Pastor Michael's Musings

Transcription

1 THE UNITED CHURCH OF BROOMFIELD an Open & Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ The Center of Our Lives Pastors: Michael Blackwood & Greg Garland 825 Kohl Street, Broomfield, CO Pastor Michael's Musings I didn t agree with him, but I respected him. September 2018 Senator John McCain from Arizona died last month on August 25 th, at the age of 81 after succumbing to brain cancer. Whether Republican, Democrat or otherwise, you had to admit that he was a powerful force in politics. He chaired the committee on armed services and also served on several others. He fought hard for what he believed in that s one of the main reasons people either loved him or despised him. Since his passing there has been a plethora of people covering the political spectrum who are saying, I didn t always agree with him, but I respected him. In the turbulent political arena that we find ourselves, what a hopeful and necessary sentiment; respect. It s a shame that it must be hopeful instead of the standard. It seems like there was a time when people could disagree about forbidden, taboo topics like politics and religion, and still get along; still sit down for a meal, have a heated debated and when the meal was over say, thank for you for a fine meal and an enlightening discussion. Was it ever like that or is that a memory that I m making up for myself, perhaps being nostalgic? As I listened to the news coverage of McCain s death and people s responses, I thought, it s so sad that it s not until AFTER his death, that people appear to be loosening their grips on their precious opinions in order to acknowledge respect for a man who was a patriot and a truly decent human being. (Continued on page 6) Look Inside. September Anniversaries & Birthday s Dancing with the Broomfield Stars Upcoming Events 3 Members at Large Update 4 2 Our Mission Statement Members at Large Cont. & Pastor Greg's Gandering 5 Education, KSK and Prayer Requests 6 Small Groups & Activities 7 September & October Calendar & Notes 8 Fall Sunday Hours: 9AM Sunday School 10AM Service of Celebration

2 2 September 2018 Birthday s 7 Chad Steinbeck 10 Helen Austin 12 Stacy Snyder 15 Earl Reuter 21 Kevin Conn 25 Pat James Jerry & Marlyce Buderus September 5, 1970 Jeff & Kathy Plomer September 17, 1993 Andrew & Emily Joo September 23, Roy Kullby If we missed your b day please contact the church office. Worship Service Volunteer Sign-Up If you'd like to sign up to volunteer as Liturgist, offer a Kid's Time message or host after service snacks, we have a new way to do so. Just click here: Worship Help and simply follow the directions to sign up. It's easy and we appreciate all your volunteer efforts. And don't forget that you can put pen to paper and still sign up on the sheets hanging in the Narthex. Your 2018 Church Leadership Michael Blackwood Lead Co Pastor Greg Garland Co Pastor Jennie Belval Moderator Corey Hill Vice Moderator Mary Beth Jones Clerk Brian Conn Financial Secretary Gary McKee Treasurer Carol Bliss, Jan Fausset Members at Large - - Commi ee Chairs Larry Bliss/Nancy McKee Trustees Alice Kidney Worship Kathy Wathen Spiritual Care Carissa Fralin Chris an Educa on Tom O em Mission Desi Hill Fellowship

