June 2021 - united church of christ
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Christ United Church of Christ, 1414 Ligonier Street
Latrobe, Pennsylvania 15650
June 2021
Worship Services For June
June 6, 13, 20, 27 - Sunday Morning Worship, 11:00 AM
June 6 - Holy Communion, 11:00 AM
June 6 - Annual Congregational Meeting
No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey you are welcome here.
Concerns of the Congregation
Please pray for: Chad Amond, Henry Arelt, Marcie Baker, Baker and Hilty Families,
Joan and Jim Banocy, Olive Barr, Donna and John Brajdic, Eleanor Bridge,
Pastor John Cofield, Dick and Mary Crawford, Kristen Disciascio, Debbie Dowler, Dorothy Facemyer,
Tim Farkas Family, Amy Flynn, Belinda Henry, Helen Hoover,
Ron King, Stacey Klug, Zoe Klug, Michelle Kutzer, Leanne Lehosky, Bill McCullough, Chuck
McNerny, Ben and Jane Miedel, Dana Miller, Ruby RaeLynn Moore, Joan Musick,
Pastor Shirley Musick, Bob and Evelyn Neighly, Harvey and Helen Noel, Charlene Pelar, Richard
Porembka, Emmett Michael Poto, Joyce Puzak, Shirley Robb, Bailey Robinson, Charlene “Charlie”
Roble; Emily, Eva, and Graeme Sautter; Ken Sible, Laken Smith,
Rick Stahl, Larry and Loretta Staruk, Nathan Stevens, Scott Thompson,
Ken and Sheila Yost, Sara Young
Praying the roll: Everyone on the church roster will have a turn at experiencing the com-
fort and peace of intentional prayer. We are family and families pray for one another!
Please keep these families in your thoughts and prayers for the entire week.
Week of June 6 - Bradley Fritz; Melissa Fritz; Richard and Robin Fritz
Week of June 13 - Pam George; David, Colby, Miles, and Dean Grasmick; Sandy Gregory
Week of June 20 - Alice Harr, Alzene Heining, Sherry Heining
Week of June 27 - Ray Hennenkamp; John Hilty; Judy Holden and Mick Mattern
USHERS FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE
June 6 - Art Dira and Jim O’Connor
June 13 - Harvey Noel and Sally Walker
June 20 - Jim and Elena Sillaman
June 27 - Bob and Carolyn Stutzman
Christ United Church of Christ Consistory
Stephanie Albaugh, Vice President Kenny Repko
Rick Kunkle Ellen Sautter
Michelle Kutzer Elena Sillaman
Harvey Noel Carolyn Stutzman, President
Jim O’Connor, Secretary
A Message From Pastor John
In last month’s newsletter article, I wrote that more often than anything
else the New Testament indicates that Jesus of Nazareth died and was
raised, particularly raised, to defeat the work the devil, evil. The forgive-
ness of sins follows, necessarily, on the defeat of the one who brought sin
into creation. The Reformers were correct we are forgiven not because of
anything we did or can do. That work has been done. And we participate in that forgiveness
by becoming one with Christ. This is called an Atonement theory.
Atonement is the reconciliation of “fallen” humanity with God, which was accomplished by
Jesus’ work on the cross, in which humankind participates through Word and Sacrament.
The dominant theories of Atonement in Roman Catholicism and Western Protestantism are the
“Substitutionary Theory of Atonement” and the “Penal Substitutionary Theory of Atone-
ment.”
Anselm of Canterbury, about 1033 to 1109, “set the stage [for these Atonement theories] by
thinking of God as a feudal overlord whose honor is offended by sinful humanity.” Have I
told you how much I hate the idea of God as King? That notion has done terrible damage to
humankind, especially as Kings (rulers of any kind, really) have identified themselves with
God, because God is likened to them.
So, Anselm proposed that, because God’s honor had been besmirched by sinful humankind,
God’s honor had to be restored, justice had to be done. God’s honor could be restored by the
offender suffering voluntarily. But the offender was humankind, grossly inferior to God, and
hence incapable of making restitution. A substitute had to be found, one whose sacrifice
would be equal to the transgression, the “Son of God.” This is called the “Substitutionary
Theory of Atonement.”
The Reformers, Luther and Calvin, focused on God’s wrath not simply God’s dishonor. In his
book, The Case Against Christianity, Michael Martin writes:
"Justice demands that sin must be punished and full compensation must be given to
the injured parties. Thus, the attitude of a just God toward sinners can only be that of
wrath. Only Jesus, the Son of God, who as a man represents sinful humanity, can take
on the infinite sins of the world and can be punished for these sins."
