Third Sunday in Advent

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

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Thursday, December 9, 2021

Christmas Pageant this Sunday!

Following our long standing tradition of having the Youth Group take the lead on producing the annual Christmas Play, this year’s production will be a delightful and funny retelling of the Nativity story. Based on the script “Something Like a Christmas Play” by Morton Benning, this year’s play features performances by RUCC members of all ages.

Take a look at this star-studded cast!

Miriam Beardemphl, Sophia Beardemphl, Olivia Branch, Fallon Branch, Sarah Breslaw, Lenna Breslaw, Eddie Clampitt, Evan Hill, Daniella Kirchner-Rose, Sylvia Mitchell, Serena Morgan, Joette Orman, Joey Perricone, Jules Rattray, Maria Ratray, Bea Rouse, Evie Simmons, Sarai Simmons, Cai Sternberg, Jim Tong, Sage Laumalie Tupou, Beth Welsh, Dante Welsh, Paul Welsh.

Sunday's Scripture.

Isaiah 9: 2 - 7

December 12 ~ Christmas Pageant and Third Sunday of Advent

Prelude: Linus & Lucy by Vince Gauraldi ... Sophia Ohanian

Welcome, & Announcements: ...........................Rev. Dr. Jill A. Kirchner-Rose

Threshold Moment................................Dr. Kirchner-Rose and Covenant Choir

Opening Hymn #124 Away In The Manger

Joys and Concerns:.............................................................. Dr. Kirchner Rose

Silent and Pastoral Prayer:...................................................Dr. Kirchner Rose

Special Music: I Saw Three Ships John Frederick Hudson.......Covenant Choir

...............................................Piano Four Hands, Lara Urrutia, Sophia Ohanian

Scripture: Isaiah 9: 2 - 7 .....................................................................Nan Root

Scripture Hymn: #133 O Little Town of Bethlehem ..................Covenant Choir

Message: “Something Like a Christmas Play” by Morton Benning*..........Youth

Offertory:.Little Drummer Boy arr. by Jason Sytsma...............Sophia Ohanian

Doxology:.................................................................................Sophia Ohanian.

Prayer of Dedication:.........................................................................Nan Root

Closing Hymn: #132 Joy to the World!

Benediction: ..........................................................................Dr. Kirchner-Rose

Time of Reflection: Mele Kelikimaka by R. Alex Anderson

................................................./////........./// ..Zoe Petersen & Sophia Ohanian

Concerns:

Prayers for Gloria Ebert who is hospitalized following a heart attack.
Prayers Debbie Gerberich whose father passed from life to Life this past week.
Beth Welsh requests prayers for her niece Heather who is pregnant and has been diagnosed with COVID
Mary Lou and Jennie Haney request prayers for Lois, Mary Lou’s sister, who has COVID for a second time now and is not doing well.
Prayers for the brother-in-law of Sarah Montez whose brother-in-law tested positive for COVID. Sarah’s sister is in the early stages of pregnancy.
Prayers for Carole Beswick who is having partial knee replacement surgery on Thursday, December 9^th.
Prayers for Nancy Sheets, our Office Administrator, who has gout.
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.
Carla Becerril requests prayers for her son-in-law and family. His brother passed from life to Life on Nov. 20^th.
Rosemary Tuohy requests prayers for family and friends of Nancy Ruth White who passed from life to Life. Celebration of Life will be January 8, 2 p.m. at San Bernardino United Church of Christ, 3041 N. Sierra Way.
Nan Root requests prayers for her brother Gary who has dementia and has placed on hospice.
Ryan Zappia requests prayers for his father who is hospitalized with severe pneumonia.
Prayers for Carol Buchanan who is recovering from pelvic prolapse surgery
Prayers for John, cousin of Virginia Cruz, who is hospitalized with COVID
Carla Becerril requests prayers for her friend, Edward, who works for a small business in which 7 of the 10 workers have been diagnosed with COVID
Prayers for Helen Hurley, mother of Ken Hurley, who fell and fractured her vertebrae.
Prayers for Reva, friend of Judith Turian, who is currently undergoing treatment at City of Hope.
Susan Kirkhart requests prayers for her 91 year old Aunt Helen who is struggling with health issues.
John Hancock requests prayers for John Drage’s mother, Mary, and the staff and residents of Cherry Valley Healthcare who have been exposed to COVID.
Prayers for Cynthia McGuigan undergoing chemotherapy treatment for Stage 4 Lung Cancer.
Prayers for 7 members of Janet Wilson’s family, including 3 year old niece, who tested positive for COVID.
Continued prayers for Kathy Blanchard who is recovering at home.
Prayers for Richard Ault who fell and broke his hip. Richard is recovering at the VA Hospital in Los Angeles.
Prayers for Bob Sheets who is recovering from eye surgery.
Prayers Angie, sister-in-law of Sue Hammond, who has been diagnosed with COVID.
Prayers for Eber, brother of Lara Urrutia, who is undergoing tests for a mass in his neck
Prayers for Laurie, dear friend of Caroline McAllister, who is in hospice with end stage breast cancer.
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 Margaret Barnett who is now on Hospice.
Sue Hammond requests prayers for her sister-in-law, Linda, who is receiving treatment for multiple myeloma.
Prayers for Burt, family member of Johanna Ballard, who is facing severe health challenges.
Prayers for Susi Jacobsen for health concerns she is facing.
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:

