Hello Friends:

 

Today is Yom Kippur, the annual day of atonement for our Jewish friends and family. It’s a day of prayer, fasting and deep reflection on the things we have done individually and collectively to harm another or our communities. May we join with them today to consider how we can work to repair the breach and restore streets to live in (Isaiah 58:12).

 

Today is also the deadline for the October Newsletter. Please send your pictures, announcements, reflections and articles to Chris Follett at chrisf2828@yahoo.com.

 

This Friday we have two events happening. The first is that we will be serving meals at Loaves and Fishes from abut 2-7pm at 1816 Portland Ave. S., Mpls 55404. Parking is available on Portland Ave. or in the small lot on the alley west of the building. We’ll need about four people for preparation between 2-5 pm and about six people for preparing to-go containers from 5-6:30 pm. And we’ll need a couple people to help with clean-up until about 7 pm. Let Steve Lee know if you would like to help at steven.lee@thrivent.com or 612-844-8194 or 763-645-9499. Next date: December 29. 

 

The second thing is that the Homecoming parade will again be passing by UBC starting at 6:30pm on Friday. We’ll be on the lawn cooking s’mores and enjoying the festivities starting around 5pm. Come join us.

 

This Sunday, the 1st of October, we’ll be considering the story in Matthew 8:23-27. The disciples, many of whom were trained fishermen, got caught in a storm. Jesus was asleep on the boat, apparently content to sleep this one out. The disciples woke him up and Jesus calmed the storm, but not before rebuking the disciples for their fear and lack of faith. There’s a lot to unpack in this little story: This is not the disciples’ first windstorm. Why do they need Jesus to save them? We all need our rest. And at times sleep is the remedy we need to the storms of our lives. Are the winds literal or figurative? I mean, we have been thrown and afraid plenty of times by forces beyond our control. ‘Wind’ in Greek and Hebrew can also be translated as ‘breath’ or ‘Spirit’. How do you read the story knowing this? What does it mean that Spirits listen to Jesus? Most importantly, what agency do we have as the storms surround us? My sermon is entitled "Wake Up, Jesus". Gayla Marty will be the worship leader. The UBC Chorale will sing and we’ll celebrate communion.

 

After church on Sunday, the forum will feature Ben Whalen, an organizer from ISAIAH. Th ISAIAH organizers are spending the fall visiting churches to celebrate everything we have won at the state legislature the year and set the priorities and agenda for what gets done next. ISAIAH says, “After years of organizing we finally passed things like paid family leave, clean energy, expanded voting rights, expanding healthcare, funding childcare, and more. We’re interested in hearing how these wins impact you and the people you love AND what you know still needs to be done to support our communities. Together we can decide what is still missing, what could be better, and ultimately what kind of future we want to live in. By joining this conversation, you can shape the priorities ISAIAH leads on next for our community. Thousands of our neighbors will be having similar conversations this summer and fall across the state, and I hope you can come!”

 

Just as a reminder, the Twin Cities Marathon is this weekend. While it doesn’t pass the church this year, expect abnormal traffic patterns, especially on side streets along the race route. Here’s a link to the race course: https://www.tcmevents.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/2023 MTCMW_Map_Marathon_v1.pdf  

 

 

Here’s what’s happening this week:

 

Monday—5pm Intermediate Spanish, 6:15pm Beginning Spanish

Meeting ID: 870 8785 1406 Passcode: 634591 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87087851406?pwd=K2VPL1NrNWJMSDN3Wm5CeXRZYUNwUT09

 

 

Tuesday-9am Pastoral Relations

 

Tuesday—7pm Memoirs Group

Meeting ID: 831 4584 1908 Passcode: 313775

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83145841908?pwd=djhuSmMwZ1NESXZ5SExNOURXa2FNQT09 

 

Wednesday—6pm UBC Chorale; No Carillon rehearsal this week

 

Thursdays: 9am-noon Garden Team (weather and air-quality permitting)

 

Thursday—4:30pm Advanced Spanish Conversation

Meeting ID: 870 8785 1406 Passcode: 634591 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87087851406?pwd=K2VPL1NrNWJMSDN3Wm5CeXRZYUNwUT09

 

Sunday—10am Service at UBC

11am (or so) Joys and Concerns—not live-streamed but on Zoom 

Meeting ID 839 4725 7444 passcode 257750 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83947257444?pwd=cFZCWEdqUkR0RDgwT0JwT3hrQ3FpUT09_\

11:30am Forum

1:30pm UBC Council

Here is where you can find the livestream links: https://www.youtube.com/@ubcmn/streams 

 

Blessings and Peace,

 

Doug Donley