February 11, 2016

News from First Congregational Church
an Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ 

 

33 South High Street, Bridgton, Maine
207-647-3936
 
www.bridgtonucc.org 

Reading for the week: Luke 4:1-13

Would you like more bread? I dread hearing that question from a server at a restaurant. It is good service, but a meaningless question because I cannot say no. More bread? Back up the truck!

Once again, Jesus is the role model par excellence. He says no to the bread, no to kingdoms, and no to supernatural bodyguards. In the words of Barbara Brown Taylor: “When it’s our turn, none of us is going to get the Son of God test.  We’re going to get the regular old Adam and Eve test, which means that the devil won’t need much more than an all-you-can-eat buffet and a tax refund to turn our heads.”

It is now Lent and we’re following Jesus out into the desert. How much can we leave behind? What will we find? Where are we going? I’m sorry, I was distracted by the person in the statue of liberty costume holding a sign about a tax refund.

Annual Meeting Minutes!

Click here!
Sorry for the delay. It wasn’t our excellent Council Secretary’s fault. 

Memorial Service for 
Ann Marie Hutchins
Saturday, February 13th, 10:00 a.m.
First Congregational ChurchVisitation will be held at Wood Funeral Home in Fryeburg from 4:00 to 8:00 on Friday, February 12th.

For an obituary and more information, see the Wood Funeral Home.

Away? Can’t make it to church?
Would you like to hear the choir?
Maybe even the sermon?Audio of services is now available at:


http://www.fccbridgton.org/multimedia/

Lenten Lunches started on Ash Wednesday and will continue on Wednesdays at noon at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.

Feb 17: St. Peter’s and Bridgton Community Center
Feb 24: Bridgton Alliance Church
March 2: Bridgton United Methodist and United Parish Congregational of N. Bridgton and Harrison.
March 9: Lake Region Vineyard and South Bridgton Congregational
March 16: First Congregational Church, UCC

The church office will be closed on Monday, February 15th for President’s Day.

Spiritual Growth

The Tuesday afternoon
Study and Prayer Group
1:30 p.m.
Devotional or inspirational reading and prayer for our church family.

We are studying The Book of Awakening, Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the
Life You Have by Mark Nepo.

Thursdays 8:15-9:30
Bible Journeys
Lively, curious reading and conversation about what’s in the Bible, what’s not, and what it all means for the world today.We have started reading Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi by Amy Jill Levine. â€œThis is probably the best book on parables available today: brief, informative, witty, and very interesting.” says Mark Allan Powell, editor of the HarperCollins Bible Dictionary.

All Are Welcome!
We Hold One Another
in Love  and in PrayerPrayers of Comfort for. . .
Price Hutchins and family who are grieving Ann’s death on February 6th…The family of Wes Cannell who died on January 10th.

Prayers of Healing and Support for…
Deantha Warner who is at home recuperating from a bone marrow transplant…Sarah Nadeau who is being treated for bacterial meningitis and her parents Jeanine & Jason Nadeau… Ken Rollins…Donna Coombs…Judy Ottley’s daughter Sherry Saucerman…Marion Farabee…Dick and Barbara Mayo…Jo Faust…Jayne Hamaty’s sister-in-law, Becky Bean, who is fighting cancer.

Prayers of Courage and Support
for our friends on active duty in the Armed Forces, and their families…Jordan Vigna…Russell Sanborn…Jimmy DeAngelo…Richard L. Gyure II…Steven Milton

Copyright © , All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is: