October 20, 2023

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

A congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists &

the American Baptist Churches

INTERIM’S INSIGHTS

Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought of what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord.”

 Romans 12:17-19 (The New Revised Standard Version)

Since my last article, the world has changed. A fragile truce (we can’t really call it peace) was broken by hordes of HAMAS militants breaking through the barrier between Palestine and Israel, and conducting a terror campaign of murder, kidnapping and violation. In response, Israel launched rockets and bombarded Gaza into mostly rubble. Hundreds (perhaps by the time you read this it will be thousands) are dead on both sides. My heart aches…..again. I have dear friends who are Jewish, and I feel their pain, their frustration, their rage. I also know people who are connected to the Palestinians. And I know many who have been working for a solution to the “Palestinian Question,” committing time and energy and passion to that effort. And now it seems that the future is bleak. There are, at this writing (October 13) ultimatums and defiance being exchanged. Israeli leaders have promised vengeance. And leaders of other countries, the U.S. included, want to assert their friendship with Israel.

 But we in the U.S. have been down this road ourselves. In the agonizing days after 9-11, we turned our grief into retribution. We struck back hard, even in places that had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks, entangling our military in Afghanistan and Iraq. Our efforts to plant a new government there were futile and our exit from Afghanistan was a humiliation. If we would be a friend to Israel, perhaps, as we cry and lament the calamity that has befallen them, we should put our cultural arms around them, look them in the eye through tears and say, “This is not the way.”

 And no, I cannot put myself in their shoes. I have no frame of reference that gives me any insight as to what it is like to be the victim of genocide. I do not have parts of my family tree that were erased by Hitler’s “Final Solution.” But I do have some branches that were cut off by WWI. And I firmly believe that war is not what God wants. And I am deeply committed to making peace in this world…a peace that is more than the absence of violence. It must include justice and security, the right to exist and the right to move about freely, access to an economy that allows for prosperity. In short, Shalom.

 Make no mistake, HAMAS, and now Hezbollah should be made to answer for their crimes, and the Arab nations ought to be at the forefront of that effort. But for now, it is time to stop the shedding of innocent blood….no matter who is inflicting the wounds.

         Pastor Davis Sickelka, Interim Pastor 

 Pastor Dave’s Schedule

Pastor Dave will be in the office Tuesdays and Wednesdays through October. Do call to make sure he’s around before coming because a pastor’s schedule is always in flux.

 If you would like to make an appointment to speak to Pastor Dave in person, please call the church office at (810)767-4911 between 10:00 and 2:00 M-F, or email him at                            davidsickelka@peopleschurchofflint.org. If you have an urgent need for pastoral care outside of office hours, text or phone (515)720-6389.

Good Things Happening in and around us

Neighborhood Welcome...

OSA has decided to end our Tuesday and Thursday coffee and donuts Neighbors Welcome at the end of October.  Some people have mentioned an interest in continuing with a different activity for the winter season.  Please contact me if you have an idea for or interest in continuing to engage with our neighbors during the winter.

Karen Eaton 810-288-9036 

 Hat, Mitten & Sock Tree…

From now until  Sunday, December 17th. The church will be accepting donations of winter hats, mittens/gloves  and socks  to be placed on a Christmas tree until the time they are to be given away.  If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact  Jay Cummings  or the church office.

 Upcoming Affiliate & Community Activities

IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

Links are on the church calendar: t.ly/ALHB. Need more info? Just ask!

NEW Adult Forum Book… Starting this Sunday, August 13th, at 9:30 am we will be reading           White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America, by Anthea D. Butler. . Join us either in person at church or via Zoom.

 Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.

Text Alerts are available, go here to sign up!

October 06, 2023

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

A congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists &

the American Baptist Churches

INTERIM’S INSIGHTS

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, to be like us. Let them be stewards of the fish in the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, the wild animals, and everything that crawls on the ground.” God looked at all of this creation, and proclaimed that this was good – very good.

   (Genesis 1:26, 31 The Inclusive Bible)

The Neighbors in Need offering, which we will receive during the month of October, supports the UCC’s ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. Two-thirds of the offering is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries to fund a wide array of local and national justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects. Through our national Justice and Local Church Ministries office, https://tinyurl.com/2bfytatb, you can find resources, news updates, and action alerts on a broad spectrum of justice issues.

Working with members of the UCC Justice and Peace Action Network (a network of thousands of UCC justice and peace advocates), Justice and Witness continues its strong policy advocacy work on issues such as the federal budget, voting rights, immigration, health care, hate crimes, civil liberties, and environmental justice. Neighbors in Need also supports our American Indian  neighbors in the UCC. One-third of the offering supports the UCC’s Council for American Indian Ministries (CAIM).

 Historically, forebears of the UCC established churches and worked with Lakota, Dakota, Nakota, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arickara, and Hocak in North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, and northern   Nebraska. Today there are 20 UCC congregations on reservations and one urban, multi-tribal UCC congregation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These churches and their pastors are supported by CAIM. CAIM is also an invaluable resource for more than 1,000 individuals from dozens of other tribes and nations who are members of other UCC congregations in the U.S 

 As we pool our resources and contribute to this annual offering, we affirm the blessing of God on Creation. The grants from this fund go a long way toward making that blessing a reality for many who suffer from the results of our carelessness with creation. And as with most things these days, you can make your contribution online at ucc.org/nin.

        Pastor Davis Sickelka, Interim Pastor 

 Pastor Dave’s Schedule

Pastor Dave will be in the office Tuesdays and Wednesdays through October, with the exception of Oct. 18. Do call to make sure he’s around before coming because a pastor’s   schedule is always in flux.

If you would like to make an appointment to speak to Pastor Dave in person, please call the church office at (810)767-4911 between 10:00 and 2:00 M-F, or email him at                            davidsickelka@peopleschurchofflint.org. If you have an urgent need for pastoral care outside of office hours, text or phone (515)720-6389.

     Froggy Faith by Phiwa Langeni

( from the “Daily Devotional “ shared by Leslie Cummings)

 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35 (CEB)

 The backyard pond I inherited is the best thought detangler and distractor. The dozen or so goldfish playfully weave themselves between each other and the aquatic flora decorating and oxygenating their home. Amongst the fish and plants, I’ve  discovered three frogs that also hang out in and around the pond. Sometimes they’re sunbathing on the ledge of a rock or, my favorite, floating with relaxed limbs in the water with just their bubble-like eyes above the surface.

