A Liberal Church, Welcoming of All, Passionately Committed to Social Justice

The Pilgrim - December 24 and 27, 2009 and January 3, 2010

Service of Celebration Notes
Celebrating God’s Love Every Sunday at 10 am.

Christmas Eve Services

December 24 – 6 p.m.
Christmas Eve Service with
Children’s Pageant and Candlelight
Music by our children and youth music groups
Meditation: “Our Christmas Stories” by Libby Tigner
Pageant: “Matt and Lucy’s Version Births”
Followed by Birthday Party for Jesus in Patterson Hall

December 24 – 9:30 p.m. (please note the new time)
Candlelight Christmas Eve Service
Avocation Augmented will carol in the entry at 9 p.m.
Sermon: “Christmas and the Pursuit of Perfection” by Jerry Stinson
Music by the Sanctuary Choir and Bellissimo, the adult hand bell choir
“Gesu Bambino” duet by Leland Vail and Carlos Carlos
The “Hallelujah” Chorus
Followed by Wassail Reception in the Koinonia Room

Sunday Services

Sunday Service, December 27 at 10 a.m.
Sermon: “For the Time Being”
The Rev. Libby Tigner, preaching
Liturgists: Ed Bloomfield and Martin de Jong
Special Music by Lloyd and Susan Wright

Sunday Service, January 3 – 10 am
Celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Communion
Sermon: “What Dog Do We Feed the Most?”
The Rev. Jerry Stinson, preaching
Special Music: Dr. Leland Vail singing “O Holy Night” and the Una Voce Chant Choir
First Church Café and Board Meetings after the Service

 

Music at Our Services

Since you will read this article before Christmas Eve, I will tell you that the Sanctuary Choir will be singing two anthems for the late service (9:30 p.m.). We will reprise “Hallelu!” by Stephen Paulus, which we sang for Advent IV, and “In the Bleak Midwinter” by Harold Darke, which we sang for Advent III. Carlos Carlos and I will sing “Gesu Bambino” by Pietro Yon, and you are invited to join the choir in singing Handel’s “Hallelujah" Chorus. This is a beautiful service that will usher us into Christmas Day.

The choir will take a well deserved vacation and return for services on January 10. We will sing the “Kyrie” movement from the “Colloredo Mass” by Mozart. We will perform the entire Mass at the 37th Annual Mozart Festival on Saturday, January 30 at 8 p.m. I will write more about this later. Special music for Sunday, December 27 will be provided by Lloyd and Susan Wright. I will sing “O Holy Night” on Sunday, January 3, 2010! Have a Merry Christmas! See you in church!

- Dr. Leland, Vail, Minister of Music

 

In Sunday School

December 27
Theme: Who Is This Child?
Scripture Focus: Luke 2:41-52

January 3
Theme: Close to God's Heart
Scripture Focus: John 1:(1-9), 10-18

 

In Adult Education
Sundays at 8:30 a.m. in the Klar Rooms, upstairs in Pilgrim Hall

December 27 at 8:30 a.m.
A baby in a manger, shepherds on a hillside listening to angels, magi following a star across the desert. Familiar images of the season, right? But where do they come from? The Biblical stories of Jesus in Matthew and Luke are not only different, but contradictory. What do they mean? Are they true? If not, what do we do with them?

Join us in the Klar rooms this Sunday at 8:30 a.m. for an exploration of the Biblical narratives of Jesus’ birth. Bring your breakfast, bring a friend! Coffee is provided, and child care is available.

New Adult Education Series Begins Sunday, January 3
The Center for Progressive Christianity has published what it calls “Eight Points of Progressive Christianity.” The document reads as follows:

By calling ourselves progressive, we mean that we are Christians who ...

1. have found an approach to God through the life and teachings of Jesus.

2. recognize the faithfulness of other people who have other names for the way to God's realm, and acknowledge that their ways are true for them, as our ways are true for us.

3. understand the sharing of bread and wine in Jesus' name to be a representation of an ancient vision of God's feast for all peoples.

