Community Events: FACILITIES MTG & FUTURE of JACKSON 6:30-8:00pm • Whitney Community Center. Join the Jackson Facilities Committee for a presentation by the North Country Council about the North Country Rising Resiliency Planning Process. We’ll learn more about what other towns are doing as they look to the future. Our hope is that this will help us launch our quest to determine the current and future facilities needs of our town. We’ll also share an overview of existing facilities.
Come in person or view online at @jacksonflicks.
Childcare and refreshments available.
WED, Sept 28
NO FITNESS CLASS ** Resumes in 3 weeks ** with Laurie McAleer **
Community Event: NATURALIST LED HIKES in JACKSON 10am • Tin Mountain Site, Jackson, NH
Join Tin Mountain Conservation Center for weekly hikes at the Jackson Field Station property. Highlights include the summit of Tin Mountain, a tin mine on the property, and historic homestead, and a mountain pond. Tin Mountain’s naturalist will explain the historic use of the property, help identify plant species, and point out animal signs. These hikes are a great way to explore the lesser trod trails of the White Mountains and avoid the crowds. Participants of all ages welcome.
Program fee of $15/person or $25/household for non-members; members are free.
Space is limited and registration is required. Call 603-447-6991 or click here to register.
Community Service: WAY STATION 2-5 • Food collection & distribution 10-6 • Open shift for drop-ins and apts.
Staff and volunteers of JCC participate. Operating in church basement this week: Nativity Lutheran.
Community Resource: AA MEETING 6pm? • JCC Parish House
Community Events: MUSIC AROUND TOWN
Shannon Door: Jeremy Dean • 6-8pm
FRI, Sept 30
Community Event: ZUMBA with DOTTI
8:15am * Whitney Community Center The class is $5 per person with no sign in. Also, bring your water, a small towel and a smile!!!! If you have any questions feel free to either text or call Dotti,: 978-790-3375.
Community Event: FIELD SKETCHING (Tin Mtn Program) 9am • Tin Mountain
Space is limited and registration is required. Call 603-447-6991 or click here to register.
Drawing live animals of any type can be a very challenging subject. Birds especially are constantly moving. How does one attempt to render them? Come to this workshop and learn how to combine fast sketching with quick observation! Observation is key to drawing animals. You will learn just how important it is to keep your eye on the subject and not your paper. You will also learn how to focus on parts of a bird first, rather than the whole portrait. Basic avian anatomy and topography will be discussed. Photographs and mounted specimens will also be used but be prepared to spend time outdoors. Weather depending, one hour will be devoted to practicing from life. No prior drawing experience is necessary!
Program Fee: $5/member and $20/non-member.
Community Event: WALKER BETWEEN WORLDS 3pm • Lawn of Jackson LibraryFor an all-ages performance of “Walker Between Worlds” performed by Maine talent Leland Faulker.
Walker Between Worlds is a harvest of Faulkner’s favorite traditional Native stories with told with an original perspective. These traditional tales of wonder are full of entertaining lessons and are a gift and legacy for future generations. It is a celebration of the beauty and simplicity of human imagination and the power of community.Faulkner is a member of The Bad River Band of Chippewa Indians in Odenah, Wisconsin, his mother’s tribe, his father was a Shoshone Bannock tribal member from Fort Hall, Idaho. Leland has been a performer for over thirty five years. His parents were part of the U.S. Foreign Service and he grew up with an international background living in Afghanistan, Iran, and Africa. His performances have added to his world walking journey, as he has appeared in festivals and on tours all over the U.S. to Canada, Russia, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Spain, and Turkey. Experiencing life in multiple cultures inspired the title for this very personal program Walker Between Worlds.
Make meals, build insulating windows, walk to end Alzheimers, prevent hate-based activities, and more
JACKSON FACILITIES COMMITTEE PRESENTATION
Tue, Sept 27 • 6:30-8:00pm • Whitney Community Center.
Come in person or view online at @jacksonflicks.
Join the Jackson Facilities Committee for a presentation by the North Country Council about the North Country Rising Resiliency Planning Process. We’ll learn more about what other towns are doing as they look to the future. Our hope is that this will help us launch our quest to determine the current and future facilities needs of our town. We’ll also share an overview of existing facilities. Childcare and refreshments available.
Our Community: Welcoming and Safe—Understanding and Preventing Hate-Based Activity
Maine and New Hampshire have experienced increased hate-based activity in recent months. Please join us for an informative presentation and Q&A with area police departments and local community groups working to address hate-based activity. Talk with your neighbors about proactive and effective ways to respond.
October 3, 6-8pm: Kittery, ME. Kittery Community Center, STAR Theatre, 120 Rogers Road, Kittery, ME 03904. Facilitated by: nh.listens@unh.edu NH Listens/New Hampshire Listens, 603-862-0692.
Please join us for an informative presentation and Q&A with area police departments and local community groups working to address hate-based activity. Talk with your neighbors about proactive and effective ways to respond. Learn more about:
How to identify symbols affiliated with hate groups
Active groups identified in our area
How activity in the Seacoast compares regionally and nationally
Actions you can take if you encounter literature or activity of hate groups
This event is hosted by Kittery Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, South Berwick Police Department, Granite State Progress, New Hampshire Council of Churches, New Hampshire Listens, United Against Hate on Seacoast, and additional area school districts & community groups.
WALK to END ALZHEIMERS with EAGLES’ REST TEAM & JCC
Thanks for your ongoing support. Invite friends to join the team, walk with us or just donate. Post your participation on Facebook if you use it. Let’s beat last year’s team goal of $3000!
