Dear Friends,

It happened yesterday, August 9, but was widely reported in the news just this morning that a JetBlue flight attendant with twenty years of experience, Steven Slater, finally had enough and exited his career in a dramatic way. Upon arrival at JFK airport Mr. Slater confronted a passenger trying to retrieve his luggage from the overhead bin too soon. Following the passenger's refusal to comply, and subsequent profanity, Mr. Slater took the plane's public address microphone, let loose with a few angry profanities of his own, hit the lever that releases the emergency evacuation chute, grabbed a couple of beers from the hospitality cart, slid down the chute, went to his car and drove away – only to be arrested a few hours later. Overnight he has become a folk hero to many who are increasingly dissatisfied with their own jobs and lives.

In 1978 Johnny Paycheck recorded a hit song entitled, "Take This Job and Shove It." Thirty two years later it still gets considerable airplay and is considered the anthem for folks who fantasize about walking into the boss's office and declaring, "I quit!" Pent up frustration and anger make themselves known in sometimes amusing and, at other times, tragic ways. The term, "going postal," comes to mind. Why are we so angry, bitter, and resentful?

In my premarital counseling sessions I often tell couples that marriage is a great magnifier. All of the things that you presently like about your soon-to-be spouse will become the things that you really love once you're married. On the other hand, all of the things that irritate you now will soon become the things that you hate and resent once you say, "I do." So it's always best to take care of the irritants now, rather than later, lest they grow into divisive issues. I'm reminded of the story about the man who was asked why he looked so tired. He replied, "The preacher told me and my wife never to go to bed angry. And I haven't had any sleep for two weeks now."

Take care of the little things now. Jesus taught that if you are making your offering at the altar and then remember that you have a grudge against your neighbor – leave your offering and go and make things right. Then you can come back and finish your prayers and offerings. Paul taught that since we have new life in Christ we should act like it, giving up our old ways and adopting the ways of the "new self." The top two items on his list of how to do this were: one, "No more lying." (Ephesians 5:25) And two, "In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." (Ephesians 5:26)

Steven Slater's career is, undoubtedly, over. He might be relieved, or he might be regretful. I don't know. Take care of the little things before they become big things. Be proactive rather than reactive. Act rationally. And always be faithful rather than right.

Sincerely,
J. Douglas Patterson

Exercise Your Spirit This Fall at Smithfield School

If you want to get physically fit, you have to exercise your body: you might go to the gym, swim some laps, or train for a triathlon. If you want to get mentally fit, you have to exercise your mind: you might do a crossword puzzle, solve a quadratic equation, or translate some Spanish verbs. But what about getting spiritually fit? What can you do to deepen your faith?

In the Christian tradition, there are ancient practices that help us to re-focus our attention on our relationship with God. These "exercises for the soul" include hospitality, stewardship, keeping Sabbath, living joyfully, and many more. By regularly incorporating these practices into our daily life, we can grow in faith and renew our love for God and one another.

This year in Smithfield School, our 9:45 a.m. weekly education hour for all ages, we will be exercising our spirits with Faith Practices, a brand-new educational resource from the United Church of Christ. Instead of merely learning about faith, we will be actively living out our faith every week! To begin the year, we will all be exploring the practice of Giving and Receiving Hospitality. Through Bible study, conversation, the creative arts, and acts of service, we will learn more about extending God's love and welcome to everyone we meet.

We offer classes for four age groups: Adults (college students through elders), Youth & Young Adults (grade 7-age 35), Older Children (grades 2-6), and Young Children (age 3-grade 1). The nursery will also be open during the Smithfield School hour for babies and toddlers from birth through age 2.

Smithfield School is made possible by our dedicated team of leaders, who give of their time and energy to teach and assist our classes. More leaders are always needed! Teaching is a wonderful way to get to know your Smithfield community and to nourish your own faith while you share God's stories with others. All lesson plans, supplies, and guaranteed fun are provided for you. If you would like to learn more, please speak with Rev. Liddy Barlow.

We will begin the Smithfield School year with a black and gold celebration on Sunday, September 12. Gather in the Social Hall at 9:45 a.m. for a party for all ages. We will have games, snacks, songs, and special recognition for our leaders. Kick a field goal and get your year off to a great start!

We want to encourage everyone to attend Smithfield School as consistently as possible. Keeping our attendance numbers up makes for a richer experience for everyone! As an incentive, all children and youth who have perfect attendance for both Smithfield School and Pilgrim Adventures (or worship) from September 12 through November 7 will earn a free trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium on November 14!

You've heard of Noah's Ark, but have you ever been to God's Zoo? This fall the young children of the church will be visiting God's Zoo in Pilgrim Adventures, our weekly educational activity program during the worship service, beginning September 12. Each week we will enter into one of the stories about animals from the Bible, learning about how God cares for all of creation. We'll name animals with Adam, go inside Jonah's whale, listen to Balaam's talking donkey, and tremble at Revelation's seven-headed dragon!

