Shalom April 2020

Shalom

APRIL 2020

Congregations Cope with Coronavirus Crisis:

As you can well understand, some of the events reported in the March Shalom had to be canceled or postponed due to the corona virus. They included the Not in My Name event of McFarland UCC scheduled for March 12.

Many or most of our congregations began canceling in-person worship services beginning March 15. As an alternative, many found ways to have live-streamed, virtual worship services, or, at least, to have pastors' sermons available online. In addition, some congregations are sharing worship resources that parishioners may use at home. Bible studies, prayer and "house church" gatherings, and confirmation sessions are also being conducted digitally, such as through the Zoom technology (our Conference is helping congregations with the cost).

Finding ways to be creative in this difficult time, many have encouraged their members to be particularly attentive to the elderly, to other vulnerable members, to those who may be experiencing severe anxiety or loneliness, and those without internet access, such as by being in touch with them through phone calls, email, Skype and/or prayer.

Rev Zayna Thomley, of 1st Congregational UCC, Platteville, Rev. Kristin Gorton, of Memorial UCC, Fitchburg, and Rev. Jim Iliff, of Middleton Community UCC are having virtual fellowship times, such as regular "public office hours," or "online coffee hours," and other pastors are encouraging their members to contact them for pastoral needs. Salem UCC, Verona, MCC/ Community of Hope UCC, McFarland UCC, and perhaps others are developing teams of volunteers to do grocery shopping, pick up prescriptions, and do other errands for members who need that.

In addition, there were reminders that church expenses go on, so members are being encouraged to send their contributions even though in-person worship was canceled.

Prayer for a Pandemic

May we who are merely inconvenienced, remember those whose lives are at stake.

May we who have no risk factors, remember those most vulnerable.

May we who have the luxury of working from home, remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.

May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close, remember those who have no options.

May we who have to cancel our trips, remember those that have no safe place to go.

May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market, remember those who have no margin at all.

May we who settle in for a quarantine at home, remember those who have no home.

As fear grips our country, let us choose love

During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other,, let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors. Amen.

From the Orchard Ridge UCC, Madison, newsletter

Bethlehem Partnership in

Critical Need of Our Support!

Rev. Bonnie Van Overbeke reports that she has learned in a Zoom conference with Rev. Mitri Raheb and the Bright Stars of Bethlehem Board that the need in Bethlehem is extremely critical at this time.

Because of the coronavirus, Bethlehem has been quarantined. This means that tourism, their main industry, has stopped. Because most businesses and borders are closed, the people have no way to get medicine or replenish anything that is not made in the West Bank. And 90% of their people are unemployed.

Plans are underway to make budgeted Southwest Association Bethlehem Partnership funds available, such as to help pay the Bright Starts of Bethlehem staff. Other funds are being urgently sought.

We can help by making a contribution to Bright Stars of Bethlehem, either online or mailed to them at P.O.Box 185, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0185. Include mention of "Wisconsin contribution."

Here is Bonnie's complete email. (See the bottom of your screen.)

Congregations Move from

Holy Week into the Easter Season

(Some of these events reported here may have been canceled due to the coronavirus.)

A timely book for Holy Week, Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande, was planned for discussion by the Lenten Book Study Group of 1st Congregational UCC, Platteville, as it deals honestly about issues facing us as life draws to a close.

The Seekers Book Club of 1st Congregational UCC, Janesville, has begun discussing the book, The Universal Christ, by Richard Rohr.

Members of Swiss UCC, New Glarus, are being challenged to complete 40 Intentional Acts of Kindness during the season of Lent.

The children of 1st Congregational UCC, Madison , are able to access lessons and activities at home during the time of enforced quarantine, with this thought: 'They learned to live with the sounds and smells inside he ark, because it was a better alternative then the storm outside the ark." Remember the Rainbow!

Middleton Community UCC is also making lessons available online.

1st Congregational UCC, Madison, is also setting up a Prayer Wall of post-it notes inside the door of its church.

An eye-catching globe candelabra now graces the Blessing Room of Madison Christian Community (of which Community of Hope UCC is a part). A member discovered these as common devotional pieces in churches in Europe.

Though the Book Group of Memorial UCC, Fitchburg, may not be able to meet on April 13, members can still read Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Members of MCC/ Community of Hope UCC are encouraged to read Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing Dehumanizing legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery, by Mark Charles and Soon-Chan Rah.

The current art exhibit in the chapel of 1st Congregational UCC, Madison, is the work of Madison artist Rachel Durfee. The Space Between explores the sliver of space that separates dichotomies, such as self and other, fragility and strength, and reality and imagination.

The new display on the Shalom Room art wall of MCC/ Community of Hope UCC is Sweepings: Ephemeral Faces, by Lindy Wilson.

The Tuesday Night Fellowship of Middleton Community UCC will be discussing online Climate Church, Climate World, by Jim Antal.

