Easter Sunday Communion & Other Chances to Rise Up!

Join us for services Worship Every Sunday – 10:30 a.m. All Are Welcome!  Interactive, Online This Sunday, April 12, 2020 Easter Sunday Preaching: Rev. Rich Gamble Worship leaders: Rev. Lauren & Rev. Yuki Text: Matthew 28:1-10 Theme: Rise Up We are continuing to meet online for interactive worship that lets us connect, see, and/or hear one another when we gather together. The online worship space opens at 10 a.m., for a "bring your own coffee hour" where folks can meet and have some time to see each other and talk before worship. TIME CHANGE: We're expanding the Sunday School & Storytime with Teacher Anita to begin at 10 a.m., when Pastor Yuki will open up a virtual classroom so that the children can have storytime with Teacher Anita for 20 minutes before worship. Worship will begin around 10:30 a.m. COMMUNION: For Easter worship, we will share in communion during worship. In addition to the candle that we each light to begin our worship together, please bring to our computer space something that represents the bread and cup of communion (it can be bread and a cup of juice, or even a cookie and a mug of tea!). Worship includes announcements, music from Yiğit and/or Elliot, scripture, a short sermon, and prayers (you can voice yours, and hear the prayers of others), and a closing song we can each bring into the week ahead. After worship, you may sign right off, if you wish, or stay for time to chat, or greet one another. Pastor Yuki will email the link to everyone through the newsletter and directly to you on Saturday and Sunday morning. If you have trouble accessing our space, email Pastor Yuki at yuki.schwartz@keystoneseattle.org or text/call 360.689.3832. You invite others to come to our worship by sharing the link with them, but please let Pastor Yuki know who you've invited so they can be let in. NEXT WEEK Sunday, April 19 10:30 a.m. Second Sunday in Easter Worship online or join by your phone Preaching: Rev. Rich Worship leaders: Rev. Lauren & Rev. Yuki Happy Listening Anytime:  Miss a Sermon?  Down at Classroom? Audio Available Online: Click on a file for a listen HERE, and share! You can now watch sermons and worship services on our new YouTube page here.  Good Friday at Home While we cannot be together to mark Good Friday, or gather as part of our usual Holy Week "table turning" activities out in the world where we remember and recognize the suffering of Jesus in the suffering of those facing injustice today, there are still several ways we can engage in reflection, meditation, prayer and advocacy today. If you have some time today or this weekend, check out some of these offerings: Rev. Courtney Stange-Tregear, the minister for church vitality for the Pacific Northwest Conference of the UCC, shared this video resource created by Rev. Liz Garrigan-Byerly. This video is a self-guided Good Friday Seven Last Words service that could be used individually or in a group. This meditation includes  music, scripture, poetry, and a wide variety of voices from three countries, five US states, at least eight Christian denominations, one person of Jewish faith and many other variations of our shared humanity. Additionally, former colleagues of Pastor Yuki and Pastor Lauren in Chicago shared this video and prayer booklet for Chicago's annual Good Friday Walk for Justice, a "stations of the cross" action that takes place in downtown Chicago every year on Good Friday that connects the current injustices taking place in Chicago, the US, and around the world, to the crucifixion of Jesus. This year's theme was "Hope Rising in Courageous Community." You can download a PDF of the Good Friday Walk for Justice's prayer booklet here, and follow along with the meditation in the video below.   Plymouth Church United Church of Christ is also having a live online Good Friday service: Seven Sisters Sharing the Last Words of Jesus: Power in the Time of Pandemic will be broadcast on YouTube at noon today. Go to www.plymouthchurchseattle.org on Friday for the link to the YouTube broadcast to participate in this online service.   A Maundy Thursday Thank You Thank you to everyone who participated in our shared Maundy Thursday worship service with First Christian Church of Bremerton, and especially THANKS to our readers Pat and Dick, John and Barbara, and Amber! This somber evening of prayer and reflection more than ever reminds us of the importance of solidarity and support across distance, traditions, and communities. We're all in this together, in shadows and in light, in the journey toward the cross and in the way of rising up and resurrection. ~ Pastor Yuki, Pastor Rich, Pastor Lauren This end of Holy Week brings us to the depths now, so if you are ready for a simple reflective pause, you can do an activity here: with the kids, youth, or any age (this goes out to us all!)  Give yourself or family a moment in Good Friday +/or Holy Saturday to engage one of these activities.  5 Candle Ritual- with scriptures & prayer prompts. ~ from Pastor Lauren. Click on this link, gather 5 candles, & a Bible.  Anytime that fits for you.  You can pick a couple readings.  Light all 5 candles at first.  Shroud them by finish.  Show how we wait for Easter to come. Craft:  Prayer Flags - from what you have @ home. ~from Teacher Anita-  For your hands to craft something beautiful, that also offers more and more positive energy to those around you!  Thank you Anita for bringing this craft to us! We can offer these out, into our neighborhoods & world, from our home stays. You can read more about these flags at https://ramblingsfromutopia.