From the Interim Pastor
Holy Week Events
Children’s Church School this Easter Sunday
Tuesday Evening Taizé Service – April 7th
Parents’ Night Out (Childcare for CUCC Children) and Lock-In For Youth – April 10th
April 12 Worship Service – Cy & Carolyn King Award Presentation
Church-Wide Outdoor Event & Camping: April 25-26!
“Let Your Life Speak” Series
Life & Faith in Downtown Raleigh
Sisters in Spirit (SIS) – Thursday, April 16, 6:00pm
Save the date! Solar Celebration at Anderson Point Park - April 19
A De-cluttering Opportunity – Book Sale May 1 - 3
CUCC Family Fun Auction Party – April 18
From the Interim Pastor
This evening we will celebrate Maundy Thursday at St. Paul’s and our sanctuary will be open on Friday from 12:00pm – 3:00pm for reflection.
Then on Sunday we will gather together to celebrate Easter, the resurrection of Jesus.
If this email was coming out on next Monday, I’d have no trouble at all writing this email. Easter would have already been here and we would have already sung “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.”
HOWEVER, we are a little early; we are BEFORE Easter, not AFTER. We are caught in the middle.
I think the disciples understood being caught in the middle. They lived as good Jewish men and women. They followed the laws of Moses and the Torah, and then Jesus showed up and took them on an unexpected journey which eventually led to Christianity. Confusing, isn’t it?
This must be a strange time of the year for those who don’t have a history with the church. The word “lent” isn’t easily understood, and it starts with people wearing dirt on the foreheads and ends with children hunting colored eggs. We give up chocolate, eat hot cross buns, wave palm branches and eventually talk about Jesus, a man, dying and coming back to life. Yes, this is a confusing time of the year.
It is also a confusing time of the year for those who are deeply involved in the church. We aren’t in total agreement about the events – how they occurred or even if they occurred. Yet, it is a glorious time to talk about who Jesus was and how he comes to life in us today.
I believe that Easter is about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and celebrating how the faith of the disciples deepened from the experience. My invitation to you is to walk this week as if you were there with the disciples. Read the scriptures. Ponder what was happening and then continue to read after Easter when life got even more confusing for them. Join us this evening for the Maundy Thursday service at St. Paul’s. Spend some time in the sanctuary on Good Friday or set aside some time elsewhere. Then let’s come back together on Easter morning and celebrate.
Prayers for the journey, Pastor Peg
Maundy Thursday Worship, Thursday, April 2
Each year we join our friends at St. Paul's Christian Church, 3331 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, for a dinner of soup and bread, beginning at 6:30pm, followed by Maundy Thursday worship with communion. Worship begins at 7:00pm, but will be pushed back to 7:15 if people are not finished eating. Reverend Peg Williams will be providing the sermon and the St. Paul’s and CUCC’s choirs will join together to provide the music. Please join us for this special Holy Week Service.
Good Friday: Sanctuary Open from Noon – 3pm
The Sanctuary will be open on Good Friday, April 3, from Noon – 3:00pm for contemplation and meditation. Please enter and leave silently in respect for others.
Easter Sunday Worship Service
Join us Easter Morning, April 5, at 10:30am as we celebrate Easter and Jesus’ resurrection! It will be a wonderful, celebratory service, followed by fellowship in the Vaughan Fellowship Hall. Please bring flowers from your garden to decorate the Easter cross which we will do during fellowship.
Children’s Church School this Easter Sunday
On Easter Sunday we will be reading a special book telling the Easter story and dyeing eggs to symbolize rebirth. Please remember to send 6 hardboiled eggs with your child on Easter Sunday.
Tuesday Evening Taizé Worship
Our Tuesday Evening Taizé Worship continues! Taizé meets every Sunday morning at 9:00am in the Sanctuary and also on the first Tuesday of every month. It is a wonderful way to recharge yourself for the rest of the week by providing an opportunity to still your mind and wait in the presence of God. The silence is punctuated by reading of scripture and chanting and singing. There is no sermon, no offering, and no announcements. Friends are welcome. Tuesday, April 7, 7:00pm, Sanctuary.
Parents Night Out For CUCC Children Ages 3 and up!
