October 28

One of the joys of beginning ministry with a congregation is getting to know the people, history and traditions of a community. I have come to think of it as an introductory congregational course, "Union CC 101" if you will.

This Sunday we will be celebrating All Saints' Day. We will remember those from our congregation who have died in the last year, and now gather as a part of God's Heavenly Host. It is a good time for us to remember all of those who have shaped and are shaping our faith, and our congregation in years past and today. As I get to know Union, I will ask you to share some stories with me.

So, today, would you take a moment to share a story, or even just a name, of a Union saint, past or present? How have they helped you see God among us? How have they shaped your faith? How have they helped Union be more fully the church, a communion of saints here and now?  
 
It might be a personal story, or it might be a story that is a part of Union's history. Send it in an email, or ask me to call so I can hear it "in person." I am excited to begin learning about Union Christian Church.
 
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan

Union Welcomes Rev. Alan Cloar as Interim Minister

Union’s Search and Call Committee recommended Rev. Alan Cloar to the Church Council as Union’s Interim Minister at a recent called meeting, and the Church Council unanimously approved the recommendation. Rev. Cloar is in the process of closing an interim ministry in Atlanta. He is available to us now if there is a pastoral emergency. We are working with him to develop a plan to integrate him into our Union family in advance of his first Sunday in the pulpit in early November.

Rev. Alan Cloar is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  Alan grew up on a family farm in Paris, Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1992, and Candler School of Theology in Atlanta in 1999. He has served congregations in Associate, Solo, and Senior Minister roles. Alan has also served as a Campus Minister. He most recently served as Transitional Minister at Peachtree Corners Christian Church in Norcross.
 
Alan lives in Winder, Georgia, with his wife Cheryl (Minister of First Christian Church in Winder). Their daughter, Lee, and son, Timothy, are both students at the University of Georgia. Alan is very proud of his children, but still adjusting to being a UGA Dad.  

Alan believes our identity as Christians is grounded in gratitude to God for the blessing of God's creation, and our life as a part of it. Our call as the Body of Christ is to remember and share God's Infinite Love, Healing Grace, and Radical Hospitality, always and everywhere.  

August 18

After much discussion and in consultation with Dr. Peter Cook, the Re-gathering Committee will recommend to the Council during its Thursday meeting to begin outdoor worship starting September 6, 2020. Peter has advised us on guidelines to make this as safe of an experience as possible for all involved. However, if you are not yet comfortable returning to church under any conditions, the service will be recorded and posted to both Facebook and our church website.

We expect to meet either near the pavilion or church’s front porch. We anticipate the length of the service will be around 30 minutes. The service will be early morning to avoid mid-day high temperature. You will have the option of bringing a lawn chair and sitting socially distanced from other congregants with facial masks or remaining inside your car. We will have the capability to transmit audio of the service through your car radio or a portable FM radio. 

The final details are still in the works. When the plans are finalized, we will provide a full list of safeguards and instructions.   

August 2

This is the last blog post of my ministry with you over these past six-plus years, I’ve known this time was coming, but now that it is here, it is difficult to write. Serving God alongside you has been the greatest joy of my life. As I look back over our time together, I’m reminded of many new ministries, mission opportunities, and facility improvements. I know I will miss some, but let’s take a walk down memory lane.

New ministries – Women’s Bible studies, Lenten Bible studies, Fall Family Fun Night, Living Last Supper, Holy Week Labyrinth, Advent piano concert

Mission opportunities – Sparrows Nest, ACTS, Family Promise, Puerto Rico mission trip

Facility Improvements – Playground, new directional signs, renovated youth space, renovated back hallway, classrooms, and offices, upgraded computer systems

In closing, I would like to re-share some words that I wrote for our yearly booklet….

Soon after the new year began, several things occurred that changed our church family. On March 6, I shared the news with you that I would be retiring on August 2. Less than a week later, we entered into months of quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as of the writing of this pastoral letter we are still not meeting in our building. Like churches all over the world, we had to “stop on a dime” and re-create worship, Bible studies, fellowship, and community ministry. The first few weeks felt like we were drowning as we learned new ways to connect with each other without a building. But over time, we have moved into a new rhythm that includes Zoom committee meetings, friends checking on friends, driveway visits, and online worship Each one of you has ministered to each other in new ways, and I am so grateful to be walking this journey with you.

As I prepare to leave, I want you all to know what a joy and privilege it has been to serve as your pastor. I have been blessed to be just a small part of the history of Union Christian Church and look forward with anticipation for what the future holds for you all.

