UCCA HOT NEWS! for April 16, 2014
The latest news from the United Church of Christ Annapolis
8 Carvel Circle, Edgewater, MD 21037
Office: (410) 266-8596, Ext. 200
Website - www.uccannapolis.org
Email - office@uccannapolis.org
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“Passion is not suffering, it is not illness: it is life!”
-Augusto Boal, “Passion and art”
(from the Judson Memorial Church Palm Sunday bulletin)
Dear friends,
What is the point of a lukewarm life? A life spent middling about in neither abject fear nor real zest for life? What is the point of living blandly? We couldn’t think of one at the church, so last week, at the advice of Anita and Lilian Rizek, our church made a small but bold statement: we painted our front door red. Not just a nice shade of red, but a bold, bright and joyous red. The door makes a statement that we are committed to doing something  bold, passionate and life-changing in the work of The United Church of Christ of Annapolis because that is what Jesus did, and we are Jesus-people.
In Holy Week, we don’t celebrate a lukewarm Jesus: we celebrate a Jesus who was disillusioned with the power structures of his day and offered an alternative vision to appreciating what was valuable and important in the world. He questioned the motives of people who did what they were told, going to the Temple and giving precisely what someone told them to give in order to atone for whatever they might have done in the past. Instead, he suggested that we live boldly, feasting together in communal gatherings of food and wine procured in labor from a good earth. He suggested encountering people, challenging their presuppositions, and loving them as the people they were. He came as an outsider, and has left a profound impact.
Easter is about living in spite of death. Our senior youth group, Christian eXplorations, attended Judson Memorial Church in New York this past Sunday and received this reading from James Baldwin from The Fire Next Time:
Perhaps the whole root of our trouble, the human trouble, is that we will sacrifice all the beauty of our lives, will imprison ourselves in totems, taboos, crosses, blood sacrifices, steeples, mosques, races, armies, flags, nations, in order to deny the fact of death, the only fact we have. It seems to me that one ought to rejoice in the fact of death - ought to decide, indeed, to earn one’s death by confronting with passion the conundrum of life.
God did not sacrifice the beauty of life in Jesus: God accentuated beauty in Jesus’ life, in what we declare the resurrection! We, as Jesus’ “body of Christ” today, resurrect that beauty every time we decide to live passionately, with boldness, and declare that we will not be a people of a lukewarm faith nor a lukewarm life.
It excites me to enter this Holy Week with you, ready to celebrate a passionate zeal for the beauty of our God-given life in all its tumult, pain, joy and grace. We have a bold door. Let’s live bold lives. May God bless you and keep you, may God’s face shine upon you and give you peace.
Shalom,
Ryan+
Pastor’s Mobile: (410) 497-4567
Pastor’s E-mail: pastor@uccannapolis.org
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THIS SUNDAY IN WORSHIP:
The Resurrection of Our Lord - Easter Day
SERMON: “I have seen the Lord!” The Rev. Ryan P. Sirmons, Pastor
Texts: Jeremiah 31:1-11, St John 20:1-18
UPCOMING HAPPENINGS WITH HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE:
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April 17 at 6:30 p.m. - MAUNDY THURSDAY COMMUNITY DINNER AND SERVICE UPDATE:
Friends,
Meditation upon the Maundy Thursday service has changed a bit.
We will celebrate our meal together of beef stew, salad, bread and a dessert.
Toward the end of it we will break bread and share wine together while
seated at our tables in much the same fashion as Jesus and the disciples
observed the first communion. Then, we will observe the foot washing
service in fellowship hall, with representatives from the congregation and
community having their feet washed. Following this at 7:30 p.m., you will
be invited to participate in a meditative service in the sanctuary styled on
the Tenebrae service, though time will be given for those who need to
return home following the meal and foot washing to exit the church. The
meal is open to all and is, this month, by donation only.
If you are able to RSVP at (410) 266-8596 x200, it will help us prepare enough
food to be ready.
Shalom,
April 18—Good Friday at 12:15 p.m.: A service of the
Word and Sacrament with the stripping of the sanctuary
April 20—Easter Sunday
8:45 a.m. - UCCA Adult Church Choir Practice
9:00 a.m. - Easter Sunday Potluck Breakfast.
Please bring a dish to share
9:30 a.m. Children and Youth Choir Practice
10:00 a.m. - Easter Egg Hunt
10:30 a.m. - Morning Worship
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Brown Bag Book Study Group: Tuesdays, lunch 12:30, discussion from
1:00 to 2:30 p.m. The BBBS group is currently studying the book of Genesis,
chapters 1-11. Everyone is welcome. If you have questions, please contact
Nancy Mallory or Carl Fogle. Next meeting is April 22 in Caton Fellowship Hall.
Tuesday Evening Bible Study: Meets every Tuesday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
in the Pastor's office. Next meeting is April 22.
Sunday, April 27 - 4th Annual Earth, Water 
and Faith Festival
2:00 - 4:30 p.m., Annapolis Towne Center, Solomon's Island Road at
Route 2, Annapolis (rain date May 4). This event is free to the public
and our church is co-sponsoring this event.