In this Atonement theory the emphasis is on “punishment,” something or someone had to pun-
ished for God to be reconciled with humankind. It is often called the “Penal Substitutionary
Theory of Atonement.” Because Jean Calvin proposed this theory, and all Reformed churches
trace their roots to Calvin, and the Congregational Church as well as the German Evangelical
and Reformed churches are Reformed churches, this Atonement theory, although not em-
braced by all today, is the foundational Atonement theory for the UCC.
I, for one, have little or no use for these theories of Atonement. As Rob Bell says, in the video
“Love Wins,” on our Facebook page, they give the impression that Jesus rescues us from God.
Bell asks, “What kind of God is that, that we need to be rescued from this God? How could
that God ever be good? How could that God ever be trusted? And could that ever be ‘good
news?’”
More to come:
Pastor John
A Note from Julie
"Majesty, worship His majesty, unto Jesus be all glory,
honor, and praise. Majesty, kingdom authority, flow
from His throne unto His own, His anthem raise!"
The adult choir will be singing occasionally this summer
during worship. In the past, the choir has always been off for the months of sum-
mer, but since we haven't been together much at all, we are going to try and put
together an anthem for Sunday worship as often as we can.
I am hoping that, as we did in the past, we will be able to use special music to fill
in on some Sundays, too.
Please let me know if you are interested in presenting a special music selection.
The bell choir is still not practicing, but five of the bell choir members got to-
gether and cleaned the bells. So the next time you see them, they are going to
shine!
I will not be in church on June 20th and so Annie and the folk group are going to
substitute for me. It will be a wonderful service!
If anyone is interested in participating in the healing service at the stadium at Le-
gion-Keener Park on Sunday, June 27th at 3:00pm, please see me or Ellen. The
community wants to come together to honor the folks who were so selfless in all
of the turmoil surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic: First Responders, hospital
workers, teachers, and the people that we lost to the pandemic. We will be re-
hearsing at 6:30pm at Bethany United Methodist Church, Avenue B, in Latrobe,
on Wednesday June 2, 9, 16, 23.
To God Be the Glory! Love, Julie
Love to you, my friends at Christ United Church of Christ!
Julie
ARTICLES FOR THE JULY/AUGUST NEWSLETTER ARE DUE ON
TUESDAY, JUNE 15
Please send to ChristChurchUCC@verizon.net
LAY LIFE AND MISSION UPDATE
THE BLESSING BOX
The Lay Life and Mission Committee’s ongoing mission will be the Bless-
ing Box. The Blessing Box will provide food for those in need in our com-
munity. This box will be supplied with non-perishable food items and per-
sonal hygiene products such as canned vegetables and fruits, cereals, pas-
tas, soups, snack crackers, boxed goods, toothpaste, tooth brushes, masks,
deodorant, socks, diapers, baby wipes, toilet paper etc. (NO GLASS
PLEASE).
Lay Life is asking for donations of food and/or money (to purchase food
items). If you are donating by check, please make payable to Lay Life
and Mission Committee. If you have any questions or would like to do-
nate, please contact Dorthy Paulovich. Our thanks to all those who have
already donated food and/or money towards the Blessing Box.
Lay Life and Mission Committee will meet on Monday, June 5 at 6:30 PM in the Chapel. Face
masks must be worn.
Due to Covid-19, the Lay Life and Mission Committee will NOT hold their June Soup and Salad
bars.
Tentatively, the Lay Life and Mission Committee will hold their annual Flea Market and Book Sale
in August. More information will be forthcoming. Please start saving your fleas and books!
BOOK DISCUSSION
On Tuesday, June 8 at 10:00 AM the discussion will be on The Innocents
Abroad by Mark Twain. Based largely on letters written for New York and
San Francisco papers, Twain narrates the progress of the first American organ-
ized tour of Europe. Immensely successful when first written, the book is so
funny and provocative that it made Twain an international star for the rest of
his life.
VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED to help with Senior Food
Distribution on Tuesday, June 15 at 8:30 AM. Thanks so much for your
help as always.
BIENVENUE: Bienvenue will meet on Wednesday, June 2nd at
12:30p.m., at Racer's Sports Bar & Grill at 2236 Lincoln Avenue, Latrobe
PA. All the ladies of the Church are welcome.
Happy Birthday! Happy Anniversary!
June 14 Dorothy Facemyer June 13 Wayne and Ellen Sautter
June 17 Dewey Silvis June 24 Ken and Sheila Yost
June 18 Rich Baker June 26 Rich and Marcie Baker
June 26 Dorthy Paulovich
“C” Dollar Bills for the Union Mission - As of
May 23, the accumulated total donated to the Union Mis-
sion is $541. Thanks to all who have helped to reach this
amazing total one dollar at a time.
