Our Mission: "We are an inclusive Open and Affirming faith community reaching out with love, compassion, and justice."
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Board Revises COVID Protocols to Align with New CDC Guidelines |
Dear Church Family,
The Board approved an update of our RUCC COVID policy to align it with new CDC guidelines. The updated policy will take effect Sunday, March 13, 2022.
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Below is a description of our updated policy:
As of February 25, 2022 CDC guidance has been adjusted to look at hospitalizations in addition to cases, which has resulted in fewer situations where masks are required.
We still ask that people stay home if they are feeling ill, joining worship services and other activities virtually.
When together people are encouraged to wear masks if they feel safer doing so.
As I write this, San Bernardino County falls in the Medium Risk tier. If you have questions, please talk with our Board member-at-large Larry Rose or any of our Board members.
I am, as always, grateful for our church family's love and care for one another.
Mary Fung
President
We will continue to follow CDC guidelines as they change – for now this is what the guidelines mean for our church activities:
If in High (Orange) Risk Tier
- Masks are required for indoor activities for all people regardless of vaccination status.
- Communion celebrated outdoors
- Masks are not required for outdoor activities
- Worship leaders, singers, and instrumentalists may remove their masks if they are adequately vaccinated and have a negative COVID test within the last 72 hours
If in Medium (Yellow) Risk Tier
- Masks are not required for adequately vaccinated individuals
- Communion celebrated indoors with individual elements
If in Low (Green) Risk Tier
- No masks are required, regardless of vaccination status
- Communion may be celebrated with shared elements
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A Message from Our Pastor and Teacher |
Communion and First Sunday of Lent ~ “Good Enough: Ordinary Lives Can Be Holy.”
We find ourselves hungry for many things that we believe will bring us satisfaction. The devil lays a bet that Jesus will jump at the chance for glory, fame, and the quick fix. Who wouldn’t? But Jesus keeps up the pithy one-liners long enough that the Tempster just has to slink away. What are the temptations that catch your ear, singing out promises that your life should be more special than it is? What if ordinary life is already holy–as is?
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Sunday's Scripture
Luke 4: 1-13
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March 6 ~ Communion and First Sunday of Lent |
Prelude: Just As I Am arr. by James Michael Stevens............. Sophia Ohanian
Welcome, Announcements & Celebrations:......Rev. Dr. Jill A. Kirchner-Rose
Threshold Moment:....................................Dr. Kirchner-Rose, Covenant Choir
Opening Hymn: Open my Eyes
Opening Prayer:......................................................................Erin Beardemphl.
Childrens' Circle:................................................Dr. Kirchner-Rose & Jim Tong
Joys and Concerns:............................................................. Dr. Kirchner-Rose
Silent and Pastoral Prayer:...................................................Dr. Kirchner-Rose
Special Music:.When Jesus Walked the Wilderness Lloyd Larson. ....................................................................................................Covenant Choir
Scripture: Luke 4: 1-13..................................................
Message: Good Enough: Ordinary Lives Can Be Holy...........Dr. Kirchner-Rose
Offertory: What Wondrous Love Is This arr. by Michael Mauldin.....Sophia Ohanian
Doxology:.................................................................................,Sophia Ohanian
Prayer of Dedication...............................................................Erin Beardemphl.
Invitation to the Communion Table.....................................Dr. Kirchner-Rose
Closing Hymn: Let There Be Peace On Earth
Benediction: ..........................................................................Dr. Kirchner-Rose
Time of Reflection: Sicilienne by Gabriel Faure
On March 6, we will share together Holy Communion in our online interactive worship. Before the time of the service, you will want to prepare some bread - a slice, a small loaf, a tortilla, a rice cake - a wheat product is not necessary. Let it be something you alone, or your with others in your household, may break and share. Prepare a cup or cups of juice or your choice of wine-with or without alcohol.
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Joys:
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Welcome to Sharon Graff who officially joined RUCC as a member at the February 27th worship service.
Concerns:
- John Michael Rudik is recovering at home from pneumonia.
- Prayers for the family of Maggie, mother of Beth Welsh, who passed from life to Life.
- Prayers for the mother of Dawne Simmons who is revering from surgery on her vocal cords.
- We continue to hold in our prayers the people of Ukraine.
- Prayers for Karen Walsh whose brother, Greg, passed from life to Life..
