To watch via Twitch
https://twitch.tv/crescentfortrougelive
To watch on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY_yu6hzsG1yoisFBHvGm5A?view_as=subscriber
To watch on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cfruc/
If you would like to join our pre-service Zoom conversation at 10:00 am go to link below. Contact Marc for a passcode please. marc.cfruc@mymts.net:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85184672753?pwd=FNTc0iEmoxKOQWt5bbfH7Ax9Hmkyw7.1
Towards 2035 Workshop—The second session of our Towards 2035 workshops will be held on Saturday, March 7 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in the upper hall at CFRUC. We will be reviewing some feedback from our last meeting, consider our own trajectory, and name our “Why” for being now and into the future. Next workshop, is Saturday, April 11.
UPCOMING WORSHIP SERVICES
March 1, 2026 – “The Good News is Great Love For God & Neighbour ”The 2nd Sunday Of Lent — Luke 7:36-50 ( Woman washes Jesus’ feet) Matthew 25:35-40 (“Whatever you do for the least, you do for me”) Simon and some
Pharisees host a dinner for Jesus and an unexpected guest arrives: a woman who kneels at Jesus’ feet and washes him with expensive perfume. Simon scoffs, but Jesus reorients his focus, asking him to truly see the woman and recognize that she has shown “great love,” offering the tender hospitality he was not granted when he entered Simon’s home.
March 8, 2026 – “The Good News is, Together, The Impossible, Becomes Possible” 3rd Sunday Of Lent — Mark 6:32-44 (Feeding the 5,000) Ephesians 3:20-21; As Jesus and his disciples head to a deserted place, many from the surrounding towns follow them. Jesus expresses compassion and begins an impromptu teaching session. As the day goes on, the disciples have logistics in mind and urge Jesus to send the people back into the villages so they can feed themselves.
Instead, Jesus presents them with an impossible task: “You give them something to eat.” Jesus models a way to be by coming together and sharing what we have.
March 15, 2026 – “The Good News is Protection And Care For The Vulnerable”–The 4th Sunday Of Lent — Matthew 19:13-15 (Jesus blesses the children) Deuteronomy 24:17-22 (Care for the alien, the orphan, and the widow) It may
seem sweet that Jesus welcomed little children; however, in Jesus’ context, spending time with children would have
seemed useless. If we’re truly living out the good news, then anyone vulnerable will not only be protected from harm, but cared for so they have the chance to thrive.
March 22, 2026 – “The Good News Is Rooted In Justice”–The 5th Sunday Of Lent — John 8:2-11 (Jesus refuses to condemn a woman caught in adultery) Matthew 23:23 (“You have neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness.”) As we move toward Holy Week, we acknowledge the ways Jesus’ ministry was increasingly at odds with the religious leaders who prioritized loyalty to legality and perceived Jesus’ teachings as a threat.
March 29, 2026 – “The Good News is Inspiring Us To Act”–Palm Sunday — Mark 11:1-11 (Triumphal entry into
Jerusalem) Roman triumph usually occurred during the week of Passover as a show of Rome’s might. The governor would have been surrounded by the wealthiest and most powerful citizens. In contrast, Jesus’ march is for the people—all the people: the hungry, the poor, the afraid. This week’s subtheme intentionally places us in the crowd, inviting us to shout, throw our coats down, and wave branches. Please note: This service will be held at Harrow at 11:00 a.m.
Thursday, April 2, 2026 – “The Good News Is Even Judas Gets His Feet Washed”–Maundy Thursday — Knowing he is nearing the end, Jesus surrounds himself with his closest friends. Though he is very aware of who will betray him, he doesn’t exclude Judas or Peter from the table. Join us for a potluck supper at Harrow, beginning at 6:00 p.m. (doors open at 5:30) followed by table communion at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, April 3, 2026 – “The Good News Is Revealed Through Non-Violence”–Good Friday — Luke 22:47-53; Luke 23:33-38, 44-46; Where is the good news on Good Friday? Where do we see glimpses of goodness within an awful, brutal story? Jesus kisses the one who betrays him. He exclaims, “No more!” in the fury of drawn swords, offering healing instead. He uses his final breaths to plead for forgiveness for those who have crucified him. Jesus is stripped of all
decency and humanity, yet his actions reveal the good news of a peaceful God. A Service of Lessons and Choral Music will be held at CFRUC beginning at 10:00 a.m. An Intergenerational “Messy Church” featuring activities for children and families will be held at Harrow from 10:00 a.m. to noon.
