FROM THE SENIOR MINISTER: The Real Easter |
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What would be the real Easter to you right now? Is there some dramatic event that, if it were to happen, would so surprise and amaze you that you would be completely blown away by it? I’ve been thinking about this question off and on for several weeks now. On the day after Easter I drove to John Knox Pavillion to receive my second covid vaccine and it felt like real Easter. A turning point. And in a few weeks many of us will gather on the front lawn for worship and I’m already longing for it and I have a hunch it will feel like real Easter.
The Bible paints for us two possible ways that folks experienced Easter. For some folks, it was a dramatic moment in which they knew that everything had changed, Jesus was alive and God’s love won a dramatic victory. But for other folks, it was a slow dawning. At first they just felt numb and lost and befuddled. But slowly, over time, they realized that he was alive in them. When they gathered together, the living Christ was there.
My hunch is that over the coming year, as we begin to re-emerge into communal life, that we will slowly discover ways in which we have been transformed. The poet Gerard Manley Hopkins prays, “Let him easter in us; be a dayspring to the dimness of us.” (The Wreck of the Deutschland) The miracle of Easter is that the God who raised Jesus, will raise us too. Begin to imagine what that may look like for you and those you love, for us as a community of faith and for the incredible planet we share.
Grace and Peace,
Carla
To send a message to Carla, click HERE.
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Sunday, April 11 - Mike Graves preaching "Luke's Front Porch" based on Acts 4:32-35.
Click HERE to worship with us.
Miss last Sunday's worship? Watch it HERE.
Do you ever have trouble accessing our live stream? Click HERE for some helpful hints. |
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COMING MAY 16
9:01 ON THE LAWN
Join us for our first in-person service in more than a year! Service will follow safety protocols and will continue throughout the summer. More details coming soon. We can't wait to see you in person!
Indoor services will also be streamed via cccckc.org at 9:01, 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. each Sunday.
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After more than two years of visioning, listening, dreaming and prayerfully discerning, the congregation is ready to launch a bold vision for the future with The Next 100 Centennial Gifts Campaign. You will be hearing much more about the vision and projects for this campaign in the coming days. Click HERE to read more, and plan to join us for these upcoming campaign events.
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ROOTS BIBLE & BRUNCH
Join us on Sun., April 11 from 12:15-1:30 p.m. for our April Roots Bible & Brunch! RSVP now.
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A LIFE WORTH LIVING COURSE
SPRING SESSION
April 14, 21, 28, May 5, 12, 7:00 p.m.
Register for the spring session of the Life Worth Living Course is now open. Click HERE for more information on the class and to register.
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FaithPub
April 15, 7:00 p.m., Backyard Tent
Hosted by Dr. Mike Graves, this popular men’s group meets for conversation on a host of spiritual topics, with a guest speaker each session.
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Monday Night Classes - Saints of Our Time
April 19, 26, and May 3, 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Led by Dr. Mike Graves
The word “saint” conjures up all sorts of things for us moderns, golden halos painted around ancient heads, people like Saint Augustine, or more recently, Saint Teresa. In these interactive Zoom sessions, we will look at some more modern saints and what they have to teach us ordinary saints in our day: Barbara Brown Taylor, Frederick Buechner, and Mary Oliver.
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EASTER OFFERING
It's not too late to give to this year's Easter Offering, supporting three agencies that offer true resurrection for their clients, moving them from support programs into fully independent living and working situations: Amethyst Place, The Grooming Project, and True Life Family Resource Center. Click HERE for more information. |
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Grace at Work Partnership Day with reStart
Sat., May 1 • 9:00 a.m. - Noon • reStart
Make plans to come help reStart create a usable outdoor space for their clients. We will be working to prep a small lot for a community garden and butterfly garden. Children 5 and older are welcome to help with their parents. Come for whatever stretch of time you are available. Please RSVP HERE. Confirmation and details will be emailed to registered volunteers a few days before. Our rain date will be on Sunday, May 2.
APRIL COLLECTION CONNECTION
Household Supplies for The Grooming Project
The Metro Mission team invites donations of toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, and kitchen size trash bags to support The Grooming Project. Donations may be brought to church between 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to the east entrance, or left in the teal box at the east entrance.
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CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Coming soon!
Club Kids for 3rd-5th graders, is an opportunity for fellowship and fun! Community-building games and activities are the focus of these fun gatherings.
- April 11: Club Kids - join us from 4:00-6:00 p.m. for a picnic
Children's Virtual Choir - Join us for a special Children’s Virtual Choir video performance! All children are welcome to participate. Practice at home and record your child singing along to the demo video. Videos will be compiled into all children singing “together.” We will share the finished video with all of you as well as use it for special music during our online service broadcast.
Submit videos by Sun., Apr. 25!
More about Children and Family Ministries HERE.
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YOUTH
April Social — Youth are invited to a scavenger hunt social on Sunday, April 11th! Middle Schoolers will meet at the plaza from 2:30-4:00 p.m. for a scavenger hunt, and high schoolers will meet in the Crossroads neighborhood for a scavenger hunt and outdoor dinner from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Summer Service Learning Trips - We are thrilled to announce our summer service-learning opportunities for 2021! This summer, we will host two service-learning weeks that will allow both middle and high schoolers a chance to serve, learn, and build memories together with local service-learning opportunities and one overnight component. Click HERE for more information.
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NATIVE PLANT SALE
Spring is here and we could all use some outside time so take a look at the native plants available for pre-order! These will arrive in time for spring planting! Restoring native plant habitat is vital to preserving biodiversity. By creating a native plant garden, each patch of habitat becomes part of a collective effort to nurture and sustain the living landscape for birds and other animals. And native plants are easier to take care of in your garden.
Pre-orders only, due by TODAY, April 9.
Click HERE for more information and order form. |
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