WE WILL RISE UP!

“Mary stood weeping outside the tomb” (John 20:11), writes John, weeping, we presume, not only because they had crucified Jesus; not only that the Dream had died; not only because she is grieving his death, but weeping because someone has stolen his body. Or so she thinks. “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him” (John 20:13).  We can only imagine Mary’s grief, anxiety, fear.  Those who have lost a loved one to this invisible enemy we have named Covid-19 They know what she is feeling. Nothing seems right. What was is not what is.   And that’s why what happens next makes Easter all the more a day of miracle, of wonder, of Joy beyond anything any one of us can only imagine.

Suddenly, Mary comes face to face with the one who she should know but she doesn’t recognize him.  She thinks he is the gardener; until, he calls her by name. “Mary it is I!”  Hearing his voice awakes her senses!  As you may imagine everything in her want to race toward him to hug him. But he says do not touch me.   Barbara Brown Taylor, the eloquent Episcopal priest, points out that the scripture never says that “Mary reached out and tried to hold Jesus. His comment, she writes, was a peculiar thing to say, unless …Unless it was what she called him – my Teacher – the old name she used to call him … but that was his Friday name and here it was Sunday He is Messiah!– an entirely new day in an entirely [new body] new life.”[i]

Was Jesus saying, “Do not touch me because of what had changed? Could it be that that he needed her to understand all that was yesterday is passed away? Behold! I AM the Risen Savior, who calls you to follow me, into a brand-new way of living!  Mary suddenly no longer cries with sadness; she now weeps for joy!  She no longs remembers the image of her dead teacher that she helped bury on Friday.  She sees Jesus the Christ! Alive! Easter Sunday!  Her grief vanquished!  A new Reality replaces everything she ever knew about life and death. She is flooded with all of his  words that inspired her faith… now a reality before. Her!

The old has passed away behold the new!   That Good Friday-Roman Cross that caused her to choke with tear as she stood by crying in terror, grief and fear, Behold!  The Cross will be forever a symbol of faith, hope and love.

Today multitudes, globally, have been home Self-isolating to stop another killer, Covid-19. But it continues to capture victims. This Global pandemic to date: has infected 1,792,779 people. And has killed 109,786.             people around the world. The first death in the US occurred on February 26, 2020 in Seattle. This Easter Morning in the US there are 533,115 cases and 20,580 Deaths.   We are living in a changed world, where grief and fear are line an undercurrent humming.

There is a commercial using the first words to a song by John Legend. we will rise up!  These words are words of hope. The meaning of these words are powerful when we consider the Resurrection of Jesus Christ because He Rose up!  The resurrection story is where out hope lives.  But its meaning is made full only when we tell the whole story.

Good Friday happened before Easter Sunday.  There was turmoil death, tears, fear, anxiety, struggle to understand.  Mary never dreamed how her life would change from Friday to Sunday.  When Mary recognized Jesus. It was when he spoke her name. Her reaction must have been to run to him to hold him.    But Jesus says no do not touch me.    We live in a world where social distancing is vital to mitigating this disease. We have had to say those words to people we love.  We can put ourselves in Mary’s shoes. Knowing we cannot go and hug and be in the presence of the people we love.  Unlike Mary we know the day will come and we will be free to rise up and go and be with those we miss and long for.  It will be a day of great Joy!  It will be a new Day! Where the old has passed away and the new has come! It will feel like we were born again! New Life!

Resurrection is good news! We cannot get to that day without courage, strength and more importantly solitary. We have freely self-isolated and have done this united, on purpose, for a purpose!  And for most, we put politics aside. By doing this we are holding each other up. We are sharing each other’s burden.   Our lives are now woven together but our collective action!  It is the good in most humans that will vanquish this evil plague. That is why we will say on that day we get the green light with tears in our eyes, I RISE UP!   This kind of resurrection happens not in the absence of death, but includes it, encompasses it, embraces it, and then transforms it, by an effort of heart and good will.

