This Week @Keystone: Save the Date to Celebrate Paisley's Graduation, Be an Anti-Racism Advocate, and More!

Join us for services Worship Every Sunday – 10:30 a.m. All Are Welcome!  Interactive, Online This Sunday, June 7, 2020 Trinity Sunday Preaching: Rev. Rich Gamble Worship leaders: Rev. Lauren & Rev. Yuki Text: Matthew 28:16-20 Theme: No Easy Road We currently meet online for interactive worship through the Zoom Meetings platform. The link to the worship service is mailed through the newsletter every Sunday morning. Want to invite someone to worship with us? Send them the Sunday newsletter cheat sheet, or invite them to subscribe to our newsletter through our web site by clicking here: http://www.keystoneseattle.org/contact. SUNDAY SCHEDULE: Our Sundays together begin with Sunday School & Storytime with Teacher Anita at 10 a.m.. Children and families spend 20 minutes in a Zoom Breakout Room with Teacher Anita, then return to for worship, which begins at 10:30 a.m. Also at 10 a.m., folks can hang out for a "Bring Your Own Coffee ☕ (half) hour" where we have some time to see each other and talk before worship. After worship, we'll also have about 20 minutes for connection and sharing together in Breakout Rooms.  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.  Did you miss worship last Sunday? You can watch the sermon from Pastor Rich and also Pastor Lauren's introduction to our Prayers of the People, from our May 17, 2020, online worship service. Use this video as part of your practices of prayer and reflection this week.  May 31 sermon on Acts 2:1-8: Breaking Open Barriers Prayers of the People for May 31, 2020 Benediction for May 31, 2020 Keystone’s Paisley Maschmeier is approaching her graduation from Roosevelt High School!  Updated date for on-line ceremony is June 18, 8:30-9:45 p.m.!  Paisley is the current poet laureate of Roosevelt, so she is reading one of her poems in the on-line ceremony (we'll have a link for that ceremony soon, so save the date!)  We celebrate all of Paisley’s incredible accomplishments, including her leadership in environmental justice both at school and with church, and her acceptance to University of Washington! Sandie has been in at Swedish Hospital Ballard, then transferred to ICU at First Hill, from dizziness, a fall, and what has been determined to be pnuemonia, but is now thankfully really recovering well.  Since visiting is restricted, and so far Bill has not been even able to visit to bring her glasses or cell phone, let's send love through the phone.  Sandie said calls are welcome (currently: 7th floor:  ask for Sandie Schumacher’s room) 206-215-3408. Nell’s family and nurses at NorthHaven helped determine she needed to get to Overlake Hospital last week.  Her hip pain as well as weakness and dehydration was increasing.  She has now been in great recovery, with antibiotics for an infection, and  is tackling physical therapy, and in good spirits and will be going home soon with Nathan and Theresa to stay close to them as she recovers.  Keep the prayers coming, and cards can be mailed to her Northaven address, and will be brought to Nell. Keep the prayers surrounding Michael Richey as he recovers from surgery, after unexplained internal bleeding.  He is doing well, and Dorothy and her daughters are so grateful for checking in, and all the continued good thoughts. Our prayers also keep going out:  To the people who protested in Seattle during the weekend, who tried to keep the event peaceful, and to those at the march speaking truth to power.  To Black family members and friends who lives are threatened daily by racism in the US. To those risking their health to work during the pandemic. To those lamenting the cycles of violence affecting our nation, for people suffering under police tactics that have no accountability, and to those who are angry about the racism in the US. We pray for peace and for understanding and the courage to speak openly about racism, injustice, and the history of slavery in the US. We pray for calm and a time for spirits to heal.  Holy God ... hear our prayers! We are especially encouraging each other to send Rev. Lauren a note with a prayer you might like incorporated into our online worship. If you might be comfortable with it included in our prayers, but not necessarily want to unmute yourself, and share it verbally, your prayers can be folded in with the prayers. You can also add your prayers to the Zoom chat box during worship and we will speak them aloud for you. All prayers are welcome, at any time. Have prayers you want to include in the newsletter? Email Yuki (yuki.schwartz@keystoneseattle.org), Rich (keystone5019@gmail.com), & Lauren:  lauren.cannon@Keystoneseattle.org   Text/ call Lauren cell:  773.501.7382 Join the Housing Alliance to support #BlackLivesMatter campaign The Washington Low-Income Housing Alliance sent out an email this week declaring their solidarity with the people and movements worldwide demanding justice for the murder of George Floyd, and denouncing the systems that devalue Black lives and that led to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Charleena Lyles, and countless others.  In their email, the Housing Alliance stated, "We recognize that white supremacy and systemic racism that are so rampant in our country have created racist policies that allow these killings to happen. And we understand that these same structures create the racist policies that cause Black people to experience homelessness, evictions, and housing instability at disproportionate rates. "Achieving our mission requires us to fight for equity and racial justice in the housing system and do everything we can to dismantle racism more broadly. We recommit to this work and pledge to be better allies in the broader movement for racial justice. To start, we join Black Lives Matter in calling for a redistribution of resources, away from police and toward investments in the health and prosperity of our communities: #DefundThePolice." You can join the Housing Alliance by clicking the #DefundThePolice link to sign a petition supporting #BlackLives Matter in this campaign. Updates Two quick updates on recent