Friday, April 10: 6-9PM! Youth are providing child-care and dinner for CUCC children as a fundraiser for summer youth church camp. We are hoping that every youth who wants to go to camp will be able to. Suggested donation is $20 per family. Please email Santi ASAP at forsanti@aol.com to register. Youth will then stay beyond 9:00 for a LOCK-IN with games, a movie, and an overnight lock-in.
April 12 Worship Service – Cy & Carolyn King Award Presentation
The Social Justice Ministry will provide the worship service next Sunday, April 12, for the Cy and Carolyn King Award Day. Join us as we are reminded how our spiritual focus and our social justice actions go hand in hand. The recipients of the awards this year are Collins Kilburn and Leo and Judy Occhetti-Klohr. The King Award is named after Cy and Carolyn King who were long time members of the church and avid social activists. Please plan to join us for this special service.
Church-Wide Outdoor Event And Camping: April 25-26!
Join in the fun! Our only agenda this year is to share good food, sing lots of campfire songs, take a beautiful nature walk, and simply rest and relax together!
We will again be at Camp Lapihio at Umstead Park
Event will run from Saturday, April 25 at 3:00 p.m. to Sunday, April 26 at noon!
Arrive Saturday afternoon for a hike or some singing and games, or evening for dinner and a camp fire with more songs, and stay the night if you like cabin camping. We’ll also have Sunday breakfast and morning prayers, and you can still make it to church for worship if you’d like!
If you are coming for the evening only, please bring:
a side dish to share with dinner
a camp chair (optional)
a copy of Rise Up Singing (if you have one)
If you are spending the night, please bring:
a side dish to share with dinner
a camp chair (optional)
socks & comfortable shoes for walking/playing
clothes in layers (it may get cool at night)
a sleeping bag
pillow
bug spray/sunscreen
a flashlight
toiletries and towel (there are showers this year)
necessary medications
Can't wait to see everyone!
“Let Your Life Speak” Series
Larry Petrovick will offer a program of introspection and sharing based on the book by Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation. The program employs the Circle of Trust concept which is an effective method for probing and sharing one's deepest values. Several of us from CUCC took Larry's program last year which used the same method to explore and reflect on the great book A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold. The six-week program will take place on Monday nights in April and May. Based on my experience last year, I strongly recommend Larry's offering this year. The cost of the series is $70, but a few scholarships are available for CUCC members. (Submitted by John Little) Below is registration information about the series:
You are invited to participate in the upcoming "Let Your Life Speak" book study and conversation series. This introductory series will meet for six weeks on Monday evening, April 13 – May 18, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm Monday nights in the Vaughan Fellowship Hall at CUCC. It is an opportunity to reflect on your life, past, present and future. During this series we will use the Circle of Trust approach, developed by Parker J. Palmer and the Center for Courage & Renewal. The Circle of Trust creates a process of shared exploration that creates a safe space for nurturing our personal and professional integrity and the courage to act on it. Here is a link for an excerpt from the book: http://www.explorefaith.org/palmer/chp2_9a.html
To register, please send your name, address, phone #, email address, along with your $70 check, by April 3rd to: Inspiring Courage Consulting LLC, 3016 Hillsborough Street, Office 210, Raleigh NC 27607.
(We ask that participants attend all six evenings since each weekly experience is closely connected to the following week.) For further information, please contact Larry Petrovick at Inspiring Courage Consulting LLC, email larryp006@aol.com or call him at 919-637-5662.
Life & Faith in Downtown Raleigh – 2nd Tuesday of every Month Tuesday, 7:00pm, April 14, Tyler’s Tap Room, 18 Seaboard Ave, #150. This is a Dutch treat discussion group. New people are welcomed enthusiastically - those who come set the topic for the night as we ponder how to connect what we believe to what we do. Look for our red comma.
Sisters in Spirit (SIS) – Thursday, April 16, 6:00pm - SIS will meet at Edith Sylla's home, 3113 Birnamwood Rd, Raleigh, NC. We’ll discuss summer reads led by Kathy Widenhouse. Bring a food dish to share and favorite books you might recommend.
