From the Intentional Interim Pastor
Forum
Children will Sing & Youth will Provide Children’s Message this Sunday
Durham Bulls Baseball! – Deadline to RSVP is Monday, May 11th
Life& Faith in Downtown Raleigh
Economic Justice Task Force Meeting, May 13
Moral Wednesdays (formally Moral Mondays)
Sisters in Spirit
Wake Federation of the Blind Yard Sale
Youth Fundraising Brunch – Sunday, May 17
1st Tuesday Taizé is now 3rd Tuesday Taizé
Our First “Jobs for Life” Graduates!
Scroll down for additional information on the above topics
(For information on all upcoming topics, go to: communityucc.org)
From the Intentional Interim Pastor
May 6, 2015
"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." Mark Twain
How is that for something to think about?
In a few hours I’ll be heading to the eye doctor for my first appointment since moving to North Carolina. Ken has already visited the practice and he liked them, so all is well. Eye exams are important.
I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 12 years old. I had headaches and the eye doctor discovered that I am near-sighted and have astigmatism. If you aren’t familiar with “astigmatism” here is the definition: “An irregular shaped cornea or lens prevents light from focusing properly on the retina, the light sensitive surface at the back of the eye. As a result, vision becomes blurred at any distance” (from the American Optometric Association).
Apparently most of us have some degree of astigmatism. I guess this means all of us have some blurry vision at one point or another.
How’s that for something to think about?
I’ve been thinking a lot about the mother in Baltimore who pulled her teenage son out of the riots and used her hands to let him know of her displeasure. Some have said that she was wrong in “beating” her child. Others have said they would have done the same thing to ensure that the son wasn’t killed, injured or arrested in the riots. Some of the same people who applauded the mother’s actions have also called for non-violent actions from the rioters, and others find that to be hypocritical.
Since my vision is blurry when I am farther away, it is hard for me to say whether this mother did the right thing or not. I will say that I think I am capable of doing the same thing. My child’s safety would come first. But I wasn’t there. I don’t live in Baltimore. I do not share that mother’s experiences. I can’t.
Isn’t this the case for all of us? It is easy to leap to judgment about events and actions we see on television, but we don’t live in their worlds and we don’t share their experiences.
How’s that for something to think about? Prayers for the journey, Pastor Peg
Forum: Sunday, May 10
Discussion on education and solving problems in the public education system – hosted by Deborah Lipman, M.Ed. candidate, Concordia University.
Children will Sing & Youth will Provide Children’s Message
The children will sing and the youth do the Children's Time in worship. Sun., May 10, 10:30AM, sanctuary. Don’t miss this special Mother’s Day gift.
Durham Bulls Baseball! – Deadline is May 11th
It’s time for CUCC to take in our annual Durham Bulls baseball game! This year’s game will take place on Friday, May 29th at 7:05pm. The Bulls will be playing the Syracuse Sky Chiefs. Tickets for adults and children three years old and up are $9.66, including tax. Good seats are still available, but we want to reserve them soon; so contact the church office at 919-809-8850 or office.cucc@gmail.com and let Cathy know how many tickets you wish to purchase. RSVP by May 11th. This outing is great fun and a wonderful way to fellowship with church members in a different environment and enjoy a great ball game at the same time. Carpooling from the church will be available. Come! Let’s have a ball with the Bulls! For questions, contact Robert Parrish at 919-616-1606.
Life& Faith in Downtown Raleigh
What is your mission in our "missional church?" Join the conversation at Life & Faith in Downtown Raleigh. Tues., May 12, 7PM, Tyler's Tap Room, 18 Seaboard Avenue, Raleigh. All are welcome!
Economic Justice Task Force Meeting – May 13, 10:30am
How will the Church confront economic Injustices? What do faith communities say about brokenness and inequalities due to the unjust structure of our system which perpetuates inequality and lack of opportunities? Our Economic Justice Task Force struggles with these concerns. We invite everyone to join us for a discussion on economic justice and CUCC on Wednesday, May 13, 10:30am in the Bradow Room. John Parker, a student at Duke Divinity School, will facilitate our conversation. We hope you will join us. We need your support and welcome your ideas.