3 Nov September Upcoming Events Fall Study 2018 Jesus Before the Gospels Monday nights Sept. 24th to Nov. 12th from 7-8:30 PM (skipping 10/1 due to BRONCOS game) The class will be discussing Bart Ehrman s book, Jesus Before the Gospels Throughout much of human history, our most important stories were passed down orally including the stories about Jesus before they became written down in the Gospels. In this fascinating and deeply researched work, leading Bible scholar Bart D. Erhman investigates the role oral history has played in the New Testament how the telling of these stories not only spread Jesus message but helped shape it. A master explainer of Christian history, texts, and traditions, Ehrman draws on a range of disciplines, including psychology and anthropology, to examine the role of memory in the creation of the Gospels. Explaining how oral tradition evolves based on the latest scientific research, he demonstrates how the act of telling and retelling impacts the story, the storyteller, and the listener crucial insights that challenge our typical historical understanding of the silent period between when Jesus lived and died and when his stories began to be written down. Disclaimer (warning): The book is well written and easy to read, but the subject matter is very challenging and faith changing. Please have the first weeks reading done before class. Week 1: Introduction & Oral Traditions and Oral Inventions Week 2 The History of Invention Week 3 Eyewitness Testimonies and Our Surviving Gospels Week 4 Distorted Memories and the Death of Jesus Week 5 Distorted Memories and the Life of Jesus Week 6 Collective Memory: Our Earliest Gospel of Mark Week 7 The Kaleidoscopic Memories of Jesus & Conclusion Please sign up at the Welcome Table or RSVP to Pastor Greg or Pastor Michael. SEP 9 9:15 Sunday School Kick Off (breakfast provided) 10:00 Worship 11:00 Congregational Meeting (youth are encouraged to attend with their families) SEP 23 9:00 Sunday School 10:00 Worship 11:30 Youth Group (Vaughn s family leads) Youth Group meets the 2nd and 4th Sundays during the school year after church from 11:30AM 1:30PM. The times and dates, however, are often flexible to accommodate events and organized activities. Youth Group is open to children 4th grade through High School. The focus of the youth group is first and foremost to have fun! There is not a set curriculum of Bible study in this group, but the kids often use some of the time to explore social and current issues as a group, as well as their relationship and understanding of faith. The kids generally are in control of the agenda and activities and lunch is supplied each week by parent volunteers. If you are interested in attending Youth Group, please contact Pastor Michael Blackwood. New kids are always welcome!

4 4 September 2018 Did You Know...September 2018 Sabbatical Leave - Greg has returned from Sabbatical. He reported to council that he completed four books, "Did Jesus Exist," "Jesus before the Gospels," "Peter, Paul and Mary," and "How Jesus Became God" as a study in theology of pre-gospel creed and early church history. Along with reading he also enjoyed 3000 miles of travel and camping mentioning Glacier National Park as one destination. He looks fine, refreshed and we welcome him back. Christian Education - Curriculum has been chosen, classes have been formed and Kick-Off Sunday is scheduled with a continental breakfast for September 9, 2018 between 9:00-9:15 a.m. With a goal of connecting with Community and Congregation, the youth group will meet on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month starting September 23, UCCB Informational Meeting - All UCCB Members!! - please plan to attend the All Church Meeting following the Church Service on September 9, Our Moderators will be sharing some important information about the future of our church and introducing some new ideas and changes that are being implemented. Come and join our fellow parishioners as we learn about these exciting new changes and plans. Then stay for the hearty pot luck All Joy Group luncheon afterwards. ALL JOY GROUPS The fall All Joy Group Pot Luck luncheon will be held on September 9th following the Congregational Meeting. At this luncheon new members will be assigned to existing or newly created groups and members whose groups dissolved will be reassigned as needed. If you are interested in joining a joy group, please contact Jane Shelton. Each group operates separately More Information regarding this luncheon will be forthcoming. This is a yummy opportunity to learn about Joy groups and become a member of a group. As you can See, Sunday, September 9th will be a busy time that you won't want to miss!! Bathroom Project - Yay!! Remodeling of the lower level bathrooms is DONE!! A Huge "Thank you" to Bob and Kathy Wathem, Gary and Nancy McKee, Matt and Rhonda Davis, Mark and Peggy Stevens, Jonathan Wade and Larry and Carol Bliss for all their hard work and time in making this week-long project happen. AND- a special thanks to everyone who donated funding to make this long overdue project come to life. Removal of the toilets in order to empty the room to do the work of course led to unexpected plumbing issues as can and usually do present themselves in older buildings which unfortunately increased the overall cost. The doors were removed and stained. Registers, vents, stall walls, cabinets, walls, ceilings practically everything received a new, brighter fresh coat of paint. Jonathan expertly laid new flooring in both rooms. A new vanity, mirror and faucets were installed in the ladies room, as well. There was lots of scrubbing to get rid of collected grime, as you can imagine. Everything looks GREAT!!! If you haven't had a chance to take a look at them, please do. Capital Improvements Fund - With the wonderful donations for the bathrooms, it's important to remember that just like our homes, there are always projects needing attention throughout the church building and grounds. For example; carpeting needs to be replaced, rooms need painting, the sprinkler system needs repair, glass wall blocks need replacing that were broken by enthusiastic kiddos with rocks, the fellowship hall is in need of paint, heating register repair and overall sprucing up, and so on and so forth. So please consider the Capital Improvement Fund and give as you are able toward keeping the church building fresh and welcoming as we try to grow our church. Mark Stevens is working with the city of Broomfield who is offering grant money to assist people who are interested in community beautification projects. In conjunction with his Peace Garden and book sharing stand on church grounds, Mark has been diligently meeting and talking to people from the city to acquire funding of $2500. He also plans to plant peace roses along with all the other flowers, trees and plants currently in the garden. Thanks to Mark for all the time and effort he has been putting into this endeavor. Scout Project - One of the Eagle Scouts has approached the church asking to paint the tables and benches around the exterior of the building as one of his projects. This will be very helpful as they are all in need of facelifts. Keep a look-out for this much needed upkeep! Are we fortunate to have scouts taking care of us?! Remember the heavy rain a couple weeks ago? Well, the preschool teachers and kiddos will remember it for a while. Due to so much rain and a debris covered drain, one of the classrooms flooded. Gary McKee had to call in carpet folks to sop up the water, disinfect and clean-up along with open doors and fans to help dry everything out and return the room to normal. [Remember the capital improvement fund? Maintenance projects are always popping up unexpectedly!] Nate Bean s Classroom - A school supplies collection for Nate Bean's classroom was taken during the month of August along with the Crayons to Calculators donation. Nate teaches in a very low-income school and the collection we gave him was appreciated by him and his students. As you know, many teachers don t just give their talents and time, but also their money and resources. Thanks to everyone who gave to this worthwhile cause. (Continued on page 5)

