December 04, 2024
Dear Beloved Community,
This week we get to hear from Rev. Polly, who will be talking about Peace, with the text Matthew 5:9 (Blessed are the peacemakers…). We'll spend some time with one of the world's best-known peacemakers, Dame Jane Goodall. In 2002, she was designated a U.N. Messenger of Peace, and has spent the years since then traveling the world sharing her knowledge and love of the environment, the animals we share it with, and how we can help.
I do hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with whomever you spent it, and I look forward to seeing all of you on Saturday at the party.
Peace and blessings!
-Jorge
December's Giving Sunday offering is for the Christmas Fund UCC. The Christmas Fund has been caring for active and retired clergy and lay employees of the United Church of Christ for over 100 years, providing emergency grants, supplementation of small annuities and health premiums, and Christmas “Thank You” gift checks each December to our lower-income retirees. Thanks for always being so generous with your gifts.
The Church Council recently clarified what monies in the collection plate go to our Giving Sunday recipient each month. On the first Sunday of the month (the "Giving Sunday"), the whole plate goes to the designated nonprofit. Any other time during the month you can contribute by way of a check with the name of the nonprofit in the memo line.
Recent sermons
Check out our YouTube page to see recent sermons. Go to our archive of slides to see bulletins and slides used during recent services.
Recordings of our Taize services are also on the YouTube page.
Upcoming services and events
Borg Discussion Group: Thursday, Dec 5, 7pm on Zoom. Read Chapter 8 of “Reading the Bible Again for the First Time” by Marcus Borg.
Musical Advent Calendar: begins Sunday, Dec 1. This is the fifth year for our musical Advent calendar. The calendar is a series of emails, one each morning of Advent, with a piece of Christmas music -- youtube clip, lyrics and a bit of history. What a way to start the day! If you've gotten it before you're still on the list. If you're new to it and would like to get the emails, let Polly know (it's not too late!).
Borg Discussion Group: Thursday, Dec 5, 7pm on Zoom. Read Chapter 8 of “Reading the Bible Again for the First Time” by Marcus Borg.
Congregational Meeting: Sunday, Dec 8 after worship. This is the annual meeting to approve the budget for the next calendar year. Please attend so we have a quorum!
Advent Taize Service: Friday, Dec 13, 7:30pm. This is my favorite Taize service of the whole year, because we get to sing contemplative Christmas music. Chris Trinidad will be here, this time with his bass, and we'll hear the poem "In the Stillness" by Katrina Shepherd. A lovely quiet time in the midst of Christmas activity.
Caroling the Neighborhood: Wednesday, Dec 18, 6 pm. Bring your friends and family and join us for an hour or so of singing for our neighbors. Finish up back at church with mulled cider and cookies.
Book Group: Sunday, Jan 26, 7pm, on Zoom. "Parable of the Sower" was such an impactful book that we decided to read the sequel, "Parable of the Talents." Octavia Butler was quite an author.
Links and resources
Masterworks Chorale's Christmas concerts are coming up, Dec 14 and 15, both at 4pm at CSSM (aka "the downtown church"). Saturday is especially for kids, with stories and cookies; Sunday is the grown-up concert. The music is beautiful either way. Info and tickets here.
Quote of the week
"What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." -- Dame Jane Goodall
Weekly events
• Meditation group: Wednesdays at 7:30 am
In person at the church building.
• Sunday worship: 10 am
In person at the church building.
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