As I close this time together, let me offer the benediction that I speak each Sunday. It is my prayer for you.

Christ go before you to prepare a way of service.
Christ go behind you to gather up your efforts for his glory.
Christ go beside you as leader and guide.
Christ go within you as comfort and stay.
Christ go beneath you to uphold with everlasting arms.
Christ go above you to reign as Lord supreme.

With all my love and prayers for the future,

Pastor Jane

July 29

This Sunday we move beyond a sermon series to a selection of what I like to call “stand alone sermons.” Although they are not in a series, each will speak to some of the challenges that face each one of us at different times in our lives. This Sunday, I will begin with the Old Testament story of Jacob wrestling with God. Found in Genesis 32:22-31, it is an exciting and very personal story of how Jacob struggled with God in order to receive a blessing. Perhaps you have found yourself in the same situation – seemingly fighting with God to bless you.
 
We often say, “God bless you” when someone near us sneezes. If you were to search on Google for the phrase “God blessed me,” you would find thousands of t shirts, coffee mugs, cute pictures and posters, jewelry, and the list goes on and on. But is there more to “God blessed me” than kitschy objects? Let’s dive deeply into this story on Sunday and see if we might receive some new insights into what it means to be blessed by God.

 - Pastor Jane 

June 22

This Sunday, we come to the end of our sermon series on The First Things. We have walked through two months of teachings from scripture that contain what I understand as the first things of faith. This week we conclude with a beautiful look at heaven, attempting to answer two of the most asked questions - what is heaven, and where is heaven. We will focus our thoughts on the familiar verses found at the beginning of Revelation 21.
 
As we begin to think about heaven, let me share with you a beautiful quote from New Testament scholar, William Barclay.
 
"For the Christian, heaven is where Jesus is. We do not need to speculate on what heaven will be like. It is enough to know that we will be forever with Him."
 
This Sunday I will be filming from a new location. We are moving this week, so I will great you from our back porch, overlooking the trees. I look forward to seeing you then. 
 
 - Pastor Jane 

July 15

During the 1950s-1990s, when radio was still at its peak, there was an on-air voice that was instantly recognizable. If you were flipping channels and heard the words, “stand by, for news,” or his closing, “Good Day,” in that lilting brogue, you knew Paul Harvey was on the air. During those years, Paul Harvey’s radio program reached as many as 24 million people a week, and was carried on 1200 different radio stations.  His daily News and Commentary program was known by many, but it was the unique show, The Rest of the Story, that seemed to catch the fancy of the nation.  It premiered in 1976 and ran for 33 years, until his death in 2009.  33 years – six broadcasts a week. 
 
What exactly was, The Rest of the Story?  It was a fascinating study – a mix of mystery and history – using stories and news items that were well known, but the added twist was always an addition to the story, something that previously had been unknown to the public – The Rest of the Story.  As you would expect, Paul Harvey told the known story, gave a hint of what was to come, went to commercial (you would expect that), and then, finally, back on the air with The Rest of the Story.
 
This Sunday we will experience Jesus’ The Rest of the Story, as told through the eyes of two of the gospel writers, Luke and Matthew. In Luke 4:16-20 Jesus preaches his first sermon in his hometown synagogue in Nazareth. Matthew 28:16-20 conveys to us Jesus’ final words – the Rest of the Story. What do Jesus’ first things – spoken from his synagogue, and his last things – spoken from a mountain – teach us about how we, as Christ followers, are to join God on mission in the world? Let’s talk about it on Sunday.

 - Pastor Jane 

July 8

Yesterday, David and I had the opportunity to walk through our almost-finished house in North Carolina. As we walked with the contractor and project manager, we could see a house that was nearly complete. On the surface we saw paint and kitchen cabinets, a beautifully stained floor, and a screen porch. We saw the playroom where our grandchildren will be spending a lot of time, and our side by side studies.

As good as everything looked, if you looked more closely, there was still a lot left to be finished. The screen porch was there, but not the screens. The bathrooms were there, but not the towel bars. The walls had been painted, but there was a need for touch ups.

It hit me that this image could also refer to our Christian lives. On the surface, we might look finished as people of faith. But upon a closer look, we are unfinished. My house needs touch-up paint, a little electrical work, and some screens. Unlike our house, which will one day be finished, as Christians, we are never finished. We need continuing work in our walk with God – through prayer, Bible study, and service. We keep pressing on toward the goal of our faith in Jesus.

