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Messages From the Pastor
“Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright.”
‘Calm’ is not a word that we would use to describe Christmas these days. We might say busy. Maybe hectic, or chaotic, but rarely calm. There is simply too much that we want to do – people to visit, presents to buy, cookies to bake, trees to trim. The calm, if it comes at all, will come in January, after the decorations are put away and the house is back in order.
The first Christmas was probably not very calm either, though for much different reasons. Joseph and Mary had traveled many miles in obedience to the Roman census. Bethlehem was apparently a crowded place since ‘there was no room in the inn.’ And above all, Mary was giving birth – never a calm experience.
Calm is not a word to describe this season of the year, and yet we all long for calm. We long for peace and stillness. People everywhere long for comfort and rest. I pray that each of us, during this busy season, find a moment of calm, a moment where we hear God’s voice speaking the word of hope and comfort we long for.
Come and worship with us at United Church of Christ, Congregational, this Christmas season! Hear the good news of great joy, “Christ our Savior is born!” God has come. Let heaven and earth rejoice!
Have a blessed Christmas
and joyous New Years!
Pastors Neal and Mariah
“Rediscovering the Christian Story: the Basics of Christian Beliefs”
Wednesdays, Beginning September 29th at 7:00 pm
We attend worship and listen to sermons, participate in a Bible study, serve in a ministry of the church, talk about our faith with a friend, and maybe read a daily devotional. In a myriad of ways, we catch snippets of the Christian faith and gain a sense of what believing and following Jesus is all about. We learn about our faith by hands-on involvement. That is good. But it is also good sometimes to study anew the core of beliefs that have guided, sustained and strengthened the church for 2000 years. What are the basic beliefs that have given followers of Jesus hope, encouragement and counsel?
Beginning Wednesday, September 29th, Pastor Neal will lead a series of studies on “Rediscovering the Christian Story: the Basics of Christian Beliefs.” The topics include:
1. Knowing the Story: Revelation
2. The Story Begins: God and Creation
3. The Story Falls Apart: Sin
4. The Story Is Put Together: Person and Work of Jesus Christ
5. Responding to the Story: Faith and Works
6. The Power of the Story: Holy Spirit
7. The People of the Story: Church and Sacraments
8. The Story Consummates: End Times
Join us each Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm to rediscover the faith that has nurtured you.
“Becoming the Church Christ Calls Us to Be”
Fall Sermon Series Begins September 19th
For some time Medina UCC has been seeking to discern God’s call upon our church. What is the church that God desires us to be? Each week this fall the sermon will discuss one of the purposes of the church (Discipleship, Worship, Mission, Evangelism, Caring, Justice) or one of the resources (Financial Stewardship and Accountability, Time and Talents, Staff, Property and Grounds) that we bring forth to carry out the purposes. What is the charge given through Scripture and how do we envision that occurring in Medina UCC in this time and place? Through input from all of our church family and through prayerful guidance from the Holy Spirit, we will seek to discover and become the church that God wants us to be. The sermon schedule is:
Purposes
September 19 – “Discipleship – Growing to Be like Jesus”
September 26 – “Worship – Kneeling before Our Maker”
October 3 – “Mission – Caring for the Least among Us”
October 10 – “Evangelism – Sharing the Good News”
October 17 – “Caring – Loving One Another”
October 24 – “Justice – Redeeming God’s World”
Resources
October 31 – “Financial Stewardship and Accountability – Being Good Stewards of our Money”
November 7 – “Time and Talents – Using our Gifts in Service to God”
November 14 – “Staffing – Equipping the Saints”
November 21 – “Property and Grounds – Rejoicing in God’s House”
Blessings,
Pastor Neal
The Resurrection of Jesus Changes Everything
On the first Easter morning the women went to the garden tomb outside Jerusalem and discovered that the tomb was empty. Angels inside the tomb announced to the women the greatest news of all time, “He has been raised. He is not here!” God had shown that the power of life is greater than the power of death, the power of good greater than the power of evil, and the power of love greater than the power of hate.
We are a church founded on the good news of the resurrection. We are a church bound together through the life and love revealed in Jesus Christ. In our worship and service, we pray that the power of the living Christ is evident in all that we do. As our lives have been touched and changed through the grace of Christ, we pray that all lives may also know the great joy of knowing Christ. We pray that the entire world will be transformed by God’s amazing grace.
Please come and worship with us on the northeast corner of the square. We offer three unique services each Sunday morning – Chapel, Gathering Praise and Sanctuary. Experience hope and new life amidst a joyful community of faith. May you know “No matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here at Medina United Church of Christ!” God’s love ministers to us all.
Neal R. Sadler, Senior Pastor
The Heart of Our Faith
The heart of the Christian faith is disclosed in the events that we remember during Holy Week. From the Palm Sunday Procession to the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane to the cross on Calvary to the empty garden tomb on Easter morning, God’s plan of salvation unfolds. Christ’s passion and death reveal God’s love. Christ’s resurrection to new life proclaims God’s victory.
