What's New at Peace | Mar 27-Apr 3

Worship This Sunday

March 29, 10:30 am

Palm-Passion Sunday

Matthew 27:27-37

No Kings!

Sermon by Pastor Dave

For those unable to join us in person, there will be a live videocast of the worship service at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays.

Go to the church's website, or use one of the links below.

If you miss the live service, you can find it archived on YouTube.

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Sunday Bulletin

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Visit our website for more information about what's happening at PUCC

Join us TONIGHT from 6:00 to 8:00.

There is something for everyone: table games and active games. corn hole, ping pong, Blokus, Mexican Train, Scattagories, and Backgammon, Cornhole and JAZZminton!!

If you’d like, bring a game or a snack(not required). There will be others there to play with you. Help with set-up and/or clean-up. For more information contact Tom Postlewaite at tapostlewaite@icloud.com or text 831.325.4235.

No Kings Demonstration this Saturday

Saturday, March 28, join in support of constitutional democracy, protesting against authoritarianism, racism and violence at the No Kings demonstration: 10am, rally in San Lorenzo Park; 10:30am, march from the park along a one-mile route through the streets of Santa Cruz. Those who would like to march with the interfaith contingent, led by Singing Resistance, please meet on Dakota Street near Soquel Ave, at 9:30am. We are invited to wear all white with a red accent (just to help us find each other).

Music Notes: from Cheryl Anderson

For this coming Palm-Passion Sunday, one of the most deeply meaningful days in our telling of the Christian story, the music will be varied in both style and time period.

Opening the service, a newly-formed handbell choir of Roger Bowers, Scott Campbell, Larry Kistner, and Bill Walton will be featured in the "Palm Sunday Processional" by Daniel Greig and Jon Paige. Later, after the Gospel reading, we will sing "Ride On, King Jesus," by Moses Hogan, a prolific composer of spirituals. The soloists are Sandy Schuller and Jeannette Moretti.

The service concludes with a choral benediction, “Lux Aeterna” (Light Eternal) from the Duruflé Requiem, with Vlada Moran, our organist, which we will offer in grateful memory of Earle Lapp, a longtime member and former choir director who went to his rest in January at the age of 99.

Lux aeterna luceat eis Domine, cum sanctis tuis in aeterna, qui pius est.

Light Eternal, may it shine on them, Lord, with your Saints in Eternity, You who are merciful.

Requiem aeternam, dona eis Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Rest eternal, grant them, Lord, and light perpetual, may it shine on them.

With exquisite simplicity, Durufle’s music reflects the beauty and power of the ancient text, praying in trust that a loved one is received into heaven.

Got Flowers?

We will continue the tradition of celebrating the Resurrection and the coming of Spring by inviting the congregation to bring flowers early on Easter morning to decorate our Resurrection Cross.

Bring flowers from your garden or a bouquet from the store to the church narthex no later than 10:10 on Easter Sunday, April 5. There will be members of the Worship Enhancement Committee to help you add them to the beauty!

Easter Sunday on Peace’s Patio

After the Easter service, please plan to enjoy Peace’s patio as we mingle in celebration.

Children will enjoy an egg hunt. Tables for beverages and spring snacks will be set up in the Lounge.

Please drop off your food contributions before going into the Sanctuary. It’s the season for deviled eggs, egg dishes, buns, coffee cakes, and any other Easter snacks you would like to share.

Come to the first-ever Santa Cruz County screening of the extraordinary new documentary "Going Inside: Empathy in Action" at the Resource Center for Nonviolence!

Going Inside is a powerful documentary that takes viewers inside the walls of a California prison, where something extraordinary is happening. Incarcerated men sit in circle with everyday citizens for eight weeks of deep dialogue, exploring trauma, accountability, healing, and hope. This isn’t a performance or reality show —it’s a raw and authentic exchange between people who might otherwise never meet.

