This week's author is the Rev. Chuck Ericson, Retired Pastor of the Connecticut Conference. Rev. Ericson has been providing Regional Ministry coverage for the Eastern Region during Rev. Tom Clough's sabbatical.
 

Scripture: John 11:1-6 (NRSV)

Reflection: Waiting...

Prayer:

Special Prayer Requests:

• Those students and teachers in Japan who were injured or are missing after an avalanche struck while they were skiing on March 27;
• The grieving or suffering after a nightclub shooting in Cincinnati left one dead and 15 injured on March 26; and
• The grieving or suffering after a shooting in Sanford, FL left 1 dead and 5 injured on March 27;

• The people of Peru where intense rains are causing flooding and mudslides which have left at least 72 dead and many more isolated and homeless, during the week of March 20;
• Rev. Sara Smith, Senior Pastor of United Congregational Church of Bridgeport, who is recovering from an injury;
• The members and staff of United Congregational Church of Bridgeport, who are preparing to move from their building to a new location;
• the families and friends of more than 30 Guatemalan girls who died or were injured in a fire at the Virgin of the Assumption Safe House in San Jose Pinula, Guatemala on Feb. 8.;
• those grieving in Ethiopia after a landslide killed at least 50 people and injured dozens more on Mar. 11;
• the family and friends of Cheryl Polydor, friend of Michael and Diane Ciba, who died on Feb 21;
• Mark Engstrom, member of the CT Conference Board of Directors, and his wife Nina, who are facing health issues;
• the community of Conway, MA, and the United Congregational Church, UCC, Conway after a tornado touched down on Feb. 25 causing significant structural damage;
• the people of New Orleans, after a driver ran into a crowd of parade viewers, injurer over 20 people on Feb. 25;
• he people of South Sudan where nearly 1 million people are facing famine;
• the people of Pakistan where more than 100 people have been killed in militant attacks in the past week;
• Richard "Ned" Bunell, member of First Congregational Church of Canton Center, who was hospitalized for an illness and is now recovering;
• the people of southern Louisiana, after tornadoes struck the area on Feb. 7;
• those residents around Lake Oroville, CA, who were evacuated for safety reasons after authorities found erosion at the Oroville Dam on Feb. 7 causing concerns of partial failure of a spillway;
• John Polglase, husband of the Rev. Betsey Polglase, Pastor of the Columbia Congregational Church UCC, who has chronic pulmonary disease;
• the Rev. Micki Nunn-Miller, who had knee surgery on Jan. 17;
• Debi Mastroni Kenyon, Director of Faith Formation at Monroe Congregational Church, who had surgery on Jan. 18;
• the members and staff of Thompson Congregational Church after a fire severely damage the building on Dec. 29;
• 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 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.

Please Remember These Connecticut Conference Churches
In Your Prayers:

Chuck H. Ericson

Chuck Ericson began serving the churches and clergy of the Eastern Region of the historic Connecticut Conference upon the retirement of the Rev. Dr. Thomas Clough.  It is familiar territory for Chuck, as he was actively involved in the Tolland ...