5 5 (Continued from page 4) Members at Large September 2018 Fall Study Group - A Fall Study Group is planned for Monday, September 24th through Monday, November 12 th. This will be a 7-week group study meeting Monday nights from 7:00-8:30 pm (skipping October 1 st ). Pastors Greg and Michael will lead a reading and discussion of the book, Jesus before the Gospels by Bart Ehrman. A signup sheet with additional information is available in the Narthex for those of who are interested in attending. Youth Group - Kudos to Our Youth Group who volunteered their time at Precious Child in August, hanging clothes, breaking down boxes and doing various other jobs around the facility. What a wonderful, caring group of young people we have. Thank you for your time and energy in helping out this amazing organization. You are Appreciated!!! BROOMFIELD DAYS - September 15th is fast approaching. Are you interested in helping to spread the word throughout the community about what a great group of people, activities, and community involvement we are?? We will be participating in this year's Broomfield Days Parade on Saturday, September 15th. The plan is to carry a banner and members hold signs depicting the various activities offered at the church and the various community activities we sponsor. For those who are unable to walk in the parade, but would like to participate, a truck will be entered and you can wave and carry your sign from the truck!! Gary McKee will make up signs and a new banner has been ordered and will be available. We need as many people as possible to participate in order to show the community our love and support and pride in our church. so please plan to join us in getting the word out that we are "Broomfield's Best Kept Secret" a church that is welcoming and encourages others to become a part of our family. There is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex, so, please sign-up and show your support!! Craft Fair - Plans are being finalized to return this event from days gone by. Previously the church engaged in giving crafters a place to sell their wares and shoppers an opportunity to purchase beautiful handcrafted items. I hear tell many crafters participated filling the church with lots of crafters displaying their wares. Please help us to succeed and make this an annual event. We still need crafters interested in participating in the craft fair. It will take place on Saturday, November 17th from 8:00 to 3:00 and Sunday, November 18th from 11:00 to 2:00. The dates will be here sooner than you think. If you aren't crafty yourself, please tell your crafty friends about this event and ask them to come and be a part of the fun. Contact either Emily Joo or Carol Bliss to reserve a table. The cost of tables this year as an introductory to reintroduce this event is simply a few items that will be donated to FISH. PLEASE HELP US TO GET CRAFTERS AND MAKE THIS A SUCCESS. On August 23rd, Nancy McKee and Carol Bliss attended the Safety in Faith Summit sponsored by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. This was an extremely informative meeting that was extremely well attended by individuals from churches all over the greater Denver area. Speakers included: Carl Chinn, the Safety and Security Expert from New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Dr. David Benke from the I Love You Guys Foundation, two psychiatrists and Chief Al Simmons from the Sheriff's Office discussed common mental illnesses and Robert Hayes from Injury Prevention Specialist at St. Anthony's Hospital talked about "Stop the Bleed." As we continue to glean more and more information, we will be better able to put together a workable safety plan for the Church. Respectfully - Your Members at Large, Jan grannyjany2016@gmail.com and Carol or cablissco@comcast.net. (We are here for you should you have any questions or concerns.) Pastor Greg's Gandering Outsourcing inspired by (and parts from) Imanual Kant s What is Enlightenment It seems these days that outsourcing is the great sin of U.S industry; unless, of course, you re the one doing it. Usually a company only outsources because they have made the financial calculations that it is cheaper, or that the outsourced product is better than what they themselves can produce. Needless to say, as much as I try to buy local, I fully understand the need for companies to outsource and even to outsource to countries outside the U.S. So, for me that kind of outsourcing is a forgivable sin. One kind of outsourcing that is unforgivable, is outsourcing one s faith. One s faith is something that one must struggle with. It cannot be outsourced. Well, I guess it can be, and unfortunately it often is. It happens when you get your faith from a book, or a person, or a church or a bumper sticker. It happens when you don t use your own God given intelligence, curiosity, reason, logic, and experience. It happens when you don t take advantage of all God puts right before your senses in the way of science and art and music. It happens when you re not honest about your emotions and the things that you sense internally. It happens when you look for the easy way. An outsourced faith is one that has not emerged from a self-imposed immaturity; an immaturity that must rely on another s guidance. An outsourced {faith} is one that results from laziness and cowardice. A mature faith is one that arises from a person taking responsibility to think for themselves. Yes, we must learn from others, but a mature faith only results from one s own reasoned synthesis of information. It does not come from parroting the thoughts of others. Do not fear thinking for yourself. Have courage to use your own understanding! It is the only way to a mature faith.