Moral Wednesdays
The Moral Monday Movement has been moved to Moral Wednesdays, thanks to changes by the Legislature. The next Moral Wednesday gathering will be Wednesday, May 13, at the NC General Assembly. The topic this Wednesday is on Labor Rights & Living Wages. If you wish to attend and would like to carpool, contact Joan McAllister at 919-851-9674 or joan_mcallister@att.net
Sisters in Spirit - SIS
As indicated on the church website, the SIS beach retreat will be held Friday, May 15th, through Sunday, May 17th, in Surf City with the theme this year being "Stretch and Restore." Contact Marty Lamb at 919-834-4280 for more information and to confirm attendance.
Wake Federation of the Blind Yard Sale
China, baskets, fans and pans –oh my!!! It must be time for the 2015 Wake Federation of the Blind Yard Sale. The yard sale will take place in the CUCC Vaughan Fellowship Hall on Saturday, May 16th, from 8:00 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. Proceeds from the sale will help blind and visually impaired persons gain better equality and independence in our society. If you would like to make donations for the Wake Federation yard sale, please free to drop them off in the Vaughan Fellowship Hall as early as 1:00 P.M. on Friday the 15th. Unsold items will be given to Slightly Used, a thrift store where blind and visually impaired persons are employed. Thank you for your participation in previous yard sales for the Wake Federation of the Blind; and thank you again for supporting us with this one! See you Saturday, May 16th.
Youth Fundraising Brunch – Sunday, May 17
CUCC Youth will prepare and serve a delicious brunch (made with local ingredients) in the fellowship hall after the 10:30am worship on Sunday, May 17! Don't miss this chance to fellowship with the church family while helping us raise funds for BYC summer youth church camp. All are welcome - reservations are not required.
Suggested donation:
$10 per plate for youth and adults
$5 for school age children up to 5th grade
Free for preschool kids
We are focusing our brunch on local foods, much of which is vegetarian.* We are serving family style, so every table will have the same food on it: one quiche, one basket of muffins, one bowl of grits, one bowl of strawberries, one plate of sausage links, one pitcher of lemonade, and one pitcher of water, and one basket for donations. People will seat themselves at tables and pass the food at their tables family-style. Coffee drinkers will have to fix their own coffee at a separate coffee service table.
Brunch menu:
quiche made with local eggs and local tomatoes (vegetarian)
blueberry muffins made with local blueberries (vegetarian)
local strawberries
grits
pork sausage links (vegetarian sausage will not be provided)
coffee, lemonade, water
*We are not trying for a low calorie, organic, vegan, or gluten-free menu.
For questions or additional information, contact Śānti Matthews at forsanti@aol.com.
1st Tuesday Taizé Service is now 3rd Tuesday Taizé Service
Every Sunday morning at 9:00am, we offer Taizé worship in the Sanctuary. One evening a month, we also offer this calming, meditative service. Taizé worship is marked by a spirit of contemplation, prayer and periods of silence which enable us to let go of the clutter of our minds and to listen and pray to God with our hearts. All are welcome. Tuesday, May 19th, 7:00pm, Sanctuary.
Our First “Jobs For Life” Graduates!
The “Jobs for Life” program we announced last fall has just graduated its first students. The course, sponsored by our Economic Justice Task Force, teaches unemployed and underemployed people basic job skills that will improve their career opportunities and their lives. The course was held at Loaves & Fishes and most of the students were former LAF students and parents.
Over eight weeks, the classes covered such issues as conflict resolution, identifying career goals, writing a resume, interviewing skills and identifying and overcoming roadblocks. We invited a number of businesspeople to the class to give real-world insights about the careers the participants were seeking.
CUCC members who volunteered were Shirley Birt, Susan Lane, Adrienne Little, Joan McAllister, Robert Parrish, Jane Smith, Edith Sylla, Laura Upchurch and Kathy Widenhouse.
The feedback we received from the students was extremely positive and enthusiastic. We will stay in touch with them over the weeks and months to come to see the long-term effects of the program. The Economic Justice Task Force will be evaluating the course and determining if we will hold another session in the fall.
