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Weekly Update
Friday, February 2, 2024
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Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
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Sunday, February 4, at 10:00 a.m. (Hybrid)
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It’s communion Sunday! We’ll break bread together in gratitude during worship.
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Zoom Link: HERE
Meeting ID: 832 4667 4155
Passcode: 431699
Dial in: 1 646 558 86560
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The bulletin is available HERE
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Pastor's Blog
Amy - 2/4/2024
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HOW TO FORGIVE SOMEBODY
It is hard for me to forgive somebody, if they've done something to me; It is hard to forgive somebody; It probably would take, I would say, not a couple of days; I say a couple of weeks; I can forgive somebody, because if they've done something to me, it will take a while to forgive them .
Poem by Geno Bonnette
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Last weekend, nine members of our church traveled to Boston Common to spend the evening, overnight, and next day with our unhoused siblings of Common Cathedral. We heard stories - some difficult, some joyful. We served, sang, and ate together. I realized I have known some of the Common Cathedral community members (like Geno who wrote the poem above) for more than the ten years I have served at UCW. It felt good to share hugs; and hard to learn of some beloved members who, this year, died difficult deaths, too young; hard to know some of our siblings in Christ have been on the streets that long, and longer.
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Our teens have promised to share more about their experience at a future worship service. To a person, our kids were positive, kind, and committed to service and to reaching across difference to build new friendships and relationships. They were servant-leaders, following in the Way (whether they fully knew it or not) of a homeless Jesus.
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It has been a hard week in our town. We have witnessed exhaustion, resilience, anger, conflict, and love. Many of us worry about tears in the fabric of trust and community that bind us together. Sometimes the gulfs between us can feel too large, with too much to forgive; and it will surely take more than a day, or a week (to quote Geno's wise poem) to forgive and heal the gulfs that divide us from one another - from our unhoused neighbors on the Common, to our neighbors next door. et, last weekend I was reminded again that ours is a God of healing and hope; a God capable of bridging any divide; a God that shows up in every act of service, and love. May we find strength, and our path forward in this truth.
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With Blessings and Peace,
Pastor Amy
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Loving God, hear the prayers of your people gathered in this community:
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- We pray in gratitude for the life of Jenny Weisz, and for her peaceful rest now that she has returned home to you, O God. Grant strength, comfort, and peace to her family, friends, and loved ones who are grieving.
- For just negotiations and a fair contract for Newton’s educators, and for all of the teachers, families, and community members who are working towards the common goal of supporting students in these days and beyond.
- For all in our UCW community who are ill, or who are caring for loved ones. For all who grieve, God, we ask for the comfort of your presence.
- We pray for peace all throughout the world. Teach us to beat our swords into plowshares, O God, and to sow wisdom and reap peace, justice, and joy for all people.
We pray to you, grateful for your accompaniment with us in all things. Amen.
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Jenny Weisz’s memorial service will be held at UCW on February 24 at 2:00 p.m. It will be good to gather together to grieve and to celebrate Jenny’s life. You may view Jenny's Obituary HERE.
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If you have other prayers of concern or celebration you
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would like lifted up in community, please email
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Ash Wednesday Service
February 14 at 7:00 p.m. (In-person)
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Please join us as we mark the beginning of the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday Service at 7:00 p.m. We will gather in Memorial Chapel for a reflective service including ashes. (This will be an in-person service only.)
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All-Church Gatherings & Adult Formation
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Caregiving in the (Multi-Layered) Sandwich
This group will resume again in February
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More and more members of our community find themselves caring for loved-ones across the generations -- caring for aging parents, as well as for children, adult children, grandchildren, and others. All are invited to gather for guided discussion, mutual support, and prayer once a month through the holidays and into Epiphany.
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We met twice in December, and will poll interested members to find dates for February.
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Please let Pastor Amy ([email protected]) know if you are interested.
We will gather in-person in Pastor Amy's Office.
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Bake Sale for Puerto Rico and Youth Mission Trip
Sunday February 11 - Save the Date for Superbowl & Valentine's Day Treats!
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We hope all will join in our upcoming fundraiser for our Puerto Rico Mission Trip (June 22-29). This fun morning will bring us together in preparation for the Superbowl, Valentines Day, and Shrove Tuesday! Please save the date and sign up to help.
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We would love donations of baked goods, and volunteer helpers of all ages to be part of this great event! Come on Sunday, or deliver baked goods and volunteer to help with preparations on Saturday, Feb. 10th!
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Carnival Kickoff All-Church Celebration
and Joining Creation for Lent
Save the Date!
Tuesday, February 13 at 6:00 p.m. - All Church Dinner
Lent is for prioritizing and making space the spiritual, and downplaying the material. This year, we are inviting the church to consider joining in the rhythms of creation, simplifying, and cutting back on things we do or consume that cause damage to . Will you commit to driving fewer miles, keeping a lower thermostat, or (studies show best of all) eating less beef?
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Look for UCW youth signing up Lenten pledges, and save the date of February 13, to celebrate a symbolic carnival (Latin for “so long to meat”) with a pledge ceremony & veggie burger cook off.
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Monday night's GBIO In-District Meeting at
UCW was a Huge Success!
