February 27 devotion

The Liberating Word

Matthew 10:1-16

In this passage, the 12 male disciples of Jesus are named and sent out. This passage ends with one of my favorite verses in Matthew. Jesus tells his disciples to go out and do all the good they can, telling people the good news. He knew that not everyone would be receptive to good news since religion then and now had been so much about controlling behavior by threatening bad news. Perhaps he also knew that "no good deed goes unpunished." Human nature is a strange thing, and Jesus acknowledges that by telling them how to handle rejection.

What is probably important to see is that, while Jesus was a realist, he was not a cynic. He offers one of the best pieces of advice found anywhere: Be as cunning as a serpent and as innocent as a dove. (Mt. 10:16) Being cunning and wise without slipping into bitterness and cynicism is not a balance many people manage to achieve.

Religious people sometimes can be naïve and blame it on God. For example, caring for the poor doesn't mean unthinkingly creating dependency. Being compassionate with a homeless person doesn't mean that you let them use you, manipulate you, or steal from you. Rather it may mean investing your compassion, your time, and your resources into changing the systems that contribute to homelessness and poverty. It may mean confronting behaviors that are self-destructive and refusing to continue enabling that person's destruction.

I believe Jesus is saying that we must be wise, strategic and deliberate in how we live our lives. We must also be innocent or harmless. There is far too much truth in the little girl's question. Having witnessed an interchange in which one party was harsh and unkind she asked, "Are you mean because someone hurt you, or is it just because you go to church?"

I believe what Jesus is saying in this passage is that every day get up and go out into the world to do as much good as you can. Heal hurts and tell people good news. Not everyone will be entirely receptive so you are going to have to be strategically compassionate and kind, but never be anything less.

Blessings, The Rev. Michael S. Piazza, founder and president of Hope for Peace and Justice, Dallas, Tx

February 24 devotion

Awaiting Further Light

 Bible Excerpt from 1 Timothy 3:14-16

Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great.



Reflection by Martin B. Copenhaver



We all have files in our minds labeled "Accepted," and "Rejected." As we hear or read something, we usually feel obliged to put it in one file or the other. Those who seek to grow in their faith, however, also have an additional file labeled, "Awaiting Further Light."

 Obviously, such a file will not be found in the mind of the fanatic (the person who could be described as the one who believes what God would believe if God had all the facts). Those who make liberal use of the file labeled "Awaiting Further Light" exhibit a humility that is not found in the fanatic believer or disbeliever.



Having an active "Awaiting Further Light" file demonstrates openness to new truth and unfolding experience. It will be filled with all those things that do not yet clearly belong in either the "Accepted" file or the "Rejected" file. For those who seek to grow in their faith, such a file may also include many traditional Christian beliefs that we might be inclined to put in the "Rejected" file were it not for the voices of historic Christian witnesses who counsel, "Not so fast.  You may not fully believe this now, but please trust us enough to put it somewhere where you will be sure to consider it again."



Rainer Maria Rilke once gave this famous advice to a young poet: "I want to beg you to be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves." That's good advice because, "the mystery of our religion is great."



Prayer



O mysterious God, please give me patience toward all that is unsolved in my heart. Amen.


About the Author



Martin B. Copenhaver is Senior Pastor, Wellesley Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Wellesley, Massachusetts, and the author of To Begin at the Beginning: An Introduction to the Christian Faith

Upcoming at Garden of Grace:

