Weekly E-News Each week, MCC sends an email newsletter with details about worship;
congregational events, activities and opportunities; information about
happenings in the community and wider church; and more. Email us at
info@themcc.net to subscribe to
this free e-letter!
Summer Worship Schedule 9:30 am
Join us for worship during the summer months on Sundays at 9:30 am.
Shared Indoor Worship is Back!
Many MCC members miss shared worship and consider it to be an
essential ingredient of our ecumenical partnership. Since COVID numbers in
Dane County have started to come down since April, the Regathering Task
Force Steering Group is responding by raising the attendance cap in the
Blessing room to 100 attendees - this will make indoor shared worship
possible on all but a handful of Sundays during the year. We are also making
masks optional for outdoor shared worship, but we continue to strongly
encourage masking outdoors.
There are also a few other minor changes in the MCC COVID
Mitigations, including putting the chairs back in rows in both sanctuaries,
while asking people to maintain 6 feet of social distance by leaving some
chairs empty. If you would like to see all of the current mitigations, click
on this link. We’ve highlighted in red some mitigations that we want to
remind people about. As always, feel free to contact Lynn
Breedlove or Ann Ward (Co-Chairs)
with questions or reactions.
Kids in the Garden 2022 Wrap
Up
By Becky Hustad, Program Coordinator
We’ve wrapped up Kids in the Garden for the summer. Yes, the kids ate
raspberries, kale, beans and cucumbers. They harvested for others and their
efforts weighed in at 92 pounds. Potatoes and garlic were dug and kale
seedlings were started. Bouquets were assembled, weeds pulled and potato
bugs were drowned. Excellent questions led to teachable moments!
It was a privilege to once again work as your program coordinator for Kids
in the Garden. The kids and staff from Lussier were the best ever. And, I’m
sure you know it, but the MCC garden volunteers are fabulous beyond words.
Click here to read more about the special highlights and thank yous!
Help the MCC Prairie This Summer
Saturdays at 9:00 am & Mondays at 6:30 pm
Lois Komai will be on the church prairie at 9:00am on Saturdays, 6:30
on Monday evenings, and 9:00am on Thursdays. We'll weed yellow rocket
mustard on the bird berms prairie as part of the Tending Soul and Soil. Click
here to learn about this tenacious plant's affect on our prairie.
Tending Soil and Soul
Land Use Committee members invite you to water and weed Sunday after worship
services. Gloves, tools, prayers, peace rocks and mantras will be provided.
Meet outside the front entrance. Connect to God's creation for 15-30
minutes.
Can You Help Water?
The MCC Land Use Umbrella Group (LUUG) is inviting you to help water the
flower beds this summer. It is pretty easy; just turn on the water and aim.
Training will be provided. If interested, please let Nancy
Greenwald or Jean
Einerson know.
Bee Update
Life in the hive has been buzzing! This week, the bees swarmed, which
beekeeper Rich Hogle says is an indicator of hive health and that there were
enough for the hive to split and some to follow the queen to find a new
home. There was approximately 5lbs - that's almost 20,000 bees! A new queen
should emerge in the hive boxes.
Adjustments in MCC COVID Mitigations
Dane County remains in the Medium Risk category although COVID case
numbers have decreased slightly over the past couple of weeks. The
Regathering Task Force Steering Group is trying to balance the risks of
COVID against hearing difficulties. Accordingly, we have decided to make one
adjustment in our indoor worship guidelines: pastors can unmask during the
sermon when behind the lectern and at least 15 ft. from the congregation. We
are asking all other worship leaders, cantors, and members to wear high
quality masks (i.e., N95 or KN95) at all times during indoor worship.
Limited singing and safe communion will continue. Mitigations for outdoor
worship remain the same: parishioners are asked to wear high quality masks
with social distancing between pods. Speakers and musicians can unmask while
speaking or performing with the proviso that they maintain a safe distance
from parishioners. We continue to have concerns for older MCC members and
members who are immune compromised. Click
here for more details on the current situation.
Advent Benevolence Focus: Faith in Place
Faith in Place is a new collaborative relationship between Wisconsin,
Indiana, and Illinois. This past week, Pastor Nick joined Peter Bakken as
the Wisconsin representatives with Faith in Place at the Interfaith
Power & Light national conference in Washington, DC, and will continue
talking to our Wisconsin congressional delegation next week about climate
change legislation. Click
here to learn more Faith in Place, which is being supported with $200 in
Advent benevolences as part of our commitment to creation care.
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Boundary Waters Group 2019
Pride Sunday
August 21 is Pride Sunday in Madison.
Our shared worship at MCC will be shaped by it, and we also invite you to
spread the love for our LGBTQ+ siblings by joining an MCC booth at Pride
Festival at Warner Park. It runs 1:00-6:00, and you can come for any
portion. If you have a soccer canopy we could use, that would be great.
And Pride Thursday
August 18
In the lead-up to Pride weekend, the MCC is a co-host for the first
interfaith Pride service, Thursday,
August 18 at 6:30 at First Baptist. Click
here for details.
Adult Ed Planning Meeting
Tuesday, August 23 at 6:30 pm
Plans are in motion for Sunday morning Adult Ed for the coming year.
We’re looking at an overall theme of learning about us—digging in to
denominational identity, how our two congregations are alike and different,
where we’re headed in the future. Our next planning session will be Tuesday,
August 23 at 6:30. Contact the
office or Jill
McLeod if you’d like to join.
Spiritual Direction
Would you like to deepen your relationship with God? For an 8-month
certification practicum, Sister Denise West of Holy Wisdom Monastery is
seeking three people as directees who will meet once a month for eight
months, free of charge. Contact Pastor
Nick or Carrie
McGinley if this sounds interesting.
