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Central UCC
Central Congregational
United Church of Christ
 
IN THIS ISSUE
Sunday Worship: July 14
General Synod
General Synod
General Synod
Lena's Place July 13
First Aid August 13th & 20th
Serve at the Hagar's House Aug. 7, 8 & 9
Sunday Childcare
Sunday Ed: Chidren & Youth
Sunday Ed: Adults
Tuesday Evening Spiritual Practices
Spiritual Direction
Stock the Shelves for Toco Hills May & June
Prison Trip Drivers Needed
Substitute Dish Washers Needed
Bridge Players Wanted
Slate Stepping Stones Needed
 
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United Church of Christ 






Sunday, July 14, 2013
EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
PROPER 10 
 
LECTIONARY READINGS (Click to read them)
Rev. Ginnie, preaching
Focus Text: Luke 10:25-37

WORSHIP NOTES

 

The lawyer asked, "Who is my neighbor?" And we hear a story about a person lying in a ditch. After the priest and the Levite pass the person by, a Samaritan stops to take care of him. There are so many ways in which we are invited to be like the Samaritan. Sunday, I will be stretching this gospel story to a glorious gift that we pass by all too often without realizing that it too is fragile and bruised. If we expand our understanding of neighbor to include all life and all ecosystems, the entire community of earth, how would we live differently? The earth on which we live is asking us to reach out now in creative ways to bring the planet to greater health. We live in a culture of technological and energy-hungry comfort. The marketplace and the habits of our lives push us to ignore the drastic changes already occurring on our planet. And yet the Earth cradles us in it beauty and generosity. How can we, too, be a healing force, giving back to this Earth, our home? This is a huge paradigm shift in the way we see our world.

At General Synod:

Committee Commends End Of Mountaintop Removal To Delegates


Written by Eric Anderson ~ June 30, 2013

http://www.ucc.org/news/GS2013committee-mountaintop-removal.html

 

The ancient mountains of Appalachia have provided energy to U.S. citizens for over 150 years in the form of coal. Traditional mining methods have created uncountable tunnels beneath the earth, but today energy companies take a quicker approach: they blow the tops off the mountains, and dump the rubble into the valleys below. The rubble, laden with toxic minerals, has poisoned streams and driven communities into exile. A Resolution Study Committee has recommended that General Synod 2013 approve a resolution from the Central Atlantic Conference that calls for the practice to end.

 

Heather Moyer, a member of Six:Eight UCC in Baltimore, presented the shocking facts: over 500 mountains, over a million acres -- they're gone and they won't come back. Local residents see little economic benefit from mountaintop removal, which employs far fewer people than traditional methods. The Appalachian counties are consistently among the poorest in the United States, and populations are falling, with good reason. Cancer rates are 50 percent higher and birth defect rates are 42 percent higher in communities affected by mountaintop removal.

 

The committee considered broadening the resolution to include other massively destructive situations, including mountaintop removal in other parts of the world, but chose to keep the resolution focused. "We need a victory," said the Rev. Jim Deming, minister for environmental justice. A victory on this issue promises momentum to take on the next.

 

"The simpler the language and the more focused it is," he told the delegates, "the better off we are politically right now."

 

After a team of designated wordsmiths reviewed the text, the committee added language that encourages UCC members to educate themselves on the issue, and to promote legislation that ends mountaintop removal and valley fills. It further asks the UCC leadership to engage members of other religious traditions and environmental advocacy groups to invite their aid.

At General Synod: 

Resolution On Seminary Aid Sparks Debate

 

Written by Anthony Moujaes ~ July 8, 2013

http://www.ucc.org/news/GS2013-seminary-aid-resolution.html

 

The Ohio and Nebraska Conferences presented the "Resolution Calling For An All Church Offering For Supporting the Educational Expenses Of Members In Discernment Preparing For Authorized Ministry Of The United Church Of Christ". The purpose of this resolution is to develop a special offering to support students seeking a seminary education to prepare for ministry.

 

Crystal Silva-McCormick said. "This issue [of supporting seminarians financially] has been making rumblings for over a decade." In addition, the committee added language that allowed the officers of the church to consider "other funding initiatives."

