A message from our Pastor and teacher
Sunday, April 6 ~ Fifth Sunday in Lent~ "Beggars and Tax Collectors"
Last week we read about a rich man who neglected the poor and found himself condemned to Hades. Jesus says it is harder for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven. But today we are going to read about a rich man that managed to do just that. Zacchaeus was a short man but he ran a big business in Jericho: chief tax collector. He climbs a sycamore tree to see Jesus, and Jesus tells him to come down from the tree and informs him that he will be having dinner with him that evening. The dinner changes him and he gives up half his wealth and promises four-fold restitution to anyone he wronged and cheated. Jesus proclaims that "Today, salvation has entered this house."
This happens after he heals a blind man named Bartimaeus on the road to Jericho, and we are told he began to follow Jesus as a disciple. I like to think that Jesus brought Bartimaeus with him to Zacchaeus' table and they all ate together, former beggars and tax collectors at the same meal. We will be observing communion and the way Jesus reaches us and saves us at the table. Join us!
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Concerns:
- Prayers for Kathie Blakley’s son Tim and daughter-in-law Ida in Washington state. Before Ida’s scheduled brain surgery, imaging revealed the mass has shrunk, and the surgery is postponed. Prayers for health and a clear diagnosis.
- Prayers for Judith Turian’s friend, also named Judith, with inoperable lung cancer, and for her friend’s husband Robert who is struggling with Parkinson’s. Prayers of perseverance and comfort.
- Prayers for the celebration of life for Sandy MacAulay on April 5, 2025 at RUCC, that it may honor her and comfort her loved ones.
- Prayers of celebration for the new rose bushes planted on the RUCC grounds.
- Ongoing prayers for Mary Lou Haney, and her daughter and caregiver Jennie, and Jennie’s fiancé Patrick.
- Prayers of growth and faithfulness for all those observing the season of Lent, through worship, prayer, service or fast.
- Prayers for the victims of oppression and violence around the world. This week we say a special prayer for Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a legal resident from El Salvador, married to a US citizen, and father to a U.S. citizen, who was deported to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador without due process. He has no criminal record, and is being held in notoriously inhumane conditions, and currently is not being released and brought home to his family. He is with hundreds of others, most of them not even from El Salvador, sent there without judicial oversight. Lord, hear our prayer.
Ongoing Concerns:
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Dick Ault
Danny Anderson
Jerry Andrews
Bill Buchanan
Fred Freeman
Judith Gregory
Beki Hill
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Harriet Holt, Beki Hill's mother
Those affected by wildfires, including the UCC in Altadena
Amber McGuigan
Cynthia McGuigan
Dondon and Scott Mong
Floyd Orr
Dee Dee Seek’s great grandson Jaxson
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Paisley Parcell
Carl Parish
Robert Silver
Steffen family
Tom Miller
Janet Wilson’s great niece Amelia
Michael White
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The Easter Bunny needs your help!
We are in double need of Easter candy as there will be *2* egg hunts! The first will be on Saturday, April 19, 10 a.m.—noon, at the Eggstravaganza.
The second will be immediately following worship on Easter Sunday, April 20, around 11:30 a.m.
As is our tradition, the kids will hunt for empty plastic eggs, then exchange these for a generous bag of candy. (All the same size, no matter how many eggs they do (or do not) find!
Please bring your individually wrapped candy donation to the church kitchen before Saturday, April 19, so as not to stress out the Easter Bunny!
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Sacred Saturday, April 5
As we journey through the Lenten Season of prayer and contemplation, we take deep breaths, center into our greatest truths and beliefs, and ready ourselves for whatever is next. Sacred Saturday offers an opportunity to take a rest from the chaos and uncertainty of the political world around us and connect to that which is "more"; that which is holy. From 9 a.m.—noon. we will gather for community, individual silence, and reflection. Whether you have attended every Sacred Saturday, or are just learning about it, you are welcome! We will begin in Micah Room in Mosaic Hall at 9 a.m.
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So much happening during Holy Week!
RSVP now for the Maundy Thursday Seder
This year’s Seder is April 17 at 6 p.m. in Covenant Hall. Like previous years, it mirrors the traditional Passover Seder, followed by a service of Tenebrae. The meal includes lamb or a vegetarian substitute. To order and prepare the proper amounts of food, RSVPs are greatly appreciated to Veronica at the church office by Monday, April 14 (earlier is better!). As this is a worship service of the church, there is no cost, but a donation to offset costs is always appreciated.
Easter Sunrise Service at 6 a.m.
