Submitted by Rev. Brooks Berndt, Minister for Environmental Justice, Justice and Local Church Ministries
UCC Webinar— They Knew: 50 Years of the US Government Causing the Climate Crisis
The UCC’s next Creation Justice Webinar will feature one of the leading voices in environmentalism over recent decades: James Gustave Speth. Among his many accomplishments, Speth served the Carter administration, founded the Natural Resources Defense Council, and spent ten years as Dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. In August, he is releasing a new book entitled, They Knew—The US Federal Government’s Fifty-Year Role in Causing the Climate Crisis. Naomi Klein has described it as “a damning record that will become a potent tool for justice.”
Even if you can’t make the scheduled time of 1 pm ET on Wednesday, September 8th, still sign-up, and we will send you a recording.
The Church Council and I have talked and prayed and (honestly) cussed as we grappled with our very torn feelings about what to do regarding in-person worship in the light of the rapidly rising numbers of COVID during this Delta surge.
With this in mind, the Faith Church Council has decided to move to online/Zoom worship services until further notice. This decision is effective immediately and means that there will be no in-person service this Sunday (8/15/2021).
None of us want to go back to Zoom-only, even just for a few weeks. It seems most to all of our folks, except our children under 12, are vaccinated. Everyone has been SO gracious about masking properly, giving distance, staying home if exposed, and self-selecting to worship with us via Zoom if they feel at risk–which has also served to keep the numbers in our sanctuary at a lower and safer number.
AND…
Though the risks of death and serious illness to those fully vaccinated are low, they still exist and already we are finding some having more long-term effects from this variant, even if vaccinated. I personally know over 3 dozen vaccinated persons who have had breakthrough infections with severe symptoms and at least 6 of those I know of had to be hospitalized.
The Herald-Zeitung reported yesterday Comal County’s hospital usage hit an all-time high number of patients being cared for with COVID and I’ve heard from some of you that friends with other serious medical conditions are being turned away from hospitals because there is no more room to care for them.
The head of the ICU of one of our local hospitals shared that healthcare workers are breaking down and feeling betrayed now more than ever. I’m seeing the same in my students and clients in healthcare. The patients they are caring for and venting are MUCH younger than ever before and our children are being hit harder by this surge than any other, which impacts us all emotionally that much more.
Most of our children and teachers are returning this week to classrooms where masks cannot be required, so numbers are expected to only go up significantly in the coming weeks.
We made the decision to return to in-person worship (along with continuing Zoom) June 27th when the number of daily cases remained under 20 per 100,000 people in Comal County for more than 14 days. As of this past Sunday, that number was 66 per 100,000 and that number is projected to climb to 121 by this Sunday and 135 by the following (8/22).
Therefore, we have decided to resume Zoom-only services for a period of weeks as we watch the numbers and await cooler weather that will allow outdoor services until worshiping indoors again feels safer for us all. We do not yet know what this means for those who rent our space, and will be making those decisions and discussing our thoughts with them in the coming days.
TO BE CLEAR, WE ARE NOT CLOSING!!! The church is not closed. WE ARE THE CHURCH (yes, I’m shout-talking, here!) and the Still-Speaking God has MUCH to say in and to and through us in the coming weeks.
So please:
Come to worship on Zoom and come on camera–we need each other and to see each others’ faces and hear each others’ voices.
Continue to give as you are able–giving is up by about $13,000 compared to this time last year, but we’re still about $5,000 below budget. Rather than pinching pennies, skimping on our needs, and being distracted by anxiety about our financial health and sustainability, I’d rather spend our time serving and finding new ways to meet the needs of our community.
Keep inviting your friends, even those out of state–now more than ever people need community and want one that matches their beliefs and lives but cannot find that in their community. We can be that place for them.
Engage in our social media–share posts, share recordings of our services, send me items you think would work well to be shared on our Faith Facebook page. Visitors are finding us on-line and through our website. The bigger our presence there, the easier it is for them to find us.
Prepare to participate in discussions with our Pastoral Search Committee about the future of Faith Church and where God is calling us.
Prepare to participate in a Zoom study on the book of Job later in September.
Prepare to participate in an on-line watch party of a movie with a spiritual theme and then to discuss it afterward (it’s called Reel Faith and is tremendously fun!).
Reach out and ask myself and Council questions as you have them and if you hear others with questions or concerns, please send them to us directly so we can be clear and communicate openly with one another.
And more importantly, do not despair, but join us in seeking God’s face about where God can work through this circumstance to bring the most good, the most healing, and use us to spread the Good News of God’s hope amongst ourselves and to those around us.
Our congregation is growing with 4 new amazing members committed to joining us August 8th and others in discussion with me about doing so in the near future.
We’ve added to our tech team, thanks to Philip Graves, and Joe, Mikki, and Sam Ward have worked hard to set us up so well for hybrid (in-person and Zoom-casted) services, with written instructions for each part of that process, that others will be apprenticed to also join that team in the weeks to come (we could use a few more volunteers!).