The apostle Paul reflected on this very fact in Philippians 3, “…but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” May we all follow Paul’s lead, pressing on in our faith journey.

-Pastor Jane

July 1

Union friends,
 
Most Wednesdays, in my Midweek article, I try to share with you some thoughts about the upcoming sermon, including the scripture for the day and offering ways you can begin thinking about it prior to Sunday. This week I want to do something a little different.
 
This Sunday will be our seventeenth Sunday out of the building. We have been in quarantine almost 1/3 of a calendar year. As we look around, we can see how this has affected so much of our lives. Many have been asking the question, “when can we get back to normal?” Unfortunately, I believe that we will not see the “normal” of the past, and for many of us, that is disheartening. But, I want to offer a different thought. Perhaps we can look at what is to come as a new opportunity. What does God have for us personally, in our families, and in our churches, as we move forward? This thought process and the actions that will result will stretch us beyond what is imaginable.
 
This week, I read an article by Bill Wilson, the director of the Center for Healthy Churches entitled What Will We See Less of and More of in Churches in the 2020s? I want to offer just a few of his reflections to you today to guide us toward some new opportunities that God has for Union. Rather than dwelling on returning to “normal,” let’s look to the future with new eyes.
 
One of his “less than” thoughts is:

• The days of engaging the vast majority of our parishioners in Sunday worship only are rapidly going the way of the typewriter. The virus has shown us another way, and we will need to follow it.

• I would ask: How will Union seek to build upon this new way of engaging our church family and community?

 
And, one of his “more than” thoughts is:

• A 7-day-a-week model of engagement of stakeholders will become the new norm for thriving churches. We will count differently, as we realize that much of our most important work occurs on days other than Sunday.

• I would ask: How will Union seek to enlarge our ministry offerings? Can we be more than just the number of people in the building on Sundays?

 
If you would be interested in reading his entire article, I point you here.

 - Pastor Jane 

June 24

This Sunday, in our continuing series on The First Things, we will find ourselves exploring a passage from John 1, where Jesus is described as being full of “grace and truth.” Grace and truth – seemingly two opposites. When we speak, do we do it with words of grace, or with harsh words of truth? Think with me for a minute, when you see a friend or family member doing something you think is inherently wrong, how do you approach them? Do you come with an absolute – you’re wrong!! Or, do you approach them with conversation, listening to and learning from each other to work through conflict? Verse 14 seems to point us to a different way, the way of Jesus, the way of ampersand faith.

An ampersand is a familiar punctuation symbol, one that is often used as a type of shorthand for the word “and.” As an easy to understand visual, it offers the possibility of living our lives of faith in a both/and world instead of an either/or world.

Unfortunately, we find ourselves these days living more and more in a world of absolutes. Male and female. Democrat or Republican. Black or white. Rich or poor. Masks or no masks. It seems as if these differences are becoming more and more pronounced. How can we understand them? Is there a way to move from either/or to both/and? I hope you will join us on Sunday as we explore this question through the life of Jesus. Ampersand living – is it even possible?

 -Pastor Jane

June 17

What are the “first things?” For this sermon series, I asked myself the question, “what are the things I consider most important in our Christian walk?” Over these next few weeks, as we explore what they are, I pray that we will all gain a better understanding and that these “first things” will have lasting meaning in your life.
 
We began with the call of Jesus on each of our lives, as he uttered the words, “follow me” (Mark 1:16-20). We continued last week by acknowledging that we are all sinners in need of the amazing grace of God (Luke 15:11-32). This Sunday we will be exploring the theme of transformation. Once we have received God’s amazing grace, we are called to become something new. Our text this week, from Romans 12:1-2, will guide us as we explore what a transformation like this might look like. How will it enable us to grow as people of faith?
 
Poet Mary Oliver has written a beautiful poem of transformation, entitled The Journey. It speaks of the moment when you dare. When you dare to listen to your own truth and set sail into a new life – a transformation. You cannot know where its voice will lead you. But you alone can respond to its call. Take time and read slowly, letting her words, and Paul’s words in Romans 12, speak to you today
 
The Journey
 
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice–
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
 
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
 
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do–
determined to save
the only life you could save.

