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The Union Church in Waban
Friday, July 3, 2020
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Online Worship - This Sunday
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Sunday, July 5th -
10:00 a.m.
Our first worship service of the summer.
"Growing" is our theme for the month of July. Each Sunday we will be exploring a practice that if cultivated may help us to grow in our capacity to love as Christ commands. This Sunday we will explore how we may cultivate a practice of trust.
Sunday is also a Communion Sunday. You are invited to come to worship with bread and cup at hand. In this time of physical distancing, remembering that we are One in Christ feels more powerful than ever. So let us take the common sustenance of life, bread and cup, blessed with the love and forgiveness of the Risen One to remind us that what ever distances us one from another and from God can be overcome through the reconciling love of God made manifest in Jesus our Christ.
[Jesus said]"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' (Matthew 22: 37-39)
To join us in worship please go
HERE.
Meeting ID: 865 4311 3195
Password: 108523
Call in: +1 646 558 8656
A copy of the bulletin is available HERE.
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Sunday Worship
Continues all Summer!
Throughout July and August we will continue to worship online at 10:00 am on Sundays. This is a change for us. Previously it was UCW custom to offer worship in July but then to suspend worship during the month of August.
While worship will continue on Sunday mornings as we are accustomed to, we
do hope that the summer will provide new and creative expressions of worship, as well as opportunities for greater lay involvement in leading prayers, preaching or offering musical or other creative and artistic expressions. If you are interested in contributing to the worship experience in July please be in touch with
Pastor Stacy. If August is better for you, please be in touch with
Pastor Amy.
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Do you have an offering you'd like to share?
Do you have an offering of creativity including music, dance, visual art, poetry, etc. you are interested in contributing during our program year and summer services? We would love to include your offering in our worship. Please reach out to Daon Drisdom at
[email protected] to discuss plans.
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Ways to Connect this Week
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Tea Time continues through July
We'd love to see you!
Tea time is a drop in gathering for anyone in the congregation young or old to say hello and connect with each other. Come share something you are experiencing or learning. Come hear how others in the community are doing and what is on their heart and minds. Grab a cup of tea and share in some conversation.
To join via Zoom go
HERE;
Meeting ID: 746 243 368
Password:
016341
or call +1 646 558 8656.
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Wednesday Morning Prayer
Every Wednesday at 7:30 a.m.
We begin with 20 minutes of meditative silence after which we speak aloud our prayers and light candles (if we have them) to help spread the light and warm of God's presence into the lives of those for whom we pray. We close with two prayers of blessing. The prayer of St. Francis and the Serenity Prayer. Please consider joining us. If you have any questions, please reach out to
Pastor Stacy
.
Join us on Zoom
HERE
,
Meeting ID: 825 631 369;
Password: 022055.
Or call in at
+1 646 558 8656
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Pastor Amy Away in July-
Pastor Amy will be taking some time for rest, renewal, and family in July - mostly communing with the trees in the White Mountains without reliable internet or cell service :) She'll be back for a few days in the middle of the month, and for all of August, but for any pastoral needs or other questions related to the church, please be in touch with Pastor Stacy in July. Her email is [email protected] and her cell is 617-759-9016.
Parents Group - Every Tuesday at 7:30 pm throughout the Summer!
Gather to connect, laugh and share mutual support as we do the good work of parenting in these challenging times. Annie Gatewood will lead this group while Pastor Amy is away, and will send a Zoom link to parents on our list. If you aren't on the parents list and would like to join us, please send Annie a note a
t
[email protected].
Sunday School & Youth Groups Break for July - Resources for Families
Sunday School, Story Time and our Youth Groups are taking a break for July! We'll be in touch in August with our plans for the end of the summer and fall. We hope and pray you find many moments of peace, rest and joy this month, as you stay safe and well. We also always welcome children to our 10:00 a.m. Sunday Worship services (on Zoom), which will also continue throughout the summer. In addition, below are some books, videos and other resources you may wish to explore as a family during these summer days:
Family Sunday School & Bible Study
About COVID-19 and Hope
About Racial Justice and the Equal Worth and Belovedness of ALL God's Children:
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Youth Groups & Exploring Our Faith
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High School and Middle School Youth Groups
Taking a Break in July
Stay Tuned for August!
Our Youth Groups will take a break this month, but we hope our High School pal groups will continue to connect, and we look forward to seeing everyone in August! In the meantime, we encourage youth and families to attend our Sunday morning 10am services; continue discussion and learning around issues of race and racial justice; and explore the Bible Project
Church at Home (
Pastor Stacy is also available to our youth and families in July for any pastoral support they many need while Pastor Amy is away on vacation.
