A Lesson from the Huguenots The Salt Shaker Covenant Church of Easton Volume 2014, Issue 5 May 2014 Malcolm Gladwell, the author of The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers is always an interesting read because of his approach: he mines the dry, difficult-to-read journal findings in the fields of sociology and psychology and makes interesting conclusions in everyday life. His strength is in telling people’s story to back his conclusions. His latest book is David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants—the struggle of underdogs versus favorites. He set about writing the book to examine how our perception of advantages and disadvantages in some cases turn out to be flipped upside down. He titled the book David and Goliath because in that story we learn that our “preconceptions about where power and strength reside are false”. Ultimately Gladwell’s research led him to Le Chambon, France. Le Chambon is a remote community of Huguenots (French Protestants), who have had their share of persecution over the centuries. There is a not famous enough WWII story of the courage and conviction of this community. The Huguenots of Le Chambon took in Jews in open resistance to their Nazi occupiers. “The responsibility of Christians,” their pastor, André Trocmé, had re- minded them the day after France surrendered to Nazi Germany, “is to resist the violence that will be brought to bear on their consciences through the weapons of the spirit.” Huguenots sheltered, forged documents and helped Jews cross the border to Switzerland. It’s estimated Le Chambon saved 3,000-5,000 lives, some- times at the cost of their own. They “could do nothing contrary to the Gospel,” as turning Jews over would have been. Of this, Gladwell writes: “What I understand now is that I was one of those people who did not appre- ciate the weapons of the spirit. I have always been someone attracted to the quantifiable and the physical. I hate to admit it. But I don’t think I would have been able to do what the Huguenots did in Le Chambon. I would have counted up the number of soldiers and guns on each side and concluded it was too dangerous. I have always believed in God. I have grasped the logic of Christian faith. What I have had a hard time seeing is God’s power.” We believe in what we can do under our own strength and resources as Chris- tians. Because God has made my heart tender, I can love others. But can we love that bitter neighbor of ours enough to share our faith? Can you have a long- overdue conversation with that family member, trusting God for the timing, the words to say, and the response? Can you give at a cost to yourself, in which you have to trust in God’s provision? Can you forgive the unforgiveable? When we chose and act according to our own finite resources, we are missing out on bringing Christ to others in a way that only He can do, to His own praise and glory. Do we follow the same God that took down Goliath through a yielded shepherd boy? Then let us live like it. “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know…his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked.” Ephesians 1:19-20 Pastor Cary
Transcript
A Lesson from the Huguenots
Th
e S
alt
Sh
ak
er
Co
ve
na
nt
Ch
ur
ch
of
Ea
st
on
Volume 2014, Issue 5
May 2014 Malcolm Gladwell, the author of The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers is always an interesting read because of his approach: he mines the dry, difficult-to-read journal findings in the fields of sociology and psychology and makes interesting conclusions in everyday life. His strength is in telling people’s story to back his conclusions. His latest book is David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants—the struggle of underdogs versus favorites. He set about writing the book to examine how our perception of advantages and disadvantages in some cases turn out to be flipped upside down. He titled the book David and Goliath because in that story we learn that our “preconceptions about where power and strength reside are false”. Ultimately Gladwell’s research led him to Le Chambon, France. Le Chambon is a remote community of Huguenots (French Protestants), who have had their share of persecution over the centuries. There is a not famous enough WWII story of the courage and conviction of this community. The Huguenots of Le Chambon took in Jews in open resistance to their Nazi occupiers. “The responsibility of Christians,” their pastor, André Trocmé, had re-minded them the day after France surrendered to Nazi Germany, “is to resist the violence that will be brought to bear on their consciences through the weapons of the spirit.” Huguenots sheltered, forged documents and helped Jews cross the border to Switzerland. It’s estimated Le Chambon saved 3,000-5,000 lives, some-times at the cost of their own. They “could do nothing contrary to the Gospel,” as turning Jews over would have been. Of this, Gladwell writes:
“What I understand now is that I was one of those people who did not appre-ciate the weapons of the spirit. I have always been someone attracted to the quantifiable and the physical. I hate to admit it. But I don’t think I would have been able to do what the Huguenots did in Le Chambon. I would have counted up the number of soldiers and guns on each side and concluded it was too dangerous. I have always believed in God. I have grasped the logic of Christian faith. What I have had a hard time seeing is God’s power.”
