Jackson Community Church

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Advent 1

TUE, Nov 28 – MON, Dec 4 with JCC and Around Town

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TUE, Nov 28 – MON, Dec 4

TUE, Nov 28

  • Community Event: NORDIC WALKING – INTERVALS with POLES – with Ellen Chandler
    8am • Valley Cross Road Parking Lot, Jackson
  • FITNESS CLASS  with Laurie McAleer 
    9:30am • Jackson Community Church

    • Free to all participants.
    • Gentle, chair-based stretch and fitness for all levels of ability
  • CLERGY LUNCH
    12:30pm • Zoom

    • Local clergy convene for conversations, ecumenical event-planning, and peer support. Rev Gail attends.
  • Community Resource: LIBRARIES
  • Community Event: MUSIC AROUND TOWN
    • Wildcat Tavern: Hoot Night with Jonathan Sarty • 6-8:30pm

WED, Nov 29

  • GREENING the SANCTUARY
    10am-Noon • JCC
  • Community Eventt: TRAIL VOLUNTEERING with Jackson XC Ski Touring Foundation
    • From Ellen Chandlerm Executive Director: Trail Volunteers: there is still trail volunteer work taking place. If you are interested in getting notified of each week’s project please contact Ellen to be added to the list. This work takes place on weekdays. Wednesday is the “usual day” but it is adjusted based on weather and other factors. Getting on the email list does not obligate you to attend, it just means you will know the schedule and have the opportunity to join the group if that week’s project is something you are intersted in and you are available.
  • Community Event: YOGA with Anjali Rose
    9am • Old Red Library

    • The class is $10/week.  Please bring the right change if possible or a check made payable to Anjali Rose.
    • Julie at the Town office asked if people would be kind enough to donate a $1/week for the envelope in the library to cover expenses.
    • Contact: Anjali Rose, MEd. 500 RYT, RMT: (603)370-8386, email anjali-rose.com
  • Community Resource: LIBRARIES
  • GRIEF GROUP for Partner & Adult Relationship Loss
    1pm • Old Red Library

    • Rev Gail facilitates this group to support bereaved community members. All welcome; free.
    • This group meets once a month fo support those struggling with partner/spousal loss (as well as other adult relationships such as parents/siblings).
    • Next meeting: Wed, Dec 20  @ 1pm.
    • Separately, a Child Loss group also meets weekly in this location. Netx meeting: Wed, Dec 13.
    • At this point, new participants are welcome through word-of-mouth or referrals. We’ll meet as consistently as possible. You don’t have to attend every session.
    • On the other hand, knowing that folks will gather helps make sure the group can be present to support each other. If you cannot make an upcoming gathering, please send email or text to let the group know: gaildoktor@mac.com, cell: 978.273.0308.
    • We will offer each group as long as the community need continues.
  • Community Event: FRENCH CONVERSATION GROUP
    4pm • Jackson Public Library

    • Come and converse in French with others at JPL!
    • This group is facilitated by Erica Corbett Klein.
    • Email staff@jacksonlibrary.org for more information
  • MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT AROUND TOWN
    • Wildcat Tavern: Live Trivia • 7:306-9pm

THURS, Nov 30

  • Community Resource: LIBRARIES
  • Community Service: WAY STATION SHIFT
    All Day • Way Station, 15 Grove St, No Conway

    • Volunteers open day resource center for showers, mail pickup, grocery distribution, more.
  • MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT AROUND TOWN
    • Shannon Door: Jeremy Dean • 6-9pm
    • Red Parka: Bingo for Bartlett Rec •  5:30-7pm

FRI, Dec 1

  • Community Event: ZUMBA with Dottie
    8:15am • Whitney Community Center, Jackson

    • $5/pp
  • Community Event: NEW ENGLAND SKI MUSEUM Holiday Open House & Opening of the Annalee Dolls Exhibit
    4-7pm     • Eastern Branch of the New England Ski Museum. North Conway, NH

    • Annalee Ski Dolls, a mid-century NH creation that gained a world-wide following, will be on display throughout the ski season. If you get the chance, attend the Show Opening party on Dec. 1.
    • Also, many of the images and captions from the History of Jackson Ski Touring Foundation that have been on display at the Ski Museum will be coming to the Touring Center.
  • FITNESS CLASS  with Laurie McAleer 
    9:30am • Jackson Community Church

    • Free to all participants.
    • Gentle, chair-based stretch and fitness for all levels of ability
  • Community Event: LINE DANCING with Dottie
    9:15ma • Whitney Cmmunity Center, Jackson