The First Easter begins with Mary crying out of grief and sadness.  Not long after, tears of gladness and joy flow as the Risen Christ calls her by name and invites her to LET GO of the past and ARISE and follow him into a whole new day and a whole new life. This is our chance to create a more just global community!  Jesus continues to call us by name inviting us to let go of the way we did things all those yesterdays, let die old ways of thinking. And imagine a clearer more must world.  Easter is a real hope. So even in the midst of our tribulation and suffering, May we, WHEN THE DAY COMES  WE WILL RISE UP! And go to those we have been isolated from! We will hug them: our Parents our children and grandchildren extended family our co-workers and friends. We will do this with a joy maybe never known before.    For those who have lost love ones. The day will come when we will see them again. And what a reunion that will be!   May you remember through our collective experience that WE belong to God, and God belongs to Us and WE all BELONG TO EACH OTHER. Amen!

[i]Barbara Brown Taylor, “The Unnatural Truth” in The Christian Century, March 20–27, 1996, p. 325

Globally, humanity is facing the worst Pandemic in over 100 years.  There is no vaccine or medication that can arrest its affects. Covid_19 has become an alien invader an invisible entity that has the power to kill, steel and destroy.  As the numbers rise, both in cases and in deaths, we have every reason to be concerned and cautious. Many people are experiencing a great deal of fear and anxiety, sending many into a state of panic.   This is evidenced by the many stores that ran out of stock on essential items such as: masks and sanitizer, toilet paper, bottled water, and canned goods. So many fearful people taking more than they need, stocking up in case of a quarantine.  

I was in the grocery store and a lady went up to someone who had two cases of Toilet paper and started screaming at her for taking more than she needs then tried to take one away for her. I am sure this lady was a reasonable person yesterday but today a store clerk had to intervene.  The fear of not having enough; the fear that each of us are in this alone; the fear that someone may come and take what we have.  This was evidenced by people in a long line outside a gun shop, waiting to purchase a guns on Monday.   Many people have been asked not to come back to work or school and the timeline keeps getting pushed out.   The stock market dropped in dramatic fashion; the Health care system is doing all it can to prepare for what is coming.  The uncertainty, fear and panic is breathtaking.    FEAR is the predominant emotion most everyone is dealing with.

As Spiritual leaders as well as people of faith, we need to remember that we exert an incredible amount of influence over the people in our care.  We are in extraordinary times. All that we have been trained in regarding faith in the midst of chaos; being a non-anxious presence in the midst of trouble.  The time is now for us to raise high the banner of peace.   PEACE…BE STILL…Jesus stated in the midst of a ferocious storm!   And so it is us who must raise our voices as agents of peace and grace rather than perpetuate the sense of panic that is on some levels necessary so that people will conform to the new rules we are all asked to abide by.   WE can be agents of Peace and calm by how we speak and post online about the coronavirus. If we panic it will keep fueling the panic.

When we speak about the Virus, we should convey a sense of empathy, concern, and unflappable confidence that this too shall pass. And more importantly that we are all in this together, No matter who we are or where we are on life’s journey.  As spiritual leaders we need to model the kind of leadership that exemplifies Faith, Hope and Love.

For Me a Christian, I place my hope in the Hebrew/Christian Scriptures.

The Psalmist says : God is my refuge and my strength a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

During times of distress, Jesus is a good example in that he was never afraid, always putting His hope in God.

On the night that Jesus was going to be betrayed, he shared a meal with his disciples. I can only imagine the amount of fear he felt thinking of what was about to happen to him. And he knew that his disciples would also be afraid albeit for different reasons. They were not aware of what was about to happen. We find him speaking these words.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

In times of turmoil, Jesus tells us that we have no need to fear. Peace belongs to us don’t let circumstances steel it away. This is not a regular peace but a Peace found in knowing God is present in the midst of our trials. God did not create this but will be with us in it and help us find our way through it!   This ‘God kind of Peace.’ is real and will help us endure. It will calm the stressors and make way for solitude and creative thinking  rather than feeding fears that can cause panic, self-preservation and isolation.

