Wayside Weekly
November 11-17
 

• S - social
• O - occupational
• S - spiritual
• P - physical
• I - intellectual
• E - emotional

• S - social: conversations with anyone outside our home via phone or zoom, sending postcards or care-packages.
• O - occupational: either paying jobs or family jobs around the house, also known as chores.
• S - spiritual: family chapel, meditation, spiritual journaling, reading Teenage Soup for the Soul, listening to a spiritual podcast.
• P - physical: biking, walking around the neighborhood, jumprope, weights.
• I - intellectual: reading, puzzles, trivia cards (that are now untethered from the game and used randomly), documentary.
• E - emotional: arts and crafts, journalling, talking about feelings with a loved one, blanket fort time.

• Pastor Allysa will be unreachable beginning Friday, November 13th until Tuesday, November 17th. If you need pastoral care during this time, Amy Johnson will be available. 
   
• With Pastor Allysa out of the office, Rev. Sonny Graves will be preaching for us again this Sunday. As a reminder, here is Sonny's bio:
  Rev. Sonny Graves (they, he) is a white, Queer, Transgender beloved child of God. Sonny has worked as a chaplain in prisons and hospitals, as a local church Pastor, and for UCC Conference staff. He currently works in Wisconsin with foster parents and families and enjoys worshipping with a group of ecumenical nuns who believe the restored prairies are just as good a sanctuary as a building.
   
• The Wednesday Weekly Gathering is tonight! Join Robbie, Bonnie, and Jill for fellowship & fun! Tonight we'll be playing Scattergories. All ages welcome! BYOBeverage.  Sign in HERE!
   
• Our Conference Minister, Rev. Mike Denton sent out an email to the conference email list yesterday to try to offer hope in the midst of increasing COVID rates and the worry it getting worse through winter. This excerpt about butterflies stuck out to me (Robbie):

  One of the advantages of having a kid around the house is the opportunity to learn more about things you thought you already thought you knew. A couple of years ago, Leo was learning about what happens when a caterpillar goes through its cocooning stage. What I assumed was that it kind of evolved like a tadpole; that slowly the wings just started to pop out and the body got smaller and, when the wings were ready, it broke through the chrysalis and we got to see a butterfly.

  Nope. After it cocoons, the caterpillar uses its own digestive juices to liquefy itself from the inside out. At some point along the way, the cocoon is a liquid-filled little packet. What is left, however, is something and amazing called imaginal cells. These imaginal cells knit themselves together and create something new.

  So here we are in what is an isolating moment. There are days it does kinda feel as though I/we are being digested from the inside out. But, what if this is a sort of cocooning moment? What if, instead of imaginal cells, what we’re left with is our imagination, faith, love? What do we need to create in order to be different in the world?

  What kind of country might we be able to become if we prepare ourselves to continue to have high numbers of participation? What would it take to build ourselves into people who create a world of equity, consent, and compassion? What would we need to become in order to heal the planet and act in harmony with it?

  To read the complete message, please visit Mike's blog, Centering Out.
   

• Although this past Sunday was Stewardship Sunday, we are still accepting pledges for 2021. You can either mail in your pledge card or pledge online HERE. For those that have already pledged, thank you for your commitment to Wayside!
   
• Our own Rev. Bill Kirlin-Hackett has just published a book! "The Stones Would Shout: Homelessness and Place and Faith" is now available on Amazon in either a Kindle version ($12) or paperback version ($16). 
  
   
• If you would like to be given a Wayside Pen Pal, please email Pastor Allysa and she'll send you the name and address of someone else in the church directory. All you need to do is send them a note saying Hi and that you've been paired as Wayside Pen Pals.
   
• We're still in need of a Vice Moderator. If you're interested in filling this vitally important position, please contact Kim Larsen, Pastor Allysa, or Robbie in the Church Office.
   
• Kim Larsen will be baking and selling her pumpkin pies again this year! They'll cost $12, with all the proceeds going to Wayside and will be available for pick up outside the church on Sunday, November 22nd. For more information or to order a pie, please contact Kim.

• Lynne Dodge asks for prayers for Paul Huntington's family, after his passing.
   
• Prayer's for the Miller's house, as they grapple with needed repairs.
   
• Prayers of comfort for Barb Miller, after the loss of her dear friend to cancer.
   
• Prayers of healing for Rich Neal & Steve Miller's dog, Macchiato, who is struggling with spinal/nerve issues.
   
• Prayers for our country and our newly elected officials.
   
• Prayers of comfort for Alex Trebek's family and for all those who watch Jeopardy, after Alex's passing.
   
• Prayers for all those struggling financially.
   
• Prayers of hope that Wayside can be beacon of light for, not only those of us in the congregation but also the whole Federal Way/Northeast Tacoma community.

• Thank you to Judy Turpin for being the Pastoral Assistant this past Sunday.
   
• Thank you to all those who have turned in their commitments for 2021.