Our Pastoral Care Team continues to reach out beautifully with cards, notes, and calls to our faith family, as do many of you, so that I regularly hear what incredible warmth, welcome, and hospitality our congregation provides.
We have scheduled another Outdoor Hymn Sing August 8th to sing to our hearts’ content (with a bit more distance provided between us due to the Delta variant crowding our local hospitals) as Slim Bawb and Jordon once again lead us in some good old fashioned music (11:15am-12:00pm after an abbreviated service).
We had a great response to our request for nominations to our Pastoral Search Committee and will be announcing those names, soon. They will be meeting with the help of our new Conference Minister, Rev. Phil Hodson.
And…the world continues to struggle in ways too numerous to mention. As of this writing, over 4.2 million people have died of COVID, with a new surge in cases and deaths as our country and community grapples with coming to agreement about how to protect ourselves and each other.
More than 2,100 children separated from their family at the border still have not been reunited with their families, voter rights remain under attack, and the bodies and lives and rights of many of us and our siblings are, as well.
We may find ourselves lamenting along with the psalmist, “How long, oh, Lord? How long?” as we face these struggles, along with others that hit much closer to home.
We wonder what we can do. And I still believe the most powerful and radical thing we can do is to pray, to so build our connection with and trust in and security with God that we can hear clearly what God would call each of us and our church to do and be in response.
As we bring our best selves to each and every interaction, conversation, decision, and Facebook or Instagram post, we can put greater health and justice and peace into our midst. We can invite God into the circumstances of our world and lives and seek God’s face, where God is moving in the midst of the seemingly worst and most hopeless of circumstances, asking God to empower us to be God’s hands and feet and voice in all we do.
So, I invite you to join me as we lift up our hearts to God, and sing along with me this month the prayer of the Psalmist from Psalm 130, captured so beautifully by Ruth Duck and Robert J. Batastini in the following hymn (NCH 554).
Out of the depths, O God, we call to you. Wounds of the past remain, affecting all we do. Facing our lives, we need your love so much. Here in this community, heal us by your touch.
Out of the depths of fear, O God, we speak. Breaking the silences, the searing truth we seek. Safe among friends, our grief and rage we share. Here in this community, hold us in your care.
God of the loving heart, we praise your name. Dance through our lives and loves; anoint with Spirit flame. Your light illumines each familiar face. Here in this community, meet us with your grace.
As we sing this Psalm, let us do so as a prayer, asking God to fill our hearts and lead us and others to solutions while comforting us all every step of the journey.
Friedens UCC in Geronimo will again host the September salad luncheon on September 9th. The women of Faith Church have been invited to attend this gathering at our neighboring sister church.
We are asked to arrive at the church at ll:00 a.m. for a time of fellowship and a delicious salad feast. We are their guests and have been advised that we do not need to bring a salad this time.
Please RSVP to Karen Dietz (830 626 6833) or at (karenpdietz@gmail.com) if you plan to attend. Karen will then be able to contact you if there is a change of plans due to Center for Disease Control cautions about indoor gatherings.
This update on our loan to Cotzij Ya Group was written by Kiva’s Field Partner.
The 37-year-old Flora’s leadership grows daily. She seeks to consolidate the Mayan women of her community through typical weavings. She comments that when the woman weaves she occupies her mind, her hands and her spirit. That is why each typical “girdle” or belt that Flora weaves has her essence. She wants all weaving women to sell her products well. So Flora employs two people to support her in weaving typical belts that are in fashion. She says that if women weave and sell their products, they will be able to meet their basic needs and there will be fewer malnourished children. That is why last November, Flora acquired the fifth loan with Kiva. She was effectively able to capitalize on her textile business by purchasing a large quantity of high-quality yarns in various colors. Now Flora generates more income that allows her to continue supporting her parents and her 6 younger siblings.
The eight women from the “Cotzij Ya” Communal Bank continue to prepare through training provided by the “Microcredit Plus” program for loans, non-formal education and health services. They not only benefited from a Kiva loan, but also benefited greatly from training in financial, health, women, and family issues. They now know their rights, but also their obligations as wives and mothers. A nurse from the institution visited their homes every two months and performed Pap tests, blood pressure, height and weight. Flora and her companions were also informed about the importance of vaccination to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Thanks to these educational topics, the women of this communal bank acquire more knowledge that allows them to develop their capacities.
Kiva Lender, the more than 32,000 clients of Puente de Amistad, achieve their goals thanks to each one of you.