We’re planning to walk the Great Glen trails on Oct 7th and follow the walk with lunch (each person covers their own cost) at the Glen House. This plan is based on weather. — Jeanette Heidmann
MAKE MEALS for the CHERNICKS
Link to sign up for meal train for Jan & John Chernick: mealtrain.com/egmzee John Chernick has been quietly battling cancer for a very long time and is now home on hospice. For people who have given so much of themselves, it’s time to return the favor. They are grateful for any donations of meals that will remove one big task from their plate.
Please use the link above to choose a date, rather than approaching them independenlly.
BUILD INSULATING WINDOWS for NEIGHBORS
October 22-25 @ Settlers Green
Sign Up link: https://signup.com/go/psSeUnn (you will see the volunteer options, days, times and tasks). Be sure to hit SAVE after entering your information.
We Need YOU to Help Build Insulating Window Inserts The Tin Mountain Energy Team is working with the non-profit Window Dressers to build simple, tight, pine frame insulation frames for leaky windows to cut down heat loss in winter. We are looking for volunteers to help construct frames as well as help wrap and finish them at our community build at Settlers Green on October 22-25. We will be constructing 209 inserts for 22 homes throughout the Valley. Volunteers will be trained on site and do not need a specific skill set, although a familiarity with a power drill is helpful for frame construction on 10/22. This is our second year of hosting a build in the valley, and we are impressed with the enthusiasm of the community to support this effort.
Please explore the link below and sign up for one or more shifts to join our community event and help keep the MWV a little warmer this year. We encourage folks to sign up for the frame assembly and insert wrapping station, but if you are interested in providing snacks, we appreciate any and all participation. Lunch will be provided for all volunteers.
Sign Up link: https://signup.com/go/psSeUnn (you will see the volunteer options, days, times and tasks). Be sure to hit SAVE after entering your information.
If you have trouble using the Sign Up form or have any questions, please email Nora Dufilho at nbeem@tinmountain.org.
New Hampshire Housing Stability Solutions Summit Tue, October 25, 2022 8am – 4:30pmHoliday Inn – Concord Downtown 172 North Main Street Concord, NH 03301Register for this event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-hampshire-housing-stability-solutions-summit-tickets-416029955797Engage with stakeholders from across the state to learn about New Hampshire communities with unique responses to homelessness trends and explore localized solutions to for your region.
Rosh Hashanah 2022 begins on Sunday, September 25, 2022 and ends on the evening of Tuesday, September 27, 2022. The date … varies every year, since it is based on the Hebrew Calendar, where it begins on the first day of the seventh month. Rosh Hashanah is almost always in September or October.
How heavy something feels, depends on how long we hold onto it. —aish.com
… we also know Rosh Hashanah as hayom harat olam, the day the world is gestating, preparing to be born. Hayom harat olam celebrates Rosh Hashanah as the day God created the world, yet it also proclaims our own ability to create our lives anew in the new year. — My Jewish Learning, full article: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/rosh-hashanah-and-the-creativity-of-remembering/
Accept yourself, love yourself, and keep moving forward. If you want to fly, you have to give up what weighs you down. ― Roy T. Bennett
The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward. ― Steve Maraboli
If you want to forget something or someone, never hate it, or never hate him/her. Everything and everyone that you hate is engraved upon your heart; if you want to let go of something, if you want to forget, you cannot hate. ― C. JoyBell C.
Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself. ― Deborah Reber Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.” ― Ann Landers
There ain’t no way you can hold onto something that wants to go, you understand? You can only love what you got while you got it. ― Kate DiCamillo
I realise there’s something incredibly honest about trees in winter, how they’re experts at letting things go. ― Jeffrey McDaniel
PERFORM TASHLICH (Tossing stone or bread crumb into water):
Find a pebble or bread crumb to cast away (preferably do this on the afternoon of the first of second full day of Rosh Hashanah)
Walk or travel to a body of moving water that supports life (river, ocean or you can use water from a fawcett in a pinch)
Spend time being taking stock, as you walk, about what you want to change about yourself in relation to the prior year (as measured on the Jewish calendar): obstacles, shortcomings, mistakes
Share out loud or silently with Godself, when you arrive by the water, this desire for transformation and a new beginning, by unburdening yourself of the weight of the past (especially those aspects of yourself that you may affect, such as your shortfalls, sins, errors): this will be your prayer for change and renewal
Focus on this scripture: Micah 7:19, He will take us back in love; He will cover up our iniquities. You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
Toss the pebble or crumb into the water as a symbolic act of starting over, seeking God’s forgiveness and compassion, and also being kind to yourself with hope for transformation in the year to come
Here is how one resource describes the Tashlich ritual— pjlibrary.org
Tashlich, which literally translates to “casting off,” is a ceremony performed on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah. During this ceremony, Jews symbolically cast off the sins of the previous year by tossing pebbles or bread crumbs into flowing water. During this ritual, people think of things they’ve done wrong in the past year and then “throw them away,” promising for improvement in the coming year. — pjlibrary.org
ENTERING the NEW YEAR
From Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur is known as Aseret Yemei Teshuvah … Ten Days of Return… when “the gates of heaven are open, and I will listen to your prayers.”
Maimonides explains: “Even though repentance and crying out to G‑d are always timely, during the ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur it is exceedingly appropriate, and accepted immediately [on high]… For these reasons, it is customary… to give profusely to charity, perform many good deeds, and be occupied with observance of G‑d’s commandments from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur to a greater extent than during the remainder of the year.’
