PARISH EVENTS
All events listed below until at least April 2nd will take place digitally in an act of global solidarity in response to the coronavirus.
Vespers: Daily Prayer, Comfort and Conversation
Evenings Sunday, March 29th - Thursday, April 2nd at 6:00pm
What began as brief prayer service during difficult times is rapidly growing into a virtual space for our entire local community to pray, comfort one another and engage in conversation. After a brief opening reflection on a Bible verse from Bread for the Day, Pastor Dustin engages with a very special guest zooming in live to our sanctuary. The service then concludes with intercessory prayers from the Lutheran World Federation and from folks joining us online. You can watch all episodes of Vespers on our website at www.messiahschenectady.org/worshiplive.html if you don't have Facebook or at the individual links below if you want to interact.
Sunday, March 29th: Douglas J Chilton, Messiah's Minister of Music, will join us to discuss the healing power of music at www.facebook.com/MessiahLC/posts/3141072735926884.
Monday, March 30th: Rev. Jonathan Vanderbeck, a licensed therapist and pastor at Trinity Reformed Church here in Rotterdam will join us to discuss how to work with our anxiety during such complicated times at www.facebook.com/MessiahLC/posts/3141079262592898.
Tuesday, March 31st: Carly DiSanto and Barb Hallett will join us to discuss the work of Messiah's Care & Concern Committee and how they're working to lessen feelings of isolation with our seniors and single people as we practice social distancing at www.facebook.com/MessiahLC/posts/3141089905925167.
Wednesday, April 1st: Rabbi Matt Cutler of Congregation Gates of Heaven and Schenectady Clergy Against Hate will join us to discuss how our common shared scriptures can be a resource as we confront the coronavirus together at www.facebook.com/MessiahLC/posts/3141099495924208.
Thursday, April 2nd: Steve Friebel, one Messiah's meditation leaders, will join us to discuss how meditation can help us remain calm and stay connected even when we're physically apart at www.facebook.com/MessiahLC/posts/3143250695709088.
Community Meditation
Wednesday, April 1st & April 8th at 6:30pm (new time!)
Join us for a virtual half hour of community meditation led by one of our awesome volunteers. As we face the coronavirus together meditations will focus on coping with anxiety, relaxing, and working through the collective trauma we're experiencing. Join us live on Zoom here: https://zoom.us/j/453347766!
A Very Special Pastor Dustin's Coffee Club
Thursday, April 2nd at 11:00am
On Thursdays now at 11:00am, Pastor Dustin leads an "entry-level" discussion about the Bible, core Lutheran teachings and other aspects of our faith. During this special one week session will discuss Lutheran theology and why or why not we should practice Holy Communion virtually during this time of social distancing. Join us live on Zoom here: https://zoom.us/j/291947929!
Interfaith Healing Service with Schenectady Clergy Against Hate
Thursday, April 2nd at 6:30pm
Join local clergy from a wide variety of religious traditions for an hour of prayer, song and support for one another. As Rabbi Matt Cutler from Congregation Gates of Heaven said, "Social distancing does not mean social isolation; as the news outlet remind us of the increasing intensity of this pandemic, let us strengthen our resolve to remain hopeful in order to muster our individual and collective spiritual strength to fight this." Up to five hundred individuals can join us live on Zoom at https://uuma.zoom.us/j/199805063, one tap mobile at +16468769923,,199805063# or for audio only dial +1 646 876 9923 then enter Meeting ID: 199 805 063 #. You can also watch the livestream at www.messiahschenectady.org/worshiplive.html!
Adult Education Course: Reclaiming Jesus
Continuing Sunday, April 5th at 9:00am
In a time of deep divisions in the American body politic, our Adult Education Sunday morning class will study the most recent book, Christ in Crisis: Why We Need to Reclaim Jesus, by Jim Wallis, globally respected writer, teacher, preacher, and justice advocate. In this book, Wallis writes: “Don’t’ go right, don’t go left, go deeper.” This week's discussion will including Chapter 7, "The Caesar Question," pp. 159-86, as well as reflection around how to cope with isolation and keep our faith community together during a time when we need to be physically apart. Join us live on Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/518161885.