Forum
Children will Sing & Youth will Provide Children’s Message this Sunday
Durham Bulls Baseball! – Deadline to RSVP is Monday, May 11th
Life& Faith in Downtown Raleigh
Economic Justice Task Force Meeting, May 13
Moral Wednesdays (formally Moral Mondays)
Sisters in Spirit
Wake Federation of the Blind Yard Sale
Youth Fundraising Brunch – Sunday, May 17
1st Tuesday Taizé is now 3rd Tuesday Taizé
Our First “Jobs for Life” Graduates!
Scroll down for additional information on the above topics
(For information on all upcoming topics, go to: communityucc.org)
From the Intentional Interim Pastor
May 6, 2015
"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." Mark Twain
How is that for something to think about?
In a few hours I’ll be heading to the eye doctor for my first appointment since moving to North Carolina. Ken has already visited the practice and he liked them, so all is well. Eye exams are important.
I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 12 years old. I had headaches and the eye doctor discovered that I am near-sighted and have astigmatism. If you aren’t familiar with “astigmatism” here is the definition: “An irregular shaped cornea or lens prevents light from focusing properly on the retina, the light sensitive surface at the back of the eye. As a result, vision becomes blurred at any distance” (from the American Optometric Association).
Apparently most of us have some degree of astigmatism. I guess this means all of us have some blurry vision at one point or another.
How’s that for something to think about?
I’ve been thinking a lot about the mother in Baltimore who pulled her teenage son out of the riots and used her hands to let him know of her displeasure. Some have said that she was wrong in “beating” her child. Others have said they would have done the same thing to ensure that the son wasn’t killed, injured or arrested in the riots. Some of the same people who applauded the mother’s actions have also called for non-violent actions from the rioters, and others find that to be hypocritical.
Since my vision is blurry when I am farther away, it is hard for me to say whether this mother did the right thing or not. I will say that I think I am capable of doing the same thing. My child’s safety would come first. But I wasn’t there. I don’t live in Baltimore. I do not share that mother’s experiences. I can’t.
Isn’t this the case for all of us? It is easy to leap to judgment about events and actions we see on television, but we don’t live in their worlds and we don’t share their experiences.
How’s that for something to think about? Prayers for the journey, Pastor Peg
Forum: Sunday, May 10
Discussion on education and solving problems in the public education system – hosted by Deborah Lipman, M.Ed. candidate, Concordia University.
Children will Sing & Youth will Provide Children’s Message
The children will sing and the youth do the Children's Time in worship. Sun., May 10, 10:30AM, sanctuary. Don’t miss this special Mother’s Day gift.
Durham Bulls Baseball! – Deadline is May 11th
It’s time for CUCC to take in our annual Durham Bulls baseball game! This year’s game will take place on Friday, May 29th at 7:05pm. The Bulls will be playing the Syracuse Sky Chiefs. Tickets for adults and children three years old and up are $9.66, including tax. Good seats are still available, but we want to reserve them soon; so contact the church office at 919-809-8850 or office.cucc@gmail.com and let Cathy know how many tickets you wish to purchase. RSVP by May 11th. This outing is great fun and a wonderful way to fellowship with church members in a different environment and enjoy a great ball game at the same time. Carpooling from the church will be available. Come! Let’s have a ball with the Bulls! For questions, contact Robert Parrish at 919-616-1606.
Life& Faith in Downtown Raleigh
What is your mission in our "missional church?" Join the conversation at Life & Faith in Downtown Raleigh. Tues., May 12, 7PM, Tyler's Tap Room, 18 Seaboard Avenue, Raleigh. All are welcome!
Economic Justice Task Force Meeting – May 13, 10:30am
How will the Church confront economic Injustices? What do faith communities say about brokenness and inequalities due to the unjust structure of our system which perpetuates inequality and lack of opportunities? Our Economic Justice Task Force struggles with these concerns. We invite everyone to join us for a discussion on economic justice and CUCC on Wednesday, May 13, 10:30am in the Bradow Room. John Parker, a student at Duke Divinity School, will facilitate our conversation. We hope you will join us. We need your support and welcome your ideas.
