CLICK HERE for the MACH 18 THURSDAY THOUGHTS

March 18, 2021

Dear Congregation:

From the beginning of this pandemic, the church has vowed to be transparent with our communication.  I am grateful for the hard work of the re-=opening team last spring and the hours of work they put into envisioning how we could open up our buildings and worship in-person while providing options for people to remain at home.

Now that more of us are vaccinated, we are seeing an uptick in attendance for worship on Sunday mornings.

Even though some restrictions have been relaxed, the leadership of the church reminds you that when in the church buildings and worship we must wear our masks, maintain distance as we are seated, and refrain from singing.  We continue to encourage you to wash your hands frequently and to make use of the hand sanitizer we have available.

We are prepared to welcome more of you and your family and friends to worship.  Our deacons and greeters will be present on Sunday mornings to help you and others be seated so that we are able to maintain appropriate distancing.  A gentle note – they may not be able to seat you where you normally enjoy sitting.

We ask that you please enter through the front doors of the Keiffer (Church Street) Foyer where our greeters will warmly welcome you to ERUCC.  The parking lot remains available for those who have mobility challenges.

Worship Notes:               Fifth Sunday in Lent          God’s Love is on Our Hearts

Jeremiah 31:31–34 “I will write it on their hearts.”

Jeremiah’s words in 31: 31-34 offer assurance that deep in our hearts we will know God’s word and ways.  This is a week where we hear the words of hope spoken to a people wondering about their future.  In John 12: 20-22 we look at covenant and recognize that being in relationship requires more than simply the legalities.  Choices about living in God’s way are required.  However, God’s grace is continually offered.

Food for Thought:   

Rev. Dr. Barbara Kershner Daniel, Senior Pastor

Evangelical Reformed Church, United Church of Christ

15 West Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701

301-662-2762

E-mail: bkdaniel@erucc.org

CLICK HERE to read THursday Thoughts for March 11, 2021

March 11, 2021

Dear Congregation:

I remember, as well as you, these days of a year ago.  Ken and I were all packed and ready to fly on a trip to Indonesia and Thailand with Global Ministries.  The trip was canceled on March 1^st, the day prior to our flights.

On March 5, the Governor of Maryland declared a state of catastrophic health emergency.  At that time, there were to be no public gatherings of 250 or more.  But it did not pertain to religious gatherings.   So we planned to hold services on the 15^th acknowledging the state of emergency our safety protocols.

In my Thursday Thoughts on March 12^th, I wrote, “  We know, that the church community is a place of encouragement and refuge.  When there are so many things in the world causing concern and anxiety, the church is the place where many of us come to find meaning and understanding.”  I followed those words and information about our cleaning practices with words we have repeated over and over in this past year, “With all that being said, please use your judgment as to whether you feel comfortable coming to worship.   Remember that you can watch the service online.”

I remember three days of sleepless nights, agonizing over whether we really could be open or not.  Other congregations were closing and it seemed imminent that increased limitations for gatherings would soon be imposed.

March 15^th, about 40 of us gathered in the sanctuary for what we knew would be our last in-person service for a while.  Several members were interviewed by the Frederick Newspost that day.  Colleen Baldree commented, “There’s so much chaos and concern and fear that has just bene growing and growing that I needed a grounding experience.  We needed to show support for one another but also just to be able to be reminded to not give in to the fear but to be reminded to rely on God and that we will be taken care of.”  Jenna Duranko commented, “In this time of chaos, honestly, church is definitely one of those places where people find comfort.”

As I look back on the past year, we, as a congregation, made a commitment to be the church.  Being the church did not rest solely on our ability to worship in the sanctuary or being physically present with each other in Bible study, Sunday School, and fellowship times.  We have been reminded over this past year that we are the church, no matter where we are.

Like many of you, I am still processing what we have experienced and learned over the past year.  Not just with the pandemic but also the other forces in our society that have shaped our lives – a volatile political climate and a renewed awareness of how many black people are killed on our streets and too often at the hands of those who have promised to protect us.

