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.

In coordination with the McFarland Food Pantry, a Giving Tree has taken root in the MUCC sanctuary filled with tags representing families in need throughout our McFarland community.​

  We are pleased to be cosponsors of McFarland's Baccalaureate Celebration, to be held this year at one of our neighboring congregations. If you know a McFarland High School graduate, please encourage them to attend.  Pastors from all 3 congregations will be present to offer blessings.  Sunday evening, May 21 at Christ the King, beginning at 7 pm.

This past week was a busy one!  We began the season of Advent by handing out gift bags to the congregation on the first Sunday of Advent for them to decorate.  In a twist on the traditional Advent calendar, in which you open a door or package to receive a gift, we asked people to set something aside instead - selecting one of three local food pantries to receive the food items they placed in their gift bags.  During Advent, we heard from representatives of the McFarland Community Food Pantry, the AIDS Resource Center, and the McFarland High School Pride Pantry.  In the days leading up to Christmas (and for those who traveled, a little afterward), we brought the gifts to the front of the sanctuary.  They were blessed in worship on January 8th. The result was over 40 bags of food and essentials delivered to three wonderful community organizations:

Several members recently proposed a new ministry team.  Their goal is to provide resources for children with visible and invisible special needs to participate in church activities successfully, and to educate the congregation about special needs differences.  Thank you to Trish Bailey, Lisa Fernan, Amy Hanneman, and Megan Marten, for your leadership in bringing these issues forward.  Here's a word from the team:

Coming soon…  
Coffee break for parents. This will be likely held once per month at MUCC with childcare available. This will offer parents a forum to share, ask questions, and learn from others. Some months we will have a speaker from the community join us to share about a particular topic of interest.  Stay tuned for details.  Let us know if you're interested and we'll put you on our list.

McFarland United Church of Christ member Maddie Loss was deep in thought during a car wash last June to raise money for a mission trip to help developmentally disabled residents at a facility near St. Louis.   The car wash gave the mission team a chance to bond and work toward a worthy cause, but $2,000 was still needed to pay for travel expenses during the week-long trip.  Then, an intriguing idea came to her, and within a matter of days, the mission group had the money it needed.

Under #missionflamingo, people paid money to have front yards of fellow congregants “flocked” with plastic flamingos.   Those who wanted to keep the flock away were allowed to pay anti-flamingo insurance.  Within the first week, the stunt raised nearly $1,000, and provided some financial breathing room for the mission team, which is scheduled to leave for Missouri Aug. 3.   

Join us outside the church at 9:55 am on August 3 to give them a warm McFarland UCC blessing & sendoff!  Click on 'read more' to get more of the story, photos, and video.

Calling all willing hands!  Knitters and crocheters, from our sisters & brothers in Boston, a chance to send blessings and love: