COMMACK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

The Messenger Open Hearts Open Minds Open Doors

In This Issue:






Birthdays Upcoming Events Mission News Our Local History Calendar

April 2014 A Word from our Pastor The first of our Parlor Talks, an opportunity to be in conversation about issues that affect our church and our denomination, took place yesterday. Our opening topic was “The Church on Trial; same-sex weddings and clergy trials.” The topic has made news headlines in recent years and it was good to have the opportunity to discuss the details and implications of these events. In our New York Annual Conference we recently had charges brought against a clergy member for officiating at his son’s wedding to another man. I shared with the group how I ended up with a front row seat at the news conference to announce a resolution to the charges as I had been asked to serve as Assistant Counsel for the Church. It was a new role for me and one I was not fully comfortable with but it did offer an opportunity to learn and grow and better understand the dynamics of our judicial process. Personally, I am grateful that we did not go to trial. As many of you know, my study of scripture and prayerful consideration of our current understanding of the dynamics of homosexuality, lead me to believe that there can be loving, respectful, committed relationships between two people of the same gender. The Parlor Talks setting gave us a chance to be in dialogue and hear each other’s feelings, understandings and opinion. We did not all agree but it was a good discussion and I personally appreciated everyone’s presence and input. If you were not able to make it and wish to talk about the issue with me, give me a call. And look for our future Parlor Talks; the next one is April 27th, 3:30 – 4:30 pm, in the Church Parlor – of course! Peace, Lynda

From the Desk of Mary K Frey: I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself to those I have not had the pleasure of meeting yet. Hi! I’m your new church secretary and I am so happy to be here. I am a 38 year old, mother of two, who loves hot yoga, the beach and who lives in East Northport with my mother, husband and boys. I graduated from Northport High School, lived in Yaphank for 12 years and returned to East Northport in 2010. This September I will be married for 15 years, my boys are 11 and 7. Christopher, my oldest is a Boy Scout in Troop 433 and Stephen is a beach bum in training. Stephen hates the cold weather, shoes and having to wear long pants. My husband runs his own business, CBFrey Designs, and I have been helping with the Social Media aspect for over a year now. I was in the restaurant business for 25 years, starting a Dunkin Donuts at the age of 13 and ending my career as the Assistant General Manager for the California Pizza Kitchen.

Prayer: Our Savior and friend, you have been faithful to us from generation to generation. Help us to find your ways of building community and reaching out to others - young and old- who are outside our fellowship. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

I love working in your church office and welcome any feedback you may have- especially negative; I will never learn or fix mistakes if you keep it to yourself. I am here to help with whatever comes up and I feel I have found a home here at Commack United Methodist Church. I also just wanted to say, thank you! You have all made me feel welcome from the very first moment I stepped foot on the church grounds. Everyone I have had the pleasure of working with has been so incredible kind, and patient. Thanks for reading my story and I look forward to many years of service here, Mary

May God bless you on your special day and every day, and in every little way! Happy Birthday

5th 5th 5th 8th 9th 13th 22nd 23rd 24th 26th 27th

Maggie Hervey Carly Theofield Emma Theofield Joan Stehlin-Fritz Tom White, the dad Julia Theofield Kimberly Clendenning Jennifer Mallgraf Sobana Prasad Ariana Doss Sarah D’Amato Tom Devine

Mother and Father’s Day Candle program

Continued on page 4...

If you would like to reserve a candle for a loved one, please fill out the form in this news letter and bring into the office or put in the offering plate on Sunday. See flyer for details and deadlines.