Yet, as Colleen and Jenna said, our faith and the church commuhnit6y has provided us with a grounding for dealing with the chaos of these days.  And the church will be there in the days ahead.

P.S.  Here’s a great article from The Atlantic that Jacqueline Messner shared with me that captures the essence of the grief we have experienced in the past year.

https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/03/we-have-grieve-our-last-good-days/618233/

Worship Notes:               Fourth Sunday in Lent          One Great Hour of Sharing Sunday 

Isaiah 49:8–12 articulates a stunning vision for a world of justice and equity; a world where everyone has enough, and all live in safety and abundance. It is also a vision for a world of interconnectedness. In this vision, what is good for you is also good for your neighbor; what is good for one country is good for the whole world; and what harms any one of us harms us all.

This morning we will be receiving our One Great Hour of Sharing offering.

Food for Thought:   

“As it turns out, lines on a map don’t stop the spread of disease; a pandemic does not recognize human-made boundaries. Whether we like it or not, our lives are deeply intertwined. Our well-being is bound, inextricably, to that of neighbors close to home, and those halfway around the world.”  (From the One Great Hour of Sharing resources material.)

Rev. Dr. Barbara Kershner Daniel, Senior Pastor

Evangelical Reformed Church, United Church of Christ

15 West Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701

301-662-2762

E-mail: bkdaniel@erucc.org

CLICK HERE to read the Thursday, March 3, 2021 Thursday THoughts

March 4, 2021

Dear Congregation:

This comes to you while I am learning and playing with my clergy support group — Hal, Curran, and Jeff.   Five years ago, we were blessed to participate in a program named CREDO through the UCC health insurance program of the Pension Boards.   CREDO is a wellness program targeted to for clergy in mid-career to assess our spiritual, vocational physical and psychological, and financial health.   During the week-long program, we met as a large group for worship and presentations.  We were also assigned to a cohort group of four colleagues from across the country to share hopes and dreams and goals for continuing strong in ministry.

My small group has been in contact almost monthly since we first met in October of 2015.  We have met in person each year to play and learn and to find renewal and rest.  Our time together, it gives me a safe haven where four pastors serving very different congregations hold each other accountable to personal goals, celebrate successes, console each other in hard times, and encourage each other. We explore new ideas in an atmosphere of trust that sings with synergy, creativity, and honesty.

            I am grateful for this group of colleagues and friends and the time we have spent together.

Worship Notes:               Third Sunday in Lent

Psalm 19 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O God.”

With the image of God as a rock, the end of the Psalm 19 uses an image from Creation for God that alludes back to the Creation language at the beginning of the psalm. Skies and rocks speak of God. The individual or leader who prays this psalm prays to live in dependence on God, and in harmony with all Creation.                                                                                                                                             John 2:13–22 speaks of Creation and justice in a different way. In the ancient world, the temple was understood as a microcosm of Creation. This relationship to Creation is evident in the architecture and decorations of the temple. Jesus cleansing the temple is a cleansing of Creation from injustice. In calling his body the temple, Christ holds together spirit and matter. The body is spiritual, is God’s temple. Christ’s body is a microcosm of Creation. If this is so, then Creation could be understood as the body of God.                                                                     We will share in Holy Communion this morning.  Have some bread and a cracker and a cup of water, wine or juice at your worship centers.

Food for Thought:   

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.”  (George Bernard Shaw)

