​The number 40 is a great example of this. The story of the flood, for instance, gives us some insight into what is going on in the Hebrew’s 40 years in the wilderness. But the wilderness stories also bring out new dimensions in the flood story. Jesus and the Gospel writers will draw on both of these stories when Jesus goes to the wilderness, and for Christians, Jesus’ wilderness experience deepens our reading of the earlier stories as well.

So what comes to your mind when you think of the number 40 and the Bible?
 
Which brings us to Lent. Lent is a 40-day season that goes back at least to the 4th century. It was a season of preparation for the highest of Holy Day: The Paschal Triduum (evening of Maundy Thursday through Easter Sunday). The 40 day period, of course, draws on this biblical theme of 40. But what do these stories teach us about our Lenten journey? How does the biblical tradition draw out different facets of what Lent is about? Well one thing is for sure: giving up chocolate and fish on Fridays are not part of the biblical text (though it does stand to reason that Noah and his family ate fish on Fridays…and most days of the week, for that matter).
 
What has Lent meant for you during your faith journey? Maybe your experience and practice has changed over the years? How has Lent impacted you? Do you have any Lenten stories of blessing, transformation, or even confusion?

After one of the strangest Holy Weeks most of us can remember, we are on track for a very special (holy) Holy Week this year. Please consider joining in on these various opportunities as we walk with Jesus through the Passion. Masks are requested at all events, required at indoor events.

​It has been over one year since we worshipped together in our sanctuary, something that had been as routine for many of us as having breakfast in the morning. This has been a difficult time and we are glad that spread has been on the decline while vaccines are quickly being distributed. As we resume in-person worship, we will do so deliberately and with as much wisdom as we can. We continue to look to the overall well-being of our members and the safety of our neighbors as we make decisions. We continue to ask questions of purpose and strategy.

​What are our goals as we make decisions about Sunday worship?

• To have a physical experience of our church family and the energy of the Holy Spirit that comes from the embodied presence of the Jesus community
• To encourage one another with prayer, song, word, and sacrament in a direct way
• To embody God’s love with one another
• To equip and empower one another to live the life of Christ throughout the week
• To promote both physical safety and human/spiritual connection
• To be good neighbors to our community, doing what we can to reduce the spread of the virus and support vulnerable individuals and groups.

​Strategies and Protocols:

• If you are exhibiting any symptoms of illness, please do not attend the in-person worship service, but you are more than welcome to join on Zoom or watch the stream live or later.
• Masks should be worn at all times on church grounds—except when partaking in Communion. Masks should cover both the nose and mouth and not be removed to speak.
• Personal physical distance of 6ft. should be maintained with those outside of household.
• Absolutely no touching (hugs, handshakes, elbow bumps) outside of households. Waves, signs of the cross, air-fist-bumps, etc. are good alternatives. Please do not even ask to hug, shake, etc.
• Restrooms will be available, but please minimize use and avoid occupied restrooms if possible.
• The in-person liturgy will begin at 10am. Doors will open at 9:50am. If you arrive earlier than that, please wait in your car, or you may interact with others with face coverings and distancing outside the building.
• If you come down with symptoms or receive a COVID diagnosis, we are depending on you to be candid with Pastor Jon. This trust is essential if you are planning to attend in-person worship.
• Windows and doors will remain open when possible. We recommend bringing a blanket, dressing warmly, and/or sitting away from the windows if this is a concern. In freezing weather, we will not open the windows.
• There will be fans blowing as well as the vacuum fan at the top of the sanctuary, in the effort to keep our own particle emissions from concentrating around us

As we move forward, these protocols will likely be relaxed and altered. But whatever the protocols are in a moment, please join us in taking them seriously in care for one another.

We also expect feelings of awkwardness or a sense of “this isn’t what I remember church feeling like.” That may come from the new protocols or even from anxieties stemming from the ongoing risks of the virus or from being a little “rusty” with human contact and in-person worship. We encourage you to notice these feelings and give yourself and the community time to readjust.

Concerning whether to attend, we urge you to make a decision prayerfully and in consideration of the risks and costs as well as the gifts and benefits. Be assured, we will do our best to maintain these protocols and ask for your help in doing so. When everyone generously abides by the protocols, we create a safe space for those who are concerned about the risks and everyone is able to focus on the good of being together. Our summer experiment with outdoor distanced worship was a success in this regard. We thank you for that, and look forward to this new shift to something a little more familiar.
​
God bless you all,
Point Place UCC Leadership Team and Board of Trustees

​It is our responsibility to do our best to care for the well-being of our members as well as consider our place in the wider community of Point Place, Toledo, and beyond.