 The internet quenched my additional curiosities about frogs. For example, did you know that frogs don’t drink water? Instead, they hydrate by absorbing the water they need through their skin. Because of this, their environment is crucial for their health. It’s important for them to be near clean water. If the water is dirty or has too much salt, that could be dangerous or even fatal for the frog.

 My latest ponderments have me wondering about the various ways we humanfolk satisfy our thirsts. Beyond regularly drinking an appropriate amount of water, how are we intentionally cocreating environments that support and sustain health for ourselves and the world around us? How are we bettering the many forms of life in our care? What unexpected discoveries invite us into frivolous curiosity and restorative rest?

 Indeed, may these enigmatic amphibians and the world around them plunge us more deeply into faithful engagements with and in ours.

 Prayer

Oh, that we might be purposefully quenched by your living waters! Whether tending or being tended to, embolden us to satiate your desire for a just world for all.

Good Things Happening in and around us

Neighborhood Welcome...

OSA has decided to end our Tuesday and Thursday coffee and donuts Neighbors Welcome at the end of October.  Some people have mentioned an interest in continuing with a different activity for the winter season.  Please contact me if you have an idea for or interest in continuing to engage with our neighbors during the winter.

Karen Eaton 810-288-9036 

 Hat, Mitten & Sock Tree…

From now until  Sunday, December 17th. The church will be accepting donations of winter hats, mittens/gloves  and socks  to be placed on a Christmas tree until the time they are to be given away.  If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact  Jay Cummings  or the church office.

 Upcoming Affiliate & Community Activities

IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

Links are on the church calendar: t.ly/ALHB. Need more info? Just ask!

NEW Adult Forum Book… Starting this Sunday, August 13th, at 9:30 am we will be reading           White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America, by Anthea D. Butler. . Join us either in person at church or via Zoom.

 Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.

Text Alerts are available, go here to sign up!

September 22, 2023

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

A congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists &

the American Baptist Churches

INTERIM’S INSIGHTS

My sisters and brothers, what good is it to profess faith without practicing it?

Such faith has no power to save.

If any are in need of clothes and have no food to live on, and one of you says to them,

“Goodbye and good luck.

Stay warm and well-fed,” without giving them the bare necessities of life, then what good is this?

So it is with faith. If good deeds don’t go with it, faith is dead.

  (James 2:12-14,The Inclusive Bible)

Christians have a hard time with “works.” We learn, from those who have gone before us and from wise saints among us now, that God’s grace is a gift, and that no one can “earn” their way into heaven by good deeds. It is a matter of faith and trust that salvation comes to us. But at the same time, Matthew 25 tells us that if we ignore the needs of “the least of these” we have ignored Jesus. The parable of the Good Samaritan tells us that stopping to help is the way that we “prove neighbor” to those who need us, fulfilling the requirement to love our neighbors.

Part of the difficulty, I think, is that for hundreds of years the Protestant/Catholic divide encouraged us to adopt an “us/them” attitude. Protestants pointed to the rituals and sacraments of “the Mother Church” as evidence that they did not believe in grace. Catholics looked at married clergy and the abandonment of tradition as evidence that Protestants were not part of the fold, and so, outside of God’s grace. It is way more complicated than that, but the point is, we wrestle still with how to embody our faith without making that embodiment a condition of God’s love.

We at Peoples Church have taken seriously the words of James quoted above. We understand the importance of acting in the world with compassion and justice. We put our faith into practice by providing for those in need. We regularly hand out bus passes, food, water, coffee, donuts, and smiles. We remember the names and family members of those we help. We pay utility bills, rent, and medical bills for those who can’t afford to do it on their own. The primary fund for that is the Pastor’s discretionary fund, and we encourage all of our folk to support it with special gifts. The need for this resource is deep and ongoing.

But that is not what makes us God’s people. It does not get us into heaven or out of hell. It is mostly a response to knowing who and whose we are. We have the means to help and we follow a Savior who gave us the revelation of how loving others is supposed to work. So if the God who first loved us, who refuses to give up on us, who enriches our lives with grace and peace has shown us how important it is to love others, then why on earth would we not do that? And how better to do that than to give others what they need?

So we can assert that salvation is the free gift to all God’s children and at the same time affirm that “works,” or acts or charity still are the sign and evidence of a life of faith. May God bless all of our sharing so that faith might grow. Amen.

       Pastor Davis Sickelka, Interim Pastor 

 Pastor Dave’s Schedule

Pastor Dave will be in the office Tuesdays and Wednesdays through Sept. and Oct. but do call to make sure he’s around before coming because a pastor’s schedule is always in flux.

 If you would like to make an appointment to speak to Pastor Dave in person, please call the church office at (810)767-4911 between 10:00 and 2:00 M-F, or email him at                            davidsickelka@peopleschurchofflint.org. If you have an urgent need for pastoral care outside of office hours, text or phone (515)720-6389.

   Narcan Administration Training

 “The Narcan administration training that was scheduled for September 17th will be held this Sunday, September 24th instead following our worship service (with allowance for time to get coffee and snacks!!!)

If you are someone who helps on the plaza or who deals with the public in your community, this training can be of great help to you and the people you serve. The training only takes 30-45 minutes.”

Thanks, Pastor Dave

Good Things Happening in and around us

 Upcoming Affiliate & Community Activities

IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

Links are on the church calendar: t.ly/ALHB. Need more info? Just ask!

NEW Adult Forum Book… Starting this Sunday, August 13th, at 9:30 am we will be reading           White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America, by Anthea D. Butler. . Join us either in person at church or via Zoom.

 Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.

Text Alerts are available, go here to sign up!

September 08, 2023

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

A congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists &

the American Baptist Churches

INTERIM’S INSIGHTS

I, Wisdom, am the habitat of sound judgment; the source of clear thinking.

To revere YHWH is to abhor evil.

I despise pride and arrogance, corrupt behavior and deceptive words.

I have good counsel and sound judgment; I have understanding and power as well.  Rulers reign because of me, and administrators issue just judgments.

Because of me governors govern well, and the noble apply justice.

