Announcements

“Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”

(Luke 1:38)

Usually when we hear the word “surrender” we think of defeat.  An image of a white flag being waved might come to mind.  The word “surrender” in general can have negative connotations.  Yet, there are times when surrendering is not a sign of defeat, weakness, or of having lost.  Surrendering at the appropriate time can bring greater wholeness and healing to our lives.  It can be a strategic move, one that ultimately brings additional strength, balance, and grace to our future.

We all know this truth in an intimate and immediate way.  Every night, we surrender to a certain mystery called sleep.  After a long day we shut our eyes and trust ourselves to a process most – if not all of us – don’t fully understand.  Even though we know we need to do this, we can resist.  We can fight our need to let go and to turn in for the night.  However, in the long run, we need sleep to be healthy and to live with a sense of purpose and energy.

Trusting ourselves to a greater mystery, to something we don’t fully understand, seems to be what Mary did when she heard the news of the child in her womb.  At first, Mary struggled with this news.  She was “greatly troubled” by the angel’s greeting.  The angel had to reassure her.  Mary wrestled with what she felt was being asked of her.  It was hard to lose control and to trust a future that seemed uncertain, and even impossible.  Yet her willingness to do so, was the way for God to give birth to something extraordinary  through her.  Mary eventually dared put her faith in something bigger than herself.  She put her faith in God even though it turned her life upside-down.  Even though she couldn’t comprehend how this could be, she continued to believe.  Even though it meant other people wouldn’t understand, and some perhaps even disapprove, she put her faith in God.

 While it is true sometimes, we shouldn’t give in or give up and we are called to fight with every bit of energy within us, this part of the Christmas story also reminds us of another truth.  At times you and I are also called to surrender, to live with a mind and heart open to a future different than what we had originally imagined, but one with God still very present in it.

This truth applies to many areas of our lives; our experiences of loss and struggles with addiction immediately come to mind.  The heart of the famous serenity prayer speaks to this truth: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”  To surrender in this way, is to give ourselves over to God and to give up our need to have power over something we can’t control.  It is an acknowledgement that we need help.  When we surrender, we open ourselves up to the mystery of life, to the risks of the future, and to the challenge of the unknown.  However, we also open ourselves up to a more powerful experience of the grace and love of God.  This is a dynamic present in most steps we take toward a deeper commitment to follow the leading of God’s spirit; some type of surrendering, of subordinating our will to God’s is necessary.

When we surrender in these ways, it’s an act of courage, not a sign of weakness or cowardice.  Mary was not only willing to trust God, but she believed God ultimately wanted what was best for her.   We too must trust that ultimately this type of letting go will be beneficial to our growth, and that we will be sustained by God’s grace.  Do we believe we have the inner resiliency to place ourselves in the hands of a future we can’t see or name, but somewhere deep in our souls we long for because we trust it is of God?  When Mary did this, not only was her life blessed, but the lives of countless others. 

 Wisdom is needed to be able to discern when it is time to exercise control and to fight, and when it is time to let go and to surrender.  Either can be faithful.  Being able to do both is important.   In this New Year, may we seek this wisdom and when it is called for, be willing to faithfully surrender as part of our acknowledgment that there are many things in this life we can’t control.  Let’s have the courage to turn certain things over to God and be willing to be in Another’s keeping – trusting that it is often a key step towards receiving future gifts we might never have imagined possible!

Blessings in this New Year

Pastor John

Our next church hike will be held on Saturday, January 18th.   Joy, Bailey, and Pastor John will meet all who are interested at our church’s parking lot at 10 AM.  We plan to go to Brewster and walk the Wing Island Trail.  It’s about a 2-mile loop, with some great views of salt marshes, and Cape Cod Bay.   All ages are welcome.  Dogs on a leash are permitted too during the off-season.  Feel free to invite a friend.   

