Home Pastor's Message & Sermons Touchstone - Midweek Bulletin Worship Services Uganda Stove Project - Updated March 19, 2008 News & Events Event Calendars Who We Are Statement of Faith UCC History Justice and Peace Lambda Group (LGBT) Music Ministries Building & Facilities Building for the Future Contact Us What Do We Think?





Apr. 2008

Mar. 2008

Jan. 2008

Dec. 2007

Nov. 2007

Oct. 2007

Sept. 2007

Aug. 2007

July 2007

June 2007

May 2007

Apr. 2007

Mar. 2007

Feb. 2007

Jan. 2007

Nov. 2006

Oct. 2006

Sept. 2006

Aug. 2006

July 2006

June 2006

May 2006

Apr. 2006

Mar. 2006

Feb. 2006

Jan. 2006

Dec. 2005

Nov. 2005

Follow any of the sidebar links to read Touchstone updates from past months.
 
December 21, 2006
 
This Sunday, December 24, at 10:00 a.m. we will observe the 4th Sunday of Advent.  In our morning service of Lessons and Carols we will hear a number of Bible readings from throughout both testaments:  images from Genesis 3 and 22 of the early relationship between God and humanity, yearnings for a savior in Isaiah chapters 9 and 11, the Annunciation of the birth of Jesus by the angel Gabriel to young Mary in Luke's Gospel, and finally the mystical words of the first chapter of the Gospel of John.  The arc of both biblical testaments is revealed through these readings as the world yearns for embodied Truth.  The service will be enhanced by the singing of many Christmas Carols.

In the evening we will have our Christmas Candlelight Service at 7:00 p.m.  Both our Bell Choir and Senior Choir will be performing and the Rev. Marlene Pomeroy will be offering a Christmas homily.  Our children and youth will be reenacting the Lukan Christmas story for us.  If you purchased a poinsettia, you may take it home after the service.  Join us for fellowship and our Wassail Bowl in the parlors after the service.  Please note:  there is no childcare at this evening service.  Children are welcome to sit with their families.  Merry Christmas!
 
The Rev. Marlene W. Pomeroy
 
 
At the 10:00 a.m. service:
Ushers:  Nate Lewis, Bob Rinck, Andy Romine and Judi Tyler.
Greeters:  Kim & Pete Story.
Advent Candle lighters:  Jim, Natalie and Alex Maddox.
Liturgist:  Mike Miele.
Acolyte:  Nikko Nguyen

At the 7 p.m. service:
Ushers:  Sandy Biehler, Lurline Brown, Angie Schnapp and Mel Smith.  All team members who are in town are needed as extra ushers and greeters this evening.
Advent Candle lighters:  the Leckrone family.
Liturgist:  The Rev. Leo Lynch.
Acolyte:  Leah Inman

The schedule of practices for the following groups are:
  • 10:00 a.m.  Church School children and youth will do a Mini-Pageant practice for Christmas Eve service.  Krysty and Grace teaching.
  • 4:45p.m.  Bell Choir practice
  • 5:00 p.m.  Luminaria set up.  Please join Ken Winte in the main hallway to help set up our lighted walkway.
  • 5:00 p.m.  Senior Choir practice
  • 6:00 p.m.  Children and Youth Mini-Pageant practice
Other opportunities this week:
Our older children and youth are sponsoring five families for Christmas who live at the Door of Hope shelter in Pasadena.  This is our way of helping our church children give to others this season.  They will meet at 12:00 noon on Friday, December 22 in the pastor's office to shop, wrap and deliver gifts to these 16 people.  If anyone would like to contribute money to this outreach project, please let Nina know in the church office by Friday noon.  Please RSVP to Marlene if your older elementary child or youth plans to attend.  You will need to sign a permission slip when you drop off your child.

Union Station Foundation serves a dinner on Christmas Day at Pasadena's Central Park which is at the corner of S. Fair Oaks and E. Del Mar.  They still need 75 turkeys cooked and delivered on Christmas Day.  If you can pick up a turkey at 412 S. Raymond and cook it, please do that!  They always need help with set up at 10:00 a.m. and clean up starting at 1:30 p.m. on Christmas Day.  If you wish to pitch in, that would be great!  The Union Station Foundation office number is 626-240-4553 and Tami De Vine is the volunteer coordinator.
 
 
December 15, 2006
 
This Sunday is the third Sunday in Advent and the Gospel lesson is Luke 3:7-l8...an account of John the Baptist confronting a group of followers who would be baptized addressing their history of behavior!  In a sermon entitled "Facing the Truth" we will consider how our lives have been helped or hurt in those times when we have been confronted about our beliefs and our actions.  The lesson raises one of the challenging aspects of our faith journey--having to change something significant about who we are in order to continue developing a relationship with God.  After worship we will have a chance to discuss the topic further in a Sermon Discussion Forum from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Parlors--it will help if you have looked at the scripture reading in advance of Sunday.  Come and join us for worship in the Sanctuary beginning at 10:00 a.m.!