Children's Sunday School: Matthew's Holy Week
Sunday, March 29th at 11:30am
Just because we can't be physically together doesn't mean we can't still learn about our relationship with Jesus! During Children's School we'll begin with a brief opening from Pastor Dustin , watch the Whirl! video on Matthew's version of the Holy Week story and have some about praising God in community even when we can't be physically together. Best of all, we can do all of this live on zoom at https://zoom.us/j/964831989!
Palm Sunday Service of Holy Communion
Sunday, April 5th at 10:15am
On this, the final Sunday in Lent, our kids will lead us through Christ's triumphant entrance into Jerusalem shortly before he was betrayed. We'll bless and give out palms, a sign of new life for the year ahead. The tone of the service then quickly turns towards a dramatic presentation of Saint Matthew’s account of Jesus’ passion and death organized by noted local director Rachel "Direct Message" DeTeso-Mathis. Join us as we experience the central story of our faith as we begin Holy Week!
Holy Week Compline
Sunday, April 5th - Wednesday, April 8th at 6:30pm
It's become a cherished annual tradition at Messiah to use Saint Benedict's ancient Liturgy of the Hours to mark the first evenings of Holy Week. Compline, an evening chanted service, will center around the Psalms and the appointed gospel stories for Sunday through Wednesday of Holy Week, which include Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem in Matthew 21:1-11, Mary anointing the feet of Jesus in John 12:1-11, Jesus predicting his death in John 12:20-36 and the story of Jesus' betrayal in John 13:21-32. As a special new addition to our Holy Week services, Palm Sunday Compline will be led almost entirely by our confirmation class students. Come join us in the spiritual practice of Holy Week!
Holy Week Matins
Monday, April 6th - Friday, April 10th at 8:00am
During Holy Week this year we'll once again invite members of our congregation and our neighbors alike to experience the Liturgy of Hours through two brief services at the opening and closing of the day: Matins & Compline. Based on earliest of Christian practices (see Acts 10), the Liturgy of the Hours was first formalized by Saint Benedict in the early 500s CE. Grounded in the Psalms and giving thanks for the light of a new day, our early morning Matins contemplative services will be very brief in length (20 minutes tops) of spoken prayer and meditation in order to allow folks to get to work on time. Especially if you can't make it out for evening services, this is a great way to dive deeper into Holy Week!
Chrism Mass
Wednesday, April 8th at 10:00am
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
547 Saratoga Road in Glenville, New York
What's Chrism Mass you might ask? It's an annual Holy Week tradition where the Bishop John Macholz visits, blessing anointing oils to be used in the coming year renewals the ordination vows of all rostered deacons and pastors. It also affords us a time of prayer and collegial worship as we continue through the rigors of Holy Week. If you'd like to spend some time learning about what rostered ministry in the ELCA is all about, this is a great event to be a part of! Please join us in supporting Pastor Dustin in the renewal of his ordination vows for a busy year ahead! A light lunch will be served following the worship service.
Maundy Thursday Service of Holy Communion
Thursday, April 9th at 7:00pm
With nightfall our Lenten observance comes to an end and we gather with Christians around the world to recognize the Three Days of Jesus' last supper, death and resurrection! At the heart of the Maundy Thursday liturgy is Jesus’ commandment to love one another. As Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, we are called to follow His example as we humbly care for one another, especially the poor and those who feel unloved. At the Lord’s table we remember Jesus’ sacrifice, even as we are called to offer ourselves in love for the life of the world.
Good Friday Cantata
Friday, April 10th at 7:00pm
The ancient title for this day— the triumph of the cross— reminds us that the church gathers not to mourn but to celebrate Christ’s life-giving passion while finding strength and hope in the tree of life. Gathered around the cross, our hearts are opened through a beautifully presentation of the cantata Shadows and as we offer an ancient bidding prayer for all the world.
Easter Egg Hunt & Children’s Vigil
Saturday, April 11th at 10:00am
The Olochnowicz Estate
Join Messiah’s children and youth for one of our favorite traditions... an Easter Egg Hunt at the Olochnowicz Estate! Enjoy a delicious breakfast with the kids, try to find the golden egg and maybe you’ll even get a chance to meet the Easter Bunny! Deep fried peeps will likely even be back this year! Following the Easter Egg Hunt, we’ll continue our tradition of a brief, kid-friendly version of our Easter Vigil service around a campfire. This is one event will certainly be urging our friends from Trinity Reformed to join us in so it'll also be a great opportunity to build some community! For more information, please see Kristen Olochnowicz.
