a celtic blessing for the holy triduum (3 days before easter)

Holy Week

Here is the link to the entire Palm Sunday service.
Please join us this holy week - a week we get to walk the journey of Christ, day by day, step by step - together. Here are the details:

• Thursday, April 9: Maundy Thursday Service, 7:00pm. Join us for this service of tenebrae where we'll hear from scripture and share in communion together while the candles are gradually extinguished, and we leave in darkness.


• Friday, April 10: Good Friday Service, 7:00pm. Join us for this simple, contemplative, and commemorative service as we remember Jesus together.


• Saturday, April 11: Easter Vigil Service, 7:00pm Agape-Seder, 8:00pm service. Join us for our Agape-Seder Meal - a simple, intentional, and symbolic meal we share, remembering together God's grace and mystery as we break fast together (while fasting is not required, you may consider trying it on Saturday - or even skipping one meal, or eating less that day). Vigil begins at 8pm with a bonfire outside the church where we light the new Christ Candle for the year. A moving service we hope you can join us for!


• Sunday, April 12: Easter joint Service, 10:45 AM. No evening service. Christ is Risen! Join us for one joint service this day at 10:45am (there will be no Watershed service on Easter). This is another chance to give to the One Great Hour of Sharing offering.

Eco-Palm Sunday! HOLY WEEK BEGINS

Come join us this sunday for Palm Sunday to begin the powerful journey of Holy Week. We will have our PCUSA-sponsored eco-palms again this year. We are also hosting all three services during the week: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil (with Agape-Seder meal preceding). All services begin at 7pm. May we walk this week together in solidarity and hope. 

Earth Hour - turn of thy lights!!

Let's remember to turn off our lights this saturday from 8:30-9:30pm to raise awareness around global warming and cast our "vote" as stewards of God's planet. (and as such, don't forget to help support those in need by attending the Community Day Center spaghetti dinner and raffle at 5:30-7:30pm that same night!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd1BsNvEXqo

Bed of Branches - Andrew Mudge

Friends - keep track of our friend Andrew Mudge's snowshoe tracks as he treks across Labrador with the Innu. Click here and let's keep him and them in our prayers.

One Great Hour of Sharing

We have the chance on Palm sunday and Easter to give to this important offering. It suports the work of our church in mission in many real ways. Check out the video clip.

Watershed service 3/22/09

Click here for link to last night's Lent 4 watershed service. Let's keep the Presbytery of Boston meeting tonight in our prayers.

six years of war in iraq

Let us not forget, we are a people at war.
Let us not forget, to repent of war.
Let us not forget, to work to turn swords into plowshares.
Let us not forget, the young on all sides we put in harms way.
May the refrain we sing so often, "I ain't gonna study war no more" be actualized...now.
Prince of peace, come.
Our Lady of Peace for Iraq: currently 99,452 civilian deaths, 4258 confirmed US deaths.

spring clean & potluck

Friends! Tomorrow, March 20, we experience vernal equinox - the beginning of Spring. SO, besides taking in the beautiful change New England seasons afford us (have you seen any buds peeking out yet??), let's get together to tiddy up our church. Sunday March 29 at 2pm, we'll all gather to do what we can to clean and spruce up the building. Then, if you can, stay for an all-church potluck at 5pm prior to Watershed.
BYO gloves... :)

wendell and protest

Thank you for your prayers. I had the privilege of going down to DC on my "day off" this past monday to join in the Capitol Climate Action day where we gathered, rallied, marched, and protested the coal fired power plant that powers the Capitol and many surrounding buildings. It was an inspiring experience joining some 2500 predominately young adults committed to help change our country and move away from dirty coal that pollutes, destroys mountains, and changes our climate - to more sustainable ways of living. It was my honor to shake Wendell Berry's hand and tell him how much he has inspired our community of faith here at Watershed in Waltham. His humilty was felt as he thanked me for my words - and I thanked him for his witness. The police did not arrest anyone of us in this massive civil disobedience (no permits were obtained for this march, as it was intended to symbolically shut down the coal plant for the day) - as there were too many to arrest - a success indeed. Bill McKibben (www.350.org) and James Hansen (NASA) were also there. Photos are of some fellow Waltham activists I ran into, Wendell Berry, and others. May there be eco-peace soon!

Carbon Fast for Lent

Thanks to the wonderful organization Tearfund ("Christians passionate about the local church bringing justice and transforming lives - overcoming global poverty") - we have a great link that gives us daily ACTIONS this Lent that relate to healing our planet, and reducing poverty. Check it out - click here.

Ashes

Come join us for an Ash Wednesday service this Weds. 2/25/09 at the Presbyterian Church at Burlington, MA at 7:30pm. There will be a meditation, singing, the imposition of ashes, and communion. A meaningful way to begin our Lenten journey together. Hope to see you there.

Gratitude and Creation

Friends - come join us today in this event. I'll be helping lead the gathered in sharing our eco-testimonies (yes, PCC inspired!)