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

Norma Erickson

Michael Flores

Betty Gayle

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

Sara Montez

Bill McIntyre

Maria Montana

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

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.

Gingerbread Time! -- December 12

What: A beloved RUCC tradition, our kids will once again be decorating Gingerbread Houses!

Where: Covenant Hall

When: Dec 12, after worship

How: After worship, kids will head to the Founders Room where they will receive a Gingerbread House. They will then take their house to one of the tables which will be set up in Covenant Hall where they will find all the supplies needed to create their masterpiece!

Masks are required.

We have a limited supply of Houses, so we will distribute one house to each child grade 5 and under. Youth grades 6 and older will be able to help their younger friends and siblings decorate their houses.

IF there are houses left over after all the young kids have received theirs, we will begin to distribute houses to the Youth in grades 6 and older.

Many, many thanks to Barb Lord and Heidi Malone for lovingly baking all these houses for us to decorate!

Volunteers needed for a delightful “Light Construction” project! You can help and have fun, too.

We need your help putting this year’s Gingerbread Houses together. The walls and roofs will be already baked—we just need to build the houses using Royal Icing.

Where and when: Covenant Hall, 10 a.m. Saturday December 11

The more volunteers we get, the quicker it will go!

Come be a part of this festive and beloved 25+ year old tradition at RUCC.

For more information, please contact Susi Jacobsen [email protected].

Feastings Returns Sunday, December 12, at 2 p.m.

Feastings is an RUCC tradition dating back to the beginnings of our church. Each year the Covenant Choir and the Celebration Ringers put together a Christmas program of music. Though this year we are unable to serve food, the choirs will still serve up a feast of music on December 12 at 2 p.m. in the church sanctuary.

Admission is free. A free-will offering will be taken though.

White Elephant Gift Exchange December 18

Come join the fun! The LGBTQ Allies Faith Group is hosting White Elephant Gift 🎁 exchange Saturday, December 18th at 3 PM location to be determined. If you have any questions please contact Jennie Haney 949-573-8400

"Seekers" Adult Study Group Plans Holiday Break

"Seekers" will resume meeting after the first of the year. Watch The View for details

The Christmas Fund, a UCC Special Offering will be received on December 26

Every year, the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance receives dozens of letters, cards, emails, and phone calls saying “thank you” for much-needed financial assistance funded by your gifts to the Christmas Fund for the Veterans of the Cross. Donations of any amount to the Christmas Fund truly do bring “great joy” to so many people, year after year. The assistance and connection provided by your gifts lets these servants of the church know that they are not forgotten.

In 2020, gifts to the Christmas Fund enabled:

Monthly pension supplementation for 276 retired clergy and lay employees ($1,180,187)
Health benefits supplementation for 89 retired clergy and lay employees ($274,008)
Emergency grants for 96 individuals and families ($214,649)
Christmas “Thank You” gift checks to 504 retired clergy and lay employees ($252,000)

Reflection of the Week from the Racial Justice Team

In Billings, Montana, in 1993, a group of white supremacists moved into town. It was part of a larger broader movement to make the region one that was ‘safe’ from gays, blacks, Jews, and all the other groups that did not fit into the narrow bigoted vision these racists were trying to make a reality. Not content to simply think these ideas, the white supremacists began covering Native American and African American gathering places and churches with vitriolic graffiti.

The turning point came when a 5-year-old Jewish boy by the name of Isaac Schnitzer displayed a drawing of a Hanukkah menorah in his window, and a brick was thrown through into his bedroom. Across Billings, people of all backgrounds began to display either the paper menorahs or other versions fighting against a narrow vision of their community.

