"I will put my teaching in their minds and write it on their hearts..."
Jeremiah 31:33
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Calendar of Upcoming Events | |
Below are the weekly programs. You can find brief descriptions of these weekly programs on our website. Clickable links are in blue and italicized. | |
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SUNDAY Choir Practice, 9 am in person, Sanctuary
Contact Tom Ludwig, if interested
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Below are the upcoming non-weekly events on the calendar happening at McFarland UCC for about the next month. All events are on the McFarland UCC calendar with Zoom links and additional information in the details/description area. Click the event on the McFarland UCC calendar to see the details. | |
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Sunday, November 10, 5:30 - 6:45 pm, Younger Youth Monthly Meeting
Tuesday, November 12, 6:30 - 8:00 pm, Racial Justice Care Team Monthly Meeting, (In person & Online), Multipurpose Room
Wednesday, November 13, 6:30 - 7:30 pm, Healing Prayer Service (In person & Online), Sanctuary
Thursday, November 14, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, SaLT Monthly Meeting, (In person & Online), Multipurpose Room
Saturday, November 16, 9:00 - 10:00 pm, Prairie Seed Spreading in Prairie Plot Outside
Tuesday, November 19, 6:30 - 8:00 pm, Creation Care Team Meeting, (In person & Online), Multipurpose Room
Sunday, November 24, 9:30 am-9:50 am, Christmas Season Decorating Meeting
Thursday, November 28, Office Closed for Thanksgiving
Sunday, December 1, 10:00 am, Birthday & Communion Sunday
Sunday, November 1, 5:30 - 7:00 pm, Teen Youth Monthly Meeting
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News at McFarland UCC
(Note: Clickable links are blue and italicized.)
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The Amazing Willy Porter at our church!!!
Sunday Morning Worship
November 10, 2024
(In person & zoom as usual)
Trust me, you won't want to miss this! Willy Porter is a world class guitarist and singer/songwriter. He's a friend of mine (Bryan) and has offered to share his music and his faith witness with us during worship on November 10th. Willy's music and personal presence will be a blessing to us, especially in light of this past week's election. Beauty, artistry, soulful content, laughter. You're going to be amazed. Bring friends!! This is going to be fantastic!
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Sound Bath - Chakra Balance and Affirmations
Sunday, Nov. 10, 1-3 pm in Fellowship Area
Judy Taber and Araceli Wehr have a connection with Karen Jedele and helped coordinate this opportunity.
What is a Sound Bath?
A sound bath is a meditative experience where participants lie down or sit comfortably while sounds and vibrations from various instruments are played. These instruments can include singing bowls, gongs, chimes, drums, and other harmonic tools. The term "bath" implies that the participants are immersed in the sounds, allowing the vibrations to wash over them, promoting relaxation, stress reduction, and sometimes even spiritual or emotional healing. The intention is to create a therapeutic environment where individuals can let go of tension, quiet the mind, and enter a state of deep relaxation or meditation.
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Contemplative Prayer Service - Wed., Nov. 13
Submitted by Cameron Macdonald
Maybe you’ve heard the old curse disguised as a blessing, “May you live in interesting times.” It first appeared in print in a British newspaper in 1936 followed by the sentiment, “We move from one crisis to another. We suffer one disturbance and shock after another.” For the past decade or so, I’ve been aware that we do indeed live in precisely these kinds of “interesting times.”
I think those of us who put our faith into action – working to address injustices where they arise, speaking truth to power in the name of Jesus, taking seriously the admonition to “feed my lambs” – have a particular challenge in facing interesting times. It can feel that because our actions don’t show results, God is absent.
This is when contemplation and healing prayer are so necessary. How do we stay open-hearted and connected to God when it seems that our prayer-filled action yields no results? For me, these times are when I need to deepen my reliance on God, they are an invitation to dig my roots even deeper into the soil of God’s love.
McFarland UCC’s monthly Contemplative Service with Prayers for Healing is an opportunity to practice growing those roots. It is a calming, contemplative service with prayers for healing for ourselves and the world. Come and let God give you a cool drink of comfort from the well that never runs dry.
