song

Lent Devotion Day 1 (Feb 22): ASH (from Isaiah 58: 1-12).

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX11yw6YL1w&feature=youtu.be

QUOTE: Cormac McCarthy: All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one’s heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.

POEM: Tahar Ben Jelloun. The Rising of the Ashes [Before] – excerpt: I pace the abyss. I descend. I am suspended. The ashes still smolder. They rise, surround me, then fall again, grey dust that makes my body a sand-filled hourglass.

Events with JCC and Around Town: NOVEMBER 29-DECEMBER 4

Events with JCC and around town: Decorate the church, train rides, winter tree ID, sleigh rides, jazz, Nutcracker Sweets, music around town, Advent 2: Peace worship,  and more!

TUE, Nov 29

  • 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
  • DECORATE CHURCH
    10:45am • JCC
    • Voilunteers help finalize decoration of sanctuary
  • Community Event: TICKETS for NUTCRACKER SWEETS on sale Call 207.935.4020
    • Dec 3rd (Sat) @ 5pm and Dec 4th (Sun) @ 2pm: Act One Dance Company presents Nutcracker Sweets.
    • Performed at Leura Hill Eastman PAC at the Fryeburg Academy
    • Members of our church community performing in this show.
    • Tickets will be on sale at the studio (Tina Titzer’s School of Dance) and also at Spice and Grain.
    • Note: Attending the December dance performance is an optional event to complement the church’s 3-week Advent book study of Matt Rawle’s The Gifts of the Nutcracker. JCC friends and members will attend the Saturday performance; participants must order their own tickets at phone number above. 
  • Community Resource: LIBRARIES
  • Community Events: HOOT NIGHT
    • Wildcat Tavern: Jonathan Sarty hosts • 6-8:30pm

WED, Nov 30

THURS, Dec 1

  • Community Resource: LIBRARIES
  • 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 Event: JOURNEY to the NORTH POLE (Believe in Books / Theater in the Woods / Conway Scenic RR)
    • Early – 4:15pm (Boarding begins at 3:45pm) & Late – 7:15pm (Boarding begins at 6:45pm)
    • Info & tickets: Journey to the North Pole including online tickets, dates, departure times and more.
  • Community Events: MUSIC AROUND TOWN
    • Shannon Door: Jeremy Dean • 6-8pm
    • Red Parka Pub: Closed for vacation
    • Wildcat Tavern: Al Hospers

FRI, Dec 2

  • Community Resource: LIBRARIES
  • C3: COCKTAILS & CHRISTIAN CONVERSATION
    5pm • Zoom link required
    • Or dial by your location: 929 436 2866, Meeting ID: 830 2844 2916
    • Join us for cocktails and discussion of this week’s scripture with art
  • Community Event: JOURNEY to the NORTH POLE (Believe in Books / Theater in the Woods / Conway Scenic RR)
    • Early – 4:15pm (Boarding begins at 3:45pm) & Late – 7:15pm (Boarding begins at 6:45pm)
    • Info & tickets: Journey to the North Pole including online tickets, dates, departure times and more.
  • Community Event: SLEIGH RIDES @ Nestlenook Farm
    Nestlenook Farm, 66 Dinsmore Road, Jackson, NH
  • Community Event: FIRST FRIDAY – Dark Train Express
    Noon • Majestic Cafe, Conway
    • Dark Train Express quartet (Chad Cummings, Eben Eastman, Gideon Richard and Joseph Della Valla) will play a spirited hour of Cummings’ pop/rock/jazz fusion originals. Admission is by donation, with open seating in the spacious and well-ventilated Majestic Theatre on Main Street in Conway. Pre-concert donations may be made here. Walk-ins are also welcome.
    • Tickets: https://mountaintop.ludus.com/index.php
  • Community Event: MAJESTIC CAFE CONCERT – The Dan Moore Trio
    6:30 pm • Majestic Cafe, Conway, NH
  • Community Events: MUSIC AROUND TOWN
    • Wildcat Tavern: Al Shafner • 6-9pm
    • Shannon Door: Marty Quirk • 6-9pm
    • Red Parka Pub: The Echo Tones • 8-11pm
    • Shovel Handle Pub; Mountain Music Series – Special Appearance By Annie Sumi from Ontario •  5:30-8:30pm

