The heart of our church life is the worship of God. Our formally informal services follow the themes of the liturgical seasons and the scripture images of lectionary texts. These services of prayer and praise, word and sacrament, inspire us to serve more faithfully through the week. Valuing fine music and sound preaching, we delight to come together as a community of faith where all bring concerns and joys; where all are welcome to share their gifts.

NOVEMBER 2008 WORSHIP THEMES

November 1 – All Saints’ Day Morning Prayer
On Saturday, 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. in the Meditation Room. Come as you are to start your day with readings, prayer and silence.

November 2 – All Saints’ Worship
Our special annual service of candle lighting in remembrance of loved ones,
featuring hymns, readings and prayer. The text: selected portions of I Corinthians 15. Communion is byintinction, with our grade-school Faith Discovery children staying with us for the entire service.
November 9
A more quiet service, with our Faith Discovery school-age children and teachers, our Choir Director and Intern Pastor and Teacher traveling to Messiah Baptist Church in Brockton to join the Walker Choraliers for a special visit. In the sanctuary, we will explore the meaning of stewardship based on the parable of the Wise and Foolish Maidens from Matthew 25: 1-13.

November 16 – Stewardship Sunday
Our Leader Team members in the new Church Council structure will guide us in a worship “in the round,” offering their own reflections as we discern together how our church can help us be more faithful in the world. We will be invited to reflect on the five mission areas for our common life and ministry, andinterpretive tables will be available in the Gathering Room. Our text will be Matthew 25: 14-30. Following worship our Moderator, Susan Dickie, will lead us in a Budget Hearing for 2009, approved by the whole Church Council comprised of the Chairs of Committees and the Leader Team.

November 23 – Thanksgiving and Confirmation Sunday
Our service will consist of the Rite of Confirmation as well as the dedication of our pledges of personal and financial support for the year to come. The texts used will be Psalm 100 and Mathew 25: 31-46, and the worship theme will be “The Most of These!”

November 24 - Town-wide Interfaith Thanksgiving Service – 7:00 p.m. at First Parish Church in Weston

November 29 – The First Sunday in Advent
Jana Yeaton, Intern Pastor and Teacher, will preach the first sermon of the new church year. Her theme will be “Looking Forward,” and the texts will be Isaiah 64: 1-9 and Mark 13: 24-37. The sanctuary will have been decorated for Advent, and we will light the first candle of the Advent season.

From the Deacons


During the past year the Deacons, whose mission includes responsibility for our worship services, have been working on making small changes to our worship service to enhance the worship experience. These include the time for centering in the beginning of the service, and short pauses for personal prayer, meditation or absorbing the words we have just heard.
Another small change is the introduction of prayer cards, which continue to be available in the back of the sanctuary. If you have a special request for on-going prayers please fill one out and leave it in the basket. It will be brought to the Meditation Room and your request will be remembered during the week. If you are using the Meditation Room, please take a moment to look at the cards and offer your prayers for others in need.
The Meditation Room is a special space in the church, which is dedicated to quiet contemplation for any and all wishing to pray. Please remember that it is to be treated with respect, and no food should be brought into the room.
On another subject -- It is easy for all of us to forget that our Pastor and Teacher does not take Saturdays and Sundays off from his "day" job as most of the rest of us do, and he is so accommodating that he doesn't like to say "no" when we ask him to do something for the church on his day off - which is Monday. Please try to be mindful of the fact that Monday is Joe's day off from us (we are his job!) and that is one reason why the office is not open on Mondays. He needs that Sabbath day just as much as all of us need a break from our regular schedules.
Thank You!

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Invitation to Participate in the Service!

During the past year, we hope you have enjoyed seeing a lot of new faces taking leadership roles in the service. It has added to everyone’s worship experience.

On most Sundays, only one deacon will be on duty during the service, which leaves a lot of opportunity for volunteers! If you’d like to open the service or read scripture, we’d love to have you! We’ll provide the text in advance and coaching if you like. You don’t have to be a member of the church to participate, but while we are experimenting with the process we would like to limit children to those who have been confirmed. If you ever have wondered what it might be like to be a deacon, volunteering for a service will give you a good idea!

If acting as a deacon isn’t something you’d like to do, perhaps you’d like to volunteer to be an usher for a service or for a month. You might also think about being the continuing presence for a few hours during some of our more contemplative worship activities, such as the Good Friday vigil or the Chartres labyrinth. On these occasions, we always like to have someone from the church there while the church is open to the community for silent worship.

Give yourself a new spiritual experience, and participate in the service. Just leave your name at the Church office and one of the deacons will be talking to you.