The Great Vigil of Easter
Saturday, April 11th at 8:00pm
This is the night! This is our Passover with Christ from darkness to light, from bondage to freedom, from death to life. Based on the most ancient of Christian traditions, the Great Vigil is the heart of our celebration of the Three Days and the pinnacle of the church’s year. We gather around the Sacred Fire, interpret modern life through the stories of our faith, our renewed in our baptismal promises, and share the food and drink of the promised land. Raised with Christ, we go forth into the world, aflame with the good news of the resurrection! In addition to Pastor Deron Milleville joining us as a cantor and Pastor John Califano co-presiding, as a new addition this year Good Shepherd's vicar from Zimbabwe, Mbongeni Dube, will join us to share one of the traditional vigil readings in his native language. Lutherans from throughout the Hudson Mohawk Conference will be invited to join us as well, so it should be quite the festive evening! As there's at least twenty leadership roles we need volunteers for on this night alone, please speak with Pastor Dustin if you'd like to take part asap!
Easter Matins
Sunday, April 12th at 8:15am
Are you someone looking forward to joining us on Easter Sunday but not looking forward to the craziness and big crowds associated with that day? With those folks in mind, we offered a very successful short, meditative Easter Matins service last year and we're bringing it back by popular demand! The service will be around a half hour featuring meditative music and a renewing of our baptismal vows and will give folks plenty of time to head upstairs for Easter Breakfast!
48th Annual Easter Breakfast
Sunday, April 12th at 8:30am
Join us for our 48th Annual Easter Breakfast from 8:30am – 10:00am. We’ll have eggs to order, bacon, toast, home fries, coffee, juice and coffee cake. Please RSVP on the narthex bulletin board or on Realm. If you are interested in serving or helping with breakfast, please see Kitchen Committee Chairs Karen Kreischer and Rich Becker.
Easter Sunday Service of Holy Communion
Sunday, April 12th at 10:15am
On the first day of the week God began creation, transforming darkness into light. On this, the “eighth day” of the week, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. We celebrate this new creation in the waters of baptism and in the feast of victory. With great joy we celebrate this day of days, even as we begin the great fifty days of Easter. Filled with hope, we go forth to share the news that Christ is risen! This is straight up always the best Sunday of the year at Messiah! Please join us!
Regional Food Bank Sorting
Saturday, April 18th from 1-3pm
Regional Food Bank
965 Albany Shaker Rd, Latham, NY 12110
On April 18th, we will be sorting food again at the Regional Food Bank. We are there from 1-3 pm and there is room for a maximum of 20 volunteers so sign up as soon as possible. At the food bank, pull around toward the back of the building, find a parking sport and enter through the ramp that says Volunteers. You should get there so a little before 1 so that you are present when instructions are given at 1PM.
Earth Day Service of Holy Communion
Sunday, April 19th at 10:15am
From a Lutheran perspective, our relationship with God, our relationship with others and our relationship with creation is all intertwined. Being good stewards of the planet God has given us does mean talking about big issues like climate change, endangered species and the millions of folks suffering from dirty air and water, but it also means feeding hungry people, nurturing relationships, cultivating our soil for the benefit of our neighborhood and simply taking time to appreciate the marvel of creation all around us. Join our Synodically Authorized Minister, Rianne Johnson, for a festive Earth Day Service where'll we celebrate the goodness of God's creation and recommit to living out our baptismal calling to care for creation in the year ahead!
Earth Honoring Faiths: Working for Climate Justice in Our Time
Tuesday, April 21st at 7:00pm
For Messiah's third annual Earth Day lecture we'll welcome nationally known scholar, speaker and theologian Dr. Melanie L. Harris, Founding Director of African American and Africana Studies and Professor of Religion and Ethics at Texas Christian University. Dr. Harris is a former broadcast journalist who worked as a news producer for ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliates. A community leader whose passion for education is linked to a commitment to social justice, she has also served as an educational consultant with the Ford Foundation, the Forum for Theological Exploration, and the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, Lilly Endowment Inc. Her talk will focus on the intersection of race, religion, gender and environmental ethics. Please join us friends for what's become a powerful and well attended annual tradition for many throughout the Greater Capital Region!
