First Congregational Church of Southington: Recent Episodes
First Congregational Church of Southington
Our podcasts will have highlights from our weekly worship services here at First Congregational Church of Southington. They will contain the sermon and scripture reading from that day and sometimes an anthem from either Gallery Singers or Branches.
Sunday was Pentecost—the birthday of the church. We had a special Pentecost worship service
to conclude the celebration of our 300th anniversary. We welcomed the Executive Conference
Minister of the Southern New England Conference of the UCC, the Rev. Darrell Goodwin, as our guest
preacher. The Rev. Goodwin is the first Executive Conference Minister of the SNEUCC, a new
Conference formed by the merger of the historic Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
Conferences in 2020. As the Chief Vision-Keeper, he is responsible for guiding the Conference and its
affiliates to have a positive and lasting impact in our world.
The Rev. Goodwin is a member of the United Church of Christ Board, the UCC Council for Health and
Human Service Ministries, and the Global Ministries Board. He brings to his varying leadership roles
extensive experience in pastoral ministry and higher education.
"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Corinthians 15:57
What a joyful celebration we had in worship on Sunday, May 5! And the celebrations continued for those who joined us at the Aqua Turf on Monday. There was much planning behind the scenes for the 300th Anniversary celebrations and the hard work of the committee paid off. We are looking forward to the culmination of the festive activities on Sunday, May 19 with our town-wide block party!
This Sunday, May 12 we will gather for worship at 8:00 AM in the Chapel and 10:15 AM in the meetinghouse. The Scripture reading is selected verses from 1 Corinthians 15. This section of Paul's letter to the Corinthians includes a strong rhetorical argument for the bodily resurrection.
As I study this passage, I see several connections to my recent trip to Chicago. I was in Chicago with NGLI (Next Generation Leadership Initiative), a program of the Pension Boards. The purpose of our trip was to reflect on Church Vitality. I will share more about the people I met in Chicago and the lessons I took away from my time there in my sermon on Sunday.
We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. ~1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
It’s finally here—our 300th Anniversary. We will celebrate with several special events during May, including our worship service this Sunday. There will be special music, and greetings, and guests. It will be a wonderful day! I hope you will be here in the meetinghouse for this great celebration.
As we celebrate, we will remember what counts. According to Paul, the great apostle who started the church in Thessalonica to which he wrote the letter I quoted above, what count are your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Yale University history professor Jaroslav Pelikan once said, “Tradition is the living faith of the dead. Traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.” On Sunday we will celebrate the living our 300-year history, but we will not worship it—it is not an “ism.” Rather we will celebrate how our tradition points us fully in to a future where God is still speaking and dream about how we, the First Congregational Church in Southington, will continue to evolve into an inclusive community of faith that will be a beacon of light in Southington and beyond for the next 300 years!
A simple question from one of the most recognizable passages in the Bible, the parable of the Good Samaritan. Christ tries to guide us with a seemingly simple answer, but are we following in our daily lives? The FCC Board of Deacons have reflected on this over the last several months and are hoping you will join us this Sunday at 8:00 a.m. or 10:15 a.m., as we offer a Deacon-led service, including personal reflections on this question.
As part of our 300th anniversary celebration, we are welcoming three guest preachers to our pulpit who have held significant leadership positions in the United Church of Christ. Our guest preacher this week is the Rev. Kent Siladi. Kent is a visionary leader dedicated to fostering spiritual growth, community empowerment, and a sense of interdependence in the denominational setting.
Rev. Siladi served local Connecticut UCC congregations in Brookfield and North Guilford before accepting a call to Conference Ministry. He served as a Regional Minister on the historic Connecticut Conference staff (1997-2007), as Conference Minister of the Florida Conference (2007-2013), and returned to the historic Connecticut Conference in 2013 to serve as Conference Minister until 2020. He was one of the architects of a plan to merge the Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island Conferences to become the Southern New England Conference. From 2020 until his “semi-retirement” at the end of last year, Rev. Siladi was the Director of Philanthropy in the national UCC’s Office of Philanthropy, Technology, Identity and Communication. Currently, he serves as the part-time Pastor in Residence at the Congregational Church of New Canaan, CT.