Pilgrim Adventures takes place every week after the children's sermon. Children age 3 through grade 2 are invited to go downstairs with Rev. Liddy Barlow to enjoy Children's Chapel (a time of prayer and storytelling), followed by the day's Adventure. An adult Adventure Assistant comes along each week to lend a hand. If you would like to take part, please speak with Liddy Barlow.

After ten weeks of visiting God's Zoo, we'll go to our own zoo after worship on November 14! We will enjoy a photo scavenger hunt as we get to see many of the Biblical animals close up. Children and youth who have perfect attendance for both Smithfield School and Pilgrim Adventures (or worship) from September 12 through November 7 will be admitted free! All ages arein invited to participate.

On Sunday, October 3rd the United Church of Christ will sponsor a special offering: Neighbors in Need (NIN). This special mission offering supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. One-third of NIN funds will support the Council for American Indian Ministry. Two-thirds of the offering will be used by the UCC's Justice and Witness ministries to support a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and other direct service projects.

Through UCCTakeAction.org, the UCC offers resources, news updates, and action alerts on a broad spectrum of justice issues. Working with members of the UCC Justice and Peace Action Network (a network of thousands of UCC justice and peace advocates), Justice and Witness continues its strong policy advocacy work on issues such as the federal budget, voting rights, immigration, health care, hate crimes, civil liberties, and environmental justice. For more information on this special offering, visit www.ucc.org/nin.

Stained Glass Treasures: The Windows of 620 Smithfield Street

Our four-part series on the windows of 620 Smithfield Street concludes with a look at the three remaining stained glass windows. The ninth window in the sanctuary features Jesus in Gethsemane with the panel below depicting Pittsburgh, circa 1817. Based on an early sketch of Pittsburgh, it shows the small city growing outward from the Point (now Point State Park). At the time, roads and houses were still rare in the city and the two rivers were then shallow and erratic.

The next window depicts Easter morning; below is the Blockhouse at Fort Pitt, circa 1764. This small structure, the oldest extant building west of the Allegheny Mountains, still stands within Point State Park. Commonly known as "the Blockhouse," it was actually a redoubt external to Fort Pitt that provided additional defense to the fort during the 1763-1764 uprising of Native Americans known as Pontiac's Conspiracy. The structure was subsequently used for many functions, among them religious services.

In the upper panel of the final window, Jesus and the Disciples at the Supper at Emmaus are shown. The lower window feature a rendering of Smithfield's second, third, and fourth Buildings. These were the first three churches built on our property. (An earlier structure, probably of logs, stood a few blocks away.) The churches shown served from 1791 to 1814, from 1815 to 1832, and from 1833 to 1875. A parsonage also existed for many of these years, and until 1860 much of the church's property on this site was used for a cemetery (subsequently relocated).

During these eight decades, Pittsburgh's population grew rapidly, often doubling every ten years. Germans were numerous among the newcomers, and our church was their first home and then the mother of many new German-attended churches located on the South Side, on the North Side, in Oakland, and elsewhere in the region. In fact, German was the principal language of this church until after World War I.

If you would like to tour the sanctuary, Smithfield United Church of Christ is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Bike and Build Reach California

This past Fourth of July weekend and for the third straight year, Smithfield United Church of Christ hosted cyclists from the Bike and Build organization. Over the course of 68 days, the group cycled their way across the country, beginning in Boston before finishing their journey in Santa Barbara on August 24. Along the way they passed through Massachusetts, New York/Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California, logging a total of 3,766 miles. Bike and Build works to promote awareness of the growing need for decent affordable housing for low-income families. To learn more, visit www.bikeandbuild.org.

Smithfield United Church of Christ: Who We Are

Ours is an inclusive congregation, committed to oneness in Christ across all boundaries of race, social class, culture, gender, sexual identity, and disability.

Smithfield United Church of Christ is a diverse congregation committed to the values of unity, inclusion, community, free conscience, and hope. Smithfield UCC celebrates the differences of its congregants, creating an environment where people may experience Christ's love and reconciliation in the light of free conscience.

The Smithfield congregation was founded in 1782, making it the oldest organized church in the city. In 1812, the church named itself the German Evangelical Protestant Church. It united with the Slavic Congregational Church in 1960 and was federated with Smithfield United Methodist Church from 1968 to 1994.

The current Smithfield United Church of Christ is open to all people who are seeking a spiritual home. The idea being that no matter who you are, no matter where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here. As a United Church of Christ congregation, Smithfield is considered a "Stillspeaking" church. The Stillspeaking initiative believes that God is still speaking: simply stated, we shouldn't put a period where God has put a comma.

Thank you to everyone who participated in clipping coupons for Operation Expire. You have made a very big difference in the lives of many of our Military families serving overseas. Unfortunately, this past month marked my last mailing.

I find my energy and resources shifting to the problems at Robb Hollow Park in Mount Lebanon. This means that I cannot continue to be responsible for Operation Expire.

If anyone would like to come forward and take responsibility for sorting, packaging and mailing the coupons, please contact me. I would be happy to share the simple "how to" requirements. Once again, thank you for your wonderful support!

— Mary D'Angelo

See the sitemap for earlier issues of the newsletter

  – through you and me!

9/29/10
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