Sunday In-Church Services Suspended per Colorado COVID-19 Recommendations
​(Virtual Services only)

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“David v. Goliath: The Little Guy Wins Again!”
Sunday, June 13, 2021 at 10:00 AM (At Library Park)

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Image courtesy of: ThoughtCo / Joshua Seong 
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Please join our Sunday, June 20 Service, IN-PERSON and OUTDOORS.
We will be meeting at Library Park, across the street from our front door!

Today we look at another "David" named Opal Lee. She is called the grandmother of the Juneteenth holiday because of her life-long activism promoting the remembrance of that day. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It is the day when news of emancipation finally reached people in the deepest parts of the former Confederacy in Galveston, Texas. There, people did not learn of their freedom until two and half years after the Emancipation Proclamation! 

“It does not take a majority to prevail... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.” — Samuel Adams 

ABOUT OUR OUTDOOR SERVICES ("WORSHIP OUTDOORS)
When we hold outdoor services, service starts at 10 am. Depending on how hot it is, we either meet at Library Park on the north side of the Old Town Library, across the street from our church -OR- on our new outdoor church patio. All are welcome!

Bring your mask and chair, and enjoy being in nature.

Please wear a mask if you are not vaccinated. We sit more than 6 feet apart from one another to listen to scripture and music. 

ABOUT OUR VIRTUAL SERVICES:
When weather does not allow for outdoor services, we hold Virtual Services at 10:00 AM on Sunday via a Zoom meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84841981079?pwd=OG1TMThyZFFQZ1Q0dStpZlJCdURUUT09

If you would like to receive an invitation to our virtual services, contact Pastor Steve.
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NOTE: If you  are not part of our e-list and do not receive an invitation to our Zoom Service, you can watch the service on YouTube as soon as we get it posted after the service. We will put the link here.

​We typically post a video of the worship service on YouTube as soon as it is available. A list of all virtual services, their Worship Service bulletins, and sermon transcripts (if available) are published on: the Sermons web page.​​
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Stay Updated

A Prayer For Help and Hope

Lord,

​Enlighten what is dark in me,

Strengthen what is weak in me,

Mend what is broken in me,

Bind what is bruised in me,

Heal what is sick in me,

And lastly,

Resurrect whatever peace and love has died in me.

Amen

Stay Positive!

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NOTE: If you would like to contribute your ideas to this column, please send them to martharoden@gmail.com

This is the time to realize how important our perceptions are and to how important it is to stay calm. 
 
As we watch the behavior of others, we also watch our own. Some of us do well in crises, others not so well. We all have different backgrounds, different things that trigger our fears, and different things that rile us up and calm us down.
 
We all have an amygdala, the older, “reptilian brain” that responds at the speed of light (well, maybe not that fast) to anything it senses as dangerous … even if it isn’t really dangerous. For example, we see something on a trail when we are hiking and our amygdala screams out, “Danger! Danger! A snake!” Our  heartbeat races and we start to shake.
 
Our frontal cortex, the newer part of our brain that is more rational, does not respond quite as quickly … but it does respond. A few moments later we calm down because we realize, “Oh, that’s only a piece of string.”
 
If we can just cut ourselves some slack and know that ALL of us respond to what is going on in different ways, then we spend less time worrying about others, blaming, or disliking them. After all, worrying about something does not change it … it just robs us of peace of mind.
 
And the hormones that course through our body when we are fearful and distressed, are the very ones that damage our immune system.
 
What I am hoping to do with myself, is to find ways to calm myself down (for me, it’s deep breaths and counting). That way, my fear lessens and I can think more clearly. Think about the things that calm you -- maybe praying, meditating, exercising, walking in nature, looking at photos of nature, sewing, cooking, singing -- and do them! 

Plus, if you happen to believe, as I do, that our thoughts and feelings actually contribute to the energy of those around us, staying calm can help others as well.
 
I try to remind myself that WE are all in this together. As Winston Churchill said in Great Britain during World War 2: "We are all in this together. Let's all do our part!" (don't hold me to this -- it is not a direct quote) 

And as the British motivational poster reminded people during World War 2:
"Stay calm and carry on!" 