Rev. Dr. Barbara Kershner Daniel, Senior Pastor

Evangelical Reformed Church, United Church of Christ

15 West Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701

301-662-2762

E-mail: bkdaniel@erucc.org

CLICK HERE to read Thursday, February 25, 2021 Thoughts

February 25, 2021
Dear Congregation:
The weight of the anniversary of one year being in this time of pandemic is wearing on many of us including the knowledge that more than 500,000 people have died from COVID 19.
This week, I share a prayer by a favorite writer, UCC minister, Rev. Maren Tirabassi. Hope it comforts you as it did me.
Prayer for Grieving 500,000 Dead of Covid-19 in the US
Holy One, who blesses those that mourn and do not hurry into being comforted, we sit down into the loss of those we know, and those that now we’ll never have a chance to know. We grieve the stories they will not live, the songs they will not sing, the children they will not have, the hope they will not offer to those around them, the inventions they will not patent, the art, poetry, ink, music, shingling a house, legal argument, good tune-up and tire rotation, diagnosis, surgical procedure, gentle placement of a ventilator, dental cleaning, quilt, strawberry picking, produce counter stocking, life-guard undertow rescue, lullaby, recipe and vote that will never be made. We grieve the birthday candles on cakes they will never taste. We grieve for their parents and their children, their families, their colleagues and their friends. We grieve memories slipping away waiting for memorial services. We grieve that the very sadness ebbs away from weariness or the new whisper of good news. O God, our masks are wet with tears and our fingers shake holding balloons at nursing home windows. Comfort us, we pray. amen
Worship Notes: Second Sunday in Lent
Our first scripture reading for this Second Sunday in Lent is Genesis 17: 1-7, 15-16, and speaks to trust in God’s promises. Abram and Sarai are childless; yet God makes a covenant, promising Abram he will be the ancestor of many nations. In Mark 8: 31-38, Jesus and his disciples are near Caesarea Philippi. For the first time, Jesus teaches that he will suffer and die. Today we will be honoring our young people and their families involved with Scouting.
Food for Thought:
“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” –Shannon Alder
Rev. Dr. Barbara Kershner Daniel, Senior Pastor
Evangelical Reformed Church, United Church of Christ
15 West Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701
301-662-2762
E-mail: bkdaniel@erucc.org

CLICK HERE for the Thursday, February 11 Thursday Thoughts

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

February 11, 2021

Dear Congregation:

On Super Bowl Sunday, our youth gathered to receive food donations and monetary donations for the Frederick food bank. The kids hadn’t seen each other in months. It was a beautiful day to be outside. There was snow from the morning providing the perfect opportunity for making a snowman and making snowballs and tossing them at each other.  The joy of seeing them together, wearing masks and staying physically apart, was a gift in an otherwise weary time.

I see that same joy whenever we have seen one another over these months.  When we gather for worship, when we meet for a Spiritual Walk, when people are delivering worship packets or stopping by the church office, I see the joy in being together.

In our hearts and minds, we know there’s always a risk when people gather. Even before the pandemic, we recognized the need to have clean bathrooms. When serving food, we pulled our hair back, washed our hands, and made sure we had gloves on.  When we did not feel well, we did not attend worship or a church gathering.

There is no magic day when we all of us will feel comfortable gathering together at one time.  Integrating ourselves back into the wider culture of gathering will take some time. For some of us, it will take longer than for others.

Our church and its leaders are committed to creating a safe space for gathering.  We will continue to honor your decision to come to activities in person — and to remain at home until you feel comfortable doing so.  I ask you to remember these values as part of our love of neighbor and to respect one another’s decisions to connect in a socially aware manner in person or online, understanding that, while different in approach, are both valid.

P.S.  Using our young people as an example, we all need to play and to laugh.  I am looking for someone/some people to plan some silly or playful activities for the coming months where we would be outside and able to social distance.  Use your imagination.  We have a beautiful patio area, high top tables, noisy musical things.

Worship Notes                

The Season after the Epiphany ends with the story of Jesus’ transfiguration in Mark 9: 2-9. This revealing of Jesus’ glory is a turning point, marking the end of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee and the beginning of the journey towards Jerusalem and the fate that awaits Jesus there. Just before today’s reading, Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah. But Peter does not understand Jesus’ teaching about the kind of Messiah Jesus has come to be.                                                                                                     I John 4: 7-19 reminds us of the gift of love.

Norman Ross will be preaching this morning and Kim Sexton leading the liturgy.  The ERUCC singers will be reading scripture.