We believe in what we can do under our own strength and resources as Chris-tians. Because God has made my heart tender, I can love others. But can we love that bitter neighbor of ours enough to share our faith? Can you have a long-overdue conversation with that family member, trusting God for the timing, the words to say, and the response? Can you give at a cost to yourself, in which you have to trust in God’s provision? Can you forgive the unforgiveable? When we chose and act according to our own finite resources, we are missing out on bringing Christ to others in a way that only He can do, to His own praise and glory. Do we follow the same God that took down Goliath through a yielded shepherd boy? Then let us live like it.
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know…his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked.” Ephesians 1:19-20
Join us for more information and see what it’s all about! We need help for everything from prep work, decorating, teaching, crafts, games, music and more. Contact: Roseann Slater ([email protected])
VBS Staff Luncheon
Thank you to EVERYONE who lent us great
props and volunteered to make our Walk With
Jesus family Easter event a wonderful experience!
5/20 — Last Friends Night Out Game Night! Register now for Camp Squanto Summer 2014
http://pilgrimpines.org/campsquanto Scholarship are available. Contact Roseann Slater ([email protected]) or Aaron Ruiz ([email protected]) by Thursday, May 1st.
V o l u m e 2 0 1 4 , I s s u e 5
Dear Pastor Cary, Council Members, and Covenant Staff, This letter is to inform you that I have decided to retire as church custo-dian as of June 28, 2014. Marsha and I have decided that it is time to have the freedom to travel more and not be tied down to a work situa-tion. I hope that waiting until the end of the school year will make the transition to a new custodian somewhat easier. I will, however, make myself available at least once a week as a volunteer to assist Staff and to help my replacement learn “the ropes”. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working alongside Pastor Craig and Pastor Cary and the other Staff members. I have found that working as a custodian in my home church is not just a job, but also a ministry. Thank you for your support over the past 7 years.
In Christ, Bob Merritt
Page 3
Bob Merritt Announces His Retirement
Dear Congregation of Covenant Church of Easton, Thank you for your generous donation of over 400 books & Bibles to our ministry as we serve our brothers and sisters in the Nation of India! We are so blessed to have Paul Veerman bring these books to our drop off location in York, PA!
We have already sorted and boxed the books and they will be shipped to India in about two weeks! They will arrive in Chennai around the first of June.
These books and Bibles will be a great blessing to so many people in India. There is such a great hunger for God’s Word in India. Many of these books will go to Pastors and Bible students. Others will pass through many hands and will be shared among many churches and believers throughout India!
Thank you for being a vital part of our ongoing ministry as we strive to fulfill the vision to place a Bible in every home in India!
Your brother and fellow servant,
Ty L. Hartman Director, Advance Global Literature
Thank You!
Bob & Marsha Merritt
SATURDAY, MAY 17 at 8:30 am
The women at Covenant come from diverse back-grounds and have differing life situations; some are married, others single, some have young children while others are empty nesters, some toil daily at home and others do so in the workplace. We’re also all at different stages in our spiritual walks with God. Some of us are wondering what Christi-anity is all about and long for a place where we can ask tough questions. Others have been walking with Jesus for most of their lives and need a place to continue to grow in their faith.
Join us for food, fun and fellowship as we help each other grow spiritually. We meet the 3rd Saturday of each month. Contact: Kasia Lindeberg (203.331.1224)
Page 4 T h e S a l t S h a k e r
Treasurer’s Report The financial results of the Unified Operating Fund for the three months ended March 31, 2014 were as follows: INCOME Unified Receipts $123,532 Investment & Other Income 816 Total Income $124,348 EXPENSES $118,754 Excess of Income over Expenses $5,594 The year-to-date surplus is a turnaround from February, pri-marily because March was a moderate expense month and a
month with five Sundays. This com-bination made for a March surplus of about $8,500. A surplus is certainly good news, but Unified Receipts are running nearly 5% below the receipts needed to fully fund the Financial Plan for the year. Fortunately, expenses are run-ning more than 5% below the budget,
mostly because a permanent Associate Pastor has not yet been identified and hired. On the other side of the coin, electricity and snow plowing expenses are well over expectations. Please continue to be generous with your offerings.