"Who Is My Neighbor?" Conference
Tuesday, June 16th from 9:00am - 4:00pm (rescheduled)
Presbyterian New England Congregational Church
24 Circular Street in Saratoga Springs, New York
Join the New York State Council of Churches, Goldstein Hall Attorneys at Law, Pace University Land Use Law Center, American Institute of Architects Westchester Hudson Valley, New York State Association for Affordable Housing, Upper New York Conference United Methodist Church, Community Preservation Corporation and other partners for a day of conversation with colleagues and experts that will inspire you to:
The Poor People's Campaign: Moral March on Washington
Saturday, June 20th, 2020
United States Capitol Building
US Capitol Grounds in Washington, DC
Messiah's headed to Washington this summer for the Poor People's Campaign Mass Assembly and Moral March on Washington! The gathering will be a generationally transformative event in front of the US Capitol in Washington DC. People of faith from across the country will be gathering to stand with the poor as they raise up the collective voice of poor and low-income people. The Poor People's Campaign demands that both our major political parties address the interlocking injustices of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism and the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism in America by implementing a truly Moral Agenda. If the rejected millions—the poor without health insurance, without living wages, without clean water, without voting protections—unite, especially alongside people of faith, we can move the moral and civic imagination of our country across party lines and revive the heart of the nation! Forty three percent of our fellow citizens, including members of Messiah, are now struggling to get by, and building on the work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. before he was assassinated, raising up the voices of those directly affected by poverty will be the best way to bring lasting change. If you have any questions, are interested in attending or would like to join other people of faith on a bus from the Capital Region, please contact Pastor Dustin asap.
All events with links go to a Facebook Event. Please click on the link, RSVP and spread the word you'll be joining us! To view our complete parish calendar, click here.
Vespers: Daily Prayer, Comfort and Conversation
Evenings Sunday, March 29th - Thursday, April 2nd at 6:00pm
What began as brief prayer service during difficult times is rapidly growing into a virtual space for our entire local community to pray, comfort one another and engage in conversation. After a brief opening reflection on a Bible verse from Bread for the Day, Pastor Dustin engages with a very special guest zooming in live to our sanctuary. The service then concludes with intercessory prayers from the Lutheran World Federation and from folks joining us online. You can watch all episodes of Vespers on our website at www.messiahschenectady.org/worshiplive.html if you don't have Facebook or at the individual links below if you want to interact.
Sunday, March 29th: Douglas J Chilton, Messiah's Minister of Music, will join us to discuss the healing power of music at www.facebook.com/MessiahLC/posts/3141072735926884.
Monday, March 30th: Rev. Jonathan Vanderbeck, a licensed therapist and pastor at Trinity Reformed Church here in Rotterdam will join us to discuss how to work with our anxiety during such complicated times at www.facebook.com/MessiahLC/posts/3141079262592898.
Tuesday, March 31st: Carly DiSanto and Barb Hallett will join us to discuss the work of Messiah's Care & Concern Committee and how they're working to lessen feelings of isolation with our seniors and single people as we practice social distancing at www.facebook.com/MessiahLC/posts/3141089905925167.
Wednesday, April 1st: Rabbi Matt Cutler of Congregation Gates of Heaven and Schenectady Clergy Against Hate will join us to discuss how our common shared scriptures can be a resource as we confront the coronavirus together at www.facebook.com/MessiahLC/posts/3141099495924208.
Thursday, April 2nd: Steve Friebel, one Messiah's meditation leaders, will join us to discuss how meditation can help us remain calm and stay connected even when we're physically apart at www.facebook.com/MessiahLC/posts/3143250695709088.
Community Meditation
Wednesday, April 1st & April 8th at 6:30pm (new time!)
Join us for a virtual half hour of community meditation led by one of our awesome volunteers. As we face the coronavirus together meditations will focus on coping with anxiety, relaxing, and working through the collective trauma we're experiencing. Join us live on Zoom here: https://zoom.us/j/453347766!
