Dear Alki UCC,
In my sermon last Sunday (linked here), I said that this is not the time for a neat and tidy Lent. We are in a tumultuous time in our country, and here in faith community we hold the extremes of hope and despair and everything in between.
It’s messy. We can’t take what we are experiencing right now and tie it up with a bow.
One thing that we can do is to ask God to soften our hearts toward those with political beliefs that oppose our own. What subversive power could be unleashed by a whole host of people praying to see the humanity in those with whom we disagree? The political parties seeing each other as neighbors is perhaps the only way to bridge this great divide.
Soften our hearts, O God. For our hearts are softened by the love that is drawn from your well of grace. May you work on our hearts, that we may see, with compassion, that everyone is a neighbor.
In hope,
Pastor Emily
# # #
You can always schedule an appointment with Pastor Emily by using this handy online tool linked here.
|
|
Alki UCC Lenten Worship and Study
"everything in between"
|
 Guided by the Gospel of Luke, our Lenten study illuminates the stories and parables that defined Jesus’ final chapter in ministry.
The series is an invitation to navigate the polarities in our lives with more faith, intention and openness to be transformed. Each weekly sub-theme explores two supposed binaries, like “faith and works” or “rest and growth” or “grief and hope.” We often consider these ideas to be opposing. However, as we explore these concepts within the scriptures, we find nuance and complexity.
This Lent, we're trusting that God shows up in shades of gray, rainbow hues and everywhere in between.
Our friends at A Sanctified Art have provided an e-reader version of the devotional; please contact the church office for the link. Print devotionals are available at Sunday worship.
# # #
Lent Bible Study is on Tuesdays at Noon and Sundays from 5:00 to 6:00 pm via Zoom, See story lower right for registration and other details.
|
|
Plastic Pollution:
Individual Empowerment for a Global Plague
|
From your Social Justice/Outreach Team:
We're thrilled to learn of all the great things you have done this past year to curb your plastic consumption and how you've upped your game for recycling; many of you joined Ridwell or participate regularly in our recycle bin project.
Good job! Thank you for sharing your ideas last Sunday to kick-off our 2025 Lenten Plastic Fast journey.
Here are some examples of what we're all doing:
• Using wax paper or parchment, NOT plastic wrap, to refrigerate foods
• Utilizing glass food storage containers ... buh-bye, plastic!
• Reusing bread bags for starage instead of buying new plastic bags or ziplocs
• Buying frozen juice concentrate instead of juice in plastic jugs
• Buying milk in cartons, not plastic bottles
• Switching from plastic containers of shampoo/conditioner to using shampoo or hair product "bars"
• Purchasing powder laundry detergent in non-plastic containers or laundry sheets packaged in cardboard
• Reducing plastic consumption by buying larger containers of products with refillable concentrate options: i.e. hand/dish soap, cleaning products, etc.
• Purchasing mayonnaise and other goopy foods in glass jars, not silly squeezable plastic pouches!
• Switching from plastic teeth flossers to compostable ones
• Using reusable travel utensils instead of single-use plastic.
May this list inspire you to do more to confront your plastic consumption and seek alternatives that are far better for our personal health and this sacred earth.
Watch and listen for more education on plastics from the Outreach Team and visit our table each Sunday after service.
# # #
Take the Alki UCC Challenge!!
We're hoping this year's Plastic Lenten Fast sparks increased awareness of the plastic you use daily and a renewed motivation to find simple alternatives to reduce waste and be better stewards of this amazing gift from God, our Earth.
Photo by Antoine GIRET on Unsplash
|
|
Priority Needs for
Donations Drive this Sunday, March 16
|
11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Front Courtyard
Priority Needs:
Outerwear/Men's Outdoor Work Clothing
Blankets
Clean Wearable Boots and hoes
New Socks/Men's and Women's Underwear
We also welcome non-perishable food,
hygiene products and outdoor gear.
Remember:
You can bring your donations
to the church at any time!
The Westside Interfaith Network (WIN), our donations drive partner, distributes your contributions through WIN's "The Welcome Table,"
a weekly Saturday meal for low income and unsheltered folks
hosted in White Center.
