"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. | | |
Friday, April 4, 7:00 - 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
Wednesday, April 16, 6:30 - 7:30 pm, Alabaster Wednesday Service (In person & Online)
Thursday, April 17, 6:30 pm, Maudy Thursday Service (In person & Online)
Friday, April 18, 6:30 pm, Good Friday Service (In person & Online)
Sunday, April 20, Easter Sunday, 9:00 - 9:45 am Conversation & Light Breakfast, 9:30 Easter Egg Hunt, 10:00 am Service
Wednesday, April 30, 6:30 - 8:00 pm, A Conversation on Climate Action with Brian McLaren (In person & Online), Sanctuary
Sunday, May 4, 5:30-7:00 pm, Teen Youth Meeting at Memorial UCC, 5705 Lacy Rd, Fitchburg
Tuesday, May 6, 6:30 - 8:00 pm, Social Justice Collective Team Monthly Meeting, (In person & Online), Multipurpose Room
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Thank you to this weekend's volunteers!
Greeters/Ushers: Cameron Macdonald
Hospitality Hosts: Judy St. Clair, Cody DeWayne Shingler, Joan Jacobsen, Julie Woodward
| | 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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An Invitation to Wonder: Waubesa Wetlands
TONIGHT (4/4), 7-8:30 pm
Tonight there will be a screening of 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 tonight (4/4), 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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Social Justice Collective Action Opportunity
Submitted by Lynn Belleau
The Social Justice Collective group met on Tuesday, April 1, and discussed mobilizing a group of people from church to attend the Hand’s OFF protest that will take place this Saturday, April 5, at the Madison Capital. Anyone who wants to join us can meet in the church parking lot at 10:45 am. Carpool groups will promptly leave at 11 am. The rally will take place from 12 pm until 3 pm. For anyone who wants to meet us at the Capital, we will meet in front of the Park Hotel, which is across the street from where people are gathering for the event. We are expecting a lot of people — big, big crowds! You are invited to join us if you support this cause!
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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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Easter Fellowship and Easter Egg Hunt Before Easter Sunday Worship - April 20
Start your Easter Sunday morning with an opportunity for fellowship BEFORE worship service. We will be serving coffee cake and donuts along with fresh fruit, juice and our usual hot beverages starting about 9:00 am on Easter morning, April 20. 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. Please bring a basket or bag to collect the eggs that will be hidden outside around the church property.
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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 30, 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 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 3
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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Learn About Zionism
If you are trying to understand the mentality of Zionism that allows for the current State of Israel’s behaviors, check out this video featuring author and physician Gabor Mate. In “Gabor Maté: Gaza, Zionism, and the ‘exploitation’ of Jewish trauma,” he shares his story as a Holocaust survivor and former Zionist whose journey eventually led him to become an advocate for a just peace in the Middle East. – Submitted by the Wisconsin Conference Palestine Working Group via Harriet Taylor.
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Social Justice Collective Update
As announced previously the racial justice, immigration justice (NION), LBGTQ+ outreach, and Palestinian/Israeli ministries have all been combined under one umbrella group, which is "Social Justice Collective."
To go along with this change there is now an email address that may be used to email the Social Justice Collective team. It is socialjusti...@mcfarlanducc.org. If socialjusti...@mcfarlanducc.org is typed in as the receiver's email address, the email will go to all members of that group. The Racial Justice (racial...@mcfarlanducc.org) and NION (ni...@mcfarlanducc.org) Google Groups and their email addressees are no longer valid.
Other aspects, such as the logo and website, will be updated over time.
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Weekly Creation Care Topic
Reduce/Reuse/Recycle
This week’s Tip: Lent Renewal: Shifting diets away from so much beef and toward more plants, is a win for the climate. Producing beef requires 20 times more land and emits 20 times more greenhouse gas emissions than producing common plant-based proteins. Consider eating beans, legumes, nuts, and other high-protein grains like quinoa 1-2x/week. Check out this article for strategies to eat more plant-rich food.
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A Few Words from Pastor Bryan
…and Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
A friend sent me this poem by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer recently. I’m going to invite you to read it and then my “few words” for this week will follow.
What I Know of Love When Times Are Dark
By Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
And if you can’t find a candle,
Then light the wick of your wonder.
And if you can’t find your wonder,
Then now might be a good time
to pray. And if you don’t
know how to pray
then perhaps you are doing it right.