SAT, Dec 3

  • Community Resource: LIBRARIES
  • Community Event: WINTER TREE ID
    10am • Nansen Wayside Park, Milan, NH
    • 2-hour field program on how to identify trees in winter, both deciduous and conifer. Naturalist Dave Govatski will take participants through the unique characteristics and identifiers of the region’s trees, including twig characteristics, branch arrangement, and bark, this program is appropriate for all levels. We hope you join us! Dress for the weather and bring water & a snack.
    • Space is limited and registration is required. Call 603-447-6991 or click here to register.
  • Community Event: TMCC Nature Learning Center Tour 1pm • Tin Mtn Conservation Ctr, Albany
    • Tin Mountain Conservation Center’s Nature Leaning Center is an exquisitely designed, built and operated “net zero” facility that utilizes both solar-electric and solar-thermal technologies. Our tour includes the many features created by locally sourced materials, the building’s energy systems, extensive natural history library, animal mount display and countless natural treasures. For those who are interested in walking the new accessible trail, bring weather-appropriate clothing and footwear traction for a guided tour of the 1.2 mile “lollipop loop”. The TMCC Nature Learning Center tour offers an informative, fun and beautiful weekend activity.
  • Community Event: NUTCRACKER SWEETS Dec 3rd (Sat) @ 5pm and Dec 4th (Sun) @ 2pm • Leura Hill Eastman PAC at the Fryeburg Academy
    • Call 207.935.4020 fot tickets
    • Members of our church community performing in this show.
    • Tickets will be on sale at the studio (Tina Titzer’s School of Dance) and also at Spice and Grain.
    • Note: Attending the December dance performance is an optional event to complement the church’s 3-week Advent book study of Matt Rawle’s The Gifts of the Nutcracker. JCC friends and members will attend the Saturday performance; participants must order their own tickets at phone number above. 
  • Community Event: JAZZ for the HOLIDAYS Home Concert in Silver Lake
    2:3pm (sold out) & 7:30pm ª Silver Lake Private Residence
  • Community Event: SLEIGH RIDES @ Nestlenook Farm
  • Community Event: SANTA’s HOLIDAY EXPRESS
    Conway Scenic Railroad
    • Book your tickets online ahead of time
    • Admission rates vary. Visit the Conway Scenic Railroad website for booking details and additional Santa’s Holiday Express info.
  • Community Event: JOURNEY to the NORTH POLE (Believe in Books / Theater in the Woods / Conway Scenic RR)
  • Community Events: MUSIC AROUND TOWN
    • Shannon Door: Sheehan & Holden • 7-10pm
    • Red Parka Pub: The Big Picture • 8-11pm
    • Wildcat Tavern: Jonathan Sarty • 6-8:30pm

SUN, DEC 4 – ADVENT 2

  • INTERFAITH GATHERING
    8am • Old red library or Zoom link required
    • Join us for poetry, conversation, and prayer.
  • WORSHIP with ADVENT 2: Peace
    10:30am • JCC in-person or Zoom link required
    • Advent candle-lighting
    • Message: Rev Gail Doktor
    • Music Sharon Novak
  • Community Event: NUTCRACKER SWEETS Dec 3rd (Sat) @ 5pm and Dec 4th (Sun) @ 2pm • Leura Hill Eastman PAC at the Fryeburg Academy
    • Call 207.935.4020 fot tickets
    • Members of our church community performing in this show.
    • Tickets will be on sale at the studio (Tina Titzer’s School of Dance) and also at Spice and Grain.
    • Note: Attending the December dance performance is an optional event to complement the church’s 3-week Advent book study of Matt Rawle’s The Gifts of the Nutcracker. JCC friends and members will attend the Saturday performance; participants must order their own tickets at phone number above. 
  • Community Event: SLEIGH RIDES @ Nestlenook Farm
    Nestlenook Farm, 66 Dinsmore Road, Jackson, NH
  • Community Event: SANTA’s HOLIDAY EXPRESS
    Conway Scenic Railroad
    • Book your tickets online ahead of time
    • Admission rates vary. Visit the Conway Scenic Railroad website for booking details and additional Santa’s Holiday Express info.
  • Community Event: JOURNEY to the NORTH POLE (Believe in Books / Theater in the Woods / Conway Scenic RR)
  • Community Events: MUSIC AROUND TOWN
    • Shannon Door: Mike & Becca • 6-9pm
    • Red Parka Pub: Blue Sunday with Erin Harpe • 5-8pm

