1. One of our members, living in No. Gorham, has a well-loved and cared-for upright piano looking for a good home. She would like it to go to a church or school where it will be used and cared for. You will need to pick it up from its home, but it is currently on the ground floor. If you are interested, please call Gwen at 892-8813 before 8:30 pm.

2. As the details of the legislative proposals become public, we know that what health care reform will look like will depend on who has the ear of our elected leaders. If we want a health care system that reflects the shared values from our sacred texts, it will be up to us to communicate those values.
Let the voices of faith be the ones that are heard! Let's overwhelm the Capitol Switchboard with calls that promote compassion, the common good, shared responsibility, concern for those who are vulnerable and faithful stewardship of our abundant health care resources! For more information, visit the Conference website http://www.maineucc.org/news/HealthCareActionAlert09.htm

3. Just Practice, A New England justice & witness event on practicing justice in our lives, communities, and world. To take place at United Congregational Church UCC, Worcester, MA on November 6 – 7. Sponsored by the New England Conferences of the United Church of Christ
Registration and more info coming soon at http://www.macucc.org/mission-justice/JustPractice.htm

4. While watching a little TV on Sunday instead of going to church, I watched a church in Atlanta honoring one of its senior pastors who had been retired many years. He was 92 at that time and I wondered why the church even bothered to ask the old gentleman to preach at that age.

After a warm welcome, introduction of this speaker, and as the applause quieted down, he rose from his high back chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gate to the podium. Without a note or written paper of any kind he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak....

"When I was asked to come here today and talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you what was the greatest lesson ever learned in my 50-odd years of preaching. I thought about it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most difference in my life and sustained me through all my trials. The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear and sorrow paralyzed me... the only thing that would comfort was this verse...........

"Jesus loves me this I know.
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
we are weak but He is strong......
Yes, Jesus loves me...
The Bible tells me so."

When he finished, the church was quiet. You actually could hear his foot steps as he shuffled back to his chair. I don't believe I will ever forget it.