Raymond Community Church UCC E-Newsletter

Special events for Raymond Community Church, UCC:

June 1, 2013

Worship time change is coming: As we do each June, we will switch worship times for the coming year with our Yoke Partner church, Union Grove Congregational, UCC. Beginning on Sunday, June 2. Our new worship time will be 9:00 am.

Dear Members and Friends of Raymond Community Church UCC:

Join us for our 9:00 a.m. worship service for the 9th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Where Rev. Jim Burd will be sharing his message The Tower of Babel. The Ushers for the week are Howard & Ardine Scott The Acolyte this week is Emily Ryan Our scripture lesson for this week is Genesis 11: 1-9 read by Jeanne Hahn. . For June, July, and August we welcome the Rev. Jim Burd as our Sabbatical Supply Pastor while Pastor Manda is on Sabbatical Renewal leave. Pastor Jim is available by phone, e-mail, and in person during these months while Pastor Manda is unavailable. He can be reached at: 262-743-2399 (home), 262-215-9608 (cell) or by e-mail at jkbehb@elknet.net.

In Our Prayers
Prayer is a powerful and important part of our faith lives. Psalm 66:1-9 tells us, Truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayers. We hold the following people and situations in our prayers: Howard Scott is recovering from an infection. Jean Hulbert is recovering from a fall. Bobbi Halstead-Knudtson is recovering from knee surgery. Mike Prochaska is being treated for pancreatic cancer.

Individual Highlights:
Activities Worship Attendance Calendar of Prayer Office Hours Page 2 Page 2 Page 3 Page 3

To add a name to the list, submit a prayer request form in the prayer box or submit your prayer request to the church office or Pastor Manda by e-mail or phone. We will keep the name of each person or situation on our prayer list for one month, unless otherwise notified. To respect privacy, please ensure that you have permission to share this prayer request.

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Raymond Community Church UCC E-Newsletter

Sunday, June 2
New worship time 9:00 am. Communion will be served.
Relay for Life May 31st-June 1st 6:00 pm At Racine County Fairgrounds A sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board to join Raymond Community Church in the fight against cancer. Donations can also be made for this event. If you have any questions please contact Carmen Kozelek at: 414-702-1944 or
Carmen.kozelek@ncogroup.com

Tuesday, June 4 Sunday, June 16

6:30 pm Raymond Church Council Meeting

Baptism of Emly Langenfeld(Hansen)

As our Wisconsin Conference UCC minister, Rev. Dr. David Moyer plans for his retirement this summer, there are some opportunities to share our thanks, including a worship and reception in Madison on Sunday June 23 in the evening, and donations to an endowment fund in his name to support our Wisconsin Church camps. Checks can be sent to the Wisconsin Conference UCC, PO Box 435, DeForest, WI 53532 (Memo: Moyer Endowment"). More information about the programs and endowment can be found at www.wcucc.org.

Monday, June 17

6:00 pm Faith Development Committee Meeting

Saturday June 22

Wedding of Karla Guinn and Paul Hanson .

Our Worship Attendance

April 28 May 5 May 12 May 19 May 26

65 59 45 24

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Raymond Community Church United Church of Christ 8217 W. Hwy G Franksville, WI 53126 Phone: (262) 835-2157 E-Mail: rcchurch@wi.net Were on the Web! Visit us at: raymondchurchucc.org Were on Facebook! Visit us at: facebook.com/RaymondCom munityChurchUCC