You are invited to celebrate with us!  1020 Atlas Road, Columbia, SC 29209 803-695-9664, www.gogucc.com   How does our Garden grow?   6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, Linda Renner, lgrenner@aol.com, and Loretta Cobb, lorettaacobb@aim.com, lead a Care Circle in Lexington, exploring "Bible Study for Amateurs.   7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, Ash Wednesday observance, marking the beginning of the sacred season of Lent.  Our pastor, Rev. Andy Sidden, pastorandys@msn.com, brings the message, "Where a Cross Should Be Worn."   7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, Our Men's Night Out gathers.  Patrick Parker, parker557@hotmail.com, is the leader.  Harper's Restaurant in Columbia's Five Points neighborhood is the venue for this growing fellowship.   7:34 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, Adventure Scouts, a youth troop for boys and girls ages 10 and older, gathers at the church.  Leaders are Barbara Johnson, compmom1@yahoo.com, and John Faulkner, JFaul37010@aol.com.  Like all Garden of Grace groups, Adventure Scouts is open to the community.  The group gathers second and fourth Fridays of each month.   9:45 a.m. Sunday, March 1, Choir practice, led by Andy Farmer, jandyfarmer@yahoo.com.  Our choir is growing!   11 a.m. Sunday, March 1, Pastor Andy concludes a four-part series of messages, "Why Bother? Purpose #4, Service."  The series explores our Garden of Grace's reasons for existing.  The Rite of Laying-on of Hands for healing will be celebrated.  Also, Our Celebration Choir provides special music.   12:30 p.m. Sunday, March 1, Grief/Loss Support Group, led by Linda Renner, Care Circle leader and social worker.   Also Upcoming!   7 p.m. Monday, March 2, our associate pastor, Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge, revtheodyke@gmail.com, begins a new series of Care Circle lessons at church. At Garden of Grace we believe that God is still speaking.  God can speak to us in many ways – through the Bible, nature, and even through song.  We'll explore how God speaks to us through the songs of the Irish rock band U2.  As a new album comes out from the group, we'll delve into past songs that reveal God as justice, lover, absent, and present.  The circle gathers us first and third Mondays at 7 p.m. to explore how God is still speaking through U2.   1 p.m. Sunday, March 8, Theology Among the People Class, taught by Rev. Candace.     Led by Barbara Johnson and John Faulkner, Adventure Scouts, a progressive group for boys and girls ages 12 and older, gathers at 7:34 p.m. second and fourth Fridays.   A fifth-Sunday covered-dish luncheon will follow worship Sunday, March 29.  A Ministry Fair – a time for ministry leaders to share information will be included.  Please see Joe Matthews, jmatthewssc@bellsouth.net, or Pastor Andy, pastorandys@msn.com, for more information.  The morning's message will explore "The Stations of the Cross" on our journey to Easter.   9 a.m. Saturday, April 4, Garden of Grace will host the UCC's Georgia/South Carolina Association annual meeting. This is a great ministry opportunity!   11 a.m. Passion/Palm Sunday, April 5, we celebrate with a dramatic re-creation of the Last Supper.  7 p.m. Good Friday, April 10, we worship with a dramatic remembrance of Christ's important living on the cross.   "Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians" can be ordered at http://www.bulletproofbook.com.  This exciting new book by our associate pastor, Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge, has received much acclaim.   Please feel free to phone or email any prayer requests during the week or please write the requests in our prayer book in our entryway on Sundays.   Our Outreach Team leads Garden of Grace in sponsoring the resettlement of two young Burmese couples who have lived in refugee camps for years before coming to Columbia.  This project is a joint effort with Lutheran Family Services of the Carolinas. Joy and Carol Smith-Dailey, fotosetc@yahoo.com, coordinate this growing Outreach/Compassion Ministry.   Patricia Grello, pgrello@sc.rr.com, leads a social-justice Care Circle in West Columbia that volunteers with Harvest Hope Food Bank and with sewing projects for infant clothing. A barrel for Harvest Hope's food drive is at Garden of Grace.               Aluminum cans are collected each Sunday by Trustee Jennifer Spears, jennifervspears@aol.com, and Church Sexton Lois Spears, loistalk1948@aol.com, as an on-going fundraiser.

February 17 devotion

By Dan Peeler
Minister for Children and Families at Cathedral of Hope UCC, Dallas, TX

The one who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. Proverbs 14:31

 

Today is Kindness Day, unfortunately a day not known to most, but since 1995 the second week of February has officially been celebrated by many people of peace across the U.S. as Random Acts of Kindness Week. The whole idea was started by peace activist Anne Herbert who in 1982 wrote "Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty" on a placemat at a Sausalito restaurant.

