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

The Pilgrim - August 1, 2010

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

At this Sunday’s service, we will be celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Communion – this time passing the elements in the pews rather than using intinction. The choir will be on vacation, but there will be special music by Una Voce and by Eddie Nazarro.

Rabbi Michael Lerner’s home was recently attacked after he made critical comments about Israel. He wrote, “Every night since the attack on my home by right-wing Zionists, I’ve been saying a prayer of forgiveness for them. … On the spiritual level it is very important to not let negativity, even terrorism or violence, get the upper hand by bringing us down to the same level of anger or hatred that motivates those who act violently.” In my sermon I am going to look at Rabbi Lerner’s notions of forgiveness and explore what it means to actually cultivate the intention to practice forgiveness.

The First Church Café, usually open after the service on the First Sunday of each month, will not be open this Sunday. However, following the service, there will be a wonderful opportunity to help hang more than 2,000 origami peace cranes in the sanctuary.

SERMON: Cultivating the Intention to Practice Forgiveness
The Rev. Jerry Stinson preaching
READING: Luke 23:32-34
LITURGIST: The Rev. Libby Tigner

 

In Sunday School

Theme: Soul Investment
Scripture Focus: Luke 12:13-21

 

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

Jerry Stinson’s five-week course on “The Heart of Islam” continues this Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. Those who have the book for the course are encouraged to read pages 201-272.

 

 

Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki
An Interfaith Service Under 2000 Peace Cranes

August 5 at 7 PM

August 6, 2009 – Service of Remembrance of the
64th anniversary of A-bombing Hiroshima
(Picture compliments of the Long Beach Press-Telegram)

Special music, the lighting of candles, meditations and prayers, and words from clergy of many spiritual traditions. This is a time to remember the bombings of these two cities and the tragic loss of over 200,000 innocent lives… a time of thoughtful reflection on why we must not forget and work to eliminate these weapons that threaten the existence of life on our planet.

 

Stewardship Moment – For Such A Time As This
From Robert Stapp

One Easter Sunday our Moderator, Alison Mitchell, was the lay leader in the service, and she shared these words with us about stewardship.

From "The Life of Pi," by Yann Martel: “If you stumble at mere believability, what are you living for?  Isn’t love hard to believe?  Love is hard to believe, ask any lover.  Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist.  God is hard to believe, ask any believer.”

On this Easter morning perhaps our only shared belief is the belief in the new and the now.  Perhaps we are here because we believe in the possibility of us, and what we can create here together, today.  As a community of seekers we ask each other to support and question and strengthen our beliefs, and on this day of renewal and rebirth I invite you to support each other in this community by giving generously. 

We thank God that our lives are always open to the possibility of the new, open to the opportunity of different choices for today.  May we truly revel in the gifts of Easter.  Amen.

When we “support, question and strengthen our beliefs” by giving of our time, out talents or our treasure, we open our lives to the possibility of the new and different choices available to us at First Church.

For Such a Time as This … you can make a difference at First Church.

 

Jerry Stinson Assists the Global Mission Church Ministry Team
By Bob Stiles

The Rev. Jerry Stinson will be the guest of the Global Mission Church Ministry Team at its next meeting on Wednesday, August 11 at 6:30 p.m. in Klar 3. The team is in the process of tying up the loose ends of questions about the global involvement of First Church. Cathy Clay is in the process of writing a paper on the conclusions of the questions. The second half of the session will be a discussion of what direction the team recommends for involving itself in global mission. Some of these considerations are the education of the congregation about global work of the UCC/DOC (Disciples of Christ) commitments. Others are connecting directly with missionaries, trips to the mission field, and sponsoring an individual (or more) in the global world. This meeting will be an important one in that the decisions will come from what the answers to the questions reveal. Please come if you have that burning desire to serve this impoverished world where God works God's purposes out--through us! 

 

Luncheon on Homecoming Sunday, September 12
By Barbara Smith

The Church History Ministry Team invites you to lunch on Homecoming Sunday, September 12. The team’s delicious salad bar, drinks and dessert will be provided. Tickets for this event will be on sale August 29, September 5, and September 12. Individuals $8 and families $20. Luncheon will be held in the downstairs Dining Room.