- Inspired by Rabbi Lindy Reznick of Congregation Emanu El in Redlands. Source: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/2016/12/12/an-american-hanukkah-story-of-resistance/amp/

From the Environmental Justice Team -

The Giving Season

What are you all doing to navigate the “giving season” underway in some cultural traditions? (It’s important to recognize that many charitable organizations are part and parcel of the system causing our environmental/climate predicament). It is always nice to receive a gift that possesses care and meaning. Yet it may trouble many of us to participate in the “buying more things” tradition that feeds into the consumer culture. You probably have some very good ideas for gift-giving that are both useful and planet-friendly, gifts that honor a loving family tradition and bring joy, while minimizing the crass commercialization this season has become. A few ideas. Please let us know your thoughts and ideas, too! Send them to [email protected].

Offering the gift of your time teaching something—sewing, knitting, repairing something, planting trees together, vegetables, flowers, guitar or piano lesson to a grandchild…
Reading stories with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews.
Offering the gift of your time listening to someone who needs someone to hear them, to care.
Donating to an animal shelter or rescue, water protection, tree planting in honor of someone.
homemade gifts: kids making cards, acts of kindness, giving experiences
preserved food from your garden.

Happy thoughtful gift giving to you All!

Angels Among Us During Advent

The Worship Committee wants to borrow your angels to display in the sanctuary during the 4 Sundays of Advent. If you have a "special angel" to share, please bring it to church, labeled inconspicuously and carefully packed. We know they are fragile and may hold great meaning for you. If your angel has a special meaning for your family, please share that story with us.

SCRIP MAKES FUNDRAISING EASY

Scrip/Gift Card Program is still ongoing! – When you purchase gift cards to pay for your day-to-day expenses or provide as gifts, RUCC receives a rebate that helps fund our missions. It’s an easy way to raise some money for RUCC.

Small denomination cards – For a limited time, you can purchase $5 or $10 gift cards to more retailers, like Target, Amazon, Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, Home Depot, Walmart, Panera, Chipotle, fast food restaurants, and more. Perfect for a thank you or holiday gift during this season.

Order Deadlines – For the remainder of 2021, here is the ordering schedule for physical gift cards. We will increase the order frequency as we get closer to the holidays. Be sure to get your orders in early enough for all of your holiday shopping or giving (groceries and gifts).

December 13 – available for pickup on December 19

Scrip/Gift Card Table on Sundays – Come to the scrip/gift card table after worship to buy Stater Brothers gift cards in stock, place orders for gift cards from hundreds of brands/companies, and learn more about this fundraising program and how you can help.

eCards – 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.

My Work to Do

My Work To Do is an online affinity group designed to help white people build stamina for discussing racism, systemic injustice, racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in their everyday lives. Black, Indigenous and People of Color allies are welcome with an understanding this is a white-centered, and therefore not always safe, space.

What can I expect?

A weekly listening and learning circle that meets on Zoom for 60-90 minutes
Resources around themes of housing discrimination, implicit bias, whiteness as a function, and systems of white supremacy — as well as where we go from here
A space to learn, share, heal, and grow

FOR INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER

Click here

GETTING STARTED (The original My Work To Do series.)

Wednesdays Jan 5 / Jan 12 / Jan 19 / Jan 26 / Feb 2

4pm Eastern / 3pm Central / 2pm Mountain / 1pm Pacific

Thursdays Jan 6 / Jan 13 / Jan 20 / Jan 27 / Feb 3

8pm Eastern / 7pm Central / 6pm Mountain / 5pm Pacific

GOING DEEPER: For participants who have completed My Work To Do: Getting Started series.

Tuesdays Jan 4 / Jan 11 / Jan 18 / Jan 25 / Feb 1

8pm Eastern / 7pm Central / 6pm Mountain / 5pm Pacific

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

December 12 - Children and Youth Christmas Pageant
December 12 - Gingerbread Houses 11:30 a.m. Covenant Hall
December 12 - Feastings 2 p.m. in the Sanctuary
December 14 - Board at 7:00 p.m.
December 24 - Christmas Eve Service at 5:30 p.m. with "grab and go tamales."
December 26 - The Christmas Fund Special Offering will be received during the 10:30 service
January 2 - Epiphany Sunday -- Be sure to get your "Epiphany .Word" for 2022!