Dates to remember:

 

April 5, 2014: The Spring LIE District meeting Westhampton UMC May 11, 2014: Mother's Day, altar candle project -

♥ Application & flyer in April 20th Sunday bulletin ♥Deadline for submissions is May 4th



June 15, 2014: Fathers Day, altar candle project -

♥ Application & flyer in May 18th Sunday bulletin ♥Deadline for submissions is June 8th

 

Aug. 16, 2014: Planning for UMW retreat @ the home of Ginny Eichenauer Sept. 26-28, 2014: UMW retreat @ Quinipet, Shelter Island

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN (Turning Faith, hope and love into action on behalf of women, children and youth around the world.) We were pleased that thirteen women attended our March meeting “Voices of Native American Women.” The program and refreshments from Native American recipes were enjoyed by all. Our next meeting will be held on Thursday April 10th at 7:30 pm in the parlor. Karen Mallgraf and Tracey Kopping will present the program “A Mother’s Day Prayer for Peace.” The objective is to explore mother’s yearning for peace and the unique-and critical-gifts and perspectives women bring to the table when answering Christ’s call to be peacemakers. Deb Hervey will be our hostess for the evening.

If transportation is needed, please contact Deb Hervey or Ginny Eichenauer and arrangements will be made.

LYDIA CIRCLE The next meeting :   

Wednesday, April 2nd 10:30 am Parlor

All women are invited to attend this social discussion group. Light refreshments are served.

Our youth have been busy getting to know each other better during activities and helping with the confirmation class. On March 1st; seven youth and a few of their friends enjoyed a terrific day on the slopes at Plattekill Ski Resort. A few discovered they really like to ski! We look forward to even more youth enjoying this event next year.

On March 28th – 30th, seven youth (seven seems to be our number, which is also a very significant number in the Bible!) and their chaperones will be joining approximately over 300 people from around our conference at the New York Annual Conference’s IGNITE Youth Retreat. They will be participating in workshops, lively worship which may include clowning ministry and liturgical dance and other ways of expressing praise to God. Watch for a Time for All Ages later this spring where they share their experiences. Thanks to all who supported our Pancake Breakfast which was a joint effort of the Youth Group and Sunday School parents. Yummy pancakes and bacon were enjoyed by all and we hope to make this an annual event to celebrate Mardi Gras. (We have noted that our congregation is a family of bacon lovers and will take note of that in planning our quantities for next year.) Thanks again to all who supported this fundraiser to support our youth activities.

Youth Counselor : Marilyn Alexandre Volunteer Youth Activities Coordinator : Deb Hervey Sunday School Superintendent: Penny White

April 6th is Pretzel Sunday

THEO’S SUNDAY SCHOOL CORNER Looking at Salt Differently On Sunday, February 9th, our gospel passage included the passage where Jesus says we are the “Salt of the Earth”. Our Sunday School explored that a bit further. We learned lots of interesting facts on the use of Salt in Biblical times as well a current day. Salt gets a bad rap and like many good things, too much of a good thing can be bad, and like many vitamins and minerals a little bit is very good. One way is that it is very good for your skin if you soak in it. The Sunday School made jars of bath salts and distributed them to the ladies of the congregation. We do have some extras, if you would still like to try this, we have Lavender, Mint and Rose scents. Please e-mail Deb Hervey ([email protected]) if you would like to have some of these wonderful soaking salts. Heart Health – When salt is taken with water it can help to reduce high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and help to regulate an Strong Immune System – Sea salt naturally helps you to build up irregular heart beat. Thus sea salt can help to prevent atherosclerosis, a strong immune system so that you can fight off the cold virus, the heart attacks and strokes. fever and flu, allergies and other autoimmune disorders. Diabetes – Sea salt can help to reduce the need for insulin by helpAlkalizing – Sea salt is alkalizing to the body, as it has not been ing to maintain proper sugar levels in the body. Thus the salt is an exposed to high heat and stripped of its minerals, nor does it have any essential part of the diet if you are diabetic, or at risk for the disease. harmful man-made ingredients added to it. Thus it can help you to Osteoporosis – Just over 1/4 of the amount of salt that is in the prevent and reverse high levels of acids in the body, which in turn body is stored in the bones, where it helps to keep them strong. eliminates the risks for serious and life-threatening diseases. When the body lacks salt and water it begins to draw the sodium Weight Loss – Believe it or not, but sea salt can also help you in from the bones, which then eventually can lead to osteoporosis. Thus weight loss. It helps the body to create digestive juices so that the by drinking plenty of water and consuming salt in moderation you can prevent osteoporosis. foods you eat are digested faster, and it helps to prevent buildup in the digestive tract, which eventually can lead to constipation and Muscle Spasms – Potassium is essential for helping the muscles to weight gain. function properly. Sea salt not only contains small amounts of potasSkin Conditions – A sea salt bath can help to relieve dry and itchy sium, but it also helps the body to absorb it better from other foods. skin as well as serious conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. The Thus it is effective in helping to prevent muscle pains, spasms and bath naturally opens up the pores, improves circulation in the skin cramps. and hydrates the tissues so that your skin can heal. Depression – Sea salt also has shown to be effective in treating Asthma – Sea salt is effective in reducing inflammation in the respi- various types of depression. The salt helps to preserve two essential ratory system. Thus the production of phlegm is slowed down so that hormones in the body that help you to better deal with stress. These you can breathe easier again. Some say that sprinkling sea salt on the hormones are serotonin and melatonin, which help you to feel good, tongue after drinking a glass of water is just as effective as using an and relax and sleep better at night. inhaler. But the great thing about sea salt is that it has no side effects when taken in moderation.

