Holy Week & Easter Sunday

Holy Week & Easter Sunday

Join us as we listen for God's voice this spring.

Holy Week at ACC

Palm Sunday, April 14, 10 am.

A joyous procession of palms, with ensemble music, as we remember Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.

Maundy Thursday, April 18, 7:30 pm.

A service of "Tenebrae" (shadows) and remembrance as we journey towards the cross.

Good Friday, April 19, 12 pm-3 pm.

Sanctuary open for quiet meditation and prayer.

Good Friday Joint Service, April 19 at 7 pm

First Congregational Church Berkeley

2345 Channing Way in downtown Berkeley

Together with his wife, Rev. Nate is organizing a special joint Good Friday worship, with seven local UCC churches participating, including us! The service will feature music from local choirs (as well as a moving community choir piece) and brief reflections on the last seven words of Jesus. Carpooling encouraged: let Nate know if you will need a ride or are willing to provide one.

Easter Sunday, April 21.  

7:30 am. Easter Sunrise Worship.

8:30 am. Easter Breakfast.

10:00 am. Worship, with special music.

Getting to Know You

Getting to Know You

Dear friends,

One of my favorite parts of ministry is being with people. This is not always as easy as it seems in church life – there are Lenten paraments to find, and worship themes to consider, and renovation plans to review. We are working on projects together, but we are also living and practicing our faith together, and hopefully growing more connected in God.

As I learn more about ACC and the Kensington community, I’m committed to visiting with each member and friend of the congregation, in the way that is most comfortable for you. I love to do visits at your home, which helps me learn about your life and family, but I also am happy to meet at a coffee shop, or at my office here at church (I promise to have the space heater on). I will be working my way through the directory, but please do contact me (revnateklug@gmail.com) to set up a visit; it will save me a step. I would love to hear from you!

I will also be offering a few programming opportunities during Lent, both here at the church and out in the community. See below for more information.

We are all going through important things at the moment – as individuals and as a culture. I wish you a sense of God’s intensified presence at this point in your journey.

Continued thanks for your wonderful welcome here! See you in church,

Rev. Nate

Lent Discussions with Rev. Nate

Lent Discussions with Rev. Nate

Poems for the Season of Lent. March 17, 11:30 – 12:15, Fireside Room. Join us after coffee hour as we read a few compelling poems that relate to this season of renewal. Hear a little more about how writing and ministry relate for Rev. Nate. No poetry experience needed!

Theology on Tap. March 22, 4:30-5:30. Kensington Circus Pub. Join Nate as we talk about a few pressing theological questions that this season raises. Number one: What is the point of confession? Number two: Why is our culture afraid of mortality?

Book Group: The Uninhabitable Earth, April 7, 11:30-12:15, Fireside Room. Joins us after coffee hour as we talk about selections from The Uninhabitable Earth: Life after Warming by David Wallace-Wells (the book that Shanti mentioned in a recent Moment for the Planet). Photocopied selections will be available a few weeks before, so you can read ahead of time if you’d like.

Interfaith Power & Light

Interfaith Power & Light

Please help:  from our partners at Interfaith Power & Light – a religious response to Global Warming

“It is vitally important that our elected officials know that, as people of faith, we demand action on climate change and that we believe having strong climate change policies is our moral obligation to protect future generations.  With your help, we can make sure the faith voice is heard loud and clear in Washington.  It’s our turn to lead!”

We have available post cards that will be delivered to Senators Feinstein and Harris during Climate Change Awareness week in April.  These cards encourage support for the Green New Deal.  Please take just a minute to sign two of these cards after worship today.  They will be in the social hall during coffee time.

Moment for the Planet March 8, 2019 by Shanti Moorjani

Moment for the Planet March 8, 2019

By Shanti Moorjani

Last Sunday, March 2, 2019 at the 10am service, I shared information on a book that was recently published called "The Uninhabitable Earth" by David Wallace-Wells.  I had seen him being  interviewed on the PBS News Hour two days previously.  This book does not sugar coat the climate crisis our planet is entering but starts out with a statement like this:  " It is worse, much worse than you think. If your anxieties about global warming is dominated by fears of sea-level rise, you are barely scratching the surface of what terrors are possible."  One comment by another author about this book said: "This is truly the most important book I have ever read, and one of the best written. It is so good, so complete, and well-organized and argued that I immediately stopped writing my new book on the same subject."