 

There were other reasons for the committee's changes, including a staggering amount of accruing educational debt and the fact that most seminary students rely on loans for their education. Another reason was the desire to implement alternative methods of funding instead of just asking for a sixth all-church offering, which Silva-McCormick and others noted have declined.

 

Even the Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, the UCC General Minister and President, came to the microphone and spoke in favor of the amendment. "We have studied this carefully and we hold a firm conviction that seminary education is important, and it's important to find appropriate ways" to fund that education. He claimed the requirement of the all-church offering would "tie the Collegium's hands," he said. "We believe the option of special offerings or other options would be helpful."

At General Synod: 

On Making UCC Church Buildings More Carbon Neutral

 

 http://uccfiles.com/pdf/gs29-2-CarbonFootprints.pdf

 

Here is part of the resolution submitted by The Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ which is entitled "On Making UCC Church Buildings More Carbon Neutral".

This resolution affirms the urgency of responding to climate change and provides a framework for individual congregations, conferences, and the national church to address the largest contributing factor to climate change, the building sector, and respond to climate change by reducing and offsetting carbon emissions with the goal of becoming a carbon neutral denomination.

 

BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL AND ETHICAL RATIONALE

With wisdom, God created the world (Jer 10:12, Prov 3:19) and declared it "very good" (Gen 1). In the second account of creation God directed humanity to "till and care for" the Earth (Gen 20 2:15); thus establishing a mutual relationship between humanity and the land, which provided necessary sustenance for humanity (Gen 2:16). As a member of the community of all of creation, we are reminded in Romans to "live in harmony with one another" and "peaceably with all" (Rom 12:14, 18). There is no reason to assume that our community excludes any of creation, for the prophecy of peace includes all aspects of creation (Isa 11:6-9). Isaiah also warns that a broken covenant with God will look like an "earth [that] lies polluted under its inhabitants" (Isa 26 24:5). As creations of God, we are called to honor our relationships with God and the Earth in such a way that we live out the call "to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God" (Mic 6:8).

Lena's Place Coffee House 
Saturday, July 13: 8:00pm


Save the date!  Our own Margie Swint will be performing at Lena's Place on the second Saturday of July, the 11th at 8 p.m.  Margie was well-received last year when she and guitarist Ken Shearer treated attenders with their specialty, Celtic music.  Widely known in the North Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee areas, Margie often performs with the band, Caledonia Swing.   She is a certified music therapist and she and Ruben Swint are attending the Practical Theology class where Ruben is a major contributor.  Come support the charity of the month, Clifton Men's Night Shelter.  The other performer will be singer songwriter Melissa Brethauer, an Atlanta based  musician who performs in many parts of the country.  Looks like a great summer concert in the comfort of our own Fellowship Hall.  

 

Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and music starts at 8:00 PM with Margie. Good coffee, tea, soft drinks and snacks available for a donation. Admission is only $5.00. All proceeds will benefit Clifton Men's Shelter.

First Aid and CPR Classes in late summer at Central 

 

Judy Padgett, a member of Central UCC, has offered to teach a two evening certified First Aid / CPR class on Tuesday evenings 6:00 to 9:00 pm, August 13 & 20. If you would like to participate please let Charlotte or Ginnie know. The class is limited to 12 persons.

 

On Sunday, September 15, 12:30 PM, Judy will teach a short course on CPR and the AED machine. This gives you the knowledge you need but not a certification. This class, too, is limited to 12 persons. Contact Charlotte or Rev. Ginnie to sign up.

 

If you are a lead volunteer or are on staff at Central, you need to update your First Aid certification every two years. One person in each physical area of the church needs to be certified. For everyone, a knowledge of CPR and the AED machine is simple and helpful to know. If you can't make this class but are interested for another time, please contact us.

Mission Opportunity to Serve at Hagar's House

 

Central is supporting Hagar's House by serving dinners on August 7, 8, and 9.  Hagar's House is a shelter for women and their children in Decatur.  Central has been a part of the mission to serve meals at the shelter for several years.  Volunteers prepare meals, bring food to the shelter, set up the dining area, eat with the residents, and clean up after dinner.  If you would like to participate in this activity, contact Bill O'Steen.

Childcare on Sunday mornings

Childcare for infants to 1st Graders continues year round. During the summer, all the children needing childcare will be in Room 202.

