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Thursday Thoughts, May 14, 2020

Thursday Thoughts, May 14, 2020

May 14, 2020 by Evangelical Reformed UCC in /

Click Here for your May 7, 2020 Thursday Thoughts

Dear Congregation:

Yesterday afternoon, Governor Larry Hogan held a press conference announcing that our state was moving into Phase 1 of Maryland Strong: The Roadmap to Recovery.  In Phase 1 more retail and manufacturing operations may be open.  For many of us, the news that hair salons and barber shops can open is one of the best pieces of news we have heard in a while.

As the Governor stated, in Phase 1, houses of worship may open with 50% capacity but there is a strong recommendation to meet outside.  I have to admit that the 50% was confusing – 50% of what?  The 300 + our sanctuary holds?  We are certainly not there yet and those kinds of numbers do not appear in the plan until Phase 3.

Alongside the Governor’s announcement, we also received an announcement that the Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner and the mayors and burgesses of every municipality in Frederick County have agreed to coordinate how and when to implement any proposed changes to the current stay-at-home order.   “The mayors, burgesses and County Executive will need time to evaluate the options and capability to thoughtfully and effectively implement whatever the Governor proposes at his 5 p.m. press conference today. There is agreement that local health data will guide decision-making.”

Sunday, May 10th Bulletin

Sunday, May 10th Bulletin

May 7, 2020 by Evangelical Reformed UCC in /

Join us for worship on Sunday, May 3 at 10:30 a.m. at  https://erucc.org/visit-us/sunday-live-stream/

CLICK HERE for the Bulletin

Fifth Sunday of Easter

In 1 Peter 2:2–10, the readers are thought to have been Gentiles who became followers of Jesus. They are scattered throughout the lands of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas under the rule of the Roman Empire and its culture. This letter aspires to guide and inspire them in their daily lives as they are grown into the ways of being God’s own people, recipients of God’s mercy and inclusion. The language/theme of rocks/stones continues through this passage with Christ being portrayed as both a precious cornerstone for those who trust in him and as a stumbling block to those who don’t. This theme connects in part to today’s gospel reading, John 14:1–14.  Jesus, as part of his farewell discourse before betrayal and execution, speaks words of reassurance to his disciples.                                                                                                                   
For Your Worship Centers on Sunday, have your candle and Bible, and include the heart that came in your packet from the church this week.  Add some fresh flowers from your garden.  You may also consider adding a stone to represent Christ as the cornerstone for our lives and faith.

Take a photo and post it on Facebook or send it to bkdaniel@erucc.org

 

Thursday Thoughts, May 7,2020

Thursday Thoughts, May 7,2020

May 7, 2020 by Evangelical Reformed UCC in /

Click Here for your May 7, 2020 Thursday Thoughts

 

***Please note that the 8:30 Service and 9:30 Educational Classes are suspended.
The 10:30 service can be viewed online at:https://boxcast.tv/channel/bzioh0xyyacgq5fmjnoi
11:30 a.m. Virtual Fellowship: https://zoom.us/j/153605864?pwd=M2VSRjZsRDdFd1Q4bms0RExzam5SUT09&status=success PW:  007681

Dear Congregation:

Thanks to all of you who were able to participate in last Sunday’s annual meeting via Zoom Call.  It was great to see your faces, watch you greet one another, and see how we could interact with this technology.

As I shared in my sermon on Sunday, we are in what some call a “liminal” or threshold time. Susan Beamont, author of How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You Are Going describes these days as a liminal season.  “Liminality refers to a quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs during transition, when a person or group of people is in between something that has ended and something else that is not yet ready to begin.   She refers to liminal seasons in the Bible such as the journey of the people of Israel through the wilderness, Jesus’ time in the desert, the time between Easter and Pentecost.

Thursday Thoughts – April 30, 2020

Thursday Thoughts – April 30, 2020

April 30, 2020 by Evangelical Reformed UCC in /
Dear Congregation:

We are entering a new world on Sunday with our annual congregational meeting being held online via Zoom.  Here are the details for the meeting that will begin at noon on Sunday:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/355462527?pwd=LzdBbmdraVp4V2F5c1Q4TGVvTEwyUT09 
Meeting ID: 355 462 527
Password: 360547

Download Zoom on your preferred device before the meeting.