Questions? Contact Cameron Macdonald or Pastor Bryan.
We invite you to join us on November 13 at 6:30 pm!
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Indigenous Peoples Month
November was officially designated as a heritage month in 1990 to recognize America’s original inhabitants and celebrate their rich culture and contributions. However, efforts to pay tribute to Indigenous people started long before.
The New York state governor declared the first official American Indian Day in May 1916. President Joe Biden’s 2024 proclamation for this heritage month commits to working with Native communities to “write a new and better chapter in American history.”
There are 574 federally recognized nations, tribes, and pueblos within the U.S. comprising about 9 million people who identify as American Indian, Alaska Native, Native American, and Indigenous.
In Wisconsin, there are 12 sovereign Native American Nations: Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Brothertown Indian Nation, Forest County Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk Nation, Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, Oneida Nation, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Sokaogon Chippewa Community, St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, and Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians.
Sharing a couple of the many events happening this month...
“Tales From Planet Earth – Bad River”
Nov 18, 2024, 6-8:30 PM
Shannon Hall, Wisconsin Union Theater
800 Langdon Street, Madison
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The "Bad River" documentary chronicles the Bad River Band’s determined fight with a Canadian energy company over a pipeline on tribal land. The screening, sponsored by the Nelson Institute For Environmental Studies, will be followed by a Q&A featuring several of the people in the film.
Contact Rachel Saladis to learn more or attend with a group.
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A Research Survey - Add Your Voice!
Now - Nov. 20
Our congregation has been asked to participate in a national survey to gather information about churches and their congregations post-pandemic.
SaLT and Pastor Bryan encourage your participation in this survey. It is available online (click here) and paper copies are available in the Fellowship Hall on the table outside the sanctuary. Everyone is asked to complete a 10-15 minute survey. To watch a short informational video about this survey, click here. Viewing is optional. We think McFarland UCC is unique and our input would add value to the research because we are a thriving church. Next year, results will be shared with us. Click here for additional information..
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Decorate for Christmas Season
The Christmas season will be upon us before you know it. Jean Duchrow will not be available this year to spearhead decorating the sanctuary and fellowship hall for the Christmas season. She is looking for people willing to help on December 7 when the major part of decorating needs to happen.
If you would like to help out, please contact Jean via email or in person (on Sunday mornings).
There will be a brief meeting on Sunday, November 22, at 9:30 am before church to show those helping, where all the decorations are located, and how the altar table could be set up.
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Winter Coat and Clothing Donation Request
Now - Thanksgiving
Paul Hundt with the Madison Area Jail Ministry is requesting donations for the Dane County Jail Ministry.
Winter Coats: Men’s, Women's, and unisex sizes L, XL, XXL, 3X, 4X
Winter Clothing: Men's and Women's pants and sweatshirts sizes Medium to 2XL.
Please drop any donations at the McFarland Lutheran Church, 5529 Marsh Road, McFarland at the church office during business hours Monday-Thursday 8 am-4 pm and Friday 8 am-12 pm before Thanksgiving. Donations may be left outside the office if you choose to drop off items on Saturdays 5-6 pm or Sundays 7:30-11:30 am.
If you have any questions about this need, email Paul Hundt with the Madison Area Jail Ministry.
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Weekly Creation Care Tips
Reduce/Reuse/Recycle
This week’s Tip: Reduce: Garden clean-up tips. Per UW Extension, practicing good sanitation this fall will also help reduce problems in next year’s garden. Start by removing any weeds, in particular perennial species. As crops are finished for the season, remove vine crops, as they may provide overwintering sites for insect pests. Likewise, crops like tomatoes that may have had diseases should be cleaned up to help avoid carryover into next year’s growing season. Finally, fall is an optimum time to address soil improvement. Adding compost & other organic materials will help soils both with excess sand & clay. Consider soil testing, especially to determine the pH, so adjustments can start before next season.
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A Few Words from Pastor Bryan
...Post Election Exile
Quite a week, huh?