 -Pastor Jane

June 10

Grace. What does that word mean to you? Some of our most beloved hymns speak of grace – Amazing Grace, Grace Greater Than Our Sins, Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing, God of Grace and God of Glory, My Shepherd Will Supply My Need, Rock of Ages, To God Be The Glory, There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy - are just a few found in our Chalice Hymnal. The number of Praise and Worship songs about grace are just as plentiful. Why do we need to hear about and sing about grace so frequently?
 
Grace is defined as the free and unmerited favor of God. In other words, grace is a gift from God that we neither pay for or deserve. Grace is blessing.
 
During our time of worship this Sunday, we will continue in the sermon series called “The First Things” – matters of faith which I feel are most important for us as Christ followers. Last week began with the call of Jesus upon our lives, with the words “Follow Me.” This Sunday we will dig into a very family story from Luke 15, the story of the Prodigal Son. This story will remind us all that we are sinners in need of the amazing grace of God. I invite you to join us online as we move from the initial call of Jesus on our lives to the opportunity to be recipients of God’s grace.

 -Pastor Jane

June 3

In the early 1990s, the phrase “What Would Jesus Do?” became popular. The phrase was a unique way to call people to consider how Jesus might respond to situations in everyday life. Seemingly overnight, we saw WWJD on bracelets, charms, shoelaces, book bags, and so much more. In the teenage evangelical world, it seemed to be everywhere. During a youth retreat, I even gave each of our youth a rubber bracelet with those letters embossed on it – a reminder for them, that in our actions we should always make decisions based on the life and teachings of Jesus, not from culture, or the prevailing thought of the day, but from Jesus.
 
This Sunday, I will begin a new sermon series called “The First Things.” As we prepare for these final months of our time together, I would like to focus on the things I understand to be most important for each person’s faith journey. What should be the essential sign posts in our individual and corporate lives of faith. What are, “The First Things?”
 
This week we will begin with two simple words of Jesus – “Follow Me.” This is where our faith begins.
 
Sometimes it seems that there are many different interpretations of what it means to truly be a Jesus follower, and these interpretations often appear to be in direct opposition to each other. This week we have seen Christian leaders espouse conflicting opinions of what Jesus meant when he said, “Follow me.” How can we make our way through this uncertainty? How do we know who to listen to? When I am unsure, I always go to the source, Jesus’ own words, to help me understand what it means to be his follower, his disciple.
 
Mark 12:30-31
Jesus: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.
 
What Would Jesus Do? It’s simple…Follow me…Love God. Love others. That is all.

 -Pastor Jane

May 27

I’ve thought a lot this week (our 11th week of the pandemic) of how the presence of God can be experienced during this unsettling season. We are all too aware of all that we have “lost,” but is it possible to name the continuing gifts of God that have been present to each of us? This week, I read a blog post that I would like to share with you today. Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, the day we remember the story of God’s gifts, given to those early believers. But God also offers remarkable gifts to each of us. A post by katyandtheword.wordpress.com, suggests some different and extraordinary gifts, given to us through the Holy Spirit. Hear her words today, offered in the form of a prayer entitled Pandemic Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
 
Lord God Almighty, I am on my knees,
with my arms outstretched to you,
because I am in need of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit
 
I need encouragement, as a parent of a child
who has been faking their online schooling for the last two weeks.
 
Patience, as I wait for more information,
so that my job can make the next decision
about how we are running things this week.
 
Courage, as I realize that every single person
has their own idea about what is and isn’t safe
and we have to navigate relationships together.
 
Inspiration, as I try to figure out how to connect
with the people in my lives in new and not discouraging/draining ways.
 
Hope, as death after death, sick after sick case comes in
and the solution seems no closer than it was two months ago.
 
Breath, as I am working too many hours of too many days
and don’t know when it’s all going to end.
 
Love, as all of my imperfections have been laid bare in this time
where self-examination is unavoidable
and all the things I’m carrying have been stuck in quarantine with me.
 
Lord remind me that I am more than my job or my role in my family or my material worth.

Lord, remind me that I am God-breathed, gifted by the Holy Spirit, and sibling of Jesus Christ.

In this time of crises–when every way I function is under a microscope
and every emotion I am having is magnified–
allow me to full discern and differentiate myself as a child of God.
 
And even if these aren’t exactly the things I need,
and I am too mired to know what it is I really need.
 
