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

The Pilgrim - June 20, 2010

Sunday Celebration Notes from Jerry Stinson
Celebrating God’s Love Every Sunday at 10 am.

This Sunday we will have lots of special music – an anthem by the Sanctuary Choir, a solo by Carlos Carlos and an introit by Bellissimo. Karen Miller will also speak about our annual Bread for the World Offering of Letters, and an opportunity to engage in that letter writing will take place after the service.

We will have a special guest preacher who is passionate about the possibilities of interfaith cooperation. The Reverend Canon Dr. Gwynne Guibord served for six years as the Officer of Ecumenical and Interreligious Concerns for the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. She currently is the Consultant for Interfaith Relations for the Episcopal Church USA.

Concurrently Dr. Guibord is developing “The Guibord Center, Religion Inside Out” that will be housed at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Los Angeles. Its stated mission is “to bring people together to challenge assumptions, unleash the Holy and affirm the faith that transforms the world.”

She is a trustee of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. She is past President of the following boards: the Interreligious Council of Southern California; California Council of Churches; the National Board of The Interfaith Alliance; and Progressive Christians Uniting. Interfaith dialogues initiated by Dr. Guibord in Southern California include those with the Hindu community, the Sikh community and the Buddhist community. She is the co-founder and co-convener of the Christian - Muslim Consultative Group on which I serve.

On behalf of the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy in Washington, DC and the Islamic Studies Centre in Syria, Dr. Guibord was in Damascus two years ago for faith-based reconciliation and peace talks with Syrian Muslims. A year ago she was in Cyprus for talks with Syrian and Jordanian Muslims. Dr. Guibord co-chairs the National Muslim-Christian Initiative Dialogue on behalf of The National Council of Churches in Christ USA and also represents the Episcopal Church for the NCC’s Christian-Jewish Dialogue.

She is the recipient of the Muslim Peace Award from the Islamic Center of Southern California. In October, 2009 Dr. Guibord received the Hindu American Foundation’s Mahatma Gandhi Award for the Advancement of Religious Pluralism. Most recently she received the Annual World Interfaith Leader Award from the National Association of Interchurch and Interfaith Families (NAIIF), a special “Appreciation for faithful contributions to the ecumenical and interfaith communities of Southern California” by The Southern California Ecumenical Council and was named the recipient of Claremont School of Theology’s Distinguished Alumnus Award for 2010.

Following the service, Dr. Guibord will lead a forum in the Klar Rooms talking about the formation of “The Guibord Center, Religion Inside Out.”

SERMON: A Journey of Faith
The Rev. Canon Gwynne Guibord, preaching
LITURGISTS: The Rev. Jerry Stinson and the Rev. Libby Tigner

On June 27, Jerry Stinson’s sermon will be ”A Healthy Balance.”

 

Music on Sunday

This Sunday, the Sanctuary Choir will sing for you “The Glory of the Father” by Egil Hovland. It is adapted from John I and is a lovely a capella song with a chant-like feel.

We will also be treated to a solo by our tenor soloist, Carlos Carlos, singing “If I Sing” from Closer Than Ever. Closer Than Ever is a musical revue in two acts, with words by Richard Maltby, Jr. and music by David Shire. And to round out our musical selections for the morning, Bellissimo will pull out the stops with “Sail Away” by Enya. It utilizes all the bells we own and will also feature some of our youth on chimes.

I also want to offer my thanks to everyone who showed up to last week’s Young People’s Concert. It was another grand event! The kids and youth were really on and it was a lot of fun. Time for their summer break, but we’ll look forward to their musical offerings in the fall!

- Tracy Halter-Balin, Interim Director of Music

 

In Sunday School

Theme: In God's Presence
Scripture Focus: I Kings 19:1-4, (5-7), 8-15a

 

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

Richard Grauman will conclude his series on "Women of the Gospels in Art." This week: the women of John. As always, child care and coffee are provided. Feel free to bring your breakfast - and a friend!

 

 

Bread for the World's Offering of Letters - June 20, after the Service
By Karen Miller, for the Board of Outreach and Social Justice

Each year the Board of Outreach and Social Justice participates in Bread for the World’s Offering of Letters. This year our letters will urge Congress to strengthen and make permanent the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit programs. Here are some questions that might come to mind about these programs, and some answers.

WHAT DO CHANGES IN TAX LAWS HAVE TO DO WITH ENDING CHILD HUNGER?
Low-income families live on the edge of disaster. If a parent is laid off, a car breaks down, a child gets sick or injured, the furnace quits ... one of the few flexible expenses for low-income earners is food. Any one of these things could mean the difference between having enough food, and not. Current plans to end child hunger by 2015 include tax changes benefitting low-income people as part of a comprehensive approach. These tax changes would help low-income families to make ends meet by putting more money in their pockets. This is the year when Congress will consider these changes. Our letters can really help make a difference for hungry and poor people in the U.S.