Bob Fiscus Treasurer
SOLAR SYSTEM PROJECT The Church is currently evaluating a proposal by a unit of En-con, Inc., a large local HVAC contractor, for Encon to pur-chase, finance, install and maintain a solar system on the roof of our building and supply from the system a significant por-tion of our electricity requirements at a fixed price over the next 20 years. This project involves no cash outlay by the Church and will produce guaranteed savings of several thou-sands of dollars per year. Please plan to attend the All-Church Congregational Meeting on Sunday, May 4th where further details will be forthcoming.
Birthdays & Anniversaries
5/1 Cheryll Pittera Alexa Meachen
5/2 Jill & Dave Diana 5/3 Matthew Delfino 5/4 Sofia Estrada
Christine & Bill Austin 5/6 Karen Sheridan
Joan & Alan Bjork
Nancy & Peter McDonald 5/7 Brett Gibbs
Jill & Ben Miller 5/8 Katrina Hatfield 5/9 Peter Drummond
5/10 Andrea & John Stetson 5/11 Matthew Blair 5/12 Pat Swanson Michael Testa Sarah Ambrose 5/14 Dan Wiemer 5/15 Mindy Hatfield
Linda & Arne Gustavson 5/20 Mallory Kellerman Morgann Kellerman 5/21 Jeff Drummond Olivia Malewicki 5/22 Wivan Sundman 5/23 Isobel McEwan 5/24 Michael Pavia Carmen Rosa, Jr.
5/25 Lucia & Andy Zager 5/27 Doug Freeley Kyla Stetson
Jennifer & Joe Anderson 5/29 David Pittera Austin Bachelder 5/30 Betty Patterson Steve Domyan Bobby Lewis
V o l u m e 2 0 1 4 , I s s u e 5
Mike & Cheryl Blair will be leading the 10:30 Adult Class at Covenant beginning Sunday, June 1st, using the Navigators The 2:7 Series on discipleship training. The 2:7 Series is a discipleship training curriculum done in small discussion groups. The first book in The 2:7 Series is designed to help you build a strong foundation for your Christian life through enriching Bible study, Scripture memory, and group interaction. You will also learn and practice skills such as quiet time options, ways to meditate on Scripture, and how to sharpen and tell your salvation story while you also experience spiri-tual growth. With its biblical and practical approach to disciple-ship, this workbook will yield long-term, life-changing results, such as:
A closer relationship with God A keener sense of priorities Renewed concern for non-Christian friends A growing camaraderie within your study group To learn more about The 2:7 Series, visit http://www.2-7series.org/. Clicking on the tab “About The Series” will provide all the discipleship training curricu-lum information. If you would like to attend, please contact Cheryl Blair ([email protected]). Items you will need to bring on the first day of the class are:
1. The book Growing Strong In God’s Family (published in 2011) Cheryl can order the book for you or you can order direct from The 2 : 7 website, Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com. Books are also available for the Nook or Kindle. 2. Easy to understand Bible The Bible will be marked and highlighted during the series. 3. Highlighter for capturing important Bible passages. 4. Pen or pencil and a notebook for journaling.
Page 5
New Sunday Morning Small Group
Page 6 T h e S a l t S h a k e r
Ministry Opportunities
Plan now to attend the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit. This year it will be held at the new Black Rock Congregational Church in Fairfield, just down the street from us. It is worth the admission and now that it is being held so close, I am praying more would find the time to attend. The dates, speakers and cost can be found at their website at https://www.willowcreek.com/events/leadership/.If there is a problem with finances, we can find a way to scholarship some of the cost. Contact: Paul Veerman ([email protected]).