​We continue to ask questions of purpose and strategy. 

​What are our goals as we make decisions about Sunday worship?

• To have a physical experience of our church family and the energy of the Holy Spirit that comes from the embodied presence of the Jesus community
• To encourage one another with prayer, song, word, and sacrament in a direct way
• To embody God’s love with one another
• To equip and empower one another to live the life of Christ throughout the week
• To promote both physical safety and human/spiritual connection
• To be good neighbors to our community, doing what we can to reduce the spread of the virus and support vulnerable individuals and groups.

​Location and Time:

• Beginning October 18, 2020
• Services will begin at 10am and last between 30-45 minutes.
• Worship will be streamed on Facebook Live and recorded for later availability on YouTube.

​Strategies and Protocols:

• If you are exhibiting any symptoms of illness, please do not attend the worship service, but join in on Facebook live or YouTube later on.
• Masks should be worn at all times on church grounds—except when partaking in Communion. Masks should cover both the nose and mouth and not be removed to speak.
• Personal physical distance of 6ft. should be maintained with those outside of household.
• Absolutely no touching (hugs, handshakes, elbow bumps) outside of households. Waves, signs of the cross, air-fist-bumps, etc. are good alternatives. Please do not even ask to hug, shake, etc.
• Restrooms will be available, but please minimize use and avoid occupied restrooms if possible.
• The liturgy will begin at 10am. Doors will open at 9:50am. If you arrive earlier than that, please wait in your car, or you may interact with others with face coverings and distancing outside the building.
• Windows and doors will remain open as long as possible. We recommend that if you find the draft uncomfortable, you choose a seat further away from the windows and/or dress accordingly.
• There will be fans blowing as well as the vacuum fan at the top of the sanctuary, in the effort to keep our own particle emissions from concentrating around us.

​We continue to take these protocols very seriously out of our care for one another. If we are seeing a disregard for these protocols at Sunday gatherings, the gatherings will be discontinued, and we will return to virtual-only ministries.

​We also expect feelings of awkwardness or a sense of “this isn’t what I remember church feeling like.” That may come from the new protocols or even from anxieties stemming from the risks of the virus. Please also be prepared for the possibility of YouTube or Zoom worship services if spread increases and it is again consistent with love and neighborliness to forego meeting in person for the sake of one another and our community.

​Concerning whether to attend, we urge you to make a decision prayerfully and in consideration of the risks and costs as well as the gifts and benefits. Be assured, we will do our best to maintain these protocols and ask for your help in doing so. When everyone generously abides by the protocols, we create a safe space for those who are concerned about the risks and everyone is able to focus on the good of being together. Our summer experiment with outdoor distanced worship was a success in this regard. We thank you for that, and look forward to this new shift to something a little more familiar.

​God bless you all,
​Point Place UCC Leadership Team and Board of Trustees

​What is the purpose of our outdoor gatherings?

• To have a physical experience of our church family
• To connect with one another in ways less mediated by screens and technology
• To encourage one another with prayer, song, word, and sacrament in a direct way

What to expect from outdoor worship:

• The opportunity to see sisters and brothers in Christ
• A 30-minute service with Communion, Prayer, Scripture, and Song
• Feelings of awkwardness and even disappointment at some of the limits of our time together
• Great blessing as we soak up the opportunity to be together
• Worship videos will continue to be available on YouTube each week

Location and Time (subject to change as we experiment!):

• Sundays June 14 and 28, July 12 and 26, August 9 and 23, September 13 and 27
• Services will begin at 9am
• On the sidewalk and grass around the main stairway/entrance
• Services will be cancelled in the event of bad weather​

What do bring to outdoor worship:

• Lawn chairs, blankets, etc. for comfort.
• Masks required except for young children and medical reasons
• Bring Your Own Communion (bread/cracker & drink—no alcohol please)

Rules and Guidelines for Gathering:

• If you are exhibiting any symptoms of illness, please do not attend the outdoor service.
• Masks should be worn when near others
• Personal physical distance of 6ft. should be maintained with those outside of household
• Ushers will help guide you to a space.
• Absolutely no touching (hugs, handshakes, elbow bumps) outside of households. Waves, signs of the cross, air-fist-bumps, etc. are good alternatives.
• Please do not even ask to hug, shake, etc.
• Music and Prayers will be amplified.
• The building/bathrooms will be closed (unless there is an emergency).