Why is this period unique? Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Edeles (Maharsha, 1555-1631) explains that our fate for the coming year is decided on Rosh Hashanah but not sealed until Yom Kippur. Accordingly, this is the time to return to G‑d and beg Him to change the judgment for the better.
Seek — Cathy Cohen When young, I couldn’t reach you through language. I felt distant from your prayer book names steeped in punishment, in law and judgment. Instead, I sought you in the quiet of the sanctuary, in chanting, in families shoulder to shoulder. I sought you in vowels, in silent pause between words, in breath. Eheyeh asher eheyeh shimmers with the possible. Eheyeh asher eheyeh surround of openness, forgiveness. Here a sense of your essence.
Head of the Year — Marge Piercy The moon is dark tonight, a new moon for a new year. It is hollow and hungers to be full. It is the black zero of beginning. Now you must void yourself of injuries, insults, incursions. Go with empty hands to those you have hurt and make amends. It is not too late. It is early and about to grow. Now is the time to do what you know you must and have feared to begin. Your face is dark too as you turn inward to face yourself, the hidden twin of all you must grow to be. Forgive the dead year. Forgive yourself. What will be wants to push through your fingers. The light you seek hides in your belly. The light you crave longs to stream from your eyes. You are the moon that will wax in new goodness.
Closing The Cycle ― Paulo Coelho
One always has to know when a stage comes to an end. If we insist on staying longer than the necessary time, we lose the happiness and the meaning of the other stages we have to go through. Closing cycles, shutting doors, ending chapters – whatever name we give it, what matters is to leave in the past the moments of life that have finished.
Did you lose your job? Has a loving relationship come to an end? Did you leave your parents’ house? Gone to live abroad? Has a long-lasting friendship ended all of a sudden?
You can spend a long time wondering why this has happened. You can tell yourself you won’t take another step until you find out why certain things that were so important and so solid in your life have turned into dust, just like that. But such an attitude will be awfully stressing for everyone involved: your parents, your husband or wife, your friends, your children, your sister, everyone will be finishing chapters, turning over new leaves, getting on with life, and they will all feel bad seeing you at a standstill.
None of us can be in the present and the past at the same time, not even when we try to understand the things that happen to us. What has passed will not return: we cannot for ever be children, late adolescents, sons that feel guilt or rancor towards our parents, lovers who day and night relive an affair with someone who has gone away and has not the least intention of coming back.
Things pass, and the best we can do is to let them really go away. That is why it is so important (however painful it may be!) to destroy souvenirs, move, give lots of things away to orphanages, sell or donate the books you have at home. Everything in this visible world is a manifestation of the invisible world, of what is going on in our hearts – and getting rid of certain memories also means making some room for other memories to take their place.
Let things go. Release them. Detach yourself from them. Nobody plays this life with marked cards, so sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. Do not expect anything in return, do not expect your efforts to be appreciated, your genius to be discovered, your love to be understood. Stop turning on your emotional television to watch the same program over and over again, the one that shows how much you suffered from a certain loss: that is only poisoning you, nothing else.
Nothing is more dangerous than not accepting love relationships that are broken off, work that is promised but there is no starting date, decisions that are always put off waiting for the “ideal moment.” Before a new chapter is begun, the old one has to be finished: tell yourself that what has passed will never come back. Remember that there was a time when you could live without that thing or that person – nothing is irreplaceable, a habit is not a need. This may sound so obvious, it may even be difficult, but it is very important.
Closing cycles. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because that no longer fits your life. Shut the door, change the record, clean the house, shake off the dust. Stop being who you were, and change into who you are.
Traditional poem read for Rosh Hashanah:
Unetanah Tokef (for Rosh Hashanah – Jewish New Year) We shall ascribe holiness to this day. For it is awesome and terrible. Your kingship is exalted upon it. Your throne is established in mercy. You are enthroned upon it in truth. In truth You are the judge, The exhorter, the all‑knowing, the witness, He who inscribes and seals, Remembering all that is forgotten. You open the book of remembrance Which proclaims itself, And the seal of each person is there. The great shofaris sounded, A still small voice is heard. The angels are dismayed, They are seized by fear and trembling As they proclaim: Behold the Day of Judgment! For all the hosts of heaven are brought for judgment. They shall not be guiltless in Your eyes And all creatures shall parade before You as a troop. As a shepherd herds his flock, Causing his sheep to pass beneath his staff, So do You cause to pass, count, and record, Visiting the souls of all living, Decreeing the length of their days, Inscribing their judgment. On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed, And on Yom Kippur it is sealed. How many shall pass away and how many shall be born, Who shall live and who shall die, Who shall reach the end of his days and who shall not, Who shall perish by water and who by fire, Who by sword and who by wild beast, Who by famine and who by thirst, Who by earthquake and who by plague, Who by strangulation and who by stoning, Who shall have rest and who shall wander, Who shall be at peace and who shall be pursued, Who shall be at rest and who shall be tormented, Who shall be exalted and who shall be brought low, Who shall become rich and who shall be impoverished. But repentance, prayer and righteousness avert the severe decree. For Your praise is in accordance with Your name. You are difficult to anger and easy to appease. For You do not desire the death of the condemned, but that he turn from his path and live. Until the day of his death You wait for him. Should he turn, You will receive him at once. In truth You are their Creator and You understand their inclination, for they are but flesh and blood. The origin of man is dust, his end is dust. He earns his bread by exertion and is like a broken shard, like dry grass, a withered flower, like a passing shadow and a vanishing cloud, like a breeze that blows away and dust that scatters, like a dream that flies away. But You are King, God who lives for all eternity! There is no limit to Your years, no end to the length of Your days, no measure to the hosts of Your glory, no understanding the meaning of Your Name. Your Name is fitting unto You and You are fitting unto it, and our name has been called by Your Name. Act for the sake of Your Name and sanctify Your Name through those who sanctity Your Name.
