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

The Pilgrim - July 4, 2010

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

For the Fourth of July weekend, our liturgy will again focus on freedom and the hymns will include the perennial favorites: “God of the Ages” with its opening trumpet call; “This Is My Song” with words that speak of love of country as well as global citizenship; and Miriam Therese Winter’s version of “How Beautiful, Our Spacious Skies” with its affirmation of peace and harmony.

Peter Laarman, who leads Progressive Christians Uniting, wrote an article about the two Americas – winner America and loser America. In an Independence Day sermon, I will look at those two Americas.

Singer and songwriter Jack Brown will sing twice during the service. With a Masters in musicology from Cal State Long Beach, Jack Brown writes, sings and plays music that reflects everything from his Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans upbringing to his California stint and his current Idaho environs. He's played big gigs from the New Orleans World's Fair (1984) to opening for Carole King (Idaho, 2004) and small gigs at coffeehouses, bars, and pizza joints. His songwriting style includes popular Nashville format, jazz standard AABA, Seeger ballad, political satire, and folksy storytelling. He has served as a music director at a UCC church in Idaho and some of his songs clearly have a UCC flavor, like “You Are Still Speaking.”

SERMON: An Independence Day Sermon – The Two Americas
The Rev. Jerry Stinson
READINGS: Jeremiah 8:4-6,11; Luke 4:16-18
LITURGISTS: The Rev. Libby Tigner and Mr. Wayne Hester

On July 11 Jerry Stinson’s sermon will be “The UCC – Church As a Team Sport.”

 

Music on Sunday

Happy summer! On behalf of the Sanctuary Choir, Una Voce and Bellissimo, a huge thank you for the wonderful recognition last Sunday. The choir received beautiful certificates of participation, rose corsages and surprise Baskin Robbins gift certificates to thank them for their gifts of music throughout the year. There are a few members that have sung in the choir for over 30 years! It was a nice way to bring June to a close.

And while the choir shifts into summer mode, they are not done singing yet! This week we will celebrate the 4th of July by singing “An American Hymn” by Cecil Effinger. This setting of America the Beautiful is majestic and powerful. We will be using the original words of Katherine Bates’ famous poem.

Our Sanctuary Quartet is typically “off duty” for the months of July and August, although it is not uncommon to see them in the choir if they are available. We welcome a visiting soloist this week who was introduced to us by Jim Deaton. Jack Brown is a former Long Beach teacher who currently lives in Idaho. He was for a time the music director for the First Congregational church of Boise. We look forward to his special music in our service!

- Tracy Halter-Balin, Interim Director of Music

 

In Sunday School

Theme: Surprising Prophets
Scripture Focus: II Kings 5:1-14

 

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

New Adult Education Series: The Heart of Islam
By Jerry Stinson

I will be leading five sessions of the Adult Education Class at 8:30 on Sunday mornings in July and August. These classes will be built around Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s 2002 book, The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity. Those who plan to participate can purchase copies of the book from either Libby or me for $12.

Seyyed Hossein Nasr was born in Tehran, Iran. He has degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University where he completed a PhD in the History of Science and Philosophy. He is a world renown scholar on Islam. He taught at Tehran University from 1958-1979. He also served as president of Aryamehr University. Since 1984 he has taught at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. He has published over twenty books and hundreds of articles in numerous languages and translations.

July 4: One God, Many Prophets (read pages 1-54)
July 11: The Spectrum of Islam (read pages 55-112)
July 18: Divine and Human Laws plus the Vision of Community and Society (read pages 113-200)
July 25: Compassion and Love plus Divine and Human Justice (read pages 201-272)
August 1: Human Responsibilities, Human Rights and the Ethical and Spiritual Nature of Human Life (read pages 273-316)

 

 

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. & 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

 

Cereal and Supplies for Summer Day Camp
By Nancy Valencia

It’s that time again … and Summer Day Camp needs your help. The camp provides breakfast to the children, and the Downtown Associated Youth Services (DAYS) would appreciate cereal (i.e. Trix, Granola, Wheaties, Life, Honey Oats etc.) donations. For our summer art activities, we also need empty cereal boxes, toilet and paper towel rolls, empty shoeboxes, and any other small boxes. Please leave all items in the Narthex.

Thank you for continuing to make a difference in the children’s lives.

 

Children's Organ Recital This Friday at 12:30

Organist David York will give a recital on Friday, July 2 at 12:30 geared for the children at Summer Day Camp. All are welcome. The recital is free of charge.

 

Peace Cranes of August
By Bob Kalayjian

Just a little reminder that we will start folding paper origami cranes for the Peace Crane project beginning the 4th of July in Patterson Hall during coffee hour. Many have been practicing folding to be great instructors to help you, and we will be folding each Sunday in July. Hope everyone will take a few minutes to fold a crane and be a part of this beautiful offering for peace and nuclear disarmament.

You can see a beautiful video hanging by José Sanchez-H. of last year's crane-hanging:click here.

 

No First Church Café This Sunday

Unlike most first Sundays of the month, this Sunday there will be no First Church Café, as many boards have chosen to cancel or to hold their meetings at other times this month. We will keep you posted about July!

 

Summer in the City a Great Success!
By Nancy Valencia

On Saturday, June 19, Downtown Associated Youth Services held its annual Summer in the City fund raiser. Founded in 1970 by First Congregational Church of Long Beach Director of Children’s Education, Dorothy Baker, the DAYS program has operated continuously for forty years at First Church’s downtown site. In 2008, DAYS became a program of Urban Community Outreach (UCO,) a new 501(c)(3) formed specifically to meet the needs of the underserved populations of Long Beach.

Each year over 200 children from the community around First Church attend Summer Day Camp participate in educational enhancement activities, eat breakfast and lunch together, visit local and regional cultural venues, and just have fun! All in a warm, nurturing environment under the care of a committed staff of teachers and assistants, many of whom participated in the program as youngsters.

On behalf of the children who have participated in Summer Day Camp — and those in the future who will — we thank you for your thoughtfulness, care, and support of this important community outreach program.

Photos by Adreana Langston

Jerry Stinson and Mary Ellen Kilsby

 

Michele Wilson and Dale Whitney

 

Cathy Chambers and Peter Wright

 

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 Tim Bolton upon the death of his dear friend, Tom; Aaron Palmer's father; Judy Robbinson (Perry Ellwood's co-worker); Ben Rockwell; Robert Stapp upon the death of his father; George Nelleson (Georgette DeBruyn's uncle); and Gail Schwandner upon the death of her mother.

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