The worship services here at Medina UCC during Holy Week give us opportunities to remember and celebrate the fullness of God’s gift of redemption. We participate in the grief, sorrow and loneliness that our Lord endured. We rejoice in Christ’s victory over death and evil. Our faith is strengthened and renewed as we relive those few days that changed forever the history of humankind. We invite you to come and worship with us during Holy Week.
Sunday, March 28 – Palm Sunday – 8:15, 9:00 and 10:30
Palm Procession at the 9:00 and 10:30 services
Thursday, April 1 – Maundy Thursday – 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary
First Christian Church joins us as we remember the first Lord’s Supper
Friday, April 2 – Good Friday
12:00 – 1:00 – Community Good Friday Service on the Historic Town Square
7:00 p.m. – Good Friday Service in Fellowship Hall
Saturday, April 3 – Easter Egg Hunt at First Christian Church, 4797 Sharon-Copley Rd.
Sunday, April 4 – Easter – Celebrating the Good News of the Resurrection
7:00 a.m. – Sunrise Service at Spring Grove Cemetery Chapel, includes the flowering of the cross
8:15 a.m. – Chapel: “Witnessing to What We Have Seen”
9:00 a.m. – Gathering: Easter Praise
10:30 a.m. – Sanctuary: “Witnessing to What We Have Seen”
Please come and worship with us on the northeast corner of the square. We offer three unique services each Sunday morning – Chapel, Gathering Praise and Sanctuary. Experience hope and new life amidst a joyful community of faith. May you know “No matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here at Medina United Church of Christ!” God’s love ministers to us all.
Neal R. Sadler, Senior Pastor
Unbinding Your Heart
The church year soon enters the time of Lent, the 40 day period (excluding Sundays) prior to Easter. The Lenten season is often considered a time for reflection and study, a time to open our hearts to God so that God’s grace can pour in to redeem and renew. Our faith is strengthened and we receive the courage to live boldly as followers of Jesus Christ.
The theme for Medina United Church of Christ during Lent is “Unbinding Your Heart.” Through 40 days of Prayer and Faith Sharing, we will understand more fully the hope that lies within us in Jesus Christ and how we might share that hope with others. Our prayer is that our lives and ministry might be transformed according to the amazing grace of God.
Join us on Wednesday evenings to enter a journey of discovery. We gather at 6:15 p.m. for dinner in our Fellowship Hall. At 7:00 p.m. we invite God to speak to us through study, discussion and prayer.
Please come and worship with us on the northeast corner of the square. We offer three unique services each Sunday morning – Chapel, Gathering Praise and Sanctuary. Experience hope and new life amidst a joyful community of faith. May you know “No matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here at Medina United Church of Christ!” God’s love ministers to us all.
May God give you strength and courage this day and every day.
Neal R. Sadler, Senior Pastor
Good News for a Good Year
A New Year is about to unfold. None of us knows the stories that will be written in our community, nation or the world. We don’t know the stories that will be written in our own lives. We have dreams and hopes. We have made plans, and have scheduled activities. But life never goes according to plan. The journey can be rough, full of bumps and potholes, with unexpected twists and turns.
One thing will be certain on our journey though. We will not be alone. God will be there with us. Amidst the twists and turns of our journeys, we can always experience Good News. . . the good news of a God who showers us with his loving grace and joyful presence. Amidst bleak economic reality and difficult personal challenges, God is still good. God still provides.
For many of us, 2009 was a difficult year, a year of economic hardship or uncertainty. We hope 2010 will be better. We pray we will find employment, or a better job, maybe make our mortgage payments on time and pay down our credit cards. I pray that you will also find in God the strength to act courageously and the joy of a grace-filled life. May you celebrate the Good News of a God who is alive and vibrant in this world of ours!
As we begin the New Year please join us in worship on the northeast corner of the square. We offer three unique services each Sunday morning. Come and receive hope amidst a joyful community of faith. May you know “No matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here at Medina United Church of Christ!” God’s love ministers to us all.
May you have a blessed New Year,
Neal R. Sadler, Senior Pastor
O Come, Let Us Adore Him!
We have entered the Advent season, a time of anticipation and preparation as we await the coming of the Christ child on Christmas Day. We light the Advent candles, the candles of hope, peace, joy and love, and long for their fulfillment through the wondrous gift of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. On Sunday mornings, our focus centers on the manger as we seek to know more fully the meaning of God’s coming through the perspectives of those who gathered around the baby. We strive to share the love of God in tangible ways as we reach out to the less fortunate and the economically destitute among us. We look forward to celebrations with family and friends. In joy we decorate our church and homes with festive lights and ornaments. With thanksgiving we prepare to honor one another with gifts. We have entered a very special time of the year.