Moral Wednesdays
The Moral Monday Movement has been moved to Moral Wednesdays, thanks to changes by the Legislature. The next Moral Wednesday gathering will be Wednesday, May 13, at the NC General Assembly. The topic this Wednesday is on Labor Rights & Living Wages. If you wish to attend and would like to carpool, contact Joan McAllister at 919-851-9674 or joan_mcallister@att.net
Sisters in Spirit - SIS
As indicated on the church website, the SIS beach retreat will be held Friday, May 15th, through Sunday, May 17th, in Surf City with the theme this year being "Stretch and Restore." Contact Marty Lamb at 919-834-4280 for more information and to confirm attendance.
Wake Federation of the Blind Yard Sale
China, baskets, fans and pans –oh my!!! It must be time for the 2015 Wake Federation of the Blind Yard Sale. The yard sale will take place in the CUCC Vaughan Fellowship Hall on Saturday, May 16th, from 8:00 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. Proceeds from the sale will help blind and visually impaired persons gain better equality and independence in our society. If you would like to make donations for the Wake Federation yard sale, please free to drop them off in the Vaughan Fellowship Hall as early as 1:00 P.M. on Friday the 15th. Unsold items will be given to Slightly Used, a thrift store where blind and visually impaired persons are employed. Thank you for your participation in previous yard sales for the Wake Federation of the Blind; and thank you again for supporting us with this one! See you Saturday, May 16th.
Youth Fundraising Brunch – Sunday, May 17
CUCC Youth will prepare and serve a delicious brunch (made with local ingredients) in the fellowship hall after the 10:30am worship on Sunday, May 17! Don't miss this chance to fellowship with the church family while helping us raise funds for BYC summer youth church camp. All are welcome - reservations are not required.
Suggested donation:
$10 per plate for youth and adults
$5 for school age children up to 5th grade
Free for preschool kids
We are focusing our brunch on local foods, much of which is vegetarian.* We are serving family style, so every table will have the same food on it: one quiche, one basket of muffins, one bowl of grits, one bowl of strawberries, one plate of sausage links, one pitcher of lemonade, and one pitcher of water, and one basket for donations. People will seat themselves at tables and pass the food at their tables family-style. Coffee drinkers will have to fix their own coffee at a separate coffee service table.
Brunch menu:
quiche made with local eggs and local tomatoes (vegetarian)
blueberry muffins made with local blueberries (vegetarian)
local strawberries
grits
pork sausage links (vegetarian sausage will not be provided)
coffee, lemonade, water
*We are not trying for a low calorie, organic, vegan, or gluten-free menu.
For questions or additional information, contact Śānti Matthews at forsanti@aol.com.
1st Tuesday Taizé Service is now 3rd Tuesday Taizé Service
Every Sunday morning at 9:00am, we offer Taizé worship in the Sanctuary. One evening a month, we also offer this calming, meditative service. Taizé worship is marked by a spirit of contemplation, prayer and periods of silence which enable us to let go of the clutter of our minds and to listen and pray to God with our hearts. All are welcome. Tuesday, May 19th, 7:00pm, Sanctuary.
Our First “Jobs For Life” Graduates!
The “Jobs for Life” program we announced last fall has just graduated its first students. The course, sponsored by our Economic Justice Task Force, teaches unemployed and underemployed people basic job skills that will improve their career opportunities and their lives. The course was held at Loaves & Fishes and most of the students were former LAF students and parents.
Over eight weeks, the classes covered such issues as conflict resolution, identifying career goals, writing a resume, interviewing skills and identifying and overcoming roadblocks. We invited a number of businesspeople to the class to give real-world insights about the careers the participants were seeking.
CUCC members who volunteered were Shirley Birt, Susan Lane, Adrienne Little, Joan McAllister, Robert Parrish, Jane Smith, Edith Sylla, Laura Upchurch and Kathy Widenhouse.
The feedback we received from the students was extremely positive and enthusiastic. We will stay in touch with them over the weeks and months to come to see the long-term effects of the program. The Economic Justice Task Force will be evaluating the course and determining if we will hold another session in the fall.