    • $5/pp
  • Community Resource: LIBRARIES
    2pm-5pm • Jackson Library

  • Community Event: FIRST FRIDAY CHRISTMAS
    1pm • Majestic Cafe

    • Mountain Top’s Early Music Ensemble presents an hour of Christmas and other music from eras past. You’ll hear Handel and more, played on recorder, cello, harpsichord and flute.
    • First Friday performers include Mountain Top faculty and staff, as well as other Mount Washington Valley folks, who share their talents with the community without compensation. All First Friday events are open to the public by donation, in keeping with Mountain Top Music Center’s mission of “enriching lives with music.” Donate and reserve seats in advance at conwaymajestic.com.
    • The Majestic Cafe is now open for light lunch at 11:30. Enjoy fresh-made paninis or a charcuterie platter before the concert!
  • JSS goes to Jackson Public Library’s Harp Concert wioth Dominique Dodge
    5pm • Jackson Public Library

    • We’ll resume weekl;y Friday study group later this month
  • Community Event: FRIDAY NIGHT JAZZ: John Hunter & Paul Heckel
    7pm • Majestic Cafe, Conway

    • Walk-ins are always welcome, but space is limited; reservations are available to guarantee your seat and to indicate a seating choice.
    • The Friday Night jazz series has a $10 per person cover charge.
    • Doors at 6 pm; music  at 7pm.
    • Come in early and grab a panini before the music star
  • Community Events: MUSIC AROUND TOWN
    • Wildcat Tavern: Al Shafner• 7-9pm • $5 cover
    • Shannon Door: Marty Quirk • 6-9pm
    • Red Parka: Rek’lis • 8-11pm
    • Ledge Brewing (Intervale): Food for Bears • 6-8pm
    • Shovel Handle Pub: Dan Parkhurst • 5:30-8:30pm

SAT, Dec 2

  • Community Event: JAZZ for the HOLIDAYS
    3pm & 7:30pm • Majestic Theater

    • Two chances to hear this Mountain Top holiday classic, featuring seacoast pianist Tom Snow and local saxophonist Mike Sakash. Enjoy the smooth blend of sound as these two consummate musicians share their unique take on traditional and modern seasonal music!
    • At a spectacular private home in Silver Lake – directions will be provided with ticket purchase. The concert includes an opportunity to chat with the artists and other attendees after the performance, while enjoying light refreshments.
    • Seating is limited, so get your tickets early. TICKETS AND INFO: https://www.conwaymajestic.com/
  • Community Resource: LIBRARIES
  • Community Event: OPEN HOURS @ Jackson Historical Society
    1-3pm • Jackson Historical Society

    • Also open by appointment.
    • More info: https://www.jacksonhistory.org/
    • White Mountain Art Sale
      • The Jackson Historical Society is holding its 21st annual White Mountain Art Sale. There are currently over 50 items from private collectors, primarily 19thcentury paintings. To see the online catalog, go to https://www.jacksonhistory.org/catalog.html. Items are available to purchase as they arrive, so check the catalog frequently to see new additions.
      • The Society is open Saturdays and Sundays 1-3pm.  If you are interested in a painting, the Society can open by appointment. Contact info@jacksonhistory.org.
  • Community Events: MUSIC AROUND TOWN
    • Wildcat Tavern: Jonathan Sarty • 7-9pm • $5 cover
    • Shannon Door: Mike & Becca • 6-9pm
    • Red Parka: Diana’s Bath Salts • 8-11pm
    • Shovel Handle Pub: Ryan St. Onge • 5:30-8:30pm
    • Ledge Brewing: Now Is Now • 6-9pm

SUN, Dec 3

  • INTERFAITH SERVICE
    8am • Old red library in Jackson / zoom

    • Join us for poetry, prayer, and conversation.
    • Or join us over Zoom. Password and link required.
  • SUNDAY WORSHIP with Advent 1: Hope
    10:30am   • Jackson Community Church (zoom also available)

    • Music by Sharon Novak
    • Reflection by Rev Gail Doktor
    • Candle-lighting by White family
    • Or join us over Zoom. Password and link required.
  • Community Event: OPEN HOURS @ Jackson Historical Society
    1-3pm • Jackson Historical SocietyAlso open by appointment.