actions. The Keystone Take 5 advocates recently asked Keystone members to call and write to state officials to ask for an extension on the eviction moratorium, to help keep people in their homes during the economic crisis that arrived with the pandemic. On Tuesday, June 2, Gov. Inslee extended the Washington state eviction moratorium for 60 days, to August 1. Thank you to everyone who called and emailed the governor's office. The 43rd Dems Environmental Caucus letter urging the Seattle City Council to create progressive taxation to address the economic damage done by the Covid-19 pandemic, plus to help fund green jobs, was sent to Mayor Durkan and the Council with 125 sign-ons, representing all seven council districts. Thank you to everyone who signed! Arlene's Optimism Walk Update From Arlene: Thank you for donating to the American Parkinsons Disease Association Optimism Walk. Together we have raised $855! All the walkers combined raised over $134,000 for the local northwest chapter. I actually wanted to skip this year's walk because I find it difficult to ask for donations, especially during this pandemic. Then I decided to let you decide for yourselves, if you could help out. I am super grateful for the many ways that our church supports each of us in our daily lives. Thanks for the many ways that you are walking with me on my journey. Thank you, Arlene, for letting us share your journey this year!  Keystone Justice Bible Study: TONIGHT at 6:30 p.m. Join the Justice Bible Study Group tonight as we continue our reading of Mark's gospel, tonight focusing on some healing stories in Chapter 1, verses 35-45. What does it mean to be healed? In light of events of this week, what does healing mean for a racist and violent world? The storytelling space opens up at 6:15 p.m., and storytelling will start at 6:30 p.m., in the same Zoom space we use on Sunday mornings and for our other gatherings (you'll find a Zoom cheat sheet coming along with this newsletter in your email, but if you have Sunday's emailed cheat sheet you can use that too!). Come for stories and conversation about the small things that changed you in a big way! The Pacific Northwest Conference's home for sharing news and information about goings-on in the conference is on GoogleGroups.  If you'd like to become a member of the Google Group, send an email to pncucc@gmail.com. Hear More About Your Pacific NW Conference The Pacific Northwest Conference is sharing a weekly series of conversations that will bring the work of the Conference, the successes, the challenges to you through video. Watch for these videos on the Conference's new Vimeo page: https://vimeo.com/pacificnorthwestucc. In the most recent video, Hillary Coleman, the PNC's current moderator, talks with Wendy Blight, the immediate past moderator for the PNC, about the work of the Board of Directors over the past year as part of our Annual Meeting 2020 series. Glance- down- the- Calendar Wednesday, June 3 (Tonight) and June 17: Justice Bible Study, 6:30 p.m. on Keystone Zoom. This is a new study where we'll read the Bible and start making links between our justice solidarities and our sacred stories, one Bible chapter at at time. You don't have to read in advance to join this study. Email Pastor Yuki for more info, yuki.schwartz@keystoneseattle.org. Reading for June 3: Mark 1:35-45. Wednesday, June 10 and June 24: Keystone Storytelling, 6:30 p.m. at Keystone's Zoom. Continuing the theme: A Small Thing That Had a Big Influence on My Life. Call or email Pastor Rich to sign up to tell a story (206.632.6021. or keystone5019@gmail.com). Learn more about storytelling here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bo3dpVb5jw  and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgeh4xhSA2Q. June 10's storyteller is Pastor Yuki. June 24's storyteller is Sheri Amundson. Sunday, June 7: Faith Action Network Puget Sound Spring Summit, 3 p.m on Zoom. Thursday, June 18: Graduation for Paisley Maschmeier from Roosevelt High School, 8:30-9:45 p.m. Link to online ceremony to come. Saturday, June 20: Poor People's Campaign Assembly and Moral March on Washington, 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. at June2020.org. RSVP at https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/june2020/.   Pat Becker - 6/3 Stan Jeppesen - 6/3 Rich Voget - 6/5 John Preson - 6/14 Amara Poindexter (Dan and Monica) - 6/18 Guppy Smith - 6/19 Rev. Jerry Chang - 6/25 Clara Havey (Hannah and Nick) - 6/27 (first year birthday!) 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 Barbara know additions/ omissions!    Keep an eye out here for upcoming Keystone Birthdays! Reaching Keystone UCC Pastoral Staff: Reach us at your Keystone church office: (206) 632-6021.  This phone is also checked remotely since all staff serve part-time. Pastor Rich is available Tuesday to Thursday mornings and Friday evenings, and holds additional office times on Saturdays and Sundays.  (Sabbath = Mondays.)  Not all of these times will Rich be in the church office. If you want to see him, it is best to make an appointment. Email him at keystone5019@gmail.com Pastor Lauren is on Sunday thru Friday half days (Sabbath = Saturdays). Email is a great way to line up a meeting: lauren.cannon@keystoneseattle.org  Pastor Yuki (they/them) is at church two Sundays a month and is available to meet by appointment (Sabbath = Fridays). Email them at yuki.schwartz@keystoneseattle.org. Click here for: Justice Leadership Programs- UCC LIKE Keystone UCC on Facebook Click here to read our Keystone blog at "Latest News" on our website Click here to bounce to Keystone UCC website Give your gift to support Keystone and its many ministries, including the Sacred Heart Shelter, and the Solar Panel Fundraiser. Click the PayPal button below or send your check directly to Keystone. You can also donate through the Pacific Northwest Conference of the UCC at pncucc.org/donate. ***** To submit content for inclusion, email Lauren & Yuki @keystoneseattle.org  addresses above.  Content must be received by Wednesdays at Noon. *****   ***** Next deadline for Newsletter announcement submissions: to Lauren & Yuki: Wednesday, June 10 @ Noon *****