Palm Sunday, March 29
"First Impressions"
Palm Sunday tells the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem for the Passover celebration of the Jewish community. The writers carefully show us a contrast between the way royal leaders would normally enter a city they had conquered - on horseback, with their people or soldiers, to songs and acclamations of praise, with robes and branches laid down as signs of their royal status. The humility of this “mock” ceremony with Jesus shows all that this “king” comes to dismantle weapons and violence, to serve a God of care and compassion! Come join us for worship in person or online as we consider how our community can model that same God to others! Rev. John H Pomeroy
Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11
Last week's sermon: redlandsucc.org
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Floyd Orr Remembrance, Tuesday, March 31
Floyd Orr passed away on January 15. He was a member of our faith community for many years. His family held a private ceremony - we are celebrating Floyd’s life here at church with a simple gathering on Tuesday, March 31, at 10 a.m. in Micah Room of Mosaic Hall. We will have a time of sharing, readings, and music - all are welcome.
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Holy Week at RUCC
Palm Sunday – March 29th
We gather for worship in person and online at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary. We will process with choir and any children and youth who are willing, with our palm fronds to celebrate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem for Passover. After worship, we have refreshments in Covenant Hall, and the Confirmation class meets in the church office at noon.
Maundy Thursday – April 2nd
At 6:00 p.m., we will have a simple bread and soup supper in Covenant Hall for those who can join. Kim Lara-Kane could use volunteers to bring a pot of soup and a loaf of bread for the evening. At 7:00 p.m., we will move to the Sanctuary for a service of quieter music and readings, some time for prayer, and communion.
Good Friday – April 3rd
Our Sanctuary will be open from noon until 2:00 p.m., with a couple of worship area volunteers guiding visitors to seating in the Sanctuary and making available a few books with prayers and readings for individual use.
Easter Sunday – April 5th
We invite everyone to bring a flower or bunch to brighten our Sanctuary – we will have vases with water ready on the altar! Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. online and in person in the Sanctuary with special music. After worship, we will gather in Covenant Hall for an expanded Hospitality Hour – and an Easter Egg hunt outside for younger children (older children and youth will help hide eggs during church school hour).
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Bring Your Prayers
During worship, we are trying something new for our prayers - there will be a sheet at the back of the sanctuary with space for prayer concerns and joys…please write LEGIBLY whatever you would like to share with the community that day, and it will be shared during our prayer time together. Prayers may be edited for length, and it helps if you identify a person’s relationship to our community.
Prayer Request:
- Prayers of healing for Mary Lou Haney.
- Prayers for healing and support for the mental health of Christine and Orion.
- Prayers for Jon Herbert, who is receiving care at Kaiser Ontario.
- Prayers for healing for Eli, who has broken both her wrists.
- Prayers for Larry Rose as he continues treatment for prostate cancer.
- Prayers for an end to the war in Iran and support for all families that have lost loved ones in the war.
- Prayers for healing and courage for the survivors of sexual violence.
Ongoing concerns:
- Tom Miller
- Bill Buchanan
- Ruth Jordan
- Craig Wesson
Please send prayer requests to Pastor Jake at jake@redlandsucc.org
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Settled Pastor update
The Settled Pastor Search Committee has scheduled candidates for in-person visits, which will take place at the end of April. In the coming period, we will continue our work checking references and preparing for the interviews. We’ll update you as needed, but we expect to be less active than usual as we turn our attention to Easter, and some of us take long-awaited trips. We will return to our work in earnest in mid-April. Thank you for your continued patience and support.
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Garden News
We have exciting news about our garden area! With the support of the Stewards Committee and the Board, our beautiful lower garden area, along with the top grassy area, is going to be refreshed and renewed. This space is not only a place of rest and sanctuary for folks wishing to spend time in a beautiful outdoor area, but also is a space for outdoor church services, weddings, and, of course, our annual Art, for Heaven’s Sake! festival. This work will make the ground safer and more level, will remove gopher holes, renew the irrigation system, and replant the grass with types that will thrive in that beautiful, shady space.
When the work begins just after Easter, we will need to wait to use this space for a couple of months to let the newly seeded grass get established. There will be temporary fencing surrounding the work to remind people and dogs to give the grass the time it needs. We are happy to see this work begin!
