Scriptures: Mark 8:31-38
Message: Expectant Joy
Blessings and grace to you all!
Good morning, dear friends. In this first week of Lent there is just so much going on in your lives. More than a couple of you are grieving the loss of a loved one; others are anticipating surgery; still others celebrating birthdays. And somehow we are called to hold all of this in our seemingly small hearts.
And, what I know of this community is that we do this. As deeply faithful people we know that we can celebrate and grieve and wonder and fear and hope in a single day or hour because we know that we do not do this alone. The Divine Spirit is the greatest compassion and holds us even as we hold one another. If you are this person who is grieving or fearful or shattered or angry or joyful or living in a space of waiting know that you are loved and prayed for and that, in this moment of extremes, you are indeed God’s Beloved.
This Sunday we will read of a wonderfully human and divinely inspiring conversation between Jesus and Peter (and eventually also the other disciples) about what we must give up in order to follow Jesus. The answer to this question is: our life – but of course this means what we have taken from this world and culture and put together to define our lives. This includes our fear and social anxiety that keeps us from speaking truth to power and our confidence that the material will provide all we need for life.
Looking forward to digging deep into these truths and seeing how they might inspire us toward Joy!
Additionally we have THINGS GOING ON around UPA! Mark your calendars for these forthcoming events:
Book Study
Wednesdays from 7:30pm – 8:30pm beginning February 21st.
** In person with Zoom option! “The Lemon Tree” by Sandy Tolan
Game Night
March 1, 2024 at 5:00pm.
Join us for pizza and fun.
St Patricks’ Day Dinner
Host by Ageless Advents on March 16, 2024.
Church Auction and Celebration
Save the date!!!! Saturday April 27, 2024 5:30pm
Peace,
Cheryl
This week UPA prays for…
…Linda Wood-Boyle in the passing of her mother, Joan.
…Kathy Beckwith as she prepares for surgery.
…Lou Membrino and his family in the passing of his mother, Betty.
…Brian Bean in the passing of his friend and college roommate.
…Pei in the passing of her mother-in-law, Bonnie.
Music
Prelude: “Kum ba yah” African Am. spiritual
Anthem: “Standin’ in the Need of Prayer” African Am. spiritual
Meditation: “Steal Away” African Am. spiritual sung by Chihiro Asano, mezzo soprano
Postlude: “Restoration” from The Southern Harmony, 1835
Live Stream Information
We are making improvements to our sanctuary sound system and encourage you to worship with us in person. If you are not able to worship with us we continue to stream our services via Facebook and Zoom. If you experience any trouble go to our Facebook page for more information. Please share these links with your friends. Bear in mind that we cannot share the Zoom links publicly (to keep from being Zoom bombed), so please share it person to person rather than posting it on Facebook/Twitter, or other public social media. It’s fine to share the Facebook link broadly and publicly. For Zoom login please reach out to Pastor Cheryl at cheryl@newtonchurch.org.
Zoom Link: UPA Sunday Morning Worship
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81334929545?pwd=S1lsRlRmSnlkTUE0cHRlWWQwWUJndz09
Facebook Livestream Link: https://www.facebook.com/upanewtonma/live