About the Artist
Monique Allain is an artist, educator and researcher, born in Sao Paulo, Brazil to French/ Mexican parents. She moved to New York in 2018 and settled in North Salem NY in 2020. Pastor Tim officiated at her wedding to Sandy Nager this past June.
She has a Master’s degree in Visual Arts, Bachelor of Arts, and Bachelor in Physical & Biological Sciences. Her work investigates the relations between body, space, time and otherness.
She has donated our new Reredos Cross titled:
Plus Expanded- 2000
“The Unconscious Series “consists of the transportation to the physical world of imaginary figures brought by dreams, which invade my mind. These figures, full of nervous vibrations, are momentarily stabilized when transported to the real and concrete world in the form of two dimensional sculptures…
Metal, the material chosen for the construction of this piece, offers malleability, resistance, conductivity and transformation. Iron sheets are cut into small fragments, which in turn are connected with pieces of metal bar and solder, in order to compose different flat structures, light and agile shapes. They are like cells that together constitute a particular organism. The small fragments are micro mutant units, which pulsate, diversify and multiply, composing the Cosmos.”
Monique Allain
Iconography of the Croton Falls Community Church
Plus Expanded fits wonderfully into the existing iconographical forms of the Sanctuary. Both the Soaring Cross, above the Altar, and the Processional Cross have an open center symbolizing the need for each of us to fill in the faith journey with our own lives. The center of our Crosses are empty. While many churches have a Crucifix with the body of Christ on it, we have empty crosses. This does not negate the sacrificial nature of Jesus but focuses on the Risen Christ. (We do have a Processional Crucifix which we use using Lent.)
Plus Expanded has an open center, which, in this case, is created with numerous pieces of metal of various sizes. The cross form is created by these individual metal pieces which can be seen as a diversity of people coming together as an expression of faith. Plus Expanded reminds me of the hymn: “We are many parts, we are all one body, and the gifts we have, we are given to share. May the Spirit of love make us one indeed; one the love that we share, one our hope in despair, one the cross that we bear.”
Joining in our symbolism is the Crown of Thorns above our altar. This is fashioned as a memorial to the fallen World Trade Center Towers victims and was dedicated at the first anniversary of the attacks in 2002. The crown consists of triplets of square tubing reminding us of the fallen pieces of the towers. Brewster Iron Works following designs that I created fabricated both the Crown and the Soaring Cross.
Our final architectural iconographical form is our reredos patterned after Eero Saarinen’s MIT Chapel. This features metal plates suspended on cable which reflect and refract light. Each of the metal plates are inscribed with the names of loved ones both living and past. These plates literally rise to the peak of our sanctuary symbolizing upward movement. The faux stained glass behind symbolizes the descending blessings from above.
We are grateful for this wonderful addition to our church and the creative and generous spirit of Monique.
Pastor Timothy Wagner
Plus expanded, 2000, Edition 2:2, Oxidized iron wall sculpture, 43.3”x 43.3”.
Order of Service
Ringing of the Founder’s Bell
Call To Worship “Mah Tovu” - “We Praise You”
Pastor: Mah tovu, Mah tovu ohalecha, Yaakov
Misk’notecha Yisrael.
(How good are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling Israel)
Choir: We praise you, We praise you for the blessings of the morning restoring us to do your will.
Congregation: We praise you, We praise you, As we gather now to worship fill our hearts with thoughts of you.
Hebrew lyrics and music Danny Maseng
English lyrics T. Wagner
Opening Hymn “Praise to the Lord”
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,
the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy
health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
Now to His temple draw near;
Sing now in glad adoration!
Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper
thy work and defend thee,
Who from the heavens the streams of
His mercy doth send thee.
Ponder anew
What the Almighty can do,
Who with His love doth befriend thee.
Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that
is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come
now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen
Sound from His people again;
Gladly for aye we adore Him.
Sentences
Deacon: Colorful Creator, you delighted in creating.
People: The beauty and depth of our world is amazing.
Deacon: You give each of us a gift at our birth,
People: to create a beautiful tapestry of life.
Opening Prayer (In Unison)
Colorful Creator, God of mystery, thank you for the artist teaching us to see glimpses of the meaning of the commonplace, vision of the holy in each human face. Author of our journey, God of near and far, praise for tale and drama telling who we are, stripping to the essence struggles of our day, times of change and conflict when we whose our way. God of truth and beauty, poet of the Word, may we be creators by the Spirit stirred, open to your presence in our joy and strife, vessels of the holy coursing through our life. Ruth Duck- New Hope Publishing
The Kyrie (Response)
Kyrie Eleison on our world and on our way Kyrie Eleison everyday.
Announcements
Dedication of Plus Expanded
As we celebrate the gifts of beauty and creativity we dedicate this sculpture to be an inspiration for people to discover a deeper meaning of purpose and direction in their individual lives. May each person discover for themselves the journey that leads them to a fuller understanding of the Eternal One.
Song of Dedication “We are Many Parts”
We are many parts, We are all one body
And the gifts we have, We are given to share
May the spirit of love, make us one indeed
One, the love that we share,One, our hope in despair
One, the cross that we bear.
God of all, we look to You
We would be Your servants true
Let us be Your love for all the world
(chorus)
So my pain is pain for you
In your joy is my joy too;
All is brought together in the Lord.
(chorus)
All you seekers great and small
Seek the greatest gift of all
If you love, then you will know the Lord
(chorus)
Offering
Praise Song “God is Good” See Screen for Words
Lighting our Candles of Hope and Praise
Let us light these lights and see the way to you and let us say: Amen.
Reading from Scripture Genesis 1:1-5 2:1-6
Debby Caruso & Scott Annicelli
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
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This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. 5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth[a] and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams[b] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed a man[c] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Contemporary Choir Anthem
The Sermon “Creation- Source of Life and Creativity”
Pastor Timothy Wagner
Closing Prayers – The Lord’s Prayer
Benediction (Response)
May you walk with Christ besides you,
‘Saints and angels share your way
May the Holy Spirit guide you
To the dawn of endless day.
‘Light to bless your eyes, Light to lead you
Light of Christ to shine and on your journey speed you.
Closing Song “Day By Day” Godspel
Day by Day, Day by Day
O, dear Lord, three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly
Day by Day
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A reception follows at the Garth in front of the Parsonage.
A big THANK YOU goes out to Barb Cacciapaglia, Jerry Salvati,
Allen Stupplebeen, Barb Miller, Billy Bowen and Pastor Tim for the major clean-up project cleaning the church, grounds and garage.
Harvest Home Celebration is November 13th at 5pm
Rabbi Jonathan Blake is our guest speaker.
Our Inspired Giving Campaign continues- Phase One is completed with the Parsonage painting. Phase Two is raising the funding for the front step renovation. Please consider helping making this project possible.
