April 2021

31 Mar April 2021

Posted at 11:31h in Upcoming Events by

Sunday Worship Services

10:00am: Live Zoom Worship/ 10:30am: Live Zoom Fellowship

(email office@channingchurch.org to be added to our mailing list and receive the Zoom link)

The Worship Service will also be live streamed on Channing’s YouTube channel:   YOUTUBE Channing Memorial Church Newport RI and will be available for viewing afterwards. 

April 4: We Are Not Less Because of Our Hurts

Rev. Bill Zelazny

A major theme in Christian circles at Easter is the wounds that were reported to be on Jesus body after the resurrection.  The idea is that even after the resurrection the wounds remained to show is continuing connected to humankind.  Unfortunately, in our society of wanting perfect bodies having wounds – physical, emotional, mental – often is interpreted as making an individual somehow less of a person.   Bill will explore this fallacy for his Easter Sunday sermon.

Bring an Easter egg, chocolate bunny or marshmallow Peep, flower or Easter card to show others during the time of congregation sharing during the Zoom service.

Linda Beall Chiming 9:30-10:00am and 10:45-11:15am, Please stop and listen, masked and socially distanced, from in and around Touro Park.

 Easter Sunday Tulip Drive By: On Easter Sunday, drive by or walk by the church at 11:00 a.m. to receive an Easter tulip to celebrate the holiday. Rev. Bill and some board members will be on hand to give out the flowers and say hi to everyone. Drive in the east driveway entrance and leave by the west exit.  

April 11: The Promise of Faith in Dispiriting Times

Rev. Jeannette Bessinger

Rabindranath Tagore tells us “faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.” Faith exists in the liminal spaces of our consciousness, floating somewhere between belief and hope, between the mind and heart. In faith, we continue to gather together within a society fractured by deeply divided beliefs. Faith allows us to raise our children on a planet rife with environmental challenges. Faith drives us to work at change, with no sense of what will come tomorrow. Faith fills the gap between relying solely on our own efforts and trusting blindly that “everything will work out perfectly”. It can give us strength when we’re weak, courage when we’re afraid and stamina when we feel like giving up. In the most practical way, faith lights our way forward in times when it’s too dark to see the next step on the path.    Rev. Bessinger has been our guest several times in the past. 

 Cynthia Skelton Chiming 9:30-10:00am, Janna Pederson Chiming 10:45-11:15am, Please stop and listen, masked and socially distanced, from in and around Touro Park.

Second Sunday Nonperishable Food Collection: All are invited to make a gift of non-perishable food, which will be taken to a local food bank. Items can be left in the marked container on the Front Porch of Channing House.

April 18: A Natural Connection

Rev. Bill Zelazny

What is it in nature that makes us feel more connected to life than perhaps when we walk the city streets or even sitting in a church, temple or meditation room? Why do we feel comforted, healed, and enlivened in nature?  This Sunday, Bill will take a look at the power in nature to enhance our spiritual connection with life.

Been attending Channing Church Sunday services or participating in other programs for a while?  Like Unitarian Universalism?  Why not now become a member of Channing Church? On April 18 Rev Bill and the Membership Committee will conduct a ceremony during the service to welcome individuals who have indicated they wish to be a formal member. The ceremony will be done via Zoom with members participating from their home.   If you are interested in becoming a member contact Rev. Bill through the church office: office@channingchurch.org by Wednesday, April 14.

Jim Freess Chiming 10:45-11:15am, Please stop and listen, masked and socially distanced, from in and around Touro Park.

April 25: Rethinking and Renewing our Commitment to all Resources and Efforts

Mr. David McLaughlin

This Sunday is our annual Earth Day service.  The national Earth Day theme this year is “Restore Our Earth”. David McLaughlin, Director or Clean Ocean Assess will present a multigenerational review of our limited resources amidst increasing demand,  and the importance of faith for our ecological future. In his sermon he will take a broad look at Earth Day, infuse some of the work Clean Oceans Access is doing, and touch upon the importance of faith and community to keep our focus into the future.

Dave is the Executive Director and co-founder of Clean Ocean Access, a local environmental group dedicated to improving ocean health since 2006. Dave has a degree in mathematics from Florida Institute of Technology, a graduate of Rogers High School and lives in Newport, an avid wave rider, with founding roots bodysurfing in Hawaii in the early 80’s.

 Janna Pederson Chiming 10:45-11:15am, Please stop and listen, masked and socially distanced, from in and around Touro Park.