When I listened to the interview of Mr. Wallace-Wells, he was firm that this generation alive at this time in history, is the only generation that can do something about changing the direction of global warming. The only way to do this is through elected officials; we need informed, responsible and strong leaders that can lead us to make the changes that will dramatically tackle the problem now.   For the next generation, the effects will have already disrupted our way of life and altered the planet.

I did disagree with the author on one point.  He said, "one person, no matter how conscious they are about their living habits, they could not make a difference". Even so, a Tsunami is made up of many drops of water.  When many people on the planet think of themselves as a "Person of the Planet"  their many individual voices will make a big difference in how everything is done and what leaders are elected to do the work of reshaping business practices and patterns of consumption. Imagine millions of people asking the question; "Is this good for the planet?" about every decision they make and then doing the best they can to make the right decision.

The  book is  available on line. Local book stores are just starting to get it in.

Jumping Right In

Jumping Right In

Hello Arlington Community Church! Here it is, the beginning of March, finally my first week as your Designated Term Minister. I am so excited to get started. And with Lent fast approaching, we are jumping right in together.

I’ve spent the last week getting my bearings, preparing for Sunday worship, and having conversations with Dennis (before he left town), Jacob, Shanti, and many lay leaders. Thanks to everyone who has helped me get settled! My books aren’t quite unpacked in the office, but I feel a lot more comfortable around here than I did a week ago.

What I can tell already is that we are a community with many passions and a lot of care for one another and our world. Over time, I will use this newsletter space for several purposes: to reflect on a particular aspect of our church’s mission, to raise a theological question that might arise out of our life together, to share a poem or anecdote, or to call our attention to an under-noticed issue in our community.

For today, my first day, let me reiterate my gladness to be serving among you. Join us on Sunday morning as we hear Luke’s story of Jesus’ Transfiguration, and consider the different shapes transformation can take in our lives. And, looking ahead, mark your calendars for a brief, contemplative Ash Wednesday service on March 6 at 7 pm.

Wishing you God’s peace,

Rev. Nate Klug

PS -- Some of you have asked how to pronounce my last name. Great question! It’s “Kl-OOg,” not “Kl-UGG.”

Meet Rev. Nate Klug

Nate Klug

Pastor, Arlington Community Church

Nate was born in the Midwest, grew up in Massachusetts, and has been living in California since 2015. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago and Yale Divinity School, and he previously served UCC churches in Iowa and Redwood City, California.

Nate loves to preach, offer pastoral care, lead discussions and studies, and engage with people of all ages. He is especially excited about the opportunity to work with the people of Arlington Community Church to envision a creative future for ministries of community outreach and creation justice, as reflected in the congregation’s Covenant for Life Together.

Besides parish ministry, Nate’s other calling is writing. He is the author of two books of poetry, and his writing appears in The Nation, The New York Review of Books, and The Best American Poetry 2018. Nate teaches creative writing workshops at the Graduate Theological Union and serves on the board of the Center for the Arts and Religion at the GTU.

Nate is married to Rev. Kit Novotny, an associate minister at First Church Berkeley (UCC). They live in Albany with their young daughter, Zoe May, and their terrier, Increase. They love to eat at the Butcher’s Son deli and praise God for the Ohlone Greenway, where they can often be found jogging, riding bikes, or pushing a stroller.

Rev. Nate’s Contact & Weekly Schedule

Nate loves to visit folks and to get to know them through all the ups and downs of life. Nate can be reached at revnateklug@gmail.com. In the case of a pastoral emergency, he can be reached at any time on his cell phone at (617) 549-8178. Nate would love to hear how God is moving in your life; please do contact him to set up a visit.

As a ¾ time pastor, Nate will be in the church office on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Mondays and Tuesdays will primarily devoted to his writing and teaching.

