Building a vibrant community of faith
with all of God’s creation
We invite you to join us!
Worship services are every Sunday at 9:30 a.m., with social time (coffee and yummy snacks) afterwards.
You can always attend via Zoom. To get on the email list for the Zoom link, bulletin, and copies of hymns, email Pastor Eliot Fay.
November Message: Serenity Prayer
by Paster Eliot Fay
I’ve always appreciated the simplicity and wisdom of Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer,
which may be familiar to most of us as the prayer used in most 12 step programs. This
month, I share with you an interpretation and expansion I found a few years ago and enjoyed
a great deal...similar wisdom with a dash of extra humor.
Interpreted Serenity Prayer by Fr. James Martin
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the people I cannot change,
which is pretty much everyone,
since I’m clearly not you, God.
At least not the last time I checked.
And while you’re at it, God,
please give me the courage
to change what I need to change about myself,
which is frankly a lot, since, once again,
I’m not you, which means I’m not perfect.
It’s better for me to focus on changing myself
than to worry about changing other people,
who, as you’ll no doubt remember me saying,
I can’t change anyway.
Finally, give me the wisdom to just shut up
whenever I think that I’m clearly smarter
than everyone else in the room,
that no one knows what they’re talking about except me,
or that I alone have all the answers.
Basically, God,
grant me the wisdom
to remember that I’m
not you.
Amen
Welcome!
A church at the center
The Nelson Congregational Church is in the heart of the village of Nelson, New Hampshire. We are dedicated to serving the Nelson community and many families and individuals from surrounding towns. The church is part of the United Church of Christ.
A community of welcome and inclusion
We are a loving and welcoming community of faith comprised of people from a wide variety of spiritual backgrounds and beliefs. Our diversity of spiritual perspectives – and the wisdom it brings – is a river of strength running through our community.
We invite you to join us as we gather weekly for worship and more often for fellowship. We all can learn from each other and grow in love, understanding, and compassion.
A passion for community outreach and care
The members and friends of the Nelson Congregational Church are committed to caring for each other and our neighbors. Our outreach extends far beyond our village, with powerful support for others working to achieve a world of love, justice, peace, and sustainability.