DeLeon Springs United Methodist Church is hosting a Community Yard and Craft Sale 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, March 5. No early birds, please.

Rent a space for $10, or a space and table for $15.

The church is at 265 Ponce DeLeon Blvd. For more information, call 386-985-4325.

Rev. Tracie Barrett to speak about reproductive justice

On Sunday, March 6, at First Unitarian Universalist Church of West Volusia in DeLand, the Rev. Tracie Barrett will return to talk about reproductive justice.

Reproductive justice is more than the right to safe access to abortion. It is an intersectional problem dealing with economic justice, racial justice, LGBTQ+ justice, and access to health care, funded schools and healthful food options.

Those attending in person at 10:30 a.m. are encouraged to join 10:15-10:25 a.m. for greetings before the service begins. Masks are required at this time.

Zoom meetings for a repeat of last week’s program will also be at 10:30 a.m., with an invitation to join between 10:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. This second-chance meeting for Sunday service is the same every week: 927 1881 9188 ID: https://zoom.us/i/92718819188.

Unitarian Universalists are an open-minded, openhearted spiritual community, where all are welcomed as they learn together. The congregation participates in helping the Interfaith Kitchen and other community projects.

Regular group meetings continue on Zoom and in person. Special educational programs for children are available. The church may be contacted through www.uudland.org to learn more.

Activities at 1st Christian Church

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of DeLand will have the Rev. Patrecia Newton of Orlando, recently ordained, as the guest minister at the 10:45 a.m. worship service Sunday, March 6.

Coffee and pastries are served by Sue Brague and Betty Davis from 10:15 a.m. until the start of the service.

During the service, Kathy Porr enthusiastically welcomes everyone. She describes the events of the week, joyful music is provided, prayers are lifted up, Scripture is read, the message is given, and Communion is offered to all present by the elders of the day.

Bingo continues at 7 p.m. Fridays, March 11 and 25, in the fellowship hall. Child care is provided by Robin Ashton.

Dr. Janet Raney welcomes young people to the youth room in the McDowell Education Building at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

Artist Marge Jones invites those interested in learning more about watercolor painting to come to a class 10 a.m.-noon Tuesday, March 8, in the fellowship hall. To cover materials and supplies, a fee of $10 is requested for the six-week course.

Dust and bread

During the three services Sunday, March 6, at First Presbyterian Church of DeLand, Pastor Michael Bodger will discuss the phenomenon of “Dust and Bread” in the world.

Through the readings of Luke 9:1-6 and Matthew 6:7-15, Pastor Bodger will speak on the tension in which we humans live and seek to serve.

God created us from dust, yet the Creator empowered us to rise above the ash heap and to stand capable of doing great things.

God, of course, stands aware of our fundamental and necessary provision of daily bread, just as the Hebrews needed and received manna in the desert through His amazing grace.

In Luke 9, we hear Jesus sending out the 12 apostles to heal and preach: “Take nothing for the journey — no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic.”

Then in Matthew 6, Jesus teaches followers how to provide for the needy and how to pray in private: “Our Father, give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we who have forgiven our debtors.”

Clearly, the lesson here reveals that not all of our needs are “magically met,” but we will never want for anything. Think of the poverty both worldwide and in our own backyards, disproving that belief. Amazingly, goodness does exist in the world — enough to go around if we make it so. Dust and bread!

After entering the 40 days of Lent on Ash Wednesday, March 2, First Pres will be following a daily devotional and an accompanying sermon series “Lent in Plain Sight,” by Jill Duffield. The author has taken 10 common-day objects that Jesus would have encountered on His way to Jerusalem. Through such ordinary people, ordinary objects, and ordinary grace, God communicates to us.

Through the mundane, we hear God’s quiet voice, offering epiphanies, salvation, revelation and reconciliation: “Our Father … your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven …”

During Lent, the ministries of First Pres continue in their diverse forms, with classes, fellowship, and other benefits for all ages. First Pres stands open to all who wish to join.

Please note that the church will have a free Drive-Thru Food Distribution at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 5, near the parking lot off West Pennsylvania Avenue. Volunteers will deliver to cars boxes of food available from the local Farm Share organization and St. Andrew’s Society.

‘Into the Unknown’

Mosaic Unitarian Universalist Congregation is meeting online at 11 a.m. every Sunday. The title of the March 6 service is “Into the Unknown.”

Humanity has always had a great fear of the unknown — not knowing how things are going to go or what the end result is. But, leaning into the unknown can actually provide more comfort than it appears, if we are willing to take on the task of leaning into it.

On March 6, join Matthew Pargeter-Villarreal in a discussion of how to lean into the unknown and how to find it not quite as scary as we may once have thought.

Worship leader Jan Holloway will guide everyone through the service. All are welcome.

For more information on Mosaic, see the website at mosaicuuc.org. For instructions on how to join the virtual service, email to mosaicuuc@gmail.com.

How to keep wrath from overtaking us

“Wrath in its purest form presents with self-destructiveness, violence and hate that may provoke feuds.” — Anonymous

On Sunday, March 6, First United Methodist Church of DeLand will be looking at “Wrath” in the ongoing series “The Seven Deadly Sins.”

Anger does not have to lead to wrath, but when it does, the outcome is never good. Learn how to recognize the signs of wrath and how to avoid allowing wrath to overtake our lives.

First Church provides in-person traditional worship services at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. in the sanctuary, and a contemporary worship service at 9:30 a.m. in the Family Life Center. All three services are streamed live on Facebook on the First Church DeLand page, or they can be accessed through the website at Firstchurchdeland.org.

The church also offers small-group Bible studies at various times during the week. Young adults meet Sunday evening, youth groups meet at different times during the week, and men meet on Saturday morning to study the Bible.

If you’d like to get connected to a small group for fellowship and sharing, contact the church office for more details. First United Methodist offices are open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. The phone number is 386-734-5113.