Certainly the idea of practicing kindness is not a new one. Both Testaments are packed with quotable quotes about the subject, not just in the Proverbs but in Books such as Hosea 11.4: "I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love." The Greek Scriptures offers the wisdom of 1 Thessalonians 5.15:

"Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else." And most of us remember the famous opening of Paul's definition of love, which begins "Love is patient, love is kind…" (1 Corinthians 13:4).

It would be difficult to find many people who would actively disagree with Paul or the other Scripture writers about the benefits to all in practicing kindness, but did you realize that being kind can actually lengthen your life? Dr. Allan Luks, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City has written extensively on the subject.  He is the author of four books, including The Healing Power of Doing Good, and states, through scientific studies sponsored by The Foundation for a Better Life, that random acts of kindness produce a rush of euphoria, followed by a longer period of calm called a "helper's high" which involves the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers.

The studies also show that kind acts reverse feelings of depression and decrease the stress that causes overeating, ulcers, and even the constriction in the lungs that leads to asthma attacks. Kindness heals.

May I honor you today by being conscious of the many opportunities you give me to initiate healing acts of kindness among all my neighbors. Amen

 

Upcoming at Garden of Grace:

Upcoming at Garden of Grace:

 

You are invited to celebrate with us! 

1020 Atlas Road, Columbia, SC 29209

803-695-9664, www.gogucc.com

 

How does our Garden grow?

 

7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, Our Women's Group dines out.  Leader is Jan Hogan, janh244@yahoo.com.

 

10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, our Garden Team, led by John Faulkner, will hold a work-day.  Of special need for this event are hardy men and women, younger than 50!

 

9:45 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, Choir practice, led by Andy Farmer, jandyfarmer@yahoo.com.  Our choir is growing!

 

11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, Our associate pastor, the Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge, revcandace@gogucc.com, brings the message on Transfiguration Sunday, "Bringing Down the Light," based on Mark 9:2-10 and 2 Corinthians 4:3-6.  We have the bring the light of our mountaintop experiences with God down into the world!

 

            1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, Theology Among the People Class, taught by Rev. Candace.

 

Also Upcoming!

 

6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, Linda Renner, lgrenner@aol.com, and Loretta Cobb, lorettaacobb@aim.com, lead a Care Circle in Lexington, exploring "Bible Study for Amateurs.

 

7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, Ash Wednesday observance, marking the beginning of the sacred season of Lent.

 

7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, Our Men's Night Out gathers.  Patrick Parker, parker557@hotmail.com, is the leader.

 

7:34 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, Adventure Scouts, a youth troop for boys and girls ages 10 and older, gathers at the church.  Leaders are Barbara Johnson, compmom1@yahoo.com, and John Faulkner, JFaul37010@aol.com.  Like all Garden of Grace groups, Adventure Scouts is open to the community.  The group gathers second and fourth Fridays of each month.

 

12:30 p.m. Sunday, March 1, Grief/Loss Support Group, led by Linda Renner, Care Circle leader and social worker.

 

7 p.m. Monday, March 2, our associate pastor, Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge, revtheodyke@gmail.com, begins a new series of Care Circle lessons at church. At Garden of Grace we believe that God is still speaking.  God can speak to us in many ways – through the Bible, nature, and even through song.  We'll explore how God speaks to us through the songs of the Irish rock band U2.  As a new album comes out from the group, we'll delve into past songs that reveal God as justice, lover, absent, and present.  The circle gathers us first and third Mondays at 7 p.m. to explore how God is still speaking through U2.

 

Also Upcoming!

 

Led by Barbara Johnson and John Faulkner, Adventure Scouts, a progressive group for boys and girls ages 12 and older, gathers at 7:34 p.m. second and fourth Fridays.

 

A fifth-Sunday covered-dish luncheon will follow worship Sunday, March 29.  A Ministry Fair – a time for ministry leaders to share information will be included.  Please see Joe Matthews, jmatthewssc@bellsouth.net, or Pastor Andy, pastorandys@msn.com, for more information.

 

9 a.m. Saturday, April 4, Garden of Grace will host the UCC's Georgia/South Carolina Association annual meeting. This is a great ministry opportunity!

