 Photo by Johann Siemens on Unsplash In This Week's E-Pistle, You Will Find:
This Week's Service: The Gift of Uncertainty Photo by Olivie Strauss on Unsplash Jody on Sunday's service: "I was certain that there was a heaven and hell that I was destined for when I died, based on whether I was a believer or not. I was fairly certain that if my 80-year-old parents got Covid they would die; but they did become ill, and they lived to talk about it. As Americans we were fairly certain that the US would not be attacked on its own soil. Until 9/11. From our surprise at the attack, it seemed to be so anyway. What makes us certain of anything? At one time, some people were certain that the Earth was flat! Is it not better to live with a little humility that maybe we don't know, or at least that we don't know everything? Jesus spoke to this in this week's story about a tragedy when the people wanted to know... Who sinned to make it so? Join us this week for Jesus' answer, and for a discussion about certainty based on Luke 13. Please join us on Sunday at 10am in our Sanctuary, or online, live on our YouTube channel. Message: Rev. Jody Betten Music: Peter Black, Jeff Spangler, Lauri Donaldson You will always find our latest church bulletin and service music at Bit.ly/DUCCBulletin 
Last Week's Service: Second Sunday in Lent Scandals sell newspapers and daily feed the insatiable appetite of social media. Juicy stories are hard to resist. When public figures get caught in places they shouldn’t be, our curiosity is aroused. Jesus suffered a similar fate. He couldn’t resist welcoming and befriending people of dubious character, people whom others would cross the street to avoid. What can we learn from the woman who crashed an otherwise respectable dinner party in order to anoint Jesus’ feet? Click the image above to enjoy last week's service with music from the DUCC music team. Hit the button below for Rev. Dan's homily. Jody and Dan's Office Hours
One Great Hour of Sharing: Next Week's Collection For one hour every year, the UCC asks every UCC member to Be the Light, to consider our own advantages in this life, and in gratitude, make an investment in the lives of others -- share what we have, bringing love, food, development, kinship to the whole world. We will be asking for that gift during service next week, but to help you consider what the UCC does with these gifts, here's some background: 2021 Mission Impact Report. It takes a while to measure and report on the impacts of our gifts. We need to be patient to see the results. This report, just out, highlights the distribution and outcomes of your giving from 2021. Where do OGHS monies go? Here's the UCC's Andrew Long-Higgens' explainer. Here's What it Means to Be the Light. You can use the envelopes in your bulletin to make your gift, or find envelopes at the church office, or give online by clicking the button below. We will be gathering gifts throughout Lent, and gifts will be matched by our Church Council. Know Your Rights! Grace Episcopal Church, March 23 Grace Episcopal Church in Holland is hosting this important session on the rights and supports for immigrants to the U.S. This session is for immigrants and all of their friends and supporters -- a refresher on rights and protections, and how churches and congregants can serve in this time. Wisdom for Wild Days: Join the UCC Movement A 40-Day Lent Journey of Grounding, Guidance, and Discernment “Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part.” – John Lewis Just one look at the news or social media reveals just how wild the days are that we are living in. So many pressing concerns and injustices demand our attention and response. At the same time, our heads swirl with distractions meant to sow chaos and disorientation. In this wilderness, we may find ourselves tempted to retreat into our privilege if we can, or to cling to whatever semblance of power we have to protect ourselves, whatever the cost may be to others. Or we may feel overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of what we are facing. Whatever the particular shape of our wilderness, we may find ourselves wondering where to turn for guidance and grounding. How can we resist the distractions of the chaos machine and discern our calling in these wild days? At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus found himself living in some pretty wild days too. Journeying with outsiders, the marginalized, and those deemed criminals, facing the oppression and violence of Roman occupation, Jesus encountered chaos meant to distract him from his calling. Like us, he faced the temptations of materialism and resource hoarding, of the safety and comfort provided by privilege, and of the unbridled power to steal, own, and occupy. To discern his calling during his own wild days, Jesus turned to the wisdom of his ancestors for guidance and clarity. Reaching back to those who had first made the journey from exile and slavery toward freedom and learning from what kept them grounded and connected to each other and the Holy, Jesus was empowered to gather folks around him and join the movement his ancestors began, a movement of revolutionary love and world-changing justice. So this Lent, Join the Movement toward Racial Justice invites you to find grounding and guidance by reaching back, as Jesus did, to the wisdom and experience of our freedom-making ancestors. Each week of Lent, we will gather wisdom from a different movement toward justice as our guides. As you make your way through these wild(erness) days this Lent, we offer daily nuggets of movement wisdom and weekly reflection questions and practices to help you stay grounded in your faith, nourished by the Spirit, and discerning how you are being called to respond during these wild days. Join us on this Jesus-journey, building on the revolutionary work of our movement ancestors to cultivate intersectional solidarity with healing and repair at the center, as we align with the movement of the Spirit toward justice.
