Scarsdale Congregational Church

Phil Washburn introduced Lois Seulowitz with these words: As a part of our 75th anniversary celebration, on one Sunday every month for the entire year, we have been and will be hearing from various members who, out of their experience, can share with us their special perspective on our life as a congregation.

Today, for the month of September, Lois Seulowitz will share her observations with us. Lois is a former moderator, a former advisor to the SYF, has produced, directed and done just about everything else with and for Chancel Players. She is a leader in the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. Serves on the Board of directors of the Metro Association. And this is but a partial list of the multiplicity of ways she serves this church and the larger church. Lois, welcome.

I joined the church in 1968, recently widowed with two small children. I came to sing in the choir and I stayed because of the fellowship, the welcome I felt. Robert, age 8, said to me, "I like that church, they know my name."

My historical perspective is the church of the 70's and the 80's. The late 60's and 70's was a time of transition from the church of the fifties, when there were two services, two Sunday school sessions, and large congregations on Sunday. Remember? Those were what everyone called the "good old days";. It was a time of transition for all mainline churches. The Vietnam War and the struggles and tragedies of the 60's and 70's changed everything.

Rev. Avery Post was an activist in the areas of racism and peace, and his sermons were often followed by talk-back sessions for people to respond to the issues raised. I found it exciting and stimulating, and was moved by the fact that people could differ on the hard issues of our time and still be a church family. Oh, we lost a few members to the more conservative churches in the area, but mostly people stayed and struggled together.

Yes. the times, they were a-changin': Women were allowed to usher! Ladies' hats began to disappear! Inclusive language was discussed and John Schuder wrote a new Gloria Creatori. Kids wore jeans to church and at first there was a lot of grumbling about that, but the best arguments were heard as - "At least they're here!" There was a new concern about young people and drugs and teens were worried about the draft. The Senior Youth Fellowship really expanded its membership among kids in the wider community hitting one all-time high of 95 members. Guitars were ubiquitous and James Taylor's "You've Got a Friend" seemed to be the ultimate theme song of every meeting and Deer Hill retreat.

Some of the changes were painful. Church membership dropped, and there were some years of budget short falls. There were issues around leadership and personalities. At the same time there were courageous and creative ways of meeting these challenges. Congregational meetings were sometimes contentious, but always something "worked" and we would move on.

There was a time when we were without a minister at all for several months. That was an amazing time when everyone helped keep things moving and John Schuder really lived his title of Minister of Music, for he pulled the services together and the choir continued to provide the spiritual glue we needed. I was lucky enough to be moderator at that time! And I mean it! It was a unique learning experience for all of us, a time when one really was wrestling with what it means to be a church with a capital CH. What I think we experienced was a will not only to keep our community intact but also to keep its spirituality and outreach alive.

The economic shortfalls of the mid-seventies brought forth some creative responses to the need for money. One was the Chancel Choir's Music Series and another was the establishment of Chancel Players, a community theatre group whose objective included providing some addition to the operations budget. The SCC had a long history of theatrical enterprise back to the late 20's, but in the 70's Chancel Players was organized with real by-laws (Thank you, Bill Greenawalt) and plans for at least two major productions a year, plus chancel drama, plus workshops and other activities.

Thus began the era of R. David Kimble, the Producer extraordinaire who organized the first of many "Best of" shows with the "Best of Broadway", a dinner theater presentation consisting of several scenes and musical selections from broadway musical comedies produced by several directors and hordes of actors and production folks. We did more "Best of's", even "The Best of the Bible" featuring selections from Godspell, Jesus Christ SuperStar and Bernstein's "Mass". We produced many full length dramas, comedies and musicals, including Gilbert and Sullivan.

Of course my personal favorites were "The Fantastics", where I first met Judy Bromley who played the mute, a real acting challenge; "You Can't Take it With You", featuring the Nygreens as the Kirby's; "On Golden Pond", (Where I did the role of Thelma before Hepburn did); "The Wizard of Oz", with all those wonderful munchkins; and of course, the ill-fated, doubly celebrated, "Little Mary Sunshine". At the height of the Kimble era, another local minister, not a fan, was moved to call us the Scarsdale Recreational Church. We took it as a compliment. It was in 1978 I think, that we first produced Jane Sbarra's "Gloria", the Christmas Mediaeval mystery play, which we have produced several times since, and we have produced several memorable moments in the sanctuary such as "Daniel" by the wonderful Washburn/Sbarra team. Chancel Players folks assisted with the SYF productions, which had a long history as well, up until 1993 when the last SYF play was "My Sister Eileen"

But as we say. Times they are a-changin', and it has become hard to get folks to spend the number of hours it takes to produce a full-length plays. In the 90's Chancel Players has mounted many fewer productions.

Finally, on a personal note, I think our family is kind of a poster family for the United Church of Christ. As I said we joined the church in 1968. Robert age 7 and Laura, age 8 went on to Sunday school, JYF, Confirmation Class, Junior choir, SYF, and Senior choir.

We all participated in the Chancel Players productions, the picnics, and other fellowship events. The church became our extended family. When my mother moved here in 1979, she became part of this family, too. One of my fondest memories is Mom and Frances Dana and Betty Carret sitting and chatting on the back bench in Dyckman Hall at coffee hour. Laura fell in love with Tony Kimble when he played Snoopy in the SYF production of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown", and they were married at Deer Hill, the site of the SYF retreats. Robert was inspired by his life here to major in Religion at B.U. and earn a Masters of Divinity at Union Theological Seminary. He brings that back here in his Bagel Breakfast bible study.. I grew up here, too, finding most of my best friends in this fellowship. And there was Women Unlimited and being an advisor for 12 years to the SYF, and I even got to be moderator, and have moved on to be involved in the wider church, in the Metro Association.

And now, I'm one of the "Old Folks" who can be called upon to give the "Historical Moment" at a church service like this. Who would have thought it? Three decades of SCC! How lucky we were as a family to have such a long-term, stimulating, comforting, spiritually challenging and fun relationship with this remarkable community.

And it goes on!