Events at JCC and around town: July 8-10

FRI, July 8

  • Community Event: ZUMBA
    • 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 email me, text or call me 978-790-3375.
  • ** FITNESS CLASS with Laurie McAleer  (no Friday classes this summer)**
  • Community Resource: LIBRARIES
  • C3: COCKTAILS & CHRISTIAN CONVERSATIONS
    5pm • Zoom link & password required
    • Option: Call in via touch-tone phone: 929.436.2866 Meeting ID: 83028442916 (#)
    • Bring your adult beverage and your curiosity for a conversation about our sacred texts.
  • Community Event: UPPER SACO VALLEY LAND TRUST Celebrates Place: Art Show & Open House
    4-7pm • USVLT office, 111 Main Street, Conway, NH
    • Join us for an open house celebration showcasing our new office space in Conway. Featuring artwork from the postponed 2020 Art Celebrates Place.
    • Includes: finger food, seasonal drinks, and the Cheese Louise food truck; tours of the USVLT offices, and a new USVLT video by filmmaker Joe Klementovich.
    • Artists: Mary Bastoni, Marian Federspiel, Blair Folts, Carol “Sky” Jowdy, Hanna Lucy, Sarah Waldron, and Sui Witherell.
    • Limited parking is available at the USVLT office. Overflow parking will be across the street at the Robert Frost Public Charter School and the A. Crosby Kennett Middle School.
    • Click here for details. Questions? Call USVLT at 603-662-0008 or email info@usvlt.org.
  • Community Event: MAJESTIC CAFE CONCERT – John Hunter (bass) and Paul Heckel (vibraphone)
    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.  
  • Community Event: FRIDAY NIGHT VERTICALS
    7pm • Cranmore Mountain Resort
    Let’s get vertical! Ski the Whites and Cranmore Mountain are hosting their 5th iteration of the Friday Night Vertical Series, which encourages runners and hikers of all abilities to conquer the slopes of Cranmore in summertime style. The group run to the top starts at 7pm, but those looking for a gentler ascent can always start their run/walk any time after 6pm. $5 registration fee per event. Register online today. Dates available throughout the summer.  
  • Community Events: MUSIC AROUND TOWN
    • Wildcat Tavern: Al Shafner • 6-9pm
    • Shannon Door: Sheehan & Holden • 6-9pm
    • Red Parka Pub: Chimera • 8-11pm

SAT, July 9

SUN, July 10

  • INTERFAITH GATHERING (pavilion & zoom)
    8am • Pavilion behind Whitney Community Center & Zoom
    • Zoom link & password required
    • Join us for prayer, poetry & literature, and conversation.
  • WORSHIP 
    10:30am • JCC (in-person & zoom)
    • Zoom link & password required
    • Pianist: Maisie Brown
    • Message: Rev Gail Doktor about Jesus’ Parables
  • JCC Barbecue
    11:45ish am • JCC Lawn by River
    • Bring your appetites! We’ll provide the feast.
    • Menu includes shrimp, veggies, burgers & dogs plus sides of pasta salad, hummus and vegetables, chips & dip with lemonade and iced tea!
    • RSVP if you’re hoping to come: jcchurch@jacksoncommunitychurch.org.
    • Drop-ins also welcome! Open to friends, members, and community! Bring a friend!
  • MUSIC AROUND TOWN
    • Shannon Door: Mike & Becca • 6-9pm
    • Red Parka Pub: Tim Dion  • 4-7pm

TUE, July 12

Reflections on the common table: who has a seat?

If the home is a body, the table is the heart, the beating center, the sustainer of life and health.― Shauna Niequist

If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. — Michael Enzi

I feign fullness, but in reality I am achingly empty. And it is because I too often sit at the table of the world instead of the feet of God. ― Craig D. Lounsbrough

SONGS about SHARING FOOD & ENJOYING LIFE:

The Thanksgivings Harriet Maxwell Converse
We who are here present thank the Great Spirit that we are here          
to praise Him. We thank Him that He has created men and women, and ordered          
that these beings shall always be living to multiply the earth.
We thank Him for making the earth and giving these beings its products          
to live on. We thank Him for the water that comes out of the earth and runs          
for our lands. We thank Him for all the animals on the earth.
We thank Him for certain timbers that grow and have fluids coming          
from them for us all. We thank Him for the branches of the trees that grow shadows          
for our shelter. We thank Him for the beings that come from the west, the thunder          
and lightning that water the earth.
We thank Him for the light which we call our oldest brother, the sun          
that works for our good. We thank Him for all the fruits that grow on the trees and vines.
We thank Him for his goodness in making the forests, and thank          
all its trees. We thank Him for the darkness that gives us rest, and for the kind Being          
of the darkness that gives us light, the moon.
We thank Him for the bright spots in the skies that give us signs,          
the stars. We give Him thanks for our supporters,
who had charge of our harvests.
We give thanks that the voice of the Great Spirit can still be heard          
through the words of Ga-ne-o-di-o.
We thank the Great Spirit that we have the privilege of this pleasant          
occasion. We give thanks for the persons who can sing the Great Spirit’s music,          
and hope they will be privileged to continue in his faith.
We thank the Great Spirit for all the persons who perform the ceremonies          
on this occasion.

Table Blessing — Jan Richardson

To your table
you bid us come.
You have set the places,
you have poured the wine,
and there is always room,
you say,
for one more.

And so we come.
From the streets
and from the alleys
we come.

From the deserts
and from the hills
we come.

From the ravages of poverty
and from the palaces of privilege
we come.

Running,
limping,
carried,
we come.

We are bloodied with our wars,
we are wearied with our wounds,
we carry our dead within us,
and we reckon with their ghosts.

