|
This email goes out to you on Good Friday -- a sad day in the life of the Church. I hope you can join us tonight for our Good Friday Service at 6:30 pm. It will be a simple service of prayer, song, scripture, and candles as we remember that day and the wondrous love of Christ for us. We are so pleased to be sharing this service with members of First UCC, Belleville.
For Good Friday and on Easter Sunday we hope to welcome visitors so invite you to help them feel more at ease by wearing your name tags.
| | Saturday is known as Holy Saturday. There are no services that day but an opportunity for us to enter the quiet, the silence, the grief and reflect on how God's Life is always incubating in the darkness of our lives, of our world. The followers of Jesus did not know there would be a resurrection, but we know the rest of the story so we can live in hope. I leave you with these words of Barbara Brown Taylor as you reflect and pray on Holy Saturday: | |
Resurrection is always announced with Easter lilies, the sound of trumpets, bright streaming light. But it did not happen that way. If it happened in a cave, it happened in complete silence, in absolute darkness, with the smell of damp stone and dug earth in the air… I let this sink in: new life starts in the dark. Whether it is a seed in the ground, a baby in the womb, or Jesus in the tomb, it starts in the dark.
—Barbara Brown Taylor, Learning to Walk in the Dark
| | | | |
Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Blessings!
Karla
| | |
Good Friday Offering for the Belleville Food Pantry
During our joint Good Friday service with First UCC, Belleville, we will be taking a special offering from our congregations to be given to Belleville Food Pantry. If you write a check, please note that it is for Belleville Food Pantry. Thank you for your gift to support those in our area who are in need.
| | |
Special Guest on Earth Day, Sunday, April 27!
We look forward to welcoming Elizabeth (Lizzy) Burkhalter who will bring us the message on Sunday, April 27 as we celebrate Earth Day! Lizzy is a former student of Pastor Karla’s who is passionate about environmental justice, especially from a faith perspective. You can read more about Lizzy in the April newsletter.
| | |
Worship and Work Sunday will be May 4
We will tackle tasks inside and out, rain or shine, to spiff up the church or attend to repairs. Please dress casually and bring tools (rakes, shovels, trimmers, window cleaner and rags, floor cleaner and mops, etc.) if you're able to do some chores. We'll have the usual Friendship coffee hour treats that you can have as you need energy to keep going! If you're not able to work please consider donating cleaning supplies. Thanks everyone!
| | |
Petra On Call April 28 - May 4
Pastor Karla will be having nasal surgery on April 28 to help her breathe better. During her time away, Petra will be on call and will be leading Worship on May 4. If you have any needs, please contact her (her # is in the directory).
| | |
Is anyone in your family graduating this spring?
Please let our pastor know if you have 8th grade, high school, college, (undergrad or graduate level), or tech school graduates so we can schedule a Sunday to honor and celebrate their accomplishments.
| | |
If you are ever at the church without your cell phone, there is a landline in the Upper Room on the table under the TV. The landline jack near the mailboxes is no longer working so we had to move the phone for the time being.
| | |
Looking for an opportunity to express your opinion on US public policy?
As a member of the United Church of Christ, Zwingli is supported with resources by our national offices. Among these resources is an Office of Public Policy and Advocacy in Washington DC. This Office gives information to understand the issues and legislation -- and the ability to easily express our opinion to our political leaders. Go to this website to access these opportunities to express yourself (if you do not have a computer, check out your local library).
We will update this announcement with new opportunities (as they are added - bolded) so you can know the current issues you can respond to. You can also get alerts in your inbox by signing up here. Currently, there are opportunities to express your opinion on: As You File Your Taxes, Say Yes to Peace, Tell Congress to pass a Moral Budget, Support for Humanitarian Aid and Peace-making is non-negotiable; Protect Govt Funding; Protect DEI; Protect Medicare and Food Stamps; Protect Trans, Nonbinary and Intersex Civil Rights; .,Protect Everyday Consumers; Have a Heart for God's Planet; Foreign Aid; Federal Funding Freeze; Supporting Survivors of Human Trafficking; Immigration Policies; Trans Protection; Voting Rights; Affordable Internet; Indian Boarding Schools; and Military Aid to Israel. We know that some of you want to put your faith beliefs in action and hope those of you who wish to advocate find this resource useful.
| | | | |
