"I will put my teaching in their minds and write it on their hearts..."
Jeremiah 31:33
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Calendar of Upcoming Events | |
Below are the weekly programs. You can find brief descriptions of these weekly programs on our website. Clickable links are in blue and italicized. | |
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Tuesday, July 2, NO Racial Justice Team Monthly Meeting (next meeting August 6)
Thursday, July 4, NO Office Hours - Happy 4th of July! Be Safe.
Sunday, July 7, 10:00 am, Worship, Birthday and Communion Sunday
Sunday, July 7, 5:30 - 7:00 pm, Teen Youth Monthly Meeting, Fellowship Area
Wednesday, July 10, 6:30 - 7:30 pm, Healing Prayer Service (In person & Online), Sanctuary
Thursday, July 11, NO SaLT Monthly Meeting - Rescheduled to 6/18
Sunday, July 14, 5:30 - 6:45 pm, Younger Youth Monthly Meeting, Fellowship Area
Tuesday, July 16, 6:30 - 8:00 pm, Creation Care Team Bi-Monthly Meeting, (In person & Online), Multipurpose Room
Thursday, July 18, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, Rescheduled SaLT Monthly Meeting, (In person & Online), Multipurpose Room
Thursday, July 18, NO NION Monthly Meeting
Sunday, July 21, 10:00 am Outdoor Worship Service
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Thank you to this weekend's volunteers!
Ushers/Greeters: Sue Haefner & Unknown volunteer
Hospitality Hosts: Peter & Amy Cavi
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Some Sad News To Share
Our beloved church member Jackie Cairns, long-time sweetheart of John Reed, passed away early Thursday morning this week. Our hearts go out to John and to Jackie's family, and to all of you who knew and loved Jackie. She was such a lovely and kind presence in our congregation for many years.
The family has not yet determined when the funeral service will take place, but as soon as we know an email will be sent out to all of you with the details.
If you would like to send John a card, here is his address:
John Reed
5601 Burke Rd. Apt. 212
Madison, WI 53718
| 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. | |
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News at McFarland UCC
(Note: Clickable links are blue and italicized.)
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SaLT Spot
June 13, 2024 Meeting
- Salt reviewed committee reports - there is so much great work being done by our committee and mission teams.
- SaLT approved the recommendation to remove a tree on church property that was damaged in a recent storm.
- Athletic Shoe fundraiser, collaborating with the local Lions Club, was discussed and SaLT is in favor of supporting this effort.
- Updating the photos in the Fellowship Hall was discussed and a request for action will be made.
- MUCC Directory and website updates continue. A recent security report revealed additional work that can be done with the church's technology resources.
- Older Youth will continue to fundraise for their mission trip after they return from their experience. They will share with the congregation about their trip on July 21st.
- The next SaLT meeting is rescheduled to July 18th due to scheduling conflicts.
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Lost and Found
There are MORE items in the "Lost and Found" basket located in the coat area:
Blanket
Bracelet
Earring
Cleaning cloth for eyeglasses (maroon)
Cooler
Prescription glasses
Thermal mug/cup
Water bottle
Yoga block
Yoga mat
Check the basket to see if they are yours. Unclaimed items to be donated 7/1/2024.
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Weekly Creation Care Tips -
Reduce/Reuse/Recycle
This week’s Tip: Recycle: It’s summertime which means large gatherings, often paired with any number and type of beverages, who doesn’t immediately think of the infamous “red cup”? While these colored #6 plastic cups may feel fun, they are NOT recyclable in our area. Per www.climateandcapitalmedia.com, Solo Cup Co. produces 7.4 BILLION cups/year that are used once, then tossed into landfills. Please consider a reusable cup, or at least purchase cups made from #1, #2, or #5 plastic which may be recycled if empty & clean. There are now recyclable aluminum options for cups, though they are more expensive. (cityofmadison.com)
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A Few Words from Pastor Bryan
...and the candidates
I watched the presidential debate last night. I imagine a lot of you did too.
No--these "few words" are not going to be about politics. They are about us as a community of faith and about us as individuals trying to stay centered in the Spirit of God (Love) in the midst of what's going on in our nation and in our world. And of course I'm speaking for myself here, but I have a feeling a lot of you probably felt some of the same things I did after watching the debate last night.
I felt sad, alarmed, a bit bewildered that we are where we are in this presidential year, weary and sick of being lied to, and on the verge of despair regarding the political process and the candidates the two major parties have put before us. That debate was painful to watch.
Forget the politics for a minute. Just as a fellow human, it was painful to watch President Biden struggle as he did. I'm not going to say more than that in this format. I have lots of feelings and opinions as I'm sure many of you do. All I'm saying here is that it was hard to watch him not do well in front of millions of people. My heart went out to him.
It was also painful to watch and listen to former president Trump. That's about all I'm going to say now. In fact I'll just say the exact same thing I said about Biden. It was hard to watch Trump not do well in front of millions of people. Yes, even that is an opinion I know, but I'll leave that there. Ask me if you want to know more about what I think and I'll be glad to speak to you as a fellow citizen and as a person of faith. And yes, in a different way, my heart went out to former president Trump as well. And to all of us watching.
But here's what I really want to say to us all. Our deepest call and gift to our nation and to our world, each other, and to ourselves at this point in history is to stay grounded and centered in the Spirit of God. The Spirit of Love. Kindness. Truth. Justice. Humility. To remember, as Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 13, that there are "three things that remain--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love." We need to remember that Energy is everything, and help each other avoid the pitfalls of losing ourselves in the negative energies of the politics of anger, arrogance, resentment, and blame. We need to remain open and humble even as we embrace, stand, and vote on the basis of our own deepest convictions and commitments to the common good and the well-being of all and especially those most exploited and marginalized. None of us have it all figured out. None of us are completely right, even when we are called to take a stand based on our beliefs. There is NEVER an excuse to stop loving someone, and there is great danger in "toxic certainty" on any side of any issue or argument. We need to stay deeply connected to the Spirit and not let any political process or reality or event cause us to forget who we are. We need to learn how to have discussions about hard issues without either losing our own voice or refusing to hear the positions of others.
I guess what I'm really saying here is that no matter how difficult or messed up this electoral year gets, we need to help each other be vessels of the best of who we are as people of Spirit and followers of Jesus. God is with us and within us (and ALL people and all of Creation) now, and no matter what happens in November, God will still be in the midst of Reality with us. The big challenge is staying conscious of the Truth that God is not somehow "separate" from us or from any aspect of our life together. Our gift to our society will be to enter into the hard conversations and processes of this electoral year as people who are grounded and centered in the Spirit of Love. Let's help each other do that and be that.
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." This world can get pretty heavy. I'm so glad Jesus knew we'd all need a rest now and then. Maybe especially after listening to a train wreck of a presidential debate. So let's pace ourselves. It's likely to be a very full year to come.
Well, I feel a little bit better. I hope you do too. And those thoughts about not being separate from God--because it's impossible to actually be separate from God--or for any aspect of life (like politics) to somehow be separate from God--made me think of one of my favorite little poems from the Sufi mystic poet Hafiz. I'll leave you with it.
Hope to see you Sunday,
Pastor Bryan
A Cushion For Your Head (by Hafiz)
Just sit there right now
Don’t do a thing
Just rest.
For your separation from God,
From love,
Is the hardest work
In this
World.
Let me bring you trays of food
And something
That you like to
Drink.
You can use my soft words
As a cushion
For your
Head.
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