This week's author is Emily McKenna, Office Manager for the Connecticut Conference, UCC.
 

Scripture:  Luke 2:7 (NRSV)

Reflection: 

Prayer:

Special Prayer Requests:

• the Rev. Da Vita McCallister, Associate Conference Minister for Leadership & Vitality, who is recovering from surgery on Dec. 16, and her family, as her father enters hospice care; and
• those who experience pain and despair rather than joy at the coming of Christmas.

• those grieving or suffering after a bombing in Cairo, Egypt killed 24 Christians who were attending Mass on December 11;
• those grieving or suffering after a fire destroyed a warehouse in Oakland, CA, killing more than 30 people who were attending a party inside the building;
• the family and friends of Rev. Robert Fichtner, retired UCC pastor, who died on November 25;
• hose suffering or grieving after an attack at Ohio State University left 1 dead and several injured on November 28;
• those grieving or suffering after a bus caring 37 children crashed in Tennessee leaving 6 children dead and many others injured on November 21;
• those grieving or injured after a shooting in New Orleans left 1 dead and 9 injured on November 27;
• those in law enforcement after 4 separate shootings on November 20 left 3 officers injured and 1 dead;
• those grieving in India after a train derailment left more than 140 dead on November 20;
• the people of Iraq impacted by the renewed fighting in and around the city of Mosul where Iraqi forces are trying to retake control of the city from ISIS;
• Rev. M. John Arens, Pastor of the New Preston Congregational Church, who had surgery on June 28;
• The Rev. Sara Smith, pastor of United Congregational Church of Bridgeport, and her sister Ellen, who is recovering from a stroke;
• Rev. Kelly Hough Rogers, Associate Pastor of the Norfield Congregational Church in Weston,  whose parents were involved in a tragic car accident.  Kelly’s father, Wallace, has died and her mother, Janet, is hospitalized;
• Michael White, former Operations Manager at Silver Lake Conference Center, who was diagnosed with colon cancer;
• Juliane Silver, the daughter of the Rev. Jim Silver of Middletown, who is in dire need of a liver transplant. We pray that a donor will come forward giving the gift of life and a portion of their liver to Juliane;
• Chacy Eveland, husband of the Rev. Marcia Eveland, pastor of the First Congregational Church UCC of Ansonia, who has been moved to a full-time facility for care of dementia;
• the Rev. Mary Nelson, South Central Regional Minister of the Connecticut Conference, whose brother is recovering from surgery;
• Alisia Selders, daughter of Bishop John Selders, pastor of Amistad UCC in Hartford, in a new round of treatment for cancer;
• the thousands of migrants worldwide who flee from violence and persecution in search of safety;
• our ecumenical partners in the Kyung-Ki Presbytery in South Korea;
• the Conference's partners working for peace in Colombia amidst violence;
• the leaders of this nation, that they may meet the challenges of the day with insight, wisdom, and compassion;
• this nation, that it may continue its difficult work to end the practices of racism;
• those suffering due to the ongoing financial woes of the nation, be they struggling to meet an unaffordable mortgage, seeking employment, or working to find just resolutions; and
• those serving or living in war or conflict zones around the world, or where terrorists have struck.
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Please Remember These Connecticut Conference Churches
In Your Prayers:

Emily McKenna

Emily is the Program Support Associate for the Discipleship and Justice & Witness Teams of the Southern New England Conference.   Emily grew up in the Naugatuck Congregational Church UCC and at Silver Lake Conference Center, where she has served as ...