 

"Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians" can be ordered at http://www.bulletproofbook.com.  This exciting new book by our associate pastor, Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge, has received much acclaim.

 

Please feel free to phone or email any prayer requests during the week or please write the requests in our prayer book in our entryway on Sundays.

 

Our Outreach Team leads Garden of Grace in sponsoring the resettlement of two young Burmese couples who have lived in refugee camps for years before coming to Columbia.  This project is a joint effort with Lutheran Family Services of the Carolinas. Joy and Carol Smith-Dailey, fotosetc@yahoo.com, coordinate this growing Outreach/Compassion Ministry.

 

A mission trip with other UCC people to Mexico is planned March 28-April 4. Linda Renner, lgrenner@aol.com, has more information.

 

Patricia Grello, pgrello@sc.rr.com, leads a social-justice Care Circle in West Columbia that volunteers with Harvest Hope Food Bank and with sewing projects for infant clothing. A barrel for Harvest Hope's food drive is at Garden of Grace.

 

            Aluminum cans are collected each Sunday by Trustee Jennifer Spears, jennifervspears@aol.com, and Church Sexton Lois Spears, loistalk1948@aol.com, as an on-going fundraiser.

 

 

February 14 devotion

Shall We Dance?

 

Bible Excerpt from Psalm 30


Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. You have turned my mourning into dancing. 



Reflection by Ron Buford



Chris Rock, one of my favorite comedians, talks about when he couldn't get a date. He met a beautiful young woman who "got the sleep out the corner of his eyes" and they got engaged. Suddenly all the women wanted him.

Why?

The answer is simple. We can be dressed in many things, but we look best, dressed in love. It's Valentine's Day. Get dressed in love today. Put on something extra special today. Get the "sleep out the corners of your eyes." Remember how it felt to be in the throes of love? And even if you are no longer with your love that way for any number of reasons, re-capture that moment, it's yours -- savor it, thank God for it.

And for every tingle of love you feel, remember how much more God loves you and how much more you love God. Remember when nights of trouble faded into the morning light of God's unrelenting love and blessing. You survived sickness, trouble, loss, people messing with you, hurt, dishonor betrayal, disappointment and even the empty promises of success, didn't you? 

Your present trouble will also fade. God's loving presence is forever. So dress up for Jesus today even if you don't feel like it! And why not send a Valentine's check to your church today in honor of all the good God has done for you, for the loves you have known, for love yet to come? 



Prayer



Gracious God, sometimes the nights of loneliness, disappointment, sickness, and loss seem to last forever. Even when morning comes, I want to pull the shades and lock the doors of my heart. Help me remember how much you love me, how much I love you, and no matter what, let me dance in your arms today. Oh my God, shall we dance? Amen.


About the Author



Ron Buford is Director of Development, Northern California Nevada Conference, United Church of Christ.


February 13 devotion

 

Against the Pinched

 

Bible Excerpt from Matthew 26:6-13


A woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, "why this waste?" For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.



Reflection by Quinn G. Caldwell



OK, so the disciples were obviously right here. They'd been listening to Jesus, and they knew what the faithful do with rich things: sell them and give them to the poor. Jesus had said as much, to the rich young man who'd asked him how to get eternal life. They were only following what he'd told them.

On the other hand, they were using his words as a weapon—and that just never sits well with Jesus. 

When the letter of the law gets in the way of the Spirit of praise, when the rules are used to elevate oneself over others, when those who love God so much that  they can't help it get beaten down by those who are and must always be "right," Jesus gets mad. Against the pinched and petty, against the always-prudent, against those whose following of commandments gets in the way of their devotion to God, 

Matthew tells this story of spontaneous and unseemly devotion.

Today, find a way to loosen up, let go, and worship God as the unnamed woman did. 

Do something unexpected: skip across the room for joy, write a big check to a charity, sing a nonsense song of praise, dance around like a fool for God.  Be spontaneous, unseemly, even wasteful in your worship, and for once, don't worry about what the rest of us think.



Prayer



God, help me to live a life of praise, open to you and unpinched by judgement. Amen.


