Many UCC members, along with 50,000 other folks, participated in the 16th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at the Mall of America today. It’s become an annual tradition for many at UCC to attend this important fund raising event to help find a cure for Breast Cancer.
In my sermon today I talk about Strengthsfinder, a really interesting
on-line inventory that — as the name suggests — helps people to identify what their strengths are. I met Strengthsfinder through Jane Burg, a local "Strengths Coach" at a retreat with some clergy colleagues. As you’ll see in the sermon, it got me to thinking about St. Paul’s words, "Now there are a variety of gifts …" [1 Corinthians 12:4]
Many Gifts, One Spirit
Earlier this year, I went on a retreat with my clergy colleagues with whom I do Bible study every week. We spent part of our time together working with an interesting inventory called the Strengthsfinder. We each took about a half hour to fill out the questionnaire on the Internet, and then printed out the list of the five strengths that were identified by our responses. Jane Burg, who is a local Strengths Coach, then met with us to help us make use of this information.
This exercise turned out to be valuable in all sorts of ways.
Want a chance to talk about it? First UCC invites young adults (college students and recent grads) to our new program, Leadership 21.
Starting in the fall, this group will meet weekly for a variety of activities (prayerful and playful) that will help you explore your gifts and think about the ways you can use them in service to others. That might be ordained ministry, or then again it might not.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Fund for Theological Education, we can offer small stipends (equal to 4 hours of work-study) to participants.
Here’s more information and an application sheet — hope to hear from you soon!
In all of the media attention to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, PBS’s Bill Moyers has been a voice of reason and respect. You may have seen his interview with Rev. Wright (aired April 25 on PBS).
In the aftermath of Rev. Wright’s words at the National Press Club and elsewhere, Moyers has written a thoughtful essay about the situation, and particularly about the role of the media.
If you have friends who have jumped to conclusions about the UCC, pass this essay along to them, too.
Our congregation is honored to host a showing of the moving video, For the Bible Tells Me So, on Friday evening, May 16 at 7:00 pm at the church (300 Union Street in Northfield)
Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families — including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson — we discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard’s Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity.
This presentation is part of First UCC’s commitment (since 1994) to be an Open and Affirming congregation: No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!
Please invite your neighbors and friends to join us for this important look at the lives of families of faith.
The 3rd Annual Blessing of the Bikes drew such a large crowd that we couldn’t fit them all in one photo. It was a glorious day and Sandy blessed us all with great care and concern. We’re all ready for the 2008 riding season. What a fun event.
Caring for the earth is a spiritual discipline. As Sandy said in her sermon on Sunday, we care for creation because God loves creation and we love God. In that spirit, the Green Task Force is asking First UCC members to make their own pledge of carbon reduction.
FIRST, read the pledge below and check one or more things you will do.
SECOND, fill out the Minnesota Energy Challenge online (there’s a long and a short version).
Third, post this pledge where you can see it, give thanks to God’s creation by pursuing your goals, & return next year to report on what you have done & pledge action anew.
You can learn what other UCC churches are doing by reading this article from the United Church News.
We had a great Earth Day on May 4 — lots of displays and information after the service, and a sermon during the service that invited everyone to dig in the dirt, play in the water, and says Thanks to a tree.
Here’s the sermon — the title comes from the story of the Ascension in the book of Acts.
Seventh Sunday of Easter at First United Church of Christ, Northfield
Acts 1:6-14 ;1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11
The Ends of the Earth
It is an irresistible image for the artist: gather up your crayons, stir up the paints, unfold the easel, grab your camera. Jesus is lifted up to heaven on a cloud. The problem for us, of course, is that all of those wonderful works of art seem either quaint or naïve to us – we who know that heaven isn’t up and that clouds are not elevators.
You’ll want to be at Babcock Park at 5:00 pm on Sunday May 4 for the big season opener between our own Fighting Apostles and St. Dominic’s Blue Team.
Fighting Apostles spokesman Scott Richardson says St. Dominic’s is a tough opponent. “They actually practice!” he said.
Families of team members were delighted that this year’s opener is not on Mother’s Day. “It keeps me out of the doghouse,” opined Greg Muth.
The team’s entry fee to the Church Softball League is covered by the proceeds of last Sunday’s French Toast Breakfast. If you liked eating with them, you’ll love watching them play!
First UCC will hold it’s 3rd Annual Blessing of the Bikes on Sunday, May 4 right after worship. Bring your bike, trike, wagon, moped or motorcycle to be included in Sandy’s Blessing. We’ll meet in the church parking lot. Bring your friends and neighbors. It’s a fun event and we always have a great blessing.
I had the pleasure of preaching at Kathy’s ordination on April 19, and of presenting her the gifts from our congregation — a beautiful red stole that Mary Wood brought home from Bethlehem, and a quilt filled with signatures and good wishes of members and friends.
She chose First Corinthians 13 as the text for the sermon — the famous words about love that are often read at weddings. Here’s what I had to say about that …
Love and Work
This is not a wedding. I know it seems like it could be: we received beautiful invitations, many of us have traveled to get here, the church is decorated with flowers, the people are dressed in special clothing, promises will be made, there will be a reception afterwards, and – of course – we just heard a reading of First Corinthians 13.
Even though we are many weeks past our celebration of Easter, our brothers and sisters in the Orthodox traditions will be celebrating this Sunday, April 27!
The Orthodox tradition is rich in piety and liturgy. I had the pleasure of worshipping at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in San Anselmo, California (pictured here), during my sabbatical in January. My friend and I were warmly welcomed and we were touched by the beauty of the service, especially the music.
I bought their choir CD, and will take time to listen to it this Sunday — and send along our prayers for their sacred celebration of Easter.
Our good friend and former Pastoral Care Coordinator, Kathy Baughman, is being ordained on April 19 as a minister in the Unitarian Universalist Association.
I’ll be preaching the sermon for the ordination service, and Sue Mieska and I will be presenting this beautiful quilt that Tanya is holding in the picture. There are 48 white squares, each one with a message of love and good wishes for Kathy.
I had the honor (and delight!) of stitching the blocks together and doing the decorative quilting (using one of the long-armed quilting machines at Quilt Yourself up in Savage). Thanks to everyone who helped make this quilt-ful of good wishes!
Last week it was African drums, this week it is the Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble from St. Olaf College.
I’m delighted to welcome this talented group of musicians to our worship service on April 20. Led by St. Olaf faculty member Paul Niemisto, this group is unique in the upper Midwest — offering a special opportunity for tuba and euphonium (baritone horn) players to make a sonorous ensemble sound not often heard in concert.
This Sunday’s service will be led by our seminary intern, Damen Heitmann. I’ll be sitting in a pew, eager to hear his sermon, “The Walker.”