Four important prayers to recite on Rosh Hashanah, including the blessing over apples and honey.
Beginning at sundown on Sunday, September 25, 2022, Jews around the world will begin to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which ends at sundown on Tuesday, September 27, 2022. Rosh Hashanah literally translates to the “head of the year” in Hebrew and is considered a day for Jews to remember both the highs and lows of the past year, and look to how they may improve in the New Year. Reciting Rosh Hashanah prayers from the machzor (or prayer book used during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) is just one way to celebrate the Jewish Holiday.
Sounding a shofar (a ram’s horn), enjoying festive meals such as round challah bread and apples dipped in honey, and attending Torah readings at your local synagogue are other traditional rituals many Jewish families practice during the holiday. Whether you are planning a Rosh Hashanah meal for your family and friends, are looking for ways to celebrate the New Year at home, or want to learn more about Rosh Hashanah prayers, these four selections are a great place to start when it comes to welcoming the Jewish New Year.Candle lighting prayer
Lighting candles is a major part of all Jewish holidays. There are many reasons why candlelight is important in Jewish tradition, and a lot of it comes from the Torah. “The process of imposing order on chaos begins with the divine command, ‘Let there be light’ (Genesis 1:3),” said Ismar Schorsch, a professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary. As you light candles this Rosh Hashanah, you can say the following prayer:
The English translation is: “Blessed are You, our God, Ruler of the world, who sanctifies us with mitzvot and calls upon us to kindle the lights of (Shabbat and) the Festival day.”Kiddush
The Kiddush is a blessing to sanctify the beginning of the holiday. It is said over a glass of wine or grape juice.
“Praise to You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
Praise to You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has chosen us from all the peoples, hallowing us with mitzvot. In Your love, Adonai our God, You have given us this Day of Remembrance, to hear the sound of the Shofar, to unite in worship, and to recall the Exodus from Egypt. For You have chosen us from all the peoples, consecrating us to Your service, and Your word is truth eternal. Praised is the Sovereign God, Sovereign of all the world, who hallows the House of Israel and the Day of Remembrance.”Shehecheyanu
The Shehecheyanu is a prayer that Jews say to mark special occasions. It is said on especially holy days, but it is also said as a celebration and thank you for blessings that occur in everyday life, such as the birth of a child, getting a new job, or achieving something you worked very hard for or didn’t think you could accomplish. As Rosh Hashanah is one of the holiest days on the Jewish calendar, it is an important time to say the Shehecheyanu.
In English: “Praise to You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season.”Blessing over apples and honey
On Rosh Hashanah, Jews eat apples dipped in honey to signify the sweet new year. If you’re enjoying the special new year treat, then you can say this two-part prayer before enjoying the sweet treat.
In English: “May it be Your will, Eternal our God, that this be a good and sweet year for us.”
Rosh Hashanah greetings
It’s certainly appropriate to wish someone celebrating Rosh Hashanah a happy and healthy New Year. You can also use the Hebrew greeting Shanah Tovah, which translates to, “For a good and sweet year.”
Whether you’re celebrating the High Holiday of Rosh Hashanah in a synagogue or at home this year, these prayers can provide comfort and celebration as you reflect on the past year and prepare to enter the new one. Shanah Tovah!
On the first day of , Jews traditionally proceed to a body of running water, preferably one containing fish, and symbolically cast off their sins. The ceremony includes reading the source passage for the practice, the last verses from the prophet Micah(7:19), “He will take us back in love; He will cover up our iniquities. You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
Selections from Psalms, particularly Psalm 118 and Psalm 130, along with supplications and a kabbalisticprayer hoping God will treat Israel with mercy, are parts of Tashlich in various communities.
History of Tashlich
The custom developed around the 13th century and became widespread despite objections from rabbis who feared superstitious people would believe that tashlich, rather than the concerted effort ofteshuvah, had the power to change their lives. Religious leaders were particularly opposed to the practice of tossing bread crumbs, representing sins, into the water, and even shaking one’s garments to loosen any evil clinging to them was discouraged.
Superstitious rites most likely did influence ceremony. Primitive people believed that the best way to win favor from evil spirits living in waterways was to give them gifts. Some peoples, including the Babylonian Jews, sent “sin‑filled” containers out into the water. (The describes the practice of growing beans or peas for two or three weeks prior to the new year in a woven basket for each child in a family. In an early variation of the kaparot ritual, the basket, representing the child, was swung around the head seven times and then flung into the water.) Kurdistani Jews threw themselves into the water and swam around to be cleansed of their sins.
The Symbolism of Water
To make the practice symbolic rather than superstitious, the rabbis gave it ethical meaning. Through Midrash, they connected the water with the Akedah, the binding of Isaac. When Abraham was on his way to sacrifice Isaac, they said, Satan (which could be understood as the voice inside Abraham telling him not to kill his beloved son) tried to stop him. When Abraham refused to heed his voice, Satan became a raging river blocking Abraham’s way. Abraham proceeded nevertheless. When the water reached his neck and he called out for God’s help, the waters immediately subsided.