June 2, 2013 Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Second Sunday after Pentecost- Proper4)
Have you ever taken a walk just to clear your head? Mark Behle, missionary with Lesotho
Evangelical Church, tries to hike up a trail to Makhoarane Plateau once a month. On his treks, he usually starts to compare the journey he is taking with a faith journey. In some spots there are shortcuts people have made, Mark says. At first I tried a few, but have learned that the extra exertion expended rarely is worth it. As in life itself, in the long run, shortcuts often bring pain rather than gain. And as for faith, Im not aware of any shortcuts. As his climb continues, Mark finds more comparisons between his physical journey and the journey of faith we all travel in our own way. As I climb along the switchbacks, I move in and out of the shadows. Depending on the season and hour of the day, at times the shady spots offer a longed-for respite, while at other times the warmth of the sun is much to be preferred. Similarly, at times in my faith journey I need some cool, quiet solitude to meet with God, while at other times I need the warmth of Christian fellowship to strengthen, guide and encourage me, Mark says. Just as the saying goes, Mark also finds that we must stop and smell the flowers if we are to truly find the spirit of God in our lives. Prayer O Singer, your song is welcome and holiness, healing and trust. Teach us a new song to sing your praise, and tune our ears to melodies we have never heard, that we may add our voices to the harmony uniting all creation as one in adoration and thanksgiving of you, through Christ, your all-embracing song. Amen. 1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43 Psalm 96:1-9 Galatians 1:1-12 Luke 7:1-10 Kings 18:20-21 [22-29] 30-39 Psalm 96 Galatians 1:1-12 Luke 7:1-10

Our Mission: We seek to bear witness to the good news of Gods love for the Church and for the World as revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

VBS at Raymond Community Church. Contact Amy Beck or the office for more information.

Rev. Jim Burd Monday Wednesday

9:00 - 12:00 9:00 - 12:00 9:00 12:00 9:00 2:00

Union Grove Raymond Raymond Union Grove

Administrative Assistant
Monday/Wednesday/Friday Tuesday/Thursday

Dear New Friends & Old Friends: It will be my honor and pleasure to be your Pastor & Teacher during the time when Pastor Manda is away. My goal for the summer is simply to be your Pastor. That means I will see you on Sundays and I will be there for you at other times if you need Pastoral Care. I am excited about the Summer Sermon Series I will be sharing. It is entitled, Old Testament Stories and Characters. I think most of us have a rather childish view of the stories because most of our knowledge is from the same ten-year-old view we acquired when we were in Sunday School. If you don't have a church background, you still have some knowledge of Bible stories. The Bible was not written to present us with historic or scientific facts, but to help us to learn more about who we are as spiritual children of God. We are all God's children, you know, because God's Spirit is inside us and has been in us since we drew our first breath when we were born. Our purpose this summer will be to get drawn into the stories through the people in the scriptures. Our goal will be to enhance spiritual growth in each one of us. Come, join me in our summer Bible adventure! Rev. Jim Burd

The Siena Center of Racine offers a variety of excellent retreats for people of faith. Below is a list of summer retreats (weekend and week-long) at Siena Retreat Center, 5635 Erie St., Racine, WI on beautiful Lake Michigan. Retreats are a valuable means to step away from our usual routines for deep reflection, prayer, and rejuvenation. For more information contact www.SienaRetreatCenter.org. Costs include non-refundable deposit, accommodations and meals. Singing in the Hildegarden, Jun 13-16, beginning 7pm on Thurs, presenter: Susan Lincoln, founder of the Hilde Girls, $410. Join a circle of women for a retreat to uplift your spirit and sing excerpts from Hildegard of Bingens songs along with other inspiring, easy-to-learn songs. Even women who thought they couldnt sing have found their voices in this nurturing environment. Directed Retreat, Jun 16-22, beginning 3:30pm on Sun, directors: Byron Haaland, SCJ and Mary Anne Albert, SSSF; $465. An opportunity to meet daily with a spiritual director to share whats going on inside of you. The rest of the day is yours for your own private time- to pray, walk the beach, do art, whatever you need to grow in peace and wholeness. There is optional shared Eucharistic liturgy and common prayer. Opening to Peace: Opening to Compassion, Jun 16-22, Sunday-Saturday, presenters: Steve Rys and Pat Shutts, $465.
Spend the week allowing yourself to breathe, to create, to restore your spirit. Each day you can choose from these options: morning meditation (using various Eastern and Western methods), gentle Tai Chi, presentation on Chinese brus h painting, opportunity for one-on-one spiritual conversation, presentations on how to write simple poetry, and opportunity for reiki and massage.

