Camp Wilmot this summer!

Charles River Earth Day Clean Up 2009

Thanks to all who helped out in this year's clean-up! Watershed certainly was well represented! It was especially meaningful to all pray together after we got our hands dirty for the health and recovery of our beloved Charles River watershed.

Ministry for Earth Community - harvard 4/24

Come join us and hear our friend Prof. Willis Jenkins speak at this Harvard Divinity School & Memorial Church of Harvard sponsored event on Friday 4/24, 8am-5pm, come for any portion if you can.  

halle, halle, halle-luiah!

Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!
What a powerful set of services we took part in at FPWC this past week - ending in that ancient creedal crescendo of the church - Christ is risen indeed, alleluia! Thanks to all who took part in these services. And let's remember Wendell Berry's words spoken at our agape-seder meal before our Easter Vigil - let us indeed "practise ressurection" the rest of this year together!

holy saturday - holy silence

On this day when we keep a special silence, this icon seems to speak profoundly. Details below. Please join us at 7pm for our "in the spirit of agape-seder" tonight, followed by the great vigil of easter, the service of the light.
Title: The Holy Silence (Byzantine-style icon)
Medium: Egg tempera and gold leaf on gessoed board
Size: 11" x 14" x one inch thick
Date Created: 2006

Statement: This type of icon, also known as "The Silence of God," is a symbolic depiction of Christ as an eternally youthful angel - or even, as in this example, a female angel. The image was developed in 18th and 19th century Russia, and is associated with the Prayer of the Heart (the Jesus Prayer = "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, sinner that I am").

The upturned hands are folded in a prayerful gesture of receptive silence, and the gaze turned to the side in contemplation. An 8-pointed star in the halo indicates divinity.

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!