SREThe SRE: The Semi-Regular Email from
Casas Adobes Congregational Church, United Church of Christ
Remember: You can find us on Facebook and check out our website: casasadobesucc.org.
In this SRE look for information concerning:
Sunday service invitation and
information
Fall Celebration Picnic
Pakistan Flood Relief
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This Sunday at Casas Adobes UCC, worship is at our regular times of 8:15 and 10:15 AM, with the sacrament of communion at both services, with our regular Coffee and Conversation time at 9:15. Come join us as Marie preaches “Becoming God’s Beloved” from Psalm 139 and Jeremiah 18.
Reflections from Rev. Lee Milligan, Senior Minister
A number of people had some specific questions after the sermon two Sundays ago, so I thought I should put this in the SRE.
In the sermon I had quoted the writings the Quaker writer Richard Foster concerning ‘the good life,’ that it’s a balance of three elements: Provision, Personality, and Place. In the sermon I focused on Place, but people wanted to know more about the other two elements – Provision and Personality. So, to quote Foster (from the Study Guide to his book Celebration of Discipline):
“Provision means all things necessary to carry on human life adequately. God intends that we should have enough to care for ourselves.” (He goes on to caution against the claims of “The Prosperity Gospel” and against making Provision an ultimate good in our lives.)
“The third element that needs to be integrated into human life for there to be [the good life] could be called Personality. Personality refers to the inward person, expressed in certain determinate ways or ingrained habits.” (Again, Foster elaborates on how we need to discover the gifts God has given us in our inward person and to make them into habits in our lives for the common good.)
For our life together here as CACCUCC to be the good life, the life that God deeply desires us to have and to share, we need these elements and we need to deepen our understanding of how to keep them in balance. This is what I hope we will find ourselves doing as we follow the path God places before us.
Peace, and see you in church!
Pastor Lee
As the days and weeks pass, we are hearing more about the flooding in Pakistan. Things seem to be going from bad to worse. Church World Service reports that there are approximately 1,600 persons confirmed dead, 1.5 million now homeless, and 14 million affected. The United Church of Christ is receiving donations for relief. If you would like to donate to these efforts you can bring your donations to the church office or drop them in the collection plates. Please make your checks out to CACCUCC with Pakistan in the memo line. Thank you for your generosity.
Calendar Reminders:
The church office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9am-4pm.
Worship this weekend:
Two Services -- at 8:15 and at 10:15 AM, with communion, Coffee, Conversation, and Adult Education between the services at 9:15.
- The church office is closed Monday, September 6 in honor of Labor Day.
- Tuesday, Sept. 7, Growth and Development, 4pm in the Libarary.
- Wednesday, September 8: Bells and Choir begin again.
Worship the following Weekend:
Two Services -- at 8:15 and at 10:15 AM Coffee and Conversation between the services at 9:15. The Fall Celebration Picnic is Sunday, September 12th after the second service. Please sign up to attend before and after worship. Please call the office with any questions. We hope to see you there!
This week’s closing thought is a Prayer for Pakistan written by Rev. Bob Shebeck on the Global Ministries staff of the UCC:
God of the Great Banquet, we are thankful for your sensitivity to those who are gathered around the table. Often times we fight for the first place or exclude those whom we deem not worthy. We ask for your forgiveness and a renewed commitment to making sure that all have access to the table. We pray today for our brothers and sisters in Pakistan who are victims of the on-going floods. We ask for an extra special measure of your grace to those who are reaching out to flood victims to provide food, shelter, and clothing. We ask that no one might be excluded or overlooked and that all might receive access to basic supplies and services they need to live. Help us to be generous in our response to those in desperate need and to respond to the call of Jesus to reach out to the most vulnerable in our world. Amen.
May we live generously and gratefully. Join us in our worship services this Sunday at Casas Adobes UCC.
Blessings and peace,
Marie