Here are 10 benefits of Sea Salt:

At our VBS – Workshop of Wonders we will learn all about “God who works wonders.” (Psalm 77:14a, CEB). Children and adults will discover how the ordinary becomes extraordinary with God. Come and join with us to experience the love of Jesus; start an adventure; use your imagination and creativity to build your faith. Meet people from the Bible who used what they had to produce something amazing with God. Use your heart, mind, and imagination to participate in the creative life of God, the one who works wonders! VBS will be held, Sunday, June 29th – Thur, July 3rd , 6:30 – 8:30 PM.

Historian’s Corner

Submitted by John Muller Church Historian

Henry Osborne Havemeyer Henry Osborne Havemeyer (October 18, 1847 – December 4, 1907) was an American entrepreneur who founded and became president of the American Sugar Refining Company in 1891. Henry Osborne Havemeyer was an American industrialist and sugar refiner. He was the third generation of his family in the sugar business and oversaw the expansion of the family firm into the American Sugar Refining Company which dominated the sugar industry in the late 19th century. Together with his wife, Louisine Havemeyer, he was an avid and prolific collector of art, one of the earliest collectors to bring Impressionist Art to America, guided by artist Mary Cassatt. After Louisine Havemeyer's death in 1929, a large part of their collection was bequeathed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

operation. By 1890 five refineries remained in operation, with Havemeyers & Elder as the sole New York area refinery