Attention: Those Who Sew & Support
In 2021, Lutheran World Relief distributed school kits and quilts to 20
different countries around the world. Now's your chance to help sew for
school children! Although a joint sewing event would be a fun way to get
adults and children working together, this year it's a project for
individuals to complete. We hope to complete 50 bags by the end of July. You
will be provided with very specific sewing instructions for a draw string
bag and also the materials needed to make the bag. There is a Thrivent
Action Grant to assist with costs related to this project. If you have an
interest in helping with this project by sewing a bag(s) or contributing
money to further assist in the purchase of items to fill the bags, please
contact Rita Olson at rrolson930@gmail.com.
Thank you.
Advent RIC Invitation
Please join the Reconciling in Christ task force to discern if and how
Advent would add wording to our Welcome Statement regarding working toward
anti-racism or racial equity. The short version of the charge from Advent
Council (via Reconciling Works) is to evaluate where Advent currently falls
in those terms, and what work Advent would need to do to be able to
authentically and honestly add those words to its Welcome Statement. We
would then make a recommendation to the Council, which would then decide
whether to put this to a congregational vote. This is a short term
commitment. Advent Council has asked for a recommendation by August 2022. If
you are interested, or have more questions, please contact Sarah Canon at
sfcanon14@yahoo.com.
From the Dane County Sanctuary Coalition:
Afghan Adjustment Act
Act today to urge your congress member to support the Afghan Adjustment Act,
which will end the uncertainty and legal barriers to permanent residency
that was created when Afghan refugees were brought to the U.S. under
humanitarian parole and only gave them temporary status. Help give at-risk
Afghans a real chance to have safety in this country for the long-term.
Ask your Member of Congress to support the Afghan Adjustment Act.
Just Bakery Opportunity
Have you been missing the opportunity to buy breads, scones, pies and other
delicious baked goods from Just Bakery at MCC? If so, you may be interested
in an opportunity that Just Bakery has opened up f or faith communities. We
could have a chance to place orders for pick up at MCC. One or more folks
would be in charge of gathering orders and payments to be passed on to Just
Bakery, and then distributing / setting out the baked goods after they're
delivered to the MCC on scheduled Sundays. If you think you would like to
help make this happen, contact the office and let us know.
Just Bakery continues to offer online ordering for delivery in Dane County
(for a $5 fee) and curbside pick-up on Saturday mornings.
Click here for more info.
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Epiphany Choir Concert 2018 Directed by Jen
Striet
Meet & Greets with Pastor Jen
Back by popular demand, there are more Meet
& Greet sessions with Pastor Jen scheduled for the month of August. If
you haven't yet had an opportunity to get to know Pastor Jen a little
better, here is your chance! These sessions are also great ways to learn
more about each other, too.
Here are the upcoming dates:
Tuesday, August 16th, 11:30am, Memorial Garden
Wednesday, August 17th, 7:00pm, Zoom
Sign up HERE to
secure your slot!
David Keesey-Berg Service
August 28
As we approach the services for David Keesey-Berg on August 28, we remind
you that visitation begins at Holy
Wisdom Monastery at 2:00, and the service will be at 4:00. If you (or
others you know) are unable to be there in person, you can use this
streaming link. Note: it is only for a livestream and not available
later at that link.
Chicken Team Training!
Give a warm welcome to two new chickens - Steve and Bubbles! They have been
slowly integrated into the flock and are doing well. Thanks so much to the
Streit family for raising them. With MJ Bauer headed to college this fall,
we are growing a Chicken Care Team - if you would like to be a part of it,
please let Kaisa know.
A training session is scheduled for mid-August.
Friends of the Lussier Food Pantry
Food Pantry clients are now shopping IN PERSON, for the first time in 2
years!! The MCC Food Pantry garden has brought fresh spinach, lettuce and
radishes grown in our hoop house to the pantry the past 2 weeks. The greens
are packaged, labeled and put in the "Grab and Go" cooler for clients and
families to take. We will take donations to Lussier on Monday or Wednesday.
Jean Einerson, MCC Food Pantry Garden member
Let There Be (More) Light
After our initial lighting upgrade in Shalom Room, we determined we needed a
little bit more to eliminate some shadowy spots. After more than two years
of Building Manager Anthony hounding the electric company, we were able to
get the upgrades done last week by adding two more LED fixtures. This (plus
painting the Art Wall) has been part of an effort to make the whole Shalom
space be more welcoming and invitational toward the Covenant Room.
Thursday Morning Ladies
With nicer weather, the MCC Thursday ladies will resume meeting outside at
the MCC every Thursday at 8am. Meet at the Memorial Garden or continue to
join via Zoom. The only agenda is sharing friendship, and there is always
laughter. We do service projects several times a year, pray for one
another’s concerns, and celebrate joys. Contact: Karen Schwarz: 225-0026.
Outdoor Bible Study - BYOB
Mondays at 6:30 pm
The BYOB Bible study (it may be bring your own beverage, or bring your own
Bible!) continues meeting on Mondays at 6:30, looking at the lectionary
readings for the coming Sunday. For the summer, you are welcome to join the
group in the Memorial Garden whenever you like.
Devotional Resources
Daily Booklets
The quarterly editions of “Christ in Our Home”
and “The Word in Season” are available. Pick up in the Blessing Room or
contact
Kaisa or
Nick to get a copy of one or both.
UCC Daily Devotional
Click here to read a daily devotion.
Taize Weekday Morning Prayer & Sunday
Compline
These brief worship opportunities are ongoing, provided by the UCC Open and
Affirming Coalition. Join Mondays through Fridays at 8 am or 10:30 am (CT)
and Sundays at 8 pm (CT) for this ancient contemplative service with chant,
psalms, silence, and prayer.
This Zoom link works for all services
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