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

The Pilgrim - May 2, 2010

Sunday Celebration Notes from Wally Hoeger
Celebrating God’s Love Every Sunday at 10 am.

When the youth considered what important themes come from the teachings of Jesus, “Spreading the Love” stood out. But while the message seems clear and simple -- “love your neighbor as yourself” -- the reality of how we are called to live out that message in the world is anything but. Life experiences, pain and loss can shape the way we are able to care for and love one another.

The youth have worked to shape and form a service that investigates what it means to be a channel of love in a world that can seem torn apart by violence and hate. How do we take that next step towards being a light in the world around us? How can we be tender and forgiving of our own shortcomings and limitations?

Meditation, inquiry, music and prayer all play a role in this Sunday’s service. With special music from all of our youth music groups -- All Seasons Choir, All Seasons Continued, Beloved Bells, and Charming Chimes -- this is sure to be an eventful Sunday. Katie Nakamura will be performing the third movement of Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. The youth have also handcrafted individual gifts for every member for the congregation to take home with them.

We can’t wait to see you there!

 

In Sunday School

Theme: Imagine
Scripture Focus: Revelation 21:1-6

 

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

The current series, led by Jerry Stinson, covers profiles of the Jesus of history, profiles developed by scholars who are part of the Westar Institute’s Jesus Seminar. This Sunday we will look at a profile of Jesus developed by Hal Taussig, who teaches New Testament at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. His profile, “Jesus in the Company of Sages,” pictures Jesus as a popular “cynic” of the Hellenistic Mediterranean.

Printed copies of the articles will be available at the classes. If you would like to buy the excellent volume that contains fourteen profiles of Jesus by Jesus Seminar scholars, it is Profiles of Jesus, edited by Roy Hoover (remember our first Valla lecturer) and published by Polebridge Press. You can buy it for $15.60 from Amazon (remember to go to Amazon via the church website so that First Church receives a percentage of what you spend.) You can also order the book from Polebridge Press at their website: www.westarinstitute.org/Polebridge/polebridge.html.

 

 

First Church Café and Board Meetings This Sunday
By Libby Tigner

This is a first Sunday of the month, and that means that lunch is served! After church, head downstairs to the Dining Room, where a delicious meal will be waiting for you. Prepared by Karen Cannon, the menu this week is:

First Church Cinco de Mayo Café
Tres Tortilla Soup: chicken, turkey sausage, albondigas, pinquito beans, black beans, rice, cilantro, celery, onion, tomatoes, green chiles, grilled corn and more in a sassy soup favorite
Accompanied by multicolored tortilla chips, shredded cheese, salsa and sour cream for toppings
(vegetarian version also – already gluten-free)
Bixby Rancho Salad: crisp romaine and mixed greens with garlic croutons, black olives, green onions and tomatoes with homemade ranch dressing
Dulce de leche and triple fudge cake with caramel and fudge sauces, plus whipped cream
Lemonade, fruit punch and iced tea
Children’s Table: petite turkey burritos and Pepe’s pasta, baby carrots with ranch,
fruit n’ Jello cups, Go-Gurts, cookies and drinks

Most of our church’s boards will meet this Sunday following the lunch. Child care is provided for board meetings for those who sign up. Just sign up in the nursery when you arrive at church on Sunday, so that the child care workers will know whether or not they will need to stay.

Of course, you don’t have to be on a board or committee to stay for lunch – everyone is welcome! The cost for lunch is $8 for adults and $4 for children aged 10 and under. If you need financial assistance with the lunch, please talk to one of the ministers.

 

Game Night Friday May 7
By Yvonne SaMarion

Tax time is over. It’s time to shed your depression. Come join us, for Friday Night at First Church is game night! The adult gamesters of First Church will gather in the Pownall Room on May 7 at 6:30. The cost is only $5 per person for dinner,drinks and an evening of fun, fun, fun. This month is wide open as to what game will be played – we’ll have a variety available. If you have a favorite game bring it with you. Your favorite game may win the night! Come one, come all and join in the fun. We’ll have the welcome mat out for you!

 

Girls' Day Out at the Westin of Long Beach
Fun, Food, Shopping and Entertainment!
By Brad Lara-Gagne

Enjoy wine and cheese, champagne and appetizers, and a silent auction, plus shop for your favorite moms! Featured vendors: Cookie Lee Jewelry, Full Moon Studios, Tastefully Simple and more!
All vendors will be donating a percentage of their proceeds to the Drop-In Center. The featured entertainer will be jazz singer Latrice McGlothin.