Kent has visited FCC several times as part of the historic Connecticut Conference staff and is one of our dear friends. His unwavering dedication to serving others and fostering unity has earned him widespread admiration and respect across the United Church of Christ.
And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and
they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid. ~Mark 16:8
Of all the Gospels, Mark’s recounting of the events on Resurrection Sunday is the most frustrating.
Mark tells us that three women go to the tomb on Sunday morning to anoint the body of Jesus—there
was no time to do that on Good Friday. They’re worried about who will roll away that large stone
blocking their way to Jesus. When they got there, the large stone had already been rolled away. Inside
someone described only as “a young man dressed in a white robe” tells them that Jesus isn’t there, like
they should have expected anything else. “He has risen, he is not here… But go, tell his disciples and
Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him…”
And what do they do? You read it in the verse above. They ran away, saying nothing to anyone because
they were afraid. The end.
You and I know that it isn’t the end, but how did the news of Jesus’ resurrection get out and what does
that mean for us today? We will explore those questions on Easter morning as we consider what
happens next.
And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” ~Mark 14:9
During Lent a group of people in our congregation have been learning about part of the complicated history of our church. History records that our first three pastor enslaved African and indigenous people. During Lent we learned the stories of some of those enslaved people.
On Sunday we will hear the story of Prince Duplex, a man of African descent who, as a child, was presented as a gift to Abigal Riggs. Abigal was the wife of the Rev. Bejamin Chapman, the second pastor of First Congregational Church. Prince was enslaved in the Chapman household until he won his freedom by fighting in the Revolutionary War. As we hear his story, we will consider the complicated history of our church.
That complexity mirrors the complicated history of Holy Week which begins this Sunday. We will begin with the triumphal Palm Sunday parade, but quickly things take a dramatic turn. We will read the story of Jesus encounter with a woman who anoints his feet with expensive perfume, which complicates the story even more. Complexity will be the theme as we worship on Sunday, and how we make sense of the complicated events that have led us to this day.
As we approach the celebration of our 300th anniversary we will welcome some guest preachers to the pulpit of First Congregational Church who have held significant leadership roles in the United Church of Christ. This past Sunday, the Rev. Dr. Davida Foy Crabtree joined us. Dr. Crabtree has served in a variety of settings across the United Church of Christ. From 1996 until her retirement in 2010 she was the Conference Minister for the historic Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ, the first woman to hold that position. From 1991-1996, she served as the Conference Minister of the Southern California Conference, UCC. Dr. Crabtree’s other accomplishments include being the founder and first executive director of the Prudence Crandall Center for Women in New Britain, Campus Minister and Director of Greater Hartford Campus Ministry, and Senior Minister of the Colchester (CT) Federated Church. Her most recent position was as Interim Vice President for Advancement at Andover Newton Theological School. Other leadership positions include serving as Interim and Acting Conference Minister in the Florida and Missouri Mid-South Conferences. She has also played an important role on numerous Boards in the denomination and in the greater Connecticut region. She has been a pioneer in innovative pastoral leadership, especially blazing trails for women in ministry and the use of inclusive language in worship.
As we continue in the Gospel of Mark, this Sunday our reading is a confusing one. I've been trying to wrestle with the Parable of the Tenants for several days and each time I read the story I uncover a different perspective. One word stood out to me in Mark 12:1, "watchtower." This word brought to mind an image from my time in Arizona in the borderlands between the USA and Mexico.
The parables that Jesus tells do not invite us to easy answers or quick understanding. They are intended to be thought provoking. Jesus the Rabbi would have engaged in conversation and dialogue with his disciples. His teaching was not based on rote memorization.
I hope you will join us on Sunday where I will share more about the image of a "watchtower" and together we can continue to share our Questions for Jesus.
