A message from our pastor and teacher

Sunday, September 15, 2024 ~~ 17th Sunday after Pentecost and Just Peace Sunday ~~ "A Just Peace Among Nations"

This Sunday, across the United Church of Christ, is "Just Peace Sunday" which celebrates the commitment of our denomination to non-violence, social justice, and peace building, and its opposition to the institution of war. This is the Sunday prior to the United Nation's "International Day of Peace" and falls neatly into our "Blessed Are the Peacemakers" worship series! My sermon is part two of this worship series: last week we explored the difference between positive and negative peace, and the need for justice to be established alongside peace. This week we will explore the movement for international peace, and the movement from an ethic of "just war theory" to "just peace theory." Our scripture will be the ancient vision of Isaiah where we beat our swords into plowshares, and nations no longer study war. 

Sunday's Scriptures

Youth Scripture: Matthew 26: 51 - 52

Scripture: Isaiah 2: 1 - 5

Caring for Kin - Yucaipa Animal Placement Society

In the month of September, we will be collecting for Yucaipa Animal Placement Society (YAPS). Their most needed items include towels and blankets (used but clean OK), bleach, dish soap, canned/dry food for dogs or cats, and toys.

Social justice film - next Thursday, September 19

Youth v Gov will be shown on September 19, 6:30 p.m. in Covenant Hall. This documentary is the story of twenty-one young Americans who filed a constitutional climate lawsuit against the federal government - Juliana v U.S. Their complaint asserts that, through the government's actions that cause climate change, it has violated the youngest generation's constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property, as well as failed to protect essential public trust resources. The film is 1 hr. 50 minutes long and is sponsored by the social justice shepherd group.

Wider Ministries meets to make donations Sunday, September 15 - Be part of the action!

Wider Ministries' next meeting to consider donations to community groups will be Sunday, September 15 at noon in the Founders' Room. All RUCC members are encouraged to nominate a worthwhile organization to be considered.

Please use the donation form HERE to share information about the organization you are nominating for funding from RUCC. Then, plan to attend the meeting on the 15th to partticipate in the discussion and voting.

Racial Justice reflection of the week

Johnston County was recently home to a historic hearing in the case of case of Hasson Bacote, a Black man who has spent 15 years on North Carolina’s death row. We now await the judge’s decision on whether Mr. Bacote will be removed from death row and resentenced to life in prison due to overwhelming evidence that racism affected his sentence — and all of North Carolina’s 136 death sentences.

Dr. Gettys Cohen, Jr, who serves as president of the Johnston County Branch of the NAACP observes; "after living and practicing as a dentist in Smithfield for more than 50 years, as well as receiving countless reports from members of my community, I can testify that racism stifles virtually every aspect of life in Johnston County, whether social, economic or political."

From the Environmental Justice Team

“Yet empirically, modern energy efficiency is, and shows every sign of durably remaining, an expanding-quantity, declining-cost resource. Its adoption is constrained by major but correctable market failures and increasingly motivated by positive externalities. Most importantly, in both newbuild and retrofit applications, its quantity is severalfold larger and its cost lower than most in the energy and climate communities realize. The efficiency resource far exceeds the sum of savings by individual technologies because artfully choosing, combining, sequencing, and timing fewer and simpler technologies can save more energy at lower cost than deploying more and fancier but dis-integrated and randomly timed technologies.”

Source: Amory Lovins, “How Big is the Energy Efficiency Resource?” Environmental Research Letters, vol. 13, no. 9, 2018: https://rmi.org/insight/how-big-is-the-energy-efficiency-resource/

Equal Exchange has new teas and other wonderful fair trade and organic products

In addition to a wide variety of delicious coffees, the Equal Exchange corner in the hallway between the sanctuary and Covenant Hall has added two new teas -- Tumeric Ginger and Green Tea Ginger.You know it will eventually get cooler, and a nice cuppa will be just what you are craving.

Equal Exchange also has some wonderful chocolate bars in unique flavors. You won't want to miss out on these very special treats. All Equal Exchange products are fairly traded and organic.

Children and youth activities this month

Youth Group Overnight to Brea Church – September 21 - 22

We have received a gracious invitation from Brea Congregational Church of Christ to join their Youth overnight Fall celebration! All RUCC Youth in grades 7 and up are welcome to join us. We are currently working out the transportation details.

The event runs from Saturday September 21 5:00 p.m. until Sunday September 22 at 11:30 a.m. (we are also invited to join them in their worship on Sunday morning.)

For more information, contact joe@redlandsucc.org or admorics@redlandsucc.org.

RUCC Kids and Family Nature Hike Saturday September 28 -- 9:00 a.m. to 11:a.m.

Join us at the Oak Glen Preserve for a fun morning celebrating nature.

We’ll meet in the parking lot at 9:00a.m. If you can, bring a snack to share—but if not come anyway, there will be plenty to share!

Youth Group Meeting Sunday,

September 29 at noon

The RUCC Youth Group will gather in the Youth Room at noon on Sunday September 29. This will be our first chance to begin discussing this year’s Christmas pageant! Other important Fall activities will be discussed as well.

RUCC Youth Group is open to all kids in grades 6 and older. Please join us!

Book Group will meet Sunday, October 6

The next RUCC Book Group selection is The Splendid and the Vile by Eric Larson. The group’s presenter will be Judith Ashton. The group will meet on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, at noon, in the Founders Room.

"In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson shows, in cinematic detail, how Churchill taught the British people 'the art of being fearless.' It is a story of political brinkmanship, but it’s also an intimate domestic drama, set against the backdrop of Churchill’s prime-ministerial country home, Chequers; his wartime retreat, Ditchley, where he and his entourage go when the moon is brightest and the bombing threat is highest; and of course 10 Downing Street in London…

“The Splendid and the Vile takes readers out of today’s political dysfunction and back to a time of true leadership, when, in the face of unrelenting horror, Churchill’s eloquence, courage, and perseverance bound a country, and a family, together.”(Amazon Review)

Upcoming Book Group selections:

Nov. 3, 2024 Selection: The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

Presenter: Diana Sommer / tie in with Heather King’s grant study

Dec. 1, 2024 Selection: An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the US by Roxanne Dunbar- Ortiz      Presenter: Nan Root  

Hymn Sing on September 22

After worship, at 12 p.m., we willh ave a hymn sing in the sanctuary. Sophia and David will be there to lead us in hymns by request. Rev. Joe is planning on requesting his favorite hymn, “The Canticle of the Turning” and we hope you will ask for yours, too! This is an opportunity to sing, learn what hymns are loved by others, and maybe even learn a new hymn or two.