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Weekly Update
Friday, August 25, 2023
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Worship in August
Sundays at 10:00 a.m. on the Stage (and on Zoom!)
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Our services are more informal in the summer.
We meet on the stage and invite all ages to join us!
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We will continue our discussion of what wisdom and guidance
Paul’s letters may have for us today, and begin crafting our own letter to the church.
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A preview of the August Service Bulletin is available HERE
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Worship Leader
- August 27: Rev. Amy Clark Feldman
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Joining Online
Zoom Link: HERE
Meeting: ID: 826 8730 1128
Passcode: 386028
Dial in only: 1 646 558 8656
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PLEASE NOTE: There will be no worship service at UCW on September 3rd.
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Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto, Japan
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“I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted your name and your word
above everything.
On the day I called, you answered me;
you increased my strength of soul.”
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Leila and I spent three weeks in Japan, arriving home shortly before my first official day here at UCW. We often visit holy sites when we’re traveling, and made our way to more than 20 temples and shrines in the time we spent there. These holy sites were, surprisingly (to me), full of visitors.
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I had been told before traveling that Japan today is quite secular, even with the long histories there of both Buddhism and Shinto. Yet, almost every temple or shrine we visited was packed with tourists and pilgrims from within and outside Japan. Not only were people visiting, but they were worshiping: washing hands in the mountain spring, offering a coin, praying while bowed, ringing the temple bell, lighting incense and candles, buying omamori, and hand-copying scriptures in calligraphy.
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Perhaps it was exactly these rituals that drew so many to the holy sites. Bowing to a higher power, standing in the same place as a thousand years’ worth of other pilgrims who did the same; purifying with spring water and fragrant smoke; praying alongside so many others, trusting that your intentions will be heard and received – they are powerful experiences of awe and connection.
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Ultimately, I don’t know exactly what drew all of those people to the same temples we visited day after day. I do know, though, that just as the Psalmist writes, I was moved to praise God in my heart in all of these places, moved to recognize God’s faithfulness and steadfastness across the generations, and I felt strengthened in my soul. I pray that in the coming week you might encounter some moment of awe and connection, in worship or even maybe someplace surprising, that strengthens your soul as well.
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Fall Kick-Off Sunday, September 10
Worship at 10:00 a.m., Followed by a Special Reception and Celebration.
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We are excited to kick-off this new season in the life of our church and hope you and your family will join us for this special Sunday!
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Welcome our new Senior Pastor, Rev. Megan Berkowitz, as she leads us in worship for the first time; connect with friends and community; and enter this new year with hope, faith, and joy.
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Our Sunday School for children and youth will also begin on this day; and we'll have a special celebration following worship!
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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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Intergenerational Community
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Children, Youth and Families
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Sunday School Kick-Off!
SAVE THE DATE for our Kick-Off Sunday on September 10th. Come meet Pastor Megan, and start the new school year with friends and faith!
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Come at 10:00 a.m. for worship and Sunday School; and stay at 11 :00 .
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Exploring Our Faith - High Schoolers this Fall
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We're excited to start up our Exploring Our Faith (confirmation/baptism) series for high-school freshmen and sophomores (and any others who want to join!) this year. We'll have fun, serve others, ask important questions, build meaningful relationships, and explore the role of faith in our lives. Families with 9th and 10th graders should have received an email this week with more information. With questions, or to learn more, contact Pastor Amy ([email protected]).
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Summer Service Opportunities
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Newton Freedge - Feeding our Neighbors
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Our team of volunteers helps keep Freedge running one Saturday a month. Please use the the link below, or reach out to Vinita Leslie, Karen O'Beirne or Erika Pond to learn more or to join our team.
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Despite Newton’s image as an affluent suburb, too many of our neighbors struggle to put food on their tables. The Newton Freedge is one way we can help. A free, 24/7 outdoor refrigerator and pantry, the Freedge provides free food and personal supplies to anyone who needs them.
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Praying for Hawaii – Join Our Denominations in Responding
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We have all been holding Hawaii in our prayers as we’ve watched the heartbreaking images of fire spreading across the island of Maui.
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So many lives have been lost and families displaced; so much of God’s beautiful creation has been scorched; and so many precious sites and landmarks destroyed. As Rev. Lisa Harris Lee of the ABC says, “The grief from the loss of loved ones and community and the harm to the earth will linger and require our care for many years.”
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At The Union Church in Waban we are connected to the wider Body of Christ in many ways. If you would like to learn about and join in the response of two of our partner denominations, please click below to learn more and find links to make financial contributions.
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The United Church of Christ
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Hawaii Wildfire Relief Page
HERE
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The American Baptist Churches
Hawaii Wildfire Relief Page
HERE
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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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