Faith United Church of Christ

2012-02-22T14:08:00.000-06:00

Lent begins on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 and continues through the day before Easter. Lent of 2012 will offer two special mid-week services: Ash Wednesday, February 22 and Maundy Thursday, April 5. Both Services will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Sunday worship services in Lent will be held at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, February 26, March 4, 11, 18, 27, and Palm Sunday, April 1. Each service invites all people to share in a common focus on the grace of God and the gifts God has given us through that Grace.

Please join us in worship!

Shelter House Benefit

2012-02-16T16:50:00.003-06:00

Come Decorate Valentine's Day Cupcakes for the Shelter House this Sunday!

2012-02-08T20:34:00.003-06:00

The Missions Committee invites everyone to decorate a cupcake or two on Sunday, February 12. Folks are invited to sign up to bring cupcakes, frosting, and decorations. There is a sign-up sheet for this. The decorating will takes place following the worship service. Items will also be collected for the Shelter House. The Shelter House sent a list of the most needed items.

* Razors * Band-Aids

* Shaving Cream * Deodorant

* Cough Syrup * Foot Powder

* Hydrocortisone Cream * Toothpaste

* Rubbing Alcohol * Toothbrushes

* Hydrogen Peroxide * Tampons & Pads

* Triple Antibiotic Ointment * Hand Sanitizer

The decorated cupcakes and items collected will be delivered to the Shelter House later that day.

We hope you can all join in the fun and fellowship of this activity!

The Social Ministries Committee

February Worship Schedule at Faith United Church of Christ

2012-02-08T20:29:00.000-06:00

Why not join us for worship on Sundays during February? Celebrate God’s presence in your life each Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. with worship at Faith.

Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten Season, is February 22, 2012. Please join us for worship on Wednesday, February 22 at 7 p.m.

Sunday, February 5, 2012 9:30 a.m. -- Worship Rev. Bob Loffer, preaching Communion will be celebrated. Message: “Unweary Runners”.

Sunday, February 12, 2012 9:30 a.m. -- Worship Rev. Bob Loffer, preaching. Message: “Jesus, Lewis, and Clark”. Following worship, Cupcakes will be decorated for delivery to the Shelter House.

Sunday, February 19, 2012 9:30 a.m. -- Worship Shared Ministry leads worship.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 7 p.m. -- Worship Rev. Bob Loffer, preaching. Message: “Ashes and Confession”.

Sunday, February 26, 2012 9:30 a.m. -- Worship Rev. Bob Loffer, preaching. Message: “Brain Bucket”.

Faith United Church of Christ is located at 1609 Deforest Avenue in Iowa City. All are welcome and invited for worship!

February Message from Faith UCC!

2012-02-08T20:21:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends:

We are in the midst of the Epiphany season. This is season of light and hope as we celebrate
God coming into the world and sharing God’s love and light with all people.

How have we shared that light and hope during the past month? What are some of the ways we as individuals and we as a faith community have offered to be the light of someone else’s world?

Well, our outreach to the students and families of Mark Twain Elementary has continued as each Friday we deliver food packs for students to take home over the weekend and share with their families. We have gathered to worship on the Sunday’s in January sharing our faith with one another. Our Annual Congregational Meeting and all the events surrounding that are ways in which we continue the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ in our place in this world. The free lunch on Wednesday’s at Wesley House continues and Faith continues to share in that ministry. Our faith community remains active in many other outreach areas in our community and through our denomination to make a better world. A new year has begun and we at Faith United Church of Christ have tried in many ways to share God’s love and light with others.

February moves us through the Epiphany season and into Lent. Shrove Tuesday is February 21 with Ash Wednesday being February 22. The first Sunday of Lent is February 26. Lent will be a time for reflection, repentance, renewal, and refreshing our commitment in faith to God, to one another, and to the church of Jesus Christ. How will we as individuals and as a faith community, experience ways that allow for that reflection, repentance, renewal and refreshment? What will our role be in helping ourselves and others come to a deeper spiritual understanding of the work God has called each of us to do?

We live in challenging and exciting times! There is much we can do, if we will. The tasks are many and varied and yes, even difficult. But the tasks are ours to do with God if we will but accept the challenge and step out in faith.

Let us use the resources at our disposal to invite and enlist those we know into the ministry and mission of Faith United Church of Christ. Let us be on the look-out for those of our acquaintance who wish to be challenged in faith and share their resources toward the goal of making the world better. Then let us look beyond ourselves and those of our acquaintance to those new folks we encounter on our journey to ascertain if they too might wish to engage with us in this mission of sharing love and light, to see if they too would like to have some time for reflection, repentance, renewal and refreshment. Above all, when we find those folks, let us make certain we invite them to share in all those things with us, for we are all part of the journey together.

Peace and Good Cheer,

Bob

January Message from Pastor Bob Loffer

2012-01-03T19:26:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends:

January is the first month of the calendar year and one of the seven months of 31 days. It is, on average, the coldest month of year within the Northern Hemisphere and the warmest month of the year with the Southern Hemisphere.

It starts on the same day of the week in April and July this year because 2012 is a leap year. It ends on the same day of the week as July. This year, January has 5 Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays.

January is named after Janus (Ianuarius), the god of the doorway; the name has its beginnings in Roman mythology, coming from the Latin word for door (ianua) – January is the door to the year. The month of January contains portions of two liturgical seasons. January 1 through January 5 is part of the Christmas Season. You know, the 12 Days of Christmas? January 6 is Epiphany Day and the days that follow are the days after Epiphany.

Epiphany means "manifestation,” “striking appearance," or Theophany, (meaning "vision of God," which falls on January 6, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God as a human being in Jesus Christ. Western Christians commemorate principally (but not solely) the visitation of the Biblical Magi to the Baby Jesus, and thus Jesus' physical manifestation to all people everywhere.

January may be a month in the bleak mid-winter, but it is also a time for us to renew our hopes for the coming of new life. January may be cold and miserable weather-wise, but it can still be warm and loving as we continue to celebrate the gift God gives us in Jesus. We can still make Jesus known to those we know. We can still share the incredible gift of God’s love with others. May 2012 be a year of wonderful sharing in the life of Faith. Happy January 2012!

Peace and Good Cheer,

Bob

Christmas Eve

2011-12-19T14:06:00.002-06:00

6:00 P.M.

Advent Sermon Series

2011-12-04T08:20:00.000-06:00

Restore Us, O God -- An Advent Series Based on the Psalm Readings and Linked to the Four Candles of the Advent Wreath

The first three psalms (80, 85 and 126, Advent 1, 2, 3) all contain the verb "to restore." This suggests a theme that speaks to the spiritual hunger within all of us -- that of having once known a very precious truth that has somehow slipped from our grasp. The human dilemma is that we spend a lot of time groping on our hands and knees in the dark, hoping to find a light that will reveal the meaning of life, or a lantern that will light our path. What we need is a Savior, the Light of the World, to come to us and reveal the truth, and perhaps to remind us that the treasure we've been seeking isn't the true treasure after all. Although the word "restore" is not used in the Psalm reading for Advent 4, clearly the writer feels that God's love for the people of God has been restored; once again, the love of God as evinced through God's faithfulness has been decisively demonstrated, and certainly the incarnational act is the ultimate evidence that God has not abandoned us, but rather loves us, is committed to us and indeed is among us.

Advent 1, November 27: Restoration of Hope

Advent 2, December 4: Restoration of Peace

Advent 3, December 11: Restoration of Joy

Advent 4: December 18: Restoration of Love

Advent Reflection

2011-12-04T08:14:00.001-06:00

Dear Faith Friends,

Advent is the first season in the church liturgical year. It begins on the fourth Sunday before December 25 each year. Advent is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the Nativity of Jesus on Christmas.

Historically, the primary sanctuary color for Advent has been purple. There has been an increasing trend to supplant the color purple with blue as the primary color for Advent in the past several years. Blue is a color associated with hopefulness and promise. Advent, symbolized by the color blue, becomes a season of hopeful preparation for Bethlehem and the consummation of history in God’s rule on earth.

Advent scripture and music focus on God’s coming into the world in the past, our own preparations for God’s presence in our lives now, and our hopes for the presence of God in our world in the future. We combine our past, present, and future during Advent as we celebrate Emmanuel (God-with-us).

The season of Advent ends on Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Only then do we turn our thoughts to the stories of Jesus’ birth, the star, the shepherds, and rejoicing. Only when we have fully prepared through Advent can we sing the songs of Christmas and proclaim that God has come to us and remains with us now and always.

Prepare for God. Be ready for God. Don’t rush to the end! Don’t hurry by! Watch, look, hope, and know that in the preparing, the ready, the unhurried pace to grace, God can be seen and found. Mark Advent well so that Christmas Joy will be a real experience and not merely a nice feeling.

Peace and Good Cheer,

Rev. Bob

Mission 1: Results for Faith UCC

2011-11-18T21:48:00.000-06:00

Between 11/01/11 and 11/11/11, Faith United Church of Christ joined the rest of the United Church of Christ in Mission 1. The national UCC asked local churches to contribute 11 million non-perishable food items to local food banks; raise $11,111 in on-line contributions to the Neighbors in Needs offering to fight hunger in this country and around the world; and send 11,000 letters to members of Congress asking them to adequately fund hunger programs in this country and around the world.

Our local goal was:
111 non-perishable food items
111 rolls of toilet paper (requested by local Crisis Center)
$111.11 to be sent to the national office for hunger relief
11 letters to be sent to Legislatures/members of Congress

The final tally for Faith UCC was:
113 food items collected (weighed in at 100 lbs of food)
123 rolls of toilet paper
$243.33 collected
23 letters sent

Thanks to all for the success of Mission 1!

-Missions Committee

Faith In Action's Readings with Soup -- 11/17/11 at 6:00 PM

2011-11-08T08:08:00.000-06:00

Faith In Action is excited to revive it's Readings with Soup events later this month. FIA is excited to feature Iowa City Writer, Joe Michaud! Joe ran the Bookery for twenty-five years. He is the author of Along the Iron Curtain, Booking in Iowa, and Iowa City, City of the Book.

Thursday -- November 17, 2011
6:00 PM Free Soup Supper
6:45 PM Program and Open Mike

Everyone is Welcome! Faith United Church of Christ is located at 1609 DeForest Avenue in Iowa City.

Mission: 1 United Church of Christ Challenge

2011-11-05T13:05:00.001-05:00

The first 11 days of November 2011 ---11/1-11/11 are days for the entire United Church of Christ to share in mission together. Nationally the United Church of Christ is asking local churches to contribute 11 million non-perishable food items to local food banks; raise $11,111.00 in on-line contributions for Neighbors In Need offering to fight hunger in this country and around the world; send 11,000 letters to members of Congress asking them to adequately fund hunger programs in this country and around the world.

Faith United Church of Christ is challenged by the Social Missions Committee to bring 111 non-perishable food items and 111 rolls of toilet paper to be delivered to the Crisis Center on November 12. The second challenge is to give and/or pledge funds to make a $111.11 contribution to the Neighbors in Need offering to fight hunger, on-line during worship November 6. Your financial contribution can be given to the church via cash or check between now and November 11. Please make sure you clearly identify your gift as one to Mission 1. The third challenge will be to sign a letter to either Senators Harkin or Grassley or Congressman Lobsack asking for support for funding hunger programs. Prepared letters will be available at the church from November 1 through November 10. You are asked to hand address the salutation of the letter to either Senator or the Congressman and then address the provided envelope. Letters will be collected and mailed on November 11, 2011.

These are significant challenges. This mission effort will have great impact in our community and in communities around the United Church of Christ. Let us all help make a better world by sharing as we can in this effort.

Come Worship and Grow at Faith United Church of Christ!

2011-11-05T13:01:00.001-05:00

Sunday Worship at Faith United Church of Christ is an important way for us to celebrate our faith in God. We can share our faith together and with others. Why not invite someone to join you in worship? Please come and worship with us.

November 6, 2011, we will celebrate communion. Please know that the Table is open to all who profess a belief in Jesus Christ. Message title will be: "Murphy's Law Inverted."

November 13, 2011, Message title: "Snake Eyes -- Servant Eyes."

November 20, 2011, is Shared Ministry with Ann Zerkel.

November 27, 2011, Message title: "Restore Us, O God: Hope."

Following worship, Faith UCC has the following Christian Education sessions planned:

November 6, 2011: Congregational Conversation Part 3 & Evalia Hauck & the Intergenerational Group

November 13, 2011: Book Study: "The Greatest Prayer"

November 20, 2011: Film: "The Dark Side of Chocolate"

November 27, 2011: Advent Series: "Hope"

Worship begins every Sunday at 9:30 AM and Christian Education begins shortly after worship service (@ 10:45-11:00 AM). Faith United Church of Christ is located at 1609 Deforest Avenue in Iowa City. All are welcome to join our worship services.

November Message from Pastor Bob Loffer

2011-11-05T12:49:00.002-05:00

Dear Faith Friends:

November is Native American Heritage Month, National Epilepsy Month, Peanut Butter Lovers Month, National Adoption Awareness Month, and a whole lot of other “Months” as well. November contains Chemistry week (week one) and Games and Puzzles week (week three). Every day in November has a special designation (and some have more than one); from “All Saints Day” November 1 to “Clean Your Refrigerator Day” November 15 to “Stay At Home Because You Are Well Day” November 30 The sublime and serious, (November 2 “All Soul’s Day,” November 3 “Housewife’s Day,” November 8 “Young Readers Day,” November 11 “Veterans Day,” November 24 “Thanksgiving Day”) to the silly and commercial (November 5 “Gun Powder Day,” November 7 “Bitter Sweet Chocolate with Almonds Day,” November 16 “Have A Party With Your Bear Day,” November 17 “Electronic Greeting Card Day,” November 25 (day after Thanksgiving) “Black Friday.” The Great American Smokeout Day (November 17), Universal Children’s Day (November 20), and Square Dance Day (November 29) are just a few more.

Different days, different events, different reasons to remember, reflect, recall, recommit, reconnect, and renew our lives, our passions, our hopes and dreams. What do we do with all those suggestions? Some silly, some serious, some border on absurd, others on reverence, perhaps a reflection of life in this 21st Century?

