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

The Pilgrim

Celebrating God’s Love Every Sunday at 10 am.

OUR ANNUAL HOMECOMING SUNDAY
September 12, 2010
By Jerry Stinson

RALLY DAY BREAKFAST

• Continental Breakfast served at 9 a.m. by the Board of Christian Education
• Opportunity to register children for Sunday School
• Opportunity for youth to register for ZONE
• Opportunity to register for the various youth musical groups (Beloved Bells, All Seasons Choir, All Seasons Choir Continued, Charming Chimes)
• Information about Adult Education and various church events in the fall

HOMECOMING SERVICE

• A very special service at 10 a.m. focusing on “Traveling Our Journeys Together”
• Two anthems by the Sanctuary Choir
• In place of a sermon, four five-minute videos in which members of First Church reflect on their faith journeys
  • Starting the Journey filmed by Tom Penner
  • A Journey of Mutual Support filmed by Kathryn Boyd-Batstone
  • A Journey of Service and Outreach filmed by Dr. Jose Sanchez-H
  • Journeying Into the Future filmed by Adreana Langston
• Narrators for the service: Kay Gault and Rev. Robert Stapp
• The Sacrament of Holy Communion led by the Rev. Libby Tigner and the Rev. Jerry Stinson

LUNCH AND ADDITIONAL RALLY DAY ACTIVITIES

• Immediately after the service in the Dining Room, there will be a salad luncheon to support the work of the Church History Ministry Team ($8 for individuals, $20 for families).
• Face painting, crafts and balloon decorating for children in the Dining Room as well.

 

Music on Sunday

Happy Homecoming!! The choir has been rehearsing for a few weeks and is so excited to be back! We will kick off the service with an energetic introit, the South African Freedom song “Siyahamba.” We’ve replaced the more traditional words with our own words of welcome. The Worship and Arts Ministry Team has done a great job of making sure the music reflects the theme of traveling and journeying together. For the anthem, the choir will sing a well-loved song about the roads we choose to travel. “The Road Not Taken” by Randall Thompson is a beautiful composition for the poem by Robert Frost. So many choices – aren’t we lucky to be on this journey together?

- Tracy Halter-Balin, Interim Director of Music

 

In Sunday School

Theme: Growing in God's Love
Scripture Focus: I Timothy 1:12-17

 

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

There will be no Adult Education class this Sunday. Next week, September 19, Richard Grauman will teach a class on angels.

 

 

Rally Day Is Here!!
By Wally Hoeger

We can’t wait to see all our children, youth, and families for our Rally Day Celebration on Homecoming Sunday. This Sunday will kick off the school year with Sunday School registration, youth group registration, photo use agreement forms, and calendars of fall and winter programming for kids, youth and parents. Breakfast starts at 9 a.m. for all who would like to come and partake.

Please join us, and be sure to bring your health insurance cards for your child’s health form. Free face painting will be available after church in the Dining Room as well as crafts for all.

 

Children and Youth Music Information
By Tracy Halter-Balin

Calling all children and youth! You are cordially invited to check out the groups listed below and see which one sounds like fun for you. Just show up and see how much fun we have! Sign up sheets will be available for the following groups at the Rally Day Breakfast.

• All Seasons Choir rehearsals are on Sunday mornings from 9 to 9:25 am in the Choir Room and is geared for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. We learn some basic music skills and have fun singing all kinds of songs.
• All Seasons Choir Continued may be looking at some alternate times to rehearse. We may consider meeting after church between 11:30 and 12 in order to accommodate more youth. We’ll have some time to figure this out with input from the singers and families. This group is for sixth-graders through high schoolers. The music is two or three parts from many different genres.
• Beloved Bells will continue to rehearse on Thursdays before ZONE at 5:45 pm in the Youth Music Room. Regular attendance is required and there are a few opportunities for performances outside of the regular Sunday mornings. This group is geared for sixth-graders through high schoolers.
• The Charming Chimes rehearse on Sunday mornings at 9:30 in the downstairs Dining Room. We’re looking for children from first through fifth grade. Matt is so excited to get started on some new songs!

Looking forward to another terrific year of music, laughter and fellowship!

 

Homecoming Luncheon on 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 September 5 and September 12. Individuals $8 and families $20. Luncheon will be held in the downstairs Dining Room.