This year we are reintroducing an Easter Sunrise Service. It will be held Sunday, April 20, at 6 a.m. in the Lower Garden of the church (we will be using the “stage” area). This will be a short, outdoor service commemorating the early morning hours when Mary Magdalene and others first encountered the Empty Tomb and Risen Christ. It’s also to welcome the sunrise on the holiest day of the year! There will be music, scripture and a (brief) reflection. Dress appropriately!
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2025 RUCC Lenten Series: Dialogues on the Refugee Crisis-Wednesday, April 9
“Where do we (as a church) go from here?
Date: Wednesday April 9
Time: 6:00—8:00 p.m.
Location: Covenant Hall
Even if you haven’t attended a single Lenten Series this year, we would really love for you to join us for this, our final week, where we will discuss our next steps as a church.
During our time together after supper, we will begin to create an action plan that we might use to respond to the refugee crisis in a way that makes sense for our context: as a UCC church, located in Redlands, in the year 2025.
Use the following link to sign up to bring soup to share for Week Five:
https://www.perfectpotluck.com/WLDO7518
➡️ Also: we will be serving delicious bread from Dan’s Doughs!
Childcare is available upon request. Send an email to al_education@redlandsucc.org if you plan to bring a child to the event, or if you have any questions.
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Save the Date: RUCC Parents/Guardians Town Hall
Kids/Youth RUCC Education Programming, Online Town Hall meeting, Tuesday April 29, 7:00 p.m., link will be provided.
This is your opportunity to ask questions and give feedback to the RUCC Education Committee: what do you like about our programming and what would you like to see us do differently? What suggestions do you have for ways we can improve?
More details will be forthcoming—in the meantime, please put this important Town Hall meeting on your calendar because we truly want to hear from you!
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Wider Ministries - Social Justice Call to Action
There are two opportunities to participate in the April 5 protests happening around the nation. We'll join with other people of faith who are motivated by gospel values to care for the poor and needy, and to stand up for social justice. You are welcome to attend one or both events, as they conveniently happen at different times and have different focuses. Rev. Joe plans to be at both events.
Hope Walk in Redlands
We are invited to join our friends at First Baptist Church of Redlands for a “Hope Walk” through downtown Redlands. This is a way to participate in the April 5 protests that focuses on love and hope. The walk starts Saturday, April 5, at 4 p.m. in the Baptist Church parking lot (51 W. Olive), and will walk through downtown Redlands and back with banners and signs. Again, the focus here will be on a positive message of social justice.
Hands Off Protest
We will meet Saturday, April 5, at 5:30 p.m. in the RUCC parking lot to carpool to the “Hands Off” protest in downtown Riverside. These nationwide “Hands Off” protests are being sponsored by a large variety of organizations, including many faith-based organizations like Faithful America and the Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice. We are going to try and make the one in Riverside the largest gathering in the Inland Empire! The protest is at Market St. and University Ave., 6:30-8 p.m. We are advocating for social justice in everything from climate and immigration policy, to Medicaid and USAID. If you don’t like to drive at night, we will do our best to pair people up with drivers comfortable doing so. RSVPs appreciated (joe@redlandsucc.org) but not required.
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Young and Middle Adult Social Group Relaunch - April 4 at 7 p.m.
Friday, April 4 at 7 p.m. at Redlands Public Market, a group of “young and middle adults” will be gathering for fellowship and social connection. We will have an icebreaker (this time will be “what’s your biggest Easter memory?”), and an opportunity for discussion. There will also be an “Ask Me Anything” theology time with the pastor, Rev. Joe, who will discuss whatever topic is on your mind, especially if you buy him a drink.
RUCC is an intergenerational and covenantal community that brings people of all ages and backgrounds together. Whoever you are, wherever you are on your journey, you are welcome here. And we mean that! Not only is worship and church leadership intergenerational, but we also have a lot of programming open to all ages. But sometimes it makes sense to have ministries geared toward particular demographics—whether it’s youth group, LGBTQ Christians, women’s group, or seniors—to serve our community. For this group, we are gearing things toward people ages 21 (young adults) to 50-ish (middle adults), but we aren’t strict about it – if you really want to come, then come!
We are looking at doing this monthly on the first Friday at 7 p.m., but we will be trying different locations until we find a good one! April 4 is at Redlands Public Market, but the May 2 location is still to be determined.
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Caring for Kin - Hannah's House of Hope
Caring for Kin is collecting for Hannah’s House of Hope during the month of April. Hannah's House of Hope is a long-term transitional housing facility and program for homeless and at-risk children and their mothers.
We would like to provide them with any size:
- hand soap
- laundry soap
- toilet paper
- paper towels
- bleach and other cleaning supplies
- blue or gray bath towel sets
- Arco gas cards (See the scrip table early in April if you are interested in helping with this particular need.)
