Community UCC eNews
Aug. 20, 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. 23, Robin Carlson will deliver a sermon titled “The Helpers” based on Exodus 1:8-2:10; Psalms 124; and Matthew 16:13-20.
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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Destigmatizing Different
by Pastor Julia Penner-Zook
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It’s turning out to be one of those weeks: indications of rolling blackouts, the highest temperatures of the season; the beginning of another school year for thousands of students and educators. Every one of these brings challenges in normal times, but it’s far from normal right now! Things are different.
But what are we communicating when using the word, different? It’s come to have a semi-negative twist, but who defines normal? Who determines what’s different as opposed to normal?
If you’re on Facebook you may have read Amy Kilburn’s recent post about returning for a new school year—this time on Zoom—for her 20th year as an instructor. She outlines how she has chosen to view this time of different circumstances, making the point that different doesn’t need to have negative overtones. Quite the contrary, she redefines this time as offering the opportunity for transformation.
I appreciate this tweak in perspective immensely. While the fatiguing elements of this pandemic wear on, choosing to look for transforming elements is vital.
We can do this by paying close attention to our attitudes, words, and automatic responses. If different causes us to bristle, why not take a step or two back to determine what’s behind this response? What makes us so attached to what is familiar? We may feel limited in what we can do to help bring about a change of events (please continue to wear masks and maintain significant physical distances), but we can resolve to adjust our perspectives.
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We, the church, will continue to look at a variety of different ways to carry out our mandate in our place in history, in the space entrusted to us.
We still have a commitment to care for each other and those around us, to live and speak the Gospel of Christ, to align ourselves with the radical lifestyle of Jesus. How will we do this more effectively?
This is an open invitation to grow into our unique differences, experiencing transformation as a result!
Are you ready?
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Photo Credit: Stacey L. Rhoades (used by permission) |
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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 last 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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"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.
How you begin your morning can set the tone for the entire day. May these words from the late Pulitzer Prize-winning poet help you find the beauty in simple things and connect you to the importance of kindness:
“Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields… Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness.”
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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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Next two books selected for Women's Book Discussion Group
If you have never attended before and are interested in participating, contact Robin at faithgrowth@communityucc.com. For the first session, p lease read the Intro through "The Feminine Wound." Thanks to Lynn Samuelian for this book suggestion!
From Goodreads: "Sue Monk was a 'conventionally religious, churchgoing woman, a traditional wife and mother' with a thriving career as a Christian writer until she began to question her role as a woman in her culture, her family, and her church.
"From a jarring encounter with sexism in a suburban drugstore to monastery retreats and rituals in the caves of Crete, Kidd takes readers through the fear, anger, healing, and transformation of her awakening. Retaining a meaningful connection "with the deep song of Christianity," she opens the door for traditional Christian women to discover a spirituality that speaks directly to them and provides inspiring wisdom for all who struggle to embrace their full humanity."
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Last Sunday, Pastor Julia Penner-Zook delivered a sermon titled “There's Nothing New Under the Sun” based on Genesis 45:1-15.
She writes: "Where do you find joy these days? Or is that impossible? This morning we looked at a family who likely had more drama in their lives than yours and my families put together! But something remarkable happened to suggest that what’s happened to you isn’t necessarily an indication of what’s to come! You can become a creator and curator of joy!” 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. Please Note: Julia will be on vacation from Aug. 21-30.
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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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Energizing online discussion outlines role of the church in the democratic process
A spirited dialogue about voting rights, the erosion of the democratic process, and the importance of the census fueled an informative United Church of Christ webinar earlier this month. The conversation aimed to discern how people of faith can ensure that the votes of all Americans are counted in this year’s election process.
Principles in the discussion on Zoom, moderated by Associate General Minister the Rev. Traci Blackmon – Stacey Abrams, attorney, author, entrepreneur, former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives and founder of Fair Fight, and the Rev. Leah Daughtry, spiritual leader, presiding prelate of The House of the Lord Churches, Washington, D.C., and former C.E.O. of the Democratic National Convention. 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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A chance to win prizes and support Break the Barriers |
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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