I love those who love me; and those who seek me out zealously find me.

 (Proverbs 8:12-17,The Inclusive Bible)

Over the years, I have written many “Back to School” articles for newsletters. The process of educating our children (and many of our adults) is so complicated and life-changing, that a whole lot of time, energy and resources is devoted to it. Every household with school-aged   children has to buy supplies, clothes, lunch tickets and candy bars (to fund band trips and athletic teams). It is clear that we still value educating our kids, no matter what the political  pundits say.

 But this year, I am more inclined to point to something more useful to all of us than a formal education – wisdom. In the Hebrew scriptures, Wisdom is personified, always as a woman calling to those who are “simple” or “foolish.” There is a whole category of literature in our scripture that has the label of “Wisdom.” Proverbs is in that category. It reminds us that while it is important to develop our intellect, we must also pay attention to how we use it. Human history is checkered with the horrors of experimentation on humans, the enslavement of humans, the exploitation of living things and the earth itself. We continue to launch into space the machines created by some very smart people but give no thought to the dangers all of that space junk poses for future launches.

 The exercise of the intellect without wisdom is a recipe for disaster. And yet, we do not seem to value wisdom. We rush to develop technologies for self-driving vehicles and artificial intelligence with little reflection on how such technology may impact our culture.

 Wisdom, says the Proverb, loves those who love her, and can be found by those who zealously seek her. I hope and pray that all of those who are engaged in formal education develop a love of learning and, more importantly, a love of wisdom. Amen.

       Pastor Davis Sickelka, Interim Pastor 

 Pastor Dave’s Schedule

 Pastor Dave will be out of town September 8-15. He plans to be in the office Sept. 19, 20, 26 and 27 but do call to make sure he’s around before coming because a pastor’s schedule is always in flux.

 If you would like to make an appointment to speak to Pastor Dave in person, please call the church office at (810)767-4911 between 10:00 and 2:00 M-F, or email him at                            davidsickelka@peopleschurchofflint.org. If you have an urgent need for pastoral care outside of office hours, text or phone (515)720-6389.

Good Things Happening in and around us

 Upcoming Affiliate & Community Activities

IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

Links are on the church calendar: t.ly/ALHB. Need more info? Just ask!

NEW Adult Forum Book… Starting this Sunday, August 13th, at 9:30 am we will be reading           White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America, by Anthea D. Butler. . Join us either in person at church or via Zoom.

 Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.

Text Alerts are available, go here to sign up!

August 25, 2023

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

A congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists &

the American Baptist Churches

INTERIM’S INSIGHTS

“Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in   prison, as though you were in   prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured”

(Hebrews 13:1-3, NRSV)

As the Letter to the Hebrews draws to a close, its author (we don’t know who wrote it) wants to impart some last words of advice and blessing. I find it to be good advice for our time as much as it must have been back then: Love each other, be hospitable to people you don’t even know, don’t forget about people who are incarcerated or are being tortured.

In our society, like a lot of others, there seems to be an expectation that when someone gets a prison sentence, they no longer deserve our care or attention. The same thing happens when the elderly go into a care facility….out of sight out of mind. But there is nothing in our religious traditions that encourages this forgetfulness. In fact, it seems that scripture depicts God as being especially attentive to the prayers of the incarcerated. The Hebrew word for “redeemer” implies that God functions as the one who buys the freedom of the prisoners, not exactly like paying bail, but not too far from it.

In our congregation, we pray every Sunday for our members who are incarcerated. We don’t identify them as such, but we do say their names. I’m wondering now if not identifying their situation is a good idea. How can we remember them as if we are with prison with them if we don’t know that’s why they are on our prayer list? How can we support their families, advocate for their rights, work for their release, if we don’t know they are there?

Elsewhere in this edition, you will see a promotion for a Rally in Support of 2nd Look legislation. It is a proposed change in our state laws to provide a mechanism for the review of the sentences of those who are serving life without parole. The need for such changes is partly due to mandatory sentencing requirements that were often inappropriate, partly due to advances in our understanding of brain development, and partly due to cases in which there is clearly rehabilitation of the offender. The proposed legislation would not automatically let people out of prison, just provide for a review of sentences and a consideration of changes in how we view potential risks and weigh them against the individual’s maturity and rehabilitation. Collectively, we can decide what is the best path forward for all involved.

Peoples Church is hosting the rally because this is a justice issue that doesn’t get much press, due to the stigma and fear that attaches to those who we sent into the prison system. But if we remember them, remember them as if we were in prison with them, we might think about this differently.

So the next time we join together in prayer on a Sunday morning (or whenever you access the recorded version), pay special attention to the names Lawon, Mark, Gabriel, Jamie and Myreon, (Earl is still on our list, but is now paroled.) and remember them as if you were in prison with them. Amen.

      Pastor Davis Sickelka, Interim Pastor 

 Pastor Dave’s Schedule

Pastor Dave will be out of town August 24-30 to attend a class reunion. He will also be out of town September 8-14. He plans to be in the office Sept. 5, 6, 19 and 20, but do call to make sure he’s around before coming because a pastor’s schedule is always in flux.

 If you would like to make an appointment to speak to Pastor Dave in person, please call the church office at  (810)767-4911 between 10:00 and 2:00 M-F, or email him at                            davidsickelka@peopleschurchofflint.org. If you have an urgent need for pastoral care outside of office hours, text or phone (515)720-6389.

Good Things Happening in and around us

 Upcoming Affiliate & Community Activities

National Lifers of America, Inc. is at Flint Michigan.

Drawing inspiration from the success of our Local Chapter 1024 and the impactful Citizens for Second Look event on July 22 in Detroit, we're thrilled to announce our upcoming event at the Peoples Church of Flint, located at 503 Garland Street, Flint.

Prepare for an engaging and enlightening day with an impressive lineup of speakers including, but not limited to, Representative O’Neal, Johnell Allen-Bey, Leon El Alamin, Lorenzo Harrell, Jack Wagner, and Gregory Wines. And guess what? We're keeping our Emcee under wraps for now – stay tuned for the exciting reveal!

Expect much more than just talks – there will be giveaways, children's activities, and even clothing up for grabs. Join us as we dive into Second Look Legislation, fostering both education and community interaction. Our events thrive on community   involvement, and we look forward to welcoming individuals from all walks of life on Saturday, September 16, from 11 am to 1:30 pm.

