On my way into the office this morning I noticed by the side of the road a front door.  A local homeowner had replaced a front door and put the old door, still inside the frame, out at the street, presumably to let anyone take it as they felt the need for a heavily used old front door.

The funny thing was the door was open!  The wind perhaps or maybe a passing motorist had come through and left the door wide open.  Anyone could easily come in, or go out, it was not locked!  It was a doorway to open space.  From either direction you would enter God’s great outdoors!

Doorways make great metaphors for our spirit journeys.  Knocking on the door to new experiences, crossing over thresholds to a new chapter in our lives, or stepping through the doorway that leads to the other side, are common expressions of how when we pass through a moment in life we become different on the other side.

Our Lord is always inviting us to ask, seek and knock on the door to where we may find our new life.  Our Lord invites us, “Listen, here I am, standing at the door, if you hear my voice and open it, I will come into you.  I’ll eat with you, and you will share with me!”  God is our guide to what is happening in our souls.

The season of Lent is a gift from our ancients in the faith who instructed us to take time before the great feast of Easter Day and enter a period of self-examination, to hear not ourselves only, but to listen in stillness and prayer for how God is knocking at our door, and desiring to come in to be with us.

There is a great resource recently given to me by a special person entitled Open the Door, A Journey to the True Self written by Joyce Rupp.  This book provides an everyday guide for meditation, prayer and self-examination through a six week cycle based on the image of the door as an invitation to growth and awareness.  The goal is to discover our potential for goodness and fulfillment in a deep search for our authentic selves.

I invite you to share with me this lent as we take time to prepare for the new life God has in store for us while using the image of doors and doorways as an inspiration for our discussions and prayers.  There may be doors that recall for you a joyful moment of childhood.  There may be doors that were always closed for you.  Doors that you missed, doors that courageous loved ones opened for you and doors that you need to open but have not yet approached are all important stages for your faith discovery.

Beginning on Ash Wednesday, February 22^nd, at 7:30pm we will enter the season of Lent together in worship introducing themes of holy doorways and sacred crossings for our faith journey.  In the six weeks of Lent leading up to Easter Sunday, we will gather for our annual Adult Education time on Wednesday Nights.  A light soup and bread supper will begin at 6:30pm and we will gather for discussion and learning at 7:30pm.

For weeks that we may not have a special guest, I will offer a guided mediation from Joyce Rupp’s resource that will lead us into wonderful memories of beautiful doorways, and lead us onto discover what doors we may need to close, to open, and let the love of God into our hearts. Please come and join us, all are welcome!

May the Spirit open new doorways of possibility and promise to you this season!

Pastor Ken

Our service will include prayers of reflection, the distribution of ashes, and Holy Communion by intinction (dipping bread into the common cup).

The ashes are prepared by the burning of dried palms from last year’s Palm Sunday worship.  At the OCC we do not receive ashes as an obligation, but rather we are invited to share them as a meditation practice and reminder of our fragility and that our spiritual journeys begin in our earthly body.  No one is compelled to receive them.  They may be placed on the forehead or the back of the hand as you choose. Our prayers will guide us in offering our whole hearts to be open and ready to grow into our new selves in the Spirit through the days and weeks of Lent ahead.

Please RSVP if you plan to join us for dinner (508.384.3110) and please bring your own bowl.

IT’S AN AUSTIN PIPE ORGAN – OPUS 1457 – AND IT’S OURS

A special meeting was held on Sunday, November 13^th, where the Organ Committee and the Coordinating Council received approval from the congregation to proceed with organ and pipe chamber repairs. 

The concern is that the organ is from 1926 with most of the original parts and the pipe chamber is crumbling causing debris to fall into the pipes, making them unplayable.   In reality we are privileged to have Marge, an extremely talented organist who has been playing this organ for thirty years.  Marge knows where every broken note is located and simply plays around them.  We, the congregation, never even notice.

The basic plan includes:

 (1) Repair the Pipe Chamber:  Repair of the holes and cracks in the horse-hair plaster walls, attaching blue-board to support the walls and ceiling, and plastering and painting same.  Also install new lights and make safety improvements to the stairs, ladder and platform.

 (2) Repair the Organ:  Seal all leaks, clean all the pipes, recondition the swell engines and shades, re-leather the great choir expansion regulator, activate the Vox Humana Voice and improve the chimes.

 (3) Repair the Console:  Clean and polish the ivory keyboards and fix the swell shoes.

 (4) Improve the Air System:  Rebuild the air impeller enclosure, install a sound muffler in the air mains to eliminate background noise, install new sleeves in the air mains and check all electrical connections.

We are currently raising funds to support these much needed repairs.  Donations are greatly appreciated.  For more information please contact the office at 508.384.3110. If you wish to donate you may make a check out to the Original Congregational Church with “Organ Restoration Fund” on the memo line.   In addition we are ”selling pipes” as a fundraiser, and with over 900+ to choose from you’ll be sure to find the right note and sign your name next to it!  The pipe listing will be located in Fellowship Hall. Each pipe will sell for $20, and checks should be made out to OCC and the memo line should say “Organ Repair Fund.”   All checks may be mailed to OCC at P.O. Box 657, Wrentham, MA 02093.

Irish music will again be provided by Bumbly and Jas Phinn.

The cost is only $10 for a person with a family maximum of $35. Children under three are free. It helps if you purchase your tickets in advance, but they may be purchased at the door. Tickets may be purchased in the church office or after church on any Sunday before March 10^th.  The proceeds will be used to fund theDARE program in the KP schools for the 2012-13 school year.