CONTACT US
Newsletter Editor, Loretta Staruk - 724-879-8631 - cocoakitty2001@gmail.com
Administrative Assistant, Caryn Dettling
Church Email: christchurchucc@verizon.net
Church Office Phone: 724-537-4901
Christ UCC Website - www.ucclatrobe.org
Mission Statement: To reflect Christ’s love in everything we do.
Vision Statement: Not our will, but God’s
A Book Review
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
Many years ago, I read a book first published in 1974, now available in a second edition with
some notes by the author, Robert Pirsig. Except for one sequel, which was not nearly as successful, this was
his only published book. A recent short article and photo in The Smithsonian magazine prompted me to read
“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” again. The photo was of the actual motorcycle he rode as he
took an extended ride with his eleven year old son and, for part of the trip, another couple. It doesn't matter
that I've never owned or driven a motorcycle, since the care and repair of his cycle only serves as a metaphor
that he uses to discuss some philosophical issues.
The book is not an easy read for several reasons. Mr. Pirsig intersperses beautiful descriptions of the
northwest part of the U.S. as he and his group ride, eat and camp out. During the journey, it becomes evident
that he and his son often have difficulty communicating, making me sometimes want to cry out, “Just say what
you're thinking!” to one or the other of them. But we also learn some of the reason for this, as Mr. Pirsig fre-
quently refers to another character, “Phaedrus,” who seems to have been he himself before he had a major psy-
chiatric crisis requiring a period of hospitalization. So this journey is to help him reconstruct that part of his
life while also trying to bond with his son. In the process, he often has difficulty remembering details of his
“former life.”
More challenging to read are his musings (he calls them “chatauquas”) as he tries to retrace the trails of
his thoughts and seeks to understand the things of ultimate importance in life. By his own account, he was a
brilliant man with a very high IQ. His exact career background is a bit unclear, but he definitely spent some
time in fields like engineering before finally teaching writing at the college level. Then he decided to study
philosophy at the University of Chicago. He soon ran into major disagreements with the head of that depart-
ment, whom he characterizes as rather “bull headed” and reluctant to debate or accept any ideas other than his
own. Although Mr. Pirsig obviously studied all of the major philosophers of Western civilization beginning
with Plato and Aristotle in great detail, he still believed that something was missing. In his mental search for
this, he gradually became disconnected with reality, leading ultimately to his hospitalization.
Eventually he begins to discuss what he calls Quality (with a capital Q) as probably the essential char-
acteristic of any task, event or, even, personhood in life. He admits to great difficulty in trying to define Qual-
ity, wondering sometimes if it equates with the Buddha, but he believes that people can recognize and know
Quality when they see it. It is in this process of working out the meaning of Quality in our lives that he com-
pares it to the care and repair of his motorcycle. He talks often of quality mechanics and others who think
carefully about the task that they are involved in, even quoting a Japanese instruction manual which said
something like, “To repair motorcycle [sic], one must first be at peace.” With the proper attitude in life and
towards the task, the mechanic will then use the proper tools, ones which he has cared for and which he keeps
in order, and he will focus on the task at hand. Quality, then, is not just the result of the technical aspects of
the task. Rather, he says, it is the result of the (mechanic's) way of life. As he says at one point, “If you're a
sloppy thinker six days a week,...what can make you all of a sudden sharp on the seventh?”
This book was written in the early 70's, before we became a computerized, faster paced world. But the
trends were there, and Mr. Pirsig noted with some dismay the many people who, for various reasons, were less
and less concerned about quality in their work, or in their relationships or in their own lives. Even then, he
saw, too, the vacant stare in some people's eyes when they would meet, the lack of meaningful engagement
with people even when there was a call for personal interaction. He contrasted this with slow, easy conversa-
tions he had with people on the less traveled roadways when they stopped for a rest. How would he feel now
about so many of us with our heads and eyes in our cell phones even when talking with others?
As I've said, the book is not always an easy read. But the journey through Mr. Pirsig's thinking and
concerns make the trip worthwhile. I can now see many areas of my life where I can improve the Quality.
Jim Sillaman
JUNE 2021 CHURCH CALENDAR
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2 3 4 5
10:00 AM
Bible Study
12:30
Bienvenue
Chapel Area
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
11:00 AM Worship 6:30 PM Lay 10:00 AM 10:00 AM
Holy Communion Life and Book Bible Study
Mission Discussion
ANNUAL
CONGREGATIONAL Consistory
MEETING Reports Due
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
11:00 AM Worship 6:30 PM 8:30 AM
Consistory Senior Food
Sunday School for Distribution
children
July/August
UNION MISSION Newsletter
Fundraiser Deadline
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
11:00 AM Worship
FATHERS’ DAY
27 28 29 30
11:00 AM Worship
Sunday School for
children
SUNDAY, JUNE 20, 2021 Happy Fathers’ Day to all the men of Christ Church!
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