Fifth Sunday of Lent

Our Mission: "We are an inclusive Open and Affirming faith community reaching out with love, compassion, and justice."

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Thursday, March 18, 2021

Patricia Little Will Be Our Guest Speaker

Sunday, March 21 ~ “Beauty, Wicca, and Christianity”

We welcome guest speaker, Patricia Little, to our virtual pulpit this Sunday. Patty is a fairly new member of our congregation and a professor of sociology at CSUSB. Patty will share her spiritual journey which includes both Christian and Wiccan faith traditions and how these two traditions bring meaning to the Spring Equinox.

Sunday's Scripture

Ecclesiastes 3: 1 – 22

Worship for Sunday, March 21, 2021

Prelude: Skye Boat Song/Loch Tay Boat Song (medley) ..........S.....Sondra Hodson ...........................................................................................................and Dee Hodson

Welcome and Call to Worship:______________.._______.............Sondra Hodson

Opening Hymn: #86 When Morning Gilds the Skies ................Led by Keith Osajima ....................................................................................................& Sara Schoonmaker

Opening Prayer:__........_________________________________._Sondra Hodson

Children's Circle: _____...____.............._____________.Rev. Dr. Jill Kirchner-Rose

Community Joys and Concerns: _______________................... Dr. Kirchner-Rose

Special Music: Scotland the Brave................................... Larry Martinez, Bagpipe & .........................................................................................Val McGlasson, Snare Drum

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3: 1 – 22_______......................._____.._..._Sondra Hodson

Message: “Beauty, Wicca, and Christianity”_....................________...__Patricia Little

Offertory: O Flowers of Scotland by R.C. Irvine ................Val McGlasson, Flute and ..........................................................................................-......Sophia Ohanian, Piano

Prayer of Dedication: _________________________...................._Sondra Hodson

Closing Hymn: #451 Be Now My Vision................................... Led by Keith Osajima ....................................................................................................& Sara Schoonmaker

Time of Reflection: Will Ye Nae Come Back Again ................................Dee Hodson ......................................................................................................and Sondra Hodson

Concerns:

Prayers for Maegan Hill who is experiencing back pain.
Prayers for Caroline, mother of Karin Blad, who has been diagnosed with colon cancer.
Prayers for Bob, cousin of Sue Wallace, who is transitioning from this life to the next.
Prayers for Mariane, mother of Kathie Blakley, who is on hospice.
Prayers for Patricia, sister of Michael Flores, who fell at a construction site and injured herself.
Prayers for Beth Welsh as she appeals the suspension of her driver’s license due to an epileptic seizure.
Prayers for Evan, son of Meagan Hill, who badly sprained his ankle.
Prayers for Evan, son of Margaret Paul, who is facing life challenges.
Inez Diggs requests prayers for her friend, Penni Pierce, who suffers from Pulmonary Fibrosis, and needs a double lung transplant to help her breathing capacity.
Prayers for Rosemary Whitmer who is facing health challenges.
Prayers for Keith, cousin of Maegan Hill, who is blinded by a blood clot.
Prayers for Lorna, mother of Erin Beardemphl, who shattered her kneecap.
Prayers for Claudine, grandmother of Paul and Dante Welsh.
Prayers for Charlie Seek challenged by diabetes related foot issues.
Prayers for Greg Farrell, brother of Karen Walsh, who is undergoing radiation treatment for cancer.
Prayers for Gloria Ebert who is facing heart challenges
Judith Turian requests prayers for Jill Bressler as she undergoes treatment for lung cancer and for Judith's close friend Terri, who is unable to travel to be with Jill because of COVID.
Ongoing prayers for parents, teachers, students navigating online school.
Prayers for Dick Ault, who is awaiting knee replacement surgery.

Ongoing Concerns:

Gretchen and Aaron Andrews

Carla Becerril

Les Budai

Diane Campbell

Diane, Sister-in-Law of Heather King

Carol Chaney

Precia Gwenhwyfer Courtney-Hveen

Cousin of Rick Cruz

Norma Erickson

Betty Gayle

Ronan Godfrey

Jerry Greenfield

Emma Grimauld

Katia Hage

Beki Hill

Jody Hoelle

Harriet Holt, Beki Hill's mother

Mark Alan Johnson, friend of Nancy Hotaling

Kim Johnson, friend of Gretchen Andrews

Jenny, Sister of Jules Rattray

Emily Jones

Hank Kirchner

Amber McGuigan

Bill McIntyre

Amy McQulillian, friend of Gretchen Andrews

Larry Minor

Sarah Montez

Mary Mortensen

Maria Montana

Carmen & Jim Neafsey

Kristin Farmer Preslica

Steve, Brother of Julie Phillip

Nancy Rojas

Adolph Romero

Joan Roth

Spencer, friend of Stacey Greene

Doris Stockton, Kathi Roth's Grandmother

Heather Tee

Arika Torres

Vasquez Family

Helga Vroom

Lent at RUCC

Lenten Series 2021—Continues Wednesday, March 24

Please join us for our online Lenten Series discussion Wednesday March 24: 6:45 Fellowship Time, 7:00 Discussion. We have been discussing a series of short films titled “Grateful” by Diana Butler Bass—and this week’s selection is titled “Gratitude and Abundance.”

If you’ve missed the previous weeks, no problem! Jump right in anytime!

