"I will put my teaching in their minds and write it on their hearts..."
Jeremiah 31:33
| | | Calendar of Upcoming Events | | |
Below are the weekly programs. Brief descriptions of these weekly programs are on our website.
Clickable links are in blue, underlined, and italicized.
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SUNDAY Choir Practice, 9 am in person, Sanctuary
Contact Tom Ludwig, if interested.
| | Below are the upcoming non-weekly events on the calendar happening at McFarland UCC for about the next month. All events are on the McFarland UCC calendar with Zoom links and additional information in the details/description area. Click the event on the McFarland UCC calendar to see the details. | | |
Wednesday, March 26 & Thursday, March 27, No Office Hours
Tuesday, April 1, 6:30 - 8:00 pm, Social Justice Collective Team Monthly Meeting, (In person & Online), Multipurpose Room
Friday, April 4, 6:30 - 8:30 pm, Waubesa Wetlands Film Screening, Sanctuary
Sunday, April 6, One Great Hour of Sharing Collection, Birthday and Communion Sunday
Sunday, April 6, 5:30-7:00 pm, Teen Youth Meeting at MUCC
Wednesday, April 9, 6:30 - 7:30 pm, Contemplative Service with Prayers for Healing (In person & Online), Sanctuary
Thursday, April 10, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, SaLT Monthly Meeting (In person & Online), Multipurpose Room
Sunday, April 13, 6:00 pm, Confirmation Meeting at Memorial UCC, 5705 Lacy Rd, Fitchburg
Thursday, April 17, 6:30 - 7:30 pm, Creation Care Team Extra Meeting (In person & Online), Multipurpose Room
Sunday, April 20, Easter Sunday
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Thank you to this weekend's volunteers!
Greeters/Ushers: Kathy Paulson
Hospitality Hosts: Amy & Peter Cavi
| | Resolve to get involved at McFarland UCC! Volunteer on Sunday. Join a ministry such as Racial Justice, Creation Care, Befrienders Care Team, SaLT, Youth ministry, Building & Ground Team, or others. Find out more by clicking here. | | |
News at McFarland UCC
Note: Clickable links are blue, underlined, and italicized.
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Spring Equinox Fire Ceremony
Tonight!! March 21, 6-8 pm
We hope you'll join us for this unifying, unique Spring Equinox Fire Ceremony. Pastor Bryan and I (Jessica Riphenburg of Be The Light) will weave our spiritual views and practices into this healing, uplifting ceremony.
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Meeting - We are the Guardrails Now. What can we do?
Sat. March 22, 2025, 2-5pm
Arbor Good Neighbor House, 2509 McDivitt Rd, Madison
Cider and coffee will be served. People are welcome to bring a treat to share. There will be a talking circle, learning, sharing, and discussion.
Reminder: Our 16th Wisconsin Grassroots Festival is Sat., May 10, 2025 at Mcfarland High School.
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Easter Flowers
Believe it or not, Easter is just around the corner. Our sanctuary will soon be decked out in beautiful spring-colored flowers. If you would like to purchase one or more of the flowers we use this year, please sign up for your choice of flowers and indicate if they are in honor of or in memory of someone. Click here to sign up with SignUpGenius.com (no account necessary).
Jean Duchrow will also have the signup in church with her each Sunday before Easter if you would like to sign up with her directly.
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Shamanic Journey and Potluck
Thursday, March 27, 6-8 pm
Are you ready to connect with your inner wisdom, receive divine guidance, and heal on a deeper level? Join us for a soul-nourishing experience in which we will take a shamanic journey together, share insights, and nourish our souls with community, food, creativity, and spirit. Click here to learn more and register. Next event: April 6, 1-4 pm
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An Invitation to Wonder: Waubesa Wetlands
Friday, April 4, 7-8:30 pm
As we approach Earth Day, we will be screening the film “An Invitation to Wonder: Waubesa Wetlands,” a journey into the world of Yahara River marshlands. We’ll hear about the importance of this critical resource from Cal DeWitt, wetland scientist from the Nelson Institute. He shares the wisdom he has learned from living on the marsh for more than 50 years. His 20-year-old grandson, a filmmaker, sets out on his own journey by canoe to explore and gain a deeper understanding of the marsh.
Join us for this beautiful and uplifting film, which will be shown in the church sanctuary on Friday, April 4 th , at 7:00-8:30 p.m. We will be joined by the filmmaker, Ben Albert, who will lead our Q&A session after the film.