There are no good guys or bad guys in this global situation. There are just ALL OF US – and that includes people, animals, and all of nature. There is some wonderful life force that moves through this planet and it is GOOD. I hope we can all try to get in touch with that presence.
 
Hopefully my writing wasn’t too philosophical or “out there.”
 
Cheers,
 
Martha Roden

P.S. Here is a link to a great article by Father Richard Rohr, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation: https://cac.org/love-alone-overcomes-fear-2020-03-19/

Thoughts For You

During these uncertain times, kind words and thoughts go far. Here are just a few:

“Darkness comes. In the middle of it, the future looks blank. The temptation to quit is huge. Don't. You are in good company... You will argue with yourself that there is no way forward. But with God, nothing is impossible. He has more ropes and ladders and tunnels out of pits than you can conceive. Wait. Pray without ceasing. Hope.” — John Piper

“Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us.” —  Samuel Smiles

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” —  Desmond Tutu

“Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.” — Rabindranath Tagore

A Prayer for You

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This wonderful prayer was written by a Franciscan priest in Italy while the country is in lock-down.

LOCKDOWN
by Father Richard Hendrick, OFM
March 13, 2020

 
Yes there is fear.
Yes there is isolation.
Yes there is panic buying.
Yes there is sickness.
Yes there is even death.

But,
They say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise
You can hear the birds again.
They say that after just a few weeks of quiet
The sky is no longer thick with fumes
But blue and grey and clear.

They say that in the streets of Assisi
People are singing to each other
across the empty squares,
keeping their windows open
so that those who are alone
may hear the sounds of family around them.

They say that a hotel in the West of Ireland
Is offering free meals and delivery to the housebound.

Today a young woman I know
is busy spreading fliers with her number
through the neighborhood
So that the elders may have someone to call on.

Today Churches, Synagogues, Mosques and Temples
are preparing to welcome
and shelter the homeless, the sick, the weary

All over the world people are slowing down and reflecting
All over the world people are looking at their neighburs in a new way
All over the world people are waking up to a new reality
To how big we really are.
To how little control we really have.
To what really matters.
To Love.

So we pray and we remember that
Yes there is fear.
But there does not have to be hate.
Yes there is isolation.
But there does not have to be loneliness.
Yes there is panic buying.
But there does not have to be meanness.
Yes there is sickness.
But there does not have to be disease of the soul
Yes there is even death.
But there can always be a rebirth of love.

Wake to the choices you make as to how to live now.
Today, breathe.
Listen, behind the factory noises of your panic
The birds are singing again
The sky is clearing,
Spring is coming,
And we are always encompassed by Love.

Open the windows of your soul
And though you may not be able
to touch across the empty square,
Sing.​
​FCMF: Authentic, Compassionate, And Inclusive!
​Here at Fort Collins Mennonite Fellowship (FCMF), we practice the "radical inclusivity" of Jesus. This means working with, having compassion for, and getting to know people who, as Jesus said, are the “least of us” and are often on the margins of society. 
Whether it’s welcoming sexual and gender minorities into our community, hosting homeless families in the Faith Family Hospitality program, welcoming homeless individuals who visit us for warmth, food, and fellowship, helping immigrants, or working for a healthcare system that benefits all, we try to walk in the footsteps of Jesus as best we can.
We use our hands to do God's work, focusing on issues of social justice, peace, and helping those in need. 

New GoFundMe for a True Sanctuary for the Homeless

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 June 19, 2021 - 
Another nice donation from a supporter brings us to 34.25% of our goal. We have collected $3,425 so far. Tell your friends so we can collect more!.
Learn more and Donate today!
Our True Sanctuary program made the cover of Anabaptist World Magazine:
https://anabaptistworld.org/blessed-with-new-friends/

In March 2020, during the pandemic, we decided to open our hearts and our church doors to house some of the most vulnerable members of the homeless community.

​Our church is now a true sanctuary for the homeless and those who inhabit our church are the informal caretakers of our property. They are also our homeless "outreach angels" who serve the homeless community at large, by providing showers, meals, and much needed advocacy.
 
We need your help to keep the lights and heat on, the hot water running, as well as purchase food, personal hygiene items, clothing and more for the homeless community.

Did you miss last week's Service?