JOINT SERVCE WITH HARROW UNITED AT CFRUC
Sunday, April 5, 2026 – “The Good News Is Alive In The World” Easter Sunday — Matthew 28:1-10 (“Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers and sisters to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”) Death cannot stop the good news. It is alive, unbound, and wild in the world. Join us for Breakfast and Easter Egg hunt at CFRUC beginning at 9 am followed by a communion service at 10:00 a.m.
A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK—Arlene Dickinson, Dragon’s Den; abridged from a Facebook repost from Broadview
I’ve been sitting with a weird feeling for a while now. I finally figured out it’s coming from the anxiety I’m feeling of religion vs politics, something we’re all seeing and hearing play out right now. I feel like I understand, at least at a basic level, those folks who are holding up Christianity (or any religion) as the reason to behave as they are.
I was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). I don’t say that as a confession or an accusation. I say it because it’s the soil I grew up in, and for a long time it was the only solid ground I knew…I followed that path. Not because someone forced me to, but because I believed in it down to my bones. The structure of religion honestly felt like safety. The rules felt like love.
When you believe that way, and when your faith is woven into every part of who you are, the world divides neatly.
There is right and there is wrong. There is light and there is darkness. And you believe that people who don’t share your faith, no matter how kind or good, are living in a shadow. You don’t hate them. You do feel badly for them. You pray for them. You knock on their doors because you genuinely believe you’re offering them salvation. The love is real. But so is the judgment, even when you’ve been taught not to judge…
The church didn’t lose me. The church pushed me out. I was excommunicated after having an affair and removed from the only community I’d ever known, separated from the people and structure that had defined my entire life. And I won’t pretend it didn’t devastate me. It did. I grieved it the way you grieve a death, because in many ways that’s what it was. I felt like a bad person who would never be redeemed because I’d broken a sacred covenant.
But something happened to me on the other side of that closed door to the chapel. When the institution that had told me for years what to think, how to feel and who to believe was no longer standing between me and the world, I could finally see the world more clearly. Not all at once. Slowly, painfully, and then with a relief I hadn’t known I needed. I realized that my capacity for goodness, for compassion, for moral seriousness hadn’t come from the building. It had always been mine. The faith I’d been taught to place in the church, I could place in myself and in the forms of spirituality I believed in. And I could extend it outward, not just to people who believed what I believed, but to everyone.
That’s what I guess I want to say. Wherever you are on this religious spectrum this is true. If you’re deeply faithful, I’m certainly not here to take that from you. Your faith is yours. But please hold it up to the light when someone in political power tries to speak for God. Ask yourself whether what they’re saying serves your soul or their ambition. You deserve leaders who appeal to your best instincts, not your deepest fears.
And if you’re on the other side and you look at people of faith and see only ignorance or gullibility I’m asking you to see something more. I was one of those people. I was intelligent and loving and completely sincere about my faith. The architecture of belief is powerful because it meets the real human needs of belonging, meaning, purpose, community. Dismissing it dismisses the person we are inside it.
We’re never going to agree on everything. We’re not supposed to. But we can start by understanding that the person across from us isn’t our enemy. They might be someone whose deepest convictions have been borrowed by people who don’t deserve them. They might be someone who is terrified of losing the only framework that’s ever made the world make sense. They might be someone like me standing outside their chapel, mosque or synagogue door that they no longer choose to walk through, discovering that the sky is bigger than any ceiling they were told to live under.
