Community UCC eNews
Aug. 13, 2020
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Community UCC is an inclusive and progressive Christian Church doing social justice, environmental faithfulness, interfaith collaboration and spiritual formation to help ourselves and others grow in faith, hope and love.
The Church and Office will remain closed for now.
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Sunday Worship — Zoom and Facebook Live
On Sunday, Aug. 16, Pastor Julia Penner-Zook will deliver a sermon titled “There's Nothing New Under The Sun” based on Genesis 45:1-15.
See below for details of how we will "do church" for now.
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Instructions for Zoom worship
For upcoming worship services, we are doing Zoom videoconferencing meetings, so we can see each other's faces even as we are apart.
Links to the Zoom worships go out each Wednesday in a separate email just to church members. Look for "Zoom links" in that email subject line.
We will continue to provide Facebook Live on Sundays at 10:35 a.m. Doors "open" around 10:15-10:20 for a few minutes of fellowship before worship begins.
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Community UCC will NOT reopen church, office for now
Despite our sense of loss and longing, we will keep our church building doors closed at this time out of an abundance of caution and concern for the health and well-being of members of our congregation and our staff. Read more about this decision on our website.
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When Words Fail
By Pastor Julia Penner-Zook
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Words fail!
Not a case of lacking words,
but rather an abundance,
causing them to spill out in
a tangled mess of
discombobulated syllables,
a searing retort,
an agonizing plea,
a reactionary defense,
a string of confessions
revealing anxiety so deep
that all that reaches the surface are
run-on sentences and fear-laced expletives.
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What if words you didn’t know you had
find your voice
unbidden? What if they taunt in the night,
scorch at mid-day,
pound in menacing staccato
when you pray for peace,
exhausted
at dusk?
What if the words you seek,
promising relief,
justice,
liberty
are imprisoned
inside of
you?
Choked.
Silent.
Tortured.
Anguished.
May they find
fertile soil there
and germinate
to rise transformed
when spring
returns.
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"A Space for Reflection" will contain quotes and poetry to contemplate and reflect upon as you move through your week. Take a moment to read the quote or poem, allow the words to wash over you. Then, see what word(s) spoke to you, what thought(s) came up for you and then you might journal those thoughts or just sit with them for a while.
"Imagine what our real neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered, as a matter of course, just one kind word to another person.
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Adult Education
We are changing the day for Adult Education via Zoom. It is moving from 10 a.m. Mondays to 9 a.m. Sundays for the foreseeable future. Marilyn will send Zoom links.
Here is the new schedule:
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Let's Face It: These Masks Are Cool
Want a creative way to stay safe and help advertise our church?
Get your eye-catching CUCC face masks here! Each mask is $10, with three options from which to choose...or get one of each.
Masks are lightweight, double-lined, and have adjustable, elastic bands that fit comfortably over the ears. Order forms were mailed this week to church families, but you also can order our masks by going to: https://tinyurl.com/cuccfacemaskorderform
There are a limited number of masks so first come, first served. If you'd like to sponsor a face mask for someone else, please indicate the name of the person on your order form and include the price in your payment.
You also can donate masks to Poverello House as part of the Missions and Social Justice Team's outreach to underserved folks. Indicate Poverello House on your order form.
The church will mail out all masks in mid-September. Since we must wear masks, let's make a positive statement for our church at the same time!
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Last Sunday, Pastor Julia Penner-Zook delivered a sermon titled “Alone and in the Dark” based on Matthew 14:22-33.
She writes: "We’re comfortable with light, sound, and action. Not so comfortable when we‘re alone in the dark. This holds true for adults as well as kids.
“Since we find ourselves in a global pandemic, a reality that requires physical distancing, we are now confronted with darkness and aloneness simultaneously. While we did not ask for this situation and are doing all we can to prevent and alleviate suffering, this time presents an opportunity to learn new spiritual practices." Click here to watch her sermon.
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Office hours for Pastor Julia
Office hours for our Pastor, Julia Penner-Zook, are Tuesday afternoons. If you'd like to chat with Julia by phone, please email her at j.penner.zook@gmail.com to schedule a time. She would love to hear from you.
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You can help ensure a fair election this November |
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The Missions and Social Justice Team recently discussed concerns about voter suppression and the failure of the U.S. Senate to restore the Voting Rights Act.
The team agreed to publicize ways that citizens can take action on these important matters.
The Poor People’s Campaign – A National Call for Moral Revival is acting to pressure the Senate to pass a new Voting Rights Act. Information is available at poorpeoplescampaign.org.
Regarding voter suppression, many people fear voting by mail will be jeopardized by recent slow downs at the U.S. Postal Service. Concerns about this can be directed to:
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• U.S. Postal Service
Office of Consumer Advocate
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW Room 4131
Washington D.C. 20260-5601
Phone: 202-268-2000
email: XSDHM0@usps.gov
• U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General
Toll free hotline: 1-888-877-7644
Email: hotline@uspsoig.gov
Fax: 1-866-756-6741
Mail: 1735 N. Lynn St., Arlington, VA 22209-2020
Online: https://www.uspsoig.gov/hotline
• U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors, Michael Elston, Secretary of the Board
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW
Washington DC 20260-1000
Please share this information with others.
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In each week's eNews, we include a news article from our larger denomination, the United Church of Christ, to show the faithful work being done in other places.
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Watching each other practice their sermons via the internet, seminary students are learning new things about their posture and physical gestures – and what’s hanging on the wall behind them.
A course in biblical studies is focusing on what happens in scripture when people are displaced from spaces of worship and community.
Student ministers are visiting parishioners and patients online – and being reminded of old-fashioned pastoral care methods, too.Continue reading at UCC.com.
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Happy Birthday to all who are celebrating this month!
August Birthdays
9 – Helmut Kloos and John Moseley
11 – Landry Reynolds
12 – Devon Wright
16 – Ron Perry
17 – Samantha Earl
19 – Linda Baird
20 – Tess Hayden
22 – Sally Hoagland
24 – DayJu Ramirez
25 – Arville Earl
29 – Sally Garcia
August Anniversaries
14 – Sue and Spence Hipp
26 – Eileen and Sib White
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Upcoming Church Events
- We will resume listing in-person events after things get back to normal. For now, events have either been cancelled, will be rescheduled or will be held virtually.
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eNews deadline is 10 a.m. Wednesdays
CUCC eNews is a weekly publication distributed every Thursday. Deadline for submitting announcements is 10 a.m. Wednesdays (and earlier is appreciated). Please send your announcements to Marilyn at office@communityucc.com. Lisa Boyles Bell (lisamboyles12@gmail.com, 559.244.9502) is the volunteer communications liaison for our church. Lisa and Doug Hoagland (doughoagland@att.net) alternate working on eNews. Send your announcements to both of them for newsletters from June to August.
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We've updated our Joyful Giving page to reflect the many ways members can help support our Church's missions and operations, especially needed in these critical and uncertain times.
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The Church and Office will remain closed for the time being, due to COVID-19.
Phone: 559.435.2690
Email: office@communityucc.com
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