God knows the world we live in is at times difficult and painful.  God is very much aware of our legitimate fears. We have an opportunity to say outload that fear itself has no power over us.  Here’s what he says later during that same meal with his disciples.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

We will experience troubles. But we are overcomers. So we don’t shrink back in fear. And try not to panic, even when a dangerous illness spreads throughout the world.

We can do two things. First we tend to our ourselves by  1. letting the Peace of God Rule our Hearts and BE Thankful (Colossians 3:15)

Let us go forth and be voices of reason and calm. This kind of Peace will overtake panic.  This kind of peace will help us all maintain a reasonable attitude.  This kind of peace will help us to remember: That we Belong to God, God Belongs to Us and WE ALL belong to one another.

Dear Family and Friends of Phoenix Rising UCC,

I am writing this letter on behalf of myself and the leadership circle. If you on some level you have been a part of the Phoenix Rising UCC experience I hope you will take the time to read on.

Recently Danny said,  “As long as there is an US there is a Church!”.  I think most of us feel this way!  We have thoroughly enjoyed the space and our time at the Riverwalk, with its sweeping views of the river and wildlife and large hall. We were able to make it a place where worship was different, inclusive, fun and new! Hold event a small place would never have allowed. Nevertheless, it is time to move back to Haverhill!!

In our retreat at the end of May, it was made clear that the Riverwalk was nice but it was not our greatest asset.  Those who participated by consensus, showed that our greatest asset has been our ability to make connections. The second truth that bubbled up, was our desire to go back to Haverhill, where we made our connections with each other and where we still are making connections.

Haverhill, is where Phoenix Rising UCC was born. I believe we are supposed to go back to Haverhill, so that we can rise again and give God all the credit?   “As long as there is an US there is a Church” in essence this is who we are. Together we discovered our belonging to God and each other and our purpose.

I have spent many hours in prayer. Wondering what lay ahead. Wondering what God was trying to teach us.   Our budget over the last five years has been funded by First Congregational Church, Haverhill.  And what a huge blessing it has been!  We would not have become an “US” without this gift!    We have all grown in our understanding of God’s Love and belonging!  Together we have given generously to the best of our ability, whether it was money, sharing our gifts or giving our time.  Praying for each other, supporting each other, growing in our relationships with one another.   Furthermore, we have become an asset to the greater Haverhill community!

It has all been beautiful and good! What price can anyone put on that!   Nevertheless, our funds are not what they used to be grants we applied for did not materialize.  Our financial giving, although generous cannot sustain our current budget. So we need to get creative and be smart moving forward.  In this thought I am asking God to help us focus; help us be aware; help us interact and  help us stay in a place of gratitude rather than the opposite. This posture will continue to help us  keep hope alive, use our imaginations and get creative!

The following things are what we need to do to prepare for our Journey back home to Haverhill.  

• Our lease ends at the Riverwalk the end of September.
• I have accepted a position as a Chaplain at Care Dimensions Hospice care. I start August 5^th and will be in training for six weeks.
• We will have our first Worship services In Haverhill beginning September 8^th at the Buttonwoods Museum. They are happy to have us back as it brings us full circle where Phoenix Rising UCC Began.  
• We will be changing the time of worship at the Buttonwoods from 10:00 to 10:30 Am to give us time to set up.
• The music team will start practicing at my house in September.
• We are looking for a place where the Phoenix Rising community outreach can meet as well as other small group meetings.
• I am hoping we can have a home coming/ five-year anniversary event in October (TBA).

The following will be our Church schedule in the coming weeks:

• August 4^th, 11^th and 18th We will worship each Sunday at the Riverwalk 10:00 AM.
  • August 18^th will be the last Sunday worship at the Riverwalk come help us celebrate the blessing we received there. 
  • August 25^th is our Annual Picnic at Kingston State Park. (if you want to be baptized or renew your baptism let me know)
• To honor all Church volunteers Church is closed on Labor Day week end.
• Over the next 8 weeks, we will be liquidating some of our physical assets. Keeping what we truly need for our next steps.