MONDAY 2/16 (not sunday 2/15) / God and Global Warming

Enjoy the long weekend (if you have it) - and come to church on Monday 2/16 instead of sunday for watershed - same time and place, 7pm.
I just went to a talk called "God and Global Warming" at harvard yesterday - hearing from Rev. Richard Cizik & Dr. Eric Chivian who are working to close the gap b/w evangelicals and scientists. Cizik was formerly with the National Association of Evangelicals, but was recently fired for his more "progressive" views (including voting for obama...)?!! A good talk, and hopeful alliances and progress in the ways of Earth Stewardship - here's some info if interested.

fellowship & Spirit

This week we begin Church Life: Fellowship & Spirit - this all-church gathering takes place on Wednesday evenings 7-8:30pm (2/4, 2/18 - and then each Weds. in Lent). Please come join us as we take a look at some songs, poetry, biographies and guided issue discussions (i.e. environmental racism, poverty, economic transformation, etc.) together. Prayer, fellowship and a sampling of some spiritual disciplines will also be explored. peace!

Let us SERVE!

"Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve" MLKjr.
In the spirit of MLKjr., and with the added emphasis on service that our new president is calling our nation to, we got the chance to bring a wonderful group of Harvard students (grad and undergrads) to serve lunch on Martin Luther King Day to our guests at the Community Day Center. Carol also faithfully joined us! Here are some photos.

prayers and celebration

Friends,
As a member of our church Larainne reminded us today, as we celebrate the new hopes for CHANGE in our country this day, let us remember to pray for the entire Obama family - that they would find peace in this new transition and roll as leaders. May we all respond to this call to collective service and sacrifice together. And I pass along this clip also shared with me today of Obama speaking at the UCC convention back in 2007.
In God's grace, yes we can!

snow, annual meeting, Martin Luther King Jr., and inaguaration

Friends,
Due to the beautiful fresh snow falling today, our morning service and WATERSHED at First Presbyterian are canceled today. Waltham's snow emergency and parking ban makes it impossible for us to park and have a gathering. We'll be sorry to miss each other tonight - but hopefully back together next week. Enjoy the snow today! (we highly encourage making snow angels and/or snow caves as is possible... :)
We have our Annual Meeting next sunday 1/25 at 12:30pm. It is a potluck - so please let Rob know if you can bring something. If you can't, no worries - just show up and find out more about how our congregation makes decisions and hear reports from 2008 and help envision 2009 together! If it is snowing again and we have to cancel morning service - the annual meeting will be changed to Sunday Feb. 8th at 12:30pm.
Enjoy the snow!
"Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve." MLKjr.
The Waltham Ministerial Association is sponsoring its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Service at 7pm tomorrow, Monday 1/19 at the Covenant Congregation Church in Waltham, 375 Lexington Street (I'll be taking part in worship leading, and Rev. Tom Maehl will be preaching the sermon). Especially in light of the historic occasion of Tuesday's inauguration - this MLK service should be one not to miss. There will also be a day of service at the Community Day Center tomorrow - where Harvard Students will be coming out to make and serve a lunch at 1:15. Please join us if you'd like.
And on Tuesday, please take a moment to pray for the Obama family. Pray for their health, safety and spiritual formation as they begin this new journey. And pray for our nation - for humilty, a new direction, hope, and a conversion to the workings of peace in our world.
As you enjoy the snow - today's lectionary psalm is 139 - take a look at it and contemplate how God knows you, and what that means to you.
And finally - some gifts to you. I strongly urge you to take a few minutes to click on these links, and be inspired anew with the prophetic words of our saint for justice, in the spirit of Christ, Martin Luther King, especially as we move together through this historic week:
1. Up to the Moutain speach (night before his death)
2. Vietnam, anti-war speach
3. How Long, not long!
4. Up to the mountain - Patty Griffin's song in the spirit of MLKjr.

“A genuine revolution of values means in the final analysis that our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Every nation must now develop an overriding loyalty to mankind as a whole in order to preserve the best in their individual societies….This call for a world-wide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one's tribe, race, class and nation is in reality a call for an all-embracing and unconditional love for all [peoples].”

– Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
peace on earth, Rob (PS - a longer video clip i've not yet watched)

watershed is on tonight!

Friends - we are on tonight at 7pm - parking can be found at the school at Alder & Moody (as of 3pm there is still a no-parking rule in waltham due to snow).
peace,Rob

New year's peace and PRAYER

When I wished one of our Iraqi friends happy new year at watershed last week, she replied "Qul aam wa antoum bi khair" which in arabic means "every year and you are well". I like that focus on wishing us peace not just this year - but every. We especially wish peace for the Middle East right now - may there be a cease-fire and lasting peace agreement.
This THURSDAY at 5-6pm please drop in as we hold a time of prayer in support and solidarity for Pastor Jean - who is our prophetic voice into the way of equal rights and justice for all God's people. Feel free to drop in for just a few minutes, or the entire hour. If you can't make it - please pray for her and for justice wherever you are.
Let's continue to follow those epiphanal stars this new year (and subsequent new years),
Rob