Community Church of Chesterland UCC

08/28/2026

http://www.ucc.org/daily-devotional/feast-of-augustine-of-hippo-354-430-ce/

Today we pray with St. Augustine: “Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new! You were within me, but I was outside. You were with me, but I was not with you.”

08/27/2026

Sometimes, you don’t need a reason. 💛

August 27 is National Just Because Day, which might be exactly the kind of holiday we need this week.

Buy yourself the good coffee.
Text someone you’ve been thinking about.
Pick some flowers.
Give someone a ridiculous compliment.
Have dessert first.
Donate a few dollars somewhere that matters to you.
Tell someone you love them.
Wear the outfit you’ve been “saving.”

Do something kind for someone else.

Do something kind for yourself.

Not because you earned it.
Not because it’s productive.
Not because there’s a special occasion.

Just because. 💛

Share what you did today in the comments just because you could. ⬇️

08/27/2026

Some healing stories are harder to read than others.

Today’s Daily Devotional by Talitha Arnold takes on biblical stories that describe people as being “possessed by demons” and asks us not to simply skip over the uncomfortable language, but to understand it in its historical context and consider the harm those words can still cause today.

What stands out is where Jesus placed his attention: again and again, with people who were sick, suffering, misunderstood, isolated, or pushed to the margins.

Our understanding of mental illness and neurological conditions has changed dramatically since these stories were written. Our responsibility to care for one another hasn’t.

And healing isn’t only about individuals. Sometimes communities, churches, and entire systems need healing from their own fear, stigma, and neglect.

🔗 Link in the comments.

08/26/2026

🔗 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85277405553?pwd=a1ZhWUM4NnVNeUlIbExTdmFCbjRzdz09

08/26/2026

The world feels a little less sparkly this week.

As we remember the extraordinary life of Dolly Parton, there will rightly be plenty said about the rhinestones, the hair, the unmistakable voice, and the songs that became part of the American vocabulary.

But Dolly also spent much of her life demonstrating what it can look like to love your neighbor.

Born into poverty in the mountains of East Tennessee, Dolly never forgot where she came from. After watching her father live his life unable to read or write, she founded the Imagination Library in his honor. What began by mailing free books to children in one Tennessee county grew into a program that has placed hundreds of millions of books into the hands of children around the world.

She gave millions to medical research, supported children’s hospitals, disaster relief, education, HIV/AIDS causes, and communities in need.

And through it all, Dolly became an unlikely and deeply beloved LGBTQ+ icon.

As a woman whose Christian faith was never something she hid, she also refused to use that faith as a reason to exclude others. She supported marriage equality, spoke against discrimination toward transgender people, and repeatedly reminded fellow Christians that judgment wasn’t ours to give.

In 2016, Dolly said, “We are all God’s children, we are who we are, and we should be allowed to be who we are.”

Maybe that is part of what made Dolly so beloved across so many divides.

She didn’t just talk about loving people.

She fed people. She educated children. She funded medicine. She helped families rebuild. She welcomed LGBTQ+ people when churches and communities told them they weren’t welcome. And she used the enormous platform she built not simply to make herself bigger, but to make life a little better for somebody else.

There are worse ways to spend a life.

This week, we give thanks for Dolly Parton: for the music, certainly, but even more for the generosity, joy, acceptance, and wonderfully rhinestone-covered reminder that loving our neighbors is something we’re actually supposed to do.

Rest well, Dolly. ❤️

08/26/2026

“Let the little children come to me.”

We usually hear those words and picture little kids. But today’s Daily Devotional asks us to widen that picture.

What about the college student away from home for the first time?

The young adult trying to figure out who they are.

The person questioning what they believe, where they belong, or whether church has a place for them at all.

They may not be little anymore, but they are still our Creator’s beloved children. And they still deserve communities where they are welcomed, supported, and given room to search, question, grow, and belong.

Maybe “let the children come” was never only about age.

Maybe it’s also a reminder to keep the doors open for people in every stage of becoming.

Today’s reflection is written by Vicki Kemper.

🔗 Link in the comments.

08/25/2026

Some good news for those who have been following the Tyrone Noling case. ❤️

Now the fate of the convicted double murderer, whose case has garnered support from Kim Kardashian and other celebrities, is in the hands of Gov. Mike DeWine.

08/25/2026

🎨✨ There’s creativity all around us!

We’re starting a new series celebrating the artists and makers right here in our Chesterland UCC community.

This week’s featured artist is Diane S.! Diane creates beautiful pieces using beads, crystals, wire, and other materials, turning them into intricate hanging art that catches the light and makes a space a little more beautiful. 💎✨

Art comes in so many forms: painting, photography, fiber arts, woodworking, music, writing, crafting, gardening, and about a million things we haven’t thought of yet. We want to celebrate all of it.

Thank you, Diane, for sharing your creativity with us! 💛

Are you a creator, maker, or artist in our congregation? We’d love to feature you, too! Send us a message with photos or videos of what you create and a little bit about your work.

08/25/2026

🌲 ON THIS DAY: August 25, 1916

110 years ago today, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service.

Its mission included a beautiful responsibility: to conserve our natural and historic treasures and leave them “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

There is something powerful about caring for a place not just because we love it, but because someone we will never meet might love it someday, too.

Today, the National Park Service protects more than 400 places across the country, preserving mountains and forests, lakes and deserts, wildlife, history, and the stories held within them.

Caring for creation means recognizing that it doesn't belong only to us.

Some things are worth protecting simply so they will still be here for whoever comes next. 🌎🌲

And if you're looking for a way to celebrate: today is a fee-free day at national parks for U.S. citizens and residents!

Happy 110th birthday, National Park Service! 🎉

08/25/2026

Self-awareness sounds simple. It isn’t always comfortable.

Today’s Daily Devotional asks us to look inward, especially when we’re trying to show up for justice, for our communities, and for one another.

What is driving us? Anxiety? Anger? Grief? Burnout? Love?

And maybe the harder question: What healing do we need in order to show up well?

Because doing good work doesn’t mean we’re immune to exhaustion, resentment, or our own wounds. Knowing what’s happening inside of us matters, not just for ourselves, but for the way we move through the world and care for each other. (United Church of Christ)

Today’s reflection comes from Rev. Dr. Marilyn Pagán-Banks, who reminds us that self-reflection and community accountability belong alongside the work of justice.

A question to carry with you today:

What is the healing you need? Do you know?

🔗 Link in the comments.