Please grant me the gifts of the Holy Spirit, I pray.
And if I can’t pray to the Holy Spirit, help me to breathe:
 
in
out
and in
and out again
until the Holy Spirit prays me, instead.
In Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

 -Pastor Jane

May 20

We are fast approaching the end of the liturgical season of Eastertide – those 50 days from Easter to Pentecost. We have spent this time celebrating the resurrection and learning from a few of the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. We have studied the early church and their practices which became benchmarks of a young faith. This Sunday is Ascension Sunday, the day we remember Jesus’ last words to his disciples before returning to be with God. What were his final, most important instructions? Go and tell! Jesus instructed them to share his words, his teachings, and his life with the entire world.
 
What does your world consist of? During these days of quarantine, it’s hard to know, isn’t it? We are mostly isolated – from our friends, from our family - and yet these words from Jesus still ring clear. Can we follow his command to go to the entire world, when our world is so small? Yes!! We can do this, even from the confines of our homes through phone calls, notes, driveway visitations, online groups. We have always known that our way of ministering “to the ends of the earth” is different than it was in the days of the early church. And now, we are learning a new way – a new “different” – even for us.
 
May our eyes, our ears, and our hearts be open to finding new ways to share the love of Jesus during these days of quarantine. If we can do that, we will be more like the early church than ever before!
 
-Pastor Jane

May 13

As we all have seen, there has been a great deal of disruption coming from COVID-19. Our children, teenagers, and teachers have experienced this in their education. One marker of this upheaval is the loss of significant milestones in the lives of graduating seniors. They have missed the final weeks of their time together, proms, end of year awards, a last walk through their elementary school, a spring sports season, and so much more. Their graduation has been relegated to being either virtual, postponed, or cancelled entirely.
 
We feel these losses especially hard this week. For you see, this Sunday is Graduate Sunday - a time we traditionally recognize our graduates in worship. If we were meeting in person, we would present them with gifts from the church, and then would have a special time of prayer for them as a church family. If we were meeting in person, we would move out of our seats in the pews and surround our graduates, laying our hands on them in prayer. But, we cannot physically do that on Sunday.
 
This Sunday we will still honor our graduates, but in a slightly different way. During our online service, you will see them receiving their senior Bible, and then I will ask you to reach your hands out toward whatever device you are using to watch worship. Together, with our hands outstretched, we will virtually lay hands on these precious seniors and pray for them. Will you join me in doing this?
 
Elsewhere in the Midweek you will see pictures of our graduates along with accompanying information about them. Please join with me in celebrating this great milestone in their lives! Congratulations Vivian, Jenna, and Thomas!

-Pastor Jane

May 6

Happy Wednesday, Union Friends - 
 
You are in my heart so much these days. Like many of you, I'm sure, I miss seeing your faces in person, shaking your hands, and giving you a hug. As I'm writing this, it seems like these words are exactly what I wrote last week. But - the feelings are still there, and so I write.
 
As you know, each week, we are providing ways for you to connect with each other - through online worship, Bible studies, small group meetings and daily Bible readings. This week, we've added another touch. To go along with our daily Bible readings, we will be providing a Bible verse from that reading to use as a "wallpaper" for your phone. You can find this on our Facebook or Instagram accounts. Take it, and add it to your phones each week, as an additional help for Bible verse memorization.
 
This Sunday is Mother's Day and even though we can't celebrate our Union mothers in person, we can do it virtually. Please think with me about all the women who have "mothered" you. Those women who have taught you, prayed for you, given you guidance throughout your life. Take a moment this weekend and give thanks for them. 
 

Faithful and True: A Mother's Day Prayer

God of grace, thank you for the gift of motherhood:
for the joy of giving birth, for the delight of loving a child,
for the unfolding of a relationship over time.
From mothers cradling babies, to adults caregiving for aging parents,
the relationship of mother and child is a gift from you!
Thank you for all who mother us,
biological or adoptive mothers, caregivers, relatives and friends;
women who have been there for us, who have made us who we are.
Thank you, God, that even though mothers may fail us, you never fail us
and that you mother us through your love.
We are not perfect people, and in our intimate relationships, we are imperfect.
For all the ways we have as mothers, disappointed or failed our children, forgive us.
For all the ways we have as children, disappointed or failed our mothers, forgive us.
Give us the grace to say, “I’m sorry,” and the wisdom to make amends
For mothers today we ask for patience, to allow our children to be children;
we ask for vision to see the long view, and the impact small parenting choices can make,
we ask for self-control,  so that we may model gracefulness in stressful situations.
Above all these we ask for love, pressed down, shaken together, running over!
We ask this in the name of Jesus, who knew the love of a mother,
faithful and true to the end, Amen.
Prayer from:  https://carolpenner.typepad.com/leadinginworship/2011/05/mothers-day-prayer-2.html

-Pastor Jane

April 29

We are now in our eighth week of remote/online worship, small groups, committee meetings, and other ministries. As I evaluate how we are doing during these days, I am thrilled with all that is happening. Many are learning new skills online, as they connect with each other with such delight. We are creating new worship each week, using tools that we have never utilized before. People are calling and checking on each other daily. In these actions, we are being church to each other.
 