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In spite of a poor weather forecast, 243 people (199 who had pre-registered and 44 walk-ins) showed up to hear testimony about GBIO's various housing initiatives and to hear our five area legislators -- Sen. Creem, Rep. Balser, Rep. Khan, Rep. Peisch and Rep. Vitolo -- explain her/his position on each initiative.
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At the post-event evaluation on Monday night, it was noted that our IDM was the biggest of any held during GBIO's Housing Justice Campaign. Yay, UCW!
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Thank you to GBIO liaison Julie and our UCW GBIO committee (Tanya, Nancy, Lisa, James and Julie C.), the 20 UCW members who attended the IDM and to all the UCW folks who -- opened the IDM with a moving prayer (Pastor Megan), spoke during the program (Frank), made signs and name cards (Tanya), moved furniture and set-up the sanctuary (Pastor Megan, Pastor Amy, Alison, Tom, Dan, Brian), who ran the IT (Jaap), who led the legislators into the meeting (Brian) and who helped clean up and move furniture back after the IDM ended Monday night.
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Thanks, too, to all UCW members (including Pastor Amy, Nancy and Judy) who were so welcoming to the many guests and visitors who attended the event. The IDM was a perfect follow-up to our congregational meeting discussion on Sunday: it demonstrated our church's involvement in urgent social issues and it showed the value of having a well-maintained building in which to gather.
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Senators & Reps. on stage, volunteers attend doors and Frank Laski addresses the audience.
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Please mark your calendar for GBIO's next big Housing Justice Campaign event,
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This will be a rally, rather than a scripted presentation to legislators: Sunday, March 3, at 3:00 p.m. at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center Mosque on Malcolm X Boulevard in Boston.
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Reverend Howard Haywood Collection
It's been five years since the Newton community said goodbye to the remarkable Reverend Howard Haywood, a tireless advocate for affordable housing and a driving force for the creation of the Myrtle Village development.
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We interviewed the late Rev. Haywood and his wife Katy as part of our Newton Talks Oral History Project and recorded their experiences growing up in the historically Black community near Myrtle Baptist Church, the disruption of the Mass Turnpike construction in their neighborhood, and raising a family in Newton. The Library is home to the Reverend Howard Haywood Collection, a collection of social justice titles that was created through donations to honor his life's work. Click here to browse and request titles.
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If you would like to learn more about Advocates for Racial Justice activities at the
Union Church, please reach out to Nancy Zollers ([email protected])
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Intergenerational Community
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Youth Group and Exploring Our Faith
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Thank you to everyone who helped make CityReach a Success!
Coming up: Sundays, Feb 18th & March 3rd
We're so grateful to everyone who helped make our weekend with our unhoused siblings in Boston such a success. Please see Pastor Amy's blog above. We hope to share more about the weekend in worship on February 18th.
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Upcoming:
HS Visit to the Islamic Center in Wayland Following Worship.
Sunday, March 3rd
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Pastor Amy will send more information soon, but please save the date and plan to attend. Teens and adults are welcome.
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Music for Lenten Playlist
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One of my favorite parts of worship is actually the offertory. It is when I can close my eyes, let the music wash over me, and internalize and process the sermon and all the prayers that have been lifted up. Music is just so powerful, it can open up your heart in ways that words can not always do.
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Given that our theme for Lent will be "Dwelling in the heart", the Worship Committee would like to try a new thing and put together a Spotify playlist with music, chosen by you all, that speaks to our heart.
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If you have a piece (or two!) of music that speaks to your heart, please send the name, the composer and/or the artist to me ([email protected]). It can be a hymn or gospel, or a piece of classical music, or even pop-music! If you feel like it, also tell me why this piece speaks to you, or maybe your history with that piece. I will then put all that music together in a Spotify playlist and publish that at the beginning of Lent for all of us to listen to whenever we need to hear it.
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I look forward to our shared music experience!
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UCW Volunteer Opportunities
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Sunday Reception Sign-Up
We are still looking for hosts for this Sunday, February 4 and the rest of 2024.
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Sign up below to support one of the most impactful ways we build connections and community with each other after worship.
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(Simple guidelines listed here also.)
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Scripture Reader Sign-Up
If you are joining our Sunday worship, please consider signing up as a Scripture Reader for any of our upcoming services.
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Scripture Reader Sign-up: HERE Thank you!
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Pastoral Care Connections
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Please don't hesitate to reach out to Senior Pastor, Rev. Megan Berkowitz, or Associate Pastor for Youth & Families, Rev. Amy Clark Feldman for prayer or pastoral support.
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and her phone is 617-965-3893
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Friday is a day of Sabbath for Pastor Megan; Monday is Pastor Amy's day of Sabbath. With a pastoral emergency, please don't hesitate to reach out to either pastor.
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We, the members of The Union Church in Waban, true to our founding principle of being an inclusive church, covenant together to nourish and to sustain in our common life and practice a fully welcoming and affirming church for all persons. Welcoming all persons who seek to join with us in a commitment to love God and our neighbors, affirming the inclusive love of Jesus, we are open to all, without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, nationality, ability or economic circumstance. We invite all to full participation in our worship, membership, leadership and life of this church.
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