September 2, 2026
Dear Friend,
I am very glad to be back from my time away. It was a welcomed time for much rest and renewal, beginning with a camping trip to the outer Cape for nine nights followed by a week at the clergy cabin on Otter Lake in Greenfield, NH, another quick trip to the Cape to see a play, and another campout in Yarmouth, Maine after taking my youngest daughter to move into her dorm for her freshman year.
For the entire month, I did not seek out any news headlines, but the important news reached me, including the death of long-time editor of Yankee magazine, Jud Hale, and shortly thereafter the death of one of my favorite writers, Wendell Berry.
This morning I let the book Collected Poems, 1957-1982, fall open and the following poem is where my eyes landed. I share it with you today as another way to think about what we call “aging” and also to honor the inevitability of death as we also honor those whose lives have enriched our own.
Ripening by Wendell Berry
The longer we are together
the larger death grows around us.
How many we know by now
who are dead! We, who were young,
now count the cost of having been.
And yet as we know the dead
we grow familiar with the world.
We, who were young and loved each other
ignorantly, now come to know
each other in love, married
by what we have done, as much
as by what we intend. Our hair
turns white with our ripening
as though to fly away in some
coming wind, bearing the seed
of what we know. It was bitter to learn
that we come to death as we come
to love, bitter to face
the just and solving welcome
that death prepares. But that is bitter
only to the ignorant, who pray
it will not happen. Having come
the bitter way to better prayer, we have
the sweetness of ripening. How sweet
to know you by the signs of this world!
“…neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God …” -Romans 8: 38-39
Gift of Thrift Sale is coming up!
To sign up for helping, contact Teresa Imhoff at taimhoff@me.com or look for the sign-up poster in the Church Hall
SALE DATES FALL 2026
Friday, September 18th from 9AM – 5PM.
Saturday, September 19th from 9AM – 1PM.
Clean up crew Saturday – 12:30PM to 3PM.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR SETTING UP!
Saturday, Sept. 12th
9AM or so to move items from the sheds to the church basement. This takes a couple hours and you can get a jumpstart on sorting!
Mon/Tues/Wed: Sept. 14th, 15th, 16th
Sorting and folding in church basement: anytime between 9AM and 4PM.
PLEASE NOTE: Sometimes, we are done by Tuesday. If you sign up for Wednesday, please make sure to check your email or text that day…just in case we have a super short day. IF texting more convenient for you, make sure I have your cell number so I can update you. (MY number is below.)
**Day prior to sale: Thursday, Sept. 17th (We could use BIG CREW of helpers any time during the day!)
Volunteer Set-up (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.) – need at least 16 people in 2 or 3 shifts to allow some of us to go home.
Day of sale (1): Friday, Sept. 18th
Volunteer Set-up (8- 9 am**) – need at least 10 people
Sale volunteers (9 am-5 pm): need at least 10 people spread across the day (more in a.m.)
** FRIDAY ARRIVAL time may be earlier or later depending on the week and how organized we are.
Day of sale (2) Saturday, Sept. 19th
Volunteer Set-up (8:30 am)
Sale volunteers (9 am – 1 pm): need at least 5 people
Special Clean-up Crew (Would be so great to have a new crew for this task!)
12:45PM to 3PM. We could use a truck if you have one!!
PLEASE note clean up crew- arrive at 12:45 to get instructions
This Saturday is the celebration to commemorate the Portsmouth Peace Treaty. Dublin participates as we have the Cherry Tree that was given by the Japanese in front of the Schoolhouse. Lucy Shonk will be at the Church to ring the bell at 3:47 and then Phil Gammons will be reading the Proclamation in front of the Schoolhouse, just down the street from the church (beside the current school building).
All are invited to gather at the Schoolhouse for the reading.
(I have a wedding to officiate that afternoon; I will be there in spirit)
More about the Portsmouth Peace Treaty HERE.
Save the Date
Meatloaf Dinner
Tuesday September 22nd
Wondering if the world is falling apart? Not yet!
Check out all the great happenings we are sponsoring with other area congregations through Monadnock Interfaith Project HERE (Seriously, check it out!)
Please join me in prayer.
Holy Source of All Life, in all we face we rely on your presence within us, preceding before us, opening communications between us, and following in our wake. This I pray in Christ’s name. Amen
“Now this is the commandment—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it,these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” -Deuteronomy 6: 7-8
With you and for you,
Traceymay
603-715-0990
Traceymaykalvaitis@gmail.com
Our mailing address is:
Dublin Community Church and the Community Church of Harrisville and Chesham
295 Cobb Meadow Rd
Dublin, NH 03444-8217
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