A MESSAGE

FROM THE PRESIDENT

OF ST. MARK'S

CONSISTORY

 

JUNE/JULY 2025

 

When the honeybee queen dies, the worker bees in the hive immediately take steps to ensure the colony's survival by raising a new queen.  The process involves choosing a suitable larva and feeding it a special diet that no other larvae receives.  It is known as royal jelly.  This royal jelly is the nutrient needed to become a queen, and it is only this selected larva to receive it.

 

Honeybees have always fascinated me.  There are many different roles that the worker bees take to keep their hives alive and flourishing.  A worker bee can be on housekeeping duty, brood care (care of the larvae), attendants to the queen, guard duty, and comb building to name a few.  The bees also switch their roles during their life.

 

This honeybee process reminds me of being a member of a church.  The church is like the hive.  The members are the worker bees, and the queen is the pastor.  It is our role to do the everyday work that needs to be completed to keep the church running and successful.  Do you know all the roles that need to be completed to keep your church running smoothly?  There is the maintenance of the church, housekeeping, taking care of plants/flowers out front, stewardship, consistory, worship committee, education committee, and visiting ministry to name a few.  Do you know how the church gets decorated for the holidays?  Who updates the altar for the differnet church seasons or how are the candles filled with oil?  Have you ever thought about who decorates the different bulletin boards in the church?  Who helps to get the newsletter sent out or pays the bills or keeps our budget on par?

 

The list above can go on and on.  I ask, what is your role?  God has given us all a spiritual gift or two.  These spiritual gifts fit into many roles that need to happen not only to keep us running smoothly daily but to ensure that it will be here in the future.  The time commitment for these different roles is as different as the roles themselves but I assure you, there is a role for everyone.

 

The pastor (queen bee) is no longer with us and the search committee is doing their role in finding us a new pastor.  This is a long process, and we are only in the beginning stages of the process.  So, I ask my fellow worker bees...What role are you willing to take to keep Your church running smoothly?  Remember, be the church so the church can continue being here for you, your family and your community in the future.

 

Blessings from your Consistory President

Heather Stone

 

1 Peter 4:10-11  "All believers have received at least one spiritual gift from God, and they are not to hoard these gifts but use them faithfully as stewards of God's grace."

 

"No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey,

you are always welcome here."

 

BLUE CHRISTMAS

Blue Christmas, also referred to as "The Longest Night," is a day in the Advent season when Christian denominations hold a quiet and contemplative worship service as an alternative to the the more traditional holiday gatherings.  For those experiencing grief and struggling with loss, the service is a recognition of the stress, sadness and loneliness experienced by those who have loss loved ones -- family and/or friends.

The service is traditionally held on or around the longest night of the year, falling on or around December 21st, the Winter Solstice.  Opportunities for expression of grief, pain, and heartbreak are often included in the worship service as well as the opportunity to focus on the promise of hope found in Christ during the Christmas season.

Amid many of their Christmas services, many United Church of Christ congregations are honoring those mourning the loss of a loved one.

"Advent, Christmas and the New Year create opportunities for us to minister to people's spiritual, emotional, and mental well-being," said reverend Sarah Lund, U.C.C. Minister for Disabilities and mental Health Justice in December 2022.  "It's a time of the yeare where we are vulnerable to additional stress, anxieties, feeling overwhelmed, loneliness and feelings of sadness.  We may turn to coping mechanisms that are harmful to us and others.  Some people are triggered this time of year as they navigate personal histories of trauma and unresolved grief.  It's a season that calls forth the faithful witness of the church to share  messages of hope and love for people experiencing mental health challenges and their loved ones."

While congregations are preparing for the upcoming Christmas season, many are also mindful of pain in their communities and are making space in their spiritual practices for those who may be struggling.  One of the ways that UCC churches support grieving members is through the Blue Christmas Service.

"UCC Congregations are providing meaningful worship and connection by offering Blue Christmas gatherings, a time of authentic worship during Advent and Christmas that acknowledges the complex feelings this time of years brings," Lund said.  "At a Blue Christmas Service, it is OK to not be OK.  It is OK to not feel happy, jolly, or bright.  It's OK if it is not the most wonderful time of the year."

Here at St. Mark's the opportunity exists for those experiencing grief and struggling with loss.  St. Mark's worship service usually draws small, inimate groups of those mourning the loss of a loved one.