    • More info: https://www.jacksonhistory.org/
    • White Mountain Art Sale
      • The Jackson Historical Society is holding its 21st annual White Mountain Art Sale. There are currently over 50 items from private collectors, primarily 19thcentury paintings. To see the online catalog, go to https://www.jacksonhistory.org/catalog.html. Items are available to purchase as they arrive, so check the catalog frequently to see new additions.
      • The Society is open Saturdays and Sundays 1-3pm  If you are interested in a painting, the Society can open by appointment. Contact info@jacksonhistory.org
  • Community Event: MUSIC AROUND TOWN
    • Shannon Door: Jeremy Dean • 6-9pm
    • Red Parka: Blue Sunday with Erin Harpe Duo • 5-8pm

MON, Dec 4

  • Community Event: SHOULD YOU BE SELECTING a HEAT PUMP?
    7pm • Whitney Community Center

    • Should You Be Switching to a Heat Pump? Heat pumps are having a moment in the spotlight—or as close to one as a heating and cooling appliance can get. Whether it’s ducted heat pumps, mini-splits, or even geothermal systems, there’s a buzz around this climate-friendly HVAC tech. Get a crash course in heat pumps so you can decide the right solution for you.
    • This program is sponsored by the Climate Change Working Group, is FREE and runs Monday, December 4th from 7-8:30 pm at the Whitney Community Center. Unlimited. Not required, but to help us better plan Click Here to sign up.
    • See all programs by the Whitney Commmunity Center:: http://www.whitneyccprograms.com/

Advent Daily Devotional: WEEK of HOPE – DAY 7 – Sat, Dec 4

By jacksonnhccPosted on Posted in Advent & Christmas, Home, Weekly MeditationsTagged , , , , , , , ,

Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the Lord. — Psalm 31:24

Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path. — Psalm 119:105

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The final day of its solo vigil, this candle sums up the week’s theme of hope. Alone it burns. Signals to you. Symbolizes everything you can imagine that hope might offer or promise. Dares to challenge its surroundings and add its small brightness to the world. Reminds you that your life, your heart, your mind, your choices, your voice, and your acts make an impact. — Rev Gail

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A lot of people have their big dreams and get knocked down and don’t have things go their way. And you never give up hope, and you really just hold on to it. Hard work and perseverance. You just keep getting up and getting up, and then you get that breakthrough. — Robert Kraft

In the right light, at the right time,
everything is extraordinary. – Aaron Rose

Advent Daily Devotional: WEEK of HOPE – DAY 5 – Thurs, Dec 2

By jacksonnhccPosted on Posted in Advent & Christmas, Home, Weekly MeditationsTagged , , , , , , , , ,

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. — Isaiah 40:31

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? — Psalm 27:1

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Watch the edge of the candle flame. It shifts. Changes color. Jumps and flickers. It seems to be alive.

            In your own body, your heart leaps. Your breath catches. You, too, are alive.

            Writer and researcher Lee Daniel Kravetz suggests that during the urgency of crisis and other life-changing events, we especially seek hope. Such experiences shift ‘our focus to the legacy we’ll leave … It pushes us to ask the question, “What is truly important to me?”’ Extreme circumstances or changes in perspective cause such clarification of our priorities.

            What has become important to you over the past year or more? What, in this season, arises to claim your energy and imagination? Part of hope is channeling your time and resources into those areas of your life that matter the most and offer the greatest sense of purpose.

            Let your flame be fed by what you value above all else. — Rev Gail

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Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality. — Jonas Salk

Light must come from inside. You cannot ask the darkness to leave; you must turn on the light. —Sogyal Rinpoche

Meditations on hope and resilience for the first Sunday of Advent

By jacksonnhccPosted on Posted in Advent & Christmas, Home, Weekly MeditationsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hope begins in the dark … the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You don’t give up. — Anne Lamott

You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope. — Thomas Merton

SONGS about HOPE:

Blessing of Hope — Jan Richardson
So may we know the hope
that is not just for someday
but for this day—here, now,
in this moment that opens to us:
hope not made of wishes
but of substance,
hope made of sinew
and muscle and bone,
hope that has breath
and a beating heart,
hope that will not keep quiet
and be polite,
hope that knows how to holler when it is called for,
hope that knows how to sing when there seems little cause,
hope that raises us
from the dead—
not someday
but this day,
every day,
again and again and again.