 

Sacred Practices in the Sanctuary This Wednesday
By Bob Kalayjian

Sacred Practices will meet in the Sanctuary under the peace cranes. All are welcome to join in mindfully connecting to the presence of peace that the cranes embody and bring to the sanctuary. I will lead an introduction to meditation at 6:30 p.m. for those unfamiliar with meditation, and we will begin our regular practice of sitting meditation, movement meditation, chanting and sharing tea and cookies at 7 p.m. If you have wanted to know what Sacred Practices is all about or just want to sit with the cranes for the last time this year, please join us.

 

The Cranes of August Need Your Help to Nest
By Bob Kalayjian

Many of us will be gathering at 9 a.m. on Saturday, September 11 to put the cranes back in their nests (boxes) until next year. It will be quick with many hands and fun to watch and work with friends completing this event of peace. If you have an hour or two, please join us.

 

Save These Dates!
By Wally Hoeger

Parent Book Study
(For parents of ALL ages ofchildren and youth)
Sundays at 9 a.m.
September 26 – November 14
Speaking of Faith By Krista Tippet
Look for our flyer at Rally Day and our article next week!

Spirited Parenting Potluck
At Wardlow Park
September 25
4:30 – 7 p.m.

Spirited Parenting Camping Trip
October 8 – 10
More information to come

 

The Grieving Heart
By Amy Peer

A forum on the grief process will take place after church service on Sunday September 26 at 11:30 a.m. The death of a spouse, partner, friend or sibling is the most intense experience each of us will face in our lifetime. In the weeks after a death family and friends gather around to support the bereaved. As time passes and those friends and family return to their lives, those of us dealing with the loss may still feel as if our lives are at a standstill. We may find ourselves confused and isolated in the months and even years afterward yet afraid to reach out and “burden” others. We will explore the grieving process and examine the many levels - physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual – on which grief affects us. In addition, we will look at ways in which we can help ourselves through our grief, including asking for help from others.

This forum is not just for the bereaved but for those supporting someone through bereavement. Many times we don’t know what to say or do for someone who is in mourning and our discussion will include how we can best help. Informational handouts as well as a list of community and reading resources will be provided.

 

New Adult Education Series: From gods, to God, to Gaia
By Jerry Stinson

I will be leading a four-session book study at the Adult Education Class at 8:30 on Sunday mornings beginning October 10. We will be discussing Sir Lloyd Geering’s book Coming Back to Earth.

Geering is a brilliant and provocative theologian from New Zealand whose book Christianity Without God was one of the books discussed by our Theological Study Group. In 1966, two articles by Geering led the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand to charge him with heresy. After a dramatic, two-day televised trial, the charges were dismissed. Geering’s radical Christian theology often proves challenging to those with traditional Christian views.

Geering feels that the mainline churches in the Western world are declining because they are out of step with the modern secular world. Abraham left his idols behind to go out into the unknown, Geering contends, but in contrast the churches today reveal a lack of faith by insisting on an infallible Bible and set of unchangeable doctrines tailored to an obsolete worldview.

He contends that the doctrines of Incarnation and Trinity, which began as attempts to reflect the in-dwelling of God in human beings, were soon distorted to proclaim the reality of a sacred realm in the heavens. But the collapse of supernaturalism, he says, has produced a new and different pattern of reality: the self-creating universe, the self-evolving human species, and the emerging global consciousness. In light of these changes, he asks, Is Christianity going anywhere? His answer, simply put, is that Christianity will not survive unless it can be harmonized with the secular global world. He further observes that all religious traditions must incorporate a concern for the present ecological crisis, And, he insists, any credible faith tradition must embrace a secular or humanist spirituality. Geering concludes that the most credible scenario for Christianity's future depends on accepting the Gaia concept as a powerful modern myth that will sustain individual humans spiritually and our planetary home ecologically.

If you plan to participate in these classes, you can purchase a copy of the book for $13 from either Libby or me.

 

SnackTaxis Are Coming
By Wally Hoeger

Thank you to all who have waited patiently for your SnackTaxi orders. They have been ordered. Each item is individually made to order, and since some of our fabrics were unavailable they have been working extra hard to give us what we asked for. Their shipping estimates are two to four weeks. We will be sending out individual emails to those who placed their order when we have a more exact arrival time.

