February 21st Order of Worship

11 a.m. Traditional Service

February 19, 2021

“Lent Is Here!”

Dear Union Church Family,

This past week we officially kicked off the season of Lent and celebrated Ash Wednesday with our brothers and sisters from Mt. Pisgah. It struck me that night that Ash Wednesday 2020 is my last vivid memory before everything in our world changed. Nine days later there was an outbreak of the coronavirus on a cruise ship off the coast of San Francisco. Five days after that, the World Health Organization declared COVID 19 a global pandemic. Ten days later we stopped in-person worship services at Union and went exclusively online. Can you believe that it has been one year now? One year of quarantine. One year of cancellations. One year of cases, hospitalizations and deaths. And for an entire year something has become a part of our lives that we never anticipated—masks. For one year we have had a visible sign on our faces that things are not the way they are supposed to be. Even if you don’t wear a mask, you cant go out without encountering someone who is. You cannot escape it. In fact, if I may be so bold— it’s a sign of death. That is, the mask is a reminder of our mortality. No one was ready for it, but honestly maybe we should have been. Because Christians around the world did something similar this past week— they put ashes on their foreheads for everyone to see. It is a sign of death. It is a sign of our mortality. God said to Adam, “you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you shall return.” It didn’t take long for people to start putting words on their masks. We thought that maybe masks can be used to communicate hope. In a similar way, ashes are normally placed on the Christian’s forehead not with words, but with a symbol— a cross. Jesus Christ, the hope of the world, is placed on our foreheads for all to see.

Ash Wednesday is about dying, physically and spiritually. We are mortal. Whether it is from coronavirus, cancer, a car accident or just old age— all of us will one day die. But as followers of Jesus, we have hope. We can face death with confidence because of the cross and because of the empty tomb. Ash Wednesday is all about dying spiritually. Paul says in Romans 6, “You have died with Christ… In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.” Dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus! That is why Ash Wednesday has always been considered to be the official start of Lent. Lent is a time to focus on repentance and spiritual renewal.

So what has really changed over this past year? Ultimately, if you belong to Christ, nothing has changed. Oh, some things in our world have changed, but the tomb is still empty and the message of the cross is still the same. Jesus died to set you free from the power of sin and death. So repent, trust in him afresh and walk with him in newness of life. II Corinthians 4:7 says “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

People of God, the season of Lent is upon us! So let us gather this Sunday (either in-person or online) and let us fix our eyes together on that which is eternal— our only hope in life and in death, Jesus Christ the Lord. I cant wait!

See ya in church,

Billy

February
Calendar
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Women's Bible Study

Tuesday, February 23, the Women's Bible Study will be meeting at 12:30 in Fellowship Hall. We will be continuing our travels with Paul on his 3rd missionary journey and meet a man who fell asleep during a sermon! All women are invited - we hope to see you there. Masks and social distancing will be required.

Lenten Devotional Sign Up

It may be hard to believe, but Ash Wednesday is one month away. Many of us may still have Christmas decorations up, and yet we are already beginning to turn our attentions to Lent.

This year, we are asking for volunteers to help with our reflection and worship during such an important time in the church. On the link below, you will find a list of all of the daily Scripture readings from the Lenten lectionary. And here is where we need your help, family.

We are asking you to consider joining your brothers and sisters in reverence of this holy season. Simply select a day (or more) to volunteer to create a short reflection or devotion that will be shared with the entire Union Church family, via the website. These reflections can be created by an individual, as a couple, as a family, or as a household (or any combination).

Reflections need not be long or too involved. A short paragraph will do just fine. These should be 10 minute devotions that can easily fit into any busy schedule, and join Union Church together worship from anywhere. If you do not feel you can express yourself through your own words, think about how the daily reading resonates within you. You may be led to share a poem, a passage from a book, or even a song that shares a theme with that particular piece of Scripture.

We have all been blessed with unique abilities with which to worship the Lord. This Lenten season, we are hoping that you will share yours with your Union Church family.

Click the sign up link to select a date and complete your reflection of the scripture that corresponds. Completed Devotionals should be returned to Kellyn von Arx (uym@unionpresbychurch.org)

Palm Sunday Outdoor Service and Egg Hunt

We're excited to celebrate the start of Easter week together as a church family. Join us at Settler's Cabin Park Seneca Shelter on March 28th for an outdoor service, food trucks and activities for the whole family Worship will begin at noon with activities to follow. The egg hunt will be by age beginning at 1:00pm. Please register each child participant for planning purposes and don't forget your lawn chairs and running shoes! See you at the park!

Deacons Easter Flower Sale

The Deacons are making plans to celebrate the risen Lord with beautiful Easter flowers. For $12, you can purchase either an Easter Lily or a Tulip (6” pot) If you wish to purchase a potted plant for Easter, please contact Ashley in the church office by either phone or email. If you wish for your flowers to be in memory or in honor of a loved one, please provide the correct spelling of the names when you purchase your flowers. Cash or check made out to “Union Church Deacons” can be left in the offering plate or mailed to the church. Order deadline is March 7th, 2021.

Food Pantry Donations Needed

The Deacons are accepting non-perishable grocery items for the monthly food pantry. We need spaghetti sauces, cake mixes, icing, canned fruit and vegetables as well as chili ingredients. We do accept all food donations. Additionally, paper products, cleaning supplies, health and beauty items will be accepted. Please put all donations in the donation boxes in Fellowship Hall. Thank you for your support!

Union and 412 Rescue

Currently a 412 Volunteer delivers produce every Sunday that needs to be used before it spoils. Peppers, pineapple, potatoes, apples, onions, cucumbers, mint, cilantro, and mangos have been in our delivery this month. We are encouraging our members to take this and share it with family, friends, and neighbors, especially those that may be food insecure. Our second Tuesday of the month Food Pantry currently serves 15-20 families that depend on our non perishable canned and boxed donations from the Crafton Giant Eagle. The addition of fresh produce is just an added benefit that we can offer our families. Recent donations from Scott Family Farm in Oakdale of fresh eggs and ground meat have been an extra bonus. The produce comes in large boxes and needs to be separated in bags. Anyone wishing to help with the delivery and bagging the produce is welcome to help. The donation usually comes between ten and noon on Sunday. The weekly donation is currently the best way to ensure food for Union’s food pantry, which is only once a month.

LOCATION
Union Church of Robinson Twp.
6165 Steubenville Pike
McKees Rocks, PA 15136

Ph: 4127871818
Email: Click Here

Services
Sunday Morning Combined Worship is at 11 a.m.