Water was also seen as symbolic of the creation of the world and of all life. Kings of Israel were crowned near springs, suggesting continuity, like the King of Kings’ unending sovereignty. Since the prophets Ezekiel and Daniel each received revelation near a body of water, it was seen as a place to find God’s presence. As the element of purification, water also represents the opportunity to cleanse the body and soul and take a new course in our lives. (Later rabbis continued to protest against the ritual, on grounds that it encouraged new sins by creating a social situation where people could gossip and men and women mingle, as Isaac Bashevis Singer’s story “Tashlich” illustrates.)
Although the rabbis preferred that Tashlich be done at a body of water containing fish (man cannot escape God’s judgment any more than fish can escape being caught in a net; we are just as likely to be ensnared and trapped at any moment as is a fish), since this is, after all, a symbolic ceremony, any body of water will do, even water running out of a hose or a faucet.
If the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, Ashkenazi Jews [Jews of European descent] do Tashlich on the second day (so as not to carry prayer books to the water, which would violate Sabbath laws). Sephardic Jews [Jews of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern descent] perform the ritual even on the Sabbath [as do a number of liberal Jews]. The ceremony can take place any time during the holiday season through Hoshanah Rabbah at the end of . Excerpted from Celebrate!: The Complete Jewish Holidays Handbook.
DEACON MEETING 7pm • Zoom link and password required
WED, Sept 21
FITNESS CLASS with Laurie McAleer 9:30am • JCC Parish Hall Gentle fitness class for all ages and abiliites. All welcome. Free! PLEASE PARK away from the building for the next few weeks, while painting continues.
Community Event: NATURALIST LED HIKES in JACKSON 10am • Tin Mountain Site, Jackson, NH
Join Tin Mountain Conservation Center for weekly hikes at the Jackson Field Station property. Highlights include the summit of Tin Mountain, a tin mine on the property, and historic homestead, and a mountain pond. Tin Mountain’s naturalist will explain the historic use of the property, help identify plant species, and point out animal signs. These hikes are a great way to explore the lesser trod trails of the White Mountains and avoid the crowds. Participants of all ages welcome.
Program fee of $15/person or $25/household for non-members; members are free.
Space is limited and registration is required. Call 603-447-6991 or click here to register.
Community Service: WAY STATION 2-5 • Food collection & distribution 10-6 • Open shift for drop-ins and apts.
Staff and volunteers of JCC participate. Operating in church basement this week: Nativity Lutheran.
Community Resource: AA MEETING 6pm? • JCC Parish House
Community Events: MUSIC AROUND TOWN
Wildcat Tavern: Rafe Matregrano • 6-9pm
Shannon Door: Dan Parkhurst • 6-8pm
Community Event: SPONGY MOTHS& Other Invasive Insects 7pm. • Zoom link required.
Presented by Tin Mountain’s Wendy Scribner.
FREE for Jackson Residents.
FRI, Sept 23
Community Event: ZUMBA with DOTTI
8:15am * Whitney Community Center The class is $5 per person with no sign in. Also, bring your water, a small towel and a smile!!!! If you have any questions feel free to either text or call Dotti,: 978-790-3375.
C3: COCKTAILS & CHRISTIAN CONVERSATION 5pm • Zoom link and password required.
Join us for cocktails and discussion of this week’s scripture with art
Community Event: MAJESTIC CAFE CONCERT – Hospers (bass guitar) with Don Davis (sax) 7pm • Majestic Theater, Conway Village Info and tickets: https://mountaintop.ludus.com/index.php
Walk-ins are welcome, but space is limited; reservations are recommended to guarantee your seat. $10 per person cover charge. Wine, beer, & cocktails are available. Doors open at 6:30 pm, music starts at 7pm. Admission is limited to those 18 and older unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Man is not the lord of beings. Man is the shepherd of Being. — Martin Heidegger
Being followers is not a bad thing, but who are we following? — David Philips
Ezekiel’s description of the false shepherds translates all too well into the 21st century, as large corporations extract resources from powerless people and regions, leaving them worse off than before. — Reta Halteman Finger
What is the difference between leadership and shepherd leadership? According to Dictionary.com, “leadership is the position of function of a leader, a person who guides or directs a group.” While a shepherd “is a person who protects, guides or watches over a person or group of people,” i.e., a protector, guardian, defender, keeper. Then, what is the definition and role of a shepherd leader, and why is such a distinction important? Shepherds of leadership are pundits expected to create positive change, to protect the core while simultaneously fueling advancement. They are expected to guide and nourish opportunity. They nurture and docent their flock who follow and pave the path, fueling the mission’s light ahead as the shepherd leads from behind. Shepherds fuel the flock’s resolve and personal engine of determination with their own righteous kinetic service to others. The jetstream of frustration for any organization, for any home life, is leadership absent of heart, empathy, creativity — absent of plan. In fact, the very best shepherds of business opportunities are heralded by the happiness of their team. This manifests in the language of victories, team spirit, productivity and results under the wide umbrella of the art of the possible
Verse on Libyan Shepherds (excerpt) — Virgil Now, shall my verse pursue the Libyan nomads, Their pastures, huts, their scattered settlements? Their flocks will often, day and night for a month, Roam and graze the empty tracts and find No shelter in the vast expanse of land. This African shepherd takes his world along, His household, weapons, dog, his bow and arrows, Much like the Roman soldier fierce in arms Who marches forth, unfairly burdened down By all his field equipment, and arrives Ahead of time, to catch the foe off guard.
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When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work … begins: …To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among brothers, To make music in the heart. — Howard Thurman
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For the Shepherd Who Is Also the Path the Sun Makes in Daytime (excerpt) — Komal Mathew
… A good shepherd angles a lion’s eye, traps gazelles in dry fields, copies a cheetah’s spots one leg at a time.