Pastor Ron continues to preach through the readings of the gospel of Mark:
Questions for 35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to
do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Appoint us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” ~Mark 10:35-37
Martin Copenhaver, former president of Andover Newton Theological School, wrote a book a few years
ago called, Jesus Is the Question: The 307 Questions Jesus Asked and the 3 He Answered. I might quibble
a bit with his numbers, but Martin’s proposition is sound: Jesus loved questions. That is our theme
during this Lenten season: Questions for Jesus.
I love leading Bible studies and one of the things I tell a group right up front that there are no stupid
questions. Studying the Bible is all about asking questions. There are no stupid questions—I have a few
stupid answers maybe, but there are no stupid questions.
Well, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, are out to prove me wrong. They ask a really stupid
question. Having just been told by Jesus that being a messiah means suffering and death before you get
to resurrection, they ask, “May we sit next to you?”
Wow. Talk about not getting it.
What is clear to the reader of this story—but is not clear to the disciples—is that the disciples think they
know who Jesus is and why he has come. But they really don't get it yet. Not fully…that is until they
meet a blind man named Bartimaeus. We will explore the irony of this question for Jesus on Sunday
morning.
During Lent, Pastor Ron and Pastor Laura will be reflecting on the theme, “Questions for Jesus?” They continue reading through the Gospel of Mark.
Jesus and the disciples are on the move. We have commented frequently about Mark’s favorite word,
“Immediately!” In the many stories of the life and ministry of Jesus, people ask him questions. So
throughout Lent we will bring our questions to Jesus.
Our reading for this Sunday gives us several clues to help us as we begin our Lenten journey. While many
people bring questions to Jesus, he frequently reminds his disciples and the crowds that it is a faith
journey we are on. The journey of faith is about following the commandments, yes! But more than
following the commandments, Jesus invites us to consider how our whole life might be changed when
we say “Yes!” to following him and his teaching.
Pastor Ron preaches his sermon, "Amazing Unbelief" alongside the Vance family on Scout Sunday.
Pastor Laura preaches her sermon as Rabbi Alana and Nighthawk Flying give their prayers and blessing.
This podcast includes Pastor Ron Brown's sermon for PRIDE Sunday. It is the fourth sermon in the summer worship series, Faces of Our Faith. Pastor Ron tells the story of the Daughters of Zelophehad found in Numbers 27 and argues that when rules have unintended consequences, God expects us to change them.
Pastor Ron Brown's sermon this week is the third installment in our summer worship series, Faces of Our Faith. This week he tells the story of Deborah, a faithful and powerful woman who judged Israel. Her story is found in Judges 4.
This podcast includes Pastor Ron's sermon on Acts 16:11-15, 40, the second installment of our summer worship series, Faces of Our Faith. This week's biblical character is a woman named Lydia who becomes a leader in the early church.
This podcast is the first installment of our summer sermon series, Faces of Our Faith. In this sermon Associate Pastor Laura Kisthardt tells the story of the courageous and faithful Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah found in Exodus 1:8-22.
This podcast feature's Pastor Ron sermon on Pentecost Sunday which kicked off the celebration of our 300th year of ministry in the Southington community. It also includes the snare drum call to worship.
This podcast contains highlights for the special Mental Health Awareness Sunday including a powerful testimony by Steve Palmieri and one of the anthems of the day, This Is Us.
Senior Pastor Ron Brown's sermon for Mother's Day, Character, is based on Romans 5:1-11. The podcast also includes the anthem presented by the traditional choir, Precious Lord, Take My Hand.
Our reading this morning is the introduction to Romans. Romans is an epistle (or letter) in the New Testament. This letter was written by the Apostle Paul. Paul is also the author of several other letters we find in the New Testament. Most of the other letters are written by Paul to faith communities that he helped establish. This one is a little bit different because it is clear that Paul did not found this faith community, but he writes about how he hopes to join them one day.Listen to the rest of Pastor Laura's Confirmation Sunday sermon here...
