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

The Pilgrim - April 18, 2010

Sunday Celebration Notes from Libby Tigner
Celebrating God’s Love Every Sunday at 10 am.

This Third Sunday of Easter is the Sunday before Earth Day, and so our hymns and litanies will be both a celebration of our earth and a recognition of our responsibility to care for God’s good creation. Our children and youth will help us celebrate Earth Day at the Green Fest that the Board of Christian Education is sponsoring after church this week. You won’t want to miss that! (It is a bit of an irony that we’ll be celebrating eco-justice while the Grand Prix race cars will be buzzing around Long Beach!)

Our children’s choir, All Seasons Choir, will sing this Sunday, and Lisa Bode Heard will be providing the special music.

My sermon will be drawn from the story in Acts of Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus, and I will talk about what “salvation” might mean for liberal Christians.

Sermon: "Saved: From What? For What?"
The Rev. Libby Tigner preaching
Reading: Acts 9:1-20
Liturgist: Mr. Brad Lara-Gagne

Next Sunday our guest preacher will be Ms. Aziza Hasan,
Government Relations Director for the Muslim Public Affairs Council.

 

Music on Sunday

On the Sunday when we celebrate Earth Day, the choir will sing a hauntingly beautiful anthem by Carolyn Jennings called “Wind.” The poem is by Joan Wolf Prefontaine. The construction of the voice parts is simple, using unison and two-part writing for most of the work, with occasional four-part chords at climax points.

Wind

You are the root and the tree
and the spirit of the tree.

You threaten the nests of sparrow hawks
as well as the nests of sparrows.

Larger than our combined breath,
you illustrate yourself

with whitecaps and dust storms,
hurricanes and blizzards.

You are also the whisper
that we do not hear

as we fetch and drone
in our fast, accustomed orbits.

Dream bringer, cloud chaser,
shaper of the earth we stand on,

teach us to heed slight ripples
from zephyr and stone.

Teach us to listen
when there is nothing to be heard.

- Dr. Leland, Vail, Minister of Music

 

In Sunday School

Theme: The Way Forward
Scripture Focus: Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)

 

In Adult Education - Lectio Divina: A Way to Meditate and Pray
By Libby Tigner
Sundays at 8:30 am in the Klar Rooms, upstairs in Pilgrim Hall

This Sunday we will take a look at an ancient Christian practice called Lectio Divina, which means “holy reading.” It is a particular way of praying and meditating that involves reading and meditating on a passage in scripture. It can be profoundly powerful, and is a practice that has seen a resurgence in recent years. We’ll not just be talking about this practice; we’ll actually be doing it – so if you are interested in participating in a peaceful and centering meditation experience, be sure to join us at 8:30 in the Klar Rooms this Sunday, April 18.

This is a one-day class. Next week, April 25, we’ll return to Jerry’s series on “Profiles of Jesus.”

 

 

Remember - Save This Date
By Jerry Stinson

On Sunday, April 25, our guest preacher and forum leader will be Aziza Hasan, Government Rela-tions Director for the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). She is also the co-Director of New-Ground: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change. You won’t want to miss hearing this dynamic young (age 30) Muslim leader.

 

Film Screening: "Finding God in the City of Angels"

The Christian Muslim Consultative Group of Southern California (on which Jerry Stinson represents the United Church of Christ) is holding a private screening of "Finding God in the City of Angels" at The Islamic Center of Southern California located at 434 South Vermont on Sunday, May 2 from 2:30 pm to 6 pm. There will be a reception at 2:30 pm and an opportunity to meet people from other faith communities. Director/producer Jennifer Jessum and writer/ producer Dr. Simon Joseph will be present for the screening. In viewing this film you will learn and experience the richness of the diversity of the many faith communities found in the City of Angels. Street parking is available or at 425 Shatto Place, located directly behind the Islamic Center. Please click here to view the trailer.

 

The Buzz on GreenFest
By Lisa Orr

Please join us this coming Sunday, April 18 for GreenFest! GreenFest is a fun and informative event where you can calculate your carbon footprint, learn how to "green" your cosmetics, shampoo etc., or find out how to create compost with worms in your garage or kitchen! If you've been wondering about electric cars or why it's important to be a "locavore," you can ask someone who knows at GreenFest! We'll have fun activities for kids and adults alike in the courtyard right after church. There will also be a healthy lunch served in Patterson Hall by the DAYS Committee.

 

Scholarships Available: Apply Now!
By Sara Schoenfelder, Scholarship Committee Chair

Are you a graduating senior planning to attend a college, university, or trade school next year? Are you currently attending one of the institutions of higher learning mentioned above? Are you in need of financial assistance? Then read on ...

The First Church Scholarship Committee is now accepting applications for scholarships funded by the Kenneth Caskey and the Harriet S. and Nancy A. Merritt Memorial Scholarship funds. These scholarships will be awarded to assist qualified students attending (or planning to attend) any college, university, technical or trade institute at any level. We encourage you to apply if you qualify!

Applications are available in the church office, from the church website members’ area under the Awards tab, or you can email me, Sara Schoenfelder, Scholarship Committee Chair, at (sara.schoenfelder@cox.net). Time is of the essence - get your application, complete it thoroughly (including two reference forms), and return it to the church office or to me by email ASAP. The deadline is April 30.

 

Senior Minister's Vacation

Jerry Stinson will be on vacation April 13-20. He and Kay will be in New England visiting their youngest daughter Amanda and looking at the Bar Harbor, Maine site for Amanda’s wedding this August.

 

Pilgrim Deadline

The regular deadline for submitting items for inclusion in the newsletter is Friday at 12 noon for the email going out the following week. Please note that due to the editor's vacation the deadline for next week's issue has passed.

 

 

In Memoriam

We learned last week that former member Craig Coy passed away on Friday, April 2. His memorial service was at First Baptist Church on April 10.

 

The Church Mouse has heard ...

... Spicer Ramsay put glass doors on one of the bookcases in the Koinonia Room. The Church Historian, Kathy Young, and the Church History Ministry Team will use those shelves for displays about our congregation’s history. Stop by and look at some of the documents already on display.

 

Parish Concerns

Your thoughts and prayers are requested for Veva Wheaton (Linda Ramsay's aunt) and Kenia Casarreal and Jacob Adajian.

In the armed forces: Laura Anderson (Kathy Young's niece, stationed in Bahrain).

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 the 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.

 

To place an ad in this newsletter, please contact Ruth Warkentin in the church office.

 

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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