 from the November 2009 issue of The Spire
InSPIREd Dear Friends, My favorite part of Christmas, traditionally speaking, is the lights. When I was little I used to get on my back underneath the tree so that I could look at the lights through the branches. The way they reflected off the ornaments and shimmered through the metallic icicles fascinated me. Still does. And I remember staring at the bubble lights on my grandparent's tree, wondering how that worked. You don't see these anymore. I have vivid recollections of the first aluminum tree, sometime in the 1960s – again at my grandparent's home, and the spotlight through the revolving color wheel changing the tree from red to blue to green. I loved that. In our neighborhood there's a man who constructs trees of light about twenty feet high. Each year he adds more to the collection, currently numbering about fifteen. It's a pretty good idea. Unfortunately, they look like teepees. Across the street there's an illuminated moose. Well, it looks like a moose. I think it's supposed to be a reindeer. And I love the guy who lives about ten houses away who left his lights up all year long, hoping not to have to get the ladder out again. Good plan, but half of the lights didn't work when he turned them on. So he had to get the ladder out anyway to take them down. Now he just has one of those flashing strobe trees in his front yard. It makes me dizzy to look at it. For the past ten years I have taken a certain satisfaction in winning the unspoken contest of getting my lights up before my neighbor, Glenn. This year, however, he beat me by three days. I never thought it was an issue, but when I said something to him about it he replied, "I just wanted to beat you at something for once." Then he laughed. It was a cocky laugh. Next year my lights go up at Labor Day! Of all the Christmas lights I love, none compares to the small little candle I hold in my hand during the Christmas Eve service. That little flame, dancing around in the dark, touches my spirit with the light of love. I imagine a baby in a manger, surrounded by people holding small candles and lamps. They were probably wondering what God had in mind. So do I. May the light of Christ illumine your life. Sincerely, Gather for Quiet Worship on the Longest Night It's not always easy to celebrate at Christmas time. If you are mourning the death of a loved one, if you are worried about balancing your family's budget, or if you are facing a medical diagnosis, you may find it difficult to be merry and bright. Our society rarely gives us permission to feel lonely or sad in the holiday season. And yet, the Christmas story is even and especially for people who struggle to be happy. The prophet Isaiah writes that it is "the people who walked in darkness" who "have seen a great light." In our own walks through darkness, we can still find hope in the story of a homeless family's rough shelter in Bethlehem and in the helpless baby born that night. This year's Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year, falls on December 21. Come spend part of your longest night with us. At 7:30 p.m., we will offer a time of worship in the sanctuary: a quiet, reflective hour of song, silence, and prayer. Come to light a candle in memory of a loved one, or to receive a healing blessing. Come help us remember that when the longest night of the year is past, the days will lengthen and our Lord will be born anew.  The Birthday Feast Our 2009 Christmas Pageant will be presented during worship December 20. Join in singing your favorite carols and watch as Smithfielders old and young bring the Christmas story to life! Give to the Christmas Fund The Christmas Fund for the Veterans of the Cross and the Emergency Fund is an expression of joy and gratitude to, and for, those who serve the church. Gifts to the Christmas Fund help provide pension and health premium supplementation to low-income United Church of Christ retirees, emergency assistance to the families of clergy and lay employees, and Christmas gift checks to hundreds of annuitants. Amidst the depressed economic climate which continues to drag on, your gifts are needed more than ever to help the growing number of retirees whose low income annuities make it difficult to meet increasing living costs. The requests for Ministerial Assistance provided by the Christmas Fund are greater than at any point in recent history. Here at Smithfield UCC we will collect a special offering for the Christmas Fund during worship on Sunday, December 20. Please give generously to the annual appeal for the Christmas Fund for the Veterans of the Cross and the Emergency Fund. Holy Spirit Inspires Generosity on Consecration Sunday Consecration Sunday, November 8, at Smithfield United Church of Christ was a day of thanksgiving and celebration. Rev. Dr. Carolyn Jones preached a wonderful sermon, "Holy Potlatch." In this sermon she spoke about three types of giving: grudge giving, duty giving, and thanksgiving. What happened on Consecration Sunday at Smithfield is we had thanksgiving, where the Holy Spirit moved so many in mysterious ways. Numbers and financial figures can sound so sterile, but what brings them to life is God working in our lives. Here is the report: The last 12 months of giving for regular offering (10/1/08 - 9/30/08; this does not include loose offering) that Smithfield has received has been $63,042.56. We received 36 completed estimated giving cards from families and individuals, 33 of which have increased based upon the last 12 months of giving. The amount that we received from the estimated giving cards as of November 30, 2009, was $63,042.00. Last year we