4. invite all people to participate in our community and worship life without insisting that they become like us in order to be acceptable (including but not limited to):

• believers and agnostics,
• conventional Christians and questioning skeptics,
• women and men,
• those of all sexual orientations and gender identities,
• those of all races and cultures,
• those of all classes and abilities,
• those who hope for a better world and those who have lost hope;
• without imposing on them the necessity of becoming like us.

5. know that the way we behave toward one another and toward other people is the fullest expression of what we believe.

6. find more grace in the search for meaning than in absolute certainty, in the questions than in the answers.

7. form ourselves into communities dedicated to equipping one another for the work we feel called to do: striving for peace and justice among all people, protecting and restoring the integrity of all God's creation, and bringing hope to those Jesus called the least of his sisters and brothers.

8. recognize that being followers of Jesus is costly, and entails selfless love, conscientious resistance to evil, and renunciation of privilege.

For the five Sundays in January, we’ll explore these eight points, and utilizing a study guide from The Center for Progressive Christianity, flesh out what each of these points might mean for us as individuals and as a congregation.

The class will meet at 8:30 a.m. in the Klar classrooms. Coffee is provided, child care is available, and you are welcome to bring your breakfast and a friend!

 

 

Free Parking on Christmas Eve

The folks at the city parking structure at the corner of Broadway and Cedar Avenue have kindly agreed to keep the structure open free of charge on Christmas Eve for our services. The entrance to the structure is on Broadway, on the right just before Cedar Avenue.

 

First Church Café and Board Meetings January 3

Lunch will be served after church on Sunday, January 3! There are at least three great things about that: you don’t have to prepare it, it’ll be warm and tasty, and you get to enjoy a meal with your friends!

So, come down to the Dining Room following the church service for a good lunch at a good price with good people. The cost is $8 for adults, $4 for children 10 and under. Exact change is appreciated!

Many of the boards will meet following lunch, and child care is available for your meeting. Please be sure to sign up for child care in the nursery if you’ll need child care during lunch or the meetings.

First Church Café Menu
Prepared by Brad Lara-Gagne and Bootstrap Catering
Chili con carne and vegetarian chili with a selection of toppings
Salad greens with green goddess dressing
Corn bread
Cake
Kids' table: cream of tomato soup, grilled cheese and
PB&J sandwiches, carrots with ranch dressing

 

Getting to Know You Groups Begin in January
By Libby Tigner

Here’s a New Year’s Resolution for you – make a few new friends at First Church. While we all might enjoy the music, the sermons, the outreach or the children’s programs, it is our relationships with other people that really makes us part of the church family. Take advantage of this unique format for really getting to know some folks. Each group is a mix of newer members and long-time members, so you are guaranteed to meet people you don’t already know. If you are new, this takes the anxiety out of trying to find your way around; if you are a long-time member, then you’ll get introduced to new folks.

There are three Getting to Know You Groups starting in January. The time and place of the first meeting of each group is set; the group itself will set the schedule for the following two meetings.  Sign up on Sundays for one of these groups:

Wednesday, January 6, 7 p.m. in the home of Bill and Betty Cole.  This group has openings for two people who have been members for more than five years.

Thursday, January 21, 7 p.m. at church in the Pownall Room.  This group has openings for two long-time members and one newer member (five years or less).

Sunday, January 31, 11:30 a.m. at church in the Pownall Room.  This group has openings for two long-time members and four newer members.

 

UCC Coalition
By Jerry Stinson

Next year the annual National Gathering of United Church of Christ Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns will be held in San Diego. This will provide a special opportunity for our members to experience the richness of a national coalition event without having to travel outside of Southern California. I have attended three National Gatherings and they have all been powerful and enriching events. Save the dates now: July 14–17, 2010. When more details are available we will print them in The Pilgrim.

 

The End of Our Theological Study Group
By Jerry Stinson

In January, 2001, a small group of people began to meet monthly to discuss serious academic books related to a variety of theological issues. I served as the group’s leader. Five to ten people met monthly for nine years. In December, the group held its final meeting. Lowell Johnson, Harold Curtis and John Kness were active participants in the group from its beginning to its end.

Next year, I will try a different approach. I will lead three book studies (four sessions each) as part of the regular 8:30 adult education class.

