Violent Words

We hope the following article reminds us that this old saying is not true: "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

Arizona Shooting Reminds Us Our Words Are Swords by Sheldon C. Good, Assistant Editor, Mennonite Weekly Review. Posted on the Huffington Post on January 12th.

Article credit and source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sheldon-c-good/ariz-shooting-reminds-us-_b_807064.html

God's heart broke just as ours did upon hearing of the victims in Tucson. It's a tragic reminder of how cyclical violence is and of how our words have consequences. Speculation is running rampant on why Jared Loughner allegedly "planned ahead" and ultimately carried out a shooting at a suburban Safeway supermarket, killing six people and wounding 14, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Did vitriolic rhetoric lead to the shooting of innocent victims? Is it just another isolated incident from a psychologically unstable suspect? We may never know for sure. Loughner allegedly acted and planned with clear intention. But rather than assigning blame, we all must confess the places where violence creeps into our own lives. Regardless of why Loughner did what he did, the shooting reminds us all that violent communication is evil and only breeds more evil.

We all possess what the prophet Isaiah called mouths as sharp as swords. And so it seems that right now, as violence has once again strangled our nation's soul, the words of the Prince of Peace aptly remind us to put these swords back into their place -- "for all who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matt. 26:52).

We live daily with the choice to use our words to inspire hope or propagate fear. It's natural for people to disagree, but when disagreeing turns to demonizing, we must turn from such evil ways and put away our swords of words.

For too long, people of faith -- myself included -- have mirrored violence or the threat of violence in our language. Political opponents are "targeted." Athletic opponents must "kill" each other. The list goes on. Such words that vilify others have no place in our communication. Do we continually analyze our word choices?

Loughner was clearly upset with the state of politics. Though his increasingly odd behavior caused growing alarm, he had devised a plan, acquired the proper hardware and no one was going to stop him from carrying out his mission. It all sounds eerily similar to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Since then, it seems no event has generated as much attention regarding whether extremism, anti-government sentiment and political passion create a social climate that promotes violence.

We need to rediscover how to disagree without demonizing. As people of faith, we ask God to cleanse us of our violent ways, so that we may realign ourselves with God's reign on Earth as it is in heaven.

As we approach Martin Luther King Jr. Day, let us remember his words:
"We must work unceasingly to uplift this nation that we love to a higher destiny, to a higher plateau of compassion, to a more noble expression of humanness."

Posted by the blog administrator.

Food for Thought & Social Change

I was scanning my facebook updates recently and a friend of mine posted a link to the following article. I found it to be thought provoking and extremely important in our day and age.

"Go Where? Sex, Gender and Toilets" by Marissa, a guest blogger. This story was posted on The Society Pages website.

It is high time we start a public discourse about this topic and make changes in our communities to be more accepting of gender differences and transgendered individuals. Hopefully, inclusive religious communities like First Central can help pave the way for positive social change.

Posted by Hanna W.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

First Central Congregational Church UCC wishes you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Precious Memories by Joanna Fuchs
May this holiday season leave you with precious memories:
A Christmas filled with love and light, perfect gifts, delicious foods, love and joy all around.
A New Year with continuing blessings— friends, family, good work, great fun, and delightful surprises. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Posted by the Blog Administrator. Poem source: http://www.poemsource.com/Christmas-poems.html

Photos: Christmas Time at First Central

Holiday Cheer

What a busy, busy holiday season it has been. I don't know about you but it seems like November and December have gone by in warp speed. I still have most of my holiday shopping to do!

But the one thing I love about this time of year is the cheer that is in the air. People seem to be happier. Excited even. I hear well wishes in the halls more often and see smiling faces. And I know those baked goodies hit the spot for a lot of people.

So with all this holiday cheer, I'd like to ask you to share it with a friend, a co-worker, your pet, a stranger...anyone that you see needing a kind reminder that life will get better and that they are not alone. Anything is helpful - a warm hug, holding the door for a person who is burdened with Christmas packages, a donation to the food bank, volunteering one hour of your time to give presents to kiddos, even cleaning out your closet and donating warm sweaters to our thrift shop or local shelter.

Why choose community service this holiday season? Because it is a gift that keeps on giving. When I was about 8 or 9 my parents dressed up as Mr. and Mrs. Clause for a local charity. Having a fluffy white beard and a jolly laugh, my father fit the part to a tee. My sister and I were the elf's who assisted the Christmas duo in giving away gifts. At the time, I was a bit young to recognize the impact this had, but now upon reflection I am truly grateful that my parents decided to do this AND bring us kids along. What amazing gift they gave the community and to us. It was extremely powerful to see how the children reacted - happy faces all around. They had a blast telling Santa what they wanted for Christmas. And they even pulled his beard to see if it was real (Ouch- Sorry pops!). So this year, pass on the holiday cheer with a gift of your time and support.

Below is a link to organizations that First Central partners with to help our community and impact social change. We encourage you to spread the holiday cheer by serving our community (what a great new family tradition that could be!).

http://www.firstcentral.org/ministries/outreach.shtml

Happy Holidays!

Posted by Hanna W.

Annual Thanksgiving Dinner

Community -- Fellowship -- Fun

Please join your First Central friends on Friday, November 19th for First Central's Annual Thanksgiving Dinner. You are welcome to attend the Social Hour at 5:00 p.m. in the third floor Fireside Room before dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. in the parlor. Please bring your beverage(s) of choice for the Social Hour and join in the fun! Light hors d'oeuvres, glasses and ice will be provided.


Judy Blazek and Laura Mitchell will be selling dinner tickets in the parlor following worship for several Sundays before the dinner. You may also make your reservation by the church office at 345-1533, or emailing sara@firstcentral.org. Please indicate how many adults and children are in your party, as well as their names.


Tickets are $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for children ten years old and under; children three and under are free. If you joined First Central Church’s family after the 2009 dinner, we invite you to attend free of charge (but please RSVP!).

Posted by the blog administrator.

Uniquely UCC

Want to learn more about the UCC faith community? Then check out this video the National UCC office developed.

Uniquely UCC from United Church of Christ on Vimeo.