Save the date! Solar Celebration at Anderson Point Park - April 19
After the excitement of successfully bidding for the great items offered at the Family Fun Auction on Saturday night (18th), wouldn’t a relaxing afternoon with friends on the greenway be a perfect way to spend Sunday afternoon? Write, “Sunday, April 19, 2:00pm, Anderson Point Park small picnic shelter,” on your calendar. The Solar Celebration kicks off Earth Week. We'll start with cake and an announcement of our progress raising funds for the solar project. Choose between walking/running the greenway, enjoying the playground, kicking a ball around the fields, or chatting at the picnic area. Fun for all ages! - Submitted by the Justice in a Changing Climate Task Force
Link for Anderson Point Park: http://www.raleighnc.gov/parks/content/ParksRec/Articles/Parks/AndersonPoint.html
A De-cluttering Opportunity – Book Sale May 1 - 3
CUCC has been invited to join the UU Fellowship in sponsoring their ANNUAL BOOK SALE on Friday, May 1 through Sunday, May 3. Please bring books that you would like to donate and drop them in the boxes in the hallway by the coat racks. CUCC will receive the proceeds from any books we sell. Plan to come to the sale which begins Friday morning, May 1st. On Sunday, May 3, all remaining books will be half price. If you would like to help with the book sale or would like more information, contact Peg Hulslander at (919-833-72013) or (peg.hulslander@gmail.com).
CUCC Family Fun Auction Party
The CUCC Family Fun Auction Party is coming up on Saturday, April 18, and we need you to help make it a success! The auction is an annual fundraiser for CUCC. Please consider donating an item for the auction. Examples of past auction items include:
Garden plants
Weekends at the beach, lake or mountains
Hand-made pottery, quilts, jewelry and original artwork
A morning of bird-watching & lunch
Therapeutic massage
Day trips to fun destinations. A geology field trip or a hike at a state park
Pet-sitting, Babysitting, Yard work, Handyman, and Computer services
Brunches, lunches, dinners
Delicious homemade cakes, pies, jams, etc.
To make a pledge, call the office and let us know the item, minimum bid, any conditions (date, maximum/minimum number of people, etc.), AND whether you will be attending the auction. Please submit your auction item by Thursday, April 16. Get you pledge form at the church office, at the bottom of this email, on the table at the back of the sanctuary, or online at http://cuccinfo.blogspot.com/2015/03/cucc-family-fun-auction-party-april-18.html.
Make plans to attend this great annual event. Social and silent auction begin at 6:30 pm; the bidding starts at 7:00 pm. Drinks, snacks and child care will be provided. A great time is guaranteed!! Thanks for your support, and see you at the auction!
Holy Week Events
Children’s Church School this Easter Sunday
Tuesday Evening Taizé Service – April 7th
Parents’ Night Out (Childcare for CUCC Children) and Lock-In For Youth – April 10th
April 12 Worship Service – Cy & Carolyn King Award Presentation
Church-Wide Outdoor Event & Camping: April 25-26!
“Let Your Life Speak” Series
Life & Faith in Downtown Raleigh
Sisters in Spirit (SIS) – Thursday, April 16, 6:00pm
Save the date! Solar Celebration at Anderson Point Park - April 19
A De-cluttering Opportunity – Book Sale May 1 - 3
CUCC Family Fun Auction Party – April 18
From the Interim Pastor
This evening we will celebrate Maundy Thursday at St. Paul’s and our sanctuary will be open on Friday from 12:00pm – 3:00pm for reflection.
Then on Sunday we will gather together to celebrate Easter, the resurrection of Jesus.
If this email was coming out on next Monday, I’d have no trouble at all writing this email. Easter would have already been here and we would have already sung “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.”
HOWEVER, we are a little early; we are BEFORE Easter, not AFTER. We are caught in the middle.
I think the disciples understood being caught in the middle. They lived as good Jewish men and women. They followed the laws of Moses and the Torah, and then Jesus showed up and took them on an unexpected journey which eventually led to Christianity. Confusing, isn’t it?
This must be a strange time of the year for those who don’t have a history with the church. The word “lent” isn’t easily understood, and it starts with people wearing dirt on the foreheads and ends with children hunting colored eggs. We give up chocolate, eat hot cross buns, wave palm branches and eventually talk about Jesus, a man, dying and coming back to life. Yes, this is a confusing time of the year.
It is also a confusing time of the year for those who are deeply involved in the church. We aren’t in total agreement about the events – how they occurred or even if they occurred. Yet, it is a glorious time to talk about who Jesus was and how he comes to life in us today.
I believe that Easter is about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and celebrating how the faith of the disciples deepened from the experience. My invitation to you is to walk this week as if you were there with the disciples. Read the scriptures. Ponder what was happening and then continue to read after Easter when life got even more confusing for them. Join us this evening for the Maundy Thursday service at St. Paul’s. Spend some time in the sanctuary on Good Friday or set aside some time elsewhere. Then let’s come back together on Easter morning and celebrate.
