Shalom July 2022 issue

Shalom

JULY 2022

A TEACHER'S LAMENT

"Yesterday, the tragic news about Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX, was simply just too much for my head and heart to wrap around and process...

"Between the emotions of normal end of the school year craziness as a teacher and mom of three school-aged children, the current political climate, the stress/effects of the last two years surviving through this pandemic and how all of that has affected our world of education and the impact it's had on staff and students, my energy level was just tapped out...

"Even now as I type this, I realize that not all of you reading this are going to take in my words the same way, and some have even made a quick judgment ...

"I will tell you what I stand for: The value of human life... I pray for our country/world leaders and citizens to wake up and realize it is not us vs. them... Leave this beautiful place better off than what we were given, to help insure a future for generations to come. We are given but one life and it is up to us to decide what to do with the time that is given to us." Click here for the complete remarks.

Amber Bates Rear, daughter of Rev. Tiff Bates,

Interim Associate Minister, St. John's UCC, Monroe

(read in a church worship service and used with her permission)

REFRESHING IN THE OUTDOORS

In addition to the McFarland UCC, congregations that are, or will be, worshiping in the outdoors this summer include 1st Congregational UCC, Platteville; 1st UCC, Belleville; and Windsor UCC..

Tending their prairie (MCC/Community of Hope UCC, Madison) and garden (Middleton Community UCC enjoyably occupies members.

MCC/Community of Hope UCC, Madison, will again have their Kids in the Garden on Tuesdays. Orchard Ridge UCC, Madison, will have their Kids in the Garden on a few Sundays in the summer. The children will invited into their organic veggie garden to get in touch with our creator God by planting, weeding, harvesting and preparing fresh food.

Lake Edge UCC, Madison, had a Whipporwill Hike in the Ferry Bluff State Natural Area in Sauk County in June, and will have a Community Firefly Hike at Indian Lake County Park in Dane County in July.

1st UCC, Belleville, participated in a Music in the Park in June. It featured bluegrass music and a food stand by the church.

1st Congregational UCC, Platteville, is having their annual Music in the Park on Thursday evenings on the porch of the Cunningham House.

1st Congregational UCC, Madison, is launching their monthly Art in Garden events on June 30. They will featuring pottery, poetry and watercolors.

A group of youth and accompanying adults from MCC/Community of Hope UCC, Madison, enjoyed a boundary waters exploration in June..

Plymouth Congregational UCC, Madison; Middleton Community UCC; and 1st Congregational UCC, Madison, participated in Make Music Madison.

On Pentecost 1st Congregational UCC, Janesville, plated the peace pole given to them by the children and youth in honor of the church's 175th anniversary.

McFarland UCC noted that many of the world's major religious traditions are linked to the cycles of the sun and moon, such as the summer solstice. They observed that solstice by drawing from ancient Celtic Christian solstice rituals and Shamanic solstice traditions in their worship that day.

Several of our congregations, such as 1st Congregational UCC, Baraboo; Congregational UCC, Edgerton and 1st Congregational UCC, Platteville-- which have declared themselves Open and Affirming observed Pride Sunday on June 26.

1st Congregational UCC, Baraboo, had a hospitality station on the church lawn for the community's Circus Parade. It included making balloon animals.

Several of our congregations will have, or have had, Just Bakery provide their products for members to buy and support Just Bakery's efforts to help formerly incarcerated persons. They include Memorial UCC, Fitchburg, which had them in June; Orchard Ridge UCC, Madison, and Middleton Community UCC, which will have them in the fall; and 1st Congregational UCC, Madison, which has had them in the past, while future plans are uncertain

After a June worship, the Congregational UCC, Edgerton, planted their Kindness Rock Garden, with members decorating rocks.

With their partner congregation, Christ the Solid Rock Baptist Church, Lake Edge UCC, Madison, helped observe Juneteenth by encouraging members to contact their elected officials to fight hate and gun violence.

Orchard Ridge UCC, Madison, called their members' attention to a campaign of MOSES (Madison Organizing in Strength, Equity and Solidarity)--writing letters to their elected officials urging them to oppose any effort to permit the arming of school personnel.