The South Central Conference now has a new Conference Minister, Phil Hodson. Phil comes to us from the Wichita United Church of Christ in Wichita, Kansas. During his ministry, the Wichita church formed from two congregations that merged and entered a new period of growth. Phil brings ideas and commitment about growing our Conference, along with experience in church planting. He went to seminary at Perkins School of Theology at SMU and came into the UCC from the United Methodist Church. He has already spent time in our Conference before his official start date in addition to meeting regularly with interim Conference Minister Campbell Lovett. Phil and his wife and four children are moving to Galveston. He anticipates traveling throughout our Conference and churches to connect with all of us. He will bring new ideas and wisdom. It is an exciting time for the South Central Conference. Let’s give Phil a big Texas welcome!
I also give thanks for the wise and excellent guidance and leadership of Campbell Lovett during this challenging year in the life of all of our churches. He has given stable leadership with his deep base of experience. Campbell is continuing to help with the transition. Let us send him off with our prayers for a rich life going forward and with gratitude for his ministry.
Starting in July, Charles Stark began a second interim ministry in the Heart of Texas Association. Charles is now the interim minister of St. Peter’s Church of Coupland. In addition to his many years at Slumber Falls, Charles has served Lyons Evangelical, Faith UCC in Bryan, Friends Congregational, and, most recently (as interim), St. John’s Burton. Charles and his wife, Bonnie, will be living in Coupland. We give thanks for the ministry Charles and St. Peter’s will have together.
We also welcome Christine Tata, as I previously shared, as interim minister at Trinity Church of Austin. Christine brings an earlier background in ministry, having served in this Conference in Dallas. She has worked in business and human resources, and has done a substantial amount of supply preaching. We rejoice with Christine and with Trinity as they begin their time together.
The Congregational Church of Austin is beginning a new era in the church’s life as Amelia Fulbright begins her ministry there as the Designated Term Pastor. As some of you know, Amelia had her Ecclesiastical Council recently among us through the Privilege of Call process, supported by Congregational Church where she is a member. Earlier, she started the Labyrinth Progressive Student Ministry in Austin (for University of Texas and other college-age students) and also served as the Associate Pastor of University Baptist Church in Austin. Congregational (my home church) is excited to welcome Amelia on board.
Finally, I announce with sadness that Rev. Bill (Hudson) Phillips died recently, surrounded by his wife, Betty, and his daughters, Stephanie and Katy. Bill, a retired minister who served churches in Friona, Texas, and in New Orleans, as well as in campus ministry for a number of years, was part of marches and lunch counter sit-ins during the Civil Rights movement. He and Betty faced danger and stood firm for equal rights. Bill also served in social work for several years in Austin and was a gifted poet. I give profound thanks to God for his full and rich life.
Blessings in Christ, Liz Nash, Association Minister
Mary was walking down the street with her three-year-old son, Peter. Now Peter was a happy, delightful, charming little guy who tended to smile at the world, as well as at every person he met whether he knew him or not. Mary basked in Peter’s cheerful personality and enjoyed taking walks with him around town.
One day they were in downtown New Braunfels, just strolling and sightseeing, when they came to a red light and stopped at the curb. Across the street from them was a hobo-like guy dressed in layers of clothes, with a straggly beard and a sorrowful downcast look. Mary kept a wary eye on him as they started across the street. When they were abreast of him, Peter looked up and smiled his sweet smile at the man.
“Hi!” Peter greeted him.
The man stopped in the middle of the street and stared down at the boy and seemed to come out of his moodiness for a moment. Then, to Mary’s surprise, the man smiled back at Peter.
“Why, hello, little feller,” he said and reached out his hand to shake Peter’s. Peter happily obliged.
As they went on their separate ways, Mary noticed that the man no longer walked with a droop to his shoulders and when he reached the other curb, he turned and waved to them both.
“Thank you!” he called to them. “God bless you!”
Marveling at the transformation in the man because one child greeted him without judgment or condemnation, Mary felt ashamed of herself. Looking down at her extraordinary son, she gave his hand a squeeze and told him she loved him. Then she thanked God for showing her how simple it was to show God’s love to others.
Submitted by Rev. Brooks Berndt, Minister for Environmental Justice, Justice and Local Church Ministries
UCC Webinar— They Knew: 50 Years of the US Government Causing the Climate Crisis
The UCC’s next Creation Justice Webinar will feature one of the leading voices in environmentalism over recent decades: James Gustave Speth. Among his many accomplishments, Speth served the Carter administration, founded the Natural Resources Defense Council, and spent ten years as Dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. In August, he is releasing a new book entitled, They Knew—The US Federal Government’s Fifty-Year Role in Causing the Climate Crisis. Naomi Klein has described it as “a damning record that will become a potent tool for justice.”
Even if you can’t make the scheduled time of 1 pm ET on Wednesday, September 8th, still sign-up, and we will send you a recording.
The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong by Karen Gonzalez
Submitted by Karen Cotton, SCC Immigration Team
At the Immigration Team meeting held via zoom last Thursday, July 22, I was asked to send a picture of a book I was talking about so it could be included in the weekly newsletter.
Please click here to see the review of the book The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong by Karen Gonzalez.
I hope it can be a resource for churches in the conference as an educational faith formation tool.
