August 30, 2007
Hebrews 13:1-8; 15-17
The book of Hebrews is an epistle traditionally ascribed to the hand of the Apostle Paul. Many scholars dispute his authorship for various stylistic reasons. They do agree that it was written sometime in the late first century and probably after a time of persecution since many parts of the letter urge people to have hope in the face of hardship. The letter holds up the image of Christ as the ultimate high priest who fulfills and completes the Jewish tradition of sacrifice. In chapters 11 and 12 you will recognize some well-known passages that describe a life of faithful witness. They are quite beautiful and I urge you to re-read them in preparation for Sunday. I will be focusing on the final chapter in Hebrews -- chapter 13 -- which focuses on some final teachings and thoughts from the writer. I am especially drawn to the faithful hospitality and compassion that the writer highlights for us in this chapter. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday in worship!
The Rev. Marlene W. Pomeroy
Greeters this Sunday are: Grace & Bob Rinck
The acolyte is: Rebecca Rinck
The liturgist is: Trenten Hart
The ushers are: Ken Winte, Peter Keller, Marie & Bob Spencer
Note: there is no church school this Sunday due to Communion Sunday. Please urge your children to remain in worship for the abbreviated sermon or go to the nursery if they are young. Also, please bring a canned good or make a donation for our Good Samaritan fund this week. Envelopes will be provided for you Sunday and the money goes to help Union Station meals and other outreach needs.
Upcoming outreach and fellowship opportunities this week:
Sunday Sept. 2nd Lambda Jacuzzi Party and Barbecue at Chuck Wojnowski's house at 6 p.m. Call Nina in the church office for directions. Bring something to grill and a salad, side dish or dessert to share -- and your swimsuit and towel! RSVP to Cindy Speakman or Chuck on Sunday morning.
Monday Sept. 3rd Union Station Meal - Alpha team. We are happy to report that we have a full team for this month's meal. If you would like to be on another team or a sub for a team, contact Nina in the church office. Thanks to all who signed up!
We want to hear from everyone in the church about Stewardship and giving, so sign up to attend a Stewardship Listening Session on the sheets just outside the chapel. Look for information about them in the church newsletter coming out later this week. Also, please sign up by this Sunday for Pilgrim Pines All-Church Camp the weekend of September 28-30. We have a few spots remaining. Please speak to Lu Burd or David Hughes. Have a wonderful and safe Labor Day Weekend! Our fall program year begins Sunday, September 9.
August 24, 2007
Genesis 19:15-26
This is my third sermon this summer on women in the Bible. I focused on Bathsheba first and how she made her way through life as the wife of King David. Next I turned to the story of Noah's wife, an unnamed biblical woman, and wondered how her life might have been affected by her husband's boat building and response to God. This Sunday I have chosen to focus on Lot's wife, again another unnamed woman in the Hebrew Scriptures. Unlike the first two women, Lot is not a looming figure in scripture. In fact, the fate of his wife is probably better known than Lot himself! Luke's Gospel warns us to "Remember Lot's wife," when we choose security in our life. Certainly that is one interpretation of why she looked back at the home she was leaving. There might be other reasons for one to glance back. I invite you to read the 19th chapter of Genesis in preparation for worship on Sunday. After worship and coffee hour there will be a sermon dialogue time for you to respond to the three women whom you have heard about in the past month. Hope to see you on Sunday!
The Rev. Marlene W. Pomeroy
Greeters at the door are: Barbara May and Jackie Lonnquist
Ushers are: Avis Hinks, Nate Lewis, Robert Rinck, Andy Romine and Judi Tyler
Liturgist is: Anastacia Stewart
Acolyte is: Pam Biery
Church School teacher is: Grace Torpoco
Opportunities coming up for fellowship and service:
Saturday, Aug. 25th
Council Retreat at Pomeroy's house 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Please hold the Council in your prayers as we prepare for the coming year.
6:30 p.m - Dinner Club meets at Dish Restaurant in La Canada. Please RSVP to the Kellers or Meyers.
Sunday, Aug. 26th
In the hallway just outside the chapel, there will be a bulletin board to sign up to attend a small group in September and early October. Facilitated by members of the Stewardship Committee, these are listening groups to check in with everyone in the church who supports our ministries financially and would like information about the upcoming 2008 year. We hope to sponsor some new things in the coming year and want to hear from each of you what your priorities are and to get you excited about what your church will be engaged in during the coming year. There will be up to 15 separate meetings of seven people each. If one is full, sign up for another time.
11:30 Sermon dialogue time in east parlor
11:30 Ceres Ranch youth and adult trip planning in pastor's office
12:30 (or following Ceres planning and sermon dialogue) Door of Hope painting project finale! We need to paint about one more hour to finish up our fence painting project. We are also delivering backpacks to all the school age children who live at this shelter. Bring a paint brush and join us! Many hands make work quick. RSVP to Marlene.
Pilgrim Pines All Church Camp - we are still accepting reservations for our UCC fall camp in Yucaipa the weekend of Sept. 28-30. Please sign up with Lu Burd or Regina Meyers.
August 15, 2007
John 7:53-8:11
Different communities function differently and use various rules for membership. Often, we move between the separate parts of our lives and find that they operate in radically distinct ways. Reflect on how you interact with your family, your friends, and your colleagues at work. This Sunday we will consider the story of the adulterous woman who was brought to Jesus and we will compare the boundaries of Jesus' community with those in our own lives. Our text this week comes from the Gospel of John and is unique to this gospel. The sermon is entitled "Tools for Inclusive Community." Come join us for worship in the Chapel at 10:00 a.m.!