Each day is a gift. Whatever cause, whatever reason, whatever the day, each day, all day, is a gift for us to use to the very best of our ability.

How many of our days have been wasted on spite, revenge, hatred, bigotry, and abuse? How many of our days have been spent seeking what’s best for us rather than serving others? How many days have been consumed by complaining and whining about what we don’t have and how others are “out to get us”?

November days (or for that matter any months’ days) are filled with opportunities for us to remember the gifts of our past, (think November 1 All Saints Day, November 11 Veterans Day) reflect on the gifts of the present, (think November 13 World Kindness Day, November 24 Thanksgiving Day) and recommit, reconnect, and renew our lives for the future, (think November 17 “World Peace Day,” November 20 “Beautiful Day”). How will we spend our November days or any days?

A gift, each day is. Thanksgiving is a way of living, not for just a day, but a lifetime of days. Whether more days are behind than ahead matters not. How the days ahead are spent matters most.

Peace, Good Cheer, Thanksgiving, and Blessings from God,
Bob

Blessing of the Animals Service Planned for 7:00 PM on Tuesday, October 4th!

2011-10-02T13:19:00.000-05:00

Everyone is invited to join members and friends of Faith United Church of Christ on Tuesday, October 4, 2011, for a "Blessing of Pets" worship experience. We will gather in the church yard (weather permitting) at 7:00 PM and proceed into the worship area from there. Scriptures, prayers, and songs will lead us into the blessing of pets and owners.

Invite your neighbors, families, and friends! Oh, and don't forget their pets as well!

Faith United Church of Christ is located at 1609 Deforest Avenue in Iowa City.

Come Worship at Faith United Church of Christ!

2011-10-01T22:08:00.000-05:00

Sunday Worship at Faith United Church of Christ is an important way for us to celebrate our faith in God. We can share our faith together and with others. Why not invite someone to join you in worship? Please come and worship with us.

October 2, 2011, we will celebrate communion. Please know that the Table is open to all who profess a belief in Jesus Christ. Message title will be: "The Church is where Money Matters."

October 9, 2011, Message title: "The Stewardship Paradox."

Rev. Bob Loffer will deliver the messages for October 2 and 9. He will be out of the pulpit October 16 and 23.

October 16, 2011, is Shared Ministry with Mark Holbrook and Jon Trouten.

October 23, 2011, worship will be led by Marilyn Calkins, Carl Fongheiser, and Marlene Neville.

October 30, 2011, Bob will return and will lead worship with the Message title "Roll, Jordan, Roll." This will also be the Sunday we will receive our 2012 financial commitments and our shared ministry commitments. Please sign up for your Shared Ministry opportunities and bring your pledge card to worship.

October Minister's Musing from Pastor Bob Loffer

2011-10-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends:

This community of faith known as Faith United Church of Christ has most certainly had its lift off into fall mission and ministry. WOW!

The back-to-school back pack program was, again, a HUGH success. We continue our mission and ministry with Twain Elementary through packing food packs each school week for 36 students to take home Friday. Another new item is collecting yarn and knitting needles for use in a knitting class for students held at Twain.

The annual winter clothing drive is underway. Your clean, used, winter coats are needed for distribution on the second Saturday in October.

A blessing of the animals service is planned for Tuesday, October 4 at 7 p.m. Plan to come with your pets and invite your friends and neighbors to come and bring their pets as well.

Christian education will be provided in an inter-generational setting this year. Each Sunday following worship and fellowship different programs will be offered. A variety of activities will include some cooking and food preparation, Bible discussion, book study, information on community and denominational programs, and other events still in the planning stages.

The annual shared ministry sign-up and stewardship program will be held during October. Please do prayerfully consider sharing your gifts of ministry and your financial resources for the work God has called us to do in this place.

More opportunities for mission and ministry are described elsewhere in this newsletter. Many other ministry and mission activities continue in the life of Faith UCC as our social justice ministry continues with different groups within the Iowa City community.

The worship life of Faith also continues to grow and mature. We need to share in worship together to gain perspective, courage, and strength for our ministry. Please join us for worship 9:30 a.m. Sunday mornings.

Our mission and ministry require commitments of time, talent, energy, and financial resources. My experience with Faith UCC shows a tremendous dedication to the sharing of those resources. Thank you!!!

Peace and Good Cheer,

Bob

Come to Faith UCC's Harvest Dinner -- Saturday, October 1, at 6:00 PM!

2011-09-25T10:58:00.001-05:00

Dear Faith Members and Friends,

The harvest season is fast approaching and it’s time for us to start considering how Faith United Church of Christ can reap the harvest of our time, talents, and monetary gifts.

Faith UCC’s Shared Ministry and Stewardship campaigns will kick off with an Autumn Gathering on Saturday, October 1. The fun-filled evening will begin at 6 PM with a wonderful soup supper. The soup is being prepared by a guest chef. The rest of the evening meal will be provided by Faith’s own council members (I have been advised that at least a couple of the members think that dessert is the most important part of the meal!).

After the meal, you will be asked to thoughtfully and prayerfully decide how you can share your time and talents for Faith’s Shared Ministry program. You will also be asked to consider how your pledged monetary gifts can help Faith UCC meet its financial obligations, continue to run its programs, and help us dream to add more programming.

The evening promises to be filled with sumptuous food, laughter, lively fellowship, wonderful food, skit(s), tongue-tempting food, door prizes and – OH – did I mention food?

Before we gather in October, please consider how you can participate in the Shared Ministry program and how you may contribute financially to Faith Church. And then on October 1 at 6 PM please join your Faith Family at Faith United Church of Christ to share your time, talents, monetary gifts, friendship, laughter, and an awesome meal!

Come Worship at Faith United Church of Christ!

2011-09-04T08:37:00.000-05:00

Why not join us Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. for worship? Why not bring someone who hasn’t ever been in worship at Faith? Why not bring someone who hasn’t been in worship at Faith for a while? Why not?

September 4 “Chronos or Kairos?”
September 11 “A Dirty Job”
September 18 Shared Ministry Sunday
September 25 Jesus-A ‘Tiger’ Parent?”

Rev. Bob Loffer, our Interim Pastor, will deliver the message on September 4, 11, and 25. Our shared ministry team will lead worship on September 18.

You will be welcome! Come on, why not?

Back To School Back Packs!

2011-09-04T08:32:00.000-05:00

Last month, Faith United Church of Christ banded together to provide home-made backpacks for students at Mark Twain Elementary School. Altogether, 160 backpacks were distributed to students. Each backpack was filled with needed school supplies, such as notebooks and folders and pencils and tissues. Project organizer Pam Zehr shared the recent observations in the church's September 2011 newsletter:

How do I thank a community of people for believing in a cause so deeply? For rallying around a neighborhood. For supporting children and families we’ve never met, just because it’s the right thing to do. Not just say the words, but put energy and effort and resources behind those words. I’m quite at a loss.

We asked for zip lock bags, and created a Zip Lock Lincoln Log train car that was stacked so high it risked toppling. We asked for pencils, and received so many our Pencil Platform was overflowing. We asked for tissues, and the A’Cho Cho Train stretched full circle (and then some!) around the entire sanctuary with 165 “box cars” of tissues placed end to end. It was an amazing sight to behold. We asked for money to purchase additional supplies, and as the receipts are totaled we should have money left over for next year. Again, an incredible response to our calls for help.

I asked for help sewing the backpacks and had 12 eager volunteers. Together we stitched 200 backpacks of different designs and fabrics that will hopefully be enjoyed and last beyond the school year.

We asked for help packing the backpacks, and had an astonishing turn out. So many volunteers stayed after church that Sunday that we stood shoulder to shoulder in the large classroom. We had people stationed at the school supplies, and people carrying bags around the room, looking like Trick or Treat-ers as they filled their sacks with bright, new school supplies. It was a joyous event, full of fun and laughter and the occasional reprimand for rowdy behavior (you know who you are). In the end, 160 backpacks filled with grade appropriate school supplies lined the church hallway, eagerly awaiting a student to select them and take them home.

We asked for help carrying all the bulk items and backpacks to Twain, and Gordon and Ben Borgstahl jumped in and had the task practically completed before we even arrived. And we asked for help at the distribution, and had a willing crew of Ev, Eadie, Ann Z. and Julianne assist the children as they checked in and selected their bags.

We constantly asked for help. You responded with unmatched enthusiasm, with a generosity of resources and energy that has me at a loss of words. Together we “did good work.” We did the work of Christ. It was an honor to walk His walk with you.

Below are pictures and video of the day when the Faith folks gathered together to pack the backpacks. It was a fun experience and hopefully that shows through. Enjoy!

September Minister's Musings from Pastor Bob Loffer

2011-09-02T07:08:00.000-05:00

Friends,

School is in session! The school term for 2011-2012 began, in most places in Iowa, in August. Another reminder that the days of summer are limited and fall is just around the corner.

The beginning of the school term is also a reminder of the many times in life we have a chance to start over. Students are facing a new class, often a new teacher, new academic challenges, and a new chance to change the way we behave and respond. A new beginning.

Life has a way of offering many chances to start over. Think New Years! We make “New Year’s Resolutions.” We vow to (fill in the blank here) either stop doing something or start doing something. A new year offers a chance to change the way we behave and respond.

A change in personal relationships (marriage, divorce, a birth, a death, a breakup) is another chance to change the way we behave and respond. A change in professions, locations, job responsibilities, volunteer opportunities are yet other changes in relationships that offer a chance to change the way we behave and respond.

Church folks have the above-mentioned chances plus a church year and calendar that offer other chances as well. The start of each school year is, in many churches, the start of the church program year as well. Plans and programs that have been dormant during the summer come back to life along with new programs, classes, and plans. A new church program year; another chance to change the way we behave and respond.

Advent (which begins on the Sunday closest to November 29) is the beginning of the Church Year. Advent is a time to focus on the coming of God into our world. One more chance to change the way we behave and respond.

Lent (which begins with Ash Wednesday) is a time the church challenges each of us to reflect on God in our world and the difference God’s presence has made in our lives. Again, a way for us to move toward, a chance to change the way we behave and respond.

Sunrise, sunset, beginnings and endings. Each and all are chances to change the way we behave and respond. God offers us many times to change the way we behave and respond. God wants us to know we can start all over again. God wants us to know we do not have to settle for the way things are or have been. God offers each and all a new beginning. Here is to new beginnings! Thanks be to God!

Peace and Good Cheer,

Bob

Christmas In July -- Thank You!!!

2011-08-11T14:55:00.000-05:00

Thank you for your response to our "Christmas in July" drive for Iowa City’s Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP)! "Undie Sunday" resulted in lots of underwear and socks being strewn under our small Christmas trees in front of the altar. And our Baby Wipes drive has exceeded expectations. We easily brought in 2011 baby wipes in 2011, then – at this writing – we are closing in on our second, higher goal – the Baby Bottom Wash goal of 6,000 baby wipes.

We will take the gathered items to DVIP where we are certain the DVIP-ers will once again consider Faith Church "awesome" for our successful efforts in this summer’s drive.

Thank you again.
Social Ministries Committee

August Message from Pastor Bob Loffer

2011-07-30T17:38:00.000-05:00

When I was in elementary school in Nebraska, August always meant vacation time in the mountains of Colorado. My dad had a month vacation and mother did not work away from home. The first few days of August meant we were headed toward Colorado for at least a two week and often a three week stay. It was a time I always looked forward to with great anticipation.

Vacation time with my family meant camping in a tent, a station wagon, friends and lots of new experiences. We explored areas of the Rocky Mountains then that are now famous for their vistas and views. Then (late ‘50's early ‘60's) hardly anyone had ever heard of them. They were isolated and pristine. There were no campgrounds, no flush toilets, and no electricity. We enjoyed each other’s company, took in the natural surroundings and celebrated time together and time with God.

No thoughts of school starting in the middle or end of August. School did not start until the day after Labor Day in September. August was our time to reconnect with family, friends, and God. My, how times have changed!

School starts in Iowa City on August 18, 2011. Summer vacation ends for students, teachers, and families in just a few days. Preparations are already in the works for the start of school. School supplies are on “sale” in major stores. Back-to-school clothes are being purchased and soon the sights and sounds of young people will again fill the halls of school buildings. Where did the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer go?

Times are different in the early part of the twenty-first century than they were in the mid-twentieth-century. We live in a vastly different world with vastly different ways of living and life. Yet, I think there is still time for some of the same things to occur.

There can still be a time for families, friends, and God to reconnect. There is still time for some leisure before the routine begins again in life. There is even time in the midst of the routine for some time to “get away” and reconnect with the important things in living. There may not be large blocks of time like I enjoyed years ago, but we can make a few hours or a day or two available to us if we are willing to commit to making and using the time to do so. Look at your schedules, what can you bend a little or undo so that you can have some time for reflection, relaxation, and reconnecting to the things that matter most, family, friends, and God?

Go ahead, give it a try! You may find the routine in life goes better when a little time is freed up for life outside that routine. Have a good August.

Peace and Good Cheer,

Bob

Conversational Conversation Tomorrow at Faith UCC -- 07/31/11 at 10:30 AM

2011-07-30T17:35:00.000-05:00

Please mark Sunday, July 31, 2011 on your calendar!!! The Church Council is inviting all members and friends of Faith United Church of Christ to gather following morning worship at 9:30 a.m. that morning to a second congregational conversation.

This conversation will be a follow-up to the conversation held in April. This time we will be asked what issues identified in the April conversation are still of concern, what issues are no longer of concern and what things have changed since last we gathered. Additionally, there will be a time to share new/different concerns that need to be addressed and a time for making some plans to move into the near future.

Your input into the process is very important. If you cannot be present, please take some time to share your views with Council Members or Rev. Bob.

Christmas In July at Faith United Church of Christ

2011-07-12T21:03:00.000-05:00

Friends:

We have not yet reached the half-way point in our Christmas in July celebration and we have met one of our goals. We wanted to collect 2011 baby wipes for the Domestic Violence Intervention Program for this year. We have already collected more than 3000!!!! Thank you all---but keep them coming. Let's see if you can't reach a new goal of a "Godly Gold" Baby Bottom wash (please see the attached pictures).

