The Season of Pentecost is an invitation to dream.
CENTRAL CONGREGATIONAL
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
Sunday, June 5, 2016 
Third Sunday of Pentecost
Worship at 8:30am & at 11:00am (Communion at both services)
Preaching: Rev. Shannon Michael
Pericope of the day: Luke 7:11-17
Worship Notes:
In the pericope for Sunday, two crowds meet as a woman who has previously buried her husband is following the funeral bier of her only son.  She is devastated, desperate and profoundly vulnerable.  But in this tender text, many (maybe even Jesus) are transformed - beware of looking for "fairness," instead, look for an "awaken" to the Presence of a God who is in the crowd of both groups.

A portion of the liturgy for the day will include a quote from Rilke:
...I would like to beg you ... as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.

BE SURE TO SEE THE NOTE BELOW ABOUT THE CONGREGATIONAL MEETING - LOTS OF CELEBRATION ON SUNDAY!
BUDGET AND LEADERSHIP 
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING: Sunday, JUNE 5
The annual Budget and Leadership Election Meeting will be on Sunday, June 5, following worship.  Items on the agenda include:
  1.  The 2016-2017 Operating Budget
  2. Amendments to The Articles that are intended to remove the "mandatory" term limits on boards and committees and continues our suspension of the Board of Christian Stewardship.  (The full text of the proposed amendments is available in the church office.)
  3. The Nominating Report for church leadership
  4.  The recommendations for 2016 Endowment Grants.
While we may "discuss" other topics, these are the only items on which we may take action at this meeting.  

The meeting will also include several "celebrations" - including the burning of the promissory note from our most recent mortgage! 
Day of Service at Central UCC 
Saturday, June 4- PLEASE RSVP
(8:30am-12:30pm)
Thank you to those who signed up to help. Our tasks include: mulching, window washing, polishing sanctuary pews, washing the van, weeding, painting benches, and cleaning the kitchen. We still need help- no matter what your skill level is there will be a job for you so please don't hesitate to RSVP. Plan on bringing your own refillable water bottle, sunscreen and bug spray. We will have cold water and midmorning snacks. Please contact Debbie Spearman with questions and suggestions. See you on June 4! 
Fellowship of  The Grape
Saturday, June 4, 7:00pm
Jon Ritt will be hosting Fellowship Of the Grape Saturday, June 4th at 7pm.  He has chosen Chenin Blanc ... Loire Valley is its home, but it's grown world-wide (#1 in South Africa).  Jon has also invited us to bring our swimsuits to take a dip in his pool. Please bring one bottle of wine our host has selected and any appetizer or dessert that will compliment this wine selection.  For those not familiar with FOG, attending is one of the best ways to meet Central's members and visitors of all ages and stages of life in a casual setting.  The tastings are not formal, just informative.  You don't have to be a church member to attend and all are welcome!
 
FYI:  Several people have said, "I would love to come to FOG, but I don't drink alcohol."  Several folks attend FOG who do not drink alcohol and they bring the beverage of their choice.  FOG is NOT about the alcohol it is about the FELLOWSHIP.  All are welcome!
 RSVP to Jon (404) 766-3401 or email [email protected]. If you would like to be added to the mailing list for FOG, contact coordinator RobinLee Fitch.  We look forward to seeing you at FOG.
Informational Meeting 
South Georgia Farmworkers Health Project
Sunday, June 5, 9:30-10:30am in Fellowship Hall
We will have a parent and student informational meeting about our upcoming SGFHP trip June 19-24. Rev. Lacey will discuss a packing list, hotel room assignments, and what to expect. Come with your questions and your permission forms completed. There will be bagels and coffee for everyone. Email Rev. Lacey with questions.
On Sunday, June 5 - Ben Leaptrott 
Will be playing 4 hands, Brahm's Liebeslieder Waltzes
June 5, 4pm, at Morningside Presbyterian Church.

Membership Exploration (Office Conf. Rm)
June 5, 12, 19; join June 26
Looking to journey with spiritual pilgrims? Have you been considering Central as your community of faith? This 3-part class is specifically designed to share stories and information about Central and the UCC with those who are considering membership. While attendance at all three sessions is not necessary and attendance at all classes does not obligate you to anything, participants will have the opportunity to join Central at the end of this series of classes.
Questions? Contact Rev. Michael.



Earth Topics: Monday,
June 6, 6:30-8:00pm (Fireplace Room)
Last month, Ron Smith gave a presentation about sustainability. That very helpful presentation and discussion gave us a framework to think about the complexity of comprehending sustainability and of living sustainably. In June, Matt Carter will do a presentation about solar energy. Finding sustainable and renewable energy sources is one of the big questions with which we need to grapple. All are welcome to join us for this ongoing exploration of sustainability. For more information email Rev. Ginnie.
Sacred  Stillness: 
Incarnating Sabbath as Re-Creation
A Solstice Celebration 
with Rev. Shannon Michael: 
Tuesdays, June 7, 14 & 28 (6:30pm to 8:00)

Walter Brueggemann, in
Sabbath as Resistance, writes that "in our own contemporary context of the rat race of anxiety, the celebration of Sabbath is an act of both resistance and alternative...because it is a visible insistence that our lives are not defined by production and goods...it is the awareness and practice of the claim that we are situated on the receiving end of the gifts of God."  

In this 3-part offering, Rev. Shannon Michael, through restorative yoga and meditation, poetry and the music of Cloud Cult, and with mindfulness of the Summer Solstice will create a Sabbath space and practice for re-creation in the summer.