In 1898 John Arbuckle, a coffee merchant and wholesale grocer from Pittsburgh, head of the Coffee Trust, entered the sugar market. Arbuckle had innovated in the Havemeyer was born in New York City on October 18, 1847, the eighth of nine chil- automated packaging of his dren, to Frederick Christian Havemeyer Jr. (1807-1891), and Sarah Louise Henderson coffee beans and began to repackage sugar, which he bought from the Sugar Trust, to sell alongside his coffee Havemeyer (1812-1851). His mother died in 1851 when Harry, as he was known to beans. Arbuckle moved to produce his own sugar and built a refinery in Brooklyn. his family, was three years old. He was raised with the help of his grandmothers, Thereafter Havemeyer and Arbuckle entered in to a fierce competition. Havemeyer Mary Osborne Henderson and Catharine Billiger Havemeyer, and his oldest sister, bought controlling interest in a coffee business, Woolson Spice Company of Toledo, Mary Havemeyer. The family lived in a house at 323 West 14th Street, in what was Ohio, in order to undercut Arbuckle's prices. Arbuckle retaliated by lowering prices then the northern frontier of New York City. In 1854 Harry Havemeyer, age seven, on the sugar produced at his new refinery. The price war continued for three years. In and his brother Thomas, age nine, were sent to study at the Bellport Academy in Long 1901 the two men came to an agreement to end their costly war. Island, under the charge of Mr. James Cruikshank. The following year, Harry folIn November 1907, two weeks before Havemeyer's death, a raid of the docks at the lowed his older brother Theodore to Mr. Betts' School in Stamford, Connecticut. He Havemeyer plant in Brooklyn by the U.S. Treasury Department revealed that the was a difficult, short-tempered student. After a fight with the principal, he left the scales that were used to weigh incoming raw sugar had been tampered with and the school. His formal schooling ended at the age of eight firm had underpaid import duties. Two United States special customs agents, Richard When the partnership of Havemeyers & Elder was formed in 1863, Henry Osborne Parr and James O. Brzezinski, tipped off by a disgruntled employee, discovered a Havemeyer, known in the business as H.O. Havemeyer, was a fifteen-year-old apconcealed spring inserted into the scale which permitted the checker to exert pressure prentice and, in the family tradition, was learning his way through all aspects of the so as to reduce the weight. The criminal case against the American Sugar Refining business from testing sugar at the docks to learning the complex processes of refinery operations, including the carefully guarded secrets of sugar boiling. Subsequently, he Company was brought to federal court in New York in 1908 by District Attorney Henry L. Stimson and Felix Frankfurter, and was won by the government in became apprentice to J. Lawrence Elder, working on the mercantile aspect of the 1909. A civil suit followed to collect custom duties owed to the government. To avoid business—purchasing, sales and record keeping. When Elder died suddenly in 1868, further litigation and bad publicity, the American Sugar Refining Company agreed to H.O. Havemeyer and his brother Thomas took over the mercantile business and besettle the customs fraud case for $2 million in back payment. Individual officers of the came partners in Havemeyers & Elder in 1869. Cousin Charles H. Senff also joined American Sugar Refining Company were tried separately for criminal involvement. In the partnership to manage refinery operations and construction with Theodore A. Havemeyer. By 1868 the Havemeyers & Elder refinery had doubled in size. Known as 1909 dock foreman Oliver Spitzer was convicted for attempted bribery. Ernest Gerbracht, superintendent, and Charles R. Heike, secretary, and five company checkers the Yellow Sugar House, it covered the blocks on the East Riverwaterfront from South 2nd Street to South 5th Street. Modern innovations were introduced in to refin- were also convicted. ery operations, such that sugar was refined with great efficiency. By 1876 Thomas Havemeyer was no longer involved in Havemeyers & Elder, and H.O. Havemeyer became the principal partner in charge of the mercantile business. In 1887 H.O. Havemeyer established the Sugar Refineries Company, known as theSugar Trust. The late 1870s and 1880s were a time of intense competition in sugar refining, in which the growth of the industry after the Civil War led to overproduction and slim profit margins. Large refineries, such as Havemeyers & Elder, were producing sugar so efficiently and at such great quantity that supply outstripped demand. Refineries were unable to operate at full capacity and many smaller, less efficient refineries failed. In the face of these harsh conditions, the sugar refiners sought to organize in order to control production and pricing. On October 27, 1887, after two years of negotiations, an agreement was reached to combine in to a “trust,” called the Sugar Refineries Company. By year end the Sugar Trust included 17 of the 23 refinery companies operating in the United States. A competition between the company's refineries followed to determine which were most efficient and would remain in

Havemeyer purchased 500 acres in Commack, Long Island, neighboring the racetrack of Carll S. Burr, who was engaged in breeding and training of trotting horses. Havemeyer was an avid hunter of ducks and other game birds. He owned a large stable of trotting horses and established a pheasant shooting preserve on land nearby H.O. Havemeyer died on December 4, 1907, at Merrivale Farm in Commack, Long Island, after a sudden illness. He was at Merrivale Farm with his son Horace for a Thanksgiving visit to shoot pheasant; his wife Louisine remained in New York City to be by her dying mother’s bedside. After Thanksgiving lunch, Havemeyer was stricken with acute indigestion. The local doctor was called, but could not help. His wife and daughter Electra arrived the next morning with three New York City doctors; however, Havemeyer was beyond help. He lived for five days before dying at 3 p.m. on December 4th. The cause of death is thought to be peritonitis, as a consequence of undetermined digestive failure, and subsequent kidney failure.

