Christian Education News
Galatians 5:1, 13-15, 22-25 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. -- For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.
July is the heart of the summer. Those who have planted a garden are beginning to eat of the bounty. School is out and some kids in swimming or perhaps tennis lessons are showing some resulting increase in skills. Some young ones have already experienced a session of summer camp. Some family vacations are complete and the stories and photos are being shared. Others are rushing around getting last minute things done before they load up the car or pack the suitcases for plane travel. July is often a month of changed schedules: where trips: vacations, camps, day trips, plane restrictions, are the topic of conversation. Whether we like it or not the wonderful changes and opportunities for travel and exploration that summer bring, also bring additional stress. For some staying home is the ideal summer. For others the more opportunities to go on trips, for a week or a day, Florida or a city museums, is the joy of the summer months. Often times these two people are in the same family group. Stress.
Some of us have lost our employment or have had hours cut. While we have legally mandated vacation for fulltime working adults, managing to clear ones desk so that you can feel comfortable about being away for a week, let alone two, can mean long days and lots of stress. Add cell phones, Blackberries and instant global communications of multiple types to the mix, and many adults never really leave the office behind. In times of an uncertain economy, many are secretly both glad for, and angered by, the technology that creates an invisible tether no matter where we are. The expense of travel has increased significantly in the last few years, and for some of us, it is out of the question. Stress.
Jesus understood a life lived in stress. The community of faithful followers came from the concurred peoples of the land. Opportunities in the Jewish community were few and far between. Many who took the only jobs offered to them by their Roman overlords, like tax collector, were at best looked down on and often despised. Corruption of one kind or another seemed to be around each corner, and as is common, the average person in the community bore much of the brunt of the challenges of the day. Jesus understood stress. Jesus also had a formula to combat stress.
What I love about the UCC is that it's about Jesus - not just Jesus who is on our side, but Jesus who calls us to walk by his side. #5 from "16 Ways to Say I Love My Church" ucc.org
I want to thank everyone who participated in the multi-generational Christmas Program. We are at our best when we gather to tell the stories of our Faith.
Christian Education - 2010
Book Club -
The Book Club is reading some interesting selections this summer:
Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar - Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein. Why Plato? This humorous, sometimes edgy book looks at one of the premiere influences in the Roman society of the times of Jesus and the following fledgling Christian Church. The Romans of Jesus day had had a long love affair with all things of ancient Greece. This look at the teachings of the perhaps premier philosopher of the Greeks gives great incite to the understandings and attitudes of the greater society of Jesus day, and helps us to understand that Christianity did not develop in a vacuum, but rather was highly influenced, for better or worse, by the society around it. A fun and informative read.
In Praise of Slowness - Challenging the Cult of Speed, by Carl Honore. Whether you think life as a whole moves much to quickly, or you are looking for some insite and focus to your meditation time, this is a wonderful essay on our modern need for speed, and what we may be sacrificing to spend our days in the "fast lane". A book our Board of Deacaons has chosen to concentrate on, we encourage everyone to take a look at this facinating study of the tempo of our lives.
Recent Suggestions: Annes Lamott's Plan B - Further Thoughts on Faith and Karen Armstrong's A History of God. If you have any questions please email me at kclerwin@aol.com or leave a message at the church office.
Sunday School and Sunday Youth Gathering, Rally Sunday is September 12th. Classes for all ages, nursery,c children and Youth will begin the following Sunday. Miss Claire works with our children, 1st through 6th grade. She has some wonderful Cooking Through the Bible lessons in the works for our grade schoolers, as well as some great kinetic and art orientated lessons. The Sunday Youth Gathering - SYG will gather for our lessons ands sessions, Bible teachings as they apply to life today, encouraging an understanding of the message and lessons of the Bible. We want to congratulate Lynn and Angel on the birth of their daughter. While they concentrate on their importnat role as new parents, we welcome Nate Brand who will be working with our Nursery children.
Communion Sundays: The continued participation of the SYG has been a blessing. We serve our congregation and God, and model faithful behavior for the younger kids in one sacred act of participation. Thank You.
May Christ's presence be with you!
Pastor Catherine
The Sunday Youth Gathering (SYG) is open to all youth from 7th grade through 12th grade.
Friends are always welcome!