The United Church Of Christ - Medford Wisconsin
THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
510 East Broadway Avenue
Medford, WI 54451-1524
Worship Times:
Service 9:00 a.m.
Sunday school 9:00 a.m.
Welcome to the UCC Medford, Wisconsin, web site where you will find information on our
history,
church activities, archives of church
newsletters and
sermons, downloadable
church documents and forms,
links to church resources and much more.
Our Mission
We seek to welcome all persons of faith to worship with us and to participate in the life of our congregation. Whoever you are and whereever you are on life's journey you are welcome here.
Message From Our Pastor
Breaking News from The United Church Of Christ, Medford, Wisconsin:
Please welcome Rev. Catherine Hinman, newly elected pastor.
The Hinmans arrived in Medford last week, completing their journey from Whitinsville, Mass. On July 1 this new ministry will begin officially.
Meet Pastor Cathy at her first worship service on July 6, 9 A.M.
A farewell service as interim pastor will take place on Sunday, June 29 at 9 A.M., with a reception following.
Peace,
Rev. David McBride
Please Note: The following devotional appeared today on i.ucc.org, which is a daily devotional service of the United Church of Christ. The whole series of daily devotionals can be found at i.ucc.org
Praying for an Undivided Heart
Psalm 86:11-17
Bible Excerpt
Give me an undivided heart to revere your name.
Reflection
by Martin B. Copenhaver
We spend much of our lives distracted. I should probably repeat that, just in case your mind was somewhere else at the moment: We spend much of our lives distracted. It can be hard for us fully to be in any one place. When we are at home, for instance, we may be preoccupied with problems at work, but when we get to work our thoughts may be tugged back home. In a multi-tasking world, focusing on just one thing can make us feel as if we are not making the best use of our time. If we finally seize an opportunity to sit for a moment in a quiet place, we may still find it difficult to clear out the noise inside our heads. What did you have to clear out of your heart and mind just to read these few words?
The French philosopher, Simone Weil, famously affirmed that prayer is nothing other than paying attention. No wonder, then, that we sometimes find it difficult to pray. Try as we might, we cannot concentrate and we pay attention only in a glancing way. That is why our first prayer is the prayer of the psalmist: "Give me an undivided heart to revere your name." In such a prayer, we ask God to help us pay attention in ways that we find difficult to do on our own.
Prayer
God, help me to put aside for a moment all that occupies and preoccupies me. Clear out the noise. Give me an undivided heart so that I can pay attention to you and to this moment in your presence. Amen.
About the Author
Martin B. Copenhaver is Senior Pastor, Wellesley Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Wellesley, Massachusetts.
