Greetings!

Ash Wednesday is next Wednesday, March 1, which marks the beginning of Lent. We will have an Ash Wednesday service in our sanctuary at 7 p.m. After the service is over, we will have a screening of One Light, Many Candles, a celebration in word and song of many faith traditions. You can read more about that below.

We will have time on Wednesday evenings called "Lent: Take a Break." Ellen Reuter will lead a 5-week meditation gathering that will give you the opportunity to step away from the madness and not do anything. Through discussion, guided meditation, body scanning and mindfulness meditation you'll be able to take time for just you. Gatherings will be Wednesdays, from 6:30-8 pm starting March 8th. Sessions are independent from each other so you can come to one or all. For more information contact Rebecca Malke or Ellen Reuter.

You can read more about Lenten worship plans and other opportunities to deepen your spirituality during this season here on our web site.

THIS WEEK IN WORSHIP
Food is such an essential part of life, but it is more than a physical experience. Marty Smith will explore some of the social and spiritual dimensions of food this Sunday as he looks at local food in terms of community and responsibility. The readings will be from 1 Corinthians 11: 17-29 and Matthew 14: 13-21. The bells will be playing at 10 and we will share communion at 8:15.

...AND FROM LAST SUNDAY
As Jesus gave his Sermon on the Mount, he talked about how to deal with enemies. What he had to stay still challenges us. Pastor Phil's reflection was called "Face-off with enemies."

TIME FOR FAITH & SERVICE NOMINATIONS
Each year, Memorial UCC honors one or more people for the way they live out their faith in service to our congregation and the wider community. The award this year will be given out on March 26 and nominations are due by March 5. You can see who the past recipients were either here or on the plaque that is next to the entrance to our library. The nomination form is here on our web site as well as in the niche at church.

CELEBRATING MIKOS PITAS' EAGLE HONOR
Mikos Pitas will get his Eagle badge this Sunday at a Court of Honor at Messiah Lutheran Church, 5202 Cottage Grove Road, at 2 p.m. He extends an invitation to folks at Memorial UCC to join him, You may recall that Mikos' Eagle project was creating a gathering space with benches in the woods behind the church. Congats to him - and cheers for his mom, Jan, who was such a great companion to him throughout his Scouting journey.

THINGS WE NEED
We are still collecting hand lotion for the Good Neighbors Personal Essentials Pantry. You can put it in the blue container in our gathering space.
...We could use a few folks who would be willing to help move some of Steve Ferris' things from Tony Young's house to a storage locker in the next week or so.
...Our Luke House crew needs another Sloppy Joe maker. If you are interested, please contact either John Van Overbeke or Dean Baumgardner .

OUR DISCRETIONARY FUND NEEDS A BOOST
The Pastor's Discretionary Fund allows Memorial to help individuals in need with things like rent, utilities and other urgent matters. We most often help people who are working with agencies like Domestic Abuse Intervention Services, Porchlight, the YWCA, the Community Action Coalition and Project Respect. Your generosity allows us to this - but our fund is empty at the moment. Any support you can provide would be welcome. Make checks out to Memorial UCC and put "discretionary fund" in the memo line. Thanks.

EXPLORING FAITH, MEN AND VIOLENCE
The group known as Faith Against Domestic Violence and Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) are putting on a one-day retreat on Saturday, April 29, for a small group of men to explore issues of their faith and how gender affects violence in our community and our world. If you are interested in learning more about this and in participating in it, please contact Pastor Phil.

STANDING WITH THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
In response to the recent rise in anti-Semitic actions in the U.S., Pastor Phil and Rebecca Malke sent a letter of support to the rabbis of Temple Beth El, Congregation Shaarei Shamayim, Beth Israel and Hillel at UW as well as the Jewish Federation of Madison. You can read the letter here.

ONE WAY TO ENGAGE: THE MATTHEW 25 MOVEMENT
Many folks are looking for ways to stand with the most vulnerable of our citizens. Rev. Jim Wallis and the folks at Sojourners have joined other Christian groups to launch what they call the Matthew 25 Movement, named after that passage in the Gospel about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the prisoner. You can read more about it here.

TERRY PICKS THE MUSICAL FOR MAY 7
This year’s spring play will be “Through the Roof!” It is based on the Gospel of Luke 5: 17-26. The story is about a person suffering from paralysis who was determined to ask Jesus to heal their sufferings and went to pretty extreme measures to meet up with him! We presented it in 1997, 20 years ago, on Mother’s Day. Here’s a blast of names from the past! Cast members: Acalia Halverson, Camden Halverson, Brenna Turner, Katherine Huber, Jenny Kiss, Stacey Jo Cooper, Krista Henshue, Grant Brooks, Kristin Foreyt, Ben Triller, Laura Young, Jessica Veloff, Katie Kiss, Evan Cooper, Nicole Triller, Paul Cooper, Sarah Kiss and Lindsay Brooks. We wrote our own play but used music written by Terry Kirkland, and we will do the same this year. So, put Sunday the 7^th of May on your calendar, and make sure you will be with us to go “Through the Roof!”

GETTING READY TO TURN 100
We are well on the way to celebrating Memorial's 100th anniversary, culminating with a special worship service on June 4. There are a number of ways that you can get involved. You can read more here.

EVENING OF MUSIC MOVED TO FALL
For several years, one of the delightful parts of winter season as Memorial has been our Evening of Music. But this year, that is going to shift to the fall. However, we will not be without music this spring. Common Chord, the musical group that Michael Bryant is part of, will be doing a benefit concert for the Centennial Outreach Fund at Memorial on Friday evening, April 7. More to come on that.