Saturday May 8, 12 – 4 pm
Westin of Long Beach
333 E. Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802

Admission: $10 advance donation or $20 donation at the door
PROCEEDS BENEFITING THE UCO DROP-IN CENTER

We are also partnering with the Women’s Shelter of Long Beach. If you are able we are asking for a donation of any of the following items to be donated to the Women’s Shelter:

Lightly used fashions in larger women's sizes: 12+
Shoes and sneakers for all sizes
Teen clothing
Children’s clothing
Baby supplies
Car seats
High chairs
Toys and utensils
New undergarments and sleep attire
New toiletries and grooming products

For tickets and information there will be a table in the courtyard after church. You may also contact Brad Lara-Gagne by phone (562-607-4006) or email (bradg63@aol.com). Contact Tasha Ross at 310-491-6303 for more information on vendor or sponsor participation.

 

Psst! Have You Seen the New Video? Pass It On!
By Libby Tigner

Our denomination, the United Church of Christ, launched a new web-based marketing campaign on April 16. Using the theme, colors and look of the “Never place a period where God has placed a comma, God is Still Speaking” ads of a couple of years ago, the new video is called “The Language of God.”

This campaign, instead of buying ad time on television stations, is depending upon folks like us to pass the word. Here’s what you can do:

1. Watch the video. You can see the ad on ucc.org.

2. Scroll down to see how to share the video link on Facebook, Twitter or MySpace, or send to your friends via email.

As the link to the video says, isn't it time for religion with relevance? Watch and share this new powerful message from the United Church of Christ.

 

UCC Daily Devotional - Give It a Try
By Libby Tigner

Each day, the United Church of Christ sends out a devotional via email. This one is from April 20.

5 Intentional Minutes with God
"As the deer longs for the flowing streams, so my soul longs for you my God." - Psalm 42
Reflection by Ron Buford

A Facebook intermediary connected me with Beverly, a dear college friend and symbol of so much of who I am -- someone I'd not seen for more than 20 years. As Beverly and I reconnected by phone, it was like old times.

Suddenly, I realized that underneath the daily drone of busyness, I've always missed her ... missed us ... and so had she.

After hanging up the phone, I thought of the following text and wept ... "As the deer longs for the flowing streams, so my soul longs for you my God." Not only do our souls long for God when we neglect intentional time with God, but God also longs for us. Hear the poet in the Song of Songs 5:8,

Swear to me, daughters of Jerusalem!
If you find my love
You must say that
I am in the fever of love.

When we take time to be alone with God, in prayer, in meditation, not just taking a hike in nature but setting aside time for a hike in nature with God, something different happens. Not only does God's heart dance for joy at your and my intentional journey that dares reach beyond itself toward the ineffable God, but so does our own heart.

Spend five intentional minutes with God today: in prayer, Bible study, a nature walk or run, lovemaking, yoga, the rosary, golf -- whatever.... Intentionally set aside 5 minutes with God today. See what happens. It's not what you do, but that you do it intentionally that matters. (Here's a bonus: Do the same for the one or someone you love today -- take five intentional minutes!) Write me by commenting on our Daily Devotional Facebook fan page. Let me know what happened. I'm expecting miracles! Are you?

You can sign up for the free devotionals by following this link: http://i.ucc.org/FeedYourSpirit/Subscribe/tabid/101/Default.aspx

 

Meals on Wheels Leaves First Church
By Jerry Stinson

The Long Beach Meals on Wheels program has had its headquarters at our church and prepared its meals in our kitchens for many years. But they have found that their client base is diminishing, especially in the downtown area. They are no longer preparing their own hot food – another company is supplying them with that food. So they no longer need the large kitchens. They have decided to end their operations at First Church effective May 1. They will continue to package food and deliver it from what had previously been their satellite centers. We have had a good relationship with Meals on Wheels – we will miss them and we wish them well as they seek new ways or providing an important outreach program for the Long Beach community.

 

Spicer Ramsay Has Done It Again!

Spi and I put our heads together and, with Spi’s expertise, found a way to showcase this church’s past. Spi built a lovely set of glass doors which have been installed in the bookcases in the Koinonia Room. These are to house an ongoing display of the church’s early important and interesting documents and photos.

“If you build it, they will come.” Come visit the revolving display in the Koinonia Room and check out early church items of interest.

Kathy Young, Historian

 

Scholarships Available: Deadline This Friday
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 this Friday, April 30.

 

Global Mission Organizing Committee
By Bob Stiles

We have been doing global mission for years! Now we are doing something more about it!

The Global Mission Organizing Committee (G-MOC) met to discover that our church has been involved in Global Mission work for many years. They just have not been recognized as such. Think of these and tell me which one is not global: The Crane Peace Project, the One Great Hour of Sharing offering, the Peace March, the Gay Pride Parade, the Crop Walk, the Heifer Project and Our Churches Wider Mission (OCWM).