A policy is not a commandment. A political agenda dressed in Scripture is still a political agenda. When someone in office tells you that opposing them means opposing God, they aren’t protecting your faith, they’re exploiting it. They’re counting on the fact that you’ve been taught never to question spiritual authority, and they’re hoping you won’t notice that they don’t hold any such authority no matter how much they pray in front of you. Your devotion is sacred. Their use of it is not. Learn to tell the difference, because that difference is where your freedom lives.
We can talk to each other. But first, we have to see each other. Not as enemies. Not as projects to convert. As people doing the best we can with the beliefs we were given, trying to figure out which ones to keep and which ones to set down.
I kept my compassion. I kept my sense of right and wrong. I put away forever the certainty that I and any religion are the only ones who get to have it.
That’s what set me free. And today knowing that church and state must be kept separate in order to serve all people is what keeps me grounded in who to believe for my politics and who to trust with my faith.
BROADVIEW: The United Church’s magazine of spirituality, justice and ethical living. Subscribe and Renew.
Crescent Fort Rouge and Harrow United Churches participate in the Group Subscription program. That means you can subscribe through the church for $30/year (compared to $37 if you subscribe individually).
During the month of March, we will be gathering up our subscriptions.
Mail / put on the offering plate / deliver to the office your payment of $30 (payable to Crescent Fort Rouge United Church). Clearly mark it as being for BROADVIEW and Identified with your name and mailing address to which the magazine should be sent.
UPCOMING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AT CRESCENT FORT ROUGE AND HARROW
Unpacking Matthew’s Gospel—The Gospel of Matthew can be read as both the most Jewish and the most antisemitic of the gospels. The Gospel serves as the source for this year’s Sunday lectionary readings, and raises as many questions as it seeks to answer. Matthew frames the events of Jesus’ life and ministry, and the meaning of his life from within the matrix of 1st century Judaism and can be misinterpreted by modern readers. Beginning on Thursday February 5, Marc will offer an exploration of this Gospel via Zoom from 7-8:30. If you have never tried Bible study, or have wanted to dig more deeply into the texts which structure our worship, this may be for you. Contact Marc for more information at marc.cfruc@mymts.net or call or text at 204-461-1767
We are continuing to collect non-perishable food stuffs for our 1JustCity partners.
Help out infants this Christmas! We couldn’t bring gifts to baby Jesus himself, but we can support and care for other babies in our community. Harrow is sponsoring a “diaper drive” throughout the Advent season. After the joint service at Harrow on December 28, our donations will be given to Harvest Manitoba who will distribute them to families in need. Look for the collection box in the Narthex. Given the high cost of diapers, we are also accepting cash donations of any amount, so boxes of diapers can be purchased. Thanks for your support.
Friday Mama Bear Clan Walk – A few of us have experienced walking with the Mama Bear Clan this Fall enjoying the milder weather. As well as the sandwiches that are made on site, we have had extra muffins and cookies to offer. When the word “homemade” is mentioned, eyes light up. Last Friday was chillier and we had many requests for mittens. We don’t have room for a mitten tree, but there will be a turquoise box at the back of the Sanctuary to hold donated mittens or gloves. New, gently used, adult or kid-sized, all are welcome. Thank you!
What else happens weekly?
Our virtual prayer and spirituality group, “Explorations” occurs on Wednesdays by Zoom. If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please contact Marc at marc.cfruc@mymts.net or 204-461-1767
Choir Rehearsal — is every Friday at 10 am. New members are welcome. If you are interested in singing with our choir, even occasionally, and Friday morning rehearsals present a barrier, other arrangements are possible. Contact Michael Cutler at organmike@gmail.com for more information.
Our Faithful Readers Book Discussion Group is open to everyone, and we usually meet the last Wednesday of the month via Zoom, except for the movies and our windup dinner. If you are interested, please contact the office for the Link. Pick up a Bookmark at Harrow for times, etc.
What is Spirituality?