I have attached several pictures of our collected items. This Sunday, July 17, is "Undie" Sunday in which we are seeking new packages of underwear of all sizes. The most pronounced need is for larger women's sizes and large teenage boys, yet socks and underwear of all sizes as well as diapers and pull-ups are needed.

Join us this Sunday, and TWO more Sundays in July to celebrate "Christmas In July" for the benefit of DVIP. See you in church!!!

Peace and Good Cheer,

Bob

Come Share an Ice Cream Sundae this Sunday!

2011-06-15T08:38:00.000-05:00

Following the worship service the Social Ministries Committee will serve ice cream sundaes. We will be making homemade ice cream! Yum! A variety of toppings will be available. A free will donation will go to support our Mission Child.

Please plan to join us! All are welcome. Faith United Church of Christ is located at 1609 DeForest Avenue in Iowa City. Sunday Worship begins at 9:30 AM and generally lasts one hour.

Challenge: Bring a Cup // Save a Buck

2011-06-02T20:40:00.000-05:00

Faith’s Church Council would like to challenge all of Faith’s members and friends to Bring a Cup and Save a Buck.

If everyone (kids and adults alike) would bring a reusable cup or glass with their name on it or use the cups in the kitchen cupboard by our phone we could save hundreds of dollars in cups in a short amount of time. Just think about how many cups we could save if we used our own each Sunday morning, during meetings and at potlucks!!!!

The challenge goes further. We also challenge you to bring your own place settings (plate, cloth napkin and silverware) when we have potlucks and other get-together events.

As we phase out our paper/plastic kitchenware purchases, let’s see how much waste we can phase out from our trash. And speaking of trash, think of how many times you’ve had to haul home garbage – that will be less, also.

One last request – Please wash, dry and put away your cups, glasses, silverware, etc., since we don’t have maid service!

Thanks for participating!!!!!!!

June Message from Pastor Bob Loffer

2011-06-02T20:24:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends:

Spring is certainly in full-bloom. Trees, grass, flowers, and garden vegetables are showing off their many and varied forms. What a treat to take a walk through a park, or a drive through the country this time of year and see the beauty of spring as it grows toward summer. If you haven’t done so yet, do so soon. Don’t miss the beauty of late spring in the world.

As the weather warms, plants and animals change their ways. Life in spring and summer is different from life in fall and winter. New growth takes more energy and more resources. Raising new babies born in late winter takes more food, water, and exercise. This time of year, all things are new and excited about the future. Unaware of what lies ahead, nature moves on, pressing toward being the very best they have been called to be in their time and place.

We humans could learn a great deal from the natural world that surrounds us. Instead of fussing about it being too hot too early or not warm enough soon enough or too dry or too wet or too weedy or too whatever (fill in your own blank), what would happen if we simply decided to do the best with what we had?

The plants of spring may struggle to break through the ground to bloom, but as they do break through, they bloom as best they can. The newborn animals and their nurturing parents may not have an easy way to live, but they make the very best of what they have in order to reproduce and be the best they can be where they find themselves.

Life does not always make it easy for us to bloom and grow. Hard things happen in life. We know that is true. What we must also know is that God wants the best for us. God has never promised humanity easy living. What God has promised is that God will be with us, in all our circumstances, good and bad, ugly and beautiful, happy and sad. God simply expects, I think, that we make the very best of what we have, use it for the benefit of others in our world, share the good news that we are loved unconditionally, and that whatever life brings us, we will never have to face it alone.

Peace and Good Cheer,

Rev. Bob

Fiesta on Saturday, May 7th!

2011-05-03T19:40:00.000-05:00

Faith UCC's Spring Fiesta fundraiser dinner is Saturday, May 7th, from 5:30 to 7 pm!

Come celebrate the renewal of spring with your Faith friends while enjoying a yummy assortment of Mexican food favorites, including tacos and burritos, salsas and chips, and Mary Lou’s Mexican Wedding Cake cookies.

All are welcome to attend! Proceeds from our good will donations will benefit the Common Fund of Iowa City. So plan on dinner at Faith where we’ll be serving up fun and fellowship with a spicy flare.

Faith United Church of Christ is located at 1609 DeForest Avenue in Iowa City.

Barb Ruth Annual Clean Up -- Saturday, May 7

2011-05-03T19:33:00.000-05:00

Barb Ruth Annual Cleanup

Saturday, May 7th

9 am - 12 Noon

Bring rakes, gloves and cleaning supplies.

We also need some city wide paper trash bags for leaves.

Clean-Up is quick and easy and fun when shared by all!

May Message from Pastor Bob Loffer

2011-05-03T19:23:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends:

Spring, as always, has arrived! The newness of our world in the spring of the year is, and always has been, a real wonder to me. The amazing transformation, in a relatively short period of time, from the dreariness of winter to the liveliness of spring is absolutely astounding! What a gift! Thanks be to God!

People can be transformed as well. That transformation can be equally amazing and astounding. God has a hand in both transformations, nature and people. However, people can hinder as well as help their own transformation. Nature, on the other hand, simply complies to the laws of creation.

Personal transformation requires some work on the person’s part. There does come a time when one must let go of what has happened in the past and move forward into the present and future. Learning from the past is one thing, remaining in the muck and mire of the past is not learning but wallowing. Wallowing only leads to the festering of old wounds without allowing light and warmth to touch the hurt and begin the healing.

I know there remains a great deal of anger and hurt among many at Faith United Church of Christ. The pain is real. So is the anger. The time has come for that pain and anger to be exposed, identified, and “aired-out.” I want to hear your stories. I want to help you express your disappointment, your hurt, your anger. I cannot do that unless you will allow me to do so.

Let’s talk! I mean that, sincerely! Come by the office. Call me on the phone. Invite me to your home.

If you have already done so—thank you! Perhaps, you still have more to share or just need a listening ear.

I cannot turn back the clock. I will not be able to undo what has been done. I can listen. I can help you look at what has happened and with God’s help and your willingness to move beyond your hurt, anger, and disappointment begin to heal.

Personal transformation will bring about the transformation of the Church. Once we can move beyond our personal pasts we can move into a present and future that will allow us to focus on the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ in the church we have all come to love.

The key to moving on lies in forgiveness. We must apologize to those whom we have hurt, even if the hurt was unintentional. We must forgive those who hurt us and seek to reconcile with them. Only in offering and accepting forgiveness can we move into a future filled with hope, promise and peace.

Peace and Good Cheer,

Rev. Bob

Maundy Thursday Worship Service tonight at Faith United Church of Christ in Iowa City

2011-04-21T13:04:00.000-05:00

Holy Week begins at Faith United Church of Christ in Iowa City. Rev. Bob Loffer will lead our Maundy Thursday Worship Services tonight, Thursday April 21, beginning at 7:00 PM. This will be a service of readings, liturgy, hymns, and communion.

All are welcome and invited to join in tonight's worship service: friends, members, visitors, and seekers. Faith United Church of Christ is located at 1609 DeForest Avenue in Iowa City, Iowa.

New Members to be Welcomed to Faith UCC!

2011-04-13T17:06:00.000-05:00

This is a time of newness and renewal. Faith United Church of Christ will celebrate the reception of three people into membership of the church on Palm Sunday, April 17!

Jim Haack, JoAnn Haack, and Terri Logan will join Faith United Church of Christ by profession of faith during the Sunday Morning worship service. A time of refreshment and fellowship will follow the morning worship. Come; celebrate with us as we move forward with the mission and ministry of God in Jesus Christ.

Queer and Gray

2011-04-12T17:15:00.000-05:00

The following post was cross-posted from Faith UCC's Member Jon Trouten's blog:

It is often difficult for young gays, lesbians, and other sexual minorities to navigate the heterosexual world. Ever wonder how much more difficult that could be for elderly members of the queer community? Many of them grew up in a culture where their identities were best to kept secret. They could be jailed, institutionalized, fired, disowned, etc... if they revealed their identities. Now these seniors are getting older and may require care in a nursing home or residential community. Many of these settings seem to be unaware of the sexual identities of their queer residents and uncomfortable with those residents who are out of the closet...

The Johnson County Living Community (JCLC) Visibility Action Team is presenting a free movie, Gen Silent, on this subject this Sunday, April 17th, at 7:00 PM at the Bijou Cinema in the University of Iowa's Iowa Memorial Union.

The director of the film, Stu Maddux, will also be present to answer questions from audience members after the film.

(NOTE: The preceeding article was written by Faith UCC friend Mark Holbrook, who is a member of the JCLC Visibility Action Team and one of the sponsors of this important event. You can read more about the showing of Gen Silent at this webpage and, of course, at Mr. Maddux's own blog.)

Rev. Jonna Jensen to Provide PPRC Workshop -- 04/11/11

2011-04-05T18:08:00.000-05:00

What does the Pastor Parish Relationship Committee do? What should the Pastor Parish Relationship Committee do? How does that Pastor Parish Relationship Committee work?

Questions? Lots of questions! Well, perhaps now is the time to begin to search for some answers.

The Rev. Jonna Jensen, Associate Conference Minister, will share a workshop for all interested persons in the work of the Pastor Parish Relationship Committee (PPRC) at 7:00 PM on Monday, April 11, 2011. Please plan to attend and bring your questions and concerns.

April Message from Pastor Bob Loffer

2011-03-31T19:32:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends:

The entire New Testament was written post-Resurrection. The Christian Church came into being post-Resurrection. Our Christian Scripture stories and our experience as a Church are all impacted by the fact that we know the “rest of the story”, as Paul Harvey would say.

Our commemoration of Palm Sunday and the events of Holy Week, while calling us to remember the celebration of Palm Sunday, the anguish of Maundy Thursday, and the despair of Good Friday, are colored by our knowledge of God raising Christ from the dead. We live on the Easter side of the grave. We know that the darkness of betrayal and death lead to the light of new life.

Robert Lewis Stevenson, the Scottish novelist and poet, was fascinated as a young boy, by the village lamplighter. The lamplighter would, each evening toward dusk, carry his ladder and torch through the village. He would stop at each lamp-pole, climb this ladder and light the lamps setting them ablaze for the night.

One evening in Edinburgh, Scotland, as young Robert stood watching the lamplighter with childish fascination, his parents heard him exclaim, “Look! Look! There’s a man out there punching holes in the darkness!”

The ministry and mission of each of us and of the church is to “punch holes in the darkness.” The darkness of prejudice, hatred, racism, sexism, and failing to forgive others as well as ourselves for past failures are but a few places in which we can shed light. May God guide our personal and corporate mission and ministry as we do all we can to punch some holes in the darkness of our world.

Peace and Good Cheer,

Pastor Bob

Easter Week at Faith United Church of Christ

2011-03-31T19:28:00.000-05:00

Easter Week is quickly approaching. Faith United Church of Christ welcomes everyone to come celebrate Jesus Christ's sacrifice and resurrection.

Maundy Thursday Worship Service
On April 21 at 7 pm Rev. Bob Loffer will hold a Maundy Thursday Worship Service Faith UCC. It will be a service of readings, liturgy, hymns and communion.

Good Friday Meditation
On Friday, April 22, Faith UCC will be open for silent mediation. Rev. Bob Loffer will provide printed materials to facilitate your own personal silent meditation.

Easter Sunday Flowers, Breakfast & Worship
All are invited to bring spring flowers (either cut or potted) to decorate the altar for our Easter celebration. Please bring these to the church by 10 am, Saturday, April 23.

Easter Sunday will begin with a finger food breakfast at 8:45 am. Please join us for a time of fellowship and celebration. Worship will be lead by Rev. Bob Loffer at 9:30 am.

April 10th -- All Church Meeting

2011-03-31T19:20:00.000-05:00

A people of God known as Faith United Church of Christ is invited to gather, following Sunday worship, April 10, 2011, for a time of conversation. Much has occurred within our faith community within the past weeks. We need to hear together what has happened and some of the steps that are in progress for our future.

Our shared ministry will lead worship. Our interim minister, Bob Loffer, will be with us. Let’s talk and share, listen and ask questions, contemplate and learn together. Let us share our hurts and disappointments; celebrate our achievements and rejoice in our ministry.

This time together will be one of many opportunities we will have for ongoing sharing and discussion about our mission and ministry together. Please plan to be with us and help Faith United Church of Christ discern God’s call for the future.

Faith UCC Activities in April 2011

2011-03-31T19:13:00.000-05:00

April 2011 is a busy month at Faith United Church of Christ. Check out these upcoming activities. You don't want to get left out:

Sunday, April 3rd:
9:30 AM Worship (OGHS Offering) with Rev. Loffer
10:45 AM Adult Education

Sunday, April 10th:
9:30 AM Shared Ministry Worship
All Church Meeting Following Worship
3:00 PM Eastern Iowa Association Meeting in Bennett, IA

Monday, April 11th:
7:00 PM Workshop with Rev. Jonna Jensen, Associate Minister for the UCC Iowa Conference

Tuesday, April 12th:
6:30 PM Church Council

Sunday, April 17th:
9:00 AM Worship with Rev. Loffer
10:45 AM Adult Education

Thursday, April 21st:
7:00 PM Maundy Thursday Worship Services

Friday, April 22nd:
Good Friday Meditation

Saturday, April 23rd:
Holy Saturday -- Bring Flowers for the Sanctuary

Sunday, April 24th:
9:30 AM Easter Sunday Worship with Rev. Loffer
10:45 AM Adult Education

Tuesday, April 26th:
6:00 PM Worship Committee

One Great Hour of Sharing

2011-03-31T18:54:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

Deciding to share is tough sometimes, especially when we feel we barely have enough to get by ourselves. But compared to people whose lives have been ravaged by disaster, or who live on less than $1 a day, we have a great abundance.

This Sunday, April 3, 2011, we are invited to help people in need around the world and in communities impacted by disasters in the United States through the One Great Hour of Sharing^®(OGHS) offering. As the church, we are called to help one another, even through the sharing of our own resources.

Giving changes so many things, for the receiver and the giver. Can you imagine the joy on a mother’s face, who because of your gift, can send her children to school or provide them with a meal before bed? OGHS supports many initiatives that help women start their own businesses or learn a wage-earning skill.