A good shepherd does not give you stones when you ask for toast, does not ask you to work
without a burning bush—but owns a gate, uses a gate, pulls the weeds and leaves the wheat on an altar of choices.
A good shepherd is a prince of peace when terror finds its full echo, a creator in the wild where a predator, providentially, becomes prey.
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COMMENTARY on SHEPHERDS
Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd. ― Rumi
The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep’s throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty. Plainly, the sheep and the wolf are not agreed upon a definition of liberty. — Abraham Lincoln
Shepherds lift their heads, not to gaze at a new light but to hear angels. ― Richelle E. Goodrich
The seaman tells stories of winds, the ploughman of bulls; the soldier details his wounds, the shepherd his sheep. — Laurence J. Peter
… we’re lazy when it comes to doing things that are good for us; we also want someone to follow – someone to go first, for them to take the risks thereby smoothing our path; a sort of guarantee that we won’t stumble. Ironically, we also want to be followed in some way; we are both sheep and shepherd. ― Renée Paule
There was a shepherd the other day … who had in his eyes that reminiscence of horizons which makes the eyes of shepherds and of mountaineers different from the eyes of other men. ― Hilaire Belloc
I don’t want to get too philosophical, but in a sense, you’re given this gift, this sort of creative force in you, and I think everyone has it, and it’s completely unique to you. And you as a person have a little bit of a responsibility as its shepherd if you choose to incorporate that into your life. — Ze Frank
Too many leaders act as if the sheep… their people… are there for the benefit of the shepherd, not that the shepherd has responsibility for the sheep. — Ken Blanchard
It is the duty of a good shepherd to shear his sheep, not to skin them. — attributed to Tiberius
Compassion is a Shepherd, Always tending his herd. — Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
A true shepherd leads the way. He does not merely point the way. — Leonard Ravenhill
Shepherds know many mysterious languages; they speak the language of sheep and dogs, language of stars and skies, flowers and herbs. — Mehmet Murat Ildan
Sheep are related to antelopes, cattle, muskoxen and goats. All of these mammals are even-toed ungulates — their hooves are cloven, or split into two toes. They are also ruminants — their stomachs have multiple chambers to aid digestion. Most sheep have large, curling horns that are made of keratin — the same stuff as fingernails. Most people are familiar with sheep as wooly farm animals that say “Baa.” But the domestic sheep is just one species of sheep. There are also five (or six, depending on the source) species of wild sheep… … Habitat
Sheep were among the first animals to be domesticated, and they are raised all over the world. Wild sheep also live throughout the world — in the Middle East, Asia, Central Europe and North America — mostly in mountainous areas. Bighorn sheep live in the Rocky Mountain region of North America. Desert bighorn sheep live in Death Valley, California, as well as Nevada, Texas and northern Mexico. They can live on desert mountains as high as 4,000 feet (1,200 m). Urials can live even higher up. They are found in Asia and the Middle East on grassy terrains with elevations of up to 19,690 feet (6,000 m), according to the ADW. Habits
Sheep are social, but usually only with their own gender. Males have their own herds called bachelor herds. These herds usually contain five to 50 rams at one time. The females live in nursery herds. Nursery herds can have five to 100 members that include adult females and their young.
Male sheep fight for dominance in their group. Some ram each other at speeds up to 20 mph (32 kph), according to National Geographic (opens in new tab). Dominance is gained when one male submits. This process can take hours. Diet
Sheep are herbivores, which means their diet does not include meat. They typically eat seeds, grass and plants. Like all ruminants, they have multi-chambered stomachs that are adapted to ferment cellulose before digestion, according to the ADW. To completely digest their food, sheep will regurgitate their food into their mouths, rechew and swallow. This regurgitated food is called cud.
Some sheep don’t need much water. The desert bighorn sheep, for example, gets most of its water from eating plants, according to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. Offspring
Male sheep fight for the right to mate with the females and the strongest is usually the only one allowed to mate. Mating season, called the rut, happens in the autumn. After mating, female sheep have a gestation period of around five months. They usually give birth to one or two offspring at a time in the spring.
Baby sheep are called lambs. Lambs can walk just minutes after they are born, though they are often dependent on their mothers for the first four to six months of their lives. They are weaned around four to six month and become sexually mature around one and a half to five years, depending on species and gender. For example, the male argali sheep doesn’t become sexually mature until age 5, while the female becomes sexually mature at age 1 or 2, according to the ADW.
Sheep are part of the Bovidae family, which includes antelopes, cattle and goats. Sheep usually can be identified from their similar looking cousins by their horns. Goats typically have straight horns and sheep have rounded horns. Also, male goats have beards while male sheep do not.
Ovis aries (domestic sheep, mouflon, red sheep, feral sheep), with nine subspecies, including urials
Ovis canadensis (bighorn sheep), with seven subspecies
Ovis dalli (Dall’s sheep, Fannin’s sheep, Stone’s sheep), with two subspecies
Ovis nivicola (snow sheep), with four subspecies
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Other facts
If a sheep rolls over onto its back, it may not be able to get up without assistance, according to the Sheep101 website. A fallen sheep is called a “cast” sheep. They can become distressed and die within a short period of time if they are not rolled back into a normal position. When back on their feet, they may need supported for a few minutes to ensure they are steady. It happens mostly with pregnant ewes and short, stocky sheep with full fleeces.