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If you missed the June 6, 2021 Service, "David v. Goliath: The Little Guy Wins Again!,"  you can read the full text of the sermon here: PDF sermon 
​
t’s true — sometimes David does defeat Goliath. And if you examine history closely enough, you will probably see that David actually wins a whole lot more than we might think.

n fact, after a closer look through the Bible, we could also say that God takes the side of the Davids when they face the Goliaths. God chooses to fight as the underdog. And this past week, David did manage to beat Goliath, again!

There is Help In Our Community

Here at FCMF, we do what we can to help our brothers and sisters. But there are other organizations we work with and services in the community that are very helpful!
  • Colorado Health Network: A statewide organization that works to innovatively and equitably meet the evolving needs of individuals in Colorado living with or at risk of acquiring HIV and other health conditions.
  • Fort Collins Community Action Network (FCCAN): Working to create community based on furthering economic, social, and environmental justice, sustainability, human rights, and peace for all by building coalitions, developing strategies and actions, and supporting existing progressive organizations.
  • Fort Collins Sustainability Group: Develops and advocates strategies for becoming a sustainable community, with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to levels consistent with a stable climate.
  • Free STD Testing: Find out where you can get free testing in Fort Collins.
  • Homeward Alliance: Operates a continuum of programs and initiatives for families, adults and seniors. These include basic needs, housing-focused case management, behavioral health, and employment services.

What Does Our City Need to Do?

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We have asked the City and County to look into ways to help the most vulnerable – the homeless. These are people who are two times as likely to get and spread COVID-19 because they do not have home where they can isolate themselves and must often eat and sleep in crowded conditions.
 
But we must keep the pressure on them since time is of the essence!  We suggest you send them an email at: cityleaders@fcgov.com
 
Consider making points such as these in your letter:

The current crises that we face requires immediate and sweeping actions to protect the most vulnerable in our community.
 
1) Immediate moratorium of the city's camping ban.  This must also include folks sleeping in their cars and RV's.

NOTE: The City did allow camping near Northside Aztlan Center, but reversed the decision one the "Stay at Home" orders were lifted.
Once again they need to allow camping with these provisions:

  • Unless individual housing units are available, do not clear encampments.
  • Encourage people staying in encampments to set up tents with at least 12 feet x 12 feet per individual.
  •  Ensure nearby restroom facilities with hand hygiene materials and bath tissue remain open 24 hours per day.
  • Provide access to portable latrines with handwashing facilities.
  • Provide information about COVID-19 hygiene practices.
 
2) More space for daytime and evening shelters. Current locations are simply not sufficient

NOTE: The City opened Northside Aztlan Center as a Day Center and overflow evening shelter. But on June 19, they  closed the shelter, which will put a strain on the other shelters that must sustain social distancing protocol, which means far fewer people can use them and more individuals will be without shelter.

The City  must consider opening more unused facilities that can shelter or feed folks while giving each individual appropriate physical space.
 
3) Safe places for the most vulnerable who may need to be quarantined:
  • Motel rooms or RVs
  • Separate, suitable housing.

NOTE: The City  is allowing a building owned by the Colorado State University Research Foundation on Myrtle Street to be used as a shelter for those experiencing homelessness. The Foundation-owned building, located at 1105 W. Myrtle Street, will be a shelter for those who are sick or have COVID-19 symptoms. The Myrtle Street building allows for proper quarantine procedures.

4) Suitable housing for the elderly and others who at high risk of being infected.

5) Help service providers with additional funding to purchase necessary supplies.
 
(NAME and address)
Services and Activities
(In Church Activities Temporarily Suspended)
Sunday Service: 10:00 am
Sunday School: During service
Wednesday Potluck: 6:00 pm
Womynfolk: 1st Monday, 6:30
Mennonpints: 1st or 2nd Friday, 4:30
Recent Sermon 
"The Way it Is, Isn't How it Should Be: (Oct. 25, 2020)​
Donate
 We're the "little church that could" ... small in size but mighty in action. If you'd like to help us financially, please make out a check to FCMF and mail it to the address listed to the right.  --Thanks!
Contact Us
Our pastor is Steve Ramer: 
(970) 412-7510
stevemramer@yahoo.com

Our address is:
300 East Oak Street
Fort Collins, CO 80524