This distribution serves as a stop-gap for many people relying on weekly visits to the food bank. Thank you for your generosity!
|
|
Vote Forward Alert:
Write letters to get out the vote for critical Wisconsin Supreme Court race
|
In less than a month, on April 1, Wisconsin voters choose between two candidates for an open seat on the state Supreme Court.
It's technically a "nonpartisan" race, since neither candidate is running as a member of a political party. However, the difference between the candidates is stark:
Judge Susan Crawford is widely perceived to be aligned with liberals, and Judge Brad Schimel with conservatives. The election could either preserve the Court’s existing liberal ideological balance, or shift it to a 4-3 conservative majority.
The League of Women Voters asserts that the race could well be "the most important election of the year," impacting such critical issue as women's health care/abortion rights and voting rights.
The consequences of this year’s election aren’t limited to just one state. Wisconsin is a critical swing state in national elections, so what happens here in 2025 could impact control of the U.S. House in 2026 and even the presidency in 2028.
Sign up now to write 5-100 letters to voters in Wisconsin:
|
|
Thanks to all who used our narthex Sustainable Cubbies
Sustainable Stewards Cubbie Corner (SSCC)
|
Please drop your wiped down clean
(nothing that can mold, crumb free, totally dry)
items in the Cubbies at the northwest corner of the Narthex.
Multi-layer plastics are often turned into park benches, pallets and car parts due to lower purity requirements. If you can’t find a specific container in the drawer for your item just go ahead and put it in the drawer. During the week one of the Outreach/Social Justice Team will find it and give it a home.
The following categories are accepted in the cubbies weekly:
• Batteries, household size batteries
• Light bulbs, household socket bulbs
• Plastic Film, grab a cheat sheet in the Parlor after church
• Multi Layer Plastic Film, grab a cheat sheet in the Parlor after church
• Loose plastic caps (the small caps on soups, milk, beverages)
• Metal Bottle Caps
• Rubber Bands
• Twist Ties
• Bread Tags
• Electronic cords, chargers, adapters
• Wine corks
• Prescription Pill Bottles and caps
• Portable devices, cell phones, tablets.
• Laptops
• Reusable egg cartons-dozen eggs only, plastic or cardboard
• Contact lens packaging
Thank you for being a sustainable steward,
— Aly H and the Outreach/Social Justice team
|
|
"Resource Fair" at Westwood Village
|
Saturday, March 22
11:00 am to 3:00 pm
From health care to haircuts to hygiene ... the invaluable West Seattle Blog announces that:
On Saturday, March 22, "the vacant ex-Bed Bath and Beyond/ Spirit Halloween space at Westwood Village will have a new use when that space will be home to a big resource fair meant to connect people with services to improve their lives."
The Fair is organized by the Seattle Police Department, who invites you to:
• Engage with services, learn about local programs, connect with others!
• Get valuable information on Youth Organizations, Mental Health Resources, Housing & Pet Services, Victim Support, Volunteer Opportunities and more!
Free Cell Phones (income based) and Free Haircuts
Tell your friends! See the flier and get more info here.
|
|
March is Women's History Month ... Celebrate!
|
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history. Information linked here.
Collectively, we can Accelerate Action for gender equality.
#AccelerateAction.
More information linked here
|
|
Ever-present God, we give you thanks.
We give you gratitude for the relationships in our lives and our community of faith.
We pray for all those who grieve.
Comfort their hearts and hold them close.
We pray for all those who are ill, hurting or have a concern on their hearts.
We pray for Cora, high school-age friend of Julia C's granddaughter, who is facing a significant health challenge; Vicky S' friend Sue; Karen B, recovering from a stroke; Julia C's cousin Scott M, facing a critical health challenge; Pastor Emily's friends Rich, Julie and Bryson; our Peruvian immigrant friends and for all who seek peace and safety in our country; for Sandy J's cousin Barbara; Dan K facing various health issues; Rev. Joan C; Cinda's mother Jackie S; Julia C's friend Jessie T and family, Amy Y's mother Corlene; Sue's B's friends Mary and Louise; and Nick L.
We pray for our wider world.
