pm
Sunday
Monday
Saturday
Friendship Room
Sanctuary
Sanctuary
Friendship Room
Friendship Room
CareGivers Support Group
Friendship Room
SpaghetTogether Youth Fundraiser
4/20
Wednesday
4/22
9:30 am
Women’s Fellowship Cabinet Meeting
Saturday
4/25
9:00 am
Pick a Party — Take a Hike Party
4/25
4:00 pm
Labyrinth Walk
4/25
4:00 pm
Pick a Party — Poker Night
Sunday
4/26
11:30 pm
Monday
4/27
Tuesday
4/25
Fellowship Hall
Spire Articles Due
Church Office
Friendship Room
Off site
Labyrinth
Off Site
Climate Change Forum
Fellowship Hall
Morning Women of Faith
9:00 am
FCC Worship
FCC Fellowship
Adult Forum
Bible 101
Dream Group
Bell Rehearsal
Wake Up & Knit
Staff Meeting
Spiritual Practice
Choir Rehearsal
Organ Practice
Dream Group
Friendship Room
Spire Folding
ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS.
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
1:30 pm
Mon.
12:15 pm
7:30 pm
Tues.
3:30 pm
Wed.
10:00 am
12:30 pm
Thur.
7:30 pm
Sat.
10:00 am
3rd 10:00 am
Fellowship Hall
Adult Forum — Trusts — George Kreider
Monday
Sun.
Off Site
Sanctuary
Fellowship Hall
Friendship Room
Friendship Room
Friendship Room
Sanctuary
Friendship Room
Rv. Tom’s Office
Rv. Tom’s Office
Choir Room
Sanctuary
Friendship Room
Fellowship Hall
BOARD/COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Church Council
Diaconate
Outreach
Children’s Mnst.
Trustees
Fellowship
Youth Ministries
Stewardship
Adult Learning
Special Gifts
Pastoral Relations
Personnel Policies
1st Tues.
2nd Mon.
2nd Tues.
2nd Tues.
3rd Tues.
3rd Tues.
2nd Sun.
As Needed
As Needed
As Needed
As Needed
As Needed
7:30 pm
6:00 pm
7:00 pm
7:00 pm
6:30 pm
7:30 pm
11:30 am
Friendship Rm.
Sr. Min. Office
Friendship Room
Room 14
Friendship Room
Room 14
Youth Center
See Calendar of Events
for date and time.
Volume XXXVI Number 4
Page 9
Dear Friends,
Very recently we determined that it was time to say good-bye to one of our cats. She was, for all intents and purposes, eighteen years old. Meuzza was the first born, and last survivor, of a pack of kittens, born to a feral mother in the bedroom of our home in Kalispell, MT. In the last few days I have
thought often of the odd dance that brought her into our lives.
At the time we had cats of our own. Well fed, veterinary cared for, pampered, cuddled and coddled
cats who went outside out of interest and curiosity, never out of necessity. Then there was Genesis,
the unofficial name we gave the wild calico that skirted our home and out buildings with the caution
generally reserved for a soldier lost behind enemy lines. Any hint that she had been spotted and she
would instantaneously teleport to another dimension. What separated the indoor lay-a-beds from the
outdoor scaredy-cat was more than the cat door.
Somewhere in the surrounding fields or barns, she had become pregnant, and as the pregnancy proceeded, her need for comfort, grace, and rest began to overcome her fear of enemy contact. She made
night raids at first, and only as far as the food bowl in the basement. When eventually she understood
that she would be neither trapped nor eaten, she threw caution to the winds and went in search of a
suitable maternity ward. More than once Kitty and I would come home from some event, and find her
napping way upstairs on a carpeted promontory from which she could see approaching danger. She
never let us near her, but she always looked exhausted and terrified.
I don’t remember that our domesticated felines were ever especially freaked out by her presence.
Maybe they had already settled whatever hierarchy needed settling, or maybe they were so abundantly
cared for that no interloper could upset them much, I sure don’t know. But we were keenly aware of
the vast difference between the life she led and that led by our own cosseted crew. In foul weather
Genesis might tip-toe into the house, soaked to the bones and bedraggled, just to pick up the kibble left
scattered around the bowl. Our cats would stick a paw out of the cat door and complain loudly about
the unfairness of the weather.
I confess to having wondered occasionally if our cats had any idea of how well off they were. Did
they look at Genesis and say “Wow, that could be me.” Or were they just so used to being spoiled that
they looked on her as some sort of second-class cat. Did they, maybe, even think of her as deserving
her fate because of her poor cat choices, or her somewhat bedraggled appearance? Hard to tell with
cats.
It is though, I am well aware, all too easy for human beings to take for granted the luck, the ease, the
blessings with which our lives often abound. It is easy to chalk such things up to our own efforts,
skills, or insight. It is easy to cast aspersions, to view others who have had less fortune as deserving of
less fortune. It is easier than admitting that the folks on the other side of the “cat door” could just as
easily be me. The heart that has genuinely grasped the difference will unavoidably be a grateful one.
Such a true and grateful heart will likewise express itself in compassion and generosity. The full expression of this grateful heart is somewhere at the core of every great spiritual tradition. It is a lesson
that, when learned, enhances the enjoyment of life beyond measure.
Peace,
Tom Gough
First Congregational Church of San Jose
United Church of Christ
1980 Hamilton Avenue
San Jose, CA 95125-5638
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Monday - Wednesday)
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Thursday & Friday)
WORSHIP TIME - SUNDAY AT 10:00 A.M.
Children’s Church School and
Nursery Care are available.
Mission Statement: To understand and live out Jesus' vision for a just and loving world.
We are an Open and Affirming Congregation!
Following the example of Jesus Christ, we affirm that we are all children of God and choose to be known as a welcoming, diverse and accepting place of worship. We declare ourselves to be an Open and Affirming church, welcoming all into our community of faith in the assurance that we are all created by God, reconciled by Christ, and empowered by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Church Office: (408) 377-7121
Fax: (408) 377-3812
www.firstccsj.org
Rev J. Thomas Gough, Senior Minister, ext. 111, revtom@firstccsj.org
Rev. Lois Mueller, Interim Associate Minister, ext. 112, revlois@firstccsj.org
Rev. L. Arthur Domingue, Minister Emeritus
Marlie Heberling, Director of Youth Ministries, ext.114, youthdirector@firstccsj.org
Michal Stachnick, Director of Children’s Ministries, ext.113, cmdirector@firstccsj.org
Kristin Link, Director of Music, ext. 115, music@firstccsj.org
A. William Ferguson, Organist, awfe88@hotmail.com
Mindy Flatow Dickens, Joyful Noise! Director, note@mindymusic.com
Cindy Eckhardt, Church Office Manager, ext. 107, officemanager@firstccsj.org
Laurel Eby, Webmaster, webmaster@firstccsj.org
Mark Domnauer Treasurer, markdomnauer@yahoo.com
Jan Heymann, Financial Secretary financialsecretary@firstccsj.org
Kadie Eckhardt, Nursery Attendant, ext. 428, nurseryattendant@firstccsj.org
Bryan Grady, Property Manager, 408-309-5363, bryan_grady@att.net
Tracy DeCaires and Kalani DeCaires, Custodians