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Weekly Update
Friday, August 22, 2025
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Our Summer Worship Services
Sundays at 10:00 a.m.
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Final Summer Series Worship
Sunday, August 24th
We'll share a final worship service in the chapel this Sunday, with Jaap van Reijendam offering a reflection and all of us gathered together for prayer and song.
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Please note: there will be no Sunday worship service on 8/31 (Labor Day Weekend)
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I shared in my message to you all yesterday about Mijin's upcoming departure from UCW, plans beginning to form for coverage of her and of Pastor Amy's roles, and the mix of emotions that I and I know many of you feel in this moment. (If you haven't read yesterday's email, I encourage you to do so!)
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For today, I want to focus on gratitude. First, Leila and I are immensely grateful for all of your prayers, words of encouragement, and meals in the last several weeks. I cannot express to you all how much strength you lent us in a very challenging time! We are now settled in to our new home, and I am recovering well from my surgery. Prayer and care matters, and I am grateful to all of you for offering these gifts to us, and to God who is the source of all such gifts.
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I also want to express my gratitude to the 70-something people who were present at last Sunday's worship, and the many others who wished to be there and could not. You were gracious when we kept adding chairs to the tables and around the room; you were engaged in worship, song, and prayer; you were openhearted in expressing gratitude, joy, and grief with Pastor Amy. This was truly a day of experiencing Gospel grace at work in community. We had our own loaves-and-fishes moment with food and drink planned for a smaller group ending up with leftovers carried away. We gathered with little children at the front and all the generations mixed up together. We "spoke the truth in love" and offered and received forgiveness from one another through the Holy Spirit's power.
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In every season, and for every imaginable reason, this is a congregation who extends welcome, care, and love to all we can, inside and outside of our community. Thank you to every one of you (yes, really, you too!) for being part of that. I look forward to discovering together what new ways we are called to express such love and care in the season ahead of us.
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Please Be Alert: On-going Email Scam
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Please be alert to an ongoing email scam. We have heard from a number of you that you received an email purporting to be from Pastor Megan asking "to discuss something with you" followed by a request for for assistance. When you click on the sender, it reveals a fake, non-ucw.org address, using Pastor Megan's name.
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As a reminder, with any email you receive it is always good to confirm the correct sending address. As a reminder, Pastor Megan will NEVER send you a vague request for immediate attention, or ask for gift cards or money. An email like that should always look suspicious to you.
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Thank you to those who brought this to our attention! As it is not a "hack" there is no way for us to stop these emails from the back end. If you receive one, please report it as spam to your email client and block the sender.
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Loving God, hear the prayers
of your people gathered in this community.
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- We pray for Mijin and Robert as they begin to prepare to leave UCW and as Mijin prepares for her new call, and for the UCW community as we say goodbye.
- We pray for the Bassett family and for all who are remembering and missing Anya in this season. May Anya's light continue to shine in and through us, and my your peace and comfort be with all who grieve.
- Prayers for all in our community who are traveling throughout the summer. May your living Spirit connect us while we are apart.
- 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, especially in this tender season.
- We pray for peace for your people all throughout the world. Teach us to beat our swords into plowshares, O God, and to sow wisdom and reap peace, justice, and joy.
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We pray to you, grateful for your accompaniment with us in all things. Amen.
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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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Pastoral Care Connections
Please don't hesitate to reach out to Senior Pastor, Rev. Megan Berkowitz for prayer or pastoral support.
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and her office phone is 617-965-3893
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Most weeks, Friday is a day of Sabbath for Pastor Megan. With a pastoral emergency, please don't hesitate to reach out.
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Puerto Rico Mission Trip
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Earlier this month, we shared a wonderful evening with the travelers, families, and the wider community who supported our Youth Mission work in Puerto Rico in June. Thank you! To see a presentation with photos please CLICK HERE.
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Live the Love & Justice Jesus Taught
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If you’re seeking ways to live out God’s love and justice at this moment in history, I invite you to look through the Southern New England Conference of the UCC’s new “Take Action” page on their website.
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Making Space - Stewardship Campaign
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This year’s Stewardship theme is Making Space. Read the full letter from Chair Kent Wittler and the Stewardship Committee here .
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Submit Your Pledge HERE - Thank You!
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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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