By sharing our resources, combined with offerings from thousands of other congregations in eight denominations across the United States, we:

build homes, schools, medical clinics, and clean water and sewage facilities in villages devastated by earthquakes, floods, and poverty
bring safety, shelter, and food to refugees after often violent circumstances have made their hometowns uninhabitable
nurture stronger futures and self sufficiency through health care, education, job training, and tools for livelihoods.

We are blessed that God is able to provide when and where help is needed through us. (2 Corinthians 9:8-15)

When you make your gift, please give generously.

One Great Hour of Sharing: sharing resources, changing lives, bringing joy!

Peace and Good Cheer,

Rev. Bob Loffer, Interim Minister Faith United Church of Christ

Faith UCC Welcomes Rev. Bob Loffer as our New Interim Pastor!

2011-03-09T12:16:00.000-06:00

Members and Friends of Faith:

The Church Council of Faith UCC has voted to extend a call to Rev. Bob Loffer as Interim Pastor. Rev. Loffer will begin an interim period with Faith UCC effective March 15, 2011. In doing so, the Council discussed the interim process with Bob as he envisions it. The following is Bob’s intentional statement of our shared expectations of the interim process we will explore together at Faith.

David Gebhard

President Faith Council

-------------------------------------------------------------

The first segment of this interim period will provide a time for the members of Faith UCC to share their church stories of the past. This will be time of closure regarding the loss of our pastor, the process we experienced with that departure. We will also use this period of time to share as honestly and openly as possible how the issues that divide us have made us feel. As we gain some perspective on our past, clear up misunderstandings, apologize to one another for the hurts we have caused and experienced, we will greatly enhance the success we can have in examining our future mission and ministry as a community of faith.

The second segment of the interim process will provide time for a number of other tasks. Basically those tasks include:

* Discovering a New Identity

* Allowing Changes in Lay Leadership

* Reaffirming our connections with the United Church of Christ and our local community

* Committing ourselves to new directions in ministry

The first segment will include time for Rev. Loffer to hear the stories of our members and for us to gather in a series of Congregational Conversations beginning with one on Sunday, April 10, following worship. Those conversations, both private and in groups, will continue through the spring, summer and early fall. We will be best prepared to make better decisions about our ministry and mission once we have the stories of our past better understood.

The second segment of the interim time might well begin with Advent 2011. Prior to beginning the second segment both Rev. Loffer and Faith UCC would review the prospect of Rev. Loffer continuing with us into this interim segment or whether a new interim should be called.

Please keep Faith UCC in your prayers as this interim period begins. Rev. Loffer can be reached at the church office on Tuesday and Wednesday from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. His cell phone number is 319-721-0691. Please leave a message if he does not answer and he will return your call as soon as he is able. His e-mail address is revbob(at)mediacombb(dot)net.

Christian, Jews, & Muslims: What Similarites Do They Share?

2011-03-08T20:48:00.000-06:00

Faith UCC junior member D'Angelo Holbrook worked on the following project during Sunday School this past fall and later shared it with the congregation during the "Time with the Youth" portion of Sunday worship. During that Sunday School session, they looked at Christianity, Judaism, and Islam and examined some basic differences and similarities.

D'Angelo was asked to share with his Faith UCC family what he learned and he presented us with the following:

He learned that all three religions worship one God. All three consider Jerusalem to be very special and all three religions think that Abraham is a very good and wise man. And all three religions possess holy books and use important symbols.

D' did a good job of clearly presenting his information to the congregation and he was well-received. Obviously, there are many more differences the further separate the three religions, but he did an excellent job communicating the basic elements of the three.

Faith UCC Welcomes Rev. Bob Loffer as Worship Leader on 2/27, 3/06, & 03/13

2011-02-26T09:16:00.000-06:00

Members and Friends of Faith United Church of Christ,

Council has engaged the Rev. Bob Loffer as pulpit supply for the next three weeks. We will use that time as an assurance period for both Bob and all of us to be sure we are all in the right place. If all goes as I fully expect it will, that relationship will be extended. Bob has a great deal of experience in building new churches, as interim in churches that need rebuilding, in established churches, and in work at the conference level. He will be at the 9 o'clock Sunday breakfast before worship and will lead the service that follows. I hope all will make an effort to come and meet Bob and take part in the gifts he brings to worship.

David
Council Vice President

Faith, Fellowship, and Food -- This Sunday at Faith United Church of Christ!

2011-02-26T09:08:00.000-06:00

Faith UCC's Worship Committee would like to invite everyone to BREAKFAST at 9:00 AM on Sunday, February 27th! This will be a great opportunity for everyone to have a bite to eat and fellowship before our 9:30 AM worship service and if it is a "hit", please let the Worship Committee know that you would like this to happen again!

All are welcome to the table! Faith United Church of Christ is located at 1609 Deforest Avenue in Iowa City.

Brian McLaren in Iowa City

2011-01-22T12:06:00.001-06:00

Brian McLaren
Following Jesus in the 21st Century

Music by Sara Kay

Friday, March 4th @ 7:00pm
Zion Lutheran Church
310 N. Johnson St., Iowa City
Cost: FREE

January 9th: By Light and By Another Road

2011-01-03T12:50:00.001-06:00

God's light has come into the world. Not only in holy spaces, but in all places. Darkness has been dispelled. Light shines brightly. And sometimes God's light guides us to new adventures as God leads us on different roads in life.

What does this mean for our lives? What does this mean for our church? What does this mean for our world? Join us this Sunday as we explore Isaiah 60:1-6 (light) and Matthew 2:1-12 (different road).

New music. Traditional music. Creative liturgy. Evocative Scripture. Practical preaching. And more. All are welcome to join us for worship on Sunday at 9:30.

Plus, after church (10:35), all are welcome to join us for a showing of the award-winning film, "For The Bible Tells Me So."

January Faith Happening Letter

2010-12-25T09:11:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year! The adventure of 2010 has morphed into the hope of 2011. That means that it’s time for New Year’s resolutions. A new chance to start over. To begin again. To start things afresh. For some of us, our resolution might be to exercise more, watch TV less, spend more time with family, eat organic food, stop smoking, etc. There are many good things that are worth resolving to do. And a new year is a great time to start.

As we think about our personal New Year’s resolutions, I’d like to invite everyone to think about the New Year’s resolutions that we have for our faith journeys. To help us ponder this idea, here are a few questions for meditation: How is God speaking to you? What is God calling you to do? What is God calling you to be? Where is God calling you to go? Who is God calling you to be with? What things is God calling you to heal? What part of your faith journey is God calling you to focus on? How is God calling you to be active in the shared ministries of Faith?

Every person will answer these questions differently. The point here isn’t to tell anyone what to do or how to answer. The goal is simply to invite questioning. Not the kind of endless questioning that is anxious-making. Instead, it’s the kind of questioning that moves us onward. It keeps us searching, listening, and praying. In progressive Christianity we call this “living the questions.” It’s the kind of life that is lived with an open mind that is eager to learn, an open heart that is eager to share, and an open hand that’s eager to receive.

As we “live the questions,” we may find that our New Year’s resolutions change over time. Not because we have stopped doing them, but because we are called in a new direction. God’s call in our lives changes as we journey. We’re not called to stay on one pathway forever. Instead, we’re called on a holy adventure. In this adventure with God, we’ll take many different pathways and directions. God isn’t a boring God. God is the Great Adventurer that goes with us on the great adventure of life.

Psalm 139:7-12 describes God’s adventurous presence in our lives: “Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night’, even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.” May these words of Scripture bless you on all the adventures of 2011.

Enjoy the New Year!

Peace,

Pastor Brian

For The Bible Tells Me So (Film)

2010-12-25T09:04:00.001-06:00

Sunday, January 9th at 10:35am
Cost: FREE

All are welcome to join us for a free viewing of the award-winning documentary, “For the Bible Tells Me So.” This film explores the intersection between faith and homosexuality in powerful ways.

Can the love between two people ever be an abomination? Is the chasm separating gays and lesbians and Christianity too wide to cross? Is the Bible an excuse to hate?
Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families - including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson - we discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard's Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, “For the Bible Tells Me So” offers healing, clarity, and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual orientation.

“For the Bible Tells Me So” has won many awards, including the Audience Award for Best Documentary at Outfest Los Angeles, Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, and the HBO Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Provincetown International Film Festival.

Phyllis Tickle on Advent

2010-12-04T08:14:00.001-06:00

This Advent season, Patheos is hosting a new video series, “The Coming of God: Reflections on Advent,” featuring well-known progressive Christians on what Advent means to them.

In the first video, renowned author and speaker Phyllis Tickle shares her thoughts on Advent, “the most grand of the Holy seasons.”

Preparing for Jesus the King: December 5th

2010-12-03T19:01:00.001-06:00

This Sunday we're going to explore the Biblical understanding of Jesus as "King." What kind of king would he be? What kind of people would he help? What kind of foreign policy would he have? How would we serve a king like this? To explore these questions, we'll look at Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72, and Matthew 3:1-12.

Creative worship. Scriptural exploration. Illuminating preaching. Traditional music. New music. Communion celebration. Prayers for one another. And more.

All are welcome this Sunday at 9:30am.

December Faith Happenings Letter

2010-12-01T16:27:00.001-06:00

Dear Friends and Members of Faith UCC,

Christmas is the season that we celebrate the incarnation of God. The presence of God in the world – in our world. Not born into wealth and privilege. Not born on a regal mountain or grand fjord. Not born with power or clout. Not born to middle-aged, socially secure parents. Instead, God was born far away from all of those things.

Love was born in a rural, forgotten part of the world. Love was born in a feeding trough of a rickety barn. Love was born in the presence of watchful cattle and stinky donkeys. Love was born to naïve, anxious teenagers. Love was born as a baby – giggling, crying, sleeping, and all the other stuff babies do. Love was born with a need to be fed, nurtured, and snuggled. Yes, God was incarnated in this little expression of Love we call Jesus.

In Jesus, we see God’s incarnation revealed in a unique way – a nearly scandalous way. It challenges our notion of God being a bearded old man, an all-powerful ruler, or a CEO. Instead, the birth of Jesus reveals a God who isn’t afraid of real life. God isn’t afraid to be a dependant baby. God isn’t afraid of pregnant teenagers or smelly animals. God isn’t afraid to be in the midst of financial hardship or housing problems.

The God revealed through the birth of Jesus is a God who isn’t afraid to be present through the real “stuff” of life. Perhaps that is why people call Jesus by the name Emmanuel – God-with-us. God is with us through all situations in life. God is here to bring forth hope out of difficulty. God is here to bring forth joy in times of despair. God is here to bring good news to the poor. God is here to bring forth justice in systems of inequality. God is here to bring forth light in the darkness. God is here to bring forth divine love to all humanity.

God isn’t just sitting on a cloud in Heaven, removed from the world. God is right here, right now, working in and through each of us. At Christmas, we celebrate the fact that God is scandalously present in the everydayness of life. And through God’s radical incarnation in our lives, each of us gets to give birth to Love anew. Love is born anew each time the love, justice, and mutuality of God is shared.

Joy to the world!

Peace,

Pastor Brian

Happy Advent

2010-11-27T19:03:00.001-06:00

Here is an Advent gift from Advent Conspiracy through Faith UCC:

Faith @ Carver

2010-11-16T21:04:00.001-06:00

Iowa Women’s BasketballSunday, December 5th @ 2:00pm
Meet at Faith @ 1:15pm to Carpool
Tickets are $1

Thanksgiving will be over.
Christmas will be weeks away.
You'll want something fun to do.
Hang out at Carver with your Faith friends.

RSVP by signing up at church, commenting on this post, or e-mailing Pastor Brian at faithuccpastor@yahoo.com. Please let us know by December 1st so we can buy a block of tickets together. And remember, tickets are just $1!

All are welcome.

Holden Worship Service - Nov. 21st

2010-11-15T02:45:00.001-06:00

Advent celebration. Good music. Warm candles. Evocative Scripture. Relevant readings. Healing prayer. And more. All are welcome to enjoy Holden Evening Prayer this coming Sunday at 9:30am. Enter into the Advent/Christmas season with this meditative-yet-celabratory service.

Plus, all are welcome to join us for Holden Evening Prayer on December 1st, 8th, and 15th at 7:00pm. These advent evening services will help open us to the spirit and joy of the Christmas season.

Advent Evening Worship

2010-11-11T18:30:00.001-06:00

On December 1st, 8th, and 15th, we will be sharing in a unique worship experience called Holden Evening Prayer. This service is musical, meditative, and nourishing.

The Christmas season can be a hectic time. Plus, we live in a fast-paced world of cell phones, e-mails, and Facebook. With life zooming forward, it can be hard to slow down and really enjoy the season. So our evening worship services will help us to slow life down a bit. We will leave the busyness of life behind and enter into the sacredness of Christmas.

Good music. Warm candles. Evocative Scripture. Relevant readings. Spiritual activities. And more.

Enjoy the serenity and refuge of Holden Evening Prayer. Be still. Be relaxed. And be nourished.

All are welcome to celebrate Christmas with this contemplative worship experience.

December 1st, 8th, and 15th at 7:00pm

What is Salvation? Exploration this Sunday.

2010-11-06T11:52:00.001-05:00

Are you saved? Are you in the process of getting saved? What does it mean to get saved? Is salvation an ongoing process? This Sunday we'll look at Luke 19:1-9 for some answers. In this text, we encounter the story of Zacchaeus meeting Jesus. This story gives us an interesting look into the meaning of salvation. Sound interesting enough? Well, come this Sunday to discover how salvation, Petro-Carbo Salve, and you are all related. Plus, we'll have music, prayers, Communion, and a celebration of the ministry of a long-time member of Faith UCC. Come this Sunday at 9:30am. All are welcome.

What is the UCC?

2010-11-05T15:52:00.001-05:00

UCC Values from United Church of Christ on Vimeo.

