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We are an active and growing church, in the Congregational
tradition. This tradition, or denomination, traces its roots all the way back to
the Pilgrims and Puritans who arrived in New England between 1620 and 1630.
Both groups were dissatisfied with the teachings, dogma and form of governance
of the Church of England, and each desired (in different ways) to continue the
Protestant Reformation in a new land, free from the restrictions and rules of
the "old" organized church.
The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme was founded in
1665. While we have recently elected to become part of the United Church of
Christ organization, we retain our autonomy and independence as a congregation.
We are a non-creedal church, and do not seek to impose any single dogma or creed
on our members. Rather, we enter into a covenant with each other, using the
centrality of scripture and the life and teachings of Jesus, to find a stronger
Christian faith.
This excerpt from our Constitution clearly articulates this
philosophy and defines who we are as a church:
This Church recognizes the Bible as the sufficient rule
of faith and practice, and holds that living in accordance with the teachings
of Jesus Christ is the true test of fellowship. Each
member shall have the undisturbed right to follow the Word of God, according
to the dictates of his or her own conscience, under the enlightenment of the
Holy Spirit. Any statement of faith, therefore, is not a test but an
expression of the Spirit in which the Church interprets the Word of God. The
basis of our Congregational fellowship is not a creed but a
covenant, and those who make such a covenant with
one another constitute a Congregational Church.
There is a second and fundamental guiding principle of our
church, and of most Congregational churches. It is the quotation of John
Robinson, leader of the Pilgrims, spoken as he sent them on their voyage to the
new world from Leyden, Holland in 1620. It guides how we view, study and
attempt to interpret the Bible for our lives in this time:
"THERE IS YET MORE TRUTH AND LIGHT TO BREAK
FORTH FROM GOD'S HOLY WORD"
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The following
bulletin enclosure has been circulated by the United Church of Christ as a way
of helping congregations to "hear one another's stories." In the past several
months we in the church office have received messages of celebration from
several church communities who used this insert. It even appeared in one of my
family's Christmas cards, passed along with pride by an old family friend.
I thought it was a good idea to share it here in our own congregation...
Carleen Gerber
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Deep
Roots,
Wide Embrace
If Old Lyme, Connecticut, is a picture-book New England village, then
First Congregational
Church's meeting house, with its graceful steeple and spire, is its
perfect complement. No wonder American impressionist painters who
summered in Old Lyme a hundred years ago so often painted it.
Their meeting house may be immortalized on canvas, but the
congregation is not frozen in
time—or space, either. Enter the sanctuary and you will likely see an
Indian star quilt on the
wall. The morning star at its center not only signifies a new beginning
every time an infant is baptized there, but also the congregation's ongoing
partnership with a Native
American UCC community on the Cheyenne River reservation in South
Dakota.
If you ask David Good, the senior minister, about mission, he won't
refer you to a committee that dispenses benevolences, but rather to the
congregation's outreach programs of mutual enrichment. "We live in an
affluent white community, deprived of the richness of God's family," he
says. Thus, First Church makes a special effort to foster inclusive
mission relationships.
The church's continuing involvement with the people and issues of the
Middle East is a good example.
Members participate in a local organization, "We Refuse to be
Enemies," which cultivates dialogue among Christians, Jews, and Muslims.
First Church also sponsors periodic "Tree of Life" journeys
to Israel and Palestine. Last spring,
the 23-member delegation that spent ten days in the Holy Land included
youth and adults; Jews, Christians, and Muslims—and a reporter
and photographer from the local newspaper. That trip, like others before
it, had two major goals: to show the
human faces on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and
amplify the voices of organizations on the ground that are
working for justice and peace, such as the Israeli Committee Against
House Demolitions and the Arab Women's Union.
As a result of contacts made in the Bethlehem area, last summer the
congregation played host to six young Palestinians, part of their
continuing "Building Bridges of Hope" program. And next month, the
church will hold a "Tree of Life Conference on Israel and Palestine,"
which will be. addressed by leaders of the Israeli and Palestinian peace
movements.
Founded in 1665, the
First Congregational Church of Old Lyme may have roots deep in the New
England past. But today its members reach out, like branches of the
great nutmeg tree on the side yard of the meeting house, to embrace in
mission all of God's wider world.
| A Very
Interesting Project Sponsored by Our Church Historians and the
Board of Deacons
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The Gravestone of Moses Noyes
Our church is blessed with a rich history,
and throughout the Town of Old Lyme there are several monuments to
that history. Perhaps the most significant among them is the
gravestone of Moses Noyes (1643-1729) who was the first
minister of the Church when it was gathered in 1665. The
gravestone is now located in the Duck River Cemetery and is a
beautiful example of colonial funerary art with an extensive
inscription bordered by a carved angel. Unfortunately, it is made
of brownstone and has been deteriorating, most visibly in past few
years. After consulting with experts and with the approval of
members of the Noyes family and the Board of Deacons, it was
decided to pursue a rescue mission. This would involve moving the
gravestone to the Church premises and replacing it with a durable
replica.
It is expected that the project will be
completed as soon as the replica is carved and arrangements are
made for the transportation and installation of the original. We
are in the process of funding this project. Major assistance will
come from the Deacon’s Memorial Fund and several individual
donors. This is a unique opportunity to make a contribution toward
s the preservation of our Church’s history and anyone who is
interested can contact us or the Board of Deacons.
There are three other monuments in Town
which are connected to our Church. A granite marker on Ferry Road
commemorates Samuel Holden Parsons, a general in the Revolutionary
War and son of our third minister, Jonathan Parsons. Also, a brass
plaque affixed to a stone on Johnny Cake Hill memorializes the
accomplishments of Rev. Stephen Johnson, our fourth minister and
an active Patriot who, among other things, was the Chaplain at
Bunker Hill. Finally, a marker on Johnny Cake Hill near Meeting
House Lane notes the location of our first meeting house.
Betsey and Bob Webster
Church Historians
8/7/06
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