- Prayers for Dick Ault who broke his femur and is at Redlands Health Center.
- Rosemary Tuohy requests prayers for her neighbor, Lorenzo and his family. Lorenzo’s house burned down this past week.
- Prayers for Inez Diggs who grieves the loss of her dear friend, Ann
- Sue Hammond requests prayers for her sister-in-law, Linda, who will begin her bone marrow transplant for multiple myeloma cancer.
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Prayers for Cid Breyer who fell and broke her femur in several places. She would welcome calls and cards! You may send cards to her home.
- Jennifer Brainerd requests prayers for her father, Gary, who is in the hospital with extreme confusion and agitation. Cause unknown.
- Kenneth Lee requests prayers for his mother, Melinda, who has had complications following surgery.
- Debra Van Engelen and Mark Janz request prayers for grandson, Johnathan, who is in the army stationed in Germany during this time of Russian build-up outside Ukraine.
- Prayers for Maegan Hill who faces challenges with MS.
- Prayers for Cynthia McGuigan who faces complications with her chemotherapy treatments. Cynthia and medical staff are determining next steps.
- Jolene Barrow requests prayers for her mother, Karen Barrow, who has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and is in significant pain.
- Rosemary Tuohy requests prayers for her friend Holly, who is recovering from surgery.
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Prayers for Eleanor Kemp who broke her hip and is recuperating at Mission Commons.
- Cid Breyer requests prayers for her sister in law, Karen, who is going through chemo and radiation for blood / bone cancer.
- Prayers for Carole Beswick who is recovering from partial knee replacement surgery.
- Prayers for Marcia Taack who is recovering from knee replacement surgery and has been diagnosed with cellulitis.
- Prayers for Glenda Bates, friend of Gretchen Andrews, who has been diagnosed with operable pancreatic cancer
- Prayers for Carole Wesson who is currently in the Health Facility at Plymouth Village.
- Prayers for Bob Sheets who is recovering from eye surgery.
- Prayers for Eber, brother of Lara Urrutia, who is undergoing tests for a mass in his neck.
- Prayers for Lisa, friend of Beth Welsh, who is recovering from emergency surgery.
- Johanna Ballard requests healing prayers for her dear friend, Lana.
- Prayers for Burt, family member of Johanna Ballard, who is facing severe health challenges.
- Eliza Ames requests prayers for her brother Coyne who is hospitalized and is very ill.
- Beth Welsh requests prayers for her brother, Michael, who is recovering from surgery following a work accident.
Ongoing Concerns:
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Joe Adcock, family member of Mary Mortensen
Anden, nephew of Michelle McNevin
Jerry Andrews
Jeff Bonadiman
Les Budai
Burt, family member of Johanna Ballard
Diane Campbell
Diane, Sister-in-Law of Heather King
Dave, brother of Johanna Ballard
Carol Chaney
Caroline, mother of Karen Blad
Claudine, grandmother of Paul & Dantae Welsh
Precia Gwenhwyfer Courtney-Hveen
Cousin of Rick Cruz
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Norma Erickson
Michael Flores
Betty Gayle
Emma Grimauld
Katia Hage
Beki Hill
Jody Hoelle
Harriet Holt, Beki Hill's mother
Mark Alan Johnson, friend of Nancy Hotaling
Susi Jacobsen
Kim Johnson, friend of Gretchen Andrews
Jenny, Sister of Jules Rattray
Emily Jones
Hank Kirchner
Amber McGuigan
Sara Montez
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Bill McIntyre
Maria Montano
Carmen & Jim Neafsey
Ryan and Evan Paul
Rick Peetz, Sr.
Kristin Farmer Preslica
Nancy Rojas
Adolph Romero
Joan Roth
Spencer, friend of Stacey Greene
Miguel Sewer
Doris Stockton, Kathi Roth's Grandmother
Heather Tee
Arika Torres
Rosemary Tuohy
Vasquez Family
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Special note regarding the Prayer List: Please review the list for any prayer requests you made that are outdated or that may be removed. Please notify both [email protected] and [email protected] of any changes that are needed. Thank you. |
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Your House Plants Are Invited to Come to Church! |
House plants of all sizes, but especially small and medium ones, are needed to take part in our Lenten worship series "Good Enough." Plants are welcome starting this Sunday, March 6, and will be needed throughout Lent. If you have an abundance of plants to loan us, please consider rotating them in and out between now and Easter.