The first thing I do each morning as I am drinking my first cup of coffee, is to look back at my memories on Facebook from that day. Facebook has a tool to show you the things you posted on a particular date for every year. As I am writing this article on Monday, the date is April 27. The first memories I saw was the year 2011, when tornadoes devastated North Alabama. Many of you have heard my retelling of those stories and how difficult those days were. 
 
But, to balance out those hard posts, I also came upon my "call" day at Union. On April 27, 2014, I was called to be your pastor. I remember that day with such joy and anticipation. I've included a few pictures for fun! Looking back on that beginning, I am amazed at the things that have happened and all the ministries we have undertaken together. I give thanks to God for our shared ministry over these six years - a ministry has taken on a different look during these days. 
 
Know of my deep love for you all. I leave you with a beautiful prayer by Rabbi David Wolpe. During these days of uncertainty, may his words speak to all of us today.
 
Merciful God
In a time of fear we pray for calm.
In a time of illness we pray for health.
In a time of isolation we pray for community.
As we worry about ourselves and those we love
Help us keep others in our minds and in our hearts:
The bereaved, the bereft, the workers, the healers.
May the night find us courageous and compassionate
And the dawn come soon. 

-Pastor Jane

April 22

As we find ourselves in the seventh week of quarantine, it has become obvious that ministry and church as we have known it, has changed. While I find myself grieving over this fact, at the same time I am encouraged at the new ways we are finding to continue our worship, learning, and community. Just this week, six different small groups - two women's Bible studies, youth group, children, college students, and an all church meet and greet have met online. In addition, we have had the opportunity to worship together, share in our weekly scripture passage, and have a time of prayer together - all of these things done virtually. While we often bemoan technology, I am grateful for the many ways it is keeping us connected during this season. I encourage you to join in whenever you can.
 
We have all heard about the recent order from the governor, allowing partial re-opening of certain businesses in our state. In that executive order, churches were named as one place that could reopen with certain restrictions. Church Council has been proactive in discussing what that might mean for Union and want you to know that for the foreseeable future, we will continue our practice of online worship. We feel a strong calling to be intentional and thoughtful as to when we might reopen and to base a decsion on what is best for the health and well-being of all of our members. Until we can meet again in person, I am grateful to everyone who has been joining us in worship each week.  
 
I look forward to "seeing" you online later today as we begin hearing our scripture for the week, and again on Sunday as we worship God together. Don't forget to gather your communion elements as we will focus on a post-resurrection encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus. The story can be found in Luke 24:13-35. In verses 31-32, we read that they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread. May we also recognize him as we gather for worship and the breaking of the bread this Sunday.

-Pastor Jane

April 15

Just a few days ago, we gathered together in what has become our new “normal” to celebrate the resurrection. We have walked through the forty days of Lent in ways we could have never imagined when it began, and now we find ourselves on the other side of Easter. What does God have for us in this new season?
 
Lent is over. Easter Day is over. But the season of Easter lasts for 50 days. I have often heard this season, the days beginning on Easter and ending on Pentecost, referred to as The Great Fifty Days. What does God have for us during these Great Fifty Days?
 
During our Sunday morning worship time, I will be attempting to answer this question using the image of building blocks. Do your remember those sturdy, wooden blocks that may have been found in your Sunday School room as a child? Or perhaps those larger blocks, made with cardboard that looked like bricks? Many children today use blocks like Lego that snap together. It is this image of building blocks that will guide our sermon and worship time during the Easter season.
 
What are our faith building blocks - those fundamentals of faith that can help us establish a strong foundation? The passages of scripture that we will explore during these 50 days will teach us valuable fundamentals for a life of faith. What foundational commitments are you willing make to build your own “house” of faith? What building blocks will guide our church?
 
These are the questions we will try to answer over these next days. Elsewhere in the Midweek, you will see an outline of sermons and worship themes. I hope you can join us each week as we build our own houses of faith.

-Pastor Jane