Prayers for the journey, Pastor Peg
Maundy Thursday Worship, Thursday, April 2
Each year we join our friends at St. Paul's Christian Church, 3331 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, for a dinner of soup and bread, beginning at 6:30pm, followed by Maundy Thursday worship with communion. Worship begins at 7:00pm, but will be pushed back to 7:15 if people are not finished eating. Reverend Peg Williams will be providing the sermon and the St. Paul’s and CUCC’s choirs will join together to provide the music. Please join us for this special Holy Week Service.
Good Friday: Sanctuary Open from Noon – 3pm
The Sanctuary will be open on Good Friday, April 3, from Noon – 3:00pm for contemplation and meditation. Please enter and leave silently in respect for others.
Easter Sunday Worship Service
Join us Easter Morning, April 5, at 10:30am as we celebrate Easter and Jesus’ resurrection! It will be a wonderful, celebratory service, followed by fellowship in the Vaughan Fellowship Hall. Please bring flowers from your garden to decorate the Easter cross which we will do during fellowship.
Children’s Church School this Easter Sunday
On Easter Sunday we will be reading a special book telling the Easter story and dyeing eggs to symbolize rebirth. Please remember to send 6 hardboiled eggs with your child on Easter Sunday.
Tuesday Evening Taizé Worship
Our Tuesday Evening Taizé Worship continues! Taizé meets every Sunday morning at 9:00am in the Sanctuary and also on the first Tuesday of every month. It is a wonderful way to recharge yourself for the rest of the week by providing an opportunity to still your mind and wait in the presence of God. The silence is punctuated by reading of scripture and chanting and singing. There is no sermon, no offering, and no announcements. Friends are welcome. Tuesday, April 7, 7:00pm, Sanctuary.
Parents Night Out For CUCC Children Ages 3 and up!
Friday, April 10: 6-9PM! Youth are providing child-care and dinner for CUCC children as a fundraiser for summer youth church camp. We are hoping that every youth who wants to go to camp will be able to. Suggested donation is $20 per family. Please email Santi ASAP at forsanti@aol.com to register. Youth will then stay beyond 9:00 for a LOCK-IN with games, a movie, and an overnight lock-in.
April 12 Worship Service – Cy & Carolyn King Award Presentation
The Social Justice Ministry will provide the worship service next Sunday, April 12, for the Cy and Carolyn King Award Day. Join us as we are reminded how our spiritual focus and our social justice actions go hand in hand. The recipients of the awards this year are Collins Kilburn and Leo and Judy Occhetti-Klohr. The King Award is named after Cy and Carolyn King who were long time members of the church and avid social activists. Please plan to join us for this special service.
Church-Wide Outdoor Event And Camping: April 25-26!
Join in the fun! Our only agenda this year is to share good food, sing lots of campfire songs, take a beautiful nature walk, and simply rest and relax together!
We will again be at Camp Lapihio at Umstead Park
Event will run from Saturday, April 25 at 3:00 p.m. to Sunday, April 26 at noon!
Arrive Saturday afternoon for a hike or some singing and games, or evening for dinner and a camp fire with more songs, and stay the night if you like cabin camping. We’ll also have Sunday breakfast and morning prayers, and you can still make it to church for worship if you’d like!
If you are coming for the evening only, please bring:
a side dish to share with dinner
a camp chair (optional)
a copy of Rise Up Singing (if you have one)
If you are spending the night, please bring:
a side dish to share with dinner
a camp chair (optional)
socks & comfortable shoes for walking/playing
clothes in layers (it may get cool at night)
a sleeping bag
pillow
bug spray/sunscreen
a flashlight
toiletries and towel (there are showers this year)
necessary medications
Can't wait to see everyone!
