Highlights
First United Church and its offices are closed for worship and all non-essential events except the Beyond Hunger food pantry. Church staff are working remotely as much as possible, but they are still there for you.
Send prayer requests via email: Anyone wishing to send a prayer request to staff, to be included in the weekly time of Joys and Concerns, can send in a prayer request in advance of Sunday's live-streamed worship service to prayers@firstunitedoakpark.com.
Need assistance or a mask? Church members are available to run errands for those unable to leave their homes and to sew and deliver masks for those who need one. Contact Alicia Reese if you need help or are willing to volunteer.
Aug. 23 — Fourth Sunday Offering: Housing Forward
Sept. 13 — Gathering Day
Sept. 13 to Nov. 15 — Adult Ed: Zoom book group discussion, Good Grief
Evotional
Practicing Grace
We are beginning the last month of Summer and approaching a new program year with still many unknowns, much uncertainty, and painfully aware that it will not be quite the same as in years past. Rather than the usual excitement and energy we are each filled with at the start of a new year, many are feeling the emotional, mental, and physical toll these last several months have taken on them. If you are feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and stressed, know you are not alone. ...
Our God is a God of grace, granting us grace not because of anything we have done and I think we should try to be as gracious to ourselves as God would be. Now is the time to practice grace more than ever. Give yourself a break, cut yourself some slack. You are worthy, you are loved for who you are, exactly the way you are.
— Alicia Reese
Calendar
During this time of social distancing, First United is offering online fellowship and events through YouTube, Facebook, and Zoom. Here's how to join in the life of the church:
Mondays — Prayer Shawl Ministry via Zoom, 10 a.m. Join the group at this link.
Mondays — Sing along with Bill Chin via Zoom, 12:30 p.m. Join the hymn sing at this link.
Through late August — Housing Forward Hotel to Home kit volunteer project
Aug. 11 — Prime Time Zoom social, 3 p.m.
Aug. 25 — Prime Time picnics, at a distance, noon
Sermons
An Apple, Sin, & the Fall?
Genesis 3
I do not find in Genesis 3 the basis for the doctrine of original sin and the fact of the matter is, we do a disservice and serious damage when we interpret this story to say “Humans are evil, fallen creatures.” ... But if we believe that at the heart of our nature is blessing, that we were created good and that sometimes we make bad choices, then we have the ability to change, to grow, and to respond to and reciprocate God’s love.
— Alicia Reese
About Us & Registration Forms
Pandemic protocols
Although church is not yet reopened for worship, Church Council has adopted protocols drawn up by the church’s Public Health Task Force on how the building can be used safely, and only by people authorized to conduct church business.
The protocols include arranging entry with a staff member, filling out a health check questionnaire, wearing a mask at all times, and keeping at least six feet away from others. See the Governance page below to find out more, or check with the church office for more details.
Black Lives Matter to First United
George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Twenty-month-old Sincere Gaston. Three-year-old Mekhi James. Thirteen-year-old Amaria Jones. This list of Black brothers and sisters who died at the hands of police or from deadly gun violence goes on too long. The names become too numerous to mention, even as we must never forget them. We all feel the injustice of those losses.
First United Church stands in solidarity with those working to achieve social justice in today's broken world. Thanks to Emory Mead and John Zaruba for their efforts in designing and erecting the banner on the church's front lawn that tells the world what we stand for.
The link below gives some suggestions from the church's weekly Justice and Faith Circle on how to gain a deeper understanding of the issue and how to get involved to make a difference.