This is a Family-oriented, interfaith celebration of Earth Day featuring live music
by Trade Mark, faith readings and reflections, interactive educational exhibits,
activities for kids and more. Special raffle of a sunset cruise for 20 aboard the
Chesapeake Bay Foundation skipjack Stanley Norman. Shredding, e-cycling, and
recycling. Volunteer and sponsorship opportunities are available.
Click for Information .
Christian eXplorations
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Senior Youth program for Spring 2014
Friends are welcome to join us; for ages 12-18.
April 28: Engagement activity: tutor from 4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (counts as volunteer hours for scholarships)
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Peace and Justice Conference
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The 29th Annual Peace, Justice, & Environment Conference, “Peace and Justice through the Generations: Passing the Torch for a Better World,” will be held Friday, April 25th at St. Philips Episcopal Church in Annapolis and Saturday, April 26th at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis.
Sponsored by Maryland United for Peace and Justice/Institute for Positive Action, the program will examine how different generations can work together to create a more peaceful, just and environmentally secure world.
Paul Chappell, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, will speak on “;The Art of Waging Peace” for the Friday evening program. A potluck dinner will begin at 6:30, with the speaker at 7:30.
The Saturday program, from 8:35 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., will feature talks by Kristi Casteel on "I Refuse: Joshua Casteel’s Journey from West Point Cadet to Conscientious Objector and Peacemaker;” Kathleen McClellan and W. Kirk Wiebe on “The Criminalization of Whistle-Blowing;” and Senator Jamie Raskin, giving a Maryland General Assembly session wrap-up.
Three workshop sessions will allow registrants to choose among a variety of peace and justice topics. For a complete list, see MUPJ.org.
The Key School is one of three youth programs that will be awarded an annual Benjamin Peace Award. They are honored for supporting the Teaching Peace Initiative.
To register, or to reserve a table to distribute or sell literature or other materials, download a registration form from MUPJ.org or contact Paulette Hammond at 443-418-5479. Please RSVP by April 20th so organizers can order enough food. Registration includes a continental breakfast and lunch with a vegetarian option.
Before April 20, the registration fee is $30 for individuals, with reductions for families, retired people, and students. For details, see mupj.org or contact Paulette Hammond at 443-418-5479. Scholarships are available.
Lunch will be catered by Light House Caterers. Entertainment will be by Max Ochs, who will offer a tribute to Pete Seeger.
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United Church of Christ Vitality Event - May 10, 2014
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AGILE LEADER AND AGILE CHURCH
Seven Reasons Some Churches Thrive While Others…Don't.
Very few of us have been trained to serve our congregations of today. In fact
many of us are working ourselves to death while seeing a decreasing impact in
our congregations. The fundamentals of leadership are changing and a new
science in human organizing is emerging. Together, we are going to talk about why working harder is not the answer…but working with agility may be.
A Vitality Day with Rev. Cameron Trimble
Practical, tactical practices
Cameron believes that our church's best days are ahead of us…and she has
convinced us of why!
CENTRAL ATLANTIC CONFERENCE
1000 S. Rolling Rd
Catonsville MD 21228
www.cacucc.org
10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., $15 per person, and lunch will be served.
Registration is available online here.
Please contact Kathy Walker if you would like to go. Perhaps
a carpool can be formed.
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 National Environmental Summit for
High School Students
July 8-12, 2014—This is open to all students ages 14-17 by the time
of the summit.
Students come to the summit from across the country with many different interests but with one common passion, the environment.
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Students work with college professors according to the discipline of their
interest, taking advantage of the diverse offerings of this small liberal arts
campus such as writing, theater, history, botany, and zoology. The
summit aims to match student talent, in a discipline of their interest, with
avenues to environmental stewardship and sustainability. Students interested
in writing may blog or write poetry about environmental issues or environmental
surroundings, while students interested in botany may learn about the spread of
invasive species and even how to cook them!
Students get the chance to work in real labs, recording studios, production stages, and all with college professors. The cost of the 4-day, residential summit
is $490. There is a $90 discount for students who apply before April 1st. Per the organizer, financial aid available.
Please see attached flyer for contact details. Please visit the website to find out more information: CenterfortheEnvironment.org.
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UCCA Moments
Sunday, April 13: Palm Sunday
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Greeter Jean R talks to
one of our youth.
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Mary and Lee in the kitchen before
the service. Lee provided the the
food for fellowship hour with Kathy
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The children and youth waving the palm leaves berfore
distributing them to the congregation.
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| Our acolyte and bell ringer |
The Pastor talks to the children and youth
about Jesus on a donkey and the meaning
of Palm Sunday.
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Marlene was the liturgist this
Sunday
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Out acolyte who extinguished
the altar candles
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Holy Tuesday Service: We prayed for
peace and were given a stone to keep
until we felt it was time to send
it back to the earth. |
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Click on the links below to hear Pastor Sirmons Sunday podcasts and
check out his blog.
Pastor Sirmons' weekly podcasts of portions of our Sunday morning worship :
http://www.podcastgarden.com/podcast/uccannapolis
Pastor Sirmons' Blog: http://preachsirmons.wordpress.com/
About the UCC: (click on the following links)
UCC Chesapeake Association
New to the UCC?
Changing Lives - Videos of people whose lives have been changed by the UCC.
About the Church, Beliefs - The top ten reasons to check the UCC on the web.
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