"I will put my teaching in their minds and write it on their hearts..."
Jeremiah 31:33

March 24 - 31, 2023


You can find brief descriptions of these weekly programs on our website:
mcfarlanducc.org

SUNDAY Morning, 10 am Zoom Worship

https://zoom.us/j/97010988439 Password: betogether

SUNDAY , 11:30 a.m. Bible Study  in person and on zoom

https://zoom.us/j/262314649

MONDAY - FRIDAY, 8 am Morning Devotion

https://zoom.us/j/94276813637

WEDNESDAY Eve., 6:30 pm Midweek Inhale Spiritual Practices

https://zoom.us/j/123020606

Happening This Week

Sunday Worship

Sunday, March 26 at 10 am

(in person and on Zoom)

https://zoom.us/j/9701098843

Password: betogether

Also During March 26th Worship!


Special "Water Filter Noisy Offering!!" (Bring Your Loose Change to Church!)


Kids Will Have a Chance to Make the same Water Well Craft they made last Sunday!


Sheryl Rowe has put together a really special craft for kids to work on and complete during worship last Sunday and this coming Sunday. The photo here is of Clark Scullion with the crafts last Sunday! (photo used with Clark's dad Ty's permission). The Noisy Offering (loose change and paper money welcome!) will go to purchase a water filter that the kids from our church will send to people who don't have access to clean water. A filter only costs $40.00!


During worship this Sunday MUCC's Patrick Fernan will also present funds to the McFarland Food Pantry that were raised by the recent production of Neil Simon's "Rumors." As many of you will recall, Patrick and company have put on many productions as Food Pantry fundraisers in our church sanctuary. This year's set was beyond what could be pulled off in our space, so it was held at the high school. They held many rehearsals at our church before moving over to the other facility. We're always proud to be connected to these amazing productions in any way we can!

LAST SUNDAY - Postcard Writing Campaign to Get Out the Vote

The election on April 4th for the Wisconsin Supreme Court is critical and has serious implications for abortion policy, voting rights, fair maps and more. In 2019, the Supreme Court majority was decided by 5,000 votes, less than one vote per precinct. We can make a difference!


The MUCC Racial Justice team is partnering with Reclaim Our Vote, a campaign of the Center for Common Ground, to encourage under-represented voters to vote. We will send 250 postcards by March 27 to people of color from Milwaukee who are registered to vote but have not voted in the past couple of election cycles.


After Sunday services in March, you are invited to write postcards, following a template provided to us by Reclaim Our Vote. We will have postcards, pens, markers and the script on the tables outside the sanctuary for anyone who is interested in writing a few postcards. These handwritten postcards have an impact on people who receive them. Join us!

Tuesday, March 28th

6:30-8:00 p.m.

An Introduction to

The Enneagram !


Join us in person or via Zoom


MUCC Member Steve Davidson and I (Pastor Bryan) have been looking forward to offering this introduction to the Enneagram since before the pandemic. It's finally time! Steve has studied the Enneagram extensively and will lead us in an overview of this amazing tool for personal awareness and growth. The Enneagram is a personality typology of sorts, with roots in several spiritual traditions as well as depth psychology. I have often referred to the Enneagram as the single greatest tool I've come across for becoming more self-aware and awake. Please join us and bring your friends. If you've never worked with the Ennegram you will be amazed by the profundity of this amazing tool.

Sunday, April 2nd, Palm Sunday

With guidance from our Ecojustice team, our palms come from Catholic Supply of St Louis. Their supplier in Texas is fair trade, grows and harvests the palms with a focus on protecting the environment. The supplier works in partnership with The Texas Land Conservancy where 300 acres of permanent nature preserve are set aside and protected. The preserve is located within one of the poorest counties in the U.S. By purchasing from this supplier, MUCC is helping to support over 200 workers who are treated with dignity and receive fair wages.

Opportunities and Things Coming Up

Sunday Afternoon, April 2nd, 2:30 p.m.


A Chance To Hear Our Former MUCC Pastor Kerri Parker and Others Preach!


"Against Racism in the Body of Christ"


Join us for a very timely event on Sunday, April 2. The Revival Against Racism in the Body of Christ has two speakers: Revivalist minister, Wanda Smith and Rev. Kerri Parker! It will be at 2:30 PM in the S. S. Morris Community AME Church, 3511 Milwaukee Street, Madison. If you wish to carpool, we will leave from the MUCC at 1:40 PM. If you have questions, contact Martha Olsen 405-714-4002.

Tuesday, April 4⋅6:30 – 7:30pm

Racial Justice Team Meeting


The Racial Justice team works to bring awareness of racial justice issues and to make a difference by planning activities and inspiring change. We'll be discussing actions to take in response to our recent "Color of Comprise" series. We welcome anyone who has an interest in working towards racial justice. We meet the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the church as well as on Zoom. The Zoom link and password is the same used for Morning Worship:


https://zoom.us/j/97010988439

(Usual Sunday Password)

Easter Flowers

Deadline Noon on Wed., April 4

We have placed our order for Easter plants to brighten our sanctuary on Easter Sunday morning, April 9. You have the opportunity to purchase one of the plants for your own enjoyment after Easter Sunday or to plant in your own garden. You may also consider honoring a loved one with your plant purchase.


