Dear friends in Christ,
I hope you’re all doing well this snowy day. There are a number of things going on in the church this Lent:
Lent Scripture Discussion: Women of Wisdom, Wednesdays 7pm in Conference Room and on Zoom
Lent is a traditional time to spend a bit more time with scripture, and this evening starts off our Lent scripture discussion series. I’ve attached the schedule. During Lent of 2020, I’d planned our Lent discussion to be about some of the strong women in the Bible, only for the pandemic to hit before we could really get going. Since Lent starts in Women’s history month this year, it seemed a good time to give this series another go. In case any of the men are nervous, don’t worry, there are still plenty of men in these stories too. So, there’s something for everyone. You don’t need to do any homework or have any prior knowledge. Just bring yourself!
This evening we’re looking at the story of the Hebrew midwives in Exodus. The link to join via Zoom was emailed out.
St. Patrick’s Day Dinner: 3/17 from 5-6:30pm
The corned beef sandwiches from last year were such a hit that we’re bringing them back! On St. Patrick’s Day we’ll have corned beef sandwiches for $7. You’re welcome to take your sandwiches to go or to eat in the Social Hall. Preorders are encouraged; you can contact Ellen or the Church Office.
Lent Mission Projects
- The Ultimate Egg Off
- In order to raise money for GWIM and add some extra festivity this Easter season, the Mission Board is sponsoring an Easter Egg decorating contact! (We’re talking lawn decoration sized eggs, not egg hunt sized eggs.) I’ve attached the flyer Katie P. put together explaining the contest. It’s $5 to enter, and the winners in various categories will receive gift cards to Dunkin Donuts and, of course, bragging rights. All eggs must be at the church front lawn by Palm Sunday for voting that day. I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone puts together! Contact Katie P to enter the contest!
- Easter Baskets for Middlebury Families
- We’ll soon be posting sign ups on the bulletin board near the kitchen to sign up for items for the Easter dinner baskets we provide for some of the families in need in our town.
Praying for Peace in Ukraine
On Sundays at noon, we’ll ring the church bell as a prayer for peace. Everyone is welcome to take a moment then to join together in praying for peace in Ukraine and throughout the world.
War in Ukraine: Ways to Donate to Help
The United Church of Christ has partnerships and relationships with many denominations in Europe, and they’ve sent out an appeal for donations to go towards assisting refugees/people who have been displaced from Ukraine due to the war. Information about the campaign and how to donate is here: https://www.ucc.org/global-h-o-p-e/ukraine-emergency-appeal/?fbclid=IwAR1x_2eJOFD2BVwG66YeliBq1K2RSc0cvP44psLweXiJ0EoznAOlcoHIaao
The First Congregational Church in Marlborough, MA has connections with the Lutheran Church in Poland, and they are collecting funds to send directly to the Polish Lutheran mission organization. They’re gathering monetary donations and sending them in batches as the money needs to be wired internationally. Their church’s facebook page has been posting updates from the Polish churches about the people being helped. If you’d like to make a donation through the Marlborough Church, you can follow this link and make sure to put “Ukraine Relief” in the donation memo line: https://www.faithstreet.com/church/first-church-in-marlborough-ucc-marlborough-ma/giving
If you’re looking for some other organizations to donate to to help with other aspects of this awful situation, this article has a number of options as well: https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/future-perfect/22955885/donate-ukraine?fbclid=IwAR2Tfo2xnypYZmufaKI2mAIWUCaxmtKBq9Wslgr8H468V0fU3EaV5_xUA6s
Vote for MCC in the ion Bank Foundation Community Awards Program
Attention Ion Bank customers!
The Ion Bank Foundation Community Awards Program gives away $70,000 to local non-profit organizations with each Ion Bank customer eligible to vote for their favorite non-profit organization.
Voting has begun for the 13th Annual Community Awards Program so please help us earn grant money! We will receive a $25 donation from the Ion Bank Foundation for every vote we receive!
Every vote counts! If you are an Ion Bank customer, please visit https://cap.ionbank.com/CAP/CAP.aspx to vote until March 15, 2022.
General Comments
I’ve attached pictures of the snowy green from earlier today. The falling snow always makes this part of town look like a postcard. I’ve also attached some photos by First Church Watertown of the Ash Wednesday service with them.
If you’re looking for some comforting scripture in these difficult times, three of my favorite comforting Psalms are 46, 27, and 139. Psalm 46 has a verse that says “the nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter.” That verse pretty well describes the current geopolitical situation. I take some comfort knowing the people of God throughout millennia have experienced nations being in an uproar and kingdoms tottering, and the same God who was with people in ancient times is with us still today.
Peace,
Pastor Katrina