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Next Book Group meeting is April 6
The RUCC Book Group is reading James by Percival Everett during the month of March, and will discuss the novel at its next meeting this Sunday, April 6, at noon in Founders Room. The presenter will be Judith Ashton. Please join us.
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Guest speaker after church, April 13
Please join us for this informative and heartfelt presentation. Prof. Ellen Gruenbaum lived, worked and conducted research in Sudan in the 1970s. Ellen’s talk will focus on the past and present struggles of Sudanese women, describe her own experiences working with Sudanese students and educators, and share the current efforts of the Ahfad University for Women.
This talk will take place in Founders Room on Sunday April 13, noon—1 p.m. All are invited—we look forward to seeing you there!
Follow this link to learn more. Prof. Gruenbaum’s talk is presented in tandem with this year’s Wednesday evening Lenten Series “Dialogues on the Refugee Crisis”.
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A Moment in RUCC Time: Nov. 1998-Sept. 16, 2001
Building the Sanctuary
After the Church House fire, the church began to consider a further building process to provide a Sunday school space, offices, and the Sanctuary.
The Building Committee of Dianne Landeros (Chair), Luther Austin-Brecher, Sam Dickey, Stewart Durrant, Sondra Hodson, and Bonnie Killpatrick, worked diligently on each step of this process. The Sanctuary was dedicated on Sept. 16, 2001.
“We wanted the Sanctuary to reflect the values expressed in our vision statement. We wanted to be environmentally friendly, inspire a feeling of reverence, support our open and affirming values so that all feel welcome, provide the environment needed for musical and other performing art events, and accommodate projects and programs that furthered our ministry.” —Dianne Landeros
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Environmental Justice message
A jury in North Dakota has found Greenpeace liable for defamation, trespassing, and a suite of other infractions in a case that pitted the environmental advocacy group against Energy Transfer, the company that built the Dakota Access oil pipeline. On Wednesday, the jury awarded the pipeline company hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
"I think Energy Transfer, and this is probably true of many big oil companies, is trying to send a message to other organizations that if you try and hold power to account, we will try to silence you. We will try to bankrupt you," says Sushma Raman, interim executive director of Greenpeace USA. Raman said Greenpeace will appeal the decision.
Source: “Jury says Greenpeace owes hundreds of millions of dollars for Dakota pipeline protest,” Jeff Brady and Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 3/19/25: https://www.npr.org/2025/03/19/nx-s1-5332364/north-dakota-greenpeace-defamation-oil-pipeline-standing-rock
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Racial Justice reflection of the week
At bedtime, my 7-year-old daughter and I have been reading the book, Dancing through Space. It's the story of the first Black female astronaut, Mae Jemison. Mae Jemison has become my daughter’s latest obsession: Mae pajamas, Mae coloring pages, and Mae educational videos.
My wife and I have tried to instill in our daughter that she can be anything she wants, that she can contribute to this world, as a girl and, eventually, a woman—that she is as smart as any boy, one day, as successful as any man. While being a girl has its challenges, it is important for our daughter to know there is a difference between the challenges women experience and Black women experience—that these struggles are alike but not akin. Mae Jemison is an example of that.
Source: https://www.parents.com/teaching-our-children-black-history-matters-8785215
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Rev. Joe's installation, May 4 at 4 p.m.
In our denomination, an “installation” is a special service that acknowledges the calling of a minister to a local church. Rev. Joe may have been the pastor since July, but these installations often happen 3 months to a year after the official start date. It’s not just a celebration of the church and the new pastor – it’s about the work of the wider church in the area and the ties that bind us together. This is an opportunity for us to invite other churches and ministers and build relationships outside the “local church” context. The service will have the Conference Minister Rev. Rachael Pryor preaching, and Rev. Joe will preside over communion. We plan on some special music and a reception afterwards in Covenant Hall. Save the date!
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Calling all bakers
We occasionally need cookies, bars, brownies, mini muffins, and such for memorial receptions. If you would like to be an "on-call baker" for these events, please let Pam Dunn know and she will be in touch with you. Thank you so much!
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Odd Jobs Corner
Are you a handy person? The church often needs a little help with odd jobs. Some require a particular skill while others just need your time and energy! Check this space each week for an updated list:
- Clean scuff marks off walls
- Fix a broken toilet handle
- Pick up and discard cement bricks around campus
If you'd like to volunteer to help your church community (and save some money in the budget!), please contact Veronica in the office.
P.S. Have you noticed something around the church that needs repair? Maintenance request forms are in a file box by the office door, if you see something that is broken or needs attention.