Be a part of the movement for criminal legal reform – show your support, relish complimentary hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, and beverages, and engage with your community while learning about the importance of Second Look legislation.

IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

Links are on the church calendar: t.ly/ALHB. Need more info? Just ask!

NEW Adult Forum Book… Starting this Sunday, August 13th, at 9:30 am we will be reading           White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America, by Anthea D. Butler. . Join us either in person at church or via Zoom.

 Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.

Text Alerts are available, go here to sign up!

August 11, 2023

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

A congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists & the American Baptist Churches

INTERIM’S INSIGHTS

“Don’t you even fear God? We are only paying the price for what we have done, but this one has done nothing wrong!”

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your glory.”

   (Luke 23:40b-43, The Inclusive Bible)

His name was Kevin Wagner and August 23rd will mark the first anniversary of his death. He died on our plaza just outside the door of our main entrance. I realized recently that many of our members never knew about this, so I thought I ought to make you all aware of it.  He died of toxic levels of cocaine and fentanyl in his body – an overdose. His death, like most deaths of this type, was ruled an accident. We might quibble about that, assuming that he chose to put those substances in his own body, in effect taking his own life, or that someone laced his cocaine with the fentanyl, poisoning him with at least depraved indifference (I am a fan of Law & Order so I know these things). But for now, the ruling of the M.E. stands. Accidental Death…preventable for sure…but accidental.

 Kevin’s death was witnessed by people across the street and it upset them terribly. Death is  always hard to see, even when it is a “welcome” relief. Our neighbors saw it and some thought we should not have subjected them to it. That is understandable. It was also captured by our security cameras. So some of us saw it after the fact. It was hard for us to watch as well.

Luke preserves for us an exchange between two thieves and Jesus, all crucified together outside the gates of Jerusalem. One of the thieves derides Jesus, expecting that if he was who he claimed to be, he ought to stop their suffering and save them. The other thief intervenes, resigned to his fate and accepting responsibility for his own end. But then he adds something odd: “Remember me,” he says to Jesus, “When you come into your glory.” (Some translations say “Kingdom.”). It’s odd because Jesus is in the same predicament they are! He is hanging on a cross, about to die. Does the second thief believe in resurrection? Does he think God will swoop down and rescue Jesus? Why is it important that he be remembered, if not spared death?

 Culturally, most Jews of that time understood that being remembered was the same as continuing to live. That’s why oral versions of genealogy were incorporated into written scripture. The worst thing that could happen to a Jew was to die without anyone to remember them – to be “Cut off” from the community. Today, we do our remembering differently. We place headstones in cemeteries and we create monuments and endow scholarships, but most of us do hope, even if that hope is a little irrational, that we will be remembered.

So I’ve made a note to myself for August 23rd. I’ll probably step out onto the plaza for a few  moments and remember Kevin….someone I don’t think I even met….and I’ll probably say a  prayer and think about people struggling with addictions and with being without a place to sleep.

And I’ll be more attentive to the signs that Jesus is coming into his glory. Amen.

     Pastor Davis Sickelka, Interim Pastor 

 Pastor Dave’s Schedule for august

Pastor Dave will be in Flint on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the next couple of weeks, but will be out of town August 24-30 to attend a class reunion. Always call to make sure he’s around before coming because a pastor’s schedule is always in flux.

If you would like to make an appointment to speak to Pastor Dave in person, please call the church office at (810)767-4911 between 10:00 and 2:00 M-F, or email him at davidsickelka@peopleschurchofflint.org. If you have an urgent need for pastoral care outside of office hours, text or phone (515)720-6389.

Good Things Happening in and around us

Michigan Conference Minister to Speak at Peoples Church of Flint

The Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel  will speak at the regular service of worship at Peoples Church on this coming Sunday, August 13th. Rev. Dr. Daniel routinely visits and preaches at the worship services of the churches of the Michigan Conference of the United Church of Christ. Peoples Church is especially aware of the benefits of being connected to our denominations as we continue in the search process for our new minister. Please plan to be in attendance on this Sunday to hear a message of hope and inspiration.

 Pastor Search Committee Update...The search continues, even on lazy hot summer days!

We are actively reviewing resumes and Zooming with candidates. The process of discernment - finding a match between a Pastor and our congregation that allows both to grow and become something new - is hard and joyful at the same time.

We find ourselves challenged. We are learning, growing, and finding ways to be open so we can move forward with love and honesty as we journey together.

We are grateful for your support, prayers, and patience while we continue along this path to new beginnings.

 Upcoming Affiliate & Community Activities

IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

Links are on the church calendar: t.ly/ALHB. Need more info? Just ask!

NEW Adult Forum Book… Starting this Sunday, August 13th, at 9:30 am we will be reading           White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America, by Anthea D. Butler. . Join us either in person at church or via Zoom.

 Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.

Text Alerts are available, go here to sign up!

July 28, 2023

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

A congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists & the American Baptist Churches

INTERIM’S INSIGHTS

“A voice commands, “Cry out!” and I answer, “What will I say?”

“All flesh is grass and its beauty is like the wildflowers:

The grass withers and the flower wilts when the breath of YHWH blows on them. How the people are like grass! Grass withers and flowers wilt,

But the promise of our God will stand forever.”

   (Isaiah 40:6-8, The Inclusive Bible)

It’s about the time of year that I begin to count on a little bit of a reprieve from yard work. The heat of summer induces dormancy in the grass, even if it stays green. It doesn’t grow as fast and my once-a-week mowing drops back to every 10-14 days. The hedges are trimmed by now and the gardens are shifting from needing to be weeded to needing to be dead-headed. And it gets hot. If there are still any climate change deniers out there, I invite them to come and work in my yard, or better yet, go to the fields in California and risk their lives alongside the farm workers, who can’t afford NOT to be in the furnace that our atmosphere has become. The heat domes are no longer limited to desserts and equatorial locations, but are wreaking havoc in the meccas of retirement communities and European vacation spots like Corfu and Greece. The sun has  become a threat to our lives instead of the source of life!