Historian’s Corner

Submitted by John Muller Church Historian ...Continued for March issue

The Harneds Q. What kind of farming did you do? A. We raised potatoes, cabbage, and corn. Back in those days you could make a living doing that. But when thin new breed of farmers came along growing potatoes, and using tractors they could farm all the land even if was hilly. That's why my brother Amos started the saw mill to make more money. My mother had chickens and three cows that we got milk from. When I went to high school I had a car. There were not too many kids that had a car in high school. The reason I had it was because l had to deliver the milk in the morning and afternoon. We did not have refrigeration in those days so you had to get rid of it quick, even when I was in high school I got up at 4:30 and my mother and I would milk the cows. Then we had a separator which removed the cream from the milk. After that I would deliver it, and do I me thing again in the afternoon. There were six people that I delivered to in town. One of the families lived in one of the apartments built in the old Stillwellite church. During the years when I was younger I worked up on Hoyt farm. They had a fruit farm. Hoyt was lawyer from the city who had a nervous breakdown. First he raised chickens. Then he had a saw mill which my brother bought and started the original one we had. Then he started the orchards, which was good at. He was very smart. He grew red and white apples on the same tree. He also grew peaches. I was a foreman and used to work there for at least three summers. I used to get three dollars a day seven days a week. That was a lot of money back then. Q. You saw Charles Lindbergh fly over Commack? A. That was right over Johnny Carll's where he had his airport. I was walking up the road with my bicycle to the Commack elementary school when I heard this noise. Before that my brother and his friends used to go down to the airport to look at the planes. Lindbergh was down there, and Chamberlain, as well as some others. They were all saying they were going to be the first to fly across the ocean with their planes. That morning l could recognize him as he went over. He was but five hundred feet over me I could read ''The Spirit of St. Louis'' right on the side of it. There was a Cutis plane following behind him with a news guy standing up turning a crank camera in the back seat. It was a misty foggy morning he could hardly get across the field with all the mud. He was running on all eight when I saw him, and he was flying low. Johnny Carll had an Avian and I would hold the wing for him as he went down the field. Then I would hold on real hard to make the plane turn. Sometimes he would take me with him, other times he wouldn't. Then he brought a Piper Cub which was good, and another one that he just let rot in the hanger. Q. Who offered Lindbergh the fox? A. That was Ralph Moreland. I was there but I didn't actually see it, they told me about it later. He had his hanger at the end of the field and you could go down there and look at the plane and talk to him. He said he didn't think the fox could swim if he had to land in the water.

CANDLELIGHT CELEBRATION The Commack UMW invites all to honor and remember our mothers, grandmothers and women who have been like a mother to us. We’ll be lighting candles on Mother’s Day just prior to the service and they will remain lit throughout the worship service as a wonderful symbol of the warmth and guidance these women bring / have brought to our lives. A dollar donation for each woman being honored is requested. Please complete this form with both the names of the individuals doing the honoring and the individual being honored or remembered. Drop it in the offering plate or at the church office by Sunday, May 4th.

Your Name: ________________________________ In Memory (M) In Honor (H) _______

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Your Name: ________________________________ In Memory (M) In Honor (H)

Woman's Name

Man’s Name

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The Commack UMW invites all to honor and remember our fathers, grandfathers and men who have been like a father to us. We’ll be lighting candles on Father’s Day just prior to the service and they will remain lit throughout the worship service as a wonderful symbol of the warmth and guidance these men bring / have brought to our lives. A dollar donation for each man being honored is requested. Please complete this form with both your name and the individuals being honored or remembered. Drop it in the offering plate or at the church office by Wed, June 8th.

FROM

THE KITCHEN...

Another corned beef and cabbage; “all you can eat” dinner has come to an end. Yea, it is over! Two weeks of shopping, hitting at least ten different stores buying enough food and stuff necessary for a dinner of 75, plus extras. However we ended up with 90+ paid dinners. Many new faces appeared. Up to Saturday evening we did not know who our servers would be or how many we would have. So, the style of delivery was changed to a buffet for the very first time. Mashed potatoes were replaced with whole roasted potatoes and all meat was sliced, 75 pounds of it prior to 6pm. Chafing dishes were set up in Fellowship Hall and with luck three members of the confirmation class volunteered to be servers. They did an excellent job, and later in clean up. Many people were involved from the peelers in the morning to the table setters and decorations of the Hall. Thanks Matilda for the great job in advertizing the dinner. The evening was a financial success as $1018 was netted as profit for the church’s general fund. ~Patti & Gery Spory

In March we made and delivered approx. 1200 sandwiches Every first Saturday of the month we gather and use approx. 100 pounds of peanut butter, 100 pounds of jelly and 110 loafs of bread. We still need volunteers for May - December Donations of sandwich bags, and paper plates would be greatly appreciated.