As with the angels who visited us during Advent, please label your plants inconspicusly and also include watering instructions. We have a few clear plastic saucers for those that are not "potty trained," but if you have your own saucers, please bring them! We want to keep the sanctuary clean and dry!
For this Sunday, please have your plants at Chruch by 10 a.m.
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Reflection of the Week from the Racial Justice Team |
This is the psychological balm of racial caste in America: If you’re Black and couldn’t overcome every obstacle to pull yourself up, it’s because you’re lazy and did not want to work hard. If you’re Black and you manage to be successful, it’s because of Affirmative Action and you didn’t earn it. Your failures and your successes are all blamed on the same thing: Your Blackness. The house wins either way. That’s why we have to stop allowing others to validate us. I started working at age 11 with a paper route. Started detasseling corn the summer of my 13th year. Started working two jobs in college and worked two jobs until I was 30 years old. Worked my way up from a tiny bi-weekly newspaper to the New York Times. It took me 13 years to get here. People can disagree with my work, people can disagree with me. But the need to pretend Black success was given and not earned in a society where Black people are underrepresented in every measure of well-being, in every well-paying white-collar job, speaks to racial caste. It speaks to a deep insecurity in a society that folks know is not fair but need to pretend otherwise to validate their own success, it speaks to a deep insecurity of what would ever happen if Black Americans and other marginalized groups ever had a shot at an equal playing field.
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From the Environmental Justice Team |
Accelerate Neighborhood Climate Action (ANCA)
From the ANCA Facebook page: “Accelerate Neighborhood Climate Action (ANCA) in Redlands is designed to create shared, place-based climate action on a block-by-block, neighborhood-by-neighborhood level. Our passion is providing the support and resources to equip neighborhood residents with the tools to take action and be a force for good. Together we can move Redlands closer to a sustainable future.”
ANCA is sponsoring “Redlands Climate Action Series,” a series of five talks addressing climate change. The series will begin Thursday, March 3, 2022 with an event entitled “Facing the Impacts of Climate Change in Redlands: Threat and Opportunity.” This event will take place at the Redlands Community Center, 111 W. Lugonia Ave., Redlands from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. (assuming the Community Center is open to the public at that time). You may register for this talk at https://tinyurl.com/ancaimpact .
Four more talks will take place in March (March 8, 17, 22, and 31) looking at our water supply, preparation for increasing heat, ways to decrease carbon footprints, and climate change and food shortages. For more information, including registration information, go to the ANCA in Redlands Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/anca.redlands/ .
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The season of Lent brings us face to face with the struggles Jesus encountered. As we journey through this time, we also reflect on our own, and the world's struggles today. Sacred Saturday is a time for individual contemplation in community - a time to allow for reflection and renewal.
You are encouraged to join in this week for Sacred Saturday, March 5th from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. We will gather in person on the church patio if weather permits, and if not, we will begin in Covenant Hall.
Looking forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions, please contact Georgia Sforza or Barbie Fiske-Phillips.
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Book Group Meets this Sunday, and Announces Schedule through July 10 |
The RUCC Book Group will meet in person this coming Sunday, March 6, after church at noon. They will discuss the book Have You See Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Deborah Rada will lead this discussion. The meeting will be outside, near the Founders’ Room, unless the weather is bad.
“Hyde has crafted a spellbinding coming-of-age story deepened by the satisfaction of belonging, the vibrancy of community, and the power of connection…” Booklist
Upcoming Books and meetings:
April 3, 2022: Half of A Yellow Sun by Chimanda Ngozi Adichi
Presenter: Claudia Tolar
May 1, 2022: The Firebrand and the First Lady by Patricia Bell-Scott
Presenter: Rosemary Tuohy
June 5, 2022: Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker
Presenter: Mark Leggett
July 10, 2022: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Presenter: Judy Ashton
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LENT EVENTS
at Redlands United Church of Christ
Mid Week Lenten Study Begins March 9
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Our first Lenten Series meeting will be held online on Wednesday, March 9, at 6:00 p.m. Join us next Wednesday, March 6, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. as we begin our Lenten Series on "The Mystics" with Howard Thurman.