November Faith Happenings Letter

2010-11-01T07:20:00.001-05:00

Greetings, Friends and Members of Faith,

Faith UCC has been active this year. We have worshiped God in creative ways, given away school supplies, shared backpacks of food, supported the domestic violence shelter, served meals for the community, celebrated weddings for many different kinds of couples, shared joys and concerns, commemorated breast cancer awareness, held a rally to restore civility, etc. We have gotten many “thank you” notes, been in various newspapers, appeared on TV several times, and won an award. It’s clear that our church is making a difference in our community. As the great Christmas text says: “God has lifted up the humble and filled the hungry with good things” (Luke 1:52-53). While some groups talk about serving the community, our congregation is out in the community embodying the love and justice of God. At this time in the Church year, it’s good to look back and reflect on the shared ministry that we have done together. It’s truly making a difference. “Hope” and “change” are not just slogans at Faith. We are choosing hope and working for change with every ministry that we do together. It’s exciting to be part of a congregation that is so committed to living out our faith in such bold ways.

Faith UCC continues to journey boldly into the future. At this time of the year, we also reflect on our shared ministries and financial stewardship for the coming year. We think about what we want to give back to God. We think about how we want to invest our money into the mission of the church. We think about how we want to invest our time into the shared ministry of the church. We think about how we want to shape the coming year as a community of Christians. We think about all of these things and more. In the end, we think about how we want to be involved in God’s work in the world.

Faith UCC has an amazing vocation. We have been invited by God to join God in caring for God’s world and people. Plus, God gives each of us various talents, gifts, resources, personalities, etc., so that we may all join in this vocation in different ways. One amazing way we get to serve with God is being a part of Faith UCC. In this congregation, we get to pool our gifts and resources together in order for our ministry to be even stronger. And our shared ministry sends ripples of God’s love and care into our community and world.

In the coming year, God will continue to bring God’s love to and through each of us. Thanks be to God!

Peace,

Pastor Brian

November Facebook Question: What is humanity?

2010-11-01T07:13:00.001-05:00

The Facebook question for November is: “What does it mean to be human?” Simple yet profound. There are many directions you could take this question. Who are we? What is our purpose? What is our relationship to God? What is our relationship to each other? Are we mostly decent, mostly depraved, or somewhere in the middle? The list of questions could go on and on. Please answer in any way that is most meaningful to you. What does it mean to be human? All are welcome to go to the discussion section on our Facebook page and discuss your understanding of humanity. Every reply will enrich every reader. Click here to add your thoughts.

Rally To Restore Civility

2010-10-26T07:13:00.001-05:00

Are you tried of being told to pick sides? Liberal vs. Conservative. Moderate vs. Extreme. Democrat vs. Republican. Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice. Pro-War vs. Anti-Military. Communist vs. Capitalist. Mainline vs. Evangelical. Protestant vs. Catholic. Christian vs. Muslim. Mac vs. PC. Are you tried of these false choices? Are you tired of the shock jocks like Sean Hannity and Michael Moore making it seem like we have to hate our friends and family on the other side? Are you tired of the loudest, most divisive voices taking up so much space on TV? Are you tired of some cable news choosing soundbites over nuance? Are you tired of the lack of civil discourse? The good news is that you're not alone!

Jon Stewart is tired of all that too. So he's going to host a Rally to Restore Sanity in Washington DC on 10/30/10. The rally is meant to gather people together who want to get beyond the overly simplistic and overly divisive "sides" that are often presented by politicians and the media. In the end, the event is supposed to rally people around ideas like civility, dialogue, and a more sane approach to real issues. Because of that, some people are calling it the Million Moderate March.

Faith UCC is going to host an Iowa City chapter of the Rally to Restore Sanity. But we're going to call it the Rally to Restore Civility. The purpose is the same: rally people around radical ideas like civility and respect.

We're going to explore Galatians 3:23-29 and its message for us today. Apostle Paul provides us with an excellent example of how to bring different "sides" together.

All are weclome this Sunday at 9:30am.

It Gets Better Prayer

2010-10-24T19:41:00.001-05:00

Holy One, we recall the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis. Joseph was a teenager who was bullied, beaten, thrown into a pit, and sold into slavery. He knew what it was like to be knocked down by everyone in his world. And, thankfully, life got much better for him. So we pray that life does, indeed, get better for every young person who faces difficulty, harassment, or violence.

May life get better for the young people in special education. The young people who are intimidated and recruited by gangs. The young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered. The young people with disabilities or mental illness. The young people who are pregnant – and have to think about adoption, abortion, and other decisions that are way too heavy for someone so young – yet they have to make these decisions even as they feel ostracized.

Dear God, we pray for all of the young people in our neighborhood, country, and world. And we pray that life does get better for them, no matter what they face. Being a teenager is hard enough without all the extra “stuff.” The tough stuff. So, we pray that life gets better for all of them.

But don’t let this prayer simply be an empty platitude to make us feel better on a Sunday morning. Things don’t always easily get better. Sometimes these teens are given more than they can handle by the world. And they need our help. So, we pray for you to help us, to help them.

Help us to build a world that is more inclusive of and accessible for young people who need special education. For some of us, this is easy. For others, it’s not. When we don’t know what to say or do, inspire us with words and actions that can help bring smiles and remove stigma. In everything we do, may we empower and love them like every other child.

Help us to provide a sense of community, belonging, and safety for young people, so they aren’t intimidated by or recruited into gangs. This will take creativity in our community, as we witness an upsurge in gang activity – especially on the SE side of Iowa City. So, we pray to you, Creative Creator, to help us find a way to make our streets safer and children happier. And may places like “The Spot” offer secure and fun alternatives for them.

Help us to overcome the religious stigma against LGBT youth. Prejudice in the name of Christianity is a strong force in our world. So we, as Christians, have a special role in overturning this discrimination in the church and wider society. Give us the wisdom to listen to, stand beside, and support LGBT communities. And give us the courage to be a public witness to your love for each and every one of your perfectly designed lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered children.

Help us to offer a welcoming and safe place for youth with disabilities and mental illness. Not to feel sorry for them, or to treat them like helpless children, but to empower them to achieve their greatest potential despite their difficulties. May these young people, like all young people, know they are loved and created by you – and will be loved and cared for by us.

Help us to offer empathic ears and welcoming arms to pregnant teenagers. May we support them during their difficult decisions, and help them to find organizations like United Action for Youth, Faith Aloud, and Avoid the Stork. Plus, Holy God, may our schools offer our youth comprehensive sex education so that they can be empowered to make judicious decisions with the best information available. In the end, we pray for a dramatic drop in teen pregnancy – an end of teen pregnancy – so that every family can be started at a time that makes sense for them.

Holy God, may all the young people who face difficulties, like Joseph, find that life truly does get better. For every single one of them. No more prejudice. No more bullying. No more beatings. No more suicide. Just better. Every day. Because of you. And because of us. And because it’s the right thing to do for kids. May there be more fun. More smiles. More inclusivity. And more empowerment.

Like Joseph and his family, help to make life better for all of us, Gracious God. Amen.

This prayer was inspired by the It Gets Better Project.

This Sunday: Effective Communication, Jesus Style

2010-10-19T09:57:00.001-05:00

Any time two or more people are gathered together there is potential for conflict. All you have to do is go to a family reunion to know the reality of that. Families, like offices or teams or churches, are collections of diverse people. And here's the kicker: Almost everyone has a different perspective than almost everyone about almost everything. It's just the way things are. Everyone is unique. And that uniqueness presents a challenge and an opportunity. The opportunity is that diversity can help us grow and develop beyond "the box" of our individual perspectives. The challenge, then, is to use diversity in productive ways.

This sounds easier said than done. And it is. Despite our best attempts, there will still be conflicts. Thankfully, in Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus gives us ways to handle conflict in effective and healthy ways. This Sunday, we'll explore the tips that Jesus shared. So if you'd like to know how to get along with others - even when there is conflict - come to church this Sunday. We're going to explore how the wisdom of Jesus can be applied to our daily lives.

In the end, we'll discover three important things happen when we transform conflict into something productive through healthy communication. First, we feel better. Second, we lose an opponent and gain a partner. And, third, we realize that Jesus truly is present when two or three people are gathered together. It's not magic. It's just the message of Jesus!

All are welcome to join us for worship this Sunday at 9:30.

Successful Aging Events

2010-10-14T11:48:00.001-05:00

Balanced Lives: Best Policies for the New Economy
October 20-22, 2010
The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
This conference, co-sponsored by JCLC, examines the most effective ways to provide job security, family time, child care, quality education, retirement security, preventive health care, sufficient leisure, community engagement, economic safety nets, access to nature, nutritious food and other key ingredients of happy lives. The conference includes a series of panel presentation by policy experts and distinguished speakers. For more information and to register, click here.

Creating the Second Half of Your Life: Intelligent Planning for Midlife Change
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The Kirkwood Center, Cedar Rapids, IA
JCLC, along with Kirkwood Continuing Education and other area sponsors, invites you to attend this one-day conference designed to help you make intelligent midlife decisions that will lead to greater personal fulfillment and satisfaction in the years ahead. The Creating the Second Half of Your Life brochure includes the conference schedule and registration information.

Live Well – Plan Well: For You and Your Family
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Hotel Vetro, Iowa City, IA
The focus of this seminar, co-sponsored by the Iowa Insurance Division and the Iowa Department on Aging, is on consumer and financial protection and education for older Iowans. Sessions are scheduled to include: Fighting Financial Fraud; Advance Directives for Health Care Decisions; Choosing Facility-based Care; and Accessing Services to Stay at Home. There is no cost to attend the seminar series. Lunch will be provided and the Live Well Plan Well events are open to the public. For more information or to register, click here.

Ask Boldly, Live Justly

2010-10-12T20:35:00.001-05:00

This Sunday we'll look at Jeremiah 31:27-34 and Psalm 119:97-104 as we explore ways to ask boldly and live justly. Plus, we'll enjoy music from Godspell, Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, etc. Intersted in more? Join us this Sunday at 9:30.

Bill McKibben in Iowa City

2010-10-10T10:57:00.001-05:00

World-famous environmentalist Bill McKibben will be at the Englert Theater in Iowa City this Wednesday, October 13th at 7:00pm. The event is free and open to the public. He will be speaking about creating a sustainable world. For more info click here. Or for his recent article in Newsweek click here.

McKibben's new book, Eaarth: Making A Life on a Tough New Planet, is described by Publishers Weekly in these words:

"The world as we know it has ended forever: that's the melancholy message of this nonetheless cautiously optimistic assessment of the planet's future by McKibben, whose The End of Nature first warned of global warming's inevitable impact 20 years ago. Twelve books later, the committed environmentalist concedes that the earth has lost the climatic stability that marked all of human civilization. His litany of damage done by a carbon-fueled world economy is by now familiar: in some places rainfall is dramatically heavier, while Australia and the American Southwest face a permanent drought; polar ice is vanishing, glaciers everywhere are melting, typhoons and hurricanes are fiercer, and the oceans are more acidic; food yields are dropping as temperatures rise and mosquitoes in expanding tropical zones are delivering deadly disease to millions. McKibben's prescription for coping on our new earth is to adopt maintenance as our mantra, to think locally not globally, and to learn to live lightly, carefully, gracefully—a glass-half-full attitude that might strike some as Pollyannaish or merely insufficient. But for others McKibben's refusal to abandon hope may restore faith in the future."

Think Pink Service

2010-10-06T17:03:00.001-05:00

Think pink and wear pink this Sunday. We're going to have a Breast Cancer Awareness Service. We hope to raise awareness and hope. We'll have upbeat music, relevant preaching, pink prayers, etc. The prayers will focus on the women we have lost, the survivors, and our hope for a cure. We'll also explore Psalm 3 and its message for the battle against breast cancer. Plus, Pastor Brian and Sara will play their song, "Victory," which is about one woman's connection to Psalm 3 as she battled cancer (and won!). All are welcome. Sunday at 9:30 AM.

Update: The Cedar Rapids Gazette did an article about the service here. Hopefully articles like this and services like ours will help us in our battle against cancer - and our journey toward victory.

1 a Minute Live in Iowa City

2010-10-05T12:06:00.001-05:00

1 a Minute Live: Supporting Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Wednesday, Oct 6th at 7:00pm
Marcus Sycamore Cinema 12, Iowa City, IA

The night begins with a LIVE panel discussion about breast cancer survival and hopeful advancements. Included in the discussion will be Melissa Etheridge, Olivia Newton-John, Jaclyn Smith, Namrata Singh Gujral, and Barbara Mori. The panel will be broadcasted live from LA.

Following the panel discussion, there will be a special viewing of the docudrama 1 a Minute, written, produced and directed by Indo-American actress and breast cancer survivor Namrata Singh Gujral and narrated by Kelly McGillis. The story portrays one woman’s journey through the various phases of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Click here for more info or to buy tickets.

October Worship Events

2010-10-01T06:27:00.001-05:00

October 3rd

World Communion Sunday. Join us for a hymn sing that will focus on songs from around the world. Plus, we'll explore the Great Feast in Luke 14:12-23 and what it means for us today. Sunday at 9:30 AM.

Installation Service. Celebrate the official start of the collaborative ministry between Faith UCC and Pastor Brian. There will be upbeat music, exciting preaching, guests from the wider community, and food afterward. Sunday at 4:00 PM.

October 10th

Breast Cancer Awareness Sunday. We'll explore Psalm 3 and its message for the battle against breast cancer. Plus, Pastor Brian and Sara will play their new song about Psalm 3. Sunday at 9:30 AM.

October 17th

Shared Ministry Sunday. Paula Forest will be preaching and leading worship. Come explore the intersection of Scripture and real life. Sunday at 9:30 AM.

October 24th

Details Emerging. But do not fear. It will be an experience of the-ordinary-meets-the-holy. Sunday at 9:30 AM.

October 31st

Civility Sunday. Jon Stewart is hosting the "Rally To Restore Sanity" in order point out the importance of civil discourse in our nation. This Sunday, we'll be hosting a local branch of this rally for the same purpose. We'll explore Galatians 3:23-29 and how this Scripture invites us to be more civil and united in our church, nation, and family. Sunday at 9:30 AM.

October Faith Happenings Letter

2010-10-01T05:49:00.001-05:00

Dear Members and Friends of Faith UCC,

We continue to journey boldly together into the Fall season – and into the future. While the media shares things about deceitful rhetoric about Islam, polemic political campaigns, and other deflating topics, we share many exciting things ahead as we continue to follow God-in-Jesus.