Use this link to join the conversation on Wednesday March 24:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83189260341

Meeting ID: 831 8926 0341

One tap mobile

+16699009128

Follow this link for more information about the film series:

https://www.theworkofthepeople.com/film_series/grateful

Other Services

Palm Sunday - March 28- details to be announced
Maundy Thursday - April 1 Maundy Thursday Tenebrae Service at 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday - Ecumenical Good Friday service at 7:00 p.m.

OUTDOOR EASTER SERVICE APRIL 4

RUCC will hold its first in-person, outdoor worship service (since the Pandemic) on Easter Sunday, April 4^th at 9 a.m. It truly will be a day of resurrection and new life! If you are interested in attending, you must RSVP by March 28^th to [email protected] or leave a voice message on the church’s phone system at (909) 793-3520. Please let us know how many people will be in your party. Space is limited. All CDC and other relevant guidelines will be followed. Masks and six feet physical distance are required. Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed!

Our virtual service YouTube will still take place at 10:30 a.m. on Easter Sunday.
The in-person service will be canceled if it rains.
Future outdoor services are pending.

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Nan Root is co-chair of the Worship Area

Introducing the 2021-2022 Board - Nanilee Root

Unlike many members of the Board, I’m a local girl, having been born here and raised in the Crafton home built by my great-grandparents. However, I lived in the LA/ Pasadena area for over forty years working in accounting, retiring 18 years ago. I returned to Crafton/Greenspot 9 years ago after living in Big Bear for 9 years.

I’ve been a member of RUCC for about 7 years and first became active with the adult Sunday School class, now called Seekers, then Wider Ministries and the Racial Justice group. I currently serve as co-leader of the Worship Committee and am co-leader of the Breyer/Root Shepherd Group and also facilitate the Seekers Group.

Reflection of the week from the Racial Justice Team

In Emory University law professor Dorothy Brown’s upcoming book, “The Whiteness of Wealth: How the Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans—and How We Can Fix It,” Brown explains that generations of lawmakers have optimized the system for White people, with the result that Black people pay more than White people with the same incomes. The median White family has a net worth eight times the typical Black family’s wealth, the same size gap as in 1983, despite higher incomes, educational gains, and extraordinary progress by individual Black people, including to the highest office in the land.

- From Bloomberg Businessweek: “A Tax Code Optimized for White Wealth Leaves Black Americans Behind" https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-03-10/america-s-tax-code-leaves-black-people-behind-dorothy-brown

From the Environmental Justice Team

“We have learned that mother trees recognize and talk with their kin, shaping future generations. In addition, injured trees pass their legacies on to their neighbors, affecting gene regulation, defense chemistry, and resilience in the forest community.”

“There are more life forms in a handful of forest soil than there are people on the planet.”

― Peter Wohlleben, The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from A Secret World

Online Coloring Party - Friday, March 19

Calling all RUCC Kids! You are cordially invited to join the Youth Group for an online coloring party on Friday March 19 at 4:00 p.m.

If you are helping out with our Alleluiah Butterfly coloring project, you could use this time to work on your pages. Or, use the time to work on some other coloring and art projects you have on hand! Art projects are more fun with friends!

Join us this Friday March 19 4PM-5.

Contact [email protected] for Zoom link.

Next Physical Card Order Extended to March 21

Physical Gift Card Order by March 21 – for various reasons, the March order date for physical gift cards had to be extended one week. Get your orders in (either through the website at www.shopwithscrip.com or through the RaiseRight app) by midnight, March 21 and we will arrange to get the cards to you by Wed/Thurs of next week.

eGift Cards – Remember that you can buy eGift cards, available to you immediately, to use for online or in-person shopping or to send as a gift. Every time you buy, RUCC gets a small rebate.

Please contact Jennifer at [email protected] if you need help placing an order or want to learn more about the program.

Annual Eggstravaganza on Saturday April 3

Kids and Youth are invited to attend this year’s Eggstravaganza event on Saturday, April 3 10AM-11:30 on the church patio. We will have games, cookie decorating, and an egg hunt!

Please RSVP to [email protected] to ensure that we have enough supplies on hand.

Please bring your own Easter Basket. Also—masks must be worn at all times and we will adhere to Social Disancing protocols.

We look forward to having you join us!

Celebration of Life for Jay Grayson on April 10 at Noon

We will hold a Celebration of Life Service for Jay Grayson, our beloved caretaker, on Saturday, April 10^th at noon on the patio. If you would like to attend this service, please RSVP to our Office Administrator, Nancy Sheets at [email protected] or call the church office at (909) 793-3520. All attendees are required to wear a mask.

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

March 18 - Prayer Polygon
March 24 - Lenten series continues
March 28 - Palm Sunday
March 31- Lenten series concludes
April 1 - Maundy Thursday Tenebrae Service at 7:00 p.m.
April 2 - Ecumenical Good Friday service at 7:00 p.m.
April 3 - Sacred Saturday

.........................Annual Easter Eggstravaganza

April 4 - Easter Sunday
April 10 - Celebration of Life for Jay Grayson. RSVP at [email protected] or call the church office at (909) 793-3520
April 11 - Book Club will discuss The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd. Facilitator will be Kathie Blakley.
August 20-22 - Silent Retreat at Serra Retreat Center. Contact Pastor Jill if you are interested in attending.