“As long as there is an US there is a Church” We know we want regular worship and we want to be able to engage more in the city of Haverhill. This is an exciting time because as we pray we will have the opportunity to see God take our situation and work it all together for Good. May we behold God’s handy work in the coming months.

Thank you,

Pastor Donna 

Reverend Donna Spencer Collins

Many people would say, that’s the day people go to church and come out with black smudges on their forehead or hand.   But they only know what they see; they do not know the why and the reason.  Unfortunately, many Christians do it because they are supposed to do it without knowing the meaning and purpose.  Nevertheless, for all who come, the simple act of coming and receiving the imposition of ashes is an act of faith. imagine if you knew you were coming because God was beckoning you: “return to me with all your heart” With this in mind you come not because you have to because you can because you are a Child of God and do not fully realize it.

It is NOT a symbol of humiliation or punishment but a sign that you have heard  God’s whispering your name, “Come to me if you carry burdens and I will help carry them. Come not because you must  but because you may. I believe when one intentionally carves out a portion of their day it expresses a desire to be in relationship with God. We come  with the hope God’s desire is to be in relationship us.

Ash Wednesday begins the forty days of Lent which symbolize the 40 days Jesus fasted in the wilderness; overcoming and enduring temptations all humanity struggles with. Traditionally, Christians during the Lenten season have given up meat on Friday’s for fish.  Individuals often choose to give up something they love or desire.  However, these rituals are empty unless the fast is motivated is to set aside time with the intention to bond with God.

The purpose of receiving the sign of ashes prompts us to consider our mortality; from dust we came from dust we shall return.  Yes, we are mortal and one day we all will pass from this world into the next. We remember Jesus who loved us and gave his life for us. He died once for all.  When we take pause and acknowledge our hurts, habits and hang ups, We open up our hearts giving ourselves a vantage point we seldom allow ourselves to awaken to God’s presence all around us: we place ourselves in a position to witness and personally experience the love, goodness and grace of God.  What we see it, GRACE coming alive!  One no longer shrinks back from God because of inadequacies but rather moves towards God despite them.

The following are lyrics to songs written by people who discovered this great truth.

1. “He gives me beauty for ashes, the oil of Joy for mourning, a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness….
2. “Something beautiful, something good, All my confusion, God understood, all I have to offer Him is brokenness and strife but he made something beautify of my life.”
3. “Shackled by a heavy burden, neath a load of guilt and shame, then the hand of Jesus touched me and now I am no longer the same. “ He touched me, Oh He touched me, And Oh what joy that floods my soul…Something Happened and now I know He touched me and made me whole.

Ash Wednesday, marks the beginning of a journey towards Easter, 40 day’s and 6 Sunday’s.  To come and receive the mark, you are acknowledging your humanity and are conscious of God’s desire to be in relationship with you. So go to a church near you to receive yours.   I would also invite you to join us as we journey with Jesus through the Gospel of John leading up to Easter.

I Leave you with this thought and prayer:

“You are not loved because you are good but because God is good and that Goodness is beautiful, it is the oil of joy, it is a garment of praise.”

May your Lenten prayer be as simple as the song from Godspell:

Day by Day, Day by Day, O dear Lord three things I pray,

To see they more clearly, follow they more nearly, Love the more dear Day by Day.

Ash Wednesday is MARCH 6th I will be imposing ashes 11:30 -5;30 Drop in to THE OFFICE THEN  we will have an Ash Wednesday service at the church hall at 6:30PM

Phoenix Rising UCC Office at the Riverwalk 354 Merrimack Street building 1 door C third floor suite 332  Lawrence, MA 01843   for more information

email: Churchoffice@phoenixrisingucc.org

I remember being a new Christian and realizing it wasn’t a good idea for me to read the Bible because the more I read what God expects from me, the more I JUDGED OTHERS who WHERE NOT what my wonderful self was doing!