First, we have an exciting online presence at faithucciowacity.blogspot.com. On this website, you will find pictures, updates, weekly announcements, Faith Happenings, spiritual reflections, Scripture for the upcoming worship services, links to our online discussions, messages of support for our Muslim neighbors, etc.

Second, adult education is back in full swing. During the month of October, we’ll be engaging in spiritual creative writing. Join us after worship as we explore and experiment with different kinds of writing as a spiritual practice. These sessions will be relaxing, encouraging, and fun. Come for all the sessions - or come for just one. All are welcome.

Third, we have new art in the sanctuary that comes directly from artists in Central America. This beautiful, fair-trade art serves to remind us of the creativity of God’s people and our connection to the world-wide Body of Christ.

Fourth, we’ll be having a fun-filled Harvest Dinner and Auction on Saturday, November 6th. The festivities will begin at 6pm with a delicious dinner. After the meal, we’ll be having an auction to raise money for a projector for our church. The projector will be used to show reflective, spiritual videos/images during worship as well as used to show movies and documentaries that will help us explore faith through film. Come for the food, stay for the fun!

Fifth, it’s my pleasure to announce that world-famous author and theologian, Brian McLaren, is coming to speak in Iowa City on March 4th, 2011. People often travel across the country and spend their hard-earned money to hear him speak. But we get to hear him for FREE. So be sure to come and listen to McLaren speak about following Jesus in the 21st Century.

Like I said, we’ve got a lot of exciting things going on at Faith UCC. We’re a smallish church, but we’re mighty! And if all this sounds good to you, please begin thinking about how you would like to be involved in our financial stewardship and shared ministry as we continue to journey boldly into the future. God is doing exciting things through our Church!

UCC Tribute Song

2010-09-27T05:19:00.001-05:00

Lost and Found have written a tribute song about the United Church of Christ. Check it out:

Facebook Question: What Is The Holy Spirit?

2010-09-26T14:00:00.001-05:00

The Facebook question for October is: “What is the Holy Spirit?” Simple yet profound. There are many directions you could take this question. What is the Holy Spirit? What does the Holy Spirit do? Where is the Holy Spirit? What is your favorite image of the Holy Spirit? What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit? The list of questions could go on and on. Please answer the question in any way that is most meaningful to you. What is the Holy Spirit? Please click here to join the discussion on Facebook. Every reply will enrich every reader.

Responding to Luke 16:19-31

2010-09-26T13:51:00.001-05:00

Today in worship we explored Luke 16:19-31. What if Jesus really meant it? How would this change our lives? For Shane Claiborne, this meant learning from Mother Teresa and then starting The Simple Way. For each of us, it might mean something else. Here are five ways that we can live out the radical message of Luke 16:19-31: (1) Pray for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. (2) Simplify life. (3) Make a donation to Neighbors In Need. (4) Sign the One Campaign's petition to eliminate the transmission of mother-to-child AIDS. (5) Continue to come to church and read this blog to discover opporunities to live out the Gospel in the community through our mission activities.

This Sunday: Parables Gone Wild

2010-09-21T21:35:00.001-05:00

Jesus was an edgy guy. This Sunday we're going to look at his teaching in Luke 16:19-31. It's about the rich man and Lazarus - and what happens to them later in their lives. Apparently the Gospel of Luke isn't a fan of rich people who ignore the poor. So, this Sunday, we're going to explore this text. Does God have a special care for the poor? Does God have a special plan for the rich? Is the Gospel of Luke pro-poor, pro-rich, or pro-everyone? What does this say about Jesus? What does this say about us? As we explore this parable, we might find some surprises as we go along. Plus, there will be live music, authentic prayers, and a refreshing worship expereince. All are welcome this Sunday at 9:30.

Spiritual Creative Writing Group

2010-09-16T20:57:00.001-05:00

Set your creative side free! Join us in exploring and experimenting with all kinds of writing as a spiritual practice. We agree with Brenda Ueland who said: "Everybody is talented, original, and has something important to say." Each person who participates will be proof of this fact. Plus, everyone will be invited (but not expected) to share their writing with the group. The hope is that we’ll grow as much from our own writing as from each other’s writing. These sessions will be relaxing, encouraging, and fun. Come for all the sessions - or come for just one. All are welcome.

Dates: September 26th, October 3rd, October 10th, October 24th, and October 31st
Time: Ten minutes after worship (10:40-11:40)
Location: Sanctuary

Leader: Sara Klosterboer

Click here to check out our other opportunities for going deeper in our faith.

Installation Celebration

2010-09-14T18:16:00.001-05:00

Come one! Come all! On Sunday October 3rd at 4:00pm, Pastor Brian will officially be installed as the pastor of Faith UCC. There will be music, food, stories, and more. Rev. Jonna Jensen will be preaching, Sara Klosterboer will be providing music, and members of Faith UCC will be hosting. Let's make it fun - and pack the place. We'd be glad to have to set up extra chairs, so feel free to pass this invitation along to others who may be interested. Hope to see you there!

Rally Sunday

2010-09-08T22:26:00.001-05:00

Everyone is invited to Rally Sunday this Sunday. Worship will include a time to explore our hopes and rally around ways to live abundantly. After worship there will be many fun activities to kick off the Fall season. Potluck Lunch "featuring" Pastor Brian's Famous Spaghetti. Bocce Ball. Ladder Ball. Wii Bowling. Previews of upcoming events. And probably even more! Please join us for this fun time of worship and rallying. Just bring yourself and some food to share.

Prayer Around the Cross this Sunday

2010-09-02T06:56:00.001-05:00

Join us for prayer around the cross this Sunday. It will be a meditative worship experience like no other. It will include: silent meditation, candle lighting, scripture reading, reflective prayer, and contemplative music from the Taize and Iona communities. If you're having a busy Labor Day weekend, this service would be an excellent opportunity to experience a moment of peace, relaxation, and deep Sabbath. All are welcome.

September Faith Happenings Letter

2010-09-01T06:13:00.001-05:00

Dear Members and Friends,

Fall is upon us! That means it’s time for cooler weather, turning leaves, football season, visiting local apple orchards, and so much more. Plus, after a busy summer, the Fall is also a return to more regular schedules. Often, for the church, this means more people are able to come to worship on Sunday morning. And that is an exciting prospect at Faith.

Lately, we’ve been trying different styles of worship. One of the more interesting has been conversational sermons. This is where I give some background on a text, introduce a theme, and then invite the congregation to preach the sermon with me. Basically, it looks like a Bible study during worship. It’s been fun to get different perspectives on a text or topic each Sunday.

During the August 29th sermon, we discussed the problems that face the church as well as our hopes for the future. Many good ideas were shared, as we explored ways to help the church thrive. The list that was generated gave me a lot of hope for the future of this congregation. If we begin to implement even a few of these ideas, it will help us remodel the church in some exciting and effective ways. And that reminds me of HyVee.

HyVee on Waterfront is undergoing a remodeling project. While they are working on the store, they are remaining open for business. It’s a little awkward. But it’s working. Their true-yet-slightly-cheesy slogan is: “pardon our progress.” It’s a way to acknowledge the current messiness of the work, yet invite people to focus on the benefits of the remodeling. In the church’s ongoing work, perhaps we too need a sign that reads “pardon our progress.” We don’t need to close the church. We can do the remodeling work as we, too, stay open. And, we, too, can focus on the end result of a remodeled and renewed existence.

It’s an exciting time to be at Faith. Please come to worship each Sunday to join us for conversational sermons that explore relevant topics such as hope for the future of the church, protecting marriage equality, honoring the Sabbath in our busy lives, etc. You never know when a conversation we have in worship might just appear in Faith Happenings – or even be the start of a change in the congregation. All are welcome to be a part of the action!

Please keep reading Faith Happenings to check out some of the exciting upcoming events. Fall is going to be a fun season at Faith UCC!

Peace,

Pastor Brian

Facebook Question: What Is Church?

2010-09-01T06:08:00.001-05:00

The Facebook question for September is: “What is the Church?” Simple yet profound. There are many directions you could take this question. What are we meant to do? What is our mission? Who are we? Whose are we? Who are we called to love? The list of questions could go on and on. Please answer the question in any way that is meaningful to you. What is the Church? All are welcome to go to the discussion section on our Facebook page and discuss their understanding of the Church. Every reply with enrich every reader. Click here to add your thoughts.

Appeal for Pakistan Flood Relief

2010-08-29T05:23:00.001-05:00

Today the United Church of Christ issued a special disaster appeal seeking $300,000 to support the emergency relief and long-term rehabilitation initiatives of Church World Service in Pakistan.

Situation

The torrential rains and flooding that have affected Pakistan in recent weeks continue, with at an estimated 1,600 dead and 17.2 million affected. Some 1.5 million people are now homeless.

The floods which began in the northern parts of country have spread to four provinces covering over 132,000 square kilometers, or about 82,000 square miles. (Pakistan's total square miles: 340,132.)

As the rains continue, the waters are moving downstream like a rolling earthquake affecting Punjab and Sindh provinces further south. In Sindh, villages in the area of Dadu and Mehar Taluka have been flooded. Thus far, some 186 villages in Sindh have been affected in seven local municipalities, affecting 38,656 individuals, according to CWS staff in Pakistan.

Response

CWS is coordinating a response in a wide geographic area, including the distribution of emergency food packets and shelter kits. Mobile medical clinics are providing emergency health care. Read More

Help

1. Pray for the people of Pakistan, their leaders, and all emergency response workers.

2. Please help the people of Pakistan by sending gifts payable to your congregation marked for "Pakistan Flood Relief" with the request they be sent through your Conference office on to Wider Church Ministries.

OR

Send gifts, made out to Wider Church Ministries and marked in the memo portion "Pakistan Flood Relief" to Wider Church Ministries; 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115.

OR

Make a secure online donation to Pakistan Flood Relief.

New Church for a New Age

2010-08-28T08:24:00.001-05:00

Many churches are losing members and stuggling to thrive. At Faith, we are going to ask an important question. How can we be an exciting church filled with vitality - and members, despite the downward trend in many churches? In our rapidly changing world, church might have to look different than it did 10-20 years ago. Everyone is welcome to come to church this Sunday to explore ways that we can be the church in our age of Facebook and the Daily Show. Come join the discussion.

Our Scripture for this Sunday is Psalm 23. It's one of the most popular texts in the Bible. It's often used at funerals and in hospital chapels. But it's also featured in secular music and movies. Clearly it's a popular poem. If you want to do some early exploring, check out how Psalm 23 could help us image a new future for the church. Then come to church on Sunday to share your ideas. It's going to be a conversational sermon. Yup, you're going to be giving part of the sermon. It'll be fun. All are welcome.

Fabricating Our Perception of Beauty

2010-08-24T06:41:00.001-05:00

Dove produced a 74 second film that explores the process of modeling. A woman walks in. Makeup is caked on. Photos taken. Photoshop alters the photo. The altered picture is placed on a billboard. In the end, the girl on the billboard doesn't even look like the original model who walked in the door. No wonder our perception of beauty is so skewed.

Please watch this video. Then show it to a group of teenagers.

Open Letter About Cordoba House

2010-08-20T17:15:00.001-05:00

I would like to cut through the spin of opportunistic politicians and profit-driven pundits in order to offer some reflections that I hope will help to show the beauty of the Cordoba House project, sometimes mischaracterized as “the Ground Zero Mosque.”

Cordoba House is protected by First Amendment of the Constitution of the USA. This Amendment protects the freedom of religion for all Americans – no matter our religious perspective – Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Agnostic, Atheist, etc. If the builders of Cordoba House, a Muslim community center, aren’t guaranteed this Constitutional right, then the freedom of religion for all people is threatened. This is something to take very seriously.

Cordoba House is being organized by Feisal Abdul Rauf, who works to improve relations between Muslim Americans and other Americans. In fact, in 1997, he founded the American Society for Muslim Advancement. Many people, including University of Iowa alum and progressive Muslim author, Reza Aslan, consider Rauf to be an important leader of Islam in the USA because of his commitment to pluralism and peace. Imam Rauf is a model for us all.

Cordoba House is being built by The American Society for Muslim Advancement and the Cordoba Initiative, two organizations that seek to improve the relationship between Islam and the West. In the weeks after 9-11, we asked moderate Muslims to step forward and speak out. Now that they are coming forward in such important ways, we should welcome their efforts with open arms.

Cordoba House is named after Cordoba, Spain, a city where Muslims, Jews, and Christians thrived together successfully for many years. This name is significant because it reminds people that, in the words of Feisal Abdul Rauf, "Muslims created what was, in its era, the most enlightened, pluralistic, and tolerant society on earth." We should hold Cordoba up as an example for the USA. Our nation should be a place where all people, no matter their religion, can live together in peace and prosperity.

Cordoba House is a community center that will feature a fitness center, culinary school, childcare services, etc. It will also feature a prayer room. Such a building would be similar to a JCC or YMCA. These kinds of organizations provide services that are good for the entire community.

Cordoba House would share the neighborhood with a Mosque, Masjid Manhattan, that has been in the area for over 30 years. Clearly, Islam has been a part of the heritage of New York for a long time. Muslims are not exotic outsiders to be feared. They are friendly neighbors to be treated like we would like to be treated. The Torah and Gospels remind us to “love our neighbors as we love ourselves.” And that includes our Muslim neighbors.

Cordoba House is a product of moderate Islam. It has nothing to do with fringe, fundamentalist groups like Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda is political fundamentalism that has declared war on everything and everyone that stands in the way of their political agenda. Conversely, the form of Islam that is promoted by the sponsoring organizations of Cordoba House would be committed to a spiritual and peaceful form of Islam. It's important to remember that Islam, like every other religion, has a lot of diversity. We must not hold all Muslims accountable for the actions of extremists that claim their religion any more than we would want to be held accountable for the actions of extremists that claim our own religion.

I support not only the Constitutional right of the building of Cordoba House, but I also support the moral imperative of standing beside people who work to build a more peaceful and pluralistic world. Supporting the construction of Cordoba House would honor the freedom of religion in First Amendment and the voice of moderate Muslims. In a world of ongoing misunderstanding and extremism, we could all benefit from the pluralistic work that could be done in places like Cordoba House.