Most sheep’s milk produced worldwide is made into cheese, such as feta, ricotta, pecorino, Romano and Roquefort.
The most famous sheep is probably Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned. She was born in Scotland in 1996, gave birth to six lambs, and died in 2003 after developing a lung infection. She was stuffed and put on display at the Royal Museum of Scotland. (Fun fact: Dolly was named for country singer Dolly Parton.)
Each winter, a sheep’s set of horns gets a growth ring. By counting the rings, scientist can tell the age of a male sheep.
According to The Phrase Finder, the term “black sheep” to refer to a disreputable or disgraced member of a family may have derived from the notion that black fleeces could not be dyed and were therefore less valuable than white fleece. It may also be due to a bad translation of the Bible in 1535.
If sheep do not have the constant care of a shepherd, they will go the wrong way, unaware of the dangers at hand. They have been known to nibble themselves right off the side of a mountain….. And so, because sheep are sheep, they need shepherds to care for them. The welfare of sheep depends solely upon the care they get from their shepherd. Therefore, the better the shepherd, the healthier the sheep. — Kay Arthur I am like the sick sheep that strays from the rest of the flock. Unless the Good Shepherd takes me on His shoulders and carries me back to His fold, my steps will falter, and in the very effort of rising, my feet will give way. — St. Jerome
The metaphor of the king as the shepherd of his people goes back to ancient Egypt. Perhaps the use of this particular convention is due to the fact that, being stupid, affectionate, gregarious, and easily stampeded, the societies formed by sheep are most like human ones. — Northrop Frye
Experience has taught me that the Shepherd is far more willing to show His sheep the path than the sheep are to follow. He is endlessly merciful, patient, tender, and loving. If we, His stupid and wayward sheep, really want to be led, we will without fail be led. Of that I am sure. — Elisabeth Elliot
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CHRISTIAN COMMENTARY on SHEPHERDS & SHEEP
“Shepherd” is an ancient leadership term. It had already been in widespread use for more than two thousand years by the time the New Testament was written. Across the Ancient Near East it was a common term for gods and kings. Throughout history it has borne two broad, often overlapping meanings, authority and care. The Old Testament carries the term’s rich history into the historical and prophetic books. The New Testament uses both meanings in the Gospels, the Epistles and the Book of Revelation. THE ANCIENT SHEPHERD KINGS: The ancient kings of Mesopotamia use shepherd terminology as a metaphor for their sovereign authority. Lugi-zaggissi (ca. 2500 B.C.) described himself as being “born for shepherding. Shushin (ca. 2030 B.C.) was “the king whom the god Enlil, in his heart, has elected to be the shepherd of the country and of the four corners of the world. Hammurabi (1792-1750 B.C.) called himself a shepherd Orientalists have documented images of Pharaoh and of the god Osiris holding a shepherd’s crook, the Ancient Near Eastern king’s visible symbol of power and authority. So too in Egypt, the shepherd’s crook symbolized Pharaoh’s divine authority. The motif’s appearance in the Egyptian pantheon suggests a powerful metaphor that transcended cultural and social barriers in the ANE (Ancient Near East). ISRAEL’S DAVIDIC SHEPHERD KINGS: David, the shepherd, was summoned from his flocks and anointed king. A humble shepherd, he was known to be “a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.” When Israel’s twelve tribes formed one kingdom the shepherd king motif was invoked to solemnize their covenant with David. To be king was to be the shepherd. Calling David “the shepherd of God’s people” was tantamount to calling him Israel’s king.The prophets used the shepherd motif to castigate kings, princes and governing officials. The promise that God would regather his scattered flock and re-establish the kingdom, with David as king, draws upon this ancient metaphor. In that day “they will walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statues.” They will enjoy everlasting peace for the LORD “will make a covenant of peace with them.” They live in peace because “David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd.” Many of the prophetic passages that use the shepherd king motif were promises about the messiah. Some of these prophecies referred to his identity, some to his service, and many to the nature of his kingdom. The tight prophetic link between the shepherd king and the messiah become gloriously clear in Jesus Christ. Conclusion: The shepherd motif predates the New Testament by several thousand years. It has a rich association with the governing power and authority of kings. This is widely attested throughout the Middle East and in the Greek city states.