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One Great Hour of Sharing 2025
Be The Light - April 6
For over 75 years, the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering (OGHS) has been helping American and Canadian Christians bring God’s hope and healing to hurting people domestically and around the world.
When you give to One Great Hour of Sharing, you are light for people in need. You offer light when disasters strike and when chronic conditions threaten families and communities. You are light not just in the immediate future, but also for the long haul. When you give, you restore not only structures but also transform lives. Your gift ensures that no matter how difficult the situation, light shines.
The One Great Hour of Sharing collection is Sunday, April 6. The theme is "Be the Light." Donations may be made via cash (mark the envelope with "OGHS"), check (memo=OGHS), or online.
Be the Light. Give to One Great Hour of Sharing.
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Earth Day Art
Sunday, April 6 during worship
Earth Day is Sunday, April 27! During Sunday worship on April 6, our youth (adults, if desired) can create an Earth Day image. Watercolor, crayons, and colored pencils will be available. The images will be posted for display after our Earth Day worship service on April 27.
You may also create an image on your own at home. You could even use upcycled materials. No art bigger than 8.5"x11" please. For the art made at home, bring your creation to the Earth Day worship service on Sunday, April 27, or drop it off at church beforehand.
If questions, contact Dawn Cogger: 608-358-7217 (text ok) or email.
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A Conversation on Climate Action with author
Brian McLaren
Submitted by Jayne Fischer
Brian McLaren is well-known for his books that deal with the intersection of religious faith and contemporary culture. In “Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart,” he engages with the catastrophic failure of both our religious and political leaders to address the dominant realities of our time: ecological overshoot, economic injustice, and the increasing likelihood of civilizational collapse.
We are very fortunate to have Brian joining us over Zoom on Wednesday, April 30th, at 6:30-8:00 p.m. Central Time.
He will discuss his four major scenarios in terms of where we are at this moment in history, and four aspects of how we might respond:
· Letting Go: A Path of Descent
· Letting Be: A Place of Insight
· Letting Come: A Path of Resilience
· Setting Free: A Path of Agile Engagement
Then he will engage with us in a Q&A format.
You do not need to have read the book to join this discussion! Brian wants to engage us in this work, saying that to address aspects of our climate crisis, whatever we do matters. Connect with others, focus on a key area, and create an action plan!
Please join us, either in person at McFarland UCC (5710 Anthony Street, McFarland) or on Zoom:
The Zoom Meeting link will be posted when we get closer to the meeting date.
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Next Befrienders Class Offering
Beginning May 3rd...
Submitted By Jean Duchrow
The Befrienders will be offering a new set of classes starting with a May 3 rd orientation from 9:00-11:00 am. Six classes will be held on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 8:00 beginning on May 7th. (We will not meet on the second Wednesday of each month so those wishing to attend the healing service
may do so.)
Zoom is always an option for these classes.
The classes we will be holding will be covering:
1. Prayer and Healing
2. Self Care and Boundaries
3. Living Alone, Hospital and Care Center Visiting
4. Depression
5. Persons with Disabilities.
We would welcome anyone interested in sharing with the group on any of the above topics.
Contact Jean Duchrow jeandu...@gmail.com if you are interested in taking the classes or sharing with the group on one of the topics we will be covering.
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We're waiting to go HOME!
Check out the "Lost and Found" basket under the coat rack in the Fellowship area and claim anything that is yours. These items pictured would like to be reunited with their owners.
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Weekly Creation Care Topic
Reduce/Reuse/Recycle
This week’s Tip: Lent Renewal: World Water Day As you reflect and seek renewal, choose to incorporate water conservation practices as a way to demonstrate your commitment to responsible stewardship of resources and the environment. Levi’s tells us to “Cram like a college kid. Load the laundry machine to capacity and save up to 310 L (almost 82 gal.) per month. Wear those jeans multiple times before washing; 15-20% of all water used in the home is in the laundry room.” Help to change this statistic: over 2 billion people lack access to clean water. (Source: Vox)
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Pastor Bryan Away
March 24 - March 31
Tom Ludwig to preach 3/30
If pastoral support is needed, contact
In case of more extreme emergencies, Pastor Kris Gorton of Memorial UCC in Fitchburg will also be available (608-438-6307).
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A Few Words from Pastor Bryan...
…and members & friends of McFarland UCC!
A Summary of our March 16th Congregational Meeting
I was delighted that so many of you joined us last Sunday after worship for our informal congregational meeting to discuss what it means for us to be the church at this moment in history. We met to discuss the implications of the many rapid and significant changes taking place in our country and in the world that are impacting all of us, especially regarding issues of social justice and compassion for some of the most vulnerable people among us.