Children's Sunday celebrates one of the vibrant ministries of First Congregational Church, children and Church School! The children of First Congregational Church of Southington led different parts of this Sunday worship service. This podcast includes Roots, our children's choir, singing, This Little Light of Mine. The scripture, read by children, is 1 Corinthians 13. Two members of the Board of Christian Education offered reflections on the theme, "Love Is...".
Whom?Acts 10:1-17, 34-48It’s a long story, I appreciate Pastor Laura reading it with me and your patient attention to it. I’ll try to be brief in my interpretation of it, but I begin with a bold statement. This is the most important story in the earliest history of the fledging Christian church because it answers the most important question:Who can be a member of the family? Who can eat at this table?
Sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter: Operating InstructionsDelivered by the Rev. Shannan Hudgins
Technicolor Easter[The angel’s] appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow... Matthew 28:3Matthew tells the resurrection story with crazy drama. If the other three gospel accounts are an intense passion play filled with intrigue, mystery, and confusion, Matthew is a full blown, three-dimensional extravaganza, complete with an earthquake on cue, an angel that looked like lightning who scared the guards literally to death (and, by the way, then tells the women not to be afraid), and finally Jesus himself boldly announces, “Greetings!” for all to hear. They grab his feet and worship him. This is spectacular drama.There is nothing subtle in Matthew’s account of the resurrection. It is thrilling. Life has overcome death, and it is time for the whole world to know. The first gospel’s account of the resurrection leaves the reader, as we would say back in the mountains of North Carolina, slackjawed and amazed. That’s how I hope we will approach Easter morning this year—slackjawed and amazed. I look forward to seeing you there.Blessings,Pastor Ron
How Will They Know We Are Christians?
John 13.31-35
The Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 15, 2022
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
The Courage to Turn Around
Acts 9.1-20
The Third Sunday of Easter
May 1, 2022
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Full to the Brim { An expansive life
Luke 24.1-12
Easter Day
April 17, 2022
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Full to the Brim { Even the stones cry out
Luke 19.28-40
Palm Sunday
April 10, 2022
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Full to the Brim { Prodigal grace
Luke 15.1-3, 11b-32
The Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 27, 2022
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Full to the Brim { You are worthy
Luke 13.1-9
The Third Sunday in Lent
March 20, 2022
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Full to the Brim { Even in the desert
Luke 4.1-13
The First Sunday in Lent
March 6, 2022
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Full to the Brim: With All That You Are Matthew 6.1-6, 16-21
Ash Wednesday
March 2, 2022
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Golden
Luke 6.27-38
The Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
February 20, 2022
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
On the Level
Luke 6.16-27
The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
February 13, 2022
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Who, Me?
Isaiah 6.1-13
The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
February 6, 2022
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Belonging
1 Corinthians 12.12-31
The Third Sunday after the Epiphany
January 23, 2022
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Close to Home: Invited Home
Luke 2.1-20
Christmas Eve
December 24, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Close to Home: A Home for All
Luke 3.1-18
The Third Sunday of Advent
December 12, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Close to Home: Laying the Foundation
Luke 1.57-80
The Second Sunday of Advent
December 6, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Close to Home: Homesick Luke 21:25-36 The First Sunday of Advent November 28, 2021 Rev. Laura Kisthardt
Season Generosity: A Future with Hope
A Future with Truth
John 18.33-38
Thanksgiving Sunday
November 21, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Season of Generosity: A Future with Hope
A Future Promised by God
Jeremiah 29.1, 4-14
The Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost
October 31, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
What Do You Want Me to Do for You, Part 2
Mark 10.46-52
The Twenty-second Sunday after
Pentecost October 24, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
What Do You Want Me to Do for You? Part 1
Mark 10.35-45
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
October 17, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
A New Hope: A Potter, a Purchase, and a Planting
Instructions for Planting
Jeremiah 31: 1-6, 31-34
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 26, 2021
Rev. Laura Kisthardt
A New Hope: A Potter, a Purchase, and a Planting
A Sound Investment
Jeremiah 32.1-3a, 6-15
The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 19, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
A New Hope: A Potter, a Purchase, and a Planting
We’re Back in Business!