When we approach the New Testament, especially from our vantage point almost 2,000 years after the final chapter was penned, we must take care not to automatically associate the term “pastor” with images related to animal husbandry. — Bud Brown, full article: https://www.turnaroundpastor.com/what-pastors-learn-from-ane-kings/
Christianity has found a useful symbol in the image of the shepherd. Our word “pastor” is from the Latin meaning “shepherd” and it is within common language of the Church to speak of this relationship between a pastor and his congregation as the relationship between a shepherd and his flock. Beyond this the church as a whole recognizes the image of the Good Shepherd, that is as Jesus Christ as King of the Church, it’s ultimate leader… Nearly as far back as written history goes, there exists the motif of kings as Shepherds. It was used in ancient Mesopotamia as far back as 3000BC, the area of the world out of which Abraham was called. The Egyptian Pharaohs used a shepherd staff or crook as one of their royal symbols and the prophets of Israel and Judah used the metaphor repeatedly…. In the world of the ancient Near East, this was an obvious metaphor. The pastoral industry, the raising of sheep and goats, was a backbone of society. From these animals the necessities of life were produced: meat, milk and resulting dairy products, clothing from their wool and eventual leather, their horns were used as trumpets or containers to carry things like oil, and sheep were a means to barter or trade with. Sheep were even taken as taxes in organized society, for example 100 sheep a day were provided by the citizens of Israel for King Solomon’s household and government… And sheep were a central sacrificial animal as outlined by the Biblical Mosaic Law. The image of kings and leaders as shepherds in the ancient near east may also be seen with a bit of irony, due to the sometimes-stigmatized profession that it was. Shepherds were often viewed as uncivilized. Always dwelling outside, away from cities, away from protection. They were necessary but not glamourous. The symbol however, likely derived from the special relationship that developed between sheep and their shepherd, including the sheep’s ultimate trust of the shepherd and their obedience to his or her voice. Sending a protective, nurturing message to help solidify a king’s power. Biblically, the image of the Good Shepherd is taken on by Christ Himself. — Corie Bobechko, full article: https://biblediscoverytv.com/history/2021/shepherd-king-motif/
And, like sheep, when someone or something comes along and finally makes us feel safe and loved and worthy and feeling like maybe we are finally going in the right direction, we follow them… And man, do we choose some lousy shepherds. . …I have allowed myself to be shepherded by my addictions, and broken institutions, and the so called “wellness” industry, and the angriest voices on twitter – all while thinking I am for sure just following my own individual thoughts and desires. But this week I realized that not one single shepherd-shaped wolf that I have followed, has ever actually fulfilled my wants and desires, they have only ever increased them… Wolves and lesser shepherds will always suggest that we should look, feel, and act a certain way that is always just out of reach no matter how much we strive. And any past success serves only as an accusation against our current efforts. They set before us an unwinnable game. And in it there is no rest…. So, here is a way to spot the difference between the wolves and the good shepherd–The shepherd never holds auditions. The Shepherd never mentions the quality of sheep they demand. The shepherd never bases their protection and love and concern for their sheep on how the sheep look or feel or behave or achieve…that’s never mentioned as a basis for belonging to the flock of the Good Shepherd. Those are just things wolves create as a basis for belonging because grace is just too offensive. Grace is just too hard to take since on some level, we think that if it’s free it must be worthless. So, yeah…There are no auditions. Nothing to earn. No extra credit in God’s flock. Which also means that there is no basis for comparison. Nothing to envy in others. Nothing to prove. Even to ourselves In the good shepherd’s keeping, striving is replaced by relaxing. — Nadia Bolz-Weber
God is not a celestial prison warden jangling the keys on a bunch of lifers–he’s a shepherd seeking for sheep, a woman searching for coins, a father waiting for his son. — Clarence Jordan
Jesus obviously drew shepherd allegories from his scriptures as well as from local sheepherding practices. — Reta Halteman Finger
We have seen that Ezekiel was a priest (1:3) whom God called to be prophet to His people of the Babylonian captivity. With the siege of Jerusalem ended, the Temple plundered, and the walls and city of Jerusalem in piles of rubble, the attention of God’s prophet now turned to the failure of the religious leaders of Israel… Ezekiel 34 is an indictment of the “shepherds of Israel” (the religious leaders), for their self-righteous, ungracious spirit…. The shepherds (pastors) of Israel were self-centered consumers. They had put their interests above the needs of the people. — Rev Travis D. Smith
God is never on the sidelines of His children’s lives. He goes before them. He leads them, guides them, protects and saves them. — Monica Johnson
Worshipping the Lord means giving Him the place that he must have; worshipping the Lord means stating, believing – not only by our words – that He alone truly guides our lives; worshipping the Lord means that we are convinced before Him that He is the only God, the God of our lives, the God of our history. — Pope Francis
As we follow Jesus more closely, others, who cannot see Jesus yet, will follow us – they will recognize His voice in us and in our actions. — David Philips
The Lord IS my shepherd. Not was, not may be, nor will be. . . is my shepherd on Sunday, is on Monday, and is through every day of the week; is in January, is in December, and every month of the year, is at home, and is in China; is in peace, and is in war; in abundance, and in penury. — Hudson Taylor
When we are fearful and worried all the time, we are living as if we don’t believe that we have a strong and able Shepherd who is tenderhearted toward us, who only leads us to good places, who protects us and lovingly watches over us. — Joseph Prince
You have a God who hears you, the power of love behind you, the Holy Spirit within you, and all of heaven ahead of you. If you have the Shepherd, you have grace for every sin, direction for every turn, a candle for every corner and an anchor for every storm. You have everything you need. — Max Lucado
God has entrusted us with his most precious treasure – people. He asks us to shepherd and mold them into strong disciples, with brave faith and good character. — John Ortberg
And if the line between pasture and wilderness wasn’t clearly drawn, neither was it safely fenced, which meant that the shepherd not only had to worry about sheep wandering off but about wild animals snatching them in the dark—not to mention bandits. … had to be prepared to fight them off—that’s what that staff was for … the shepherd’s staff was a tool and a weapon. It could be used to block a sheep’s path into danger or to prod it to safety; and it could be used to beat off an attacking wolf—or an attacking human. A shepherd had to be continuously alert, always ready both to care kindly for his sheep and to do battle with enemies. “Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me,” not because the shepherd looks so comfortable leaning on them, but because they show that he’s ready to defend us. — David Walbert
A writer spent time with a shepherd on the Texas plains. One night, the shepherd built a fire, and the sheep gathered close. Around midnight, a coyote howled in the distance, followed by another coyote from the opposite direction. The fearful sheep began bleating. The shepherd tossed logs onto the fire. As flames shot up, the writer looked out and saw 4,000 tiny lights—the fire reflected in the eyes of 2,000 sheep. With enemies all around, the sheep looked only toward the shepherd. Why? They trusted him. — Stephen Rummage