McFarland UCC had an educational zoom meeting on Racist Voting Rights Suppression in Wisconsin sponsored by the Wisconsin Racial Justice Task Force.. The meeting was made into an educational resource to be made widely available. 1st Congregational UCC, Platteville, also promoted this event.

Race was the focus at 1st UCC, Belleville, when members of the Exploring Race Book Group led worship, and then hosted a viewing of the film Selma.

1st Congregational UCC, Madison, has partnered with the UW Frozen Meal Program by packaging untouched, unserved, dining hall food into healthy single-serving containers to provide to students who are food insecure.

The Wisconsin Conference highlighted the fact that Olivet Congregational UCC, Columbus, received a $4,000 Catalyst grant for their program of providing free Loving Lunches to children in the summer

1st Congregational UCC, Janesville, will be responsible for meals and overnight supervision at GIFTS Men's Shelter in July.

This summer Orchard Ridge UCC, Madison, is having a focus on spirituality and the arts in their worship services.

Picking up on the Wisconsin Conference Annual Meeting theme, Cultivating Community, Memorial UCC, Fitchburg, will focus on that in their worship this summer as they prepare for the celebration of their 105th anniversary later this summer.

MCC/Community of Hope UCC, Madison, is inviting members to sign petitions on immigrant justice, which are being circulated by the Dane Sanctuary Coalition.

1st UCC, Belleville, continues their summer tradition of offering Wednesday Walks: A Journey Through the Bible, an intergenerational family event for all ages.

The art wall of MCC/Community of Hope UCC, Madison, has been repainted to better display the artwork of members.

Christina Schoenwetter, a member of St. John's UCC, Monroe, and a graduate of Chicago Theological Seminary, will receive a $50,000 scholarship from the Freitag Fund of the church. Christina is currently a chaplain with a clinic/hospital.

The book group of Memorial UCC, Fitchburg, will discuss Sugar, by Bernice McFadden and the Women's Book Study of 1st Congregational UCC, Madison, is discussing A Dream Called Home, by Reyna Grane.

The youth of Orchard Ridge UCC, Madison, will be going to Birmingham, AL, for their Service/Mission trip in late July.

PASTORAL NEWS

Rev. Brad Brookins has been called as the interim minister for First UCC, Sauk City, effective May 31.

Rev. Gayle Tucker will be the pastor for Plymouth Congregational UCC, Madison, during Rev. Leslie Schenk's sabbatical absence July 4-August 15.

FRANZ'S ANNUAL MEETING ADDRESS

The newsletter of St. John's UCC, Monroe, called attention to the opening address by Conference Minister Rev. Franz Rigert at the Annual Meeting of the Conference in June.

"Comparing the conference to an Earth buffeted by climate change, (he told attendees) that despite the hurdles posed by the pandemic, the UCC in Wisconsin is poised to thrive."

"'It would be fair to say--here in the ecosystem of the Wisconsin Conference--we are also enduring plenty of climate change (such as a tornado and a drought of available ministers).

"'Amid the challenges, however, there is good news.'" He then pointed to our underlying strengths, such as our belonging to each other, our extravagant hospitality (even as we need to extend it 'to those who aren't quite as progressive as we might like', and our caring for the earth

'"'These values find exponential impact when embraced in the sweet space where the secular and the sacred come together...(and as) we partner our spiritual values we those beyond the church, we build a bigger beloved community.'"

The above are quotes from St. John's summary, but here is a vimeo of Franz's complete address. Here is the text of his remarks.

OUR WHOLE LIVES TRAINING

A three-day training at the Daycholah Center in Green Lake will be offered for persons who want to provide in their congregation the program, Our Whole Lives (OWL). This is a comprehensive human sexuality curriculum for elementary-age children through older adults. The training will be August 26-38.

The program in co-sponsored by the Wisconsin and Minnesota conferences, in partnership with the national setting of the UCC. It was developed by the UCC and the Unitarian Universalist Association. Cost is $375 for a shared double-occupancy room, meals and training for UCC participants.

Here are a few other details.

UCC WEBINAR: WAR IN UKRAINE AND FOSSIL FUEL PRODUCTION

The United Church of Christ webinar on Wednesday, July 6, 12:00 noon, will explore the way the fossil fuel industry is using the war in Ukraine to push for increasing production in the U.S. with its attendant threat to the environment. Register here.