If you voted for Donal Trump, then I imagine you’re feeling pretty good. Congratulations. At some point, when the time is right, I hope you’ll be willing to participate in conversations our church will host about how we can come together across the divisions in our culture as people of faith and learn from each other and understand each other and serve the common good more effectively together. I really do mean that. We’re going to do that. Not right away, but probably soon after the New Year. I hope you’ll show up and share your perspective, especially based on your faith.
But let’s face it. That last paragraph probably annoyed a bunch of you, because the majority of folks at our congregation had a very hard time this week dealing with the election results, and you’re in no mood at this point to be gracious or understanding. “Easy for you to say Pastor Bryan—you’re a privileged white aging male and everything's rigged in your favor. And Fascists aren't interested in conversation. And what about…” Yeah I hear you. And if it’s helpful for you to know, I’ve been having this conversation with lots of folks also. The point is well taken.
I’ve been having almost nonstop conversations all week with folks who are devastated and overwhelmed by the implications of the election and what this means for ourselves, people we love, for women and immigrants and the most vulnerable among us, for our country, and for the world.
We had a soulful and helpful gathering on Wednesday evening during which some of you very honestly shared your feelings and thoughts. Thanks to those of you who attended. It was helpful to me and I know it was to many of you.
As your pastor, it’s hard to know what to say right now. The shock, disappointment, anger, and fear is too visceral for many people on this 3rd day after the election to be ready to move toward constructive or strategic responses. I get that. Feel what you need to feel, and I’m here if you want or need to talk about it. Sure, I’m dealing with my own stuff, but I have room for yours. So don’t hesitate to reach out.
I don’t want to obnoxiously move too quickly toward “trying to be helpful” by putting some kind of positive spin on things. So I won’t. Not yet. We’ll get there. And yes, I already have a number of ideas, as the opening paragraph of this article reflects.
But right now I just want to try to make a connection with you human to human, and also take a crack at connecting this moment in our history with our Judeo-Christian Story. You know, ground this very raw human experience we’re having in Scripture. Part of why I love the Bible is that there’s something in there that speaks deeply to just about every experience we humans ever have.
So in this light, I’m thinking about the exile of the Hebrews from Israel in the 500’s BC. Stay with me. Here’s the connection. The thing they feared the most and warned each other could happen if they weren’t careful DID happen. They were completely defeated by the Babylonians. Their life together as they’d known it was over. Their nation was destroyed and taken over. They were completely at the mercy of a hostile occupying force, and there was not a thing they could do about it.
I’m not going to force the connection, but I think a lot of us are feeling “exiled” right now. Part of what exile is all about is knowing that whether we like it or not, agree with it or not--everything has just changed in a very real, decisive, painful, and unwanted way. Some of us know this feeling from experiences like the death of a spouse or child, or a painful end of a relationship. Some unwanted experience that breaks our hearts and turns our "normal" upside down and inside out. Our home and “sense of home” has been completely messed with. We don’t feel grounded or safe. We don’t know who or what we can trust. We’re totally unsure what the future is going to look like or where we’ll be, and we don’t really know how or why this happened. There is also sometimes a sense that we and our neighbors in some ways brought this on ourselves. Or at least we wonder if we did. It is a time of feeling untethered, unsafe, and bewildered.
And then there’s what can be the most disturbing questions of all for those of us who are trying to live in sync with the Intentions of God—where the #@*& was and is God in all of this? Does God care? Why did God let THEM win? Are we being judged? Ugh. All those haunting and agonizing “why?!” questions.
Exile is a disturbing, painful, disorienting place to be.
But—it’s not the end of the Story. Far from it. Biblical scholar Marcus Borg says that the ultimate “cure” for exile is the journey of finding our way back Home. It’s a long and arduous journey. But it is also full of grace and goodness and surprising gifts and new songs to sing.
So for now, I’ll just say that I’m glad we have each other. None of us are alone unless we want to be. God is with us, and God will be with us every step of the way both into and out of the land and time of exile. We will be led as we struggle to regroup and respond and organize and find a new road Home together. Eventually. I know. It may not make you feel much better in this moment. But with time... as I said--The Story doesn’t end with exile. We WILL, with God's help, find Home again.
For now… just breathe. Be where you are. Take off your shoes, know that the ground is Holy. Some things can't be taken away. Ever.
Pastor Bryan
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