only received 17 estimated giving cards. We also expect that additional cards will be returned. (If you would like to complete a card, they are available from the church office.) Based upon the last 12 months and the estimated giving cards, we are projecting this year's giving to be $78,584.50, which is a 24.65% increase compared to last year. (Please note, we did factor in members and friends who passed away or moved from the area). On behalf of the Consecration Sunday Committee, I would like to thank you for your generosity, your thanksgiving, and for attending the celebration. Peace, Thanks, Women's Fellowship The members of Smithfield Women's Fellowship continue to let their light shine. Through proceeds of the lunch program and other events, they paid to have the historical banner created for our church bicentennial (which survived the 2007 fire) restored, framed, and hung in the social hall. They also plan to purchase a new water fountain for the narthex. And, they made a $100 gift to our pantry for the purchase of food for the needy during the holiday season. Many thanks, ladies! New Brochure Spotlights Church Architecture and Stained Glass  Visitors to our church on Light-Up Night received a brand-new brochure, authored by church archivist Donn Neal, to guide them through our historic sanctuary. "I thought we needed a comprehensive brochure that answered questions about the windows as well as about the history of the church and its architectural features," Donn said. Consolidating and updating information that had appeared in similar guides in the past, Donn's new pamphlet includes information about the upper (Biblical) and lower (historical) windows in the sanctuary and about the sanctuary decoration, spire, font, and organ. The Light-Up Night sanctuary tours were a great success. "We must have had at least fifty people come through," Donn said. "Most of them were native Pittsburghers who said they had walked past the church for years but had never come in. It was a great opportunity to tell them about the church – not only about its history, but also about what it does today." The brochure is available at the welcome kiosk. Make a Child's Christmas Merry  This year there are many families struggling to meet their basic needs, never mind purchasing gifts for their children. And yet receiving a special toy or game or a new article of clothing at Christmas is a wonderful part of childhood. Let's work together to make Christmas more merry for children in the Mon Valley area. The 2009 Giving Tree is decorated in the Social Hall. Each star has the name, gender, and age of a local youngster. Please place your name on the sign-in sheet beside the star you select. Purchase gifts for the child, and return your wrapped gifts to the church by December 20. You may also make a monetary donation, and the youth of the church will take care of shopping for you. Many thanks to all who participate in this long-established Giving Tree tradition here at Smithfield. – John Canning Stay in Touch with PennWest by eNewsletter Want to keep in touch with events throughout the PennWest Conference of the United Church of Christ? Sign up to receive the PWC eNewsletter! This e-mail notice, sent every 2-4 weeks, includes news about upcoming programs, prayer requests, and connections with the national and global church. Stay connected with our sister churches throughout Western Pennsylvania and learn how you can get involved! To sign up, send your e-mail address to Webmaster Jeremy Mullen at pennwestweb@gmail.com. Your address will not be shared with spammers or other organizations. Recycle Your Magazines for a Good Cause Smithfield member Joseph Amsler, a resident at Juniper Village in North Huntingdon, volunteers at the neighboring Wellspring Memory Care Program. That unit's art therapy program engages Alzheimers patients in making collages from magazine photos. More magazines are always needed! Travel magazines are especially popular, but any magazine with color photos is useful. Please give your old magazines to Rev. Susan Cherian, and she will deliver them to Joseph.  In the Mailbox Dear Liddy and Pastor Patterson :I would just like to extend my most sincere thanks for allowing City Charter High School to once again use your beautiful sanctuary for our performances! We have always found the folks at Smithfield Church to be warm, welcoming, and always willing to accommodate any of our needs.  It's at this time of year when everything gets so hectic that we truly need to be in an Attitude of Gratitude! Just in case I forget to say it while we are there, THANK YOU from the entire Arts staff, and our students! Sincerely, Dear Friends, I want to thank you for your generous contribution - especially appreciated in this challenging economy. Thank to caring donors like you, Church World Service can provide food, water, and other necessities to families displaced by war or natural disasters. And with your help, we can also assist impoverished communities as they work to improve their farming techniques, develop reliable water sources, and build a more sustainable future.  While these are sobering days, I remain hopeful because of the creative, resilient men and women we assist around the world, and because of caring people like you, who empower us to act on your behalf in our wounded world. May God bless you for your compassionate support. Faithfully yours, [Note: the offerings from our G-20 Labyrinth and U2charist worship service were designated for Church World Service; our gift totaled $454.20.] < (see the sitemap for earlier issues)
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– through you and me!