Held in Gods Abundant Love: for women survivors of sexual abuse, June 20-23, 7:30pm Thurs noon meal on Sunday, Sharon Thyne and Patrick Griffin, $255. Financial assistance available. Participants will have an opportunity to move deeper into their own healing within a circle of kindred spirits on a similar healing journey. This retreat is designed to complement the psychotherapy process. Silent Directed Retreat, Jun 23-29, beginning 3:30pm on Sun, directors: Claudia Greco, and Maureen McDonnell, OP, and Clare Wagner, OP; $465. This retreat focuses on silence as a way to inner stillness, to listening to the still, small voice of the Holy One. Spiritual guidance and centering prayer will be a part of each day. Come to the Water, Jun 28-30, Friday Sunday, presenter: Kathleen Bohn, OP, $195. Come, drink deeply of the life-giving waters and refresh your soul in this serene and sacred environment on the shore of Lake Michigan. There will be communal prayer, labyrinth walking, centering prayer and opportunity to experience the contemplative/active balance needed in our spiritual journey. Above All Else: Be Prepared for the Gifts of God, Jul 7-12, Sunday Friday, presenter: Miriam Brown, OP, $425. Be drawn into the wonder and promise of our God whose love we prize Above All Else. Let the words of mystic Meister Eckhart illumine your lifes path, to see more clearly the Gifts of God around you and glowing deep within your true self. This is a silent retreat with opportunities for labyrinth meditation, guided journaling, art, and rituals around the theme, Let God be God in You.

Icon Retreat, Jul 7-13, Sunday Saturday, presenter: Maryam Gossling, FSPA, $465. Through the process of writing or painting an icon, one can enter into the mysteries represented by the image. Sr. Maryam will guide participants, step-by-step, in writing their own representation of either Hildegard of Bingen or Christ the Teacher. Contemplative Retreat for Women, Jul 14-20, Sunday Saturday, directors: Judy Chiodo, OSF; Paula Hirschboeck; Gail Ross; Pat Shutts; Linda Wieser, OSF; and Claudia Greco, $465. We turn inward for a week of silence and spiritual direction. We turn outward into the Great Turning of an evolving, sacred Universe. This retreat honors the active hope necessary for our creative response to Mysterys call to us from the future. A resource that will guide this retreat is Joanna Macys book, Active Hope. Optional holistic prayer (Tai Chi and yoga). Nurturing Lifes Blessings, Jul 21-27, Sunday Saturday, directors: Miriam Brown, OP; Mary Therese Johnson, OP; Diane Poplawski, OP; and Lorrita Verhey, SSND, and Linda Wieser, OSF; $465. Embrace and nurture lifes blessings in a retreat tailored to your individual encounter with the Holy. This retreat includes a daily meeting with a director, time for solitude, and the opportunity to gather with others for prayer. This years theme, Sacred Attention, will be the focus of morning and evening prayers. The Aramaic Words of Jesus, Jul 28- Aug 2, Sunday Friday, presenter: Joe Kilikevice, OP, $465. In probing the ancient Aramaic texts of Scripture previously accessible only to the scholars of the language Jesus spoke, the familiar and treasured words can be examined more closely. Translations bring to light the profound wisdom in the teachings of Jesus. Silence, contemplation, and sharing will contribute to experiencing the deep, and fertile wisdom found in the treasured words of Jesus. Brother Kilikevice is the founding director of the Shem Center for Interfaith Spirituality, Oak Park, IL. Nurture Your Mystical Nature, Jul 28-Aug 3, Sunday Saturday, $465. presenters: Jacquie Titus and Jennifer Grant. Chakras are energy connectors between our physical and spiritual natures. Experience spiritual practices and meditations to open yourself to the flow of Divine Love Energy which, over time, may heal and transform your life. This retreat will guide you in using chakras as developmental, spiritual stepping-stones to integrate thoughts, emotions, body, and spirit into the Source of Being.