The 40th Chapter of Isaiah is apt for us to read in this climate of change. It begins what most  Bible nerds refer to as Second Isaiah, and yes, I quoted it last month also (Thanks for noticing). Judah was still reeling from a national disaster: a devastating war, a siege of Jerusalem, starvation and disease and deportation. They had seen the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the destruction of their beloved Temple. First Isaiah saw it coming and spoke a message of God’s judgment – the same God that blessed them with life now cursed them with death – or so it seemed.

Second Isaiah brings a message that opens the possibility of a different understanding. God is offering vindication, a new beginning, a path in the wilderness. Isaiah-the-second is charged with a task: “Cry out!” The Prophet’s response is (like mine on many a Saturday night!) “What will I say?” And then, the text becomes ambiguous. We cannot be sure if what follows is God’s answer to the Prophet or if the Prophet continues ruminating on the futility of life. Grass fades, flowers wither, the breath (or Spirit or wind) of God is incompatible with life! How the people are like grass before God’s angry judgment. But the judgment is not the last word, and maybe wasn’t even there when the worst possible thing came to be. In the heat of the moment, it seemed a lot like judgment, but now, maybe…just maybe, we mistook misfortune and tragedy for God’s punishment.

Peoples Church has had its share of misfortune. You all know more about that than I do. It may seem as though there is a judgment connected with that, when in fact, it is more about the opportunities that have been opened for us. Whatever we might have lost or left behind, the “word” or “promise” of God has never left us!

So while the grass and flowers may have wilted a bit (or a lot) in the intensity of the summer heat, there is still work to do! There are still people who need to hear the message of hope that we carry. There are still people who languish in prisons of the criminal justice system, of the chains of violence and addiction, of the callousness of systems and structures that dehumanize them. There are still people who know only judgment from those who carry the banner of religion. It is our job to raise our voices and say, “Here is your God!”  Amen.

    Pastor Davis Sickelka, Interim Pastor 

 Pastor Dave’s Schedule for august

Pastor Dave will be in Flint on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the first three weeks of August. Please do call the church office to make sure, because a pastor’s schedule is always in flux.

If you would like to make an appointment to speak to Pastor Dave in person, please call the church office at (810)767-491 between 10:00 and 2:00 M-F, or email him at david.sickelka@peopleschurchofflint.org. If you have an urgent need for pastoral care outside of office hours, text or phone (515)720-6389.

Good Things Happening in and around us

 Michigan Conference Minister to Speak at Peoples Church of Flint…

The Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel  will speak at the regular service of worship at Peoples Church on Sunday, August 13th. Rev. Dr. Daniel routinely visits and preaches at the worship services of the churches of the Michigan Conference of the United Church of Christ. Peoples Church is especially aware of the benefits of being connected to our denominations as we continue in the search process for our new minister. Please plan to be in attendance on Sunday, August 13th to hear a message of hope and inspiration.

 Upcoming Affiliate & Community Activities

IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

Links are on the church calendar: t.ly/ALHB. Need more info? Just ask!

Adult Forum, meets at 9:30 am on Sunday’s. Starting Sunday, March 19th we will be reading      The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones. Join us either in person at church or via Zoom .

 Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.

 New Text Alert System. We have shifted to a new text messaging service. If you're in our church directory, you're all set. If you're not, go here to sign up!

July 14, 2023

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

A congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists & the American Baptist Churches

INTERIM’S INSIGHTS

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? YHWH is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. This God does not faint or grow weary; with a depth of understanding that is unsearchable. God gives strength to the weary, and empowers the powerless. Young women may grow tired and weary, young men may stumble and fall, but those who wait for YHWH find a  renewed power: they soar on eagles’ wings, they run and don’t get weary, they walk and never tire.”

 (Isaiah 40:28-31, The Inclusive Bible)

The middle of July is for the most part unremarkable. There are no holidays or celestial occurrences that give us reason to wonder at the mystery of creation. But for me, there is an anniversary that alters how I think about my role among you: It has been a year since I began working at Peoples Church as your interim minister. There is nothing inherently remarkable about that, except that the average search process takes about 18 months (That’s a pre-Covid number, so don’t hold me to it!). If Peoples Church holds to that average, and there is no reason to think that it won’t, then I don’t have a lot of time to tick off all the things on my to-do list! But then, I work better under pressure, so in the grand scheme of things, it’s all for the best!

The 40th Chapter of Isaiah is a good place to read for me at this time. It begins what most Bible nerds refer to as Second Isaiah. Second Isaiah was the Interim Prophet. There had been the worst possible disaster: a devastating war, a siege of Jerusalem, starvation and disease and   deportation. First Isaiah saw it coming and spoke a message of judgment. Second Isaiah saw the coming of a new era: the return of the exiles and a time of rebuilding. “Prepare the Way of the Lord, make straight a highway in the dessert, the exiles are coming home!” Now Peoples Church has not been through anything like what Judah had been through. A change in ministerial leadership is normal in the life of a congregation. But the congregation can feel a little like they are in exile in the time of transition. It is exhausting to have to defer programs and decisions to a nebulous and uncertain future. Decisions that can’t be put off have to be made provisionally, wasting precious volunteer time and energy.

So the message of Second Isaiah is apt: Wait on the Lord. It is not just a new minister that we are waiting for, it is the Creator of the ends of the earth, One who does not grow tired or weary or frustrated or anxious. Our job is to cultivate and exercise our faith, so that it remains strong, so that we can discern God’s will, so that we can tap into that vision of ministry that animates and excites us. In your Garland Declaration, you chose a passage (well, Jesus chose it first, but you chose it for your own) from Third Isaiah. You committed to the garland of flowers, the oil of gladness, a cloak of praise. I know it’s hard to remember that when you are bone tired and out of ideas or inspiration, but it is still who you aspire to be.

For my part, my work will gradually shift to preparing the way for the one God is sending. I will be making sure that the transition is a smooth one, that pastoral care needs, passwords, contact information and resources are readily available. But most of all, that you all are enthused and excited for what God is about to make happen as you put yourselves at God’s disposal. We are still waiting. There is a lot of work to be done. We have good and gifted people with their hearts in the right place and their shoulders to the wheel. With faith in the God who makes all things new. We forge ahead, making the most of the time we have, and looking forward to the time when we soar like eagles. Amen.

   Pastor Davis Sickelka, Interim Pastor 

 Pastor Dave’s Schedule for july

Pastor Dave will be in Flint on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Please do call the church office to make sure, because a pastor’s schedule is always in flux.