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Advocates for Racial Justice
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Advocates for Racial Justice:
Recommended Reading
Study finds Black, subsidized renters face discrimination in Greater Boston
"Black people looking to rent apartments and those with Section 8 housing vouchers are discriminated against at a much higher rate than white renters in Greater Boston - and in many cases landlords are shutting out qualified renters, according to a new study released Wednesday. "
To read the full article by Catherine Carlock, Real Estate Editor of the Boston Business Journal please go HERE
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Thanks You Nica Supporters!
A BIG thank you to everyone who so generously donated to the Nicaragua offering for the June 7
th Sunday Service!
We raised $2125!
It has been donated it to Libraries For All in San Juan Del Sur (the organization founded by Jane Mirandette who spoke after the service) for their COVID relief efforts and is already being put to good use in a time of great strife.
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Can You Be Part of our On-going
Common Cathedral Team?
Summer Plans to Continue this Ministry
"If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come here because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."
- Lilla Watson
We are bound in powerful ways to our beloved unhoused brothers and sisters in Boston. Our team of UCW members continues to bring sandwiches, granola bars, fruit, socks and other
needed items - like cards and notes of love and support - to
Common Cathedral's Boston Warm Day Center each week.
We very much hope to continue to walk with our friends at Boston Warm over the summer. As Pastor Amy takes some vacation in July, we're looking for extra hands to help coordinate and drive donations to Boston.
- JOIN THE FOOD PREP & SUMMER COORDINATING TEAM: Most weeks, we sign up to bring 50-100 sandwiches. Can you make 25? Or perhaps you could help coordinate or drop-off donations? We're working on a Sign-up Doc to help us get organized. Please Contact Pastor Stacy ([email protected]) while Pastor Amy is away so we can add you to the list.
- DONATE GRANOLA BARS, TUBE SOCKS, UNDERWEAR OR CLEANING SUPPLIES: Contact Pastor Amy if you have items to donate, or bring them to the big green bin outside the elevator lobby at the church.
- CREATE CARDS, SIGNS : Help our friends at Boston Warm know they are not alone, and share your love and prayers with them. Cards from all-ages are so appreciated and cherished, hung on the walls of the center for all to see.
- PRAY & PRAY WITH AN ARTIST: Prayer makes a difference! The Artists in the community also left a number of works of art in our church building after this winter's Common Art Show. Rev. Mary has asked that we invite UCW members to take a piece of art home and hold the artist in prayer. Contact Amy if you can pray and host a piece of art in your home. There are still pieces that you can take home for the summer!
Thank you so much!
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2020_21 Stewardship Campaign
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Thank you to all who have returned their pledge forms for the 2020-2021 church year.
If you have not yet returned your pledge card, you can do so
here
.
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We, the members of The Union Church in Waban, true to our founding principle of being an inclusive church, covenant together to nourish and to sustain in our common life and practice a fully welcoming and affirming church for all persons. Welcoming all persons who seek to join with us in a commitment to love God and our neighbors, affirming the inclusive love of Jesus, we are open to all, without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, nationality, ability or economic circumstance. We invite all to full participation in our worship, membership, leadership and life of this church.
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In the aftermath of Mr. George Floyd's death at the hands of police in Minnesota, and the ensuing protest that erupted across the world in June 2020, City Mission invites you to sit in prayer for nine weeks to honor the life of Mr. Floyd and a call for God's justice.
The anguishing words spoken by Mr. Floyd are the inspiration for our Call for Prayer.
"It's my face... please I can't breathe"
"I did not do nothing serious"
"Mama, mama, mama"
"I'm through, I'm through"
"My stomach hurts, my neck hurts.... Some water or something"
"Please, please, please"
"Do not kill me"
"They gonna kill me"
"I can't breathe"
The Call for Prayer and Justice will launch on Juneteenth (June 19), also known as Freedom Day, and continue for nine weeks representing each of Mr. Floyd's last minutes of life. Each week we will post a new prayer on our website and provide a link on social media.
It is our sincere hope that you will join us and lift up these words with our strong voices so that Mr. Floyd's words will resound in our hearts and communities. We must pray without ceasing for courage, strength, and love to dismantle the malignancy of systemic racism, violence, and injustice.
To read more about the next nine weeks and the weekly prayers please visit our website.
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