Virtual Worship

 

March 7 — Third Sunday in Lent — Rev. Jennifer Whipple

Lessons from the Wilderness:

“Responsibility & Accountability”

The Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness trying to navigate their way through to the Promised Land. They weren't just navigating to a new physical location, though, they were navigating through and to a new communal and faith landscape as well. They were learning along with one another what it meant to be a new kind of community and to follow the one God. It was countercultural then, just as our faith is countercultural today. So how did they do it? How did they know which direction to turn? How could they stay honest and true during that time of unknown and unknowing? They relied on God, their leaders, and each other to make it through with the guideposts laid out for them - signs, visions, and some very practical standards. One set of those standards was the 10 Commandments we read about in Exodus 20. What does this story have to teach us today? Come explore with Pastor Jen as she shares a message about "Responsibility & Accountability."

This is a Communion Sunday as well, so please feel free to gather whatever elements you might have available to join with us at the table of grace this week.  We welcome Mary Gallagher-DeLucia as our scripture reader and Jim Sugden with a message from our Stewardship Committee.  There will be a beautiful encore anthem, "Be Thou My Vision", from our Chancel Choir and lovely piano music for meditation and Communion shared by Toni Sullivan.  You can also join us for our weekly Kids' Worship service with a message from Pastor Jen.

In Person Prayer Meeting - Sunday, March 7th at 9:30am

We will join together for in person Indoor Prayer Meeting this Sunday as well - following all CDC guidelines for safe gatherings during this time. You will find the SIGN UP link below. We ask that people who are intending to join us for In Person Prayer Meeting sign up by noon on Saturday so we can determine the appropriate format. If there is a large group within guidelines, we will meet in the Meetinghouse with a more traditional service. If there is a small group registered, we will plan to meet physically distanced in Brooks Hall for a time of scripture, reflection, and prayer. We know there are some among our church family members who are craving physical presence in our church and with one another, so we hope that you will join with us if you are able.
You can register for In Person Prayer Meeting by clicking this link:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080C4CA8AF28A4F94-930am8 

Dear Friend of SERRV,

Thank you for your continuing support of fair trade at SERRV International this spring!

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Happy Shopping!

Linda, Karen and Marie

As we enter into the season of Lent we wanted to send along the Lenten Devotional guide that our Deacons and Stephen Ministers created for our church family.  There are devotions for each day of the Lenten Season and Holy Week, as well as scriptures for the Sundays during Lent.  These are devotions that have special meaning to our Stephen Ministers and Deacons from various sources, as well original ones written by some of them as well.  All are meant to help us explore the lessons we have learned from the wilderness of this last year and as we head into the Lenten Season.   We are grateful to our Deacons and Stephen Ministers for their hard work on compiling these devotions for us.

Click here to read or download a PDF copy.

    Pastors Fund Thanks & Information 

Our pastors wish to thank you so much for your generous support of the Pastors Fund during these difficult and ever-changing times.  With your help bills have been paid to cover housing costs, medical bills, and emergency repairs as well as to cover other everyday costs like food, gas, and clothing for members & friends of our church and wider community.  The Pastors Fund is supported through the honorarium from the funerals/memorials that our pastors officiate, as well as through the generous gifts of members and friends of our community.  The Thrift Shop has supported the Pastors Fund with gifts from sale profits, and the Pastors Fund is also one of the options for holiday support through our Virtual Giving Tree this year. 
If you are feeling moved to make a direct gift to the Pastors Fund, gift cards for groceries and gas are always welcome, as are donations made payable to Pastors Fund.

We may not be meeting together these days, but your church is still here, hoping to meet people’s needs, whatever they are.  We are still the church – looking for ways to be God’s hands and feet in the world around us, even when we are not together on Sunday mornings!  SO….

• Utilities + office supplies = YOUR CHURCH
• Payroll + Sunday School supplies = YOUR CHURCH
• Committees + building repair = YOUR CHURCH
• Supporting needs around us + uplifting music = YOUR CHURCH
• Choirs + internet and phone service = YOUR CHURCH

Please continue to give to our special church in whatever way you were used to giving before, if you are able, so that your church will be there for you, throughout this crisis, and beyond!

Your Pastors are Here for You!

Pastoral Care Appointments

Both Pastor Bryn and Pastor Jen are also available for individual pastoral care appointments as well either via phone or Zoom.  In fact, their cell phones and the Church Zoom have gotten a lot of mileage this way since our time of quarantine began!  If you have something that you would like to address or speak with one of the pastors about, please feel free to reach out individually to Pastor Bryn (bryn@uccb.org or 510-847-4235 cell #) or Pastor Jen (jennifer@uccb.org or 203-510-4760 cell #) to set up a time to talk and pray together. Note: Your pastors are trying to take their days off, with "electronic sabbaths," on Wednesday (Bryn) and Friday (Jennifer), so you may not receive an immediate response if you send an email on one of those days.

One of our confirmands recently cleaned over at our Labyrinth - making sure the path is clearly outlined and instructions for use of the labyrinth are posted at the beginning.  We encourage people to stop over to the church and use the labyrinth during this nice weather (while maintaining physical distancing practices).  (Note: Our Labyrinth and the story of how it came to be were recently published in a book of New England Labyrinths, so we are excited to share that with people in our area and beyond.)  Work will also begin soon on our Children's Garden, a garden that will be planted in raised beds around our Labyrinth, where kids will be able to remember loved ones and go to play and pray at our church.

Keep an eye on your email, the Congregational Church of Brookfield Facebook Page, or our website on Sunday morning for the links to join us (and please feel free to share the links with family and friends). Afterward, if you are willing to share a photo of you or your family worshipping with us online that may be used on our CCB Facebook page or website, please send it to uccbsocialmedia@gmail.com.   If you have missed any of our online worship services you can find them linked below, and you can subscribe to our YouTube channel uccbvideo, where our worship services are archived.