Sincerely,

Rev. Brian Brandsmeier

WARC Events

2010-08-20T16:52:00.001-05:00

The Women's Resource and Action Center (WRAC) at the University of Iowa will hold its annual open house on August 24th and music festival on September 16th-18th. Come to the open house to enjoy refreshments; opportunities to meet staff members and volunteers; and learn about the center's services and activities. Come to the music festival to check out voices like Janis Ian; Leslie and the Lys; and SONiA and disappear fear.

Harvest Dinner and Auction

2010-08-18T18:35:00.001-05:00

On Saturday, November 6 (a non-home Hawkeye football Saturday) the Worship Committee requests the honor of your presence to a Harvest Dinner/Auction at Faith United Church of Christ. Festivities will begin at 6 pm.

After a wonderful dinner, there will be an auction to raise funds to purchase a projector to be used as an aide during worship services. Auction item ideas may include, but not restricted to: any service you can perform (sewing/mending, babysitting, card making, cakes/cookies/desserts/baked goods of any kind, motorcycle rides, etc. Let your imagination go wild!

Please put this on your calendars and get ready for a wonderful evening of food, fun, fellowship and down home goodness!

Intrigue. Mystery. Conspiracy. And God. This Sunday.

2010-08-16T14:45:00.001-05:00

Intrigue. Mystery. Conspiracy. And God. Interested? Well, we might have just the thing for you. So-called "renewal groups" are trying to steal churches from progressive denominations and convert them to fundamentalism. It's called steeplejacking. There's a book about it. And pastor Brian has blogged about it. It seems like too much of a conspiracy theory to actually be happening. But it is happening. And it's hitting Iowa churches hard ever since the Supreme Court made marriage equality legal here. The "renewal groups" want to close or convert progressive churches so that we can't speak out for justice from our perspective. If you want to know more about these groups, come to church this Sunday. If you want to help build an alternative to this movement, come to church this Sunday. If you want to protect marriage equality, come to church this Sunday. We'll be discussing these topics, exploring Scriptural wisdom, singing songs of hope, and praising God for God's abiding presence in our lives. All are welcome to join us this Sunday.

We'll be looking at Psalm 72 and Amos 5:21-34, if you want to read ahead. It's some good, edgy Scripture. Amos is especially prophetic. He's kinda like the "Michael Moore" of the Bible. He's not afraid to do some bold and controversial advocacy through his writing. He's all about justice. So, Amos will help us find ways to "let justice flow like mighty streams." And in places where God's justice is not flowing very well (such as equal rights for the LGBT community), Amos will help us find ways to let the dammed river flow. Come check out God's edgy prophet for justice this Sunday.

Congratulations

2010-08-13T19:57:00.001-05:00

Congrats to the 13 couples from Missouri who got married today at Faith. May your beautiful weddings lead to happy marriages. And may your marriages lead the way to a future where all gay and lesbian couples can get legally married all over the world.

Twain Backpack Stuffing Extravaganza

2010-08-11T13:57:00.001-05:00

This Sunday, 15 August, please help stuff over 100 backpacks for students at Mark Twain. You have already assisted tremendously in purchasing supplies that go into the backpacks, you have helped sew the backpacks together, and this is just one more step in the process to give the Twain kids, our neighbors, what they need to begin the school year.

The stuffing assembly line will begin after church, and is a fun activity. Amazingly, it does not take all that long with many willing hands in the mix.

And if you are free on Tuesday night, the 17^th, come help hand out those backpacks at the Mark Twain ice cream social for kids and parents. When the students pick up those bags, you will see very happy kids and very grateful parents. Talk to Pam Zehr on Sunday about Tuesday night details.

Mary MC

The Work of Ordinary Saints

2010-08-09T09:04:00.001-05:00

Sara Miles believes that everyone can act like Jesus. It's not only ordained clergy who can do real ministry. And it's certainly not something that only "holy" people can do. Everyone is called and empowered to be a minister just by being a follower of Jesus. And in truth, every person can be a "holy" person because God's abiding presence is with all of us.

Sara’s new book, Jesus Freak, is about her conviction that ordinary people are “authorized and empowered to do Jesus’ work of feeding, healing and raising the dead.” The Holy Spirit moves through us all - so all of us are divinely empowered to do ministry each day. Ministry can take many different forms: serving the poor, talking with friends, welcoming a stranger, being a kind presence at work, etc. All of this can be done as part of God's work through us.

Sara is the director of the Food Pantry at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in San Francisco. Each Friday hundreds of families gather at the Food Pantry to receive food. Some people also stay around to help serve others. It's all a part of the work of ordinary Saints. Sara says, “We are gathered around an altar and surrounded by saints. Everything is free and everyone is welcome. It's like a Farmer's Market in Heaven.”1

Check out her interview with Spencer Burke below:

A New Kind of Church: Anne Rice Is Welcome - And So Are You

2010-08-05T12:37:00.001-05:00

Do you want a unique church experience? Want to praise God without being forced to adhere to certain doctrine? Want to go to a church that believes in disorganized religion? Want to hear some rap? Want to sing some songs? Want to explore Genesis 19 and Ezekiel 16? Want to discuss the real sin of Sodom? (Spoiler alert: it has nothing to do with homosexuality.) Want to explore ways to avoid the real sin of Sodom? (Spoiler alert: it has everything to do with hospitality.) Want to talk about the Marriage Equality Bus that is coming on August 13th? Want to watch the brief-yet-powerful documentary, Heartland Transport? Want to share in Holy Communion, even if you've been told you're not holy enough? Want to come to a church that would proudly welcome Anne Rice, especially after her recent Facebook posts? Want some yummy treats? Well, look no further! You can get all this and more by coming to worship this Sunday @ 9:30. All are welcome!

Marriage Equality Bus Schedule

2010-08-05T12:33:00.001-05:00

Friday August 13th

04:45 am - Gather at Metropolitan Community Church, downtown St. Louis
05:00 am - Load bus and passengers
05:05 am - Leave Metropolitan Community Church
07:15 am - Stop in Hannibal Missouri for 15 minute break
07:30 am - Leave Hannibal Missouri
10:25 am - Arrive at Johnson County Administration Building
10:55 am - Leave Johnson County Administration Building
11:05 am - Arrive at Faith United Church of Christ, Iowa City
02:45 pm - Leave Faith United Church of Christ
02:55 pm - Arrive Devotay
03:00 pm - Eat Lunch
05:00 pm - Leave Devotay
07:00 pm - Arrive Hannibal Missouri for 15 minute break
07:15 pm - Leave Hannibal Missouri
10:30 pm - Arrive at Metropolitan Community Church, downtown St. Louis

August Letter

2010-08-04T10:00:00.001-05:00

Dear Members and Friends,

We are facing a bit of a crisis in the UCC. It's a crumbling institution. Scores of members have left. Thousands of churches have closed. Denominational leaders are overworked and understaffed. Seminaries are laying off tenured professors and selling their buildings. The list goes on and on. "Mainline Churches" like the UCC have now become "Sidelined Churches." And the emergency is clear to many people. This time of crisis and transition needs to be addressed. If nothing changes, we will fail for sure. But if we act creatively and innovatively, we’ll succeed in some very exiting ways. So, it's time for an extreme makeover!

The task is upon us to join together in an effort to rebuild the Church into something more effective and efficient in our changing world. This seems like a big task. And it is. It’s going to take a group effort – and a whole lot of good conversation and hard work. But I am convinced that nothing short of the survival of the “Mainline Church” is at stake. A time of great transition is before us – and we need to find ways of addressing this transition in order to do effective ministry in the future.

The best way to address our crisis is to continue to reform the Church as each generation has done. Jesus started a reformation of Judaism. Martin Luther started a reformation of Catholicism. Now we need to start a reformation of the “Mainline Church.” We stand in a long line of faithful people who had to address changing times with deep reformation. Sound exciting? It is! The Church was never meant to be boring! The following five ideas are meant to encourage conversation about how we can engage in this exciting reformation.

(1) Sermons could be more conversational, giving space for everyone to contribute ideas.

(2) Encourage all people to be theologians (people who think about God), not just pastors and seminary professors.

(3) Enthusiastically engage in shared ministry, so we can all put our faith into action. We have the pleasure of being the Body of Christ in the world. This makes us part of a movement – part of something bigger than ourselves.

(4) Help the Church to be more fun through fellowship, humor, art, shared meals, special music, meaningful worship experiences, etc.

(5) Have an internet ministry. Not just a website, but an active online presence that inspires interaction and connection.

The list could go on and on. And I hope many different people add many other ideas. We need an effective list. The times are rapidly changing. So, we need to work together in order to realistically and faithfully face the revolutionary shifts that are taking place in our world, and explore ways to do effective ministry in the midst of that transformation. The Church needs an extreme makeover. So let the creative planning and relevant reforming begin!

Peace,

Pastor Brian

Facebook Question: Who Is God?

2010-07-27T11:14:00.001-05:00

The Facebook question for August is: Who is God? Okay, that's a big question. But it might be fun to explore some of our understandings of God. Some directions that you might take this question could include: Who is God to you? What is your favorite image of God? What is your favorite name for God? How do think God is active in the world? How is God active in your life? Etc. The list of questions could go on and on. The Bible features many different descriptions of God - and so does our church - so feel free to respond to this question in the way that you feel most compelled. There are no right or wrong responces. This question is just meant to inspire conversation. So please click here and discuss: Who is God?

Summer Hymn Sing

2010-07-27T10:58:00.001-05:00

Faith UCC Inaugural Summer Hymn Sing
Sunday August 1st @ 9:30 AM

Hymn (noun) a song or ode in praise or honor of God
Sing (verb) to perform a song or voice composition

This Sunday’s service will be an old-fashioned “Hymn Sing.” All parts of the service will be musical, i.e. will be celebrated by the singing of hymns both new and old.

We need voices and audience members to help us perform these songs in praise of God.

Come join us, you are always welcome at Faith!

Summer For Marriage Equality

2010-07-25T07:30:00.001-05:00

Everyone is invited to One Iowa's Stand Proud, Vote Proud kick-off in Iowa City to rally support for marriage equality and civic engagement.

Summer For Marriage Equality
Thursday, August 5, 11 a.m.
Iowa City Public Library
123 South Linn Street, Iowa City

Back To School 2010 (Update)

2010-07-20T17:02:00.001-05:00

Dear Faith Friends,

Pastor Brian has posted Back to School information on our Faith blog, which has me in awe of the multiple methods of communication in our reach. Please forgive me for being relatively “old school”, but I had a little more information that I’d like to pass along and I’m still struggling to be a successful blogger.

As in past years, we are again sponsoring the Mark Twain school children, helping to provide their back to school supplies. I learned this summer that 80% of the Twain children qualify for free or reduced fee lunch. We are trying to organize enough book bags and supplies for 180 children out of the approximate 230 children who attend Twain. I met with the principal Mary Bontrager last night, and she said that 71 of the children who attended Twain last year left the school (moved or otherwise stopped attending) at some point in the school year. So their enrollment is ever changing and challenging, and with that their need for school supplies.

Some of the school supplies are being purchased again this year in bulk from the Consultation of Religious Communities (CoRC), but some are either under supplied or not supplied at all. The missions committee is carefully looking at the supplies needed, and how we can best use our resources to meet the needs of these children.

So we are once again asking for your help! If you like to shop for school supplies, we have a list of suggested items below that we need and would be very grateful to receive in what ever quantity you can supply. But we are also very grateful for monetary donations; we have been scouring local advertisements, swooping up supplies as they become available at seasonal sale prices. Here’s a list of items and local prices this week:

Hand Sanitizer: This week Office Depot has their 8 oz of Purell available for $4.59, but it is free with a mail-in rebate. There is a limit of 5 per household. So if you are willing to purchase 5 containers of the product for $26.70, all your money will be reimbursed in a check to you. It’s a lot of money, and of course it takes a while for your rebate check to come back to you. But the end result is free hand sanitizer. If you mention Mark Twain while at the check out, 5% of your purchase will go to Twain as a gift card from Office Depot. All in all, a pretty good deal. Per Ev and Carl’s suggestions, I’ve also looked for hand sanitizer at Dollar Tree. They have a 12 oz product available for $1 that seems to be of good quality and scent, so that is also an excellent option.

Scotch Tape: CVS has a “buy one get one” special currently. Target has “buy 3 rolls, get one free” for $2.50. Dollar Tree has a three pack of Scotch brand tape for $1; again an excellent option.

Pencils (# 2, no mechanical): K-Mart has a box of 10 for $.25, but there’s a limit of 4 (I asked management, and they allowed me to buy 40 boxes because it was a donation to Twain). Walmart has a box of 2 dozen for $.94.

Scissors (all pointed, no blunt): Target has 1 for $.50, HyVee has 1 for $.50, Walmart has 1 for $.74.

Please bring your items to Faith by this Sunday, July 25th. We know we are rushing you along, but we will need to count the items donated and shop for those still needed, and time keeps ticking away.

Thank you all for wading through this long letter. Mary Bontrager was simply in awe of the work being done here at Faith for the benefit of her school children. I keep thinking, “Only at Faith” is this kind of generosity and compassion possible. I’m sure there are other communities that can rally around a cause, but I’m grateful and blessed to be a member of Faith.

Hugs,

Pam

Back To School 2010

2010-07-20T13:26:00.001-05:00

We'd like to invite you to help support efforts to provide Mark Twain Elementary with school supplies. A majority of their students live below the poverty line and are in need of basic supplies for the coming year. Helping to provide for their basic needs is a concrete way that we can embody the Gospel and enact God's vision for a better world. Here are five options for this week that have been compiled by Pam Zehr.

(1) Hand Sanitizer

Office Depot: 8oz bottles for FREE. They are $4.49 up front, but we get a mail-in rebate for the entire cost. Limit 5 per household.

(2) Scotch Tape

Target: 3 rolls + 1 free for $2.50.
CVS: Buy 1 get 1 free.

(3) Pencils

K-Mart: 10 for $.25.
WalMart: 24 for $.94.

(4) Scissors

Target: 1 for $.50.
Wal-Mart: 1 for $.74.

(5) Cash

We can obviously use cash to purchase any other needed supplies.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and ministry.

