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Hen House Weekly E-News
August 21, 2026
Why Hen House? The friendly chatter before Worship on Sundays reminds us of a Hen House! Since Jesus identified himself as a Mother Hen and, as an historical farm church, we enjoy being God's ‘Hen House’ and welcome everyone (town, urban, and rural) to our Worship and other programs - and invite you to even make Zwingli your Church home. The United Church of Christ values all people!
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When we learn the story of Moses as children we do not yet understand the horrifying context of this story (thankfully since we are children). As adults we realize that Pharaoh was terrified of losing power so he had all the Hebrew boy babies killed!
As slaves of Pharaoh, the Hebrew people were powerless against his ruthlessness. So Moses’ mother did what she could to protect her baby boy – and she was successful! Her actions, the actions of her young daughter, and the actions of those courageous faith-filled Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah were bold and daring (this image from picryl.com depicts Miriam watching her brother in the river). In the midst of a death-dealing system, they all acted to save the lives of Moses and other boys.
This story is a reminder to us that in whatever way we are able to, when we see powers that seek death of innocents, we are called to be life-givers, to be midwives of life!
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In his reflection on this story, Steve Garnaas-Holmes suggests that this story can also be deeply spiritual for each of us when he writes: “Moses in the basket reminds us of baptism. (This is among so many stories of people being saved by or on the water!) We are infants, set afloat on God’s grace. We are given life by people and compassion beyond our control, beyond our knowing. When we feel abandoned, floating alone on a great river of mystery and danger, we can trust someone is watching the basket.”
I hope you will join us on Sunday as we reflect on this story for our lives today. Neither Becky nor Petra can play the piano this week, so we are blessed that Marilyn is 'coming out of retirement' for the day to share her musical gifts with us. Thank you Marilyn.
Meanwhile, I share this beautiful prayer by Steve Garnaas-Holmes:
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God, I am a baby floating in a basket,
and you are the river.
You are the one watching over me.
You are the mother who will claim me.
You are the basket.
I rest in you.
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Prayer List
Today, we invite you to keep in prayer:
Those suffering from drought, famine, accidents, fires, storms, flooding, tornados, excessive heat, violence, homelessness, illness, war in their communities.
Nations in crisis: US/Israel - Iran ‘War’: Civilians and troops and the political will to choose non-violent conflict resolution, France, Mexico, Cuba, U.S. - Venezuela tensions, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Haiti, Sudan, The Congo, Ukraine-Russia, Israel-Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon. Prayers for those countries, companies, farmers, and consumers who are affected by the escalating trade war. The people of Pine Ridge Reservation and all Native Peoples.
In this 250th birthday of our nation, we pray for Democracy to grow stronger and healthier. For wise, compassionate leadership in our Executive, legislative and judicial branches of govt, and citizen action. For Civil Servants, immigrants, international students, and others facing uncertainty under the policies of the current administration.
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Our Outdoor Worship / Rural Life / Ice Cream Social Service last week was deeply meaningful as we shared stories of the blessings of farm and small town life with each other (some were very funny!). We missed those members and friends who were unable to be there on Sunday. Those who were farmers gathered for a photo in front of the tractors and the church. Many thanks to Council members and Larry B. for making it happen and to Petra for playing music for the service.
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Friendship Sunday Resumes September 6!
We will resume our first Sunday community time after worship in September. Join us as often as you can. We appreciate all those who sign up to provide refreshments on these first Sundays! A sign up sheet for this coming year is up on the bulletin board.
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Brunch Bunch Resumes in September
on SECOND WEDNESDAYS at 10:30 am!
We are moving from 3rd Wednesdays back to 2nd Wednesdays beginning September 9! Mark your calendars for the year and join us as often as you can! All are welcome, as are your friends and family so please invite them.
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Donations for Pine Ridge Reservation
Jeanette and her son are again headed to Pine Ridge in September. This year they invite only donations of new or gently used sweatshirts and sweatpants and generic gift cards like VISA and MasterCard. Please bring them to the church by Sunday morning, September 6. Jeanette thanks everyone for their support for Pine Ridge.
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Stay alert: How to recognize scams
Please be cautious with unexpected emails or requests for money, gift cards, or personal information. If a message seems suspicious, do not click on links or respond to the request. Instead, verify the request directly with the person or organization using trusted contact information, not information provided in the potential scam email.
Online training and resources
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AARP Fraud Watch Network — Free scam-awareness resources, webinars, videos, tip sheets, and alerts designed to help people recognize and avoid fraud.
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AARP Fraud Hub — Free online webinars covering current scams and tactics, including impersonation, romance, cryptocurrency, and tech-support scams.
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FTC Pass It On — Free Federal Trade Commission educational materials covering common scams such as government impersonation, tech support, romance, family-emergency, and business impersonation scams.
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FTC Consumer Advice: Scam Resources — Downloadable articles, activity sheets, presentations, and other educational materials that can be used for individual or group scam-awareness training.
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Five Wishes!
The Wisconsin Conference UCC Aging in Grace Working Group provides resources to support for all of us as we age. If you would like to learn more about Advanced Directives or "Five Wishes", go here.
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August is nationally recognized as Make-a-Will Month, and we’re kicking it off by inviting you to put your love into action by creating or updating your will at no cost!
In 2024, the Pension Boards-UCC and National Ministries launched Together for Tomorrow, a shared legacy campaign that provides our UCC community with access to FreeWill. Through FreeWill, you can create or update your will in minutes and, if you choose, leave a planned gift to the causes and ministries that matter most to you.
| | FreeWill makes it easy to include a legacy gift to The Christmas Fund, National Ministries, your local church or Conference, or any organization close to your heart. A will allows us to protect the family, faith, and finances that have been entrusted to our care for this generation; a planned gift allows us to continue this legacy and serve our faith community in the generations to come. | | |
Opportunities for Citizen Advocacy through letters to Congress
The United Church of Christ offers us the opportunity to learn more about bills before Congress and voice our opinions to our legislators. They make it very easy to send an email. Check out the many topics on their page: https://www.ucc.org/action-center/. The most recent one is: A Call for Nuclear Disarmament. Scroll down the page to find others that you might want to express your opinion about.
| | The Southern Region of the Wisconsin Conference UCC publishes Shalom, a monthly e-newsletter featuring events and happenings within the Conference, including Zwingli. Click here to check it out! | | | | |
