United Christian Church of Austin
  • About Us
    • Mission, Vision, & Values
    • Our Denominations
    • Meet Our Staff
    • LGBTQ+ Open & Affirming
    • God is Kid-Friendly
    • Racial Justice
    • Abuse Prevention
    • Covid-19 Practices
  • Worship
    • Bulletin
    • Online Worship
    • Indoor Worship
    • Outdoor Worship
    • Sermon Library
  • What's Happening
    • Church Calendar
    • News You Can Use
    • Ministry Blog
    • Adults
    • Youth
    • Children
  • Give
    • Give Online
    • Give Time & Talent
    • Pledge Online
  • Connect
    • Contact Us
    • Prayer Requests
    • Email Sign-Up
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Request an Event
    • View Social Media >
      • Facebook Page
      • YouTube Channel
      • Instagram Feed
  • Members
    • Photo and Video Policy
    • Icon Member Portal
    • Members Website
  • About Us
    • Mission, Vision, & Values
    • Our Denominations
    • Meet Our Staff
    • LGBTQ+ Open & Affirming
    • God is Kid-Friendly
    • Racial Justice
    • Abuse Prevention
    • Covid-19 Practices
  • Worship
    • Bulletin
    • Online Worship
    • Indoor Worship
    • Outdoor Worship
    • Sermon Library
  • What's Happening
    • Church Calendar
    • News You Can Use
    • Ministry Blog
    • Adults
    • Youth
    • Children
  • Give
    • Give Online
    • Give Time & Talent
    • Pledge Online
  • Connect
    • Contact Us
    • Prayer Requests
    • Email Sign-Up
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Request an Event
    • View Social Media >
      • Facebook Page
      • YouTube Channel
      • Instagram Feed
  • Members
    • Photo and Video Policy
    • Icon Member Portal
    • Members Website
Picture

Our Blog: The Ministry Minute
featured in our weekly e-newsletters

April 23, 2021

4/22/2021

0 Comments

 
Dear church family,
​
As we come to the end of another busy week, let us pause to catch our
breath, to remember the good and the bad, and the work yet to be done: in
the world, across our nation, amongst our church community, in our
families, and deep within our own hearts.

We can express gratitude for steps in a positive, healing direction for issues
of racial injustice while we continue to pray and to advocate for much more
progress to occur in our nation, our neighborhoods, even in our very own
hearts.

The environment and issues surrounding it are more in our newsfeeds and
hopefully on our hearts and minds this week as we celebrate Earth Day. I
invite you, if you haven’t done so recently, to recommit to taking personal
steps to contribute to healing our planet and to become involved in
advocating for healing change at a larger level.

“Heart” is a word that seems to pop up repeatedly as I write today. Perhaps
that’s because I’ve been reading Christine Valters Paintner’s Earth: Our
Original Monastery, upon which our current sermon series is based. In this
book, Christine writes in depth about “cultivating wonder and gratitude
through intimacy with nature.” She discusses the interconnectedness of all
of Creation, but with an emphasis on us learning from, rather than
dominating or destroying, nature. With each page that I’ve read, my own
heart has felt recognized, comforted, included in that huge web of God’s
good Creation. And taking her advice and visiting my neighborhood park
with no agenda, no plan for what I was going to “accomplish” is one of the
most heart-healing things I’ve done in awhile.

So friends, please consider pausing, breathing, praying, and contemplating
in nature sometime soon.  One way to do this is to join us in outdoor worship
on the 2nd and 4th Sundays at 8:30 am at the outdoor sanctuary. Your heart
​might just be glad that you did!

God’s blessings,
Karen Cotton
Elder
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

      Sign up for our Newsletter

    Subscribe to Newsletter

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Worship at 10am each Sunday In-Person and Online
​
Outdoor Worship at 8:30am on 1st Sundays of the Month
​
We are proudly affiliated with both the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

3500 West Parmer Lane, Austin TX 78727 
512-218-8110
Picture
Picture
Find us on social media on these platforms!
Picture
Picture