  • The nursery (Room 201) is open for a quiet space for babies and parents. 
  • Childcare is available (Room 202) for infants to 1st Graders from 8:30 AM to 12:15 PM.
Children & Youth Sunday School Resumes in August
Adult Ongoing Sunday Education 
 

Practical Theology: A Just Peace Covenant Community (Room 204) 

Practical Theology:  A Just Peace Covenant Community Class studies and explores current issues and related actions.  Books written by biblical scholars, the Bible, and materials from the National UCC Office are utilized.  The class is currently studying "On God's Side:  What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn't Learned About Serving the Common Good,"  by Jim Wallis - Chapters 12 & 13 on Sunday, July 14th.

 

Questions? Contact George and Jackie.
Tuesday Eve Spiritual Practices 

 

COMPASSION MEDITATION: An On-Going Practice from 6:30 to 7:00 PM 

Do you already have a practice of meditation? Or are you a beginner? Whatever your experience may be, you're welcome to join the compassion meditation sitting and discussion from 6:30 to 7:30. Rev. Lou will answer questions about different approaches to meditation and provide practical suggestions to help you further incorporate this practice in your life.  Will not be in session July 30th or August 6th.

 

YOGA For All Levels: 7:00 to 8:00 PM 

Hatha yoga is a specific type of yoga that creates balance between the feminine and masculine aspects within all of us. The instructor is Molly Grubb. $10 per class.  Will not be in session July 30th & August 6th.

 

For more information, contact Rev. Lou Kavar,

Spiritual Direction  
with Rev. Lou Kavar, Minister-in-Covenant

Are you looking to explore the role spirituality plays in your life? Do you find that beliefs you once held no longer work for you?  In the midst of transitions, do you wonder how your values and beliefs come 
into play? Working with a spiritual director may be helpful for you. 

 

Spiritual direction is a process through which an individual explores, develops, and deepens the spiritual dimension of life with the aid and guidance of a director or coach. It is a process whose focus is to better integrate the spiritual dimension of life with other life dimensions, including relationships, work, and leisure interests.

 

The Rev. Lou Kavar is available to you as a spiritual director.  For more information, contact Rev. Lou (Click here).

Stock the Shelves for the Summer at Toco Hills Food Pantry

                                          

The Mission & Action Board is sponsoring a food drive in May and June to benefit the Toco Hills Food Pantry.  Please join us in providing healthy food for our neighbors.  The website includes a list of the best food to donate, some of the foods include:

 

Powdered Milk

Juices

Soups

Beans

Crackers

Canned Fish

Canned Vegetables

Rice

Canned Chicken

Canned fruits

Cereal

Canned Stews

Peanut Butter

Jelly

Baby Food

Instant Oatmeal

Hot Cereal

Dry Formula

 

Prison Trip Drivers Needed. Can You Give One Saturday a Year? 

For Atlanta families to visit a son, husband, father in prison they must have a car or friend with a car and gas money to travel 50-100 miles or more from Atlanta to where Georgia's state prisons are located. Even though nothing fights recidivism better than family support, too few prisoners are visited by family.  Every first Saturday of the month - and every other third Saturday, a Central member drives our church's small bus to take 12-13 passengers for a prison visit with a family member.  We caravan with two other churches' buses.  It is a day-long journey of service.  No special driver's license is required.  We have about 6 drivers in rotation.  If we had 12, most would drive just once or twice a year.  Each trip will feed you for 12 months, or more.  Contact Debbie Spearmanor   Geneva Benoit

 

 

Substitute Dish Washers Needed

Plymouth Harbor, the adult day care program held here on Central's campus, is looking for substitute dish washers on an 'as needed' basis.  If you are interested in being put on the call list please email Kay Coppage.
 

Bridge Players Wanted! 

 
The women's bridge would like to invite bridge players to join them on the last Wednesday of the month from 10:30 - 3 pm.  We also play on the second Wednesday of each month following Priscilla Circle from 12:30-3pm.  We encourage players of all levels to join us.  For more information contact Martene Stansbery  
Slate Stepping Stones Needed
 
The Gardening Team is continuing to make gardens in the parking lot islands. They need some slate for stepping stones through their gardens. If you happen to have some slate stepping stones at home that you no longer need, the church would gladly receive them. Please contact Ron Smith if you have questions. Thank you.