Letter from Bonnie
Most of us who have been going to church for any part of our lives know the prayer called “The Lord’s Prayer.” Often children learn its name by the first two words of the traditional prayer, “Our Father.” I have always been fond of the New Zealand translation of the prayer, which is also used in the Maori and Polynesian cultures. The prayer reads,
“Eternal Spirit,
Earth-maker, Pain bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe;
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world;
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings;
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trial too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and forever. Amen.”1
Perhaps this Sunday, as the United States celebrates Mother’s Day, it is important to think of God as “Father and Mother of us all.” This year, maybe even more than in some other years, Mother’s Day may be a poignant day. Many of us will not be with our mothers due to social distancing. Many of us may have no mothers with whom to celebrate. Many of us, especially those who have struggled with motherhood or to become mothers, will have an exceptionally hard time. Yet, all of us are parented by our loving God – no matter whether we call God father, mother, creator, cosmic power, holy one, or one of the myriad names we have given for this being who birthed and blesses us. Perhaps this Sunday we can give thanks for the mothering love of God and of the women in our lives who nurture, bless, encourage, nudge, and love us. Perhaps there is something of a “mother” in all of us when we love one another as God loves us. I hope this week you feel the mothering, fathering, all-encompassing love of God and of the people in your life. Be blessed by love. Bonnie
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Join Us for 24 Hours of Interfaith Prayer
Join the United Church of Christ as we recognize Interfaith Day of Prayer,
Thursday, May 7 with 24 hours of prayer
. Like or follow our
Facebook page
to participate with ecumenical and interfaith partners and people of all faiths praying for wholeness and well-being during the pandemic.
As a church of extravagant welcome, the UCC invites friends to add prayers in many voices and languages on our Facebook channel beginning at 12:00 AM EDT Thursday and continuing throughout the day.
“Prayer is our spiritual currency as people of faith,” said the Rev. Traci Blackmon. "It is our primary means of exchange with a God called by many names in covenant with people who differ in being but share one breath. On this National Day of Prayer it is as important as it has ever been to be reminded of our interconnectedness with one another and all of creation. We are deeply grateful for this diverse group of faith leaders, serving in varied spaces, who have agreed to lead us in prayer each hour in ways that connect our hearts, honor the holy and amplify our cries. May it be so.”
We invite you to join us for this special Interfaith Day of Prayer event during these unsettling times.
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The Omega Center
The Sacrament of Everyday Life: A Conversation with Ilia
REGISTER FOR: A Zoom Conversation with Ilia
The only way God can break into our world.
Friday, May 8th, 4:00 pm – 5:30pm, ET USA
(UTC/GMT-4)
Join us online on May 8th for a Zoom conversation with Ilia, where we will explore awakening to this deep presence of God in the midst of our ordinary lives and help create the world unto the fullness of love.
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May 20 Bruce Epperly Book Study via Zoom
PSEC, PNEC and PCC clergy, lay leaders and friends are gathering on line to discuss
Faith in a Time of Pandemic
by Bruce G. Epperly
Wednesday, May 20
th
@ 3:00pm via Zoom
You can download or order the book here:
The Coronavirus is changing our church and culture (and the culture of church). It’s provoked isolation and self-interested individualism. It also inspires kindness, generosity, patience, and compassion. Facing the pandemic with God as our companion deepens our sense of agency as well as peace. Bruce Epperly’s very short treatise provides a theological, pastoral, and spiritual pathway to help us find a way through the wilderness of the Coronavirus pandemic. Joint the discussion!
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The Festival of Homiletics -- May 18-22, 2020 -- On-Line and Free
The World Needs Good Preaching…Now More than Ever
The Festival of Homiletics is moving online! And because there’s no better time than our current crisis to learn how to “preach a new earth,” registration for the virtual conference is totally FREE!
Preaching a New Earth: Climate and Creation
Be inspired by God’s Word proclaimed by some of the nation’s finest ministers and teachers. Experience the fellowship of hundreds of preachers. Learn and worship in an atmosphere that is dynamic, friendly, nurturing, and prophetic. Come renew, refresh, and recharge your spirit.
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“The Last Pastor: Faithfully Closing a Church”
Zoom Webinar
–
May 21st
How does closing a church impact pastors? Learn leadership skills that lead to grace-filled transformations and church closure in a zoom webinar with Gail Cafferata, author of
The Last Pastor: Faithfully Steering a Closing Church
.
Rev.
Cafferata will be speaking from her interviews and research with pastors who served closing congregations, as well as her own congregation’s experience.
Cafferata
helps pastors and church leaders understand the complexity of concluding a ministry with sensitivity to the spiritual and practical dimensions of closing a church. Register
here
for
The Last Pastor Zoom Webinar
on
Thursday, May 21
st
at 3 PM Eastern Time.
Hosted by Rev. David Schoen and sponsored by the UCC Church Building & Loan Fund.
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Phoebe Connecting Hearts Fundraising Campaign
The Philanthropy Team has put together a fundraising campaign for the month of May (and likely June) to raise funds for COVID-19 support at Phoebe. The goal is to raise $25,000 in unrestricted funds by utilizing a matching gift challenge.
We are very fortunate that Cura Hospitality and Citizens Bank have both agreed to release their 2020 PIA event sponsorships to unrestricted support for COVID. Their combined gifts total $25,000 and will serve as matching challenge grants for the campaign.
All of you have made a gift of support to Phoebe – thank you so much!
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FREE (for now) Online Learning
FULLER Formation
, is an online learning product that enables you to grow in your faith through access to a variety of guided lessons from Fuller experts. Join the 3,300+ FULLER Formation subscribers and get access to:
- 64 guided lessons that have been created specifically for FULLER Formation
- 9 new guided lessons that will be released in the upcoming months
- Content created in collaboration with organizational partners, including Missio Alliance
We are offering FULLER Formation for FREE to new users who would like to use our resources to grow in faith or serve their faith community. Click the button below to create an account and gain immediate access to our FULLER Formation resources on topics such as discipleship, hope, and spiritual practices.
No subscription is required until July 1, 2020.
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KEEPING YOU POSTED - UCC
- UCC plans Interfaith Day of Prayer May 7 online - Click for Information
- Beginning The Process - The United Church of Christ Board starts the renomination process for AGM Rev. Traci Blackmon, inviting the wider church to offer comments on her leadership. Read more
- When the Sacred Becomes Something Else What happens when evil tries to shake one’s faith? Listen to the podcast
- Pre-order your mask today...click here
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