COMMUNITY CHURCH OF WALKER UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
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COMMUNITY CHURCH OF WALKER
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
P.O. Box 267, Walker, MN 56484 (218) 547-1093
www.uccwalker.com commchurchucc@arvig.net
“No matter who you are, or where you are, you are welcome here!”
CCOWUCC Update and News For The Week of:
February 20 2023
Members and Friends,
WORD FOR THE DAY
- FROM GRATEFUL.ORG
“Change is brought about because
ordinary people do extraordinary things.”
— Barack Obama
DAILY QUESTION
“What have I discovered from moments of awe?”
Photo Credit: Maria Thalassinou
You may subscribe to the daily “Word for the Day” by going to
https://grateful.org.
PRESIDENTS’ DAY
Today is “Presidents’ Day”. “Presidents' Day, officially Washington's Birthday at the federal
governmental level, is a holiday in the United States celebrated on the third Monday of February. It is
often celebrated to honor all those who served as presidents of the United States and, since 1879,
has been the federal holiday honoring Founding Father George Washington, who led the Continental
Army to victory in the American Revolutionary War, presided at the Constitutional Convention of
1787, and was the first U.S. president. The day is an official state holiday in most states, with names
including Washington's Birthday, Presidents' Day, President's Day, Presidents Day, and
Washington's and Lincoln's Birthday.”1
May this be a day where we honor those who have served, sacrificed, and provided the leadership
needed to steer this nation, the United States of America, to become a “more perfect union”.
Presidents are human – some better, some worse – but when elected they are the president for the
whole nation, for each of us.
On this day may we hold in prayer the current President and all of those who have served as
President. May we especially hold in prayer President Jimmy Carter, who has been placed under
the care of hospice at his home in Plains GA. May his family and friends experience peace and
courage for the days to come. And may we honor President Carter who modeled “Servant
Leadership” through much of his life – and especially in his very long retirement. And may his faith
sustain him and those he loved in the days to come. Though he served only one term, he will be
remembered for all the good that both he and Rosalynn did as they served nation and the global
community!
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidents%27_Day
1. The February 19th worship service is posted on www.uccwalker.com. Be Transfigured! May the
light of God shine upon us and within us as we enter the season of Lent. Listen to Ryan Pels as
he reminds us to take care of those who are less fortunate.
2. Would you continue to pray for those who suffer throughout the world. Also keep in your
prayers Theresa, Gay, Sue who is recovering at home, Josh, Jo and Bob, Andrew, Alison,
Autumn, Duane, and Meryle.
3. Church Council will meet on Tuesday, February 21st at 7:00 pm. This meeting will be a “Virtual
Meeting Only”. (Please note Council Meetings in February and March will also be Virtual
Only) It may be accessed through a Zoom Meeting.
The link for the Council Meeting is
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87222500074?pwd=M0lmZmQ4VWkrRGgwQjhOMXVLVXJydz09
Meeting ID: 872 2250 0074, Passcode: 272892
4. Ash Wednesday Service – Wednesday, February 22nd at 7:00 pm. We
transition from Epiphany and Transfiguration to the season, the journey of Lent.
There will be a “Marking of Ashes” either on hand or forehead. The focus text is
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17.
5. All readings for Sunday February 26th 2023 – First Sunday of Lent
• Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 • Psalm 32 • Romans 5:12-19 • Matthew 4:1-11
6. Sunday February 26th the focus text comes from Genesis. Adam and Eve are in the garden.
They discover that choices have consequences when asked “What have you done?”
7. Focus Readings February 26th – Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 (in conversation with Matthew
4:1-11)
15 Then YHWH took the earth creature and settled it in the garden of Eden so that it might
cultivate and care for the land. 16 YHWH commanded the earth creature,
“You may eat as much as you like
from any of the trees of the garden—
17 except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
You must not eat from that tree,
for on the day you eat from that tree,
that is the day you will die—yes, die.”
25 Now, the woman and the man were both naked, though they were not ashamed. 3:1 But the
snake was even more naked: the most cunning2 of all the animals that YHWH had made. The snake
asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat from the trees in the garden?”
2 The woman answered the snake, “We may eat fruit from all the other trees in the garden. 3
But of the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘Don’t eat it and don’t touch it, or
you will die.’”
4 The snake said to the woman, “Die? You won’t die! 5 God knows well that on the day that you
eat it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil!”
2 Another pun. The Hebrew word for “naked” (literally, “smooth,” as unclothed skin) is the root of the word for “cunning”
(literally, “smooth,” as in the phrase “smooth operator”). Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible (p. 96). Sheed & Ward.
6 The woman knew that the tree was enticing to the eye, and now saw that the fruit was good
to eat—that it was desirable for the knowledge it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it.
She gave some also to the man beside her, and he ate it.
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. So they
sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
8. Questions to ponder concerning the text for Sunday February 26th 2023
• How do you perceive abundance?
• When do you know you have enough?
• How do describe your relationship to creation/nature?
• How do you understand sin/evil?
• How does a scarcity mindset lead to greed and misuse/overuse of creation/nature?
9. Book Conversation – Wednesday March 1st The book Speak with the Earth and it Will Teach
You by Daniel Cooperrider.
On 3/1 and 3/8 we will explore the fourth section of the book. All are welcome
to this conversation – even if you have not read the book.
PART IV – CLOUDS
Creation Element Interlude: AIR
1 · The Heavens are Telling the Glory of God
2 · Signs of the Times
3 · Cloud of Witnesses
4 · Jesus Rays
EPILOGUE: Loving God through Loving the World
This book is published by the UCC’s Pilgrim Press and is available (December 21st) through
Amazon. The Kindle version is $11.81 and the paperback is $24.95.
You may participate in the conversation via a Zoom Meeting. The link is below
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86520761843?pwd=QmROV0xCdW8zSndDQTNDc3hVWHlMdz09
Meeting ID: 865 2076 1843, Passcode: 529351.
10. St. Mark’s WELS meets at CCOWUCC serving as a “Worship Station”. They will continue to
meet on the second and fourth Monday of each month between 6:30 – 8:30 pm.
11. Birthdays
12. Anniversaries
13. Information for bulletin needs to be at the church by Tuesday morning
commchurchucc@arvig.net.
14. A Reminder!!! – current bulletins, Churchly Happenings, and Good News, Good News - our
monthly newsletter, and the Weekly Update may be found on the church website –
www.uccwalker.com
15. Addresses – You are invited to be in touch.◼ Nancy Jacobson
303 10th St S.
Walker, MN 56484
◼ Gay Jacobson
P.O. Box 683
Walker MN 56484
◼ Meryle O’Connor
Waterford Estates
6288 Louisiana N. #111
Brooklyn Park, MN 55428
◼ Alison Koch
1803 South Court Street
Fergus Falls MN 56537
Prayers and Blessings – Pastor MichaelYou can also read