A Very Special Pastor Dustin's Coffee Club
Thursday, April 2nd at 11:00am
On Thursdays now at 11:00am, Pastor Dustin leads an "entry-level" discussion about the Bible, core Lutheran teachings and other aspects of our faith. During this special one week session will discuss Lutheran theology and why or why not we should practice Holy Communion virtually during this time of social distancing. Join us live on Zoom here: https://zoom.us/j/291947929!
Interfaith Healing Service with Schenectady Clergy Against Hate
Thursday, April 2nd at 6:30pm
Join local clergy from a wide variety of religious traditions for an hour of prayer, song and support for one another. As Rabbi Matt Cutler from Congregation Gates of Heaven said, "Social distancing does not mean social isolation; as the news outlet remind us of the increasing intensity of this pandemic, let us strengthen our resolve to remain hopeful in order to muster our individual and collective spiritual strength to fight this." Up to five hundred individuals can join us live on Zoom at https://uuma.zoom.us/j/199805063, one tap mobile at +16468769923,,199805063# or for audio only dial +1 646 876 9923 then enter Meeting ID: 199 805 063 #. You can also watch the livestream at www.messiahschenectady.org/worshiplive.html!
Adult Education Course: Reclaiming Jesus
Continuing Sunday, April 5th at 9:00am
In a time of deep divisions in the American body politic, our Adult Education Sunday morning class will study the most recent book, Christ in Crisis: Why We Need to Reclaim Jesus, by Jim Wallis, globally respected writer, teacher, preacher, and justice advocate. In this book, Wallis writes: “Don’t’ go right, don’t go left, go deeper.” This week's discussion will including Chapter 7, "The Caesar Question," pp. 159-86, as well as reflection around how to cope with isolation and keep our faith community together during a time when we need to be physically apart. Join us live on Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/518161885.
Children's Sunday School: Matthew's Holy Week
Sunday, March 29th at 11:30am
Just because we can't be physically together doesn't mean we can't still learn about our relationship with Jesus! During Children's School we'll begin with a brief opening from Pastor Dustin , watch the Whirl! video on Matthew's version of the Holy Week story and have some about praising God in community even when we can't be physically together. Best of all, we can do all of this live on zoom at https://zoom.us/j/964831989!
Palm Sunday Service of Holy Communion
Sunday, April 5th at 10:15am
On this, the final Sunday in Lent, our kids will lead us through Christ's triumphant entrance into Jerusalem shortly before he was betrayed. We'll bless and give out palms, a sign of new life for the year ahead. The tone of the service then quickly turns towards a dramatic presentation of Saint Matthew’s account of Jesus’ passion and death organized by noted local director Rachel "Direct Message" DeTeso-Mathis. Join us as we experience the central story of our faith as we begin Holy Week!
Holy Week Compline
Sunday, April 5th - Wednesday, April 8th at 6:30pm
It's become a cherished annual tradition at Messiah to use Saint Benedict's ancient Liturgy of the Hours to mark the first evenings of Holy Week. Compline, an evening chanted service, will center around the Psalms and the appointed gospel stories for Sunday through Wednesday of Holy Week, which include Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem in Matthew 21:1-11, Mary anointing the feet of Jesus in John 12:1-11, Jesus predicting his death in John 12:20-36 and the story of Jesus' betrayal in John 13:21-32. As a special new addition to our Holy Week services, Palm Sunday Compline will be led almost entirely by our confirmation class students. Come join us in the spiritual practice of Holy Week!
Holy Week Matins
Monday, April 6th - Friday, April 10th at 8:00am
During Holy Week this year we'll once again invite members of our congregation and our neighbors alike to experience the Liturgy of Hours through two brief services at the opening and closing of the day: Matins & Compline. Based on earliest of Christian practices (see Acts 10), the Liturgy of the Hours was first formalized by Saint Benedict in the early 500s CE. Grounded in the Psalms and giving thanks for the light of a new day, our early morning Matins contemplative services will be very brief in length (20 minutes tops) of spoken prayer and meditation in order to allow folks to get to work on time. Especially if you can't make it out for evening services, this is a great way to dive deeper into Holy Week!