Advent 1: The Parable

In a mother’s womb were two babies.  The first baby asked the other:  “Do you believe in life after delivery?”
      The second baby replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery.  Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”
      “Nonsense,” said the first. “There is no life after delivery.  What would that life be?”
      “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here.  Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths.”
      The doubting baby laughed. “This is absurd!  Walking is impossible.  And eat with our mouths?  Ridiculous.  The umbilical cord supplies nutrition.  Life after delivery is to be excluded.  The umbilical cord is too short.”
      The second baby held his ground. “I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here.”
      The first baby replied, “No one has ever come back from there.  Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery it is nothing but darkness and anxiety and it takes us nowhere.”
      “Well, I don’t know,” said the twin, “but certainly we will see mother and she will take care of us.”
       “Mother?” The first baby guffawed. “You believe in mother?  Where is she now?” 
       The second baby calmly and patiently tried to explain. “She is all around us.  It is in her that we live. Without her there would not be this world.”
       “Hah. I don’t see her, so it’s only logical that she doesn’t exist.”  
        To which the other replied, “Sometimes when you’re in silence you can hear her, you can perceive her.  I believe there is a reality after delivery and we are here to prepare ourselves for that reality when it comes….”
 
— Attribution uncertain: According to Wayne Dyer, the original story was told by Henri J. W. Nouwen. Possibly  adapted from the writings of Pablo Molinero. Or penned in 1947 by Orthodox Rabbi Yechiel Michel Tucazinsky. Or from the Hungarian writer Útmutató a Léleknek.

The spiritual task of life is to feed hope. Hope is not something to be found outside of us. It lies in the spiritual life we cultivate within.— Joan Chittister

There is a saying in Tibetan, ‘Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.’ No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster. ― Dalai Lama XIV
 
Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose. ― Viktor E. Frankl
 
Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality. – Jonas Salk
 
Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope. – Maya Angelou

They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for. – Tom Bodett
 
Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A world of optimism and hope. A ‘you can do it’ when things are tough. – Richard M. DeVos

A lot of people have their big dreams and get knocked down and don’t have things go their way. And you never give up hope, and you really just hold on to it. Hard work and perseverance. You just keep getting up and getting up, and then you get that breakthrough.– Robert Kraft

Hope is the dream of a soul awake. — French proverb

Dum spiro, spero: While I breath, I hope. — Latin proverb

The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof. — Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams

IS HOPE ABOUT NOW or TOMORROW, IS IT a HELP or an OBSTACLE?

Grounded hope has two parts. The “grounded” part refers to a realistic understanding of our lives and ourselves. Instead of painting a smiley face over what has happened, we bravely look at reality head-on. Seeing the situation clearly enables us to work toward recovery.
     We cultivate the “hope” part by building confidence in our ability to shape what happens to us next. We start by asking, “Given what’s happened to me, what am I going to do about it? How can I build a better life on top of it?” Then we set goals for ourselves and find sources of motivation to pursue those goals.
      At some point, most of us will face the task of recovering, rebuilding, and rebounding from adversity. Grounded hope can help us not just bounce back, but bounce forward. — Lee Daniel Kravetz, Option B, https://optionb.org/build-resilience/advice/steps-to-grounded-hope

Hope is important, because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today. But that is the most that hope can do for us – to make some hardship lighter. When I think deeply about the nature of hope, I see something tragic. Since we cling to our hope in the future, we do not focus our energies and capabilities on the present moment. We use hope to believe something better will happen in the future, that we will arrive at peace, or the Kingdom of God. Hope becomes a kind of obstacle. If you can refrain from hoping, you can bring yourself entirely into the present moment and discover the joy that is already here…
     Western civilization places so much emphasis on the idea of hope that we sacrifice the present moment. Hope is for the future. It cannot help us discover joy, peace, or enlightenment in the present moment. Many religions are based on the notion of hope, and this teaching about refraining from hope may create a strong reaction. But the shock can bring about something important. I do not mean that you should not have hope, but that hope is not enough. Hope can create an obstacle for you, and if you dwell in the energy of hope, you will not bring yourself back entirely into the present moment. If you re-channel those energies into being aware of what is going on in the present moment, you will be able to make a breakthrough and discover joy and peace right in the present moment, inside of yourself and all around you. — Thich Nhat Hahn, Peace In Every Step

When considered only philosophically, hope, more often than not, seems to be at odds with rational, analytical thinking. But due to its proactive nature, hope in action touches the heart and creates its own validation. A good example of this is found in the philanthropic work of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. In the 2015 Annual Gates Letter he wrote: “Optimism for me isn’t that things will get better; it’s a conviction that we can make things better — that whatever suffering we see, no matter how bad it is we can help people if we don’t lose hope and we don’t look away.” — article from ornishliving.com

Hope is not always comforting or comfortable. Hope asks us to open ourselves to what we do not know, to pray for illumination in this life, to imagine what is beyond our imagining, to bear what seems unbearable. It calls us to keep breathing when beloved lives have left us, to turn toward one another when we might prefer to turn away. Hope draws our eyes and hearts toward a more whole future but propels us also into the present, where Christ waits for us to work with him toward a more whole world now. — Jan Richardson

When God saves people in this life by working through his Spirit to bring them to faith and by leading them to follow Jesus in discipleship, prayer, holiness, hope, and love, such people are designed…to be a sign and foretaste of what God wants to do for the entire cosmos. What’s more, such people are not just to be a sign and foretaste of that ultimate salvation; they are to be part of the means by which God makes this happen both in the present and the future. — NT Wright

Reflections on songs of justice and resilience: themes for Advent 1 from Mary’s Magnificat (song) in Luke 1.