Filmed at the Correctional Training Facility, Soledad, a level 2-3 prison in Central California, the program shows what’s possible when we break down barriers and build bridges of empathy.

Join us for a special screening of this moving film, followed by a conversation with program founder, Megan McDrew and formerly incarcerated Empathy in Action participants.

Sunday, March 29

Resource Center for Nonviolence

612 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060

2pm - Doors Open

2:30 - Film Starts

Q&A to Follow

Sponsored by:

Center for Spiritual Living Santa Cruz

Resource Center for Nonviolence

Transformative Justice Center

Conflict Resolution Center

Prophets of Hope - Peace United Church of Christ

Space is limited, please RSVP using the QR code above!

Save The Date!

Tuesday March 31 at 10am

Calling all beach lovers! If you are ready for a little service, fellowship, and fun under the sun in God's creation, I hope you will join us for our upcoming beach cleanup. We are caretaking the beach where quite a few of us have been baptized in this church, as an offering of love and gratitude before Easter.

We meet in the dirt parking lot past the ranger's station at 10am for a few words of welcome and orientation, and to distribute supplies. If you have work gloves like gardening gloves, you may wish to bring those. Likewise, if you prefer collecting trash in a bucket rather than a bag, you can bring one from home. Sun protection and closed toed shoes are recommended. We are usually only out there for an hour or so, but it's amazing to see the difference we can make as a group in that period of time!

Please let Lanakila Iesū know ahead of time if you're planning on joining in.

The Peace Brewery group meets on the last Tuesday of the month. This coming week, March 31, we will meet at 6PM at Woodhouse Blending and Brewing, 199 Madrone St, Santa Cruz. Come for good conversation. For information please contact Susie Land at susietrip@gmail.com.

CYF Theme: Lent

This Sunday is Palm Sunday, when we remember Jesus’ subversive entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. Jesus modeled servant leadership and taught that true power resides not in military or physical strength, but in the hearts and minds of the people.

This week, after briefly retelling the Palm Sunday story, we will read "Yours, Mine, Ours: A Celebration of Service and Community" by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus. This book explores service as a way of life and how gathering as a community to do good works benefits us all.

You can find this week’s story video here: https://youtu.be/ygXx9GxqsTU

Upcoming Dates:

Friday, Mar. 27: Game Night (6 - 8:30 p.m.)

Sunday, April 5: Family Worship/Easter(!)/Egg Hunt after church

Blessings,

The CYF Team

Piano by Moonlight: Candlelit Evenings of Rest and Reverie

Solo piano music by our own Aidan Santa Cruz every Tuesday night at 7:00 to 9:00 at Peace United. Aidan is heart centered and plays free improvisations inspired by classical, jazz and spiritual traditions.

Come to meditate, relax and let go...on pillows, on the floor, or seated. All are welcome. Suggested Donation - $15-25

For more information please check out the Facebook group linked here and/or contact Aidan directly: 831-428-2368, aidanfpsc@gmail.com

Sadao Watanabe (1913 –1996) was born and raised in Tokyo, and is famous for his biblical prints rendered in the mingei (folk art) tradition of Japan.

We received this picture titled “Beggar and Saints” from Tony Phillips, a former member of Peace United Church of Christ and active member of the choir. It is displayed in the narthex of the sanctuary.

The subject matter of Watanabe's prints is exclusively the gospel. He placed biblical subjects in a Japanese context and used the folk art approach. Watanabe used handmade paper crumpled by hand, squeezed and wrinkled to give a rough quality to the prints. He only used traditional organic and mineral pigments which is one of the characteristics of folk art.

While his prints are exhibited in the Vatican Museum, the British Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, he preferred that his prints hang in the ordinary places of life: "I would most like to see them hanging where people ordinarily gather, because Jesus brought the gospel for the people".

