Join us Friday June 3 for gallery stroll. It will be from 6-9pm. Light refreshments willl be served. This month we will feature the artist Marilyn Sunderland. She paints on gourds with oil. The gourd is a member of the squash family. When the gourd is dried, it becomes a hard shell vessel that can be carved much like a piece of wood. The outer skin becomes a hard shell when dried, while the softer thicker inner shell remains more porous. Marylin get a lot of her inspiration from the mountain areas, filled with beautiful foliage in the fall. The evening is free and open to the public!
If you’ve been thinking about stopping by the ONA class, Saturday the 28th would be a great opportunity for you! Two of my dear friends, Rev. Kamrin Carver and his husband, Manuel, and their kids will be joining us for the evening. They will be sharing some of the challenges and joys of being a gay couple in Utah, to include social and religious issues with their families, adoption, child custody, immigration, and much more. I would like to invite everyone to come and hear their fascinating story! Rachel Robinson
It all starts at 4:30 with a potluck.
Thursday, June 2nd, is Ascension Day, the day Jesus has been taken up into heaven. To commemorate this Holy Day we are going to worship as close to the sky as we can – at the Rock Canyon Trailhead Ampitheater (2300 North 1450 East):
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Join us for a worship service under the blue sky followed by a BBQ. Everybody welcome. The fun starts at 6 pm. Please bring your own meat and a sidedish.
This Memorial Day let us remember the covenant that civic, educational and religious leaders of Provo entered on August 3rd, 2010:
Provo City Community Covenant
We as a community recognize and support the efforts of those serving our
country; we understand and appreciate the sacrifice of our servicemembers and their families; and we acknowledge and enlist our individual and collective
ability to make a difference in their daily lives.
Therefore, we as a community commit to learning about the unique needs of
servicemembers and their families in our area; we agree to work together to
build a network of support for them; and we encourage each other to consider
ways to help mitigate the impacts of deployments.
We love and support our servicemembers and their families!
Watch last year’s signing ceremony here!
The Utah Pride Interfaith Coalition, a program of the Utah Pride Center, will hold their 10th annual Pride Interfaith Service, as part of the 2011 Pride Festival. The event begins at 2 p.m., on Saturday, June 4th, 2011, and is hosted by First United Methodist Church, 203 E 200 South, Salt Lake City, Utah.
“We are delighted to have the Reverend Daniel Haas from Provo Community United Church of Christ as one of the speakers for this year’s interfaith service. The theme is: “Live. Love. Pray.” said Russ Baker-Gorringe, chair of the Utah Pride Interfaith Coalition. “We represent a diverse group, coming together from different faith communities. We have more in common than we have differences. We all honor the divine within all of us. In other words, gay people, all LGBT/Q people, are worthy of holiness.”
The Mission statement of the Utah Pride Interfaith Coalition reads:
“Together, we celebrate the divine within each of us. It is tragically believed by some gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people that on the event of their coming-out they lose all rights to consider themselves people of faith, spiritual and capable of holiness. As an InterFaith community we come together from many diverse faiths and cultures, to proclaim loudly and proudly that such is not the case! Each of us is a being of love, created as we are.”
“We are seeing a movement among LGBT/Q people. Many, are reclaiming their faith,” said Baker-Gorringe. “Many of our people have risen above the spiritual abuse experienced in the past, and with many groups embracing and honoring LGBT/Q people, and a growing number of faith communities that honor loving, committed, same-sex relationships, we are seeing many in the queer community reclaiming their faith,” explained Baker-Gorringe.
“On Sunday morning, June 5th, 2011, at the Pride Parade,” explained Baker-Gorringe, “over 300 volunteers from the Utah Pride Interfaith community, will carry the huge Pride Rainbow Flag in the parade. The flag, is s full city block long, and the most photographed entry in the parade.”
“From Missouri to Minnesota, tornadoes have stolen precious lives, demolished homes and businesses, and broken the hearts of countless survivors. Across the United Church of Christ, we join our prayers with a grieving, weather-weary nation as, again, we pledge our love and solidarity with those who now must endure this long season of rebuilding, but not alone. We call for an outpouring of money, resources and volunteers to demonstrate the power of our oneness and the strength of our resilience, proving once again that God’s people can and will rise above this present suffering.
May the God of resurrection hope lead us in an outpouring of care and concern for all who have been victimized by this spring’s violent weather. Beyond the turbulent winds, above the floods, after the storms, and even in the midst of them, may our faith remind us that, together in community, we must hold on to one another, even as Christ’s love firmly holds us all.”
The Rev. Geoffrey A. Black
General Minister and President
United Church of Christ
On April 29, 2011 the United Church of Christ issued a US Spring Storms Appeal for $250,000 in response to ongoing flooding and storms.
Your gifts will enable the UCC to respond more fully to these devastating situations.
Rocky Mountain Conference Annual Meeting 2011 Registration will close permanently at midnight on May 25th. There will be no late exceptions. This is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to attend an event like this in Utah! Provo Community UCC is formally represented by our two delegates JoAnn Gauer and Mike Talbot along with the Reverend Daniel Haas. Carpooling will be available for everybody who wishes to join them. Please contact Bev Larsen in the church office for details. A handful of guests from Provo are already registered. Join us! Learn more!
At our Annual Meeting on January 16th our congregation unanimously voted to pursue the path of registering as an Open and Affirming congregation.
In order to be recognized as such by the UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns we want to educate ourselves more about God’s extravagant welcome and radical inclusion.
Classes are held every Saturday starting with a potluck at 4:30.This Saturday a representative from Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) will be talking to us.