 

Flowers in the Sanctuary
By J. J. Halter

There will be no flowers in the sanctuary during the five Sundays in August this year because of the lack of requests. The weekly flower bouquets will resume the first week in September. There are several weeks open in September and October and a few openings in November. Contact J.J. Halter in person or via email (haltjones@aol.com) or phone (562-421-5610).

 

New Members: Minta Maxfield and Karen Santa Cruz

Minta Maxfield and her daughter, Karen Santa Cruz, have been married for 102 years. Minta has been married to Chuck for 62 years, and Karen has been married to Dave for 40 years. Both Chuck and Dave are retired Local 250 Pipefitters. Dave Santa Cruz is descended from the Mission Indians and likes to claim that "all other Californians are immigrants."

Minta was born in Salida, Colorado, the youngest of six children. She lived on a ranch there until she was three, then moved to town when her dad started working in the mines. She moved with her family to Long Beach (not far from the church) when she was 15. She met Chuck at the Pike in Long Beach. They both attended Poly High School. Minta and Chuck have three children, six grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

Minta is a master seamstress and sewed many of her children's clothes. She also sewed both of her daughter's (and many of her friend's daughters'!) wedding and bridesmaid dresses. Minta lives in Lakewood. She enjoys attending First Congregational Church. She has made many new friends, loves that the church accepts everyone, and is proud of all that the church does for the community.

Karen was born in Long Beach, grew up in Lakewood, and now lives in Fountain Valley. She has a B.S. degree in business administration from CSULB and has worked for over 25 years in manufacturing accounting. She currently works for RBC Bearings in Rancho Dominguez. She and Dave have two daughters and five grandchildren.

A few years ago, Karen was looking for a church for her daughter who was going through a divorce and would be relocating to Long Beach. She attended several church services, including a Calvary Chapel church a few months before the November 2008 election. At Calvary there was a “Yes on 8” banner at the back of the church, and it made her very uncomfortable. She was shocked when the proposition passed, and decided that she needed to be more vocal and actively support social justice in her daily life. She Googled "liberal church in Long Beach" and started attending First Church. She has felt a real kinship at the church and appreciates the wonderful sermons, fantastic music and loving atmosphere. She looks forward to being more active in the church.

 

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.

 

 

August Birthdays

1 Michael Bush, Lisa Bode Heard, Joshua Tann, Cam Werner
2 Kim DeVane, Katelyn Wells
3 Liz Haynes
4 Alexa Rhoads
5 Ilse Schottelius, Erica Strauss
6 Harold Sutherland
9 Jenny Dolan
10 Spencer Charles, Dottie Polsey
11 Maxwell Charles
12 Elizabeth Edwards
13 Paul Boyd-Batstone
14 Claire Mitchell, Adella Valla
15 Ivy Bottini, Alexander Cannon, Kim Hendricks
16 Amanda Bobo, Debbie Byrne
17 Ben Rockwell
18 Bill Wells
19 Jane Crandall, Rex Dulin, Owen Gardner-Orr
20 Rob Daniel
21 Susan Dampf
23 Kim Marshall
24 James Loeffler
25 Pamela Chapin
26 Amy Sutton
27 Joanne Burcham
28 Charles DeBruyn II, Joanne C. Paine
30 Zoe Gholson, Sophia Hanna, Scott Juhl, Dale Whitney
31 Nico AmirArdalan, Barbara Armstrong, Ben Nguli, Gordon Shepherd

 

August Anniversaries

5 Melanie and Luke Hiller, 4 years
6 Robert Stapp and Harold Sutherland, 30 years
16 Howard and Michelle Williams, 6 years
17 Casey and Diana Scott, 14 years
23 Rick and David Travis-Bourassa, 2 years
25 Scott and Linda Ramsay, 31 years
26 Steven Adams and Mark Burns, 11 years
26 Doug and Nadine Ramsay, 26 years
28 Paul and Sandy Bogdan, 28 years
31 Nathaniel Stoutemire and Jim Frisby, 32 years

 

The Church Mouse has heard ...

... Michele Wilson was recently appointed to the City of Long Beach Blue Ribbon Commission on Funding Arts & Culture.

 

Parish Concerns

Your thoughts and prayers are requested for Deb Moore; Miriam Stapp (Robert Stapp's mother); Adella Valla; Celeste Williams (Ruth Keller and Larelle Hendon's friend); and Karen Rauch (Cathy Clay's friend).

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