 

Getting to Know You Potluck/Reunion: Sunday, October 10
By Debbie Byrne

Already miss the friends you made in your Getting to Know You Group? Did you miss the chance to get in a group? Everyone is invited for an afternoon potluck after church on Sunday, October 10. We had 11 different groups meet over the past year and many of you have expressed a desire to meet again. If you missed out on the groups, come and experience a mini Getting to Know You session. Bring a dish to share and be prepared for another round of random questions out of the hat! We had a lot of fun with these questions in our groups, so come prepared to have some more fun, renew some connections and make some new ones.

 

Ninth Annual First Church Golf Tournament!
By Martha Duncan, Chair, Board of Parish Life

When: Saturday, October 23
Where: David L. Baker Golf Course, Fountain Valley, CA
Cost: $60

We will gather at 8:30 a.m. and the first tee time is 9 a.m. We'll enjoy lunch together after we finish! Registration forms are available on the Third Street landing OR online! Just go to the church website, www.firstchurchlb.org, and look for the golf tournament info on the first page!

 

Meals for the Mitchell Family

If you would like to help the Mitchell family by taking meals to them while Alison is undergoing chemotherapy, check out www.takethemameal.com. You will need to obtain the password from Ruth Warkentin in the church office, and then you can sign up.

 

The Play's the Thing ...
By Cathy Clay

Have you ever thought your life was so dramatic that it oughta be a play? Well, our own Jackie Grover may not have thought it, but parts of her life have become part of a play. And it’s a play that’s also about the life of the great Harvey Milk. And it’s going to be showing soon, for a very limited engagement, in a theater near you (as long as you think that West Hollywood is near you). And Jackie herself is going to be participating in one of the performances, to which you yourself (along with other First Church folk) are invited to come!

As it says on the website, the play “is based on the writings of Harvey Milk and first-person interviews of those closest to Harvey Milk and the civil rights movement he began. Sharing their stories of Milk’s rise and untimely death, these accounts and archives illustrate and memorialize how his life and passion influenced the lives of those around him, of those who never believed in hope and how he ultimately restructured the belief of a nation.”

So, I hope I now have you totally excited and looking forward as much as I am to seeing the play. Here are the details: "Dear Harvey," by Patricia Loughrey, is opening on September 16 and runs through October 10, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tentatively, it look Jackie’s performance will be at the Sunday afternoon showing on October 10. It’s playing at the Lee Strasberg Theater, 7936 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood. Tickets are $20 for general admission and are available online at www.Plays411.net (under “upcoming”) or by calling 323-960-7782. For more information, visit www.dearharveyla.com. Hope to see you there!

 

Screening of Thy Will Be Done

The Long Beach premiere of Thy Will Be Done will be Friday, October 8 at 5 p.m. at The Center in Long Beach. Thy Will Be Done follows male-to-female transsexual Sara Herwig in her path to ordination in the Presbyterian Church. Efforts have been made to block her ordination by the evangelical conservative groups who don't recognize her as female and question her fitness to be a pastor, but who also challenge her candidacy because she is in a same-sex relationship with a woman. At issue is the organized Christian church, with all its political and financial power, as one of the fiercest battlegrounds for LGBT rights and gender recognition. The film explores the point of tension where gender and faith intersect.

 

Scheduling and the Church Calendar

In order to avoid scheduling conflicts, everything taking place in the church facilities must be placed on the church calendar with Ruth Warkentin in the office. Please let Ruth know any time you would like to use a room at the church for any purpose: call 562-436-2256 ext. 221 or email office@firstchurchlb.org.

 

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 for Bob Klar This Sunday

The memorial service for Bob Klar will be this Sunday, September 12, at 1:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary.

 

Parish Concerns

Your thoughts and prayers are requested for Richard DeBruyn (Chuck DeBruyn's father); Frances (Georgette DeBruyn's sister); Gary Kellogg (Jennifer Mota's father); Luella Ellen Loos (Richard Berryman's friend); Robert Stapp upon the death of his mother; David Cavanaugh; Jim Frisby; Richard Grauman; Marion Hinze; Harold Kameya; Mike (Marc Dickey's co-worker); and Janet Rhodes.

Garrison Paine, grandson of Joanne Paine and Jim Deaton, is stationed in Afghanistan.

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