May 1, 2025

"It is not the worst if some people are unable to believe that Christ rose from the dead...the sad thing is that so many people today claim to believe it, and yet it means so little to them." -Christoph Blumhardt

May 01, 2025

In This Edition:

This Saturday’s Popup Thrift Shop is coming fast! See below for what’s left to do to get ready, and feel free to come and volunteer your time when you are able! Be sure to share invitations to the event with plenty of potential customers too!

Thursday, May 1 6PM - 9PM

· Remaining Clothing Pricing and Hanging

· Set out folded clothing

· Continue setting up jewelry table

· Price "yard sale" items stored in the Sunday School Room

Volunteers: Christine B, Kerry Ryan & anyone who wants to join

Friday, May 2 daytime

John Shirosky will move all "yard sale" items from the Sunday School Room to the hall

Friday, May 2 6PM - 9PM

· Set out all of the "yard sale" items that John moved into the hall

· Finish pricing any "yard sale" items that are left

· Finish pricing and display any last-minute clothing donations

· Finish jewelry display

· Set up Bake Sale Table with tablecloth

Volunteers: Shirley B, Jane M, Laurie K, Nancy F & anyone who wants to join

Pop-Up Thrift Shop Volunteers

Saturday, May 3 event from 9AM - 1PM (volunteers from 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM)

· Pam Cutler 8:30-1:30

· Shirley Booth 8:30-1:30

· Jane McMackin 8:30-1:30

· Sue Hussey 8:30-1:30

· Christine  8:30-1:30

· Barbara Carroll 10:30-1:30

· Nancy  12-1:30

· Janet  10-1:30

· Margie  10-1:30

 Lee 

Clean Up Crew

Saturday, May 3 from 1-3 - Cleanup

· Lauren Durso

· Nancy Farris

· Shirley Booth

· John Shirosky

· Christine Bemko

· Morgan Bemko

& anyone who can drive donations to Savers (or other donation location TBD) starting at 1:30 PM

Sunday, May 4 after church - Cleanup

· Shirley Booth

· John Shirosky

· Christine Bemko

 Morgan Bemko

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Hazardous Waste Day is this Saturday.

/Please see or speak with Nancy Farris if you need help.

Walk For Hunger

Please see the attached to contribute to Horace’s 42nd Walk.

My 42nd Walk for Hunger (1).pdf63.30 KB • PDF File

Thank You from the ONA Task Force

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Thank you to all who participated in last Sunday’s second “Congregational Conversation.” If you didn’t have a chance to hear Jacob Golden’s “Story from the Heart” in worship last Sunday, you can watch his testimonial here:

Walpole Food Pantry Distribution Coming to Union

On Wednesday May 14, from 2-3:30, WFP will begin offering part of its weekly drive-up food distribution in our church parking lot. If you’d like to volunteer to help, please email [email protected] or call (508) - 668 - 0106 and leave a message with your name and phone number.

Sermon Snippet

Last week, we heard Jesus’s words to Thomas, “Blessed are they who have believed without seeing.” What fascinates me about this week’s passage—the second half of the Easter Story told in Luke’s Gospel, in which Jesus meets two disciples on the Road to Emmaus—is how Jesus appears to be “hidden” from them the whole time he is with him. What are we to do in those seasons of our lives where are just “on the journey,” unable to see the living Christ in the world around us? How can we come to perceive that presence even as we feel Christ’s absence? This Sunday’s Gospel has answers to these questions!

Holding in Prayer

This week, as a community of faith we pray:

  • for Carol, as her health is failing

  • for Alan Doty, as he recovers from knee surgery

  • with joy, for successful radiation treatments for Margie’s sister Holly, and for continued healing during her chemotherapy

  • with joyful expectation, as Lew and Pat look forward to the birth of their third grandchild, and for Elizabeth and Cindy.

  • with joy, for Jacob’s testimonial “Story from the Heart” shared on Sunday.

  • for Rachel Traughber, as she undergoes chemotherapy

  • for Shirley’s niece Karen, as she undergoes treatment for pancreatic cancer

  • for Laurie’s aunt Mary and her husband Jerry Recker, as Mary enters hospice care, and Jerry struggles with dementia.

  • for Margie’s aunt and uncle, who are struggling with health challenges and dementia.

  • for Pastor Shepherd’s cousin Rachel and her husband Adam and their newborn daughter Lorelei, who is recovering from multiple neurosurgeries.

  • for healing for Lew’s brother Richard, and his wife Paula.