Ark and Dove,

We are very appreciative of your constant flexibility and patience as we work our way through this Pandemic. We also are appreciative for the many thoughtful dialogues that take place without sniping and discord. We need to stay nimble and loving, which we have, and all this as our nerves are frayed.

As our County Executive has declared a state of emergency, here is the update to the worship and education ministries:

9:00 AM Worship and 10:30 Sunday School cancelled for January 2 and 9.

10:30 Livestream Worship only for January 2 and 9. Only the Choir, Band, worship leaders, tech team and staff will be in the sanctuary.

Please read the Arkive every Friday for the latest plan.

We are grateful for you, the community of Ark and Dove.

In Christ,

Dear Friends and Members of the Ark and Dove Community,

We are getting ready for our exploration of the Book Nice Racism and we are finding that Robin Diangelo leads us into a significant level of personal examination about our own embedded and previously hidden racism. A pastor and a trained anti-racism leader peeling back the layers? We hope that this quote from Nice Racism will entice you into joining us on the journey.

“Then there are those who see no need to discuss race because they believe they are beyond race. Cultural commentator Jay Smooth points out the irony of believing that avoiding the conversation means that we are beyond the conversation. Smooth notes, “Most Americans avoid race conversations like the plague. And we often take our ability to avoid it and use it as a measure of our progress and enlightenment, which I think, is kind of telling in and of itself.” I cannot think of any other social issue where it is legitimately suggested that the most effective way to address that issue is to never speak of it. Imagine being urged not to speak of domestic violence, suicide, depression, sexual assault, or child abuse.”

Our aim is to create a Zoom space where people can grow. Years ago when we led a book group we talked about creating a “safe” place for conversation. We now realize that trying to create a safe space for white people to discuss racism is in fact an act of racism. How can we remain safe while people of color suffer because of the state of our society? We will treat each other like children of God so we can grow.

This book discussion will take place on Tuesday evenings for six weeks, in the season of Epiphany, starting January 11 at 7:00 PM. To sign up or for more information, contact Tim, tstern@Arkanddove.org, or Paula, trebleclef48@gmail.com

Peace,

 ~ John O’Donohue ~ from To Bless the Space Between Us

PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT for James Franklin's sister-in-law, Kelli Franklin; Amy Tardiff’s Aunt Fran; May Gilden; Richard Jasper; the Finnegan family; Amanda Crose; Laura Batten-Carbaugh; Nicole Chidlow's son, Jai; Logan Alexander; Michelle Schoonmaker's friend's children, Kai and Ezra; Frank Stillwell; Mary Caolo; David Johns; Carrie Dodson's friend Pam; Lou Kareha's cousin, Thomas Kochis, and friend, Nando Smacci; Louise Sharrocks; Angela Goska; Belinda Edwards; Karen Stokes; Ezra; Sarah and Bojan; Betty Small; a friend of Bob Fuller; the Unger family; Debbie and Bruce Arey's niece, Sarah; Calvin Latham; Brianna Lapp; Anne Hirschy's relative Isaiah and cousin Gordon; Diane Makar; Gabriele Mecca; Charlotte Davie; Hiley Green; Adell Gaurin; Dotty Kaufman; Carol Saylor; Ray Bussey's mother, Doris; Liz Olson; Margaret Floyd; Vaughn Brown; Patty and Steve Plander; Arlyce Lohr; Krista Klohr; Michelle Schoonmaker; Dick Paronto; Cheryl Walcutt’s sister Judy and mother; Christy Hipchen’s nephew and grandmother, Ann Chubon; Amy Hagemann’s sister, Susan Pratt; Mary Benson’s sister; Amy Carskadon Lifsey’s father-in-law, Bill Lifsey Sr.; Karen Dodson’s cousin, Miles, and Miles’ family; Helen Wilkens' mother, Jane Reinert; Christina Nelson’s grandmother, Patricia Dole; Judy Cooper’s daughter, Jessica Quigley; Paul Doughty’s mother, Ruth Doughty; Debbie Saylor’s sister, Christine; a member of the Tardiff family; Dionne Whitby's niece, Jannah; Dotty Kaufman’s daughter-in-law, Carol, granddaughter, Sarah, and grandson Nathan; Kathy Miller’s sister, Beth Krauth, and brother-in-law, Jeff Miller; Lewis Shorter and Lewis Shorter’s niece, Jennifer Schwandt-Gayle; Dot Forloine’s granddaughter Melisa Tucker Saatthoff, and her great-grandson Luke; Debbie Arey’s sister, Denise; Debbie and Bruce Arey’s daughter, Allison; Linda Taylor’s mother, Izola; Amy Goldberg’s grandmother, Ruth Cooper; Christy Yeager’s mother, Linda Jordan; Linda Jordan’s niece, Bonnie; Diane Johnson's Uncle Ed, Aunt Janet, and cousin Richard; Shelley Franklin's father; Amanda Wehage’s father, Dave, and sister; Laurie Barrow’s nephew, Gunther Kurtz; Sabonna Keeney’s mother; Bernabe and Griselda Solano, and Griselda's sister, Irma; Laura Doughty’s brother-in-law, Carl Hahn; Laura Willoughby's father, Norman; Ann Hirschy’s aunt, Cindy, and brother; Cheryl and Doug Walcutt’s grandchild, Gray Adacutt; Erika Sealing's grandmother, Margaret Schade; Lourdes Cordero's brother Jose, granddaughter, and friends, Fred and Arelene Jones; Linda Lewis’ friend, Carol Fudge; and Rob Yeager’s friends, Greta Daughtrey and Peter Brown.

THE LOVE AND PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION go out to the Debus and Swift families upon the death of Cathy Debus' cousin, Ed Swift.

THE LOVE AND PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION go out to the Kareha and Golden families upon the death of Lou and Yvonne Kareha's brother-in-law, Gerry Golden.

THE LOVE AND PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION go out to Wellington and Morgan families upon the death of Wendy Wellington's uncle, Robert Morgan.

THE LOVE AND PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION go out to the Gray and Naggard families upon the death of Trisha Gray's grandfather, Paul Naggard.

THE LOVE AND PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION go out to the Stavely and Gouldman families upon the death of Ryan Stavely's uncle, Jeff Gouldman.

THE LOVE AND PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION go out to the Franklin and Brown families upon the death of James Franklin's aunt, Barbara Franklin Brown.

THE LOVE AND PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION go out to the Sealing and Engelmeyer families upon the death of Addi Engelmeyer, niece of Ed and Erika Sealing.

PRAYERS OF HEALING AND STRENGTH for our families dealing with COVID.