“Let Your Life Speak” Series
Larry Petrovick will offer a program of introspection and sharing based on the book by Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation. The program employs the Circle of Trust concept which is an effective method for probing and sharing one's deepest values. Several of us from CUCC took Larry's program last year which used the same method to explore and reflect on the great book A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold. The six-week program will take place on Monday nights in April and May. Based on my experience last year, I strongly recommend Larry's offering this year. The cost of the series is $70, but a few scholarships are available for CUCC members. (Submitted by John Little) Below is registration information about the series:
You are invited to participate in the upcoming "Let Your Life Speak" book study and conversation series. This introductory series will meet for six weeks on Monday evening, April 13 – May 18, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm Monday nights in the Vaughan Fellowship Hall at CUCC. It is an opportunity to reflect on your life, past, present and future. During this series we will use the Circle of Trust approach, developed by Parker J. Palmer and the Center for Courage & Renewal. The Circle of Trust creates a process of shared exploration that creates a safe space for nurturing our personal and professional integrity and the courage to act on it. Here is a link for an excerpt from the book: http://www.explorefaith.org/palmer/chp2_9a.html
To register, please send your name, address, phone #, email address, along with your $70 check, by April 3rd to: Inspiring Courage Consulting LLC, 3016 Hillsborough Street, Office 210, Raleigh NC 27607.
(We ask that participants attend all six evenings since each weekly experience is closely connected to the following week.) For further information, please contact Larry Petrovick at Inspiring Courage Consulting LLC, email larryp006@aol.com or call him at 919-637-5662.
Life & Faith in Downtown Raleigh – 2nd Tuesday of every Month Tuesday, 7:00pm, April 14, Tyler’s Tap Room, 18 Seaboard Ave, #150. This is a Dutch treat discussion group. New people are welcomed enthusiastically - those who come set the topic for the night as we ponder how to connect what we believe to what we do. Look for our red comma.
Sisters in Spirit (SIS) – Thursday, April 16, 6:00pm - SIS will meet at Edith Sylla's home, 3113 Birnamwood Rd, Raleigh, NC. We’ll discuss summer reads led by Kathy Widenhouse. Bring a food dish to share and favorite books you might recommend.
Save the date! Solar Celebration at Anderson Point Park - April 19
After the excitement of successfully bidding for the great items offered at the Family Fun Auction on Saturday night (18th), wouldn’t a relaxing afternoon with friends on the greenway be a perfect way to spend Sunday afternoon? Write, “Sunday, April 19, 2:00pm, Anderson Point Park small picnic shelter,” on your calendar. The Solar Celebration kicks off Earth Week. We'll start with cake and an announcement of our progress raising funds for the solar project. Choose between walking/running the greenway, enjoying the playground, kicking a ball around the fields, or chatting at the picnic area. Fun for all ages! - Submitted by the Justice in a Changing Climate Task Force
Link for Anderson Point Park: http://www.raleighnc.gov/parks/content/ParksRec/Articles/Parks/AndersonPoint.html
A De-cluttering Opportunity – Book Sale May 1 - 3
CUCC has been invited to join the UU Fellowship in sponsoring their ANNUAL BOOK SALE on Friday, May 1 through Sunday, May 3. Please bring books that you would like to donate and drop them in the boxes in the hallway by the coat racks. CUCC will receive the proceeds from any books we sell. Plan to come to the sale which begins Friday morning, May 1st. On Sunday, May 3, all remaining books will be half price. If you would like to help with the book sale or would like more information, contact Peg Hulslander at (919-833-72013) or (peg.hulslander@gmail.com).
CUCC Family Fun Auction Party
The CUCC Family Fun Auction Party is coming up on Saturday, April 18, and we need you to help make it a success! The auction is an annual fundraiser for CUCC. Please consider donating an item for the auction. Examples of past auction items include:
Garden plants
Weekends at the beach, lake or mountains
Hand-made pottery, quilts, jewelry and original artwork
A morning of bird-watching & lunch
Therapeutic massage
Day trips to fun destinations. A geology field trip or a hike at a state park
Pet-sitting, Babysitting, Yard work, Handyman, and Computer services
Brunches, lunches, dinners
Delicious homemade cakes, pies, jams, etc.
To make a pledge, call the office and let us know the item, minimum bid, any conditions (date, maximum/minimum number of people, etc.), AND whether you will be attending the auction. Please submit your auction item by Thursday, April 16. Get you pledge form at the church office, at the bottom of this email, on the table at the back of the sanctuary, or online at http://cuccinfo.blogspot.com/2015/03/cucc-family-fun-auction-party-april-18.html.
Make plans to attend this great annual event. Social and silent auction begin at 6:30 pm; the bidding starts at 7:00 pm. Drinks, snacks and child care will be provided. A great time is guaranteed!! Thanks for your support, and see you at the auction!