6 6 (Pastor Michaels Musing Continued) September 2018 I m hopeful that McCain s death, if even for a brief period of time, might help us get back to being respectful of one another, despite our differences. It s a hope that is imbedded in Jesus message to love God and love one another as yourself. Whether political or religious differences, we can all be respectable, decent people who approach each other with a focus on beneficence. Let s not wait to do it, but do it every day, every chance that we get. Let s actively sit at the table with antagonists and contrarians of all degrees and focus on respecting the other. And remember, do unto others. (Matthew 7:12). I would like to request prayers for Lillian Trickel, my "second mom" (high school best friend's mom). She has been in and out of the hospital with intestinal obstruction, not operable due to age and other problems. Prayers for God's best outcome, whether healing or ease of passing. Thank you. Mariana Carmen Stevens was born at 8:10 am, 6 lbs, 6 ounces. If all remains on track, she and Mom will come home tomorrow. 2 1/2 year old Frida is trying to figure it all out. Share the news and thanks for thinking of us! KSK BASE & Preschool NEWS Dawn Haskell, KSK director KSK is enrolling and has spots open for the preschool and BASE. We are excited for the school year! Please join us on Sunday, September 9th at 9:00am for our Christian Education

7 47 September March Book Club Update: Friday, September 28th at 7PM at the home of Peggy Diekhoff. We will be discussing The Women in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. Men s Fellowship will meet Sat. September 1st Great Scotts Gathering Circle will meet Sat. Sept. 8th at 8:30am The First Watch in Northglenn Pat s Adult Class The Adult Sunday School class that meets in the front part of the Steele Commons Room will resume class on Sept. 16 at 9:00. We will continue our study of the "Harmony of the Gospels" by studying the Passion of Christ. All are welcome to join us. For more information, contact Pat James. Attendance & Offering June Offering: $12, collected / $13, budget (under by $933.67) Adults / Kids Aug 5 = 51/4 Aug 12 = 68/9 Aug 19 = 64/4 Aug 26 = 54/7 Aug Offering: $12, collected / $13, budget (under by $806.17) YTD Offering: (thru 9/4) $100, collected / $106, budget (under by $6,097.92) Want a status on your YTD giving please contact Gary McKee

8 8 September 2018