During this special season we invite you to experience the fullness of Christ’s hope by worshiping with us each Sunday.At the 10:30 worship hour on the following Sundays we are offering some special programs to celebrate and remember the season:
Dec. 13th – Children Christmas Pageant – “The Twelve Days of Christmas”
Dec. 20th – Sanctuary Choir Cantata – “Gloria” by Vivaldi
On Christmas Eve, we offer 3 worship services. Each one will celebrate the coming of our Savior through the reading of the familiar Christmas story, the singing of beloved carols, and passing the light of Christ amidst the darkness of the sanctuary.
6:00 – Family Service – Music by the Gathering Band and our children; story by Rev. Sadler
9:00 – Traditional Service – Special music by our Sanctuary Choir; story by Rev. Sadler
11:00 – A Festival of Lessons and Carols
I invite you to join us in worship each Sunday morning at Liberty and Broadway on the northeast corner of the Square. We have 3 unique worship services from which to choose. We have active programs for children, youth and adults. Together may we grow to serve and love in the name of Jesus.
May you have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year!
Neal R. Sadler, Senior Pastor
Faith or Fear?
These economic times are difficult for nearly everyone.Many are out of work and are barely holding on from week to week, paying only the most pressing bills, praying that a job will soon appear, and fearing their limited funds won’t make it through to the end of the month. Others have jobs but live in constant fear of being laid off or fired. Their employers demand more and more, and intimate that others are waiting in line for their position. Even those whose jobs seem somewhat secure fear that retirement will be insufficient and the dreams that have sustained them will never be fulfilled.
So many of us live in fear these days. We fret, we agonize, we lose sleep. Yes, we know Jesus says, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. . . Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.” (Matthew 6:25-26) But those words seem so far from the reality of empty cupboards, foreclosure notices and a pile of unpaid bills.
In amidst difficult times, Jesus invites us to live not in fear, but in faith. Disciples of Jesus are to live without worry, not because they are lazy or irresponsible or naïve, but because they have a deep faith that God will provide. They know there might be some tough times, that they may have to work hard, or forgo some of their desires, but they live refusing to be anxious about tomorrow. They trust in the Lord. The Lord will provide.
Such faith is not easy. It can be nurtured only over time through prayer and trust, and amidst a supporting and loving community of faith. The journey of faith challenges us each step, but the rewards are a joy and peace that can come only from the grace and mercy of a loving God.
I invite you to join us in worship each Sunday morning at Liberty and Broadway on the northeast corner of the Square. We have 3 unique worship services from which to choose. We have active programs for children, youth and adults. Together may we grow to serve and love in the name of Jesus. “No matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!” Come, discover the love of Christ with a joyful community of faith.
Blessings,
Neal R. Sadler, Senior Pastor
Finding Our Way: Decisions that Matter
As we live here in Medina we make decisions every day that set the course for our lives. Are we aware of these decisions? What are their consequences? Do they reflect what we believe to be God’s priorities? This fall at United Church of Christ, Congregational we are talking about these very practical concerns in a sermon series entitled “Finding Our Way: Decisions that Matter.”
Loved Ones: Family and Friends – September 27
Are our relationships built on honesty, justice and forgiveness? Do they give us and our loved ones strength? How do we deepen these relationships? Non-traditional relationships?
Vocation: Work and Calling – October 4
Do we see our life’s work as God’s calling and as service to others? Do we honor the labor of all? A healthy balance with the rest of our lives? Our vocation beyond our jobs?
Leisure: Play and Rest – October 11
What do we do with our leisure time? Do we have too much? Or not enough? What is its purpose? How do we rest? How are we rejuvenated? Do we honor the Sabbath? How? When?
Economics: Money and Things – October 18
How much do we trust in money? How do our things define us? How do we spend our money? Blessings? Curses? Impact on others? Does money bring us together? Or divide us?
Service: Community and the World – October 25
What do we have to offer to others? How do we share the world and its resources as one human family? How do we seek unity amidst diversity? How do we welcome the stranger?
Bodies: Sex and Health – November 1
Do we view our bodies as the temple of God and thus to be honored as God’s good creation? How do we care for our bodies? Physical and sexual boundaries for healthy relationships?
Religion: Church and God – November 8
Are we finding God in the church? How much time do we give to church and its activities? Where best do we serve? Is the church necessary?
Commitment: Discernment and Decision – November 15
Have we gained any insights into our lives? Are there decisions to make? Are we ready for a deeper commitment? Do we have a vision for how we want to live? How do we get there?
I invite you to join us in worship each Sunday morning at Liberty and Broadway on the northeast corner of the Square. We have 3 unique worship services from which to choose. We have active programs for children, youth and adults. Together may we grow to serve and love in the name of Jesus. “No matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!” Come, discover the love of Christ with a joyful community of faith.
Blessings,
Neal R. Sadler, Senior Pastor