Save the Date - May 24^th

Peace Garden Tour

We are seeking lovely and/or creative gardens of any size in the Santa Cruz Westside, down to Bay Street. If you have a garden to share or know someone who has an interesting garden, please let us know so we can follow up with them

Karen Cozza - kacozza@gmail.com,

Chrissi Brewer - chrissibrewer@gmail.com

Holy One, keep us in the Amazing Grace that is ours through the spirit of Christ, in whose Loving Name we pray

Prayers of Healing and Faith and Continuing Prayers for our Community

For Marie Grace, and Peter, as she faces cancer surgery in late April in North Carolina.
For Grant’s recovery from surgery for his broken hip, and for Lynn’s recovery from hand surgery.
For Scout, Maya, and Scout’s family in Minnesota where she’s helping while her father Tim Whitaker is receiving cancer treatment.
For Peggy Kelly, who moved near her son, for Lonna and Dennis, living at Sunshine Villa, and for Valkyrie, who also moved away.
For students dealing with anxiety about the future, for Jazzy Chavez and Rafael Padilla, and for Kathy Rohrs’s son Owen.
For Nick Piediscalzi, in hospice care, for Paula’s broken ankle, for Anne’s brother Conrad, in hospice care, for Suzanne’s friends Deb and Gordon, recovering from his stroke, for Lisa’s grandson Dustin, living with cancer, and Darrell Johnson, in a care home.
Comfort for Earle’s, Raneta’s, Lynn & Bill’s, Nancy’s, Kwok’s, Aidan’s, Susie’s, Nancy’s and Ken’s families and for all of us who grieve lost family and friends.

Prayers for our Communities, Country and the World

For courage to oppose wars and leaders motivated by greed and preying on fear.
For those in mourning for loved ones lost to violence and war.
For water and food, healthcare and housing for all.
For immigrants and their families, everyone in custody, and those experiencing being targeted, oppressed and dealt with unjustly.
For all affected by natural disasters and human violence, terror, war and displacement, especially the children.

Prayers of Gratitude

For Grant Erickson’s 104th birthday!
For our Peace Village housing project for all the good that will come from it when it’s completed.
For scientific and miraculous healings of bodies, minds and spirits.
For peaceful protestors all over the country and world.
For all who give their time and talent to our church, community, and world.
For trust in God and each other, courage when facing fear and injustice, hope in times of darkness, and for the Light of Christ in our hearts and minds.

In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen!

You may request prayers by emailing Prayers@PeaceUnited.Org,

calling Lynn Walton (600-7343), or calling the church office (426-2010).

We Want to Hear Your Voice

We would love to have you as a liturgist (reader) in one of our Sunday morning worship services. It's a wonderful way of serving!

Sign up for a Sunday to read live and in person and we'll connect with you by e-mail on the Tuesday prior, sending all the information you'll need for getting ready.

If you'd like to give it a try, click on this link to choose a date.

Watch Out For Scammers

Peace United staff and leaders will never solicit you by e-mail or text message, asking you to purchase or send gift cards or electronic funds for any purpose. Contact the church office if you have any concerns about emails you may receive.

Office Hours!

Monday through Friday, from 9 am - 2 pm staff are in the office, attending to the business of our church: monitoring e-mail, answering telephones and/or responding to messages, working on the dozens of different projects and connections that keep our ministry moving forward.

If you plan to come into the office, please call ahead to schedule a time when we know someone will be in to assist you. You can reach us by e-mail using the list below or by phone, 831-426-2010.

Pastor, the Rev. David Pattee - pastordave@peaceunited.org
Facilities Manager, Aaron Abeyta - facilities@peaceunited.org
Office Manager, Devon Obert - office@peaceunited.org
Bookkeeper, Susan Robinson - bookkeeper@peaceunited.org

Pastor Dave works from the church office, Monday through Thursday, and most weeks will have office hours on Saturday too, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Friday is his day off. In case of emergency, the pastor is available by cell phone, 773-255-8095. If you would like to schedule a meeting or would like to "drop by", please contact us via email using this link to make an arrangement.