For those who may be interested, here is a list of the 52 volumes and seven seminar papers discussed by the Theological Study Group during the nine years of its existence.

Books Read: 2001-2009
Armstrong, Karen – A History of God
Armstrong, Karen – A Short History of Myth
Armstrong, Karen – The Battle for God
Armstrong, Karen – The Spiral Staircase
Aslan, Reza – No god, but God
Borg, Marcus – The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith
Borg, Marcus and N.T. Wright – The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions
Chilton, Bruce – Rabbi Jesus
Crossan, John Dominic – A Long Way From Tipperary
Crossan, John Dominic – God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now
Crossan, John Dominic & Jonathan Reed – Excavating Jesus
Crossan, John Dominic & Jonathan Reed – In Search of Paul
Cupitt, Don – Reforming Christianity
Cupitt, Don – Above Us Only Sky
Davies, Stevan – New Testament Fundamentals
Eck, Diana – Encountering God: A Spiritual Journey from Bozeman to Banaras
Ehrman, Bart – Lost Christianities
Fiala, Andrew – What Would Jesus Really Do: The Power and Limits of Jesus’ Moral Teaching
Finkelstein, Israel & Neil Silberman – The Bible Unearthed
Frykholm, Amy – Rapture Culture
Funk, Robert – Honest to Jesus
Geering, Lloyd – Christianity Without God
Hamer, Dean – The God Gene: How Faith is Hardwired Into Our Genes
Hedrick, Charles – When Faith Meets Reason
Horsley, Richard – Jesus and the Spiral of Violence
Kassler, Rudolphe & Marvin Meyer & Gregor West – The Gospel of Judas
Kirsch, Jonathan - A History of the End of the World
King, Karen – The Gospel of Mary of Magdala
King, Karen – The Secret Revelation of John
Knitter, Paul – Introducing Theologies of Religions
Kraemer, Ross – Women and Christian Origins
Kraybill, D. & S. Nolt & D. Weaver-Zercher – Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy
Leaves, Nigel – The God Problem
Ludemann, Gerd – Paul: The Founder of Christianity
Miller, Robert – Born Divine
Miller, Robert – The Jesus Seminar and Its Critics
Mottahedeh, Roy – The Mantle of the Prophet: Religion and Politics in Iran
Pagels, Elaine – Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas
Pagels, Elaine – The Gnostic Gospels
Pagels, Elaine – The Origin of Satan
Pagels, Elaine and Karen King – Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity
Patterson, Stephen & James Robinson & H-G Bethge – The Fifth Gospel: The Gospel of Thomas
Patterson, Stephen – Beyond the Passion
Pervo, Richard – The Mystery of Acts
Riley, Gregory – The River of God: A New History of Christian Origins
Scham, Paul , Walid Salem, Benjamin Pogrund – Shared Histories: A Palestinian-Israeli Dialogue
Scott, Bernard Brandon – Finding the Historical Jesus: Rules of Evidence
Shanks, Hershel – Ancient Israel, Revised and Expanded
Spong, John Shelby – A New Christianity for a New World
Stark, Rodney – The Rise of Christianity
Taylor, Barbara Brown – Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith
White, L. Michael – From Jesus To Christianity

Westar Seminar Papers Read: 2001-2009:
Dewey, Joanna – "First Century Oral World"
Dewey, Joanna – "Mark: A Really Good Oral Story"
Hoover, Roy – "Loss & Gain in Commerce of Heaven"
Hoover, Roy – "Where We Stand and What We Stand For"
Scott Bernard Brandon – "From Five Gospels to the Whole of Early Christianity"
Smith, Dennis – "What Did Paul Consider Rubbish"
Stinson, Jerry – "The Encounter of Progressive Christian Theology with the Language of Ritual"

 

Christmas Store at First Church

Better Balance for Long Beach held their third annual Christmas Store at First Church this past Saturday. About 400 families were able to "shop" for gifts with dignity. There is a nice write-up in Long Beach Report, complete with video of the event.