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/ww-diy-prayer-flags/amp/ As you make the flag, keep in mind a core intention to send good and beneficent energy to those nearby. This practice from Tibetan Buddhism is said to carry the vibrations across the countryside. Prayer flags are said to bring happiness, long life and prosperity to the flag planter and those in the vicinity. (Pastoral note: Let's do our due diligence and take good care not to culturally appropriate this practice. We are not trying to make the particular flags of the Tibetan tradition, but creating our flags from our own spaces through our own spiritual practices. It's a good teaching moment: see a couple points in the link, you can discuss with the kids, as your hands are busy!) And for Easter... a coloring project, while rolls bake?  Bring this to do during worship!  Free downloadable mosaic poster, with tiles you can color that when assembled together show a shining Alleluia! You can download a PDF of these poster tiles here. Our prayers continue to go out:  with John P. & his niece & extended family back home, as they have lost two friends John grew up with to Covid-19. with Dan O. who lost friend Ron who lived life large and lit up any room he walked into.  He succumbed to colon cancer at 50. with Lauren C.'s mom and cousin & extended family: Lauren's uncle in NYC died from Covid-19.  Prayers also appreciated by Lauren's sister Jen, whose is helping her NYC friend Silaine fight for her life re: Covid, having been with her father in Brazil. Strength & an infusion of hope goes out to our teachers, children, youth, parents, grandparents, our Co-Op Pre-School renter community, who learned this week that school will not be able to resume this year in WA.  We are in this together.  Flatten the Curve.  Gratitude to all.   ~  ~  ~   Keystone Picture Directories have phone numbers, postal mail addresses, email addresses, etc.  We can mail one your way! Could you use phone time with one of our ‘Tech Deacons’? Let Lauren know if she or one of our Keystone members who offer their tech and grace and humor on the go, can help trouble shoot your computer or phone issue?  We are so thrilled that worship and classes have been bursting full!  & Soon our upcoming story telling Wednesday eves!   Email:  lauren.cannon@Keystoneseattle.org   Text/ call cell:  773-501-7382 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The People's Bailout The Covid-19 pandemic has opened up many people's thinking about what kinds of support people in the US need to make it from day to day, especially those who have already been forced into the margins by jobs that don't pay a living wage and housing prices that leave more and more people without shelter. Several justice organizations, including some that Keystone members have been a part of including the Sunrise Movement, the Sierra Club, and People's Action, have joined together to call for a People's Bailout. The People's Bailout demands that the government put the people first in any stimulus package that Congress passes, and calls for testing and treatment for those sick with Covid-19, and protective equipment for medical staff who are treating Covid-19 patients. You can add your name to the call for the People's Bailout, and send an email to your elected officials, by clicking here.    Online Climate March Interfaith Power and Light is holding a "Love Made Visible Climate March" online April 17-26. You can be a part of this online climate march by sharing your messages of support for climate justice-based policies.  Click here for more information, or contact Pastor Yuki for more information on how you can use your social media to raise your voice.  Three Ways to Support Keystone & Partners We may not be meeting in person, but we're still working in the world, and our partners that we support are still working, too. You can continue to financially support Keystone and our partners by giving your offering in one of three ways: 1) You can mail checks to Keystone (5019 Keystone Place, Seattle 98103). Pastor Rich is still visiting the church regularly and picks up mail. 2) We have a PayPal button at the bottom of the front page of the Web site (and you can use it below and in other articles tied to specific fundraising efforts!) that you can use to support Keystone using your credit card or a PayPal account if you have one. You can even designate which project your offering will directly support (Keystone Church itself, the Shelter Task Force, the Solar Panels Fundraiser, or the Justice Leadership Programs).    3) The Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Church of Christ is taking donations on their web site for churches, camps, and other ministries in our conference. You can designate your offering for Keystone or any other UCC church or ministry in the Pacific Northwest Conference. Go to pncucc.org and click the "Donate" button in the corner, and fill out the form. Be sure to fill out the DONATE TO MY CHURCH field with the church or ministry of your choice. The conference will then send your offering to the church or ministry you indicate. It's a tough time for a lot of people right now, as paychecks dwindle but costs like utility bills and rents keep coming in. Our support keeps the work of justice going along so many different paths. THANK YOU for all the ways that you bring care and love to our world; we can't do what we do without each other.  