McFarland United Church of Christ (5710 Anthony St./ McFarland, WI) is thrilled to be hosting the music and storytelling of the amazing artist Ken Medema on Sunday, April 7th. Ken will participate in Sunday morning worship at 10 a.m. and then offer a concert at 6:30 p.m. The concert is free and all are welcome!

Ken Medema is a close friend and colleague of McFarland UCC’s new pastor Rev. Bryan Sirchio, and Ken’s appearance is a gift he is giving to McFarland UCC in honor of Bryan’s new ministry with this local congregation.

For four decades Ken Medema has inspired people with his musical storytelling and virtuosity. Though blind from birth, Ken sees and hears with heart and mind.  His ability to capture spirit in word and song is unparalleled. With an ever-growing circle of friends around the world, Ken's vocal and piano artistry and imagination have reached audiences of 50 to 50,000 people in 49 United States and in more than 15 countries on four continents.
 
From the time he was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1943, Ken has been unable to see with his physical eyes. His sight is limited to distinguishing between light and darkness and seeing fuzzy outlines of major objects. “As a kid I was not widely accepted,” he says, “and I spent a lot of time by myself. Because I have lived with some degree of being different all my life, I have some sympathy for people who have been disenfranchised, whether they have been disabled or politically oppressed or whatever.”
 
Music early became a major component of Medema’s life. “I started banging on the piano when I was five years old,” he says, “making up crazy little fantasies on my mom’s piano. When I was eight years old my parents got me a wonderful teacher who taught me the classics with Braille music and taught me to play by ear.” His teacher also taught him to improvise. “Every time I learned a piece my teacher would tell me, ‘Now, you improvise in that style.’ So music became a second language.”

After graduating from high school Medema studied music therapy at Michigan State University in Lansing, where he concentrated heavily on performance skills in piano and voice. He worked as a music therapist in Fort Wayne, Indiana, returned to Michigan State for a master’s degree (1969), then worked for four years as a music therapist at Essex County Hospital in New Jersey. It was while employed there that he began writing and performing his own songs.
 
In 1973, Medema left his work as a therapist and began a career as a performing and recording artist. He recorded albums for Word Records and Shawnee Press; then, in 1985 founded Brier Patch Music. Brier Patch is an independent recording, publishing, and performance-booking company with headquarters in Grandville, Michigan. Brier Patch is named after Brer Rabbit’s home in the legendary Uncle Remus stories. “Brer Rabbit lived in a place not comfortable for anyone else,” Medema says, “and we decided to follow him there.” Brier Patch creates musical expressions that celebrate all aspects of the human experience, with an emphasis on spirituality and such universal concerns as peace, justice, and the environment.
 
Today, Medema performs in a widely variety of venues, from local congregations to charity fund-raisers, to high school and university campuses, to denominational youth gatherings, to universally televised religious programs, to corporate conventions, to annual assemblies of national organizations.

SATURDAY, December 8
One Night Only!
7:00 PM - $10 at the door
(all proceeds go to the McFarland Food Pantry)

Support a great cause, enjoy an evening of laughter, and get into the holiday spirit during this one night only event!  Six actors will portray more than 30 characters, just as the actual movie script was done live on the radio in 1949 by the original cast.  With live radio sound effects like those done in the golden age of radio this will be a fun evening for all!

Swing by MOD Pizza (East Towne, 2249 Zeier Road) on November 4th to donate part of your purchase to the McFarland UCC Youth Group! 
Simply show the flyer below. 

Thank you for supporting MUCC Youth!

We are thrilled to once again be a part of the 2018 AIDS Ride Wisconsin! This year MUCC will be the first rest stop on the bike route with water, energizing snacks, and of course lots of cheers for each rider. ​There is still time to register as a rider or volunteer!  The 2018 ride is July 27-29.

​​AIDS Ride Wisconsin is a fully-supported cycling event through southern Wisconsin, raising critical funds to support the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin.
As a rider, your every need is taken care of by dedicated volunteers and crew: camp, medical, mechanical, on-route support, massage, chiropractic needs, and more.
Designed for all levels of riders, AIDS Ride Wisconsin - ACT Ride is perfect for people to challenge themselves, participate in a supportive and welcoming community, and raise funds to support those living with HIV/AIDS in Wisconsin.
Whether it's your first long distance ride or your thirtieth, AIDS Ride Wisconsin - ACT Ride is not to be missed!

Memorial Day began after the Civil War as an effort toward reconciliation between the families of veterans in the North and the South. After the war, there was already a tradition in the North of decorating soldiers' graves, called "Decoration Day." But in 1868 an organization of Northern war veterans decreed it ought to be a national holiday. May 30 was carefully chosen as the date because it was not the anniversary of a specific battle, and therefore would be a neutral date for both sides.

But human beings hold on to their wounds, and reconciliation takes time, grace and mercy. So initially, as the holiday spread, it was an occasion for both sides to give angry speeches about the wartime atrocities inflicted by the other side, and the righteousness of their own. However, as time went on, Memorial Day really did become a time to remember all veterans, a time to visit the graves of family and friends, and to remember their lives.

In 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill moved three holidays off of their specific dates and onto Mondays, in order to create three-day weekends. Memorial Day came to be associated with the beginning of summer, as well as the Indianapolis 500.

Today, let us remember the spirit in which the day was conceived, as a way to bring together those who had once been bitter enemies. After the fighting is over, the loss and heartbreak are shared throughout the human family. God's mercy pours out over all God's children, with no respect for the borders of nation states, which are awfully temporary, from the perspective of eternity.