What do I know of prayer?
Only that every prayer that has saved me
is a prayer that has found me
instead of the other way round—
a prayer that comes through me,
as if I am nothing more
than flesh in service to a prayer.
And if there is a candle, then light it.
And if there is a candle, ask it
to be your teacher. And if there is
a candle, notice how far its light
can reach. See if you, too, can touch
the world as generously as a candle,
just that far, holding back not even
the tiniest measure of love.
There are several lines and images from this poem that speak to me. The whole metaphor of the candle and light reminded me of John 1:5, which says, speaking of Christ (or the Logos or Word) coming to earth;
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness will not overtake it.”
I also thought of Matthew 5:14, where Jesus says to the disciples (and therefore to all of us);
“You are the light of the world.”
I really do think our deepest and most powerful calling is to “Be Light” in this world. As Anne Lamotte once wrote, “Lighthouses don’t need to run around looking for someone to shine on. They just shine. That’s their job. The Light does the work.”
This poem also made me think about the saying (I don’t know the source), “I’d rather light a candle than curse the darkness.” I love that as well and it feels deeply important at this moment in history. I want to put my energy into lighting candles and not just shouting at all that’s dark or wrong. As Richard Rohr often says, “the best critique of the bad is the practice of the better.” Yes to all of that. That’s how and where I want to offer and invest and spend my time and energy. Tomorrow when I participate in the rally at the Capital Building in Madison, I will be there as one who is trying to be and share God’s healing Light and Love. I won’t be shouting at the problems as I perceive them. My energy is not going to be “oppositional.” Instead, I’ll be standing FOR the Love that will lead the way to just and compassionate solutions and to building bridges of understanding and healing wherever possible.
Jesus was never interested in simply deepening divisions or polarities. As his follower, I’m not either. That being said, there is a time for Love to be willing to “get in the way”—to step in between forces that are deliberately trying to harm or disregard the dignity of others and those who may be harmed, and to prevent that devastation from continuing. There are times when those doing harm to others must be stopped as quickly as possible. One interpretation of the cross of Jesus that means a lot to me is to see it as Jesus saying, in essence, “If you want to deliberately harm or disregard the image of God in anyone—then you have to go through me.” And they did of course. Those who “get in the way” should never do so naively. There could very well be a painful price to pay. I don’t romanticize any of that. All I know is that if and when I am ever called to “get in the way”-- I will do so non-violently and with as much kindness and respect for those I am trying to stop as possible.
But the line that really grabbed me was this one;
And if you don’t
know how to pray
then perhaps you are doing it right.
I love this. This opens up the humility that is needed to bring our mercy and justice (Micah 6:8) together in creative and life-giving ways. And I don’t think any of us know exactly how to do that, or even what it looks like. At this point I’m most uneasy around anyone who is too sure they know exactly what is needed right now.
What do I know of prayer?
Only that every prayer that has saved me
is a prayer that has found me
instead of the other way round—
This also rings true to me. As I’ve said many times in church, and often in one of my Pastoral Prayers, “God, we don’t really know how prayer works. But we believe that when we unite our intentions and energy and focus on behalf of the wellbeing of others and in the Name of Divine healing and truth and love, that something powerful happens.” I don’t really understand how that works. But I am willing to risk placing everything—my own wellbeing and security and the welfare of the world itself--in God’s hands and to trust God with all of it.
Has a prayer ever found you? Can you relate to that line? I can. There’ve been times when the best thing I could do in prayer was to get out of the way. When that happens to me my prayer might be something like this; “God, I haven’t got a clue now. I don’t know what to do. What to pray for. What to really even hope for. Nothing feels easy or crystal clear. Something’s off but I can’t put my finger on it. Can you God? If you can, will you please figure out a way to give me/us what you know I/we really need? Cause I really don’t even know what to ask for right now.”
And to be “as generous as a candle.” That touches me deeply. I burn a lot of candles. And they don’t last forever. Just like us. Ash Wednesday once again. But as they burn, they offer it all. Clearly. Purely. Without hesitation or reservation or resentment (or codependency!). They give all they have and all they are—in the simplest and healthiest way--to be and offer light.
Let’s be more like candles. As individuals, and as a church—may we be as generous as the candles we light each week at the beginning of worship, in our homes, and in all of life.
Hope to see you Sunday,
Pastor B
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