First Congregational Church of Pittsfield

My favorite sport is football. I love playing the game and I enjoy watching it on television, particularly the NFL games. As we enter a new year I am always sorry to see the regular season end but excited about the upcoming play-offs especially when my favorite team is in them. More than other sports, to be a winning team in football requires teamwork. That is not to say that teamwork is not necessary in other sports but no one player in football, no matter how good they are at their position, can win a game by themselves. As opposed to basketball where a player like a Michael Jordan or a LeBron James or a Kobe Bryant can actually carry a team to victory, the game of football needs the effort of every player.

Usually the teams that make it to the play-offs are the ones where the players have come to know each other well, who use their special talents and who give their best effort for the team. Teamwork requires a teammate to lift another up when they’re down, to hold one another accountable to reach their maximum potential and to maintain a selfless mentality for the good of the team. When the offense is struggling, the defense picks up the slack and vice versa. Yes there are players like Devin Hester and Brian Urlacher and Julius Peppers who are pro bowl players and can change the direction of the game, but they’ll admit their dependence on one another. I think I just gave away the name of my favorite team. There are also players who think more of themselves than they should and play for personal glory and recognition. They whine when they don’t get the ball or throw tantrums on the sidelines when a teammate makes a mistake or they make obscene gestures at the fans when they get booed.

Whether or not you enjoy the game of football, it reminds me of a very important element in life. As a family or a church or a community or a nation, teamwork makes a difference for good. Using our God-given gifts, giving our best effort and playing for the good of the team is what matters. We can’t be victorious alone. When one of us is down the others need to pick up the slack.

In his letter to the church in Rome, the apostle Paul said these words, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.”

In this New Year it is my hope and prayer that we will discover and use our gifts for the glory and good of God and the building of his kingdom here on earth.

May God bless you with a happy New Year and may God grant you all of your needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus.

I love being your pastor. 

Inspirational New Year Quotes

“The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective.” G.K. Chesterton

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.” Edith Lovejoy Pierce

“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” Bill Vaughan

If you are interested in hosting the fellowship hour for an upcoming Sunday you may add your name to the schedule posted by the kitchen door.

If you cannot be a host, would you please consider baking or buying food items that others can share?

Thank you so much!