Tomorrow is the first Sunday in Lent, and the beginning of the 40 days which lead to Easter. The middle school confirmation class will meet at 9am in the pastor’so ffice. Worship this season will interweave climate justice with themes od crucifixion and resurrection, beginning this Sunday with a send off for the seventeen people heading to Kenya next week. Rev. Lise Sparrow will share some of the challenges faced by a small village in Kenya where deforestation, flooding, and increasing heat have led to impoverishment of the past few decades. The church has supported this village, named “Kaiguchu” for its natural spring, for the past 13 years. The children of the church have prepared the story for the congreagtion and a special sacrament of communion will be shared as a reminder of the global connections which have been created through faith and mutual concern. The choir, under the direction of Peter Amidon, will offer three anthems, one with Amidon on guitar, telling the story of the deluge at the time of Noah, “Hakuna Mungu Kama Yeye” a swahili favorite of Wangari Maathai, and “Now Is the Cool of the day by jean Ritche.
After church the group will pack suitcases carrying donations of clothing, soccer balls, school supplies and the tools they will use to build a small sursery school. The travelers will also visit schools, telling the story of Wangari and teaching songs about our share humanity and to encourage care of creation. Donations can be sent to the churchat 38 Church DRive in Guilford 05301 or at the Kaiguchu Guilford Children’s Project Go Fund me Page. At 4pm the Interfaith youth group will gather in preparation for the summer trip to South Dakota.
The Lenten series focussed on Creation Justice will continue Tuesday at 7pm with a presentation by Jim Antal on how faith communities can work for change. Antal’s book CLIMATE CHURCH CLIMATE CHANGE has been the inspiration for churches around the nation to focus on the intersectionality of justice, race and creation.
Guilford Community Church, an Open and Affirming/Just Peace Congregation of the United Church of Christ, is fully handicapped accessible and committed to providing hearing assistance and ASL interpretation, if given notice ahead. The church is located one mile south of exit 1 on Route 5 just in back of the Guilford Country Store. For more information call 257-2776, check the website at www.guilfordchurch.org or friend us on Facebook at “Guilford Community Church”. Services are also filmed and can be found on BCTV Wednesday morning at 7am and Sunday mornings at 8am or anytime online at www.brattleborotv.or
Rev. Lise M. Sparrow
Guilford Community Church
United Church of Christ
802-257-2776 church
Website:guilfordchurch.org
802-345-3982 cell
lisemsparrow@gmail.com