Food for Thought:   

            “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”   (Maya Angelou)

Rev. Dr. Barbara Kershner Daniel, Senior Pastor

Evangelical Reformed Church, United Church of Christ

15 West Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701

301-662-2762

E-mail: bkdaniel@erucc.org

CLICK HERE to read the Thursday Thoughts for February 4, 2021

February 4, 2021

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

CLICK HERE to read the Thursday THoughts for January 28, 2021

January 28, 2021

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

CLICK HERE to read the January 21, 2021 Thursday Thoughts

January 21, 2021

Dear Congregation:

I hope you will find this benediction, written by the Rev. Dr. William Sloane Coffin for Riverside Church in NY City, as a blessing for these days.

May the Lord bless you

and keep you.

May God’s face

shine upon you and

be gracious unto you.

May God give you the grace

never to sell yourself short;

grace to risk something big

for something good;

grace to remember that the

world is too dangerous

for anything but truth and

too small for anything but love.

So, may God take your minds

and think through them;

may God take your lips

and speak through them;

may God take your hearts

and set them on fire.

May God look on you with joy

And give you peace.

Amen.

Worship Notes                Third Sunday after Epiphany

            God calls many different people in many different ways.  In the Gospel lesson from Mark 1: 14-20, Jesus sees four fishers, and they immediately leave their nets in response to the call to “Follow me.”   Jonah 3:1–5, 10 is also a story of call. The prophet Jonah has already failed once to respond to God’s call. Now God calls Jonah a second time to go to Nineveh to preach a message of repentance. Because of this reluctant prophet, the people repent and acknowledge God. God’s mind is changed and Nineveh is saved.

Food for Thought:              

“It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”  (Robert F. Kennedy 64TH US  Attorney General)

Rev. Dr. Barbara Kershner Daniel, Senior Pastor

Evangelical Reformed Church, United Church of Christ

15 West Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701

301-662-2762

E-mail: bkdaniel@erucc.org

CLICK HERE for the January 17, 2021 Thursday Thoughts

January 14, 2021

Dear Congregation:

I am holding on to hope.  I am hoping that wisdom and calm will prevail.  I am hoping that we, as a country, can find our way to reclaim our values of liberty and justice for all.  I am hoping that we can recognize that saying we were wrong is nor a moral failing but an act of courage and the opportunity to find a new way forward.

We will gather for worship on Sunday as we have done for over 275 years.  We will gather for prayer next week, with one another and members of the United Church of Christ.  We will invoke the power of the Holy Spirit to fall afresh on us and give us wisdom and courage for the living of these days.

I share a prayer for going on from Steve Garnaas-Holmes:

 Prayer for going on

Beloved, you have not given up on us.  Shine your light within us.

Crucified One, you have been here before. Sustain us with your presence.

Give us the wholeheartedness to mourn our brokenness and then to rise and get to work.

Give us the resilience to stay faithful, even in the shadow of evil, to do justice and to love mercy.

Loving One, lead us.

Redeem our fear, redirect our despair and revive our spirits.

Give us hope and dissatisfaction.

Give us strength and patience.

Give us humility and courage.

Give us love that will not quit in the face of evil.

Be among us, be with us, be in us.

Faithful God hold our hearts in yours, and grant us your peace.   Amen.

Worship Notes                 Second Sunday after Epiphany

In both the gospel lesson (John 1:43-51) and the Hebrew lesson (1 Samuel 3:1-10) we hear stories about God calling disciples.  Samuel recounts the classic story of God calling him in the night.  Samuel responds in the way most of us would want to respond: “Hear I am, Lord… “Speak, for your servant is listening.”   In John’s gospel, the only gospel to mention Nathaniel as a character in Jesus’ gathering up his disciples (note that Nathaniel was not counted as one of the 12 disciples), we hear the question put to Jesus about worth and value.  We hear Nathaniel wondering: “Can this guy from Nazareth be worth it?”  We might ask the same question:  Can anything of worth come out of our lives of faith, lived individually or lived together in the church in 2021?            

Rev. Dr. Barbara Kershner Daniel, Senior Pastor

Evangelical Reformed Church, United Church of Christ

15 West Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701

301-662-2762

E-mail: bkdaniel@erucc.org