Lenten Soup Suppers, Thursday Nights Photo by Aneta Pawlik on Unsplash Lent is traditionally a time of introspection and reflection. Sometimes that work is done well with others with whom to share the journey and insights. This year, beginning March 6, we are offering a Soup Supper on Thursday nights after the Contemplative Service (which occurs from 5:00-6:00pm in the Sanctuary). Depending on the number of people who sign up, we will gather in the Retreat House (or the Isabel Graham Center) for a cup of soup and a quiet conversation. We will use the UCC Devotional, Into the Deep (available in the Isabel Graham Center for $5 or at this link for possible topics. Please let us know that you are available by signing up in the IGC or emailing Louise Kenny ([email protected]). If you would like to donate soup, you can contact Louise, as well. Please join us for one week or all of them through Maundy Thursday, April 17. CJT Book Read, Nature's Best Hope, March 25 This engaging book advocates for a paradigm shift in conservation. It is a call to action, urging readers to transform their grass yards into vital habitats filled with native plants. The author, Professor Douglas Tallamy of the University of Delaware is an entomologist and ecologist. The book gets great reviews on Amazon and Goodreads! You can borrow the book from the library, access the ebook or audiobook for free through Hoopla, purchase a copy online for $16.59 on Amazon, or buy one in person for $24 at Readers World (mention the Saugatuck discussion). The event takes place at Saugatuck-Douglas District Library on March 25, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, and it is co-sponsored by the Creation Justice Team Our Common Ground, March 30 Our Creation Justice Team is supporting and encourages you to join Holland UCC for an engaging and inspiring conversation on caring for our planet! The Justice Action Team at Holland UCC, in collaboration with community partners, invites you to "Our Common Ground: An Earth Care Conversation," a thought-provoking panel discussion on Sunday, March 30, from 3:00 to 4:30 PM at the Midtown Center. Our panelists—Debra Reinstra, Emily Ulmer, and Steve Bouma-Prediger—will share insights on the climate crisis, practical steps for meaningful change, and ways to foster hope in the face of environmental challenges. Moderated by John Puttrich of 8th Day Farms, this discussion will inspire both individual and collective action toward a more sustainable future. Come be part of the conversation and discover how we can make a difference together! Thank you to our co-sponsors: Still Processing, St. John's Episcopal, Grace Episcopal, Hope Church, Hudsonville UCC, Douglas UCC, Maple Avenue Ministries, the Hope Green Team, Hope Sustains, Holland Citizens Climate Lobby, the Momentum Center, and b.comm creative. Easter Lily Orders, Due April 1! On Easter Sunday, it's our tradition at Douglas UCC to fill our chancel with Easter Lilies, offered in memory of our friends and loved ones. Can you help us accomplish this? You can order lilies (and tell us who they are in memory of) for $15 apiece either online (click that button below), or by using the lily envelopes in the church pews. After the Easter service, you can take your lilies home with you if you wish! Please help the Worship Team in their planning by having your orders in by April 1. Taking Good Care of Our FriendsIn preparation for the construction scheduled near our Memorial Garden, Pastors Dan and Jody helped relocate the ashes of two friends to an area clear of the planned work. Following the guidance of Allegan County and the State of Michigan, the ashes were respectfully relocated and re-interred with a blessing. Call to Courage Photo by Michael Dziedzic on Unsplash Call to Courage - Thanks to all who attended the viewing of the Brene Brown documentary Call to Courage! Our goal is to grow in our resilience, and our ability to show up courageously. Next steps will be created from the survey handed out at the event. If you couldn't be there, but would like to participate, please view the documentary (Call to Courage, Netflix) and email Jeremy Lund (jeremyalanlund@gmail) for a digital copy of the survey. This is your invitation to be courageous! A Listening Ear: Empathy, Confidentiality -- If You Need to Talk Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash Everyone goes through rough patches in life. Sometimes stress can feel overwhelming. Thinking that may hold true for members of our congregation, an idea has come out of the DUCC Carers Group to offer the services of church members who have been trained in listening, empathy and confidentiality. Starting in March, Doug Sipsma and Pat Denner have volunteered to be available at the Retreat House on Thursday afternoons from 1:00-3:00. We're calling this service "Listening Ear", but all are welcome whether that is your need, or you want to check out some of the resources in the Library, or you'd just like to share a cup of tea. We're initiating this program on a drop-in basis to start and will evaluate the program after 3 months to see if our church family finds this useful. Save the Date Christian Neighbors Fundraiser, May 4 The annual spring fundraiser held by our friend and neighbor Arthur Frederick will now be held in his honor. Save the date and watch for more information here. This year's funder will be held on May 4. Questions Check with our church members Bert Hallewas and Kirsten Stannis. Prayer Requests Rich Marth; Christine Kerney; Nancy Plantinga and her family; Jim Solazzo (Anne Hotwagner's uncle); Virginia Stuart; Paul and Carrie (Julie Ridl's brother-in-law and sister); Dan McGavin and Family of Carol Brown; Rev. Marchiene Rienstra Family; Ann and Jim Hopkins; James Higgins (Friend of Shane Anderson and Michael Tuleja), Joe Scarpone (Friend of Tom Fahlstrom); Fred Hamlin; John Kerr; Ruth Fahlstrom (daughter of Tom Fahlstrom); Mary Westenbroek; Jerry Elpers and family (Beth Howley's Dad); Max Matteson; Eric Cooley (Jo Cooley's brother) Birthdays & Anniversaries This WeekBirthdays: March 25: Meridith Ridl, 26: Bill Underdown, Joshua Austhof Anniversaries: 29: Rev. Marchiene & Dr. John Rienstra (D) Birthday and Anniversary cards are a great way we can reach out to one another. If you wish to mail a card to one of our church members, addresses can be found in our Church Directory. Financial StewardshipIn-Person Attendance, March 16: 68 Total Views for March 16 worship videos: 164 Collection Plate & Mailed Donations: $5,100.00 Online Giving: $1,418.38 Total, General Support: $6,516.38 Thank you!! Your generous giving allows us to sustain our church community and our mission of service in the world. Please consider giving online, which is easily done by texting your donation amount to 844-931-2849. Church CalendarDid you know the Church Calendar is published to our Website? Why, yes! Use it to look for space for your event, click on an event to get all the details, copy an event to your own Google Calendar. So convenient! Wheny you have events to schedule anywhere on campus, contact [email protected] to make your reservation. Email is best so she can keep track.
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