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Celebrate RUCC's 50th Anniversary
June 21 and 22, 2025
Seeking your memories and reflections!
It’s been an interesting time at RUCC for the last 50 years! Do you have a memory or digital photo you would like to share? It doesn’t matter WHEN it took place - 50, 25, 5 years ago, or even yesterday. If you do, write it out (no more than a paragraph) and send it to Kathie Blakley. If you have a digital photo to share, you can upload it to http://tinyurl.com/RUCCupload and let Kathie know the event, participants, and date, and include your name.
We’ll use some of these in several different ways- some as part of the church history book, some in a Memories collection, and some in various displays at the church. —Kathie Blakley, RUCC Church Historian
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Be informed! Subscribe to the conference newsletter!
For the latest information about current events and UCC information, subscribe to the newsletter for the Southern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ, which you can find at scncucc.org. Go to the website and scroll down to the button that says “Subscribe Now”.
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Scheduling with Rev. Joe
Rev. Joe’s schedule for the next several weeks will have him out of the office more during the church office hours (Mon-Thu, 9 a.m.—2 p.m.). If you want to “drop in” to see him, call ahead at 909-793-3520 to check if he’s in, or schedule an appointment. The best ways to schedule with Joe are, in order of preference: 1) Use his online scheduler at calendly.com/jdzarro and choose a 30 or 60 min meeting, 2) reach out to Joe directly by email, Teams or phone, 3) Contact the church office during normal business hours. Veronica has his calendar and can book appointments for you. Typically, unless he has something scheduled offsite, Rev. Joe is in the office Mon-Wed during normal hours, with Thursday being a “flex” day. His day off is Friday; and Saturdays and Sundays are always variable based on the church and Conference calendars.
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Upcoming Dates to Remember
- April 5 - 9 a.m. Sacred Saturday, Mosaic Hall (see article)
- April 5 - Wider Ministries - Social Justice Calls to Action (see article)
- April 13 - Palm Sunday
- April 17 - Maundy Thursday Seder & Tenebrae, 6 p.m. (see article)
- April 18 - Good Friday
- April 19 - RUCC's "Eggstravaganza"
- April 20 - Easter Sunday - Egg hunt for children following the service
- May 4 - 4 p.m. Rev. Joe's installation as RUCC's Senior Pastor
- May 14 - 10 a.m.—3 p.m. Blood Drive in Covenant Hall
- June 21-22 - RUCC's 50th Anniversary Celebration
The complete church calendar is online at http://www.redlandsucc.org/calendar
| | This Week at Redlands United Church of Christ | | |
Sunday, April 6
- Seekers ~ 9:15 a.m. - Social and 9:30 a.m.- Discussion - Founders Room
- 9:30 a.m. – Kids’ Zone/Early Care
- 10:30 a.m. – Worship service & Sunday School
- 11:30 a.m. - Coffee hour/fellowship time in Covenant Hall
- 12 noon - Book Group in Founders Room
Monday, April 7
- 4 p.m. - Church Growth meeting
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7:00 p.m. - Bible Study at church or online
Tuesday, April 8
- 7 p.m. - Stewards meeting
Wednesday, April 9
- 1 p.m. - Mahjong, Mosaic Hall
- 6:00 p.m. - Lenten series continues
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Thursday, April 10
- 11 a.m. Worship Area meeting
- 6:00 p.m. Bells and Choir rehearsals
Friday, April 11
- 7:00 p.m. – Woman’s AA Meeting - Founders Room
Saturday, April 12
Sunday, April 13
- Seekers ~ 9:15 a.m. - Social and 9:30 a.m.- Discussion - Founders Room
- 9:30 a.m. – Kids’ Zone/Early Care
- 10:30 a.m. – Palm Sunday Worship service & Sunday School
- 11:30 a.m. - Coffee hour/fellowship time in Covenant Hall
- 12 noon - Guest speaker on the struggles of Sudanese women, Founders Room (see article)
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RUCC Staff
Senior Pastor: Rev. Joe Zarro
Music Director: David Wells
Associate Music Director: Sophia Ohanian
Children's Education Director: Susi Jacobsen
Director of Youth Ministries: Kathy McCool
Office and Property Manager: Veronica Bermudez
Child Care: Caitlin Walsh
Website: www.redlandsucc.org
Phone: 909-793-3520
Staff and Other Emails
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pastor@redlandsucc.org
musicdirector@redlandsucc.org
childrenseducation@redlandsucc.org
youth@redlandsucc.org
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office@redlandsucc.org
weddings@redlandsucc.org
theview@redlandsucc.org
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