About the Author

Quinn G. Caldwell is Associate Pastor, Old South Church, Boston, Massachusetts.

February 11 devotion

The Liberating Word

Matthew 6:25-34

So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.

This is one of the tenderest and most pastoral passages in the whole Bible. Jesus uses a variety of illustrations to lure us from the trap of worry. It is no accident that this teaching about anxiety immediately follows Jesus' teaching about the impossibility of seeking to serve both God and money. Jesus knew that we could trust only one master or the other with our future.

That really is the key here: who/what do we trust? To whom/what do we entrust our lives? Where are our hearts or passions, our thoughts, our deepest desires? If the honest answer is money/wealth/savings/investments/income then there is little that can be done about the anxiety that wracks our thoughts and steals our sleep. That is why Jesus says, "Consider the lilies" and "consider the sparrows." He then very pointedly asks, if we can add a single moment to our life by our fretting. Jesus also asks how people of faith are any different from people with no faith if what we trust is money and wealth.

His prescription for anxiety is not medication but redirection. Matthew 6:33 is a cornerstone for anyone who wishes to live in the realm of God. "Seek first God's reign in your life and all the other things you need will come." How different that formula for success is from the one we pursue.

Most of the time we work hard, and then we ask God to bless what we are doing. What would it be like if we sought out what God is working on and sought to invest ourselves in those things? Maybe rather than trying to persuade God to care about the things that worry us, we ought to seek out the things God already cares about.

Someone recently asked me how she could discover God's will for her life. I'm not sure she appreciated my answer. I told her that the first step was to start doing those things that she already knows to be God's will. Otherwise it is like asking God for more light when we've refused to open our eyes and use the light we have.

Blessings,

Rev. Michael Piazza, president of Hope for Peace and Justice, Dallas, TX

February 9 devotion

Dayenu: It is Sufficient

 

Bible Excerpt from Isaiah 40:21-38


They who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint.



Reflection by Talitha Arnold



There are some passages of scripture you just need to sit with. Don't try to explain them, just wait and let their wisdom go deep into your bones and deeper into your soul. 

The 40th chapter of Isaiah is one such passage. Written when the people of Israel were still in exile, it speaks of their weariness and fear that they have been abandoned by God. 

But then the writer proclaims:

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God,the Creator of the ends of the earth. . . . God gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary,  and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,they shall walk and not faint."



Lord only knows what you're facing right now in your life. Whatever it is, God will be with you, giving you the wings to soar, the power to run, or simply the strength to take the next step. 



God's power is not only experienced in the eagle-winged, mountaintop times of our lives, but also when we plod through the valleys, even the valley of the shadows. Whether we soar or crawl, God's there. And for that fact, as our Jewish brothers and sisters say, "Dayenu!" It is sufficient. 



Prayer



God, give me the sense to walk with you, and if it be your will, to hike, run, skip, and even soar with you. Amen. 


About the Author



Talitha Arnold is the Senior Minister of the United Church of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the author of Vital Worship for Congregations.



February 7 devotion

A God You Must Carry

 

Bible Excerpt from Isaiah 46:1-13 (NIV)


They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles.



Reflection by Kenneth L. Samuel



The gods of Babylon were spectacularly magnificent, and quite awesome in stature. The sheer grandeur of these gods inspired reverence on the part of many, but the God of Israel, speaking through the prophet, Isaiah, points out a few critical problems faced by the devotees of these gods. 

Chief among these problems was that of having to shoulder the weight of carrying these gods from place to place, for they were beautiful, but immobile; impressive, but stationary. They were believed to be great, but they had no power to hear, no power to heal and no power to deliver anyone out of distress. Instead, these stupendous gods only contributed to the weights and pressures of life. 

These gods sound a lot like the gods that many of us are tempted to worship today. We call them materialism, militarism and egotism. Like the gods of Babylon, they are all very prevalent and prominent, but still much too heavy to bear.  



