This Week at FCCLW 4/24/16

Published: Thu, 04/21/16

April 24, 2016

The Freedom to Rise Again

This Sunday, we continued our Cup of Freedom series with "The Freedom to Rise Again." We recognized that our cups often break, but like the apostle Peter, through the power of Jesus' resurrection, we have the power to rise.

You can read Maya Angelou's poem "I Rise" in its entirety here and the Clinton inaugural poem here.

To read more about Adrianne Haslitt-Davis, you can check out her website.

From Pastor Jason: I don't usually talk about my sermons with my wife Trish before I preach them. This week I wish I had. This afternoon she told me about a piece of artwork she had read about, Mended Cups by Yoko Ono - you can read about it here. Ono uses the Japanese technique of Kintsugi, the mending of broken pottery with gold, to create mended cups, each describing shattering tragedies of history. It is a great picture of what we engaged in worship today!

You can watch the service by clicking here.

Justice Film Series Sunday, April 24 at 11:45, "This Changes Everything," a film based on the book of the same title, will be shown in the parlor as part of our Earth Day activities. Naomi Klein, an award-winning journalist and author, shows the impact free-market capitalism has had and continues to have in driving climate change and the resistance to sustainable energy and economies. It is a wake-up call that offers hope through examples of alternatives to our current addiction to extractionism, profit, and growth. Gleaning On Saturday morning April 30, you are invited to join us in our group gleaning day of the year with C.R.O.S. Ministries. Gleaning is the ancient, biblical practice of picking produce from a field that has already been harvested. Less than grocery-store-perfect peppers, cucumbers, and corn are picked, boxed and distributed to the hungry in Palm Beach County. We will not know until the week before where we will be gleaning. If you are interested in participating, contact Ginny Somerville, Janet Lisle, or email us to let us know you will be participating. Enneagram Study Group This spring, we will gather for a 12-week class on the Enneagram, a psychological, spiritual tool to learn about ourselves and others. The cost will be $50 per participant to cover materials. It will be held at 6:30 on Wednesday evenings, beginning April 27th. For more information, check our website. If you are interested, contact Pastor Jason, or indicate your interest on your Connection Card. Stewardship Seminar Are you interested in learning more about how we can sustain and grow the financial resources we need to continue to fund this practicing community of faith, mercy, and justice? Save the date of Friday, May 27, when we will welcome Rev. Patrick Rogers, former CPA and current pastor of Fort Lauderdale United Church of Christ, for a seminar on church stewardship. Facebook If you are on Facebook, you can keep up with what is happening "between Sundays" on our Facebook page. First, go to our page and "Like" us. However, just liking us does not mean that you will see everything we post. Each of our Facebook posts only goes to about 2% of the people who like our page. To make sure you see everything, after you like us, go to the pull-down menu on the "Like" button and click "Get Notifications." This way everything that we post will show up on your own Facebook wall.		Spiritual Practice: Welcoming Prayer The welcoming prayer is an easy-to-learn form of prayer that can be used to quiet the mind and reduce anxiety while welcoming God's presence into our life. You can read more about it at the Gravity Center. The Gospel According to Billy Joel Beginning May 15th, we'll begin a new worship series based on the music of Billy Joel. We will kick it off on Pentecost as we engage the topic of the Holy Spirit with "She's Got a Way." Sunday Morning Bible Study Each Sunday morning at 9:30, a Bible study is held in the parlor. This group has made it's way through half of the Psalms since the beginning of the year. You are welcome to join them! Audio Visual Team Our audio visual team is continuing to grow and they need your help. If you are willing to learn our sound and/or projection system, help create worship presentations, or help run our camera on Sundays, please see Vickie Grimes. Online Giving Have you explored the opportunity of electronic giving? You can choose to have a set amount taken from your bank account on a regular basis or you can make a one (or more) time gift by checking account or credit card on our website. Your regular electronic giving means that your gift is available for ministry even when you are away (or forgot your checkbook!). Thank you for your continued support of the ministry of First Congregational Church! Hey, Thanks! You're sharing this newsletter with your friends! More people read (or at least opened) our newsletter than we send out. If there is something here that interests you, it may interest someone else. If a friend sent this to you and you would like to receive it regularly, you can subscribe on our website.