A GIANT THANK YOU to the Boy Scouts of Troop 125! Over 3,000 pounds of food went to local families, two food pantries, and a soup kitchen . With their generous donations they also stocked our peanut butter and jelly shelves and started our Easter Dinners off with canned goods. Thank you for all you do!!

The Bag Sale on March 7th & 8th went really well. Thank you to all that helped.

We sold 55 bags !!

go to ( http://commack-umc.org/YardSale.shtml ) for an application

The Fashion Show on Saturday March 22 , for the benefit of our Thrift Shop was a delightful success! An enthusiastic group applauded the models coming down the Runway to upbeat music, wearing selections from the great styles and outfits to be found at the Shop. Refreshments were served and a sampling of items available during regular shop hours were for sale at the close of the Show, as were the outfits worn by the models... A grand afternoon, thanks to all the many, many people who helped make it so, and to those who came and enjoyed it with us to benefit the Thrift Shop!! Pictures in the next Messenger!!

Advertise your business in “The Messenger” In order to help defray the cost of printing and mailing, we will be including an advertising page or pages each issue. You can place an ad in our newsletter that will encourage our members to patronage your business. All ads will be business card size. Annual cost :$85 One time ad :$20 if you would like to be in our next issue, please see Mary in the office to fill out a form and make payment. All submissions must be finalized by the 15th of previous month.

SMALL JOBS FOR SENIORS IS MY SPECIALTY QUALITY WORK REASONABLE RATES SPRING CLEAN UPS AND MORE CALL STEVEN (631) 732-4186

SCOUTIG FOR FOOD

Scouts from Troop 125 Collect 3,496 lbs. of Food! A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, courteous, kind, cheerful… Boy Scouts from Troop 125 were out in force on Sunday, March 2 participating in national call to service through the annual food drive, Scouting for Food. Canned and boxed goods were donated by community members, as the scouts requested donations shoppers at Commack’s King Kullen (Vets Hwy) and ShopRite (Crooked Hill Rd). An impressive 2,073 pounds were collected that day, which, in addition to other food collection efforts throughout the year, made for an annual total food collection of 3,496 pounds by the scouts. The food variety included staples such as soup, tuna, assorted canned vegetables and fruits, pasta, rice, olive oil, sauces and cereals. The peanut butter and jelly collected helped restock the shelves for the Commack United Methodist Church’s Peanut Butter and Jelly Gang, whose customary sandwich making takes place on the first Saturday of every month and is open to anyone who wishes to help the hungry in the community. Boy Scout Troop 125 meets every Tuesday from 7:30-9:00pm at the Commack United Methodist Church (486 Town Line Road, Commack) and is open to boys ages 11 through 18 residing in Commack, Dix Hills, East Northport, Kings Park, Smithtown and their surrounding communities. For membership information, contact Scoutmaster Bob Kowalski via email at [email protected] or visit the website at www.troop125ny.org.

Non Profit US Postage Paid Permit # 24 Commack, NY

Commack United Methodist Church 486 Town Line Road Commack, NY 11725

* If there is any change to this address please inform the church office ASAP

If you would like to be emailed the Messenger next month instead of receiving a paper copy; please call Mary in the office or email her at [email protected]

Wednesdays during the Lenten Season we will have a Reflection &Meditation time in the Sanctuary from 7-7:30 pm

Holiday Schedule  Ash Wednesday March 5th

12:00 pm 7:30 pm 9:00 am 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 9:00 am

Palm Sunday April 13th Holy Thursday April 17th Good Friday April 18th Easter Sunday* April 20th *Easter Sunrise Service @ Sunken Meadow 6:30 am