Happy New Year church! It was a pleasure getting started with you musically these last few months. Thank you for the warm reception around the cantata. I want to encourage anyone who is considering joining the choir or who has a musical skill to lend (singing, instruments, etc.) to reach out to benjaminc518@gmail.com. We are hoping to diversify some of the musical offerings by incorporating others’ skills .  -Ben Colgan

We thank everyone who has volunteered with the Thrift Shop and Furniture Barn, this year, as well as our amazing Christmas Room.  All these ministries had another extraordinary year, due to the hard work, time and commitment of so many people.   We especially express our gratitude to Connie Swedlund, the leader of our Thrift Shop, Penny Bach, the leader of our Furniture Barn, and Paul Phillips, Carol Cox and Vicki Balboni, the leaders of our Christmas Room.  Over 40 people activity serve in these ministries.  We thank everyone for their faithfulness.  Many within our congregation and those beyond our congregation are blessed through your efforts.

The Thrift Shop and Furniture Barn are closed for the month of January for refreshing and restocking. They plan to re-open on February 5th.

A Note from Carol Cox

“A big cheer to all the crew who made this year’s Christmas Room such a wonderful success!  The new layout made everything old new again!  The volunteers who worked with our shoppers made the days a happy,  fun place , with may compliments to us and the Church for being so welcoming.  We sent our shoppers over to the Bake Sale and they were so pleased with the bountiful and decorative display.  They bought several goodies as gifts and then came to us to shop for gift bags!  To all who contributed their talents in so many ways, we are truly grateful for your support.  And best of all, we brought in a record $9,000 in sales!”  Thank you, all.”

We thank those who have expressed an interest in our minivan ministry, especially those offering to drive our new minivan, to pick up and bring members of our congregation to worship on Sunday mornings.  As we begin this New Year, we continue to welcome people to this ministry.  If you have an interest in assisting those who have trouble getting out, please speak with either John Duncan or Pastor John.  Hopefully we’ll have enough people to be able to bring people to worship regularly, and each driver will only need to do this every few weeks. 

What an amazing experience we all shared on Sunday, December 15^th, when the premier of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” was offered during worship.  This original work, created by our Minister of Music Ben Colgan featured our own choir, guest soloists and a handful of additional musicians.  We thank everyone who made this cantata possible, especially Ben Colgan and Paul Honigsblum, but also every member of our choir and soloist Scott Redman!  Congratulations to all!

We thank everyone who attended our “Night of the Nativity” .  We had a wonderful evening together.  We especially thank all our children and the adults who participated in the service, and who helped re-tell the story of Jesus’ birth.  Afterward it was wonderful to see so many enjoying each other’s company and having a nice meal together.  A special thank you to Valerie Jansson, Madi Cassanelli, Joy Mueller, Ben Colgan, Brian Jansson, and members of the Christian Education Committee for their leadership and making this special evening possible for us all. 

We thank everyone who purchased a gift or two for an infant, child, or younger person in our community this past Christmas.  In partnership with the Hands of Hope Outreach Center of the Cape Cod Council of Churches, members and friends of our congregation were invited to purchase a Christmas gift for a child in need in our community.   Over 100 gifts were purchased and shared with our neighbors, helping to make this season extra special for them.  We thank everyone for their faithfulness, and Eve Hoffman, Laura Trulli, and Donna Mackie for their leadership around this initiative. 

The West Yarmouth Congregational Church hosts the gathering and distribution of the Angel Tree gifts from all the Cape Cod churches.  Thank you to Laura Trulli for sharing these photos of the distribution of all these special gifts, and thanks to all our congregation members who purchased one!

The  Yarmouth Annual Holiday Cookie Stroll took place  Saturday, December 14th, and once again our congregation hosted a concert by students from DY High School under the direction of Alex Pendelton. About 30 student musicians played and well over 100 people enjoyed the concert in our sanctuary.  Afterward, many people also stayed and enjoyed the delicious homemade soups, goodies, and beverages we provided.  Once again, there was a wonderful spirit that ran throughout the day.  We are  grateful to everyone who welcomed our guests, served as docents, made soup, chowder, and chili, baked goodies, as well as those who served and greeted others.  It was another good day for our church.