Chrism Mass
Wednesday, April 8th at 10:00am
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
547 Saratoga Road in Glenville, New York
What's Chrism Mass you might ask? It's an annual Holy Week tradition where the Bishop John Macholz visits, blessing anointing oils to be used in the coming year renewals the ordination vows of all rostered deacons and pastors. It also affords us a time of prayer and collegial worship as we continue through the rigors of Holy Week. If you'd like to spend some time learning about what rostered ministry in the ELCA is all about, this is a great event to be a part of! Please join us in supporting Pastor Dustin in the renewal of his ordination vows for a busy year ahead! A light lunch will be served following the worship service.
Maundy Thursday Service of Holy Communion
Thursday, April 9th at 7:00pm
With nightfall our Lenten observance comes to an end and we gather with Christians around the world to recognize the Three Days of Jesus' last supper, death and resurrection! At the heart of the Maundy Thursday liturgy is Jesus’ commandment to love one another. As Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, we are called to follow His example as we humbly care for one another, especially the poor and those who feel unloved. At the Lord’s table we remember Jesus’ sacrifice, even as we are called to offer ourselves in love for the life of the world.
Good Friday Cantata
Friday, April 10th at 7:00pm
The ancient title for this day— the triumph of the cross— reminds us that the church gathers not to mourn but to celebrate Christ’s life-giving passion while finding strength and hope in the tree of life. Gathered around the cross, our hearts are opened through a beautifully presentation of the cantata Shadows and as we offer an ancient bidding prayer for all the world.
Easter Egg Hunt & Children’s Vigil
Saturday, April 11th at 10:00am
The Olochnowicz Estate
Join Messiah’s children and youth for one of our favorite traditions... an Easter Egg Hunt at the Olochnowicz Estate! Enjoy a delicious breakfast with the kids, try to find the golden egg and maybe you’ll even get a chance to meet the Easter Bunny! Deep fried peeps will likely even be back this year! Following the Easter Egg Hunt, we’ll continue our tradition of a brief, kid-friendly version of our Easter Vigil service around a campfire. This is one event will certainly be urging our friends from Trinity Reformed to join us in so it'll also be a great opportunity to build some community! For more information, please see Kristen Olochnowicz.
The Great Vigil of Easter
Saturday, April 11th at 8:00pm
This is the night! This is our Passover with Christ from darkness to light, from bondage to freedom, from death to life. Based on the most ancient of Christian traditions, the Great Vigil is the heart of our celebration of the Three Days and the pinnacle of the church’s year. We gather around the Sacred Fire, interpret modern life through the stories of our faith, our renewed in our baptismal promises, and share the food and drink of the promised land. Raised with Christ, we go forth into the world, aflame with the good news of the resurrection! In addition to Pastor Deron Milleville joining us as a cantor and Pastor John Califano co-presiding, as a new addition this year Good Shepherd's vicar from Zimbabwe, Mbongeni Dube, will join us to share one of the traditional vigil readings in his native language. Lutherans from throughout the Hudson Mohawk Conference will be invited to join us as well, so it should be quite the festive evening! As there's at least twenty leadership roles we need volunteers for on this night alone, please speak with Pastor Dustin if you'd like to take part asap!
Easter Matins
Sunday, April 12th at 8:15am
Are you someone looking forward to joining us on Easter Sunday but not looking forward to the craziness and big crowds associated with that day? With those folks in mind, we offered a very successful short, meditative Easter Matins service last year and we're bringing it back by popular demand! The service will be around a half hour featuring meditative music and a renewing of our baptismal vows and will give folks plenty of time to head upstairs for Easter Breakfast!
48th Annual Easter Breakfast
Sunday, April 12th at 8:30am
Join us for our 48th Annual Easter Breakfast from 8:30am – 10:00am. We’ll have eggs to order, bacon, toast, home fries, coffee, juice and coffee cake. Please RSVP on the narthex bulletin board or on Realm. If you are interested in serving or helping with breakfast, please see Kitchen Committee Chairs Karen Kreischer and Rich Becker.
Easter Sunday Service of Holy Communion
Sunday, April 12th at 10:15am
On the first day of the week God began creation, transforming darkness into light. On this, the “eighth day” of the week, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. We celebrate this new creation in the waters of baptism and in the feast of victory. With great joy we celebrate this day of days, even as we begin the great fifty days of Easter. Filled with hope, we go forth to share the news that Christ is risen! This is straight up always the best Sunday of the year at Messiah! Please join us!
