Center for Christian Growth of Western New York

05/03/2022

Four Opening Prayers
1. Come Into This Place
Come in. Come into this place which we make holy by our presence. Come in with all your vulnerabilities and strengths, fears and anxieties, loves and hopes. For here you need not hide, nor pretend, nor be anything other than who you are and are called to be.
Come into this place where we can touch and be touched, heal and be healed, forgive and be forgiven.
Come into this place, where the ordinary is sanctified, the human is celebrated, the compassionate is expected.
Come into this place. Together we make it a holy place. Amen
~By Rebecca A Edmiston-Lange, from Unitarian Universalist Association

2. Help Me Listen
O Holy One, I hear and say so many words, yet yours is the word I need. Speak now, and help me listen; and if what I hear is silence, let it quiet me, let it disturb me, let it touch my need, let it break my pride, let it shrink my certainties, let it enlarge my wonder. Amen.
~From Guerrillas of Grace: Prayers for the Battle by Ted Loder, page ?.

3. In the Morning
This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.
~From the Book of Common Prayer, p. 461

4. Our Space Together
There is no such thing as a “safe space” —
We exist in the real world.
We all carry scars and have caused wounds.
This space seeks to turn down the volume of the world outside, and amplify voices that have to fight to be heard elsewhere,
This space will not be perfect. It will not always be what we wish it to be
But It will be our space together,
and we will work on it side by side. Amen
~Untitled Poem by Beth Strano

11/24/2021

This Sunday we celebrate the 1st Sunday of Advent. Here's a link to a youtube video of I Promise You. Watch and listen to the children’s book. Included are questions to help you and your child think about the promises a parent made, and the promises God makes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXjnvyN9qK0&t=1s

What were some of the promises made in the book?
Which one(s) do you think are most important and why?
Connecting with our lives

Engage in dialogue

What was God’s original promise?
What promise is God making in today’s passage?
Who is acting in this passage? Who is doing the work?
What is on the receiving end of this act?
Why do you think God made it happen that way?
What is righteousness and why is it important to God?
What is justice and why is it important to God?
Why do you think God is placing an emphasis on justice and righteousness?
Why should righteousness and justice be important to us?
In what ways do you think justice and righteousness would save our ancient fore mothers and fathers of the faith?
In what ways, do you think justice and righteousness will save us now?
Where do you see God’s compassion (righteousness) in the world?
Where do you see God’s justice (love embodied in systems) in the world?
In what ways do you participate in God’s righteousness and justice?
What difference do these two make in your life?

"I Promise You" is a heartwarming book written by Marianne Richmond. I got this book from Amazon a month after its release. This book conveys a parent's mess...

10/27/2021

The prompts for 2021 are:

November 28: Promise
November 29: Strength
November 30: Soul
December 1: Path
December 2: Justice
December 3: Fulfill
December 4: Heart
December 5: Praise
December 6: Everlasting
December 7: Offering
December 8: Messenger
December 9: Splendor
December 10: Repent
December 11: Compassion
December 12: Expectation
December 13: Share
December 14: Exult
December 15: Stir
December 16: Gladness
December 17: Bountiful
December 18: Sing
December 19: Blessed
December 20: Feed
December 21: Generations
December 22: Magnify
December 23: Flock
December 24: Greeting
December 25: Child


The Images and meditations can be experienced through AdventWord.org, direct daily emails, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and ASL videos via YouTube. Meditations will also be available in English, Spanish, and French via email and on www.adventword.org.

Find Promise & Praise on www.forwardmovement.org.

For more information:

Primary Episcopal Church publisher of Christian devotions, meditations, and books and resources for prayer, spirituality, evangelism, pastoral care, vestry, Hispanic ministry, and Episcopal and Anglican history, teaching, doctrine, and faith. Publisher of the daily Bible devotionals Forward Day by D...

05/19/2021

For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World
With a guide by the Muhammad Ali Center

Written by Michael W. Waters
Illustrated by Keisha Morris
Winner of the 2020 Goddard Riverside CBC Youth Book Prize for Social Justice

A Top Ten Selection of the 2021 In the Margins Book Awards

A Texas Institute of Letters 2021 Finalist for Best Picture Book

A 2021 RCC Wilbur Award Winner

“Dad, what happened?”

“Why are they shooting?”

“What is this vigil for?”

The shootings keep coming, and so do Jeremiah’s questions. Dad doesn’t have easy answers, but that doesn’t mean he won’t talk about it—or that he won’t act. But what if Jeremiah doesn’t want to talk anymore? None of it makes sense, and he’s just a kid. Even if he wants to believe in a better world, is there anything he can do about it?

Inspired by real-life events, this honest, intimate look at one family’s response to racism and gun violence includes a discussion guide created by the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, a multicultural center and museum committed to promoting respect, hope, and understanding. A portion of the publisher's sales proceeds will be donated to nonprofit organizations that facilitate the empowerment of Black communities.

An extended version of the guide and a printable coloring sheet featuring Jeremiah and his friends are available for download at www.flyawaybooks.com/resources.

05/19/2021

No One Else like You
​Written by Siska Goeminne
Illustrated by Merel Eyckerman
There are so many people in the world. Over seven billion! They come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some are happy, and some are grumpy. Some live in tall towers in the city, while others live in cottages in the field. Some like to read, and some like to sing. And yet, even with so many people in this world, there is no one quite like you!

05/19/2021

Suggested Books for Summer Reading for families

The Story of AND
The Little Word That Changed the World

Written by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
Illustrated by Joani Keller Rothenberg
With a song by Carrie Newcomer

Poor and: the word everyone takes for granted. So tiny, so common, so easily overlooked. Yet if it weren’t for and, so much would fall apart! Who knew such a little word could make such a big difference?

When an array of opinionated shapes just can’t find common ground, AND comes to the rescue. AND is the link that helps each pair of shapes overcome their differences, teaming up to create something entirely new. Bouncy rhyming text and colorful paintings come together in a fable that will prompt children to look for the unexpected connections all around them.

Complimentary additional resources, including an original song based on the story by singer/songwriter Carrie Newcomer and a downloadable activity sheet, are available to readers at www.flyawaybooks.com/resources.