The Rev. Dr. Heather Arcovitch is Senior Minister of North Madison Congregational Church, an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Madison, Connecticut.
Scripture: Hebrews 2:10-18, (CEB, excerpted and edited for inclusive language)
10It was appropriate for God, for whom and through whom everything exists, to use experiences of suffering to make perfect the pioneer of salvation. This salvation belongs to many sons and daughters and nonbinary offspring whom [the Messiah] is leading to glory. 11 This is because the one who makes people holy and the people who are being made holy all come from one source.
14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, [the Messiah] also shared the same things in the same way. He did this to destroy the one who holds the power over death—the devil—by dying. 15 He set free those who were held in slavery their entire lives by their fear of death. 18 He’s able to help those who are being tempted, since he himself experienced suffering when he was tempted.
Reflection: Oneness
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PRAYER
Source of Love, Emmanuel, “God with us,” as this new year dawns, slip in beside us again, release us from our fears and temptations, and let us remember, in the very core of ourselves, our deep oneness with one another and with you. Amen.
New Prayer Requests:
We ask churches and church leaders to join us in the following prayers either by sharing them during worship, printing them in bulletins, or sharing them in some other way. To make a prayer request, please contact Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane at cochranem@sneucc.org.
Prayers of Intercession:
- For the people of Ukraine whose lives continue to be shattered by war.
- For those grieving or suffering due to the ~43,400 gun violence deaths in the US this year.
- For the people affected by the latest deadly winter rain, snow, and wind storms across the country.
- For those traveling near and far.
- For those who especially suffer during the holidays, may they see the light through the darkness.
Prayers of Joy and Thanksgiving:
- For those who brought joy and gladness this holiday season.
- For messages of HOPE bursting forth all around us.
This Week in History:
December 29, 1890 (132 years ago): In one of the final chapters of America’s long Indian wars, the U.S. Cavalry kills 146 Sioux at Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota. [History]
“Study the past if you would define the future.”
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Heather Arcovitch
The Rev. Dr. Heather Arcovitch is Senior Minister of North Madison Congregational Church, an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Madison, Connecticut.