RSVP (strongly requested) to Rev. Shannon Michael.
Suggested donation $10/session or $25/series (no one turned away)
Central Members providing dinner at Lost-n-Found
Friday, June 10
Lost-n-Found Youth is an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to take homeless LGBTQ youths- to age 25- off the street and transition them into more permanent housing. Over the last year, our church has been supporting Lost-n-Found financially and looking for more opportunities to get involved. John Christensen is organizing a meal to be served to the youth and he needs some help. Are you willing to make a pan of meat lasagna? He would also like a green salad, some kind of yummy dessert, and cut up fresh fruit. The food can be dropped off at Central on Friday afternoon and John will take it over to Lost-n-Found. If you'd like to contribute please email John.
Camp Beech Grove 
It's a wonderful first week at Camp Beech Grove. We've been walking down to the creek, learning about nature and playing hard. 18 children are enjoying our forest and rooms with a view.

We still have openings. Register your 5-8 year olds on our website: central-ucc.org
or email: [email protected]  
Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ
Annual Meeting in Demorest, Georgia June 10-11
Every summer the Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ gathers together for business and fellowship. We are excited to be back at beautiful Piedmont College in Demorest, GA- June 10-11. Central is sending both delegates and clergy. Over the course of the packed weekend there will be eclectic worship, small group workshops, and an address from our Designated Conference Minister, Rev. June Boutwell. If you have never attended Annual Meeting and want to know more about the UCC this event is great introduction. Registration for the full retreat is $135/person. 
Register for the event here.
Women's Daytime Book Group
Thursday, June 23, 1:30pm
It is non-fiction month, with two selections for discussion:  Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson and Lights Out by Ted Koppel.  Come chat whether you've read one or both (and finishing the book isn't a requirement). This informal book group meets in the Fireplace Room every four-to-six weeks.  Great conversation always. Send an e-mail to Geneva Benoit if you would like to be on the email list: [email protected].

Childcare is available every Sunday morning.
for infants through second grade
from 8:30 am to 12:15 pm (Rm 201).

for all children up to rising 5th grade
from 9:30 to 10:50 am

Children's Sacred Program:Godly Play
Children's Music for Grades 1-5
and weekly Youth Gatherings
will resume in August and September. 
Sunday Morning Opportunities to Connect

Conversations: 
Sundays, 9:30-10:45am (Room 204) 
Come join our small group at any time.  Our only dogma is "no-prep."  Our current DVD, featuring Walter Brueggemann (back by popular demand), reframes the Exodus story in surprising ways.  Brueggemann says, "It is a journey from slavery to covenant that we keep making over and over again . . . [because] Pharaoh has immense power always to draw us back into slavery." In thinking about our modern lives, how have we been drawn back into slavery?  Drop in as your schedule allows and you'll find lively conversation and a warm community.  Contact Sally Harrell.  
 
Practical Theology:
Sundays, 9:30-10:45am (Room 206)
Practical Theology: A Just Peace Covenant Community Class studies, explores and takes action on current issues.  We focus on scholarly Biblical and Progressive Theological issues of the day. 
June 5:  This Sunday we will continue our search for a new study.  In class on May 15th) we began "tossing out" some preliminary ideas.  Our topic for study will be Religion/Theology and the Environment - caring for God's creation.  It will be helpful if class members will do some research and bring suggestions for our resource.  
So far we have 2 possibilities:  CREATION-CRISIS PREACHING:  Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit (Study guide available) by Leah D. Scade

How can we proclaim justice for God's Creation in the face of global warming? How does fracking fit with "the earth and its fullness are the Lord's?" Creation-Crisis Preaching works with the premise that all of Creation, including humankind, needs to hear the Good News of Jesus resurrection in this age in which humanity is crucifying Creation. Informed by years of experience as an environmental activist and minister, Leah Schade equips preachers to interpret the Bible through a green lens, become rooted in environmental theology, and learn how to understand their preaching context in terms of the particular political, cultural, and biotic setting of their congregation. Creation-Crisis Preaching provides both theoretical grounding and practical tips for preachers to create environmental sermons that are relevant, courageous, creative, pastoral, and inspiring.

ECOLOGY and RELIGION (Foundations of Contemporary Environmental Studies Series) by John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker.  From the Psalms in the Bible to the sacred rivers in Hinduism, the natural world has been integral to the world's religions.  John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker contend that today's growing environmental challenges make the relationship ever more vital.

This primer explores the history of religious traditions and the environment, illustrating how religious teachings and practices  both promoted and at times subverted sustainability. Subsequent chapters examine the emergence of religious ecology, as views of nature changed in religious traditions and the ecological sciences. Yet the authors argue that religion and ecology are not the province of institutions or disciplines alone. They describe four fundamental aspects of religious life: orienting, 
grounding, nurturing, and transforming. Readers then see how these phenomena are experienced in a Native American religion, Orthodox Christianity, Confucianism, and Hinduism.

Ultimately, Grim and Tucker argue that the engagement of religious communities is necessary if humanity is to sustain itself 
and the planet. Students of environmental ethics, theology and ecology, world religions, and environmental studies will receive 
a solid grounding in the burgeoning field of religious ecology.

Sacred Journeys:
Sundays, 9:30-10:45am (Library, Fellowship Hall)
Each week this group explores how spirit guides our personal journeys, and we gain new insights by listening to each other.  It is a sacred hour +, from 9:30 to about 10:50, where the discussion might be inspired one week by a poem, another by an excerpt from a book, a film clip, or an audio tape. Contact Peter Benoit.
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Central Congregational United Church of Christ | 2676 Clairmont Ave. NE | Atlanta | GA | 30329