Prayer



Lord, help us to reject every god that weighs us down in carnage, waste and guilt. Help us to turn in faithfulness to you, for you have declared: "I have made you and I will carry you."  Amen.  (Isaiah 46:4) 

About the Author 



Kenneth L. Samuel is Pastor of Victory for the World Church, United Church of Christ, Stone Mountain, Georgia, and the author of Solomon's Success: Four Essential Keys to Leadership.




February 5 devotion

Be Kind

 

Bible Excerpt from Galatians 5:2-15


For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."



Reflection by Donna Schaper



Chapter five of Galatians is worth a good long read. It is about the subject of Christian freedom, which the writer imagines is a kind of slavery to love. It is about the difference between the law and grace, using circumcision as an example, concluding that it matters little if we are or are not circumcised.

Instead it matters a lot how we talk about the subject to each other. 



Maybe you don't need to read this chapter. You may have no issues about right and wrong, cultural customs, the right way to dress, the right foods to eat. You may never have spoken of chocolate cake as "sinful" or scoffed at someone who was obese. You probably attend church meetings and tolerate all the points of view expressed by your mutual members. 

If so, skip this chapter.

If, however, you find yourself coiled culturally, intolerant of difference, unkind when someone smokes in public or brings a dog to a meeting, sit down for the long read. You will learn what it means to be in love with each other. You will also be brought to attention by the warning that sometimes when we "bite and devour each other," we actually find ourselves chewed up, even consumed.



Be kind. Fall in love. Think less about circumcision, ancient or modern, and more about love.



Prayer



O God, we pray that we can be a little yeast that leavens the entire dough of community and that when we are gone, people miss us because our kindness is lost. Amen.


About the Author



Donna Schaper is Senior Minister, Judson Memorial Church, New York, New York, and the author of Living Well While Doing Good.

KYeP: Let's make you 'MyUCC'

myucc

February 3, 2009

Feature Header

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=uhwP8euAzTxRyJH9SB1pxw..

'myUCC' IS COMING SOON!
http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=WBeQuW6hs_Opf60F5I8Erg..

Coming this spring, you can help build something great at
ucc.org.
Watch for the launch of our new social networking
community.
http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=6QIaYtwSFswzD6LdkJyKNQ..

Arrow
SHAPING UP SYNOD
http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=HQu0nW5f0NMLB2PI_oU2Aw..

Christian recording artists Jason & deMarco will be
singing at GS 27.
Here's a preview of their message and their music.

Arrow
EMPOWER UCC WOMEN
http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=zbni7WeF7gK9NP5vSYcoSA..

Your $50 gift to the Women's Fund will help equip and
engage women who
are current and future leaders across the United Church of
Christ.

Arrow
GOD IS STILL SPEAKING - READY SET GROW! RETREAT

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=dJWM1svYA6vc58p6SbsmMg..

You got them in the door, what happens now? Join us for a
hands-on
experience in creating the culture of belonging.

Bouncer and Steeples Ad

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=M22lRDltLTv_NfyGqlID4A..

GET YOUR MESSAGE OUT IN 2009

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=AwZTRhif7pXsMOk58X62Rg..

...Using Stillspeaking money for advertising

Apply now for Media with a Mission grants

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=zNcPeGsexbmL2pIrcxAj5Q..

Samuel
GET IT FAST
http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=lLcGI0rVSS3pPgPfR5aUqw..

Scriptures for this coming Sunday.

KYP Calendar
WEEKLY SEEDS

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=1R7mpTHhwOJtqgBlZ4hKzg..

How can we belong if we can't find our place?

seeds
DAILY DEVOTIONAL

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=MbbmNBP5qCeScJ2Y6rEN2w..

Single and Married.

Connect
READ ALL ABOUT IT
http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=HFXT1up2r8SEc8haCND6mg..

Are our seminaries making the grade? Find the answer in the
February
edition of United Church News--now online.

RSS

RSS

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=4_Snsx88tdp5tuTfQDnTfA..