We hold the seeds of healing,
we dream of a new creation,
we know the things
that make for peace,
and we struggle to give them wings.

And yet, to your table
we come.
Hungering for your bread,
we come;
thirsting for your wine,
we come;
singing your song
in every language,
speaking your name
in every tongue,
in conflict and in communion,
in discord and in desire,
we come,
O God of Wisdom,
we come

SHARED MEAL: Commentary

Food feeds our souls. It is the single great unifier across all cultures. The table offers a sanctuary and a place to come together for unity and understanding. — Lidia Bastianich
 

The heart is cooking a pot of food for you. Be patient until it is cooked. — Rumi

The table is a meeting place, a gathering ground, the source of sustenance and nourishment, festivity, safety, and satisfaction. A person cooking is a person giving: Even the simplest food is a gift. — Laurie Colwin

There are times when wisdom cannot be found in the chambers of parliament or the halls of academia but at the unpretentious setting of the kitchen table. ― E.A. Bucchianeri

It’s around the table and in the preparation of food that we learn about ourselves and about the world. —Alice Waters

They all know the truth, that there are only three subjects worth talking about. At least here in these parts,” he says, “The weather, which, as they’re farmers, affects everything else. Dying and birthing, of both people and animals. And what we eat – this last item comprising what we ate the day before and what we’re planning to eat tomorrow. And all three of these major subjects encompass, in one way or another, philosophy, psychology, sociology, anthropology, the physical sciences, history, art, literature, and religion. We get around to sparring about all that counts in life but we usually do it while we’re talking about food, it being a subject inseparable from every other subject. It’s the table and the bed that count in life. And everything else we do, we do so we can get back to the table, back to the bed. ― Marlena De Blasi

Meals are significant because you are in close quarters with someone. Your hands are reaching into the same dishes. It is a clear act of welcoming, accepting, and befriending. It was the precise thing that you did not do with the social pariahs. It was the precise thing that the social outcast wanted: community. — Dave Dunham

You’ve spent the whole of your life filling your plate with the scraps that life has thrown your way. And even so, you feel horribly undeserving of these. But please understand that there is a glorious table generously spread with everything that you will ever need. And you might think about the fact that God sits at that very table staring at an empty chair that has your name on it. So, maybe you should step up and RSVP the God who is desperate to see you in that chair. ― Craig D. Lounsbrough

A SEAT at the TABLE: Including Stakeholders
 
I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of rights. — Desmond Tutu

To share a table with someone is to share everything. ― Paul Krueger

A good life does not mean just good food, good clothes, good shelter. These are not sufficient. A good motivation is what is needed—compassion, without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy—just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their rights and human dignity. — Dalai Lama

No matter what message you are about to deliver somewhere, whether it is holding out a hand of friendship, or making clear that you disapprove of something, is the fact that the person sitting across the table is a human being, so the goal is to always establish common ground. — Madeleine Albright
 
All of your stakeholders have to have the right seat at the table, and they all have to be successful. It’s hard to do, but you have to keep your eye on developing a meaningful relationship where it is beneficial for them. Then you work backwards from there. —Brian France

If I am more fortunate than others I need to build a longer table not a taller fence. —Tamlyn Tomita

We don’t come to the table to fight or to defend. We don’t come to prove or to conquer, to draw lines in the sand or to stir up trouble. We come to the table because our hunger brings us there. We come with a need, with fragility, with an admission of our humanity. The table is the great equalizer, the level playing field many of us have been looking everywhere for. The table is the place where the doing stops, the trying stops, the masks are removed, and we allow ourselves to be nourished, like children. We allow someone else to meet our need. In a world that prides people on not having needs, on going longer and faster, on going without, on powering through, the table is a place of safety and rest and humanity, where we are allowed to be as fragile as we feel. ― Shauna Niequist

It is not necessary that you leave the house. Remain at your table and listen. Do not even listen, only wait. Do not even wait, be wholly still and alone. The world will present itself to you for its unmasking, it can do no other, in ecstasy it will writhe at your feet. — Franz Kafka

The best thing we can do for the poor is offer them a place of welcome and community. Our first priority in social involvement is to be the church, a community of welcome to, and inclusion of, the marginalized. This needs to go deeper than a warm handshake at the door. People are often unaware of how much the culture of their church is shaped by their social class. Someone at the door of a church, for example, may hand a newcomer a hymnbook, Bible, service guide, and bulletin with a smile and greeting without realizing how intimidating these can be to someone from a nonliterate culture. The social activities to which the poor are invited, the decision-making processes of the church, the unwritten dress codes, the style of teaching can all be alien to the marginalized. As a result, however warm the welcome, the poor can feel marginalized within the church just as they are outside. (Total Church, 81-82) — Tim Chester and Steve Timmis

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