“Spirituality involves the recognition of a feeling or sense or belief that there is something greater than [one]self, something more to being human than sensory experience, and that the greater whole of which we are part is cosmic or divine in nature.
“Spirituality means knowing that our lives have significance in a context beyond a mundane everyday existence at the level of biological needs that drive selfishness and aggression. It means knowing that we are a significant part of a purposeful unfolding of Life in our universe.
“Spirituality involves exploring certain universal themes – love, compassion, altruism, life after death, wisdom and truth, with the knowledge that some people such as saints or enlightened individuals have achieved and manifested higher levels of development than the ordinary person. Aspiring to manifest the attributes of such inspirational examples often becomes an important part of the journey through life for spiritually inclined people.”
What happens at Sunday morning Worship? Lots!
Sunday morning worship at Crescent Fort Rouge generally follows a predictable pattern of gathering in God’s name; hearing and reflecting on the intersection between the ancient faith story and the story of our own lives and time; responding to what has been heard; and going out with a commission to be actively engaged in the world.
Our worship respects the rich heritage and traditions of the Christian faith, while holding up a progressive and contemporary theology. Our worship is designed to actively engage all of the senses, and welcome the participation of all. We come together around the Lord’s Table through the sacrament of communion six or seven times a year.
Music is an integral part of our worship life, and we offer music in a wide range of styles and genres. Worship allows us to enact through ritual, story-telling, music and prayer our core belief in a God of peace, justice, compassion, healing and hope who invites us to practice the same things.
Why Worship? Worship reminds us of who we are and whose we are. Worship helps reinforce a rhythm for our lives. Worship offers a chance to connect with others and to feel that connection and engagement. Friendships are formed!
Occasional Services
In addition to regular Sunday morning worship, we also offer worship experiences at other times to mark special days or occasions. These include such things as Pet Blessings, Blue Christmas services, Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Services for Life Transitions
CFRUC provides opportunities to recognize significant life passages with ritual and celebration such as Baptism, Confirmation, Weddings and Funerals.
Services to Recognize Other Life Transitions
We also work with individuals to create meaningful rituals to mark significant life passages such as moving to a new home, divorce, miscarriage, adopting a child, or seeking healing after trauma or violence.
Please contact our minister if you would like to explore some of the possibilities. cfruc@mymts.net
Daily Prayer Resources
In many faith traditions, it is customary to pray at specific times of day. The discipline of morning prayer allows one to start a day grounded in God, and the intention to be mindful of God’s presence in all that unfolds.
Prayer of Examen
The prayer of examen, is a traditional form of “end of day prayer” which invites reflection on the day that is past, an expression of gratitude for what has been experienced, and an opportunity to explore in greater depth God’s presence in our lives. Our friends at The Work of The People https://www.theworkofthepeople.com/ have created a contemporary expression of this ancient form of prayer. For a version of the Examen, please click here.
Frederick Buechner
www.frederickbuechner.com
The Center for Contemplation and Action
cac.org
Sacredise
Sacredise.com
One time tested way of nurturing the spirit is to maintain the disciple of keeping a journal. During this time of self-isolation we invite you to join others in a 28 day journaling challenge. Click here for a list of daily prompts. Self-Isolation Challenge
Looking for more intentional study?
A variety of online programs and webinars are available through:
The Abbey of the Arts
https://abbeyofthearts.com/
The United Church of Canada
https://www.united-church.ca/
We encourage you to contact Crescent Fort Rouge and receive our weekly newsletter which offers many opportunities. cfruc@mymts.net
Looking for an experience on Sunday for children (ages 3 to 12)?
Children are encouraged to begin their Sunday morning church experience with the gathered community in worship. This time with adults includes a theme conversation with one of the ministers and introduces children to the concept of worship.
Following this time, the children participate in age appropriate activities designed to introduce them to faithful living. We make use of a variety of teaching activities: drama, music, cooking, art, science, games and more. Parents and guardians of very young children are welcome to attend this program with their young ones until the children feel comfortable enough to attend the class on their own.