In other words, instead of showing them God’s love and letting the Holy Spirit help them to re-imagine what life would be like free from guilt, shame and fear and walk! I judged them for their actions born out of those things.  Instead of allowing my life to speak of God Love and Grace. The very love and grace that changed my life.  I should have been telling how I discovered that God wanted to bond with me like a good parent and child bond. That God shows up all the time but we struggle to see or believe that to be true.

Instead I urged them to become a believer and behave.  Back then it meant don’t drink, don’t dance, don’t swear don’t (add your own)….etc.. ” HOW IN THE WORLD IS THAT GOOD NEWS.

I thought I was supposed to SCARE THE HELL out of people so they would go to Heaven! Over time I began to realize Jesus invited us to be ambassadors of LOVE! A GOD KIND OF LOVE That reshapes ones understanding that they are God’s beloved. This LOVE once understood, beckons us to tell others of this great and wonderful reality: God does not see us as we are but as we shall be! Jesus’ invitation to believe in Him in John 3:16-17. is clear in these words. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

I believe multitudes in our  world are  completely unaware of the depths and riches of Jesus’ Life Death and Resurrection.   When I discovered my full worth, that my identity is completely realized in all that Jesus showed us and did.  I can’t really can’t  stop talking about Jesus and  living my life as an Ambassador of God’s Love.   I keep falling in Love with God over and over again. year after year because God (Jesus) keeps giving me more and more glimpses of who I am and who He is.  I know in my heart of hearts that Jesus is alive!  I tell you this from experience.  I can assure you , when you  discover your beloved-ness, and believe it to be true you will not be the same because you will bond with God more and more and more, day after day year , year after Year!  Your life will change and people will notice and ask questions because God has given them glimpses too!  some will make fun of you, but others will be drawn to the light that has sparked in you by the Holy Spirit!

Jesus didn’t come to condemn us but to demonstrate the kind of Love that shines when innocence is condemned to death. How foolish we are to offer check lists of good behaviors and call that worshiping God. INSTEAD OF BEING THE FINGER POINTING BEHAVIOR POLICE: WE ARE TO EXTEND OUR HAND OF COMPASSION AS AMBASSADORS OF GOD’S LOVE.

Want to learn more Join us Sunday’s at 10 AM Phoenix Rising UCC                                            The Riverwalk 354 Merrimack Street Lawrence MA 01843 Building 1 Door C third floor follow signs to church hall.

We have so much to be grateful for. Yet often so much comes at us on a daily basis that it is difficult to actually see the good things and the blessings that surround us. It is true some of us face insurmountable odds in our life. It could be living paycheck to paycheck and the stress that causes. It could be trying to figure out how your going to get your children through college,   It could be job loss, It could be illness that you are dealing with or that of a love one you now need to care for.

It could be addiction that enslaves you. Maybe you are not the one who suffers from addiction but you have suffered because of the collateral damage it causes.  Or maybe it is a failed relationship, the end of a marriage. It is so hard to count blessings when this is what consumes  your thinking.  Nevertheless, these are just events. a blip on your timeline. A Event that does not have to define you.

Gratitude is like a boat that meanders down the long winding river of life. When we begin to realize gratitude is a vehicle that surrounds us and protects us from the elements. That it is what keeps us  buoyant when the waves come and the tempest looms.  Fear dread and hopelessness takes a back seat.

This is why I can say for certain, “Gratitude turns what we have into enough“. it lifts us up so we do not have to stay, UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES! It raises one to see possibilities rather than what seems impossible.