Spread the Word About Our Solar Panel Fundraiser! One of the things we've talked about in the Lenten Study and that our folks who are attending the Drawdown meetings is the importance of investing collectively in greener sources of energy. We're in the middle of making that investment happen at Keystone, and you can help! Please invite your contacts to donate to the solar installation.  You can invite them to donate by sending checks to Keystone, or they can use the PayPal button below and be sure to tell them to indicate that they are donating to the Solar Panel fundraiser.  We are still asking for participation from our many good groups and people of our extended community of neighbors, renters and visitors. Thank you to Christian and all at work on this project! Storytelling at Keystone Starts April 15 From Pastor Rich: Stories are essential elements of life. They help us understand who we are and where we came from. They help us understand the world around us. They help us understand what is important to us and so direct our lives. Stories are tools to help those around us understand who we are and what we believe. Given our current enforced isolation, I thought this would be a good time to offer the opportunity for us to share stories with each other. These stories can help us get to know each other better and help us improve our storytelling skills. Let’s start with shorter stories, aiming at 7 minutes or less in duration. We will come share 3 or 4 stories on our on-line platform on the internet and then spend a little time talking about the stories. We will spend no more than 45 minutes for the whole event and we keep going on the one theme every week until everyone has a chance to share. If there is little interest we will try some other ways to keep us connected and growing. These are stories shared among friends. We are not going to record them. This isn’t a competition. If you don’t think of yourself as a good storyteller, then here’s a chance to practice. If you have the gift naturally (and I know several of us do) here’s a chance to share that gift. Craft your story to fit within the time allotted. The only way that you can be sure it fits within the 7 minute time frame is to practice telling the story in front of clock. Good storytelling takes practice. Let’s try to make the stories about a particular theme. The first theme is: Lessons learned from childhood illness or injury. These can be stories about when we were sick or injured as children, or they could be about our children or grandchildren or about children we know. They don’t have to be stories about huge harrowing events in our lives. It can be a story about an everyday sort of illness or injury but an illness or injury that taught us a lesson. The first evening of storytelling will be Wednesday, April 15 at 6:30 p.m. on-line. (Pastor Yuki will send out the link the day of the practice). I am asking for people to sign up ahead of time to share their stories. We have two people who have agreed to share a story on the first night. We could use a couple more. If you would rather only listen to other people’s stories, that’s fine. Come, there will be an opportunity to talk after the stories are shared. You can sign up by sending an email to keystone5019@gmail.com. Put “story to share” in the subject line. Peace, Pastor Rich A way to help, when we are apart... We are continuing to to purchase food and have changed up to a delivery system to get supplies to the 10 Sacred Heart Shelter families, every two weeks.  We also are figuring how to get the Move-In boxes we have prepared, safely from church to a family, with necessary physical distancing.  Thank you!  Let Rita, Michelle or Barb know how you would enjoy helping (as are Arlene, Margaret, Christian, John, Dan O....)  There is a specific Donation designation for this ministry in our PayPal here.  We know that awaiting stable housing, in such a destabilizing time, has many layers of added vulnerability.  We are inspired to do what we can. ~Lauren   Seattle Labor Chorus: "Hold the Fort!" Our friends at the Seattle Labor Chorus has joined the ranks of choirs who are performing together online. Check out this well-timed performance of "Hold the Fort," a union song of solidarity that reminds us of our connections and courages in these days of distance.  The Pacific Northwest Conference has a new home for sharing news and information about goings-on in the conference: GoogleGroups.  If you'd like to become a member of the Google Group, send an email to pncucc@gmail.com. Easter Greetings from the Pacific Northwest Conference Click the video above to watch this brief video of Easter Greeting from the Pacific Northwest Conference.  Happy Easter from Keystone UCC! Glance- down- the- Calendar Sun. April 12: Join us for Easter Sunday Worship, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Pastor Yuki can send you the link and phone information.  Note: this week: Storytime with Teacher Anita begins at 10 a.m. (earlier- for additional hang time!) and lasts about 20 minutes. Also, we're celebrating Communion at our worship this week, so bring something to represent the communion elements (bread and a cup of juice, or a donut and coffee!) to share in this experience together. Gather a candle for our start! Wed. April 15: Storytelling Practice w/ Pastor Rich, 6:30 p.m.   Stay Tuned: Church staff & leadership will keep info coming when the time comes toward seeing one another in person again!         Danielle- 4/8 Sheri - 4/14 Nick Havey  - 4/18 Here's wishing them each the happiest of birthdays, from all of us at Keystone UCC!  On the last Sunday of the month- we shall have cake at coffee hour (even on line cheer these days!) Please let Barb know additions/ omissions!    Keep an eye out here for upcoming Keystone Birthdays!