Fireworks and friendship

On Saturday night we played host to the city of Norwich as the whole town came out to watch the fireworks over the harbor. The missional church committee decided to take advantage of the large crowds that set up to watch the show from our lawn and use it for an opportunity to meet and greet them.

We came early and set up to serve popcorn, ice tea and lemonade to any who wanted it. We invited folks from the church to help greet and serve and quite a few came out to join us. I actually couldn't believe how many people showed up. They were everywhere. We got so many good reactions from people that it made you feel good. We turned down a lot of donations and ended up simply telling people we were glad they were there and to enjoy the show.

The night was a complete success. Here are a few photos from the event.

Cal

Happy Birthday Becky

Today is my daughter Becky's birthday. Forgive me for being more personal than usual today. Becky's birthday is not only a family occasion it is also somewhat of a landmark for us at church. A few of you will remember our first days at First Baptist in the summer of 1985. We arrived on the June 23 to begin our tour of duty. I was a wavy haired young man and Lori was 8 3/4 months pregnant with our first child.

I preached my last sermon at the Cross Mills Baptist Church in Charlestown, Rhode Island the week before. It was Father's Day and I talked about a father's love and the extreme measures that are often taken because of this special relationship. I also bid them good-bye. Lori was finishing up two years as a staff pharmacist at the Fatima Unit of the Rhode Island Hospital. I was ready to take on a full time congregation while she took time to raise our children.

We celebrated my 27th birthday and moved into the parsonage during the week of June 16th. We left a bed and a few furnishings at our apartment in Rhode Island and it was our intention to go back there a few days before Lori was due. We were so excited to be beginning a new chapter in our lives.

That first Sunday was wonderful. 93 people came out to greet us in worship. We took the rest of the week to settle into the new house and to prepare the nursery. The folks at the church had painted all the rooms except that one. We didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl and they left it up to us. 10 days later we would find out and I raced home to paint the nursery pink.

On the last Sunday of June we gathered for worship and then Lori and I headed back to West Warwick to await the special day. I had Monday off. On Tuesday I drove back to Norwich and worked in the office a little while putting books away and working on the July newsletter. After lunch I stopped in to visit Elmer and Gladys Johnson, two of our older members. Gladys was a talker and I spent three and a half hours there. We talked about the church, the town and all about babies. By the time I left there it was 4:30 p.m. and I decided to head back to Rhode Island.

Lori and I went to the Warwick Mall and had dinner. While we were walking around, she suddenly bent over in pain. The first contraction had come. A few hours later we were making our trip to the hospital. On the morning of July 3, 1985 Rebecca Jane Lord was welcomed into the world. In a year of memorable events, it was the best day of my life.

I remember driving down Route 95 through Providence thinking I was living a dream. I went back to the apartment and packed up the last of our stuff and brought it all back to Norwich. Our new life was ready to begin.

Two days later I brought Lori and Rebecca home to Norwich for good. As we celebrate Becky's birthday today I can't help but think of her and our coming to Norwich in the same happy memory. She is twenty four years old today and she helps us put our time in Norwich in perspective. We have been here a lifetime and it has been a good one.

Cal

Love personified at FBC

Yesterday afternoon the church was filled with prayer and best wishes. At 2:00 p.m. Pastor Jorge Morales performed a wedding before a packed congregation. This was his first and the church's first wedding. There was music, preaching, prayers and lots of tears for joy. It was the launching of a happy marriage.

At 5:00 p.m. we celebrated the 50th anniversary of a couple who showed us what it means to be committed to one another. Oliverand and Barbara Bray renewed their wedding vows on their actual 50th Anniversary. Barbara's actual maid of honor came up from Florida to stand with her again. Oliver and Barbara were surrounded by their children and grandchildren as they exchanged their vows and promise to remain together until God calls them home.

It was a beautiful day for marriage at FBC.

Cal

Oliver and Barbara will renew their vows

Tomorrow we will celebrate a special anniversary with two of our members. Oliver and Barbara Bray will mark their 50th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows here at church. Children and Grandchildren will be taking part in the service and Barbara's matron of honor will be coming in to stand up for her again after all these years.

This is one of the special aspects of belonging to a church family. Several friends from church will share in the joy and afterwards we'll have a little reception downstairs at church. Oliver and Barbara began coming to our church over fifteen years ago and they have blessed us as much as we have tried to bless them.

