Thanks for taking a moment to check out these events in our shared life & the wider world.
If you’d like something included in an upcoming newsletter, please let Andrew know! You can reach him by email (office@waucc.org) or at 773-935-0642 (text or call).
Brenda Friedman is our liturgist for this “Fifth Sunday” worship service, and as always, she’ll be making connections for us between the world of art and our spiritual lives. Come join us as we learn about Julie Mehretu, creation, landscape, and the many ways we strive to name that which is beyond words.
Pentecost takes place 50 days after Easter and marks the birth of the Church. In the Book of Acts, Jesus’s followers were gathered in a house in Jerusalem when a rushing wind came down from heaven and tongues of fire rested upon each of them. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the disciples were empowered to speak in many languages and boldly proclaim the message of Jesus, the Good news! the disciples were, before that moment, people hiding behind locked doors, paralyzed by fear. Pentecost is the story of how the Spirit moved them from that locked room into the streets.
But what does Pentecost mean today for Palestinians and those in solidarity with us? For over three years, we have witnessed the total desecration of human life. During this time, many Western church and institutions locked themselves behind closed doors, unwilling to speak truth to power. Some were not just silent but blessed violence and complicity through a distorted theological lens. Yet alongside this silence and betrayal, Palestinians also witnessed fierce and creative solidarity. Prophetic voices within the church spoke out. Laypeople challenged their own leaders. Many Christians risked their bodies and livelihoods through acts of costly witness.
The church is too often told to be rational, careful, balanced, and strategic — in ways that ultimately protect systems of injustice and preserve the status quo.
We are told not to take risks, not to speak too loudly, not to provoke power, and even asked to maintain dialogue with it.
But Pentecost is not a story of a cautious church protecting its reputation. In fact, when the disciples stepped into the streets speaking different languages, proclaiming a kingdom that Caesar could not control, some mocked them and ridiculed them. The church today must also be willing to be mocked. A church that is never criticized by empire may have grown too comfortable with empire. Pentecost reminds us that the Spirit pushes the church beyond safety. The church is called to risk it for public witness and costly solidarity.
On this Pentecost, we give thanks to all who keep its message alive: not only members of the church, but everyone who protests in the streets, accompanies the oppressed, boards flotillas, challenges authority, and refuses silence. We give thanks to those willing to be mocked, demonized, and dismissed for the sake of justice. We give thanks to those who see through the divisions of religion, culture, ethnicity, and gender, and speak a common language of dignity and human rights for all.
May the Holy Spirit embolden us to answer the church’s calling: to leave the locked rooms, stand with the marginalized, and remind the oppressed that the Spirit still moves among them, creating life wherever there is injustice and death.
God in your mercy…hear our prayer.
From the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center
OUR HALF DAY RETREAT IS THIS WEEKEND!
Saturday, May 30
10am – 2pm
(includes lunch)
How do we cope with the fact that life is always changing – whether we’re 30 or 80?
Join us for half a day of ritual activities and individual reflection on ways to adapt to change, let go of who we were, embrace who we are, and appreciate our unique life chapters.
Feel free to join us even if you haven’t RSVP’d!
We always have room at the table for one more.
Join us to catch up and check in with each other. This week, we might hear about Dave Safeblade’s recent adventures
in Paris & Poland!
Book Club is
IN PERSON this month!
Saturday, June 20th at 10am
hosted at Karen Graham’s home
with special guest,
Karen Stockwell,
who will lead us through a discussion of her novel
Dreams of Darkness and Light.
You can purchase a copy of it online at various retailers, or buy one directly from Karen Stockwell. We’ll also have a few copies available for purchase in church on June 7.
It’s summertime – when the living is easy, and the dining is al fresco! Check your calendar to see if you’re free on Tuesday, June 30th, and keep an eye on this spot for when RSVPs open up!
Our June Gathering – formerly known as the Congregational Semi-Annual Meeting – will be on
Sunday, June 14th! This will be an in person service, with an online option. Come reflect on the past year with joy & gratitude.
Worship & Picnic in the Park
will take place on
Sunday, July 26th,
at our usual spot close to
the AIDS Garden Chicago &
Belmont Harbor.
Don’t miss this summer highlight!
We will enjoy every minute of summer…but when it draws to a close, there’s no better way to start the fall than with our All Church Retreat at Tower Hill Camp in Sawyer, MI.
Mark your calendar now for Friday evening, September 11 through Sunday lunch, September 13.
A deep breath of God’s spirit to fuel your day.
Spirit Blowing Through Creation
Bill Steffl, piano & voice
Sometimes you just need a document!
Click below if you’re looking for:
- This Sunday’s BULLETIN
- The latest version of the CHURCH DIRECTORY (out in June!)
- The approved CHURCH COUNCIL MINUTES (May mtg)
- Buying something for church? Remember that it’s tax-exempt! CLICK HERE for a copy of the form.
- Need to be reimbursed for a church expense? Download a Wellington REIMBURSEMENT FORM and submit it to the Church Office!
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