If you’ve never used Zoom before, check out this Zoom video tutorial https://youtu.be/hIkCmbvAHQQ

Try and sign on at 11:45 so that we can help you troubleshoot any difficulties you have with sound.
A few more quick notes:

  1. Everyone will be muted upon entry into the Zoom Meeting Room
  2. You won’t be able to unmute yourself
  3. You can control whether your video is on or off – the choice is yours
Please be patient and understand that your Wi-Fi connection is big factor in how the meeting looks and any lag or delays experienced.

If you have a question, you can use the chat box feature at the bottom of your screen.  Or raise your hand.  I will be helping our Consistory leaders monitoring the chat box, questions, and flow of the meeting.

Looking forward to “seeing”” you on Sunday.

Sunday, May 3rd Bulletin

Sunday, May 3rd Bulletin

April 30, 2020 by Evangelical Reformed UCC in /

Join us for worship on Sunday, May 3 at 10:30 a.m. at  https://erucc.org/visit-us/sunday-live-stream/

CLICK HERE FOR THE BULLETIN

Fourth Sunday of Easter
The readings from Acts in the Season of Easter relate accounts of the earliest Christian community. We learn in Acts 2: 42-47 that this body is formed by Christ and nourished by the Spirit through teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. Such daily actions continue to bring the Body of Christ to life and shape its powerful witness to its neighbors   A powerful witness to the closeness of the relationship between shepherd and sheep, between Christ and the church, is at the heart of John 10:1–10. This relationship leads to abundant life.
For Your Worship Centers on Sunday, May 3
Have bread or a cracker and  a cup of water or juice or wine for our time of communion.
This Sunday, we will be hearing about how the followers of Jesus got together often to worship, eat a meal together, and recall the stories and teachings of Jesus. They would share whatever they had with one another.
Add to your worship table an object or a word written on a piece of paper to symbolize something you might share with others.  Take a photo and post it on Facebook or send it to bkdaniel@erucc.org 
Sunday, April 26 Bulletin

Sunday, April 26 Bulletin

April 23, 2020 by Evangelical Reformed UCC in /

Join us for worship on Sunday, April 26 at 10:30 a.m. at  https://erucc.org/visit-us/sunday-live-stream/

CLICK HERE FOR THE BULLETIN

Third Sunday of Easter
The Gospel lesson for this Sunday, Luke 24: 13-35, tells a story of the afternoon of the first Easter.  As two disciples are walking to the village of Emmaus they encounter a mysterious stranger.  In Acts 2:14a, 36–41, Peter’s preaching on the Jerusalem streets “cut to the heart” of those who listened.

Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. ~ I Peter 1:22
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”  ~ Luke 24:30-32

Jesus’ table ministry was a preeminent way that he showed and shared the depth of love unseen in his time. He ate and spent time with those considered unworthy of his attention. Even in his post-resurrection appearances, it was in the breaking of bread that he was “recognized.” As we gather around his Table this day, we remember that, at the heart, his message was unconditional love.

At your Worship Center this Sunday, please include a loaf of bread or a piece of bread.  Take a photo and post it on Facebook or send it to bkdaniel@erucc.org.

 

Thursday Thoughts: April 23, 2020

Thursday Thoughts: April 23, 2020

April 23, 2020 by Evangelical Reformed UCC in

Dear Congregation:

This Sunday we will read from Luke 24: 13-35, the story we name as the Road to Emmaus, when two disciples encounter Jesus on the road.  At first Jesus is a stranger but when he breaks bread with them, their hearts are open and they “ate their food with glad and generous hearts.”

Where has your heart been opened in these “stay-at-home” weeks?  How have you been experiencing your meals differently now that you are eating more meals at home?  Are you enjoying cooking more and eating meals with your family?  Does the food taste any different?

This weekend, I invite you to make some bread and add it to your worship center as we remember the meal Jesus shared with his disciples on the road to Emmaus.  Yes, you’ll also need bread for communion on May 3rd.  But who doesn’t enjoy bread?

Share the photos of your bread projects with us on Facebook or via email.

https://mailchi.mp/5990f24989a4/stay-informed-4029693