If you would like to make an appointment to speak to Pastor Dave in person, please call the church office at (810)767-4911 between 10:00 and 2:00 M-F, or email him at david.sickelka@peopleschurchofflint.org. If you have an urgent need for pastoral care outside of office hours, text or phone (515)720-6389.

  Join the Movement Toward Radical Justice

 Jay and I traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana June 30th to July 3rd for the UCC’s General Synod 34. Over 2000 people were gathered there.

As part of General Synod 34, there was a call to “Join the Movement”. The UCC is trying to become an antiracist church. Every setting of the UCC, from the local churches to global partners, has a role to play in expanding our practices of antiracism and strengthening our capacities as partners and participants in the burgeoning racial justice movements of our time. The movement for racial justice cannot be separated from faith commitments to do justice and love our neighbors. For information about this movement go to jointhemovementucc.org.

We attended a fundraiser dinner for Join the Movement which featured Ibram X. Kendi. He is the director of the Center for Antiracism Research at Boston University. He is also a history professor there. He wrote How to be an Antiracist which our Adult Forum group at Peoples Church has read. I have a video of his speech at Synod.

Another highlight was a luncheon we attended which had Bryan Stevenson as the speaker. He is the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative which is a human rights organization. He wrote Just Mercy which is also a book the Adult Forum members have read. He is responsible for establishing the Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery,   Alabama which is also known as the Lynching Museum. Members of the Adult Forum at Peoples Church traveled to Montgomery several years ago to experience the memorial. Bryan Stevenson can be heard if you google his name or go to YOUTUBE. Also I have a video of his speech at Synod.

The keynote speaker was Nadia Bolz Webber. She was familiar because she spoke years ago at the Michigan Conference. She is a Lutheran pastor and founder of House of All Saints and Sinners in Denver, Colorado. She has written several books and is considered a public theologian. At that time we took several cars of youth from Woodside Church on Court Street to hear her in Lansing. The high school church school class then read one of her books.

We went to a committee hearing on the Resolution, “Encouraging Plant Based Living”. You may recall that Pastor Deb originated that resolution in the Michigan Conference. It did make it through the committee and was debated on the floor of the Synod. It was, however, rejected. The main point was for it to be discussed for delegates to learn about the issue.

The new General Minister and President of the UCC is Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson. She was introduced at one of the sessions we attended. She is very impressive. This will be the first time the UCC will be led by a black woman.

In 2025 General Synod will be in Kansas City. We hope to be there!

Leslie Cummings, for the Environmental Justice Team

Good Things Happening in and around us

 Plaza Event Planner…The Patio & Grounds Committee is looking for a volunteer to act as an Event Planner. This person along with the P&G Committee will conceptualize, schedule and organize events to be held on the Plaza. If you’re interested in volunteering please see Dale Emery.

Upcoming Affiliate & Community Activities

IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

Links are on the church calendar: t.ly/ALHB. Need more info? Just ask!

Adult Forum, meets at 9:30 am on Sunday’s. Starting Sunday, March 19th we will be reading      The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones. Join us either in person at church or via Zoom .

 Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.

 New Text Alert System. We have shifted to a new text messaging service. If you're in our church directory, you're all set. If you're not, go here to sign up!

June 30, 2023

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

A congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists & the American Baptist Churches

INTERIM’S INSIGHTS

“For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

(Galatians 5:1  ,The New Revised Standard Bible)

With the celebration of Independence Day upon us, I want to start by wishing all of you a happy and thought-provoking holiday. Like most of the holy days of our civil religion, the Powers would prefer that we take the day off, grill a few hot dogs, shoot off some bottle rockets and call it a day. We are expected to pat one another on the back and celebrate the wisdom and courage and “right thinking” that prompted our rebellious predecessors to declare their independence. But don’t bother actually reading the document that enshrines that independence in our nation’s history and don’t think too hard about the revolutionary ideas upon which it is founded. If you do either of these things, you will discover how little we value our freedom and how easily we submit to the control of the Powers. After a brief introduction (one sentence) The Declaration begins with these words:

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—-That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government  becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness.  Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. 

We are, indeed, “More disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable.” We are also prone to second guess our own freedom or the freedom of others. The Hebrews in the wilderness began to long for the security of food and shelter that slavery had provided. Many in Jesus’ day were content to let the Romans have their day, having acclimated themselves to life under an occupation. How quickly did Reconstruction in the American South back-slide into Jim Crow and racist poverty to provide cover for those who wanted to deny freedom to those formerly enslaved. Freedom always looks good on paper, but the sin of enslavement is fiendishly resilient.

The writer of Galatians (Paul’s authorship of which is hotly contested) laments the fact that many in the church would return to a faith based on laws and punishment. Paul could well have expressed this thought, even if not in this letter. He had been a Pharisee before his conversion experience on the road to Damascus. The Pharisees typically thought that observing the law in the minutest detail would get God’s attention and restore Israel to its former glory (and kick out the Romans in the process). Paul (who was then called Saul) was so convinced of this, that he happily traveled from city to city, rooting out the Christians and convicting them of blasphemy, committing them to prison and even stoning them to death in the process (see Acts 8 & 9). Paul expresses tremendous guilt over this after his conversion. He saw his error as a mistaken belief that being a “slave” to the law was what God wanted when, in fact, it was what kept us from the joy of God’s Realm. We were freed from all that by Christ, why would we submit to that again?

Good question. But we find comfort in predictability and security in rules. And being free is a heavy responsibility. And the more I learn about history, the more amazed I am how often humans will voluntarily give up freedom in exchange for safety and security. (which, by the way, are highly over-rated!).

And if we think about it just a little, the truth becomes obvious (self-evident). All of the human family are equal, that is, of equal worth. There is no aristocracy that has superior intellect, wisdom, or physical prowess. That our Creator (not the Magna Carta or the monarch) has endowed us with the right to “life, liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” (altered from Descartes, who had written “the Pursuit of Property”). The justification and authority of government is the consent of the governed.

Whatever you think of our current government, the laws or court decisions that restrict or liberate us, or the current administration’s priorities and pitfalls, remember that your freedoms exist independent of all that. They are God-given. So don’t be afraid to embrace them. The alternative is live as a captive to earthly powers. Amen.