RUN TO HELP REFUGEES ON MARCH 4
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Madison is hosting a 5k and 10k run on Saturday, March 4, to support refugees living in the Madison area. All proceeds from Freeze for Food will be donated to food relief efforts for incoming refugees through Open Doors for Refugees,a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the resettlement of refugees in the Madison area and welcoming them into the community. You can find details and a link to register here.

ONE LIGHT, MANY CANDLES - HERE AND IN MILWAUKEE

Noel Paul Stookey used to be the Paul in Peter, Paul and Mary, the popular folk trio. Now he and his wife, Betty Stookey (a UCC minister) are doing a program of word and music reflecting "the diversity and integrity of individual faith while seeking a global spiritual community." It's called "One Light, Many Candles" They will be presenting it in Milwaukee at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 19. (Details are here.) We have a DVD of their program that we will show here right after our Ash Wednesday service on the evening of March1. If you would like to borrow the DVD after that, please contact Pastor Phil.

CSA OPPORTUNITY FOR AREA RESIDENTS
The Roltgen home on Schuman Drive in Fitchburg has been officially approved as a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) host site for 2017 with Wholesome Harvest out of Fort Atkinson. Sign up information is here under "Become a Member." New this year is the half and full share "choice" options which will allow you to "pre-order" what you'd like in your vegetable box each week from a list of options, making it a little less like a CSA and more like a trip to the Farmers' Market. The Roltgen home is listed as "Fitchburg NE-Schumann Drive." The pick-up will be Thursdays, 3-7 p.m., at 5936 Schumann Drive next to Seminole Pool. Let Tiffani know if you have any questions.

READING GROUP TACKLES HILLBILLY ELEGY
The next book for our Friday morning reading group will be the best-selling Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. The group will meet tomorrow morning at 7:15 in the library at church to discuss it. Anyone is welcome.

SW ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING IS MAY 6
The annual meeting of the Southwest Association of the UCC will be on Saturday, May 6, at St. John's UCC in Monroe. The focus will be on economic justice. Memorial can send two voting delegates, but anyone is welcome to attend. If you are interested in being a delegate, please contact our Council president, Jacy Boldebuck.

CRAFT RETREAT COMING IN MARCH
Cindy Rosch and Ellen Reuter invite you to join them for a day of creativity on March 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You are welcome to bring your own projects to work on. The Worship Committee will also have the materials for a couple group art projects we are planning for our centennial. We will meet in Fellowship Hall. The day will begin with a light breakfast. Lunch will also be provided and a donation will be accepted to cover the cost of the meals. If you have questions or want to RSVP you may contact Cindy Rosch at 241 0396 or extremequilter@hotmail.com or Ellen Reuter at 222 4094 or ejreuter@gmail.com. There is also a sign-up sheet in the niche.

DAY OF PRAYER. THEN A BENEFIT CONCERT
Church Women United has two events coming up in early March. The World Day of Prayer on Friday, March 3, will be celebrated at Oakwood University Woods, Heritage Building, Nakoma Room (6205 Mineral Point Rd.) with the theme "Am I Being Fair to You?" People will start gathering at 9 a.m, there will be a welcome and announcements at 9:30 and then the celebration at 10. On Sunday, Mar. 5, at 3 p.m. there will be a benefit concert for the Madison Area Jail Ministry at Bethany United Methodist Church, 3910 Mineral Point Rd, with the Front Porch String Band.

SHANE CLAIRBORN IN MADISON IN APRIL
Shane Claiborne, one of Christianity's most powerful and provocative speakers and activists, will be speaking at First Baptist Church in Madison on Saturday afternoon and evening, April 8. You can learn more and register here.

UCC MINISTER TO GIVE LYONS LECTURE IN APRIL
Rev. Robin Meyers, pastor of Mayflower UCC in Oklahoma City and a peace activist, philosophy professor and author of seven books on Progressive Christianity and Western society will be giving this year's Lyons Lecture at First United Methodist Church in Madison on Saturday, April 29. You can learn more about it and register at this web site. There is an early- bird discount through Feb. 28.

LATEST NEWS FROM BADGER PRAIRIE NEEDS NETWORK
One of the wonderful programs that serves a lot of people in Fitchburg is the Badger Prairie Needs Network. Even though it is located in Verona, 70 percent of its clients come from Fitchburg. You can learn more about it here on their website.

HISTORY NOTE -
As we move through our centennial year, we'll include historical notes in our weekly email.

One of the distinctive features of the church Memorial had on Madison Street from 1942 to 1988 was a painting of the Good Shepherd in the sanctuary. It was added in 1943, the year after the church was built. Also that year, Memorial became self-sustaining as a congregation after 26 years of support from the Board of Home Missions. The Women's Guild voted to spend money to finish the floor of the Chapel Room to match the floor in the church proper. And pew rails were added to the church through additional donations. All of this in the midst of World War II, where gas and fuel rationing led to skipping the traditional mid-week Lenten services.

LOOKING FARTHER AHEAD

Ash Wednesday - Lent Begins - March 1
Craft Retreat - March 11
Easter Sunday - April 16
Garage Sale - April 28 and 29
Children's Musical - May 7
100th Anniversary Celebration - June 4 worship
2017 Back Bay Mission Trip - November 4-11

You can check out events on our online calendar at any time. You can find our worship team lists for this month and next month here. You can "like" Memorial United Church of Christ on Facebook by going to this page.