All are welcome to join us for worship on Sundays, either in person at 79 Clinton Street, Concord, NH, or online. Click here for more information.
“Celebrating African American Spirituals - Music of Faith and Hope Forged in the Rupture of Crucifixion and Death”
(Click on the picture at the right for a larger version)
On March 30 at 1:00 PM in the Sanctuary of First Congregational/Wesley United Methodist Church, 79 Clinton St. in Concord, The First Church Racial Justice Steering Committee and Jazz Sanctuary will present, ‘Celebrating African American Spirituals - Music of Faith and Hope Forged in the Rupture of Crucifixion and Death.” First Congregational Church, UCC, has been on a multi-media journey regarding faith and race since the beginning of January, and this concert is the culmination of that journey which will end on Easter Sunday.
March 30, the day before Easter, is known as “Holy Saturday” in many Christian traditions. Standing between Good Friday (when Jesus was crucified) and Easter (when he rose from the dead), Holy Saturday is a day when Jesus’ followers began to realize the full weight of his violent death at the hands of the Roman Empire. Locating the Concert on this day is a deliberate way of locating the spirituals as “acts” of faith, hope, and joy in the space of violence and death.
The concert will consist of ten original jazz arrangements of Spirituals composed by Rev. Dr. Bob Maccini and performed by vocalists Renee Rouse, Pastor of Northwood Congregational Church, and Emilia Halstead, Pastor of First Church, with the seven-piece Prodigals Jazz Ensemble. There will also be brief presentations by a member of the Racial Justice Steering Committee and by art historian Inez McDermott, also a member of the Committee. In addition, visual art by African American artists will run continuously on video screens in the sanctuary.
(Click on the picture at the right for a larger version)
On March 30 at 1:00 PM in the Sanctuary of First Congregational/Wesley United Methodist Church, 79 Clinton St. in Concord, The First Church Racial Justice Steering Committee and Jazz Sanctuary will present, ‘Celebrating African American Spirituals - Music of Faith and Hope Forged in the Rupture of Crucifixion and Death.” First Congregational Church, UCC, has been on a multi-media journey regarding faith and race since the beginning of January, and this concert is the culmination of that journey which will end on Easter Sunday.
March 30, the day before Easter, is known as “Holy Saturday” in many Christian traditions. Standing between Good Friday (when Jesus was crucified) and Easter (when he rose from the dead), Holy Saturday is a day when Jesus’ followers began to realize the full weight of his violent death at the hands of the Roman Empire. Locating the Concert on this day is a deliberate way of locating the spirituals as “acts” of faith, hope, and joy in the space of violence and death.
The concert will consist of ten original jazz arrangements of Spirituals composed by Rev. Dr. Bob Maccini and performed by vocalists Renee Rouse, Pastor of Northwood Congregational Church, and Emilia Halstead, Pastor of First Church, with the seven-piece Prodigals Jazz Ensemble. There will also be brief presentations by a member of the Racial Justice Steering Committee and by art historian Inez McDermott, also a member of the Committee. In addition, visual art by African American artists will run continuously on video screens in the sanctuary.
We are an Elder-Rich congregation that welcomes seekers and believers of all ages!
|
Our Pastor's Welcome
|
|
Welcome to First Congregational Church, UCC in Concord!
We are a welcoming and open congregation living Jesus' call to serve God by serving others. We come together from all walks of life to offer our thanksgiving and praise to God who provides for all our blessings. We also gather to wrestle, like Jacob with the angel, with our doubts and fears. We humbly acknowledge that we don't have all the answers and that we aren’t perfect people. In all things we strive to be a people reflecting God's love for everyone in all that we do. Worship is a time to pause and reflect. We invite God into the quiet time to get in touch with the calm places, the still, deep places and connect with the Spirit. Worship invites us to focus on feeling, on being. You are invited to join us so that you also may fill your reservoir of inner peace, strength, and love. We invite you to visit us in order to feel the spirit of community in this place. At First Church we believe that faith is a verb, an action word, something that we do rather than something that we have. Faith is "trust in God" in action. Social Justice and Outreach are sacred priorities for our church family and define how we follow Jesus Christ in the world today. Thank you for visiting our website. We hope that you will find these pages informative and welcoming as you learn more about us. Because of who you are and where you are on life's journey, you are welcome at First Church! Blessings, Pastor Emilia |
Are you seeking worship?
Are you seeking to deepen your faith?
Need a Break from "Busy and Stress?"Then we invite you to click here - and be refreshed.
|
We are located at:
79 Clinton Street, Concord, NH 03301
79 Clinton Street, Concord, NH 03301
~ Directions ~
From Interstate 89 North and South: Take exit 2 onto Clinton Street. Head East (Down the hill) and the church will be on your right (We're located within Wesley United Methodist Church).
~ Parking ~
There is ample parking behind the church. Turn from Clinton Street onto Norwich Street to access the parking lot.
From Interstate 89 North and South: Take exit 2 onto Clinton Street. Head East (Down the hill) and the church will be on your right (We're located within Wesley United Methodist Church).
~ Parking ~
There is ample parking behind the church. Turn from Clinton Street onto Norwich Street to access the parking lot.