We pray for all the people and places in our world affected by war. We ask for wisdom for decision-makers and strength for justice-seekers. We pray for victims of violence, for refugees and asylum-seekers. We pray for all who are hungry, desperate, and in need of support.
In all of these things, we trust that you are with us. In all of these things, we ask for you to strengthen us. Help us to see you in those around us. Help us to love as you love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
# # #
Please contact the church office to add or remove a prayer request. |
|
6115 SW Hinds
Seattle, WA 98116
206/935-2661;
Church news/calendar updates at alkiucc.org.
|
|
|
|
Worship this Sunday,
March 16
at 10:00 am
|
The Second
Sunday in Lent
everything between faith & works
Rev. Emily
Tanis-Likkel
Liturgist
Day T-L
Scripture
Luke 10:38-42
Daniel Self
Music Director
Music Highlights:
Beloved, Let Us
Love One Another
Pepper Choplin
I Worship You,
Almighty God
Sondra Corbett Wood
The Presence of
Our God Is Here
SPP #10
Ministry and Presence Martin Luther,
Anna Strickland
#206, A Woman Came Who Did Not
Count the Cost
Go, Make a Diff’rence
SPP #199
Image:
"Mary & Martha"
by Lauren Wright Pittman
A Sanctified Art
# # #
# # #
When you register, please use your first/last name plus your email address.
|
|
Alki UCC Zoom Bible Study Sunday Evening and Tuesday Noon
|
Alki UCC offers two sessions of weekly Zoom Bible study; register for one or both and come when you can!
Tuesdays
Noon to 1:30 pm
co-led by Pastor Emily
and Rev. Penny
Register here for Tuesday series.
Sundays
5:00 to 6:00 pmled by Rev. Penny Register here for Sunday series. All are welcome, newcomers especially! Weekly attendance is not required; come to one or more sessions on either day, depending on what works for you. Please note that each series has a dedicated one-time Zoom registration link. Toe-dipping welcome; personal sharing is invited and respected; questions are encouraged. We are all seekers!
Join us for our Lent/Easter series!
Questions? Contact Pastor Emily or Rev. Penny.
|
|
Alki Community Choir Open Rehearsals
Sundays:
11:30 am to 1:00 pm
Music Director Daniel Self invites you to share in the joy of music-making!
No previous music or singing experience required. All are welcome, no matter where you are on your musical journey.
|
|
Volunteer(s) STILL Needed:
— Donations Run
— Someone with Truck or Trailer for Hauling a Few Items
|
We are looking for a volunteer or volunteers to:
• Do a donations run to take away some items at the church that need a new home, including a desk, some books and the inevitable odds 'n' ends
• Someone with access to a truck/trailer to help clear the chancel and other spaces from a couple broken tables that have been disassembled, etc.
Please contact the church office if you can help.
|
|
Community Clogging
Last Introductory session for new beginning students this Sunday
March 16
|
Members of our wider community are now invited to join Diane J's Beginners' Clog Dancing Class every Sunday at 1:00 pm in Anderson Hall.
Introductory sessions through this Sunday, March 16.
Dancers of all ages are welcome. Please see registration information below.
# # #
Discover the joy of clog dancing, a lively percussive dance rooted in the Appalachian Mountains and influenced by Irish, Scottish, German, and Native American traditions.
With more than 30 years teaching experience in the Pacific Northwest, I am excited to introduce you to the basics and beyond! No partner needed, you go at your own pace.
— Diane J, Instructor
Non-Alki UCC participants will be asked to fill out a one-time registration form (linked here) to attend one or more classes.
Registration must be received the Friday before the participant's
first class.
There is no formal attendance fee; a free will donation to Alki UCC of $10 per class is suggested
|
|
Sunday Worship Registration
|
If you've already registered on Zoom, just use your personal link. If not, welcome! You can register here.
When you register, please use your first/last name plus your email.
|
|
For secure, online giving through Give Lively, click the button, OR, send your check, made out to "Alki UCC," to: 6115 SW Hinds, Seattle, WA 98116
|
|
Sunday Worship Videos Posted on YouTube
|
Sunday Worship recordings now online!
|
|
|