NEWS AROUND THE UCC
http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=0yz1icU2OOZ8M2SKmZbd1A..

arrow
Cleveland church refuses to sign marriage certificates

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=Yt0W2eH4tt7p4dO355PcVg..

arrow
Andover Newton Theological School announces scholarship for
Chautauqua
summer internship

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=ZJHykb82JCcfuHOUbkmwtg..

arrow
Chattanooga congregation declares itself an 'earth
church'
http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=Y3DuFf1GjpA3Um5gLXr-Gg..

arrow
O’Hare airport expansion threatens historic UCC
cemetery

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=yVg2teJ6xMpqkcnUFqLAnA..

RSS

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=75zfidZXk37M_s8NTdU23A..

ECUMENICAL AND INTERFAITH NEWS
http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=AEclrX4KYZALtva19Zd_ww..

arrow
Joshua DuBois to head Obama's office of faith-based
programs

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=lEypRYPQG7g20u-qFLx8Kg..

arrow
Pope says no one can deny Holocaust, expresses solidarity
with Jews
http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=qEO-bW1ZUWtYEuWGpJ7nhg..

arrow
Crystal Cathedral in financial, family crisis
http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=ysSehxYWLL3dqYyAI1uAEA..

arrow
Jewish coalition calls for immigration reform
http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=3Bs7NgY_nN5gLc-xTtjr4g..

RSS

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=5d826EkuGj7DjLdPk52-YA..

BELIEF-NET
http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=C5JbbVRgNOYblMwcjsjGYQ..

arrow
Dalai Lama hospitalized with pinched nerve

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=9L23bQXtGTgTWGUMN34y5g..

arrow
Prayers from historical African-American figures

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=NHYw6j6i7JcVZShP9nQhVQ..

arrow
Movie Mom reviews 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop'
http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=-gzSf58CpoPfTZfpPpX_3w..

arrow
Peace begins with one person

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=f9jgZv_afuF8-baRmjXAoA..

Add to your site.

RSS

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=eutnN5lFp-iUb8mIKp8WLQ..

Take Action

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=MADktokRQU3BoubB7DwCaw..

What's on your heart?
http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=E68auPcUqVGSa85kwrFwZA..

Write to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner for debt
relief in
developing countries - let's try to reduce the impact
of the economic
crisis on poor people in places like Haiti, Kenya and
Bangladesh.

Have a heart - urge economic justice.

this is what retirement should be

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=O2z89-0TX2Hx9XdllOc1fw..

we care as much about your church as you do

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=GYI6kxNwHxM0tv9389_Tig..

go green

http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=Gyor0SQLD-g354PHuzrv0w..

Send
Send this e-mail to a friend
http://act.ucc.org/site/R?i=0Fj-ff24j6C_-hHJpNZT1w..

Copyright © 2008 UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 700 Prospect
Ave., Cleveland
OH 44115; PH 866/822-8224.

February 2 devotion

by Rev. Dawson B. Taylor
Curate / Associate Pastor for Congregational Life at the Cathedral of Hope UCC in Dallas, TX

For God will hide me in the shelter in the day of trouble; God will conceal me under the cover of a tent; God will set me high on a rock. Psalm 27:5

 

Last Tuesday night I worked late in my office and was closing the building as I left. I went to set the alarms and took a deep breath before walking out. I knew the instant that I opened the door the cold, dark night would meet me. It was cold and dark literally and figuratively. 

If you live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex you may remember that it was the night that the cold front that brought some ice to our area was moving in. I knew that while inside the church I was safe from the frigid temperatures and the dampness of the rain. As soon as I stepped outside, I knew that safety was gone.

It was a dark winter night and it was a strange feeling driving home and seeing virtually no traffic on the streets. That night I began thinking about how that experience is so often like my own spiritual life. 

When I am in the church, I feel God's inclusive love all around me. I see people making a difference in the world. I see the light of God's love surround me and call me to deeper faith.

But not even ministers can stay in the church all the time. We are called to go into the dark and cold world. Jesus' call on our lives is clear: go minister to the least, the last, the lost and lonely. That call can be frightening and intimidating, but it is the commandment of Christ.

I don't know what darkness there is in your life, but I do know that God stands ready to shelter you through it. We are created and claimed by God, we simply have to claim the promise within us.

Everlasting God, shelter me. Amen.