Go Tell It On The Mountain
Monthly Newsletter
Skyland Community Church, United Church of Christ
Minister: Rev. Kevin Omi
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Sunday Worship Service 10:30 a.m.
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January Church Calendar
February 3
10:30 a.m. Epiphany
Communion Worship Service
Third meetings of two Sunday reVision groups
February 5
3:00-4:30 pm Third meeting of Tuesday reVision group
February 10
10:30 a.m. Worship Service
Trustees Meeting after Service
Deacons Meeting after Service
February 17
10:30 a.m. Worship Service
Potluck after Service
Fourth meetings of two Sunday reVision groups
Februuary 19
3:00-4:30 pm Fourth meeting of Tuesday reVision group
February 24
10:30 a.m. Worship Service
Church Council Meeting after Service
Regularly Scheduled Events in Whitaker Hall
Mondays: Alcoholics Anonymous 8:00 p.m.
Tuesdays: QiGong 8:30-9:45 a.m.
Thursdays: Yoga 7:00 p.m.
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Message from Reverend Kevin Omi
Open Our Eyes, Oh God
Rev. Kevin Omi
Dear friends:
In January we launched our reVision 90-Day Journey. Initially the focus was on coming together in small groups and adopting our Group Covenant and Safe Space Guidelines. Participants got to know each other at a deeper level, as we prayed as a
whole church
for God’s guidance. As we move into February, our reVision focus slowly begins to shift more outward toward the community, with participants embarking on prayer walks and prayer drives in our community.
Clara H. Scott was the first woman to publish a book of hymns. She wrote a hymn in 1895 containing these words that apply to our reVision process:
“Open my eyes that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.”
We pray that God
open our eyes
, to see and experience our community with new eyes; eyes that discern both wholeness
and
brokenness, blessings
and
challenges; fulfillment
and
emptiness in the lives of God’s people around us. We ask God to share
glimpses of truths
, both those immediately visible and those that are hidden, about the needs of people we encounter. Who do we see? Who do we not see? To which neighbors is God calling us to serve?
How
?
We ask God to free us to love more widely and deeply. What do we need to let go of, in terms of self-identity or unconscious privilege, to truly understand folks in our community? We ask God to
set us free
from a worldview defined by friends and family – and “people like us,” to truly encounter everyone God places in our paths?
e.e. cummings concludes his poem, “I thank you God for this amazing day,” with these words:
“(now the ears of my ears awake
and now the eyes of my eyes are opened)”
May it be so for us as we pray for discernment, with blessings and empathy. Holy God, let us remember
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
(Psalm 119:105, KJV)
May God powerfully bless everyone in our church who is praying into the lives of our community. May we pray with love, inspired by the Holy Spirit that sends us out. Amen.
Love and blessings,
Rev. Kevin Omi
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The schedule is as follows: Two groups are meeting on Sundays from 12:00 - 1:30 pm. and a third group meets on Tuesdays from 3:00 - 4:30 pm.
This is a time of new beginnings, for our church, community and the world. May Jesus be born in our hearts yet again, bringing hope, peace, joy, and love. Amen.
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LITANY THROUGHOUT THE INTERIM PERIOD
For God’s holy presence amidst change, we pray.
For comfort because loss is part of change, we pray.
For Christ-like steadfastness during the challenges of transition and seasons of faith, we pray.
For reassurance through frailty and failings, we pray.
For the abundant creativity the Spirit provides, we pray.
For our loved ones in this community of faith, we pray.
For God’s children beyond this community, we pray.
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Church Council News
++++++++++++++++++++++
The Skyland Community Church Annual Meeting was held on Sunday, January 27. Reports from Boards and Committees were presented and a slate of new officers and members of boards and committees were elected. In addition, temporary changes to allow for smaller governing bodies and fewer meetings during the coming year of discernment and change were extended until January 2020.
Congratulations to our Co-Moderators, Jackie Seymour and Anne Evans, and all others, new and continuing!
We will return to monthly reports from the Church Council in February. Meanwhile, the Annual Reports and the election results are posted on
Skyland Community Church Website under "Newsletters and More." Because of widespread internet issues, it will be on the list of Annual Reports by February 3 (we hope).
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Flowers for the Altar
Several Sundays during February and March are open for floral gifts. Please sign up on the calendar in Whitaker Hall. You can check the calendar in the links at the end of this newsletter.
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MEDITATION MOMENT
The Moor
by R.S. Thomas
It was like church to me.
I entered it on soft foot,
Breath help like a cap in the hand.
It was quiet.
What God was there made himself felt,
Not listened to, in clean colours
That brought a moistening to the eye,
In movement of the wind over grass.
There were no prayers said. But stillness
Of the heart's passions--that was praise
Enough; and the mind's cession
Of its kingdom. I walked on,
Simple and poor, while the air crumbled
And broke on me generously as bread.
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Missions Board Spotlight
WE ARE THE WORLD:
THE MISSION BOARD NEEDS YOUR HELP
During the month of January Skyland Church members who have personal connections with students have shared their stories about the students that we have supported in the past. We provide tuition, food, books and supplies to help young men and women get an education that will allow them to improve their lives.
Many thanks to our church members who helped us get to know the students during Mission Moments during the last three weeks: Carolyn and Cliff Barney (Guatamala), Glenda Mc Call (Fiji) and Joan Law (India). We will be sharing a letter from Baobob House in Tanzania.
So far we have collected $1,945 to support the education for student scholarships around the world. In order to support all four countries,
we have $500 more to collect.
Our U.S. dollars go a long way in other countries to make a big difference in shaping the lives of young people who will make their countries (and our world) a better place. Thanks to all members for your generosity over all these years (and even decades!)
LOCAL AID:
Our local mission work for February will include collecting warm winter items that will be distributed to our local community. Please bring clean and lightly used: sleeping bags, coats, jackets, scarves, hats and gloves for MHCAN
(http://www.mhcan.org/)
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Food Pantry Requests
We can use a few of the following items:
Peanut butter
Crackers other than saltines
One dish meals
We have plenty of the following and do not need more at this time:
Canned beans of any kind
Snack bars of any kind
Spam
Chili
Soup
Pasta and sauce
Thank you so much for your donations!
Blessings,
Julie Victorine
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NOTE From Your Treasurer
More Pledge catch-up on last Sunday of December, not received before previous Newsletter article, results in pledges only behind what we anticipated by $-950.
Due to reduced expenses our June-January 8 month operating net is +$25,101 which is $7,112 more than planned.
Mission Board fund for foreign student education support has received $1,945. An additional $497 is required to support the anticipated need.
A $3,000 gift for fire relief was received and sent to NCNC-UCC to help with their Northern California Fire Relief efforts.
We are able to accept credit card payments for pledge, general and special offerings if that is more convenient than check or cash. See either Jan or myself after service for these transactions.
Respectfully submitted,
Gerald Alonzo, Treasurer
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Skyland Community Church, United Church of Christ
25100 Skyland Road, Los Gatos, CA 95033
phone: 408-353-1310
USPS mail: Skyland Church
P.O. Box 245
Los Gatos, CA 95031-0245
Website
http://skylandchurch.com
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