Jeremiah 18.1-11
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 12, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
What’s Your Favorite Word for God? The Witness of Rev. Wil Gafney
Exodus 3.13-15 and 7 Verses from the Gospel of John
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 29, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Practicing Revolutionary Love: The Witness of Valarie Kaur
John 6.1-15
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
August 15, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Creating Through Grief: The Witness of Rumi Song of Solomon 2:8-13 The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost August 8, 2021 Rev. Laura Kisthardt
What If Jesus Came to Show Us How to Live? The Witness of Herb Montgomery
Ephesians 3.14-21; Mark 8.31-37
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
July 25, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Knowing Our Origin Stories: The Witness of Kaitlin Curtice Mark 6:1-13
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost July 18, 2021
Rev. Laura Kisthardt
Being a Buddha: The Witness of Thich Nhat Hanh Mark 6: 30-34, 53-56 The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost July 11, 2021 Rev. Laura Kisthardt
Imitating Jesus: Guided by Gustavo Gutiérrez
Mark 10:17-31
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
July 4, 2021
Rev. Laura Kisthardt
Loving God by Caring: The Witness of Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg
Mark 12.28-34
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
June 27, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Talking With Our Sacred Texts: The Witness of Fr. Broderick Greer
Nehemiah 7.73b-8.10 with references to Luke 4.14-30
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
June 20, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
What is Holy Troublemaking: The Witness of Bayard Rustin
Mark 4:26-34
The Third Sunday after Pentecost
June 13, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Called to Be Proud
Isaiah 6.1-8
Trinity Sunday
May 30, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Faithfulness
Acts 1:1-11
The Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 16, 2021
Rev. Laura Kisthardt
Branches of the Vine
John 15.1-8
The Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 2, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Was It a Ghost?
Luke 24.36b-48
The Third Sunday of Easter
April 18, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Some Things are Hard to Believe
John 20:19-31
Second Sunday of Easter
April 11, 2021
Rev. Laura Kisthardt
Jesus Is on the Loose!
Mark 16.1-8
Easter Day
April 4, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Third Sunday in Lent March 7, 2021 Wisdom at the Busiest Corner: An Interview with “The Angel of New York”
Proverbs 1:20-23 Rev. Laura Kisthardt
Turning Around
Mark 1.9-15
Ash Wednesday
February 17, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
A Princess, A Makeover, and the Transfiguration
Mark 9:2-9
Transfiguration Sunday
February 14, 2021
Rev. Laura Kisthardt
Astonishing Words
Mark 1.21-28
Year B: Epiphany 4
January 31, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Ice Fishing and Discipleship
Mark 1:14-20
The Third Sunday after Epiphany
January 24, 2021
Rev. Laura Kisthardt
Can Anything Good Come Out of...?
John 1.43-51
The Second Sunday after Epiphany
January 17, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
"I'll Make Me a World..."
Genesis 1.1-5
The First Sunday after Epiphany/The Baptism of Christ
January 10, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Tonight, We are Those Who Dream
Luke 2.1-20
Christmas Eve
December 24, 2020
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Those Who Dream...Are Not Alone
Luke 1.26-38
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 20, 2020
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Growing in the Dark
John 12.20-26
Service of Healing and Remembrance
December 14, 2020
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Those Who Dream...Sow Joy
Luke 1.46b-55
The Third Sunday of Advent
December 13, 2020
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
Those Who Dream… Prepare the Way
Mark 1:1-8
The Second Sunday of Advent
December 6, 2020
Rev. Laura Kisthardt
Those Who Dream...Keep Awake
Mark 13.24-37
The First Sunday of Advent
November 29, 2020
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
When Have You Seen Me? Journeying with Jesus Through Matthew
When Have You Seen Jesus?
Matthew 25.31-46
Thanksgiving Sunday
November 29, 2020
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
The Power of Community Matthew 25:14-30
The Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost
November 15, 2020
Guest Preacher: Amy Webb