Here are the plants available:

10 - Easter lilies ($17)

1 - Hydrangea ($33)

2 - Mums ($18)

3 - Hyacinth ($13)


You can sent your request by Tuesday, April 4, 2023 to Ginger at office@mcfarlanducc.org or sign up for a plant using Sign Up Genius on MUCC's website. Please include your name, what plant you want to purchase and the name of your loved one, if you are honoring someone with your plant purchase.


Payment for Easter plants can be check or cash (please include info that indicates that your contribution is for an Easter plant) or online (use General Fund, add a note to indicate your contribution is for an Easter Plant). Questions about payment can be addressed to Joan Jacobsen at treasurer@mcfarlanducc.org.

Holy Week and Easter Schedule

All services will be in person and on Zoom with the usual Sunday link and password.

Easter Fellowship and Easter Egg Hunt before Easter Sunday Worship

Start your Easter Sunday morning with an opportunity for fellowship BEFORE worship service. We will be serving coffee cake, muffins, donuts, fresh fruit, juice and our usual coffee and tea starting about 9:15 am on Easter morning, April 9th. Plan to join us for conversation and refreshments as we gather for our Easter celebration.

About 9:30 am the annual Easter Egg Hunt will start as we send our young ones outside in search of Easter Eggs and treats.

Discussion with Author

Daniel Cooperrider about his book,

"Speak With the Earth and It Will Teach You"


MUCC has been invited to join Memorial UCC in Fitchburg in reading and discussing "Speak With the Earth and It Will Teach You" by Daniel Cooperrider, UCC pastor. His book offers an adventure through nature, with a call to care for creation, by considering The Bible from a different perspective than we may be used to doing. Meeting dates are yet to be determined but likely to start after Easter giving time to order the book and start the first section. We anticipate meeting outside in nature to discuss the book, first section by a river. Details on when and where coming soon.


Daniel will also be joining us April 23 for our Earth Day celebration Sunday service at MUCC so we will have a chance to meet him in person as well. 

A Few Words From Pastor Bryan


An interesting new friend and his music...


Most of you know I've been involved with music ministry as a singer/songwriter for quite a few years. That's what I did full-time for over 30 years before becoming pastor of McFarland UCC in December of 2018.


In 2016 I and some other progressive Christian artists and theologians (Brian McLaren, Ken Medema, Otis Moss III, Christopher Grundy, The band "The Many," Andra Moran, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan and others) launched a company called The Convergence Music Project (CMP). It's an online source of music for worship with lyrics and messages that line up with the book I published in 2012 called, The 6 Marks of Progressive Christian Worship Music. If you're curious about CMP here's a link to the website. There's a video on the home page in which I explain what it's all about.


Given that being your pastor takes up most of my time, I'm not able to put too much energy into CMP, but it and Haiti Allies get a good deal of my spare time when I'm not doing church stuff. The company is growing nicely, primarily because it's really the only such company in existence that is defined by the theology of the lyrics. More and more people are joining the progressive Christian movement, and so CMP is beginning to draw more attention without much effort on my part at all.


About two weeks ago, out of the blue, I received an email from a guy named Noel Paul Stookey. He very humbly introduced himself saying, "If you're old enough, you may remember the folk band, "Peter, Paul, and Mary. Well I'm 'Paul' from that group." Of course I knew who he was! His reason for reaching out was that several people had suggested he contact me and CMP to see if we'd be interested in featuring some of his music on our site. He identifies as a progressive Christian these days. So he and I have been communicating, and he's sent me some of his newer music. It's really wonderful, and that dude is aging well! Here's a link to a live recording of him doing a song called "For The Love Of It All" that dovetails perfectly with our church's commitment to eco-justice and creation care and about the Love that's at the heart of the Gospel as we understand it. I think you'll love the song, and his performance is beautiful.


What I haven't shared with Noel yet is that I actually met him a few times when I was a kid. Mary Travers, the "Mary" of Peter, Paul, and Mary, lived in an apartment above my father on East 58th St. in Manhattan. My dad was a fashion designer, and he often made dresses for Mary to use in her performances and media appearances. When I'd go to New York to visit my dad at about age 7 or so, I'd always go upstairs and play with Mary's daughter Erica who was my age. Peter Yarrow and Noel were often in and out of the apartment. Small world, huh? I remember Erica used to go around singing, "Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet, but the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat." I thought it was a stupid thing to sing. What did I know... Small world, huh?


Life is full of surprises. May yours be wonderful this week. Who knows, maybe we'll get Noel to come and do a concert at our church?


What a blast it is to be alive, and to be your pastor. Thanks once again for the privilege it is to be among you.


Pastor Bryan

608-838-9322 
5710 Anthony St.
McFarland WI 53558
mcfarlanducc.org
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Pastor Bryan Sirchio
608-577-8716
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