I want to share my sense of the meeting with all of you. There are certain aspects of it that I will not discuss specifically here in this format in order to honor the privacy of some of us. I’ll just share my overall sense of the meeting and what we accomplished together.
I have to first just say how grateful and proud I was and am that we are who we are as a congregation. Our willingness to have the conversation at all and to proactively talk about what it means for us to be a faithful church in our current context is itself an indication of our health and maturity as a local congregation. It was a risk in some ways to have a conversation like this. We all knew it would mean going into some areas where fear and anger and very strong opinions are running deep. But I knew we were more than up to the challenge, and I knew that we would be led by God’s Spirit to meet each other in a constructive and loving tone of respect and openness.
I am more convinced than ever that community is actually strengthened rather than threatened when people gather to discuss topics that can be controversial and divisive. When we speak from our hearts and souls and truly listen to each other and honor each other as siblings in Christ, good things happen.
My best guess is that when we combine in-person and zoom participants there were at least 50 people present and probably more. That’s a fantastic turnout for a meeting of this nature. I’m sure there were a range of opinions and positions represented, but there was absolutely no conflict and everyone who wanted to speak was able to express themselves and know that they were heard.
I’m not going to mention names or try to recount specific conversations, but I do want to thank Russ St. Clair for soulfully starting us off by simply saying that he felt our faith compels us to speak up rather than be silent when we know something important needs to be said. I shared that his comment reminded me of the opening words of one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s most famous speeches given in April 1967 at Riverside Church in New York City. Dr. King began that controversial speech with these words;
“There is a time when silence is a form of betrayal.”
So we were not silent last Sunday, and we agreed that our church will find its voice in these turbulent times. We talked about the importance of responding to what’s going on as people of faith. There was conversation also about making sure that in our enthusiasm to speak out on issues of justice that we take care not to inadvertently call attention to ourselves in a way that might harm anyone who interacts with our congregation. We acknowledged the complexity of this and that we need to communicate well and be organized and strategic in any statements and actions we take.
There were some who felt strongly about taking direct action on certain issues. We discussed the difference between actions being taken officially by the church and actions taken by individuals or groups comprised of church members that we would support but not officially or publicly endorse. Again, we want to be wise and discerning in all of this. But we all agreed that we need to somehow respond when actions and policies in clear violation of core biblical truths such as justice, kindness, respect for all races, compassion for the poor, exploiting the earth, etc. are harming people. There was a consensus that we will encourage each other to find ways to do more than just talk about these things.
One significant change in our church Outreach Committee structure was announced that I think will facilitate our capacity to share ideas and take meaningful actions regarding social justice issues. We have decided that rather than have 4 separate groups to deal with the specific issues of Racial Justice, Immigration Justice (NION), LGBTQ+ advocacy, and Palestinian/Israeli justice issues, we will have one larger committee called the “Social Justice Collective,” and meet the first Tuesday of each month. This will bring all of these groups together at once and provide a perfect opportunity for us all to discuss what is going on in our nation as things unfold, and to encourage and support each other to create opportunities for education, advocacy, and direct action. The Creation Care Team will remain its own separate group at this time since there is enough going on in that specific group that they need to have their own regular meetings.
At the end of our meeting I asked what those gathered would like from me as your pastor regarding all of this. Anyone who knows me well at this point knows that I’m not going to blast away on social issues week after week during worship. I realize that many of us need a break from the intensity of "the world" sometimes and that we need to be encouraged and recharged spiritually when we come to church and not always be given a new set of marching orders.
I will always preach and teach as prayerfully and soulfully as possible, and if and when I address an issue that has political implications, it will not be about partisan politics. The consensus of the group is that you all want me to speak to what is going on in our world, and that as long as I clearly make the connection between what I have to say regarding an issue and our biblically based faith, that you will encourage me to preach as I feel led by God to do so. And I responded by saying I will indeed do that, and that I will NOT ever claim to be “infallible,” and that I welcome disagreement anytime as long as it is offered constructively and in a loving spirit and tone.
So that’s about it. And that’s a lot!! Again, I am just so grateful that we are who we are, and I can’t thank all of you enough for showing the faithfulness, maturity, courage, and wisdom that you all showed last Sunday.
As always, I am blessed beyond measure to be pastor of McFarland United Church of Christ!
See you Sunday I hope,
Pastor B
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