  Pastor Davis Sickelka, Interim Pastor 

 Pastor Dave’s Schedule for june & july

Except for Tuesday, July 4th, Pastor Dave will be in Flint on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Please do call the church office to make sure, because a pastor’s schedule is always in flux.

If you would like to make an appointment to speak to Pastor Dave in person, please call the church office at (810)767-4911 between 10:00 and 2:00 M-F, or email him at david.sickelka@peopleschurchofflint.org. If you have an urgent need for pastoral care outside of office hours, text or phone (515)720-6389.

   Where There is Love There is Hope

Recently, the Edgewood UCC in East Lansing made a contribution of $100,000.00 as a faith-based reparation grant  to the   Justice League of Greater Lansing to support education scholarships, home ownership  and business startup ministries.   The gift was supported with a substantial slice from the church’s endowment and after seven years of study and discussion in the congregation.  Edgewood partnered with All Saints Episcopal Church to share responsibility for a $200,000.00 pledge to the   Justice League’s reparation project.

The idea of reparation has been around a long time.  In the early 1970’s the UCC Synod met in Boston. To commemorate that event, the Massachusetts Conference, UCC committed a large amount of its endowment to the work of Civil Rights in establishing justice for minorities.  To be sure, that action caused considerable commotion among Massachusetts UCC   churches!

People still find reparation a tough pill to swallow.  (We just can’t stand giving money to someone who didn’t earn it. “Un-American,” say some.  And worst of all, we know what it means to earn what we have and we know who the people are who didn’t earn it.)  You know the racist script of privilege.  

The Lansing area churches learned a few things in their study.  Both congregations are predominantly white and don’t deny their privileged status. They studied the value of their members’ homes and compared that value to what the homes of minorities in those areas were valued.  In that study they received a picture of the significant discrepancy in the buildup of home equity over the years between whites and their non-white neighbors. That factor alone offers a reason to swallow the pill.

I offer this article to celebrate a happening in one of our sister churches that will probably and sadly not receive wide coverage. This story for me is also another source of a hope-beam which is hard to find in today’s news reports.  In our church there are shooting stars of hope in the work we do and support.  Praise be.  

 Kendall Brown, for the Creation Justice Team

Good Things Happening in and around us

The Pastoral Search Committee … continues our work.  We have concluded second interviews with some candidates and have more second interviews on our schedule.  We are busy conferring so that we can find the very best candidate for Peoples Church.  We hope to share our choice for our next pastor in the next few months.  We are grateful for your continued patience.  Please include the Search Committee in your prayers.

  Linda Angus, Search Committee Member

 Membership Classes have Started…

New Member Classes have started but you can still participate. Don’t worry if you missed the first class, we’ll gladly get you all caught up. Classes are scheduled for three Sundays in July, the 02nd, 09th, & 16th at 12:15 pm. If you are interested in participating, please contact the church office at (810)767-4911 or email info@peopleschurchofflint.org

 Plaza Event Planner…The Patio & Grounds Committee is looking for a volunteer to act as an Event Planner. This person along with the P&G Committee will conceptualize, schedule and organize events to be held on the Plaza. If you’re interested in volunteering please see Dale Emery.

Upcoming Affiliate & Community Activities

IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

Links are on the church calendar: t.ly/ALHB. Need more info? Just ask!

Adult Forum, meets at 9:30 am on Sunday’s. Starting Sunday, March 19th we will be reading      The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones. Join us either in person at church or via Zoom .

 Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.

 New Text Alert System. We have shifted to a new text messaging service. If you're in our church directory, you're all set. If you're not, go here to sign up!

June 16, 2023

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

A congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists & the American Baptist Churches

INTERIM’S INSIGHTS

“The eunuch said to Philip, ‘Tell me, if you will, about whom the prophet is talking – himself or someone else?’ So Philip proceeded to explain the Good News about Jesus to him. Further along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘Look, there is some water right there. Is there anything to keep me from being baptized?’ He ordered the carriage to stop; then Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.”

  (Acts 8:34-38, The Inclusive Bible)

Recently, while watching a documentary on Renaissance Art, I learned of a bridge in Renaissance Venice named after, how shall I put this….the most prominent feature of  a woman’s chest. It was so named because the city fathers (undoubtedly all men) were faced with a dilemma: Too many of their young men were falling in love with other men. (Yes, they saw a problem where we would say there was none, but that is what they thought.) So they enlisted the help of the local female sex workers to use a particular bridge to expose the men of the city to what they had to offer. As advertising campaigns go, this was destined for failure. But the bridge was named for its most notorious aspect and has the name still. It is a monument to the futility of conversion therapy.

We are sometimes so poorly educated in the history of civilization, that we begin to think that what we are experiencing in our time is new and outrageous. It’s closer to the truth to say that we keep the antics of our ancestors in the closet because they challenge the paradigms and mores by which we live and to which we have given a veil of normalcy. There have always been “non-conformists” among us, whether it be sexual orientation, gender identity or just outward appearance.

When Philip encounters a eunuch on the road (a situation brought about by God’s intel on where the eunuch would be at what time) he is confronted with a situation that tested his ability to be “open and affirming.” For Philip, there were some religious rules (all the rules came from God and so were “religious”) that kept the “gender non-conforming” in the background. Those who were serving in the households of the elite were often eunuchs so that there would be no possibility of hanky-panky, which is not to say that hanky-panky was prevented (but that is another topic!). The real concern of the religious leaders was that God was a God of purity and order, who brought the world into being by separating things (Light and darkness, Day and Night, Land and water, etc.). Thus, the way to remain in God’s good graces was to maintain that separation with rules keeping the “purity” of what God has separated (What God has separated, let no human put together…oh wait, maybe it’s the other way around!)

At any rate, when it came to what went on at the Temple, nothing defective or diluted or mixed together was allowed, including those with damaged or missing or extra body parts. The Ethiopian (i.e., black) Eunuch (i.e. non-gender conforming) knew this full well. He had just been to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. If he had tried to participate in the festival worship, he would have been turned away. What he could do was shop. (Even when they don’t let you in, you can always spend money in the gift shop!) So while he was there, he picked up a copy of the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah. Scrolls were incredibly expensive. They were hand copied and normally came in expensive boxes or pouches. So desperate is the Eunuch to find and experience God, that he unrolls the scroll before he gets home. He reads his precious scroll bouncing along in a chariot on a dusty road.

