BCUCC News for Sunday, April 22, 2018
News and Upcoming Events
- Sunday April 22: Worship Theme: “The Good Shepherd”; Laura MacKinnon, M. Div. preaching.
- Tuesday April 24: Transition Team meeting, 7 pm in Church Office.
- Thursday April 27: Worship Team meeting, 6:30 pm in Church Office.
- Sunday April 29, after church: What We Value. Potluck (yes, they’re off sequence from First Sundays for now) with activities and table discussions to clarify what we value at BCUCC and in pastoral leadership, led by the Transition Team.
- Monday April 30, 7:30: Candlelight Taizé Service of song, prayer and silence in the Hall. Led by Karen Hill.
Community Events
- The musical Godspell by Craig Tyrl’s company, The Wayward Artist, is playing in Santa Ana April 13-29. Tickets are at: http://www.thewaywardartist.org/buy-tickets-4567.
Ongoing
- The BCUCC Theological Book Club will be reading Catherine Keller’s book, On the Mystery: Discerning Divinity in Process. The author offers this brief and unconventional introduction to theological thinking. She takes up theology itself as a quest for religious authenticity. Come join us. We have a great time processing our thoughts together. We will meet at 7:00p.m. on Wednesday, May 9th to discuss Chapters 1-3, May 23rd to discuss Chapters 4 and 5, and again on June 6th to finish with Chapters 6-8. We meet at the Hill household. Please call or email for directions at 714-693-0261 or jandkhill@mac.com.
- Bible Study is Thursdays 9:15-10:15am in the church office. Topic is 1-2 Samuel. All are welcome, to discover the intersection of sacred story and modern life with an open mind.
- Tai Chi will be every Thursday in May except the last, May 31st. There will be no June meetings. No class on April 26th.
- Choir practice on Thursdays at 7:30pm in the music room. We love newcomers! Give us a try.
Save the Dates
- UCC Annual Gathering June 1-2 at Chapman University Learn, worship and have fun with people from UCC churches throughout Southern California and Nevada.
- May 19-June 30: Interfaith Shelter Project is hosted in our Church Hall. Stay tune for signups to help cook.
Why “Creation Justice”?
Within a covenantal understanding of the web of life, the emphasis on justice arises as a central guiding impulse. If the word “creation” signals the totality of relationships with God, then creation justice signals the movement toward right relationships among all of God’s creation. Building on the concept of eco-justice, creation justice entails an integrated, holistic ecology. It entails an understanding of the world which includes the built environment, culture, economic and political activity, and all of humanity as part of God’s creation.
Using the term “creation” instead of “eco” or “environment” demonstrates our humble self-awareness that we are part of the created order our Creator constantly is at work with us to redeem and sustain. Using the term “justice” rather than “care” indicates our commitment to not only heal, tend, and restore God’s creation, but to ensure the protection of God’s planet and God’s people from exploitation, as well as provision for the remediation of the damage that has been done. Because of the connotations and meanings of the phrase creation justice, it was adopted in the naming of UCC’s national Creation Justice Ministries. More recently, the United Church of Christ has named their green church recognition program “Creation Justice Churches.” (We are exploring that program.)
Sign up to receive the UCC Creation Justice blog, “The Pollinator.”