Orchard Ridge UCC, Madison, is inviting their members to contribute to a new Emergency Housing Assistance Fund to provide short-term financial assistance to their members and to neighbors who risk losing their homes due to economic impacts of the public health emergency. Part of the receipts will replenish the church's Pastors Discretionary Fund, and focus on serving their own members. The remainder will go to Keeping Neighbors Connected, an ecumenical eviction prevention project in their neighborhood.

In this time when there are such severe limits to what congregations can do, Swiss UCC, New Glarus, is challenging their members to complete 40 intentional acts of kindness, such as baking cookies for a friend or neighbor, picking up grocery items for an older person, caring for a pet, donating to a humane society, or sending money to a charity.

The April 26 Amazing Grace youth event sponsored by 1st Congregational UCC, Madison, has been cancelled.

Messages from

Our Conference Minister

Especially in this difficult time, it is appropriate for us to receive the wisdom and resource suggestions from our Conference Minister, Rev. Franz Rigert. For those of you who are not on his regular email list, we share a couple of his recent messages. We also encourage you to regularly check the Conference website (see the link at the bottom of the right-hand column).

Here i a link to his March 17 message. Here is a link to his March 19 message.

March 31 Webcast on COVID-19

On Tuesday, March 31, at 1:00 p.m., Heather E. Kimmel, General Counsel for the United Church of Christ, will offer a webcast on the new Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

The Act covers employers with fewer than 500 employees, and may cover some churches that are not ordinarily covered under federal employment laws. Click here to register.

New Book by

One of Our Clergy

Rev. Lawrence Balleine, who was pastor of Zwingli UCC, Monticello, until his retirement, has had his book, Entertaining Angels, published. Using Wisconsin dairy farm life as its setting, the story deals with the themes of change, loss and hope. It is available from Amazon Books or the publisher, Parsons Porch Books.

Ketlewood Retreat Cancelled

The Kettlewood Retreat, Slogging Toward Resurrection: When the Wait for New Life Is Long and Hard, to be on April 17, has been cancelled.

From Windsor UCC

Office Hours of

Lorraine Ceniceros

Our Association Minister will have virtual Office Hours by Zoom on these Wednesdays:

April 1, 1:00 p.m.

April 8, 1:00 p.m.

April 15, 1:00 p.m.

April 22, 1:00 p.m.

Here is the link to join the Zoom meeting:: https://zoom.us/1/373871169. The meeting ID is 373 871 169.

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Clergy Check-in and

Colleague Support Hours with Lorraine

Our Association Conference Minister, Rev. Lorraine Cineceros, is also offering these Thursday Zoom hours for clergy check-in and colleague support:

April 9, 2020 10:00 a.m.

April 16, 2020 10:00 a.m.

April 23, 2020 10:00 a.m.

Here is the link to join the Zoom meeting:

https://zoom.us/j/831165697

Meeting ID: 831 165 697

Lorraine's Installation Postponed

The Installation of our Association Minister, Rev. Lorraine Cineceros, scheduled for April 19, has again been postponed until further notice.

Our Association Meeting

Will Have a Different Format

The Southwest Wisconsin Association Annual Meeting on Saturday, May 2, will be held electronically. The only necessary business is voting on positions to be filled. It is hoped that a fall meeting can be held to deal with the budget.

Congregations should still register clergy and delegates by the original deadline of Friday, April 24. (Please be sure to include their email addresses, or make arrangements for them to have an account.) Each will receive an electronic copy of the annual White Book with all of the usual information. Here is the registration link.

No registration payment needs to be made at this time. See your pastor if you have any questions.

Pastoral Transitions

Rev. Allan Kromholz, a member of the Congregational UCC, Whitewater, died on March 19. There will be a family-only memorial service in Florida.

Rev. Wallace Robeson, a member of the Congregational UCC, Whitewater, died at Fairhaven Retirement Community on March 21. Wally was a missionary teacher in Turkey for the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and the United Church Board for World Missions beginning in 1953. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Here is an obituary.

UCC Earth Day

Book Read

The 50th anniversary of Earth Day approaches. Cathedral on Fire: A Church Handbook for the Climate Crisis is designed so that church book groups can discuss one chapter a week from Earth Sunday (April 19) to Pentecost (May 31). UCC Minister for Environmental Justice Brooks Berndt focuses our attention on the unique and vitally needed gifts that churches offer in addressing the climate crisis. Order your copy today!

Healing Our Earthly Home :

Conference Annual Meeting

This year's Conference Annual Meeting, "Healing Our Earthly Home," will be June 5-7, at Green Lake Conference Center.

The Love of Creation, one of the UCC's Three Great Love s,

will be presented by Tia Nelson, an internationally-recognized champion for environmental stewardship and climate change education.

To set the stage for the meeting, the Creation Care Team suggests reading one or more of the following books:

Braiding Sweetgrass,by Robin Wall Kimmerer, an indigenous scientist who shows how other living beings offer us gifts and lessons.

Cathedral on Fire: A Church Handbook for the Climate Crisis, by Brooks Berndt,