Regional Food Bank Sorting
Saturday, April 18th from 1-3pm
Regional Food Bank
965 Albany Shaker Rd, Latham, NY 12110
On April 18th, we will be sorting food again at the Regional Food Bank. We are there from 1-3 pm and there is room for a maximum of 20 volunteers so sign up as soon as possible. At the food bank, pull around toward the back of the building, find a parking sport and enter through the ramp that says Volunteers. You should get there so a little before 1 so that you are present when instructions are given at 1PM.
Earth Day Service of Holy Communion
Sunday, April 19th at 10:15am
From a Lutheran perspective, our relationship with God, our relationship with others and our relationship with creation is all intertwined. Being good stewards of the planet God has given us does mean talking about big issues like climate change, endangered species and the millions of folks suffering from dirty air and water, but it also means feeding hungry people, nurturing relationships, cultivating our soil for the benefit of our neighborhood and simply taking time to appreciate the marvel of creation all around us. Join our Synodically Authorized Minister, Rianne Johnson, for a festive Earth Day Service where'll we celebrate the goodness of God's creation and recommit to living out our baptismal calling to care for creation in the year ahead!
Earth Honoring Faiths: Working for Climate Justice in Our Time
Tuesday, April 21st at 7:00pm
For Messiah's third annual Earth Day lecture we'll welcome nationally known scholar, speaker and theologian Dr. Melanie L. Harris, Founding Director of African American and Africana Studies and Professor of Religion and Ethics at Texas Christian University. Dr. Harris is a former broadcast journalist who worked as a news producer for ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliates. A community leader whose passion for education is linked to a commitment to social justice, she has also served as an educational consultant with the Ford Foundation, the Forum for Theological Exploration, and the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, Lilly Endowment Inc. Her talk will focus on the intersection of race, religion, gender and environmental ethics. Please join us friends for what's become a powerful and well attended annual tradition for many throughout the Greater Capital Region!
"Who Is My Neighbor?" Conference
Tuesday, June 16th from 9:00am - 4:00pm (rescheduled)
Presbyterian New England Congregational Church
24 Circular Street in Saratoga Springs, New York
Join the New York State Council of Churches, Goldstein Hall Attorneys at Law, Pace University Land Use Law Center, American Institute of Architects Westchester Hudson Valley, New York State Association for Affordable Housing, Upper New York Conference United Methodist Church, Community Preservation Corporation and other partners for a day of conversation with colleagues and experts that will inspire you to:
- Think in new ways about how congregations can reach out to their communities and to revitalize.
- Draw on the theological riches of your tradition to address attitudinal and legal barriers which prevent your neighborhood and region from welcoming people of all incomes and races and helping them to live, work and participate in your local economy.
- Renovate and improve your property to further your mission.
- Show a variety of real-life examples of congregations who have found creative ways to extend their mission and redevelop their property for the benefit of the community while improving space for fellowship and worship. Many have also built affordable housing, created arts and community spaces, planted community gardens and developed schools and educational programs.
- Equip you with practical tools that will enable your congregation to take important new steps in following the biblical command to love our neighbors—and our neighborhood.
The Poor People's Campaign: Moral March on Washington
Saturday, June 20th, 2020
United States Capitol Building
US Capitol Grounds in Washington, DC
Messiah's headed to Washington this summer for the Poor People's Campaign Mass Assembly and Moral March on Washington! The gathering will be a generationally transformative event in front of the US Capitol in Washington DC. People of faith from across the country will be gathering to stand with the poor as they raise up the collective voice of poor and low-income people. The Poor People's Campaign demands that both our major political parties address the interlocking injustices of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism and the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism in America by implementing a truly Moral Agenda. If the rejected millions—the poor without health insurance, without living wages, without clean water, without voting protections—unite, especially alongside people of faith, we can move the moral and civic imagination of our country across party lines and revive the heart of the nation! Forty three percent of our fellow citizens, including members of Messiah, are now struggling to get by, and building on the work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. before he was assassinated, raising up the voices of those directly affected by poverty will be the best way to bring lasting change. If you have any questions, are interested in attending or would like to join other people of faith on a bus from the Capital Region, please contact Pastor Dustin asap.
All events with links go to a Facebook Event. Please click on the link, RSVP and spread the word you'll be joining us! To view our complete parish calendar, click here.