HOW WILL THESE TAX CHANGES BE PAID FOR?
They do not automatically mean higher taxes for other people. Some programs can have a strong economic effect for good. In 2008 every $1 spent on refundable tax credits generated $1.26 of spending within local communities. That kind of stimulus benefits everyone.

WHY DO ONLY LOW-INCOME PEOPLE GET THESE TAX BREAKS?
There are many other tax credits available such as retirement savings, college expenses, buying a home. Many of these credits are out of reach for low-income earners who often don’t have the same tools for those kinds of expenditures or for long term financial investment. The Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit in 2007 accounted for only 12% of the total amount spent through the tax code for all taxpayers ($89 billion of a total $760 billion).

HOW DO WE KNOW RECIPIENTS WILL SPEND WISELY TO HELP THEIR FAMILIES?
The reality is that low-income families run out of money before they’re able to address all of their needs. Research shows that about half of the EITC benefits are used on long-term projects like better housing, improved transportation or child care costs. The other half is spent on immediate needs like food, clothing or catching up on rent and utilities. We all face spending choices limited by available options. These tax changes will increase options for low-income families by increasing their resources.

Please plan to set aside a few minutes after church on Sunday, June 20 to add your voice to our church’s Offering of Letters. Thank you.

 

Piper to Speak at Global Mission Church Ministry Team - June 29
By Bob Stiles

The Rev. Dick Piper will speak to the newly formed Global Mission Church Ministry Team on June 29 at 6:30 p.m. in Klar 3 in its process of learning as much as it can about our church's involvement in the global world.

Dick has wide experience in teaching both here in the USA and in Nicaragua. He spent 35 years in educational program evaluation and research after receiving his doctorate at Michigan State University in educational psychology and spent roughly four years as a principle of Colegio Bautista at Managua, a K-11 school, where he had his eyes opened to northern influence.

He observed the ugliness of the Somoza dictatorship up close and witnessed the USA’s deep involvement in its formation and sustenance. The major focus of his work was the education of English language learners. Returning to Nicaragua many times, he became an enthusiastic fan of the revolution to set Nicaraguan people free from oppression. He co-founded the Foundation for Worldwide Health which has been sending dental and medical teams to Nicaragua every year for the last 11 years. Recently the people with the teams built from scratch both a medical and dental clinics for the people.

Bill Cole, Mary Ellen Kilsby, Bob Kalayjian and others met with Dick and two doctors in Bill’s living room three years ago to invite First Church to join them in their work through St. Mark Presbyterian Church, Newport Beach. Now he comes back to us to give us the learning and the opportunities for Global Mission development.

The Global Mission Church Ministry Team is now at a strength of 15 members both inside and outside the church. We look forward to Dick’s presentation. And the GMCMT celebrates its approval as a Ministry Team through the Church Council and is working on evaluating the church for the possibility of involving itself more fully in the ministry of global mission work.

 

Special Sunday Services - Mark Your Calendar Now!
By Jerry Stinson

June 27	An important forum after the service during which Curtis Cannon from Waco, Texas, son of Jerry and Joyce Cannon, will speak about the unique ministries of the Church of the Savior to which he belongs.			Jack Brown
July 4	Special music by Jack Brown, UCC composer and folk singer
July 18	Immigration Sunday with former Conference Minister and immigration attorney Dan Romero preaching and leading a forum			Dan Romero
July 25	Special service celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
August 8	Peace cranes in the sanctuary for a service remembering the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki	Peace cranes
September 12	Homecoming Sunday featuring video presentations created by four filmmakers in our congregation

 

Summer Has Arrived! Time for the Annual Church Picnic!
******* Fun! ******* Food! ******* Games! *******

Date: Sunday, July 11
Time: 11:30 - 3
Where: Signal Hill Park, Cherry Ave. and Hill St.
Cost: $8 adults / $4 children - plus either a side dish or dessert (one per family)
Provided: Hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, Greek-style chicken sandwich

The Board of Parish Life will be availabe in the courtyard to sign you up and pass out maps and directions!

Martha Duncan
Chair, Board of Parish Life

 

Books for Course on Islam
By Jerry Stinson

Beginning on Sunday, July 4 for five consecutive weeks at the 8:30 class on Sunday mornings, I will teach a course on “The Heart of Islam” This course will be based on a book by world-renowned Islamic scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr of George Washington University in Washington, DC. Copies of the book are available from Libby Tigner or me for $12 each.

 

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.

 

 

Parish Concerns

Your thoughts and prayers are requested for Bob Cole (Eddie Nazarro's friend); the family and friends of Karly Kojimoto (Cathy Chambers' friend); Rick Mangold (Peter Wright's friend); and Iris Wells.

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