3/27/2013 5:00:00 PM Rev. Dr. Harold "Hal" Williams Tucker Jr. June 24, 1936 - March 26, 2013 Rev. Dr. Harold "Hal" Williams Tucker Jr., 76, of Wiscasset, died March 26 at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick surrounded by his family. He was born in Millville, N.J. on June 24, 1936, a son of Harold W. Sr. and Katherine (Buck) Tucker. Hal moved at a young age to Taunton, Mass. where he attended grammar school and graduated from Providence Country Day School in 1954. He graduated from Bowdoin College with his Bachelor's Degree in 1958. He went on to Bangor Theological Seminary, graduating in 1961 with his Master's Degree, and then received his Doctoral Degree from the Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Ind. He served churches of the Phippsburg Parish while at Bowdoin College and pastored at Durham Friends Meeting while at the Bangor Seminary. He was ordained into Christian Ministry of the U.C.C. at Elijah Kellogg Church in Harpswell in 1961 while serving that church. He went on to serve U.C.C. churches in Florida and Indiana. In 1985 he returned to Maine, serving United Churches of Christ in Wiscasset, Waldoboro, Winslow and The Sheepscott Community Church. Hal was an avid sports fan and especially enjoyed Indy racing, all professional and college sports especially professional golf and the Bowdoin College Polar Bear Football Team. He was predeceased by one granddaughter, Chelsea T. Hodous. He is survived by his wife, Bettina Smith Tucker of Wiscasset; sons, Harold W. Tucker III and wife Sylvia Farrin of Topsham and Todd M. Tucker and wife Kristine L. of Seattle, Wash.; daughters, Tracy H. Buck and husband Mark of Indianapolis, Ind. and Kimberly T. Hodous and husband Robert G. of Fayetteville, Ark.; brother, Nelson James Tucker and wife Susan of Deland, Fla.; sister, Katherine V. Tucker of York; stepsons, Christopher D. Reed of Portland and Matthew S. Reed of Boston, Mass.; grandchildren, Erin M. Buck, Amy L. Haneline and husband Chad, all of Indianapolis, Ind., Lindsay T. Hodous, Alexandra T. Hodous, Robert T. Hodous and Jordan T. Giacalone, all of Fayetteville, Ark., and Lucia L.Y. Tucker and Willa M. M. Tucker, both of Seattle, Wash.; first wife, Hermia Morse Tucker of Topsham; and many nieces and nephews. Celebration of life 11 a.m., Sat., March 30 at the First Congregational Church of Wiscasset, U.C.C. A gathering of family and friends will follow at the church fellowship hall. Burial will be at Chamberlain Cemetery in Bristol at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Sheepscott Community Church, 8 The King's Highway, Newcastle, ME 04553.

Christmas Eve

The Christmas Eve service at Sheepscott Community Church this year will be at 5:00 p.m. It seems appropriate since Christmas Eve comes on a Saturday to have an earlier service. I will include our children and families can get together in their homes following the service. The service will feature special music by Harpist Suki Flanagan and the choir. The children of the Sunday School will put on a Living Nativity and the worship will close with a service of candle lighting. Come and bring a friend as we again celebrate the birth of the Christ Child. The regular Sunday morning worship will be at 10:00 a.m. on Christmas Day. There will be no Sunday School but a special Children's Time will be included in the service.

50 Years of Ministry

TUCKER TALK
This coming Sunday, June 12, I will celebrate the 50th anniversary of my ordination into the Christian ministry. I recently read the following which seems appropriate as I reach this milestone in my life.
A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it mde no sense to go to church every Sunday, "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in all that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting their time."

This started a real controversyin the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher.

"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife hs cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would by physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today."

I hope you will join me this Sunday for another one of 3000 sermons.

See you in church
Pastor Hal Tucker

Tucker Talk

Lent is a journey that we take with Jesus and his disciples as they head towards Jerusalem and a cross. We remember the words Jesus spoke to his closest friends, that if they are to be his disciples they must "take up a cross and follow him." I have always loved the story told about the famous Passion Play at Oberammergau in Germany. One day a man and his wife, tourists, had gone backstage to meet the famous Mr. Anton Lang, the man who played the part of Jesus Christ. The man took a picture of Mr. Lang with his camera and as he did he noticed the great cross Mr. Lang had carried in the play. He handed his camera to his wife and said, "Here, dear, when I life the cross to my shoulder, you snap my picture. Before Mr. Lang could say anything, the tourist had stooped down to lift the cross to his shoulder, but he couldn't budge it one inch off the floor. The cross was made of very heavy iron oak beams. The man turned to Anton Lang and said, "Why, I thought it would be light. I thought the cross was hollow. Why do you carry a cross that is so terribly heavy." Mr. Lang replied softly, "Sir, if I didn't feel the weight of his cross, I could not play his part." Life is full of crosses we are all called to bear and they can be terribly heavy. We can carry them with faith in the Christ who gives us the strength to face whatever life gives us. Jesus said, "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." We invite all of you to join us in the special services of Holy Week at Sheepscott Community Church. Thursday evening, April 21, we will share in a service of Holy Communion at 7:00 p.m. as we remember Jesus Last Supper with his disciples. Good Friday we will share in an ecumenical service at 6:00p.m. at the Damariscotta Baptist Church. Easter morning we will join in a Sunrise Service at 7:00 a.m. at the Hill Church, followed by Breakfast at the Valley Church at 8:00 a.m. and an Easter Egg Hunt at 9:45. We hope many will join us for our Easter Worship at 10:00 a.m. at the Valley Church. See you in church, Pastor Hal

Tucker Talk

The Shepherd Psalm

The first Sunday of each month at Sheepscott Community Church we observe the sacrament of Holy Communion. This past Sunday among the lectionary readings for the day was Psalm 23, the Shepherd Psalm. Since the days of the early primitive church it has been a custom in many congregatins to say the 23rd Pslam during the communion service. At the conclusion of my message yesterday I told the following story I read a few years ago. During the height of World War II worshippers had gathered in one of the great cathedrals outside of London, England. As was their custom, before receiving Communion, the congregation said the 23rd Psalm together. As they repeated the words of the Psalm bombs hit the church. The congregation didn't miss a beat, but said the Psalm through to its conclusion. Turning around after saying the words, "I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever," they saw that the back part of their sanctuary had been destroyed. Their House of the Lord was in ruins. But, the altar had not been touched and not one person had been injured and they continued on to share the Lord's Supper. They felt God's love in the midst of violence and they committed themselves to live by that love in their war torn world. May we find God's love in the midst of our own difficulties. See you in church Pastor Hal Tucker