By jacksonnhccPosted on Posted in Advent & Christmas, Home, Justice & Activism, Weekly MeditationsTagged , , , , , ,

PLAY LISTS: Justice Songs (some lists)

  • Social justice songs: link
  • Songs about class and poverty: link 
  • Songs to listen to while fighting for social justice: link
  • Civil rights songs that promote freedom and justice: link

Questions to consider (Luke 1):

  • What songs of justice are on your play list?
  • When have you stood and sung for justice, or in resistance to injustice? What was at stake?
  • Who still needs songs of justice in this world?
  • When you sing for justice, do you sing solo or as part of a group or community? When and how would you choose either role?

One Song — Rumi

Every war and every conflict between human beings
has happened because of some disagreement about names.

It is such an unnecessary foolishness,
because just beyond the arguing
there is a long table of companionship
set and waiting for us to sit down.

What is praised is one, so the praise is one too,
many jugs being poured into a huge basin.
All religions, all this singing, one song.
The differences are just illusion and vanity.
Sunlight looks a little different on this wall
than it does on that wall
and a lot different on this other one,
but it is still one light.

We have borrowed these clothes,
these time-and-space personalities,
from a light, and when we praise,
we are pouring them back in.

Of Songs and Music: Love Beyond Language

Then the singing enveloped me. It was furry and resonant, coming from everyone’s very heart. There was no sense of performance or judgment, only that the music was breath and food. ― Anne Lamott

You are the music while the music lasts. — T.S. Eliot

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination …— Plato

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything. Plato

Words make you think. Music makes you feel. A song makes you feel a thought. ― E.Y. Harburg

Thus, though music be a universal language, it is spoken with all sorts of accents. — George Bernard Shaw

There is as much music in the world as virtue. In a world of peace and love music would be the universal language … All things obey music as they obey virtue. It is the herald of virtue. It is God’s voice. — Henry David Thoreau

Music is a language that doesn’t speak in particular words. It speaks in emotions, and if it’s in the bones, it’s in the bones. — Keith Richards

If music be the food of love, play on. — William Shakespeare

If I cannot fly, let me sing. – Stephen Sondheim

Without music, life would be a mistake.  – Friedrich Nietzsche

The only thing better than singing is more singing. – Ella Fitzgerald

The greatest respect an artist can pay to music is to give it life. – Pablo Casals

Love, I find, is like singing. ― Zora Neale Hurston

She sang, as requested. There was much about love in the ballad: faithful love that refused to abandon its object; love that disaster could not shake; love that, in calamity, waxed fonder, in poverty clung closer. The words were set to a fine old air — in themselves they were simple and sweet: perhaps, when read, they wanted force; when well sung, they wanted nothing. Shirley sang them well: she breathed into the feeling, softness, she poured round the passion, force … ― Charlotte Brontë, Shirley

Songs as Justice & Resistance

Singing in the midst of evil is what it means to be disciples. … To sing to God amidst sorrow is to defiantly proclaim … that death is not the final word. To defiantly say, once again, that a light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot, will not, shall not overcome it. And so, evil be damned, because even as we go to the grave, we still make our song alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. ― Nadia Bolz-Weber,Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint

Do it. Hell, get the song taken down if you want. But you’ll never silence me. I got too goddamn much to say. ― Angie Thomas, On the Come Up

Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music. Jimi Hendrix

Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music. Jimi Hendrix

Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness. — Maya Angelou

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. — Victor Hugo

Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music. — Jimi Hendrix

Sirens everywhere, singing that street song. Violence everywhere, barely holding on… — Alicia Keyes

Turnin nothin into somethin, is God work, And you get nothin without struggle and hard work— Nas

Writing, painting, singing- it cannot stop everything. Cannot halt death in its tracks. But perhaps it can make the pause between death’s footsteps sound and look and feel beautiful, can make the space of waiting a place where you can linger without as much fear. For we are all walking each other to our deaths, and the journey there between footsteps makes up our lives. ― Ally Condie, Reached

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