Why aren’t we meeting in the building?
At this point, there is still much that we don’t know about this novel coronavirus. What does seem clear is that being an enclosed space and singing together are among the most spreadable things we could be doing. We know that some may think the risk of outdoor worship is still too high. Others may think these adjustments and protocols are unnecessary. Our theological reasoning is listed above. It is our desire to care for the vulnerable, listen to experts, and avoid becoming a “hot spot” for infection that could impact others in our community.

What about kids?
Children are welcome. We understand that physical distancing is difficult for children.
Parents, please consider the outdoor space where we will meet and your capacity to help your kids maintain distance for the time of the service. Everyone should understand that children may break some of these protocols. That is ok. Please consider whether this time will fulfill its purposes for you as a parent. You may come and go as you need without judgment. You may also swing by before or after the worship time to say “Hello” if that would be a less stressful option for you.
Other adults, please take responsibility not to engage a child in a way that might draw them closer than 6ft. or move away graciously if a child approaches. Make the distance a “fun” thing with silly waves or air-high-fives, etc. We are comfortable with the limited exposure that might come from incidental contact, but please understand that there is still risk.

What if I don’t like the protocols for gathering?
We are taking these protocols very seriously. If we are seeing a disregard for these protocols at Sunday gatherings, the gatherings will be discontinued, and we will return to virtual-only ministries. To gather in worship as a community is a gift, and we hope that our church family will approach it as such and respect the prayerfully-considered parameters of the Leadership Team.

God bless you all, 
Point Place UCC Leadership Team

For the cup, you can use wine or grape juice, but don't get hung up on the details: use what you have!
Same with the bread--even crackers would suffice. But if you don't have bread handy or you want to make it special, here's an easy bread recipe you can use: 

Mix Dry Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 rounded tsp salt
1/4 rounded tsp baking soda
2 Tbl sugar
 
Mix Wet Ingredients
2 eggs
2 Tbl shortening  (sub oil or butter if needed)
2 overflowing Tbl honey
1/4 cup water
 
1. Mix wet and dry ingredients thoroughly.
2. Knead dough
3. Separate into 4 equal balls of dough
4. Roll each ball into a round flat loaf, about 3/8" thick
5. At this point, you and/or others may make a simple design on each loaf (a cross or other symbol meaningful to you)
6. Bake for 10 minutes at 350°

Communion Hack: make at least 1 extra loaf for Easter Sunday Communion!

​Instruct others at the table to respond when you say “Because” with the words “God is love."

In the beginning, life sprang from the heart of God—waters flowed, trees grew, animals evolved, humans took form, because...
God is love.
Where humans were enslaved, freedom sprang from God’s heart, where humans sinned, mercy sprang forth; where humans walked in darkness, light shone out, because...
God is love.
In the fullness of time, God did the unthinkable: the Bread of Life took on human flesh, the Living Water had blood coursing through his veins, because...
God is love.
With his life and with his words, Christ gave us a new commandment: Love one another, because...
 God is love.
We are invited tonight and always to come to the Table and find love. With broken hearts and broken bodies, we find Christ broken like the bread (break a loaf/piece of bread), because...
God is love.
We are invited tonight and always to come to the Table and find love. When our eyes pour out tears, our bodies sweat and bleed, our souls feel empty, (hold up your cup/glass) Christ is poured out into our hearts and we are made new, because...
God is love.
Therefore, as we eat and drink, we proclaim that Love is with us, crucified and risen, filling us and making us new, because...
God is love.
And all God’s people said,
“Amen.”
 
(If you have not distributed the bread yet, you may do that now.)
 
Share the Meal
Let your first bite and drink be from the bread and cup, but then let the entire meal be a chance to remember and celebrate Jesus.
Speak kind words. Ask compassionate questions, Taste God’s goodness. Give thanks for gifts. Remember Christ’s presence with you.
 
Closing prayer
Whether apart or together, we are bound by the love of Christ. Broken hearts are mended. Empty souls are filled. May Christ’s love go before us to lead, watch over us from above, renew us 

Be Blessed!