Nate will be experimenting with holding office hours at a local coffee shop or pub in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Moment for the Planet

Moment for the Planet

Robbie Bond

Kids Speak for Parks

There is a Moment for the Planet at the Sunday service at the Arlington Community Church to highlight an aspect of the environment or helpful knowledge. This past week we honored a young boy called Robbie Bond, who in 2017, at age 9 launched a Kids Speak for Parks after hearing about the executive order from the president to downsize or eliminate some national parks.

Over the summer, he and his parents visited more than a dozen national parks recording videos of him exploring, talking to local officials, and making friends. He wanted to share with other kids across the country about the beauty of our parks and the threat from oil and gas exploration.

He collected 5,000 signatures in support of the parks, spoke to local schools, and even traveled to Washington to meet with Interior Department officials and representatives from his native state of Hawaii. Now at age 10, he is working on a pilot for a documentary series to create a virtual reality "field trips" to the national monuments.

He is partnering with Google to do this. Robbie's message to young and old: "Make you voice heard. I think it's best to have kids' voices. If the monuments were to be destroyed, it would have a bigger impact on kids."

In Conclusion

In Conclusion

This may, or may not, be my last entry. A brief recapitulation of thoughts follows:

My observation-based suggestions to you can be summarized in two words:

1. Hospitality

2. Transparency

The rest, as they say, is commentary.

If you wish to subscribe to any more periodicals, I'd recommend highly "Sojourners" and "Christian Century." They both offer great information, inspiration, and insight.

The February issue of "Sojourners" reminds us,

The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) required public spaces to accommodate disabled people by providing ramps, designated parking, and wheelchair lifts. Yet Christian churches and schools lobbied against the bill, claiming the cost of these features would represent government intrusion into religious affairs... Christians stood alone against access for disabled people...[which prompts this reflection] "Disabled people didn't leave the church,...The church didn't even leave us. No, we were never welcome."

Hospitality requires intention, effort, deep conversation, and resources.

On Sunday my final report will be available to all of you; in it I offer several suggestions as well as some encouragement. Please get a copy.

Finally, on Sunday I will be speaking on the theme, "Live Your Vision." Your vision changes over time. Nevertheless it requires a living-into action in order to make it real; only by such effort will you be aware of how things must continue to change. Blessings on that endeavor.

- Rev. Dennis Alger

Do You Have One? Is It Available?

Do You Have One? Is It Available?

Thanks to Dudley Thompson who loaned his copy to me, I just read Jessica Nutik Zitter's Extreme Measures: Finding a Better Path to the End of Life. This medical doctor, now an "Intensivist," chronicles her journey through the technological fixes of keeping us alive at all costs to the recognition that death is not failure AND can be both planned for and better managed often.

As I read it I was reminded that my wife and I have Advance Directives in several locations. However, they ought to be updated-especially in regard to our health care proxies since we are no longer near those listed. Dr. Zitter admits that she has no Advance Directive (sometimes termed Living Will) because it feels so final to complete the form. True. But the consequences of having nothing on file, and even worse, no conversation about end of life matters with loved ones (as well as physicians and clergy) can make for challenging and stressful situations. I've seen them...

So, have the conversation, again, and make certain the forms are up to date. Take a copy to your doctor; take one to your church; and when you go to the hospital, even for outpatient surgery, take one along. They will ask.

Speaking of end-of-life realities, some souls think so highly of the church that they leave a bequest to their congregation, often undesignated (which is better, often, than designated for something the congregation doesn't prioritize, such as a statue of a favorite preacher). I remember with great fondness a woman who left several thousand dollars to the congregation I served in Oregon. Not only were we surprised but quite appreciative. Knowing her as I did, I knew she would much rather those funds go toward assisting ministry somewhere than beautifying the sanctuary. Since we were in partnership with a congregation in Gingoog City, Mindanao, we used those funds in conjunction with that partnership: we shipped school supplies and other resources, plus we contributed to the pastor's continuing education (she is now a bishop in the United Church of Christ in the Philippines). So, please consider a bequest to your congregation. One caveat: Be specific about the beneficiary. A sad story: I know a congregation which went through a lot of distress over a bequest. A member left $100,000 to The United Church of Christ, as the congregation was known in that community. However, did that person mean that congregation or the denomination? Specificity matters.

For today, tomorrow, and many more to come, stay healthy.

- Rev. Dennis Alger