- Thurman was born and raised in Daytona, Florida, by his grandmother. He was an educator, theologian, spiritual leader, and an influential figure in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, inspiring the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., Jess Jackson, and John Lewis.
- Thurman's approach to non-violence was inspired by the time he spent with Gandhi and he considered the first order of social change was changing one's individual internal spirit.
- Thurman may not be the most well-known civil rights leader or mystic. But, his impact on those wishing to lead a more contemplative life and desire to make a difference in their social justice actions helped shape a generation and is undeniable.
"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it." ~ Howard Thurman.
Maundy Thursday
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Seder Dinner -There are tentative plans for a Seder Dinner on Thursday, April14. More will be announced later.
Good Friday
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Community Good Friday Service - April 15 - Details to be announced
Easter Sunday
- April 17 -Gala Easter Service with Trumpets and Brass! - 10:30 a.m.
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What do we have planned for the 2022 RUCC Family Nature Fair on March 12? |
Lots of fun activities for kids of all ages:
- Provide a habitat for local Bewick's wrens: decorate a wren house to take home with you to place in your own yard or patio.
- Learn about snakes with a live demonstration.
- Learn what we can do to help our native bees survive and thrive.
- Janet Chaney from Opposum Love-Rescue and Rehabilitation will be on hand to share information and show us a live opposum.
- ...and much more!
The event is free, but pre-registration is required so we make sure to have enough materials on hand. Invite your friends to join us!
Follow this link to register:
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Beginning Tai Chi Starts Thursday, April 7 |
Are you interested in learning the basic movements and benefits of Tai Chi? Pam Dunn will teach a beginner Tai Chi class for church members in Covenant Hall on Thursdays, 6:00-7:00 p.m. from April 7-June 9. No previous practice in Tai Chi is necessary. Just a willingness to try something new and be kind to your mind and body! Please text Pam at (909) 963-8305 or e-mail at [email protected] if you are interested or want additional information.
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Silent Retreat - May 12-15 |
Each year a group from RUCC participates in a weekend long silent retreat. Silent retreats help us to slow down, enjoy nature, and listen to the wisdom of the Divine. This year our silent retreat will take place in Los Altos.
When: May 12 – 15
Cost: $495 for three nights with your personal bedroom, personal bathroom, and 3 meals a day.
RUCC has reserved 12 spaces for this Silent Retreat. If you are interested in attending or have questions, please contact Pastor Jill, [email protected]. Scholarships are available.
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UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER |
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March 5 - Sacred Saturday
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March 6 - Book Group
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March 7 - 5 p.m. - Transgender support group - hybrid--in person and on Zoom.
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March 9 - Lenten Series begins. See article above for details.
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March 12 - Family Nature Fun - See article above for details.
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March 19 - Board Retreat
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March 27 - One Great Hour of Sharing - Special Mission Offering
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April 7 - Beginning Tai Chi class begins
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May 12 - 15 - Silent Retreat
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Sunday, March 6
- 9:30 a.m. Seekers
- 9:30 a.m. Virtual -Sunday School
- 10:30am Worship Service & Sunday School
- 11:30 a.m Youth Group
- 11:30 a.m. Fellowship on the Patio
- 12 p.m. Maj Jongg on Sundays
- 12 p.m. Book Group
Monday, March 7
- 10 a.m. Education meeting
Tuesday, March 8
Wednesday, March 9
- 12 p.m. "The Pastor is In" on Zoom
Thursday March 10
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Friday ,March 11
- 7 p.m. Closed women's AA meeting in the Founders' Room.
Saturday March 12
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS MARCH 13
Sunday, March 13
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9:30 a.m. Seekers
- 9:30 a.m. Virtual -Sunday School
- 10:30 a.m. Worship Service & Sunday School
- 11:30 a.m. Youth Group
- 11:30 a.m. Fellowship on the Patio
- 12 p.m. Maj Jongg on Sundays
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RUCC Staff
Senior Pastor: Rev. Dr. Jill Kirchner-Rose
Honorary Minister of Arts and Worship: Rev. Erin Beardemphl
Music Director: Jim Tong
Accompanist: Sophia Ohanian
Children's Education Director: Susi Jacobsen
Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries: Vacant
Office and Facilities Manager: Karen Hester
Child Care: Joette Orman
Phone: (909) 793-3520
Staff and Other Emails
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