First Congregational Church

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Hebrew Scripture Reading—Genesis 7: 11-15

In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, all the fountains of the great deep burst forth and the windows of the heavens opened. The rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. On the very same day Noah, his wife, their children Shem, Ham, and Japheth along with their spouses entered the ark. Every kind of wild animal, every kind of domestic animal, every kind of slithering thing that crawls on the earth, and every kind of bird—anything that chirps or has wings—came to Noah and entered the ark.  They came two by two from all flesh in which the breath of life resides.

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Hebrew Scripture Reading—Ecclesiastes 4: 1-12

Last year a group of researchers from various think tanks published a study on working conditions that was widely cited in the news.  The central thesis of the research was that workplaces are failing to protect our nation’s workers.  Based on a survey of over 4,000 workers from LA, Chicago, and New York, the study found that 26% had been paid less than a minimum wage during the previous week, while 76% of those who “worked more than 40 hours were not paid the legally required overtime.” The survey estimated that for full-time workers, an average of $2,634 was lost each year as a result of workplace violations.[i]

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