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Worship Sundays at 10 AM
Join Us for Coffee & a Snack after Worship

Join Us!

We are an Open & Affirming Church

We are happy you stopped to visit!

Events

What is happening at the First Congregational Church, Watertown, SD?
 
Join us for upcoming events at the church every month.  We have some special things planned and we would love for you to join us. This is a great opportunity to meet new people, join in some fun activities, and learn more about our faith.

We have Women’s Fellowship, Bible Study, Crafters Fare, and Sunday mornings church services at 10 am, every is welcome.

The event / birthday calendar has more of the listings.

We look forward to seeing you.

Welcome

Please call us at 605-886-6994 with any questions!
Office Hours Mon - Fri from 8AM to Noon

Wed. Message

October 9, 2024

 

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

 

— 2 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV)

 

Madeline L’Engle, author of the beloved children’s book, “A Wrinkle in Time,” once said, “I take the Bible to seriously to take it all literally.

 

The Bible is a sacred text that has shaped our faith and guided our understanding of God, ourselves, and the world.  But what does it mean to take the Bible seriously?  For many, taking the Bible seriously has meant reading it literally — believing that every word is a factual statement, every story a historical record.  But is that what God really intends for us?

 

The Bible is a collection of books, written by different authors, in different times, and in different contexts.  Its language is poetic, symbolic, and diverse.  It contains wisdom, prophecy, law, narrative, and deep questions about human existence.  To reduce the Bible to a mere literal reading is to limit its depth and power.  In fact, reading the Bible too literally can lead us to miss its deeper spiritual truths.

 

Consider Jesus' parables.  When Jesus spoke of mustard seeds, lost sheep, or vineyards, he wasn’t giving an agricultural lesson!  He was revealing something profound about God’s kingdom — something too profound to describe in cursory, matter-of-fact terms.  These stories are not about their surface details, but about the transformative truths they point to.

 

Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 3:6 remind us that focusing on the "letter" of Scripture without discerning its spiritual message can be harmful.  The "letter" — or strict, literal interpretation — can kill our faith, harden our hearts, and reduce our relationship with God to mere rule-following.  The "Spirit," however, invites us into a dynamic, living relationship with God, one that is open to mystery, nuance, and ongoing revelation.

 

To take the Bible seriously is not necessarily to take it literally.  It is to honor the Bible’s complexity, to engage with it deeply, to question, to wrestle, and to listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking through it.  This approach asks us to embrace the Bible as a living text, one that speaks to our current realities and challenges, even as it draws us into the ancient wisdom of the past.

 

Prayer
Loving God, grant us the wisdom to approach Scripture with open hearts and minds.  Help us to see beyond the surface of the text, to the deeper truths you are revealing to us.  May we listen for your Spirit as we engage with our sacred stories, and may we be transformed by the life-giving wisdom they hold.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

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Sunday Coffee Oct.13: WinG’s

Coffee is always served downstairs in the Fellowship Hall for anyone to come and enjoy treats and have some conversations following the worship service.

 

Please keep Bill Neale’s family and Joanne Kolstad (his friend) in your prayers. Bill passed away on Saturday, October 5, 2024 in Arlington, Mn. Bill was 93 yrs. old.

Visitation will be at Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in Watertown on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, from 4:00 - 6:30 p.m.  The funeral service will be at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 10, 2024, at the First Congregational Church in Watertown, SD. 

Pastor Dustin Bartlett and Pastor Steven Melede will officiate.  

 

WinG’s (Women’s Fellowship) meeting Saturday, October 12, 2024, at 9:00 am, in the Fellowship Hall, to finalize everything about the fair that will take place in November.

 

Prairie Lakes Association Fall Meeting,

On Sunday, October 13, 2024, Ipswich SD UCC, Registration 2:30pm, Worship Service 3:00 pm,

business meeting following the worship service. Full meal to follow business meeting, no cost for the meal. Call 605-216-3025 to provide a meal count. 

There will also be a presentation at the PLA meeting on Suicide, that will provide information on Soul Shop, and Healing Conversations.  It was indicated that the worship service would not be long.  

 

October 14, First Congregational Church will serve the Banquet starting at 5:00 pm, at Grace Lutheran Church

 

Church council meeting, Monday, Oct. 21 is at 6:00 pm,  (just for this month).

 

Meals On Wheels, Monday Oct. 28 through Friday Nov. 1, 2024, please contact Lynne Forbush if you

are interested in helping deliver meals. 605-880-5379

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Bible Study, the 2nd & 4th Sunday of the month at 3PM with Pastor Dustin, everyone is always welcome to

  join us.

 

Theology on Tap with Pastor Dustin. Meet at “Harry’s” on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

 

Money Counters: 

 

        Oct. 13       Wayne Johnson

        Oct. 20       Cyndy Voight

        Oct  27       Wayne Johnson

Do we have your correct information?

                                                                

If you have moved, taken out your landline, changed cell numbers, switched email addresses, etc.

 

We would greatly appreciate a note, email or phone call so we can update our records, Call or email:

605-886-6994 or ucc1wtn@midco.net.

We delivered Meals on Wheels for the last time this year on November 14 through 17. 

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A big thank you to Glen Robel, Don & Marlys Moore, Jo Gardner & Curt Kost, Frank Kitterman, Sue & Alan Pearson, Ken & Wendy Fransen, Dan & Cyndy Voight, and Rosanne Dyce Anderson. I want to give a very heartfelt thank you to Lou Walford and Berdene Boersma as they have decided to retire from delivering meals. This was their last week delivering after what must be at least 20 years!! Is there anyone who would like to try to fill their shoes next year? Thank you to all those who have helped deliver meals this year.  

 

~ Lynne 

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