These are global. The Pride parades are copied by Majority World nations seeking to get above the wild prejudice their people face daily. There are other examples I won't name.

The important thing in all this is that the G-MOC is working hard to organize these events under one umbrella to celebrate them and to strengthen that ministry significantly. With 2.7 billion people living on $2 or less a day, it believes that we cannot stand still here while the world suffers immensely. Kofi Annan said that the global world should be seen as a place where the global poor suffer "unequal prosperity and savage inequality."

If you have that burning desire in your spirit and mind, check in with us and join in a very exciting adventure which might mean meeting people from all over the world, communicating with our neighbors in the South World, praying for them, studying the reasons why poverty has not been eliminated and common diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria have not been controlled. Some of our focus will be on the children who have high mortality rates due to disease.

Contact Bob Stiles, Bob Kalayjian or Cathy Clay or speak to Jerry Stinson. Bob Stiles' phone number is 562-923-3722. He is waiting for your call and excitement about mission work.

 

Southern California Nevada Conference’s Spirituality Retreat for Women at Pilgrim Pines, Friday, June 4 - Sunday, June 6: "Sensing God in Our Lives"

We are encouraged to practice the presence of God. June Boutwell will lead a retreat focusing on how our five senses help lead a life of presence, prayer and discipleship. Come prepared to pray, sing, dance, reflect, be artistic, and explore your unique place in God's creation.

Cost: $110, including sleeping accommodations, six meals, snacks and programmed activities. Please reserve by May 21 to avoid the late fee of $10.

Bring: bedding and pillow, bath towels, toiletries and soap, warm clothes, closed-toe shoes, bug repellent and sunscreen, Bible, books and needle-work projects.

Pilgrim Pines Camp and Conference Center
39570 Glen Rd., Yucaipa, CA 92399
Phone: 909-797-1821
Fax: 909-797-2691
www.pilgrimpinescamp.org

 

Southern California Committee for a Parliament of the World's Religions

FIRST ANNUAL INTERFAITH AWARDS BANQUET: Joining Hands to Save the Planet
An event to honor organizations and youth that have made a significant contribution to interfaith work in Southern California

Sunday, May 16
4 - 5:45 p.m. (Optional workshops)
6 - 9 p.m. (Banquet)
Center for Spiritual Living,
907 Knob Hill Ave, Redondo Beach CA 90277

Keynote Speaker: Rosemary Radford Ruether, Professor of Feminist Theology at Claremont and author of Gaia and God: An Eco-feminist Theology of Earth Healing

Honorees will include ICUJP (Steve Rohde, President), Orange County Interfaith Coalition on the Environment (Margaret Henke), Pacifica Institute (Ibrahim Barlas and Attila Kahveci), South Coast Interfaith Council (Milia Islam-Majeed, Executive Director), S.A.R.A.H. (Sande Hart, Founder and Executive Director), Unity and Diversity Council (Leland Stewart, founder).

Tickets: Individual $55; student $20; table for eight $400. RSVP by May 7. Click here for payment options: http://www.sccpwr.org/page3.

 

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.

 

Memorial Service

A memorial service for Kenia Casarreal will be held this Sunday, May 2 at 2 p.m. in the Sanctuary.

 

May Birthdays

1 Katie Mack
2 Katie Nakamura
3 Barry Hill, Craig Thorsen
4 Miriam Herrmann
6 Mark Burns, Karen Miller
8 Melissa Hill, Ewan Scott, Leland Vail
9 Scott Ramsay
10 Jim Lumen, Linda Plexico
11 Aimee Cherry, Michael Llewellyn-Woodruff
12 Alice Koerner, Helen Lattimer, Kyle Wilkinson-Sweet
13 Gladi Adams
15 Kathryn Boyd-Batstone, Maureen Coleman, Edric Guise, Robert Hildebrand, Michele Wilson
19 Jennifer Mota, Bill Pratt
20 Michael Orlito, Sydney Wells
22 Claudia Orpin
23 Aida Porteneuve
24 Edward Bloomfield, John Hayman, Ken Schoenfelder
25 Ron Cuttriss, Lloyd Wright
26 Sara Bailey
27 Alima Sherman
31 Bill Cole

 

May Anniversaries

9 Robert and Karen Cannon, 29 years
15 Lisa Davis and Linda Plexico, 17 years
21 Barry and Melissa Hill, 32 years
29 Thomas and Jennifer Penner, 11 years

 

Parish Concerns

Your thoughts and prayers are requested for Jake Adajian and family upon the death of his wife, Kenia Casarreal; Bill Cole; Mary Lou Klar; Troy Snelling and family (James Snelling's son); and Stan Cook (Georgette DeBruyn's cousin).

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.

 

Please reply to this email to be removed from our mailing list.

 

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