An informal Bible study meets in the Library at 9:00 a.m. and childcare is available starting at 9:00 a.m. in the nursery each week. After worship and coffee hour the Rev. Anne Cohen will be sharing her faith journey in our adult forum time from 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
The Rev. John H. Pomeroy
The liturgist on Sunday is: Jeff Levison
Greeting you at the door are: Ken & Beth Biery
The ushers are: Sandy Biehler, Lurline Brown, Angie Schnapp & Mel Smith
The acolyte is: Trenten Hart
Other opportunities for fellowship or service:
Saturday, Aug. 18 there is a celebration and baby shower to honor Jennifer Lanski and Daniel Wagenaar at Irene and Peter Keller's house starting at 3:00 p.m. All are invited. Please call the Kellers or Lu Burd for more information.
We are about halfway to our goal of putting together four Union Station teams to serve dinner the first Monday of each month! Many thanks for those of you who have signed up. We need less than 10 people to reach our goal. The commitment is three meals per year with your team members. Please contact Nate Lewis or the church office if you wish to be on a Union Station team.
A group of youth and adults is heading up the Heifer's Ceres Ranch in the central valley of California Friday, Sept. 21 - Sunday, Sept. 23 for education and adventure. Please let Peter Keller or Jake Pomeroy know if you wish to join this illustrious group. The cost is being covered by church funds set aside for this trip. An organizational meeting for this trip will be held after worship on Sunday, August 26.
August 9, 2007
Luke 12:32-40
For our scripture lesson this Sunday we return to the Gospel of Luke and a teaching of Jesus. We are reminded to hold our possessions loosely in this text and that whatever we treasure we love. So, what do we treasure? Where is our energy expended in our life? Is it a reflection of our faith or is it a reflection of something else? This text was written in a time when they expected Jesus to return and usher in a new era so they urged people to wait and watch expectantly for signs of this. In our time we think less of the return of Christ in a majestic way and more about what we need to accomplish or attend to. How can we flip that around and make God our treasure and Christ's teachings our guide? How can we live with our possessions and not be possessed by them? These are some of the questions that our Bible reading invites us to ponder this week. Join us in worship on Sunday as we reflect on the message that scripture brings to us.
The Rev. John H. Pomeroy
The acolyte this week is: Sandy Grant
The greeters at the door are: Jackie Loonquist and Barbara May
The ushers are: Ron White, Kathie Arscott, Suzanne Burger, Jeff Levison, and James Maddox
The Church School teachers are Natalie Maddox with Edwina Maling as assistant
The liturgist is: Bettie Teel
Opportunities for service and involvement coming up:
This Saturday, August 11, some youth and adults from our church will be painting the fence outside the Door of Hope Shelter from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. You are welcome to join us. Please call Ken Winte or Marlene Pomeroy for more information.
Sunday, August 12, please join us for an informal Bible Study from 9:00 - 9:45 a.m., prior to worship. This group meets every Sunday at this time. Childcare is provided in the nursery. After worship and coffee hour, the Stewardship Committee will meet in the pastor's office.
We are still having sign-ups for usher teams for Union Station meals. Each team will serve 3 times a year on the first Monday of their months. Please let Nina know in the office if you wish to be on a team! Hope to see you Sunday.
August 1, 2007
Genesis 6:14-7:7
This Sunday I will continue my exploration of women in the Bible whose stories have not been lifted up often in preaching. This week I will look at the narrative about Noah and the ark and imagine what it was like for his wife who is an unnamed woman in scripture. She is mentioned in the text as someone who was on the ark with the family but not much else is known about her. In preparation for worship, I invite you to read through the 6th and 7th chapters of Genesis. This Sunday we observe Communion as part of our worship. Older children normally remain in worship for a briefer sermon. Younger children may go to the nursery. You are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item for our food basket which will be delivered to the ECPAC's Friends Indeed House.
Hope to see you Sunday!
The Rev. Marlene W. Pomeroy
The acolyte this week is: Edwina Maling
The greeters are: Andy & Carol Penn-Romine
The Usher team is: Ken Winte, Peter Keller, Marie Spencer & Bob Spencer
The liturgist is: Youth TBA
Other opportunities for service or Fellowship this week:
A group of people are gathering at the Sierra Madre Playhouse to see Stephen Sondheim's "Putting It Together" at 8:00 p.m. on Friday evening, August 3. If you haven't already signed up, just join us at the playhouse that evening. Connie Washburn, our summer pianist, is the musical director and pianist for the show.
After worship on Sunday from 11:30-12:30 our Stewardship Committee will have a meeting.
On Sunday evening, August 5 we will have our monthly "Sharing Circle" from 5:00-6:30 p.m. This is a time for any church members or friends to come for some intentional time of sharing and prayer together. We begin the evening with some breathing exercises to center us, then we have a time of sharing, and we close with some silence and prayer. The group ranges from 2-12 depending on the month. All are welcome. You may call or e-mail Rev. Marlene Pomeroy or Carolyn Olney if you have questions.
We are in the process of forming teams of people to serve at Union Station the first Monday of each month. Each team will serve three times per year. Please contact the church office or the pastors if you are interested in being on a team or being a sub for a team. The commitment is from 6:00-9:00 p.m. on your assigned month.
The youth are planning to do some work at a local shelter from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 11. If a few adults would like to join us, please contact Ken Winte.
Apr. 2008