"Theology After Google" by Philip Clayton

2010-07-20T12:07:00.001-05:00

A note upfront to the reader: Spencer Burke, Tony Jones, Tripp Fuller, I, and a bunch of others are embarked on a revolutionary project to get theology out of the classrooms (and pastors’ studies) and into the streets (living rooms, pubs, etc). In this short post I write about this project under the title “Theology After Google.”

Though I was trained as an academic theologian and have published a number of brainy books, I no longer believe in theory for theory’s sake. This short post is no exception. I want to stimulate your mind, but I also want to get you to do something. (Of course, it’s you who has to decide what you’re going to do.)

The network I’m involved with — Transforming Theology — is partnering with The Ooze to put on a first-of-its-kind event in southern California this March. It’s all about theology after Google: what it is and how to do it. We call it “leveraging new technologies and networks for transformative ministry.” I hope this post will influence your view of what the church and its theologies need to become. I also hope it will convince you to come to Claremont this March 10-12 — to listen, and to speak your mind in response.

Why is it that most Americans today don’t walk down to their neighborhood church on Sunday mornings for worship, Sunday School, and a church potluck?

Although some Christians seem to get it that “everything must change,” why is it that the vast majority don’t seem to recognize the enormous changes that are already upon us?

Do we really inhabit two different worlds: those who text, Twitter, blog, and get 80% of our information from the internet, and those who are “not comfortable” with the new social media and technologies?

Could we today be facing a change in how human society is organized that is as revolutionary in its implications as was the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg over 500 years ago? If we are, what does all this have to do with theology and the church?

This is not Kansas Anymore...

Let me not mince words: for better or worse, I’ve cast my lot with a rabbi named Jesus. That makes me one of his followers, whom individually people call “Christians,” and who as a group are known as the church. Church will still exist in AD 2100. But I’m not convinced that Church 2100 will look anything like Church today.

Of course, church has theological definitions, such as “the Body of Christ,” the community of the redeemed, the locus where the sacraments are celebrated, the place where Christians gather forworship, teaching, and community. But what church actually is has always been deeply affected by the world around it. When that world changes, so too does church. Everyone acknowledges that we are living in a time of revolutionary change. So tell me why we don’t think church is in for some radical changes?

Consider this comparison. On the eastern seaboard in the 17th and 18th centuries, and in the expansion of a young nation westward toward the Pacific Ocean, churches played very specific social functions. Not only were they the center of religious life, the place where one came to be baptized, married, and buried (“hatched, matched, and dispatched”)... and everything in between. They were also the heart and soul of the community — the center of social, communal, political, and even economic life. There was simply no other game in town. The church stood for the moral values of the community, “what made America great.” When you see the white steeples in a New England town, or when you drive through Midwest towns with a church on every corner, you realize how central a social institution the church once was.

But things have changed. It’s obvious that churches no longer play most of these social functions. We are now a massively pluralistic society living in an increasingly globalized world. Every major world religion is represented among United States citizens.

Take the question of authority. In the frontier town, the Southern city, or the New England village there was the authority of the law and the government. A lot of folks weren’t very educated, so they didn’t read much, and there was no radio or TV. The pastor of the church was not only the moral and spiritual authority — the representative of the only true religion and its obviously true scriptures — but also probably the most educated person in town. He (there were virtually no female pastors!) spoke with authority on a wide variety of issues that were important to the society of his day.

Contrast that with today’s situation. Rarely are pastors approached as figures of authority, except (sometimes!) within their own congregations. Radio, television, and the internet are our primary authorities for the information we need, with newspapers, advertisements, and movies coming in a close second. For many American Christians, Beliefnet.com (“Your Trusted Source for Free Daily Inspiration & Faith”) is a bigger authority on matters of Christian belief and practice than any pastor. We love self-help books, so we’re more likely to read Spirituality for Dummies than to go to a group Bible study. Forty years ago people were influenced in their judgments about religious matters not only by their pastor but also by the editorials in the Religion section of their local newspaper. Today the blogs one happens to read are more likely to
influence her beliefs.

Where’s the Revolution?

I’m almost embarrassed to list these differences, because they’re so obvious. But here’s the amazing fact: Denominations aren’t changing. In most cases they’re not planning for and investing in new forms of church for this brave new world. (There are some great exceptions.)

This is not a matter of blame. The assignment of the administrators who head up denominationsis to run the organization that they’ve been given. I once heard a major national leader say to a group of similar leaders something like, “We all know that the ship is in gravedanger, and it may go down. But we all seem to have the attitude, ‘Not on my watch!’”

Pastors have a bit more latitude. Individual pastors and churches are doing amazing things across the U.S. (and outside it); so are para-church and extra-church groups, organizations, and ministries. But in most cases, it’s the denominations that determine how pastors are educated, what kinds of ministries they can engage in, and what kinds of church assignments they get. A lot of young men and women lose their idealism in seminary. (That’s a damning fact that I, as a seminary teacher, take very, very seriously.) If they have the good fortune to depart seminary with their idealism intact, they’re generally assigned to a traditional church that has virtually no youth or younger families present, an average age of 60, and a major budget crisis on its hands. The orders are, “Keep this church alive!” The church members like the old hymns and liturgies; they don’t like tattoos, rock music, or electronics. They are about as likely to read and respond to blogs as I am to play in the Super Bowl. So the young pastor folds her idealism away in a closet and struggles to offer the traditional ministry that churches want.

In short: the majority of our resources continue to be flung at traditional church structures. Those doing the real revolutionary work, those trying to envision — and incarnate — the church of the future struggle on with the barest of resources. This is not smart. Let’s do something different. Let’s do it now.

Theology after Google

I used to think of theology as an academic discipline. Although about Christian beliefs, its primary goal was to meet the standards of the Academy. When I finally got the stars out of my eyes and began to look around more closely, I realized that the “trickle-down effect” — the idea that the brainy books in academic theology flow through pastors to help congregations and ordinary Christians — is no longer happening. If it ever did. By and large academic theologians are not addressing the questions that lay Christians are asking; or they’re answering them so incomprehensibly that only other academic theologians understand them.

Now when I use the term “theology” I mean the questions that all Christians ask and the kinds of answers that ordinary people give, no matter how hesitating and uncertain. This new definition has a wonderful implication: theology is tightly bound to whatever church is at a given time. Theology is about what the church is now and what it’s becoming. So “theology after Google” means: What must the church become in a Google-shaped world?

Here’s my answer in five theses. Whether you love them or hate them, I hope you’ll interact with them:

(1) Theology is not something you consume, but something you produce. In the Age of Gutenberg, you read theology in a book; you heard it preached in sermons; and you were taught it by Bible teachers. In the Age of Google, theology is what you do when you’re responding to blogs, contributing to a wiki doc or google doc, marking up a Word doc on your computer, participating in worship, inventing new forms of “ministry,” or talking about God with your friends in a pub.

I remember participating in 1991 in the birth of what would eventually become the worldwide web. (People now call it Web 1.0.) One used a protocol called “ftp” to access documents on someone else’s computer. No mouse and no pictures, but still: amazing — you could read someone else’s stuff without needing a floppy disk! What most of us now do is Web 2.0. We contribute to, mold, and play at the places we visit; we go there to do things. (If you’re unsure about this, watch a kid playing on the web. My seven-year-old twins will click on anything anywhere on any webpage to see what’ll happen and what it will do. The idea that the internet is about passive reading of content never occurred to them.)

(2) No institutions, and very few persons, function as authorities for theology after Google. Ever since Jesus’ (often misunderstood) statement about Peter that “on this rock I will build my church” (Mt. 16), the church has had issues with authority. The point is too obvious to need examples. The pastor standing up in the pulpit in the early 1960s was still a major authority. Of course, pastors still stand up in pulpits today, and some still view themselves as indispensable purveyors of truth.

But the world is changing around us. Those of us who speak in pulpits are having to rethink our relationship with the audiences we address. Most people today shrug their shoulders at those who claim to be authorities in religious matters. (For many of us, scripture continues to be an authority, but the way in which it’s an authority has changed massively over the last 30 years. More on that topic the next time I write.) Theology today means what some number of us find plausible about our faith or are convinced of. Our leaders are people like Brian McLaren or Tony Jones or Spencer Burke — people who say things that ring true to us, so that we say, “Yeah, I think that guy’s got some important insights. I’m going to read his blog or find a way to talk with him, and I’m going to recommend to my friends that they do the same.”

(3) Theology after Google is not centralized and localized. Likewise, the church cannot be localized in a single building. We find church wherever we find Jesus-followers that we link up with who are doing cool things. This point is huge. Denominational officials and many pastors have not even begun to conceive and wrestle with what it means to work for a church without a clear geographical location.

(4) The new Christian leader is a host, not an authority who dispenses true teaching, wise words, and the sole path to salvation. I first really got the host idea in a conversation with Spencer, and it has turned my understanding of Christian leadership upside down. Today, the leaders who influence our faith and action are those who convene (or moderate or enable) the conversations that change our life — or the activities that transform our understanding of ourselves, our world, and our God. It could be an older Christian who convenes discussions at a church, a house, or a pub. It could be Shane Claiborne leading an activity at The Simple Way on Potter Street in Philadelphia, say a time of gardening in the communal garden that gives you a sense of community that you’ve rarely had but always longed for. It could be a website or a blogger that you frequently go to, where you read others’ responses and add your own thoughts. Christian leadership is about enabling significant community around the name of Jesus, wherever two or more are gathered in His name.

(5) Theology after Google does not divide up the world between the “sacred” and the “secular,” as past theologies so often did. All thought and experience bears on it, and all of one’s life manifests it. Thus the distinction between one’s “ministry” and one’s “ordinary life” is bogus. All of one’s life as a Christian is missional.. The great 15thcentury theologian and mystic Nicholas of Cusa imagined God as a circle whose radius is infinite and whose center is everywhere. It only takes a second to realize that Cusa’s picture wreaks havoc on all geometries of “inside” and “outside.”

Here’s the picture: I find myself a follower of Jesus; that part seems to stick and to deepen the longer I live. I’m not sure exactly how I got here; it’s almost like it happened to me. I call it grace. I find others around me who follow the same Teacher and who therefore struggle with many of the same questions and issues that I have. They help me understand myself and remain faithful to my Guide. I call them church.

But what exactly do I believe? What must I say, and what should I not say (and do)? This quest is more open-ended. It’s filled with uncertainties and indecisions, and it’s constantly evolving. That quest just is theology. It’s everything I think about and do. It’s reading the New York Times headlines online each morning when I awake. It’s the philosophy text that I teach in a classroom or the intriguing idea about christology that I talk about with friends over a beer. It’s our attempts to be involved in authentic forms of ministry and Christian community, and the questions we ask about whether those attempts are really faithful and how to make them better. It’s that recurring question, “What should I do with my life?”

In the book that Tripp Fuller and I just published, Transforming Christian Theology, we argue that theology is about attempting to answer the Seven Core Christian Questions. These questions have impressive-sounding names: theology proper, anthropology, soteriology, christology, pneumatology, ecclesiology, eschatology. But they are really just the simple, recurring questions that every Christian wonders about as he or she struggles to be a Jesus disciple: Who is God? What are human beings? How are we separated from God, and how can that separation be overcome? Who is Jesus Christ? What or Who is the Spirit? What is the church, and what should it be doing? And what is our hope for the final future of the cosmos and humanity?

These do not have to be high-falutin’ debates sprinkled liberally with Greek and German technical terms. The most humble attempts to answer these questions, in word and action, are as authentically theology as are the rarified debates within the Ivy Tower — indeed, they may be more authentic than what academic theologians do. Call it the Theology of the Widow’s Mite.

All right, what can we do?

Theology after Google is about what you do, not about passively reading stuff. So here’s what I hope:

• I hope you’ll comment on this post. Take a minute to write a sentence or two of response. I am equally intrigued by disagreements as about agreements. Participate! That’s what counts. The rest is merely listening, a kind of theological voyeurism.

• Talk about these issues with friends. Blog and post on your own. If you go to a church, talk with church leaders about theology after Google. Set up a discussion group in your home or some other venue. Theology after Google (Church 2.0) is a network of networks. Every group and every network counts.

• Come to the Big Tent Christianity conference September 8-10 in Raleigh, NC. Interact with Brian McClaren, Keith Ward, Phyllis Tickle, Diana Butler Bass, Bill Leonard, Tony Jones, Harvey Cox, Tony Jones, Spencer Burke, Tripp Fuller, and other speakers. Participate in the workshops. Let your voice be heard, and thereby change what other people take home. Be transformed by what you hear, and then “go thou and do likewise”!

Philip Clayton is Professor of Theology at Claremont School of Theology and head of the Transforming Theology project. He made the journey from conservative evangelical to liberal before staking his tent with the emergent church. His most recent books are Adventures in the Spirit: God, World, Divine Action and Transforming Christian Theology. This article was originally published in the Winter/Spring edition of Creative Transformation.

Creative Transformation: Online Edition

2010-07-14T09:45:00.001-05:00

The new edition of Creative Transformation is now out! It's an outstanding magazine in general, but the new one is especially good. It contains articles by theological rock stars such as Philip Clayton, Bruce Epperly, L Callid Keefe-Perry, Thomas Jay Oord, Joan Lucas, etc. The content includes: articles about the post-Google church, book reviews, comics, hymns, and other cool stuff from the perspective of process theology. It's a timely edition about timely topics, such as being an effective church in our quickly changing world. Check it out. Pass it along. And if you feel compelled, tell the editor, Jeanyne Slettom, how much you like the new online edition. Pastor Brian even makes an appearance in the Critics Corner, reviewing Feed The Fire and Four Seasons of Ministry. If you like progressive theology, this is a good magazine to explore. And you can't go wrong since it's free and online!

Heartland Transport

2010-07-13T11:46:00.001-05:00

Heartland Transport is the documentary about the first Show Me Marriage Equality Bus trip from Saint Louis to Iowa City. Their next stop will be at here at Faith UCC! Check out the film. And then come to the church on August 13th to offer hospitality, bring goodies, help people navigate the church, be a supportive presence, etc. It should be a great event for everyone involved. Go marriage equality!

HEARTLAND TRANSPORT from http://vimeo.com/user3063971 on Vimeo.