So lift up a prayer for them this weekend and ask God to continue to bless their marriage as they do it all over again at 5:00 p.m.

Cal

Norwich 350th Anniversary Worship

I was nervous. For the last three months I was part of a small group working on an interfaith worship celebration for the 350th Anniversary of Norwich. We wanted to be as inclusive as possible while remaining true to our Judeo-Christian heritage. Putting together an event like this can be tricky. You don't want to offend anyone or make anyone feel left out. That was the challenge.

We began with some grand ideas and decided nothing was too big. We settled on having the service on the Norwichtown Green where many of the first settlers would have worshiped. Then the invitations went out. We included Dale Plummer in our early meetings to help us get a sense of the history. Each of us was well aware of our own particular stories but we wanted to know about the larger canvas we were working on. That was very helpful as we began to paint the broad strokes of what we were going to do.

Rev. Greg Perry, Rev. John Lancz, Rev. Bill Dunlap, Sister Maryann Guertin, Rabbi Charles Arian and I made up the committee. As we began putting the various pieces in place we wanted to keep the celebration aspect at the forefront of our thinking. We want to remind ourselves of the important contributions that the community of faith has made on the city. As we began thinking about this it became clear that just about every social institution in Norwich had its roots in the religious community. From the Norwich Free Academy, to the W. W. Backus Hospital to United Community and Family Services to St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen we saw this theme of the people of faith reaching out to share God's love with the community in concrete ways.

Once we had the concept we began putting the pieces together. We wanted proclamations. We wanted a litany of the contributions. We wanted to charge to people with continuing the good work in a new century. We wanted an offering (wink,wink). We also wanted lots of music.

The final piece of the puzzle was to encourage participation from as many people and congregations as possible. We made personal contact and sent emails to most of the churches and synagogues in Norwich.

After all was said and done, nearly two hundred people were present from over 17 different faith communities. We raised nearly $650 for the Norwich Area Clergy Association Food Bank and almost everyone walked away with a good feeling. It was truly an event worthy of the 350th Anniversary.

Here are a few photos from the event. Enjoy.

Cal

A victory over St. Pats

We came out swinging and tried to land a knockout punch early. It is the only way to beat a team like St. Pats. Over the years they have had our number. Earlier this year they mercied us in the first game and then outlasted us in the second game. This time, boasting an 11- 4 record, we came feeling a little more confident. It showed.

We put eight runs on the board in the top of the first. Back to back doubles by Daryl Alves and Dan Dutrumble got the ball rolling. Mike Staron reached on an error and Chip Chaffee walked. Then Mike Young Doubled in two more runs. Mark Staron ripped a deep fly ball to center to bring in another run. RBI hits by Eric Larsen, Eric Poore and Steve Moon finished the scoring.

St. Pats came back with a couple of runs in the first and then put a five spot on the board in the second. After Chip Chaffee hit a homer in our half of the inning they came back to tie the game at 9. We scored three and they matched it and bettered it by one. In the fifth inning the two Erics got things rolling and set the table for George Rezendes run scoring triple which included a play at the plate where Sean Wilding was called out for not sliding in a controversial play. We never looked back after that.

The final score was 22 -16. Chip Chaffee was three for three with two homers and two walks. Dan Dutrumble was four for five with four RBI. Steve Moon and Eric Larsen both went four for four. It was a great night.

Cal

Pork Chops for lunch

We had about 60 people at the Interfaith luncheon yesterday afternoon. Bobbie Adams cooked up about 100 pork chops and made up two large pans of potato salad. He added corn and some rice to complete the meal. A little later he started handing out seconds and some people actually said they were too full. Several others asked if they could get some to go but we had to turn down their requests per order of the Health Department.

While Bobbie, Shirley, Muriel and Inez worked in the kitchen and served up the plates, two friends of Bobbie's, Stephanie, Amanda and I served up the meal and made sure everyone had plenty to eat. BJ's donated the desserts this month. Bobbie has a way of making people understand the value of this ministry and when he asks, very few people can turn him down.

We finished up serving lunch at about 2:45 p.m. and were done cleaning up at out the door by quarter after three. Here are a few photos from the luncheon.

Cal