 

No Pilgrim Next Week

There will be no Pilgrim email next week, between Christmas and New Year's Day. The next edition of the newsletter will go out on Tuesday, January 5.

 

Pilgrim Deadline

The deadline for submitting items for inclusion in the newsletter is Friday at 12 noon for the email going out the following week. Due to the new email format, it is no longer necessary that items be submitted as attachments; they may simply be included in the text of your email.

 

 

Memorial Potluck Dinner for John Baney: Saturday, February 6

A Memorial Potluck Dinner will celebrate the life of First Church member John Baney on Saturday, February 6 at 6 p.m. in Patterson Hall. Those who attend are each asked to bring a potluck dish to share. After the meal there will be a time for people to speak of their favorite memories of John and to listen to some of his piano music.

 

Thank You!

Many, many thanks to all of the carolers who cheered me up Sunday evening. It was such a wonderful Christmas gift. I've been feeling sort of droopy and am alone this Christmas, so it was nice to have friends, large and small, make a joyful noise. My neighbors enjoyed it too. Thank you very much.

Janet Rhodes

 

January Birthdays

1 Andrew Baliscao, Charmaine Charles
2 Debra Moore, Kenia Casarreal
5 Sandy Fisher, Jim Segura, Kent Speirs
6 Caleb Fisher, Catherine Hanna
9 James Penner, Matt Wilson
12 Kimberly Schneider
13 Chan Brainard
14 Sam Johnson
16 Dayne Navarro, Timothy O'Keefe
17 Chuck DeBruyn, Michael Gardner
18 Frances Reed
19 Marion Nguli
20 Dan Mahoney
21 Harold Kameya
21 Deanna Melzian
22 Joyce Cannon, Ernie Fowler, Allen Morlock, Madison Solem-Kuehl, Suzanne Turner
23 Tina Datsko, Caitlin Fisher, Nancy Harris, Cynde Soto
24 Louise Diefenbach
25 Richard Castle, Mary Flynn, Spicer Ramsay
26 Charleen Mullen, Chase Solem-Kuehl
27 Betty Mayer
30 Wally Hoeger

 

January Anniversaries

3 Margaret and Ken Jones, 13 years
3 Bret Witter and Anne Simoneau, 23 years
4 Loren and Dean Solem-Kuehl, 18 years
10 Terry O'Neill and Dan Mahoney, 18 years
14 Katie Hickox and Chris Knap, 13 years
14 Sara and Ken Schoenfelder, 26 years
21 Robert and Mary Lou Klar, 54 years
25 Nicole and Michelle Cook, 18 years
26 Andrew and Leonie Baliscao, 61 years
26 Melody and Kevin O'Keefe, 30 years

 

The Church Mouse has heard ...

... William and Helene Kennann celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on December 8. Congratulations!

 

Parish Concerns

The father of Jenny Dolan and the grandfather of Alex, Marley and Sean Balin, died on December 17.

Adreana Langston's stepfather, Mel Logan, died on December 21.

Your thoughts and prayers are requested for Shirley Burgess (Perry Ellwood's friend) and June Martin (Debbie Byrne's partner's mother).

In the armed forces: Daniele Ware (Karen Miller’s granddaughter, stationed in Iraq).

Names on the Parish Concerns list appear in two consecutive editions of the newsletter. Those in the armed forces serving in combat zones are listed until they come home. To put someone on either list, put a note on the Parish Concerns board on the Third Street landing or contact Ruth Warkentin in the church office.

 

Becoming a Member of First Church

Whether you have been attending for a few weeks, a few months or several years, we would like you to consider becoming a member of First Church. When you are ready to take that step, please call or email Rev. Jerry Stinson at 562-436-2256, ext 230 or revjstinson@verizon.net.

 

Online Calendar

Don’t miss out! Check the online church calendar at www.firstchurchlb.org/calendar.html for details about all church events. You can use the online calendar to email invitations to friends to church events and to set up emailed reminders to yourself. Just click on any event to see information about it.

 

 

 

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First Congregational Church - 241 Cedar Avenue - Long Beach, California 90802
562-436-2256 - Fax: 562-436-3018 - E-mail: office@firstchurchlb.org