Patty Little
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Next Chair Yoga, March 30
Jeanne Andrews is a gifted yoga instructor. We thank her for leading us toward health and wellness on Mondays at 10 a.m. in Covenant Hall. Donations appreciated.
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Game and Conversation Night, tomorrow, Saturday, March 28
Hot Diggity Dog! Game and Conversation Night is 3/28, Saturday in Covenant Hall at 5:30. Come play your favorite game or learn a new one, chat with friends, do an Easter craft and have a grilled hot dog (beef and vegetarian) with the fixings, chips, and potato salad. You are invited to bring a sweet treat to share! This is a no stress event! (Redlands and Riverside's No Kings Protests are in the morning on 3/28 so there is not a time conflict.)
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RUCC Book Group, Sunday, April 19
The next meeting of the RUCC Book Group will be on April 19, 2026, (3rd Sunday of the month) and the selection will be My Friends by Frederick Backman. The book presenter will be Karen Walsh. The group will meet after church, at noon, in Founders Room.
“The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anxious People returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later.”
(Amazon Review)
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Rhymes With Orange is competing in Costa Mesa!
Rhymes With Orange is excited to be competing in the 41st Annual Harmony Sweepstakes, April 11, 7:30 p.m., at the Costa Mesa Performing Arts Center. If you'd like to cheer for RWO and hear some other wonderful a cappella groups, click here for tickets.
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Introducing the Art, for Heaven’s Sake! 2026 Featured Artist Jason Situ
The Art Show committee is pleased to announce that they have chosen W. Jason Situ as our featured artist for our 2026 show. A few members of the committee met with him at the church several weeks ago, and he stated that he is extremely excited to be the featured artist at our show. He is a plein-air painter and plans to create a series of paintings around Redlands.
W. Jason Situ was born in 1949 in Guang Dong, China. He began painting in high school during China’s “Cultural Revolution” and completed his art education at the Guangzhou Fine Arts Institute, one of China’s most prestigious and competitive art academies. In 1989, Mr. Situ immigrated to the United States with his family. He was fascinated by the beautiful California landscape and soon decided to become a plein-air painter.
He has been a full-time artist since 1997 and has shown his work across the United States. He is a prolific, dedicated painter, receiving numerous awards in prestigious juried art competitions, including many “Best of Show” and “First Place” awards. Many publications have featured Jason. He strives to keep contributing his best to the beauty of the art world, painting what brings him joy as an artist. You can learn more about him at https://www.jasonsitufineart.com/
| | Easter Egg Hunt, Sunday, April 5 | |
CARING FOR KIN, March
Thanks so much for your generosity!
As a group, we will help many people with the hygiene and grooming products they need!
We only have one week left, so remember to pick up those items that you forgot to bring along last week!
The most common items asked for, so far, are:
- deodorant
- toothpaste
- shampoo
- conditioner
- shaving cream
- body lotion
- sanitary napkins
If you would like to see the specific items for which each organization has asked, there is more info on our Facebook page, on the lists hanging on the Caring for Kin cart, and here:
List of organizations
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Racial justice message
A new national review has confirmed that thousands of Black kidney‑transplant patients are finally receiving long‑overdue credit on transplant waiting lists after decades of harm caused by a racially biased medical test. The race‑based eGFR formula—used for years to assess kidney function—artificially inflated results for Black patients, delaying referrals and lowering their priority for transplants. Researchers now report that the corrective policy is working, restoring an average of 1.7 years of lost waiting time and offering a measure of long‑delayed justice.
Source: https://www.theroot.com/thousands-of-black-kidney-transplant-patients-get-justi-2000094263
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Environmental justice message
The earth is not the backdrop for our lives, but is part and parcel with them…. The earth is not something we use but something we share our lives with – something we nurture, have fun with, are stunned by, respond to, empathize with, find nourishment from, and in turn, nourish” (Paul Wapner, writing in the September-October 2003 issue of Tikkun).
Source: The Left Hand of God by Michael Lerner
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Peppermint Ridge
At the first quarter meeting of RUCC Wider Ministries in 2026, we decided to send a donation to four nonprofit organizations, including Peppermint Ridge.
