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Several folks have asked about the two stories I read in church on December 27. Here they are — I’ve given you the links to amazon.com because they have full publication information. Snowmen at Christmas, by Caralyn Buehner, pictures by Mark Buehner Great Joy by Kate Dicamillo, Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline The UCC has a long record of advocating for change in our health care system, and a commitment to health care for all. Here’s a link to information about our position, and about things you can do to move this important work forward. Here’s an excerpt from the Pastoral Letter: As people of faith we believe [...] Many of you have asked for an easy way to print the items posted here — sermons, announcements, even pictures. Here’s how to do it: Click on the title of the post you want to print; this will take you to the whole item on its own page Our 2007-08 Seminary Intern, Damen Heitmann, who graduated in May, is the focus of an profile in this year’s Annual Report from the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. Damen is pictured in our sanctuary, speaking with long-time member Ian Barbour, one of the many people who have helped Damen to live a life [...] The UCC General Synod (our biennial national gathering) honors many individuals and groups — and this year, that included us! Our congregation was recognized for our extraordinary generosity to Our Church’s Wider Mission — we’re in the top tier of givers, with over $60,000 contributed last year. We are one of the smallest (maybe the [...] The United Church of Christ General Synod begins Friday, June 26, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Every two years, delegates from all over the country come together to worship, work, and make decisions for our church. This year you can follow all the action from home. Click here to get details on all the ways you [...] If you are like me, you are a little wary of “devotional” readings. They often seem trite or simplistic, or worse, are based on a theology that I don’t agree with. I want to encourage you to try out the UCC’s Daily Devotional. These are thoughtful reflections, written by clergy and lay leaders around the [...] I’d like to invite you to add some conversation to our website. Whenever you see something new posted here, there’s a place at the bottom to click if you would like to make a comment about what you have just read. (Don’t be confused if it says “No Comments” — that just means “no [...] I had the honor of offering the opening prayer for the Minnesota House of Representatives at their session on Monday afternoon. I have done this several times in the past (also for the State Senate) and think of it as my yearly civics lesson. This time, I took my inspiration from the prayer that [...] This is the week of prayer for Christian Unity and (for Open & Affirming churches like ours) Welcoming Sunday. The Biblical text is the story of the calling of the first disciples — see how I wove patchwork quilts into all of those themes! And if you would like to see the quilts, check [...] Every year we have a quiet service on the first Sunday of January as a way of entering gently and reflectively into the new year. Along with quiet music and silent prayer, the sermon is replaced by lectio divina, an ancient practice for entering prayerfully into the reading of scripture. The passage we chose this [...] If you are hoping to have a more meaningful Christmas with your family this year, consider sharing this simple service sometime on Christmas Eve. Take a few minutes for everyone to settle down, gather around your table, light a candle, and read the words of scripture that make this truly a “holy night.” You may [...] Want to liven up your Christmas caroling this year? How about singing an old standard (Irving Berlin’s White Christmas), but in LATIN? Here are the words, compliments of our music director Chris Brunelle (who also teaches classics at St. Olaf). Te decent nives, nox Christi, similliman praeteritis: renitet cacumen, in natum numen pubes gaudet phaleris. Te decent [...] As you and your family get ready for Christmas, I hope you will do more than wrap gifts and send greeting cards. The church gets ready for Christmas by celebrating the season of Advent, a time of watching and waiting. Why not start a tradition of lighting Advent Candles each week to help mark the [...] For the last year, I have volunteered my time to help make Quilts of Valor — quilts that are presented to members of the military who are returning home with wounds to body, mind or spirit. I learned about Quilts of Valor at Quilt Yourself, a studio in Savage where I learned to use a [...] |
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