Summer Children’s Worship Volunteers Our dedicated teachers deserve a few weeks off! If you are interested in teaching Chil-dren’s Worship (ages K-2nd grade, 30-40 minutes) once per month during the summer months of June, July and August during the 10:45 Worship Service, please c o n t a c t R o s e a n n S l a t e r ([email protected]) for more in-formation.
Ushers Needed Ushers are needed for both the 9:00 and 10:45 Worship Services. Ushers are re-sponsible for giving a warm greeting to our worship attendees, handing out bul-letins, taking the morning offering, and counting the number of people in atten-dance. If you are interested in participating or want more information, please contact Gail Lent in the Church Office.
6:30 am Journey 7:30 am Women’s Life Group 7 pm JHAMS 7 pm Women’s Life Group 7:30 pm Men’s Life Group
2
10 am Joyful Sisters 7 pm AA
3
6 am Men’s Prayer 8 am Men’s Breakfast
4
9 am Sunday School (all ages) 9 & 10:45 am Worship 10:30 am 2 Adult Life Groups 10:30 am & 12:00 pm All Church Meeting
5
7:30 pm AA
6
9:30 am CBS Leaders 5:30 pm King’s Kids 6:30 pm Friends Night Out 7 pm National Day of Prayer Meets in the Chapel
7
9 am Outside Group 7 pm OASIS 7:30 pm Choir
8
6:30 am Journey 7:30 am Women’s Life Group 7 pm JHAMS 7 pm Women’s Life Group 7:30 pm Men’s Life Group
9
10 am Joyful Sisters 7 pm AA
10
6 am Men’s Prayer
11
9 am Sunday School 9 & 10:45 am Worship 10:30 am 2 Adult Life Groups
12
7 pm Church Council 7:30 pm AA Anniversary Celebration
13
9:30 am CBS Leaders 5:30 pm King’s Kids 6:30 pm Friends Night Out 7 pm Adult Life Group & Prayer
14
7 pm OASIS 7:30 pm Choir
15
6:30 am Journey 7:30 am Women’s Life Group 7 pm JHAMS 7 pm Women’s Life Group 7:30 pm Men’s Life Group
16
10 am Joyful Sisters 7 pm AA
17
6 am Men’s Prayer 8:30 am Women’s Breakfast
18
9 am Sunday School (all ages) 9 & 10:45 am Worship 10:30 am 2 Adult Life Groups
19
7:30 pm AA
20
9:30 am CBS Leaders 5:30 pm King’s Kids 6:30 pm Friends Night Out 7 pm Adult Life Group & Prayer
21
9 am Outside Group 7 pm OASIS 3:30 pm Outside Group 7:30 pm Choir
22
6:30 am Journey 7:30 am Women’s Life Group 7 pm JHAMS 7 pm Women’s Life Group 7:30 pm Men’s Life Group
23
10 am Joyful Sisters 7 pm AA
24
6 am Men’s Prayer
25
9 am Sunday School (all ages) 9 & 10:45 am Worship 10:30 am 2 Adult Life Groups
CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED 7:30 pm AA
27
9:30 am CBS Leaders 5:30 pm King’s Kids 7 pm Adult Life Group & Prayer
28
9 am Outside Group 7 pm OASIS 7:30 pm Choir
29
6:30 am Journey 7:30 am Women’s Life Group 7 pm JHAMS 7 pm Women’s Life Group 7:30 pm Men’s Life Group
30
10 am Joyful Sisters 7 pm AA
31
6 am Men’s Prayer 7:30 am Outside Group
SALT SHAKER DEADLINE
www.coveaston.org Phone: 203.371.8335
Fax: 203.373.9025
C o ve n a n t C h u r c h o f E a s t o n
Rooted in Christ — Reaching Out to the World
1 Sport Hill Road Easton, CT 06612
MAY
May Worship TWO SERVICES EACH SUNDAY – 9:00 am and 10:45 am
May 4 HIDDEN IN THE PEWS—Us from God Pastor Cary Holy Communion May 11 MOTHER’S DAY HIDDEN IN THE PEWS—Us from Us Pastor Cary May 18 HIDDEN IN THE PEWS—Our Mistakes Pastor Cary May 25 HIDDEN IN THE PEWS—True Meaning Pastor Cary