Peppermint Ridge operates seven homes on our campus and five in the Corona community, providing stable, supportive living environments for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Each resident receives individualized support based on their needs, with care plans that evolve to support daily living, health, and personal goals. Through our Alternative Day Program, individuals stay active and engaged through meaningful activities, relationships, and connections within the broader community. As needs change over time, we adapt our services to provide continuity, prioritizing stability and keeping individuals connected to their home, friends, and community at Peppermint Ridge. The choir from PR has visited RUCC in the past and given a presentation.
https://www.peppermintridge.org
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C&C Center for Healing
At the first quarter meeting of RUCC Wider Ministries in 2026, we decided to send a donation to four nonprofit organizations, including the C&C Center for Healing.
The C&C Center for Healing was founded in 2018 and is a behavioral health clinic in Redlands that provides individual, couples, and family therapy, as well as medication and case management to various communities, including LGBT+, undocumented, and those struggling with housing. They also support the community in other ways, providing food boxes, clothing, and backpacks with essential items for the unhoused, resource fairs, and Christmas toy giveaways. RUCC prides itself on supporting anyone, regardless of where they are in their spiritual journey, and we provided $500 in Stater Brothers gift cards to support families who are struggling. The flyer is for an ongoing series on Protest with Power. It's an open group, so people can come to any or all of the sessions. Just sign up using the QR Code on the flyer. https://cccenterforhealing.com/
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Bless & Be Blessed is a space for our church family to share new or gently used items they no longer need. Whether you’re looking to pass something along or find something useful, this is a simple way to care for one another and practice good stewardship within our community. Contact the office or send the information to the View when you have an item to offer or an item you need.
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Prepared by Pam Dunn for Week 3 of the Lenten Series Zuppa Toscano (yields 8 servings)
Ingredients: 1 lb. sausage (omit if making this vegetarian,) 4 T butter, 1 diced onion, 1 T minced garlic, 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth, 2 cups water, 4-6 diced potatoes (can substitute 1 bag frozen O’Brien hash browns), 2 t salt, 1 t pepper, 2 cups heavy cream, (can substitute half & half) 4-6 cups chopped kale. Optional: bacon bits, shredded parmesan cheese, shredded cheddar cheese
Preparation: Step 1: Saute sausage until brown and crumbly. Set aside.
Step 2: Add butter to large pot. Saute onion and garlic.
Step 3: Add chicken broth, water, potatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil until potatoes are tender.
Step 4: Stir in kale, cream and sausage.
Step 5: Garnish with bacon bits and cheeses if desired.
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Do you have extra gardening tools?
RUCC needs a good wheelbarrow to help keep the grounds in good shape.
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This week at RUCC
Saturday, March 28
- 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. -Private funeral
- 5:30 p.m. - Game Night
Sunday, March 29
- 9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - Kids' Zone early care
- 9:30 a.m. - Seekers group (social time 9:15)
- 10:30 a.m. - Worship in the Sanctuary (Palm Sunday)
Monday, March 30
- Office Closed
- 10:00 a.m. - Chair Yoga
- 7:00 p.m. - Bible Study
Tuesday, March 31
- 10:00 a.m. - Floyd Orr Remembrance
- 11:00 a.m. - Munch and Muse Lunch Group
Wednesday,April 1
- 1:00 p.m. - Mah Jongg
- 6:00 p.m. - Bells Practice
- 7:00 p.m. - Choir Practice
Thursday, April 2
- 6:00 p.m. - Maundy Thursday Supper
- 7:00 p.m. - Maundy Thursday service
Friday, April 3
- 12:00 p.m. -2:00 p.m. - Good Friday
Saturday, April 4
- 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Sacred Saturday
Sunday, April 5
- 9:15 a.m. - Kids' Zone
- 9:30 a.m. - Seekers group (social time 9:15)
- 10:30 a.m. - Sunday School (kids start in Sanctuary)
- 10:30 a.m. - Worship in the Sanctuary (Easter Sunday)
- 11:30 a.m. - Easter Egg Hunt
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Upcoming Dates to Remember
- April 18 - Education Youth Nature Hike
- April 25 - Game Night
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