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Watch/Listen to this sermon for September 26, 2021

Fight
"Revolutionary Love" series, 3/9
Sunday, 9/26 @ 10am
Click here to watch/listen

Fear, flight, and fight. We've been taught good Christians don't do any of these things. But of course we do. They're all part of our inheritance as human beings and they all help keep us alive. It's how we do them that makes the real difference, especially fighting--fighting for the people we love, for justice and peace. It's up to us to "fight the good fight" in a way that leads to abundant life for all, not just victory for a few. (Luke 19:28-40)
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To download the Order of Worship for this Sunday, ​click here.
About Our Hybrid Worship
As we gather simultaneously in-person and remote we hope you will join us, either live in the sanctuary or live via Zoom, as the Spirit leads you. If you choose to participate via Zoom, nothing will change. You already know the drill. You can log in through Zoom and download your Order of Worship at the links above. If you choose to participate in the sanctuary, here's what you need to know:
  • You do not need to sign up ahead of time.
  • Print out and bring your Order of Worship, if you like. All words you need to participate in worship will be projected.
  • Enter from the parking lot through the door by the office. If you or a loved one need to use the ramp, please contact Rev. John here ahead of time and plan to park in front of the church along Great Plain Ave.
  • Bring and wear your mask. Everyone over 2 years old will be required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status.
  • Dress comfortably. The sanctuary is not air conditioned. The windows will be closed to keep the cool air in, with the shutters closed on the parking lot side (again, to keep things cool) and open on the street side (to let in the light.)
  • Give your name to the ushers to help us with contact tracing.
  • Maintain social distance. We' taken the guesswork out of seating and taped off pews accordingly. You can choose your own seat anywhere in the green. Families may sit together. We will not have coffee hour and we encourage any socializing to occur outdoors.
  • We will not sing, not yet. (If you're participating via Zoom, sing out as loud as you like.) We will re-evaluate this as we move toward the fall. But we will be including other instrumental music live.
  • Bathroom facilities will be available on a one-at-a-time basis.
  • There will be no childcare .

All-Church Read!
"See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love"
by Valarie Kaur
Activist, parent, filmmaker, and faith leader Valarie Kaur offers a simultaneously visionary and practical tool kit to help us love our neighbors, ourselves, and even our enemies in this post-9/11 world. This fall, Rev. John will be preaching a 9-Sunday series that puts this intensely powerful personal-and-political book into conversation with the Gospel of Jesus. (Let us know if you'd like to be part of a discussion group, too.) 

The book is available in hardback, e-book, audiobook, and paperback. You can find through Bookshop.org (where your purchase will support your local independent bookstore, too): https://bookshop.org/books/see-no-stranger-a-memoir-and-manifesto-of-revolutionary-love/9780525509097 Order yours and start reading along now!
To connect to Worship LIVE! via Zoom, simply click here. You can also join via your landline telephone by calling 253.215.8782 or 301. 715.8592. You then will be asked to enter this Meeting ID number: 907 548 568. For more about what to expect when worshiping with us, click here
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FAITH IN ACTION

Ride for Food/"Off the Beaten Path"
For the sixth consecutive year the Church is sponsoring a team in the Ride for Food.
To Donate - Visit our team page on the Three Squares web site: https://ride.threesquaresne.org/team/371634. Click on “Donate” on the left side and follow the instructions from there or donate via the church's Paypal account here by selecting "Ride for Food" from the drop-down
Haiti Earthquake Relief

In August 2021, the nation of Haiti, already reeling from a presidential assassination, was struck by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake killing >2000 people. You all took up the charge and responded with over $1,400 in donations! Thank you for your generosity!

Metrowest Worker Center
Metrowest Worker Center, based in Framingham, works with immigrant laborers, some of the most vulnerable among us, to help them feed their families, fight for wages they're owed, and get the medical care they need. This last requires literally getting them to the doctor's office via volunteer drivers or, more frequently, paying for a ride share service (such as Uber or Lyft) to drive them there and back, averaging $90 per trip. THANK YOU to everyone who donated! Together we raised >$3,130 or 34 trips!   

 For more about the organization, click here.
Walk for Change 2021
Family Promise Metrowest has been helping families move from homelessness to stable housing since 2008. In the face of this year's challenges, they have not only kept doing work, but adapted to do it even better. Our congregation has a long relationship with FPM, giving both financial and volunteer support. And we're continuing those efforts by participating in this year's Walk for Change, FPM's primary fundraiser. The walk may be virtual, but the need is real and the cause is good. THANKS to everyone who walked and donated! Together we raised > $6100 from 72 individuals donations. Way to go!
India COVID Relief!
As the U.S. is beginning to. climb out of the worst of the pandemic (please, God), many parts of the rest of the world are still suffering mightily. Recently India reported the single deadliest day of any country so far, 4500+ COVID-19 deaths in a 24-hour period. Their healthcare system is in near-collapse, but we can help. We will pass your donation via PayPal to KhalsaAid, a Sikh-founded NGO providing direct aid, particularly in under-served areas--and we'll even cover the fees.   THANKS to your generosity, we raised $4000 for KhalsaAid.
Frontyard Labyrinth Open Dawn to Dusk
1154 Great Plain Avenue
 
A labyrinth is an ancient spiritual tool, a walking meditation for the heart, mind, soul, and body.  There are labyrinths embedded in the floors of great cathedrals, and labyrinth walking is being rediscovered in churches around the world. We hope walking this labyrinth gives you peace, clarity, and even just some nice time outdoors.

A labyrinth has a single path that winds from the edge into the center. The same path leads back out to the edges again. In that way it resembles the indirect path of our lives, which leads us, twisting and turning, sometimes feeling straightforward, sometimes off on what feels like a tangent, but always deeper into life, and therefore the heart of God. Remember: Unlike a maze, you cannot get lost in a labyrinth. Just keep walking.

FOR CHILDREN & YOUTH

In this unsettled and unsettling time, we have a particular duty--and, as always, a peculiar joy!--to minister to the needs of the youngest among us and their families. The old saying that "home is the first church" has never been truer than right now.

To keep in touch with activities for children and youth and their families, sign up for Rev. Maddie's children and youth newsletter. You can do that by clicking here.