JOIN US SUNDAY AS WE EXPLORE THIS MORE  AT PHOENIX RISING UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST.  192 MERRIMACK STREET  HAVERHILL, MA 01830      CHURCH PHONE: 978-891-5799   EMAIL: CHURCHOFFICE@PHOENIXRISINGUCC.ORG

It Has been an exhilarating year for Phoenix Rising UCC. A year of creativity; faith building and serving as we planned and purposely implemented events and gatherings.  We developed into a Blessing Brigade, blessing people with animals, with boats and with bikes!  We went to North Shore Pride and had a table in the market place sharing our PRUCC story.  We enrolled in the Firemen’s Museum Annual Chile Cook OFF! We helped sponsor an LGBT picnic at Rolling Ridge retreat Center in Andover.  We gathered for Sunday Service once a month at the Worshiping Oak Tree at the Buttonwoods Museum.  We gathered for Prayer and Praise once a month at the Atmosphere Center.  We gathered for Food and Fellowship. We Worshiped together at other UCC Churches. Christmas Eve we joined Belleville Congregational Church UCC.  Joining the choir and I preached alongside Pastor Ross in a Christmas dialog. It was a very moving evening. This past Sunday December 27, 2015 we held our first Worship Gathering at the “Barn” a generous and hospitable gift from the Gifford’s. We met Wednesday nights at Dunkin Donuts and have studied the “Phoenix Affirmations” by Eric Elnes, and currently “LOVE WINS” by Rob Bell.  I have loved  holding office hours twice a week at the Artist Café.   Over all, we have been evolving into a progressive Christian community of the United Church of Christ, Inclusive and intentional in making God’s love and justice real in the spirit of belonging!

For People of the Christian Faith, the New Year begins the First Sunday after Thanksgiving with the four weeks of Advent. Week one: HOPE. Week Two: PEACE, Week: Three JOY and Week Four: LOVE.( You can read  those blogs  here)  the focus of each week helps us understand  what Jesus brings.

When I think of who Jesus is, I consider His entering time from eternity as a vulnerable dependent child, what he did while among us and what was done to him by us his last days before his resurrection.   When I think of Jesus in this way, I am inspired knowing how great a LOVE God has for us.  Four Books tell His story: Matthew, Mark Luke and John. Three of the books cause the reader to ask ,”Who was this man?   It is the Gospel of John we discover WHO JESUS IS!   In the Old Testament, when Moses asked God, “Who should I say you are?” God answers saying, “Tell them, “I AM” has sent you.”  (Exodus 3:14).    In John’s Gospel Jesus refers to himself as, “I AM”.

“You can put him in the desert surrounded by people who are chronically unsatisfied, and Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35).

You can put him in the midst of people who are confused, people who ask, “Who are you, Jesus? What makes you different from all the other gurus, rabbis, and religious leaders?” And Jesus says, “I am the gate for the sheep. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture” (10:7, 9). It is an act of self-definition.

You can put him at graveside, in the midst of grief-stricken people, and Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live” (11:25).

Or put him in the midst of people who feel disconnected by life’s difficulties, and Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (15:5).”[i]

This coming Year it is my prayer that each of us come into a deeper relationship with, “I AM”.  Are you looking for a place to belong, tired of feeling disconnected,  have you been stricken with grief, seeking a sense of balance, authentic relationships and spiritual answer?  We are Phoenix Rising UCC and together we seek to know ‘I AM” Fully and Faithfully with you.

Our Next worship Gathering will be January 17, 2016 at 10 AM at 148 Main Street Plaistow NH.   You can contact me, Pastor Donna at Pastordonnaprucc@gmail.com  if you would like to meet me over a cup of coffee join me at the Artist café 20 Washington Street, Haverhill Ma Tuesday’s or Thursdays  between 9:30 Am  and I:00 PM and stand convinced God has been preparing the way for others to come and join our community.

To learn more about Phoenix Rising United Church of Christ go to: HTTP:www.phoenixrisingucc.org.

NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE OR WHERE YOU ARE ON LIFES JOURNEY YOU ARE WELCOME HERE!

[i] Praying For A Whole New World

Gospel Sermons For Advent/Christmas/Epiphany Cycle C, William G. Carter