Hi Friends,
Tomorrow is another chance for us to gather together for a time of worship and connection. It is a joy to see your kids and youth and to witness their curiosity and faith from week to week. I want to give a special thanks to Ada, Bennett, and Ruthie for sharing their gifts in our scripture reading last week. I was so moved by their participation and the chance for our kids to join the larger church in worship. What a beautiful church family we have!
As I look forward to our time together tomorrow, I also am weary with the news of war and tragedy in our world. In crises like these, I can't help but think about the children impacted and the ways they need protection and refuge. If your own children are at a stage where you can talk about what's happening, I encourage you to invite them to pray with you as a family, while also reminding them that they are safe with you. I try to steer clear of social media, but this post has some good tips on having these kinds of hard conversations. At the end of this email you'll find a prayer written by Kate Bowler, an author we have shared before (and one of John Jay's professors from Duke). Use it if you need help to find the words, or invite your family to write their own prayer together.
LENT
This Wednesday we will have an Ash Wednesday service at 6pm in the chapel to mark the beginning of Lent, which is the 40-day period leading up to Easter. Childcare will be available for our toddlers and babies, and all other children are invited to join us in the service. We’ll be sharing some Lenten resources for families next Sunday, and we hope they will allow you to make some room for reflection and connection in this liturgical season.
KIDS
Our nursery room is open this Sunday for babies and toddlers four years old and under. Childcare will be open starting at 8:50 AM for parents who are attending a Sunday School class.
Our kids five to ten years old can join us in the park for a time of learning and playing together. For any parents who plan to attend our adult Sunday School class, we will make sure we are ready to receive kids at 8:50 AM. Parents can enter from the Union Street gate to sign their kids in. Our team will be ready for a fun morning together with your kids! This week we will wrap up our study of Paul's letter to the Corinthians and his focus on love, and we'll talk about Black History Month together. What a perfect time to remember the church's call to love well! You can help your child explore that at home by starting some conversations with your family using the questions below.
Discussion Questions for the Table at Home:
Who showed you love this week?
What are some simple ways we can love other people well everyday?
Where do you see a need for more love in our world?
YOUTH
This Sunday the youth are invited to attend worship and then gather for their usual time of lunch and fellowship following the service, and this week we'll meet in the park. We'll be following the scripture from worship service as we reflect on the book of Matthew together. We'll wrap up by 1:30 PM for pickup.
Have a wonderful weekend, and I hope to see you Sunday!
With love and gratitude for you,
Pastor Lindsay
A blessing for Ukraine
written by Kate Bowler
God, the unthinkable has happened.
Swiftly, relentlessly,
by stealth and through open destruction,
the peace and beauty of the ordinary,
has been shattered in a day.
O God of justice and might,
We call to you to come and bring this suffering to an end.
Comfort these trembling hearts.
Shield the vulnerable.
Strengthen those with the resources and the resolve
to protect what they love
in the face of such overwhelming force.
Grant wisdom to the nations of our world, to our leaders, and to us,
to grasp the unfathomable,
to see evil in its true light,
and come against it unflinchingly.
Dear Ukraine,
though we shudder to watch what is happening
We will not look away.