When Philip offers to expound on it, there is no question as to what the Eunuch will say. The question, persistent and nagging, is the result of scores of past exclusions and derision, jokes and insults. Because when it comes to the things that really matter, the marginalized are seldom  accommodated.

They come to the water. “So okay, Philip. You say that God’s Realm is here. You say that Jesus loves me enough to die for me. We’re here. Water is here. Put your baptism where your mouth is. Go ahead. I dare you.”

And then, the one who has known more cruelty than community, more insult than inclusion, more rejection than resurrection, is made one of the family. No wonder he goes on his way rejoicing.

Happy Pride. Amen.

 Pastor Davis Sickelka, Interim Pastor 

 Pastor Dave’s Schedule for june & july

Except for Tuesday, July 4th, Pastor Dave will be in Flint on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Please do call the church office to make sure, because a pastor’s schedule is always in flux.

If you would like to make an appointment to speak to Pastor Dave in person, please call the church office at (810)767-4911 between 10:00 and 2:00 M-F, or email him at david.sickelka@peopleschurchofflint.org. If you have an urgent need for pastoral care outside of office hours, text or phone (515)720-6389.

    Carbon Capture and Storage, A Solution or a Con and a Scam??

 What is CCS? It involves the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial processes, such as steal and cement production, or from the burning of fossil fuels in power generation. This carbon is then transported from where it was produced, via ship or in a pipeline, and stored deep underground in geological formations.

I have been hearing about carbon capture and storage lately. Fossil fuel industries are claiming CCS is the solution to reducing carbon. They say it is a way of resolving global warming.

However, according to my spring issue of “Livable Future Now” from Food and Water Action, this is a scheme the fossil fuel industry has come up with as a way to grow their industry. It will keep fossil fuel power plants running, furthering the climate crisis. In the process, it will impact our water, destroy productive agricultural land and pose a great public health and safety threat.

• Food and Water Action Lists 5 Reasons Carbon Capture is Bogus

• Carbon Transport and Storage are Unsafe

• Carbon Capture is an Expensive Failure

• Carbon Capture is Energy Intensive

• Carbon Capture Has Increased Emissions

• Carbon Capture Diverts Investments Away From Renewable Energy                                

There are three corporations that have proposed 3,650 miles of hazardous pipeline to cross Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. People in these states are being mobilized to urge utilities boards to deny permits for these projects.

So far Michigan is not one of these states involved in pipeline proposals. So this is a “heads up”. We don’t want to keep the US addicted to fossil fuels, degrade our agricultural land, threaten our water and put our communities and climate at risk. We need to say “No Thank You” to carbon capture storage!

 Leslie Cummings, for the Creation Justice Team

Stone, Dogma, Pride by Tom Travis

 Stones shaped long ago

set in mortar, firm and sure

eternal-like as the dogma that rises from within.

The bright colors of the new

a reflection of an evolving

deep and calm understanding

that are the complexities of us all

 The liturgist reads, "God is the same, yesterday, today and...."

But are they?

A spirit that breathes and flows into all shapes, angles and spaces

is not a rigid and unchanging god.

The dogma that convicts and condemns rises from the unchangeable printed words

from eons ago that do not reflect the ethos of the growing human and spiritual understanding.

Please - be who you are...there's nothing wrong with you...the Creator made you.

Good Things Happening in and around us

The Pastoral Search Committee… has been busy interviewing candidates, pondering, praying and then continuing with 2nd interviews.  WE are very encouraged by the quality of the candidates and look forward to sharing a final candidate with you in the next few months.  Please keep the Search Committee and the candidates in your prayers so the best match happens.

 Carla Pierik, Search Committee- Chair

 Membership Classes Available… New Member Classes will be held Sundays, from June 18 through July 9. If you are interested in participating, please contact the church office at (810)767-4911 or email info@peopleschurchofflint.org

 Plaza Event Planner…The Patio & Grounds Committee is looking for a volunteer to act as an Event Planner. This person along with the P&G Committee will conceptualize, schedule and organize events to be held on the Plaza. If you’re interested in volunteering please see Dale Emery.

 June Activities: 

Community Cooperative Relief Event, Saturday, June 24, at Peoples Church in Flint from. Karla Holliday is  helping us with this activity. 

 Flint Pride Festival,  Saturday, June 24 from 2 p.m. to  8 p.m. at the Riverbank Park/UM-Flint Pavilion and Rink. Peoples Church will have a booth at Pride Fest. If you'd like to take a shift of sitting at the table see Tom Travis to sign up (or text him at 810.348.5615 to let him know).

 An Annual Community Pride Service will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (711 S. Saginaw Street, Flint) at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 24. We're invited to share a time of prayer and reflection for love and inclusion.

“In these difficult times, we need mutual aid for our shared well-being. The multiple challenges of the pandemic, economic uncertainty, and continuing white supremacist and state violence have catalyzed community members to come together and help each other when the government can’t or won’t.

“In recent years, we have seen many examples of people working together to keep their communities safe and healthy through mutual aid.”  from American Friends Society Network

DATE CHANGE...  St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 711 South Saginaw St.  is hosting an American Red Cross Blood Drive on  Friday, July 07, 2023 11:00 AM - 4:45 PM. To participate, schedule an appointment, by visiting RedCrossBlood.org (sponsor code flintstpaul) or call 1-800-733-2767 Streamline your donation experience and save up to 15 minutes by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass to  complete your         pre-donation reading and health history questions. If you register early, you may be eligible to receive a special gift from the Red Cross. 

This event is being organized by our own Dr. Susumu Inoue, whose areas of expertise are Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology, Pediatric Hemophilia, and Pediatric Sickle Cell.

Upcoming Affiliate & Community Activities

IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

Links are on the church calendar: t.ly/ALHB. Need more info? Just ask!

Adult Forum, meets at 9:30 am on Sunday’s. Starting Sunday, March 19th we will be reading      The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones. Join us either in person at church or via Zoom .

 Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.

 New Text Alert System. We have shifted to a new text messaging service. If you're in our church directory, you're all set. If you're not, go here to sign up!