The Children and Youth Christmas Pageant will take place this Saturday, December 16th at 5:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary--bring a friend to come and hear the Christmas story!  Over 25 children and youth are participating in this production, directed by new member Caroline Andres; an abbreviated version of the pageant will be presented again on Christmas Eve at our 7:00 p.m. service.  This Saturday there will be a reception after the pageant in the parlors and parents are asked to bring a plate of finger foods to share with those who attend.  Parking for the pageant is available in our own lots and at the Women's City Club from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m.--call the church office at (626) 795-0696 if you need directions.

Our Church School children and youth are gathering clothes and toys for families at the Door of Hope Shelter here in Pasadena this Christmas.  If you want to help, there is a list of the items that are needed in the church office--you may purchase something from the list or simply donate money so that the children and youth can purchase some or all of the remaining items. The children and youth, with their teachers, will go to the Door of Hope Shelter and present the gifts before Christmas.

Worship Ministry needs our help!  This Sunday after worship we are invited to help make luminaries for our Christmas Eve service.  Many hands make work light--the more folks who help, the less time we will have to spend putting sand and candles in bags!  Follow Andy Romine, chair of Worship Ministry, out of worship this Sunday.

The greeters at the Los Robles entrance this week are:  Bevin and Josh Ashenmiller.  The ushers assigned to welcome you are:  Sandy Biehler, Lurline Brown, Angie Schnapp, and Mel Smith.  The acolyte for the day is: Ethan Rinck.
 
The Rev. John H. Pomeroy
 
 
December 7, 2006
Have you ever been on a silent retreat?  It is a chance to discover something new within yourself once you shut off the normal mode of communicating verbally.  It is challenging to do this but everyone I know who successfully completes a weekend (or week or month of silence) speaks glowingly of the experience.  New things are learned. New ways of looking at old patterns emerge.

The story of Zechariah in Luke's Gospel reading this week picks up after a time of forced silence by Zechariah.  He does not choose his silence but has his muteness thrust on him when he asks for a sign from God.  For months while his wife is pregnant, while his wife's pregnant cousin Mary comes to live with them, Zechariah is mute.  I wonder what it would be like to not speak for that period of time and to just listen:  listen to the sounds of the world, listen to the sounds of the wind and rain, listen to other people's voices, listen to the silence at hand.

Whenever we cease to do something for a while, we come back to it with a new understanding, and even appreciation, of that thing.  When Zechariah finally breaks his silence the words he utters are a blessing for his son, which is the reading for this Sunday.  I invite you to read his words that were surely shaped during his own time of silent incubation.

This season of Advent is a season that bombards us on so many levels, but definitely from the array of sounds that are piped through every store and mall as well as from those around us.  We might choose to observe some silence this month so that we too could formulate our imaginative thoughts and prayers of blessing to offer to this world.  As a way to begin this process, I invite you to come for a "Morning of Quiet" this Saturday, December 9, from 10:00 a.m. - 12 noon.  We will meet upstairs in the church school classroom (located on the 2nd floor in room #232 in the center of the east-west hallway upstairs).  For the first hour we will be doing some "Gentle Yoga" postures and stretching with a yoga teacher.  The second hour will be a time of reflection and sharing together, led by Rev. Jake Pomeroy.  Please RSVP to the pastors if you plan to attend and bring $5 to help defray the costs of the Yoga class.  All levels are acceptable--bring a mat if you have one!

Hope to see you in the sanctuary for worship on Sunday.  The Advent Candle Lighters this Sunday are Caroline, Margaret and Catherine Andres; the greeters on Los Robles entrance are Nate & Varnell Lewis; the ushers greeting you this Sunday are Ron White, Kathie Arscott, Suzanne Burger, Jeff Levison and Jim Maddox.  The acolyte of the day is Rebecca Rinck.

Other events this weekend:

Saturday, December 9
10:00 a.m. - 12 noon in room #232 - Advent Quiet Day of Yoga and prayer
1:00 - 4:00 p.m. - Drop of your wrapped baked goods for the bake sale in the library in see-through Christmas wrap.
5:30 p.m. 20's-40's Somethings? - Annual Christmas Party.  Bring some potluck food to share and money for our Mission Game (winning proceeds are donated to the organization of your choice).  RSVP to the pastors if you plan to attend.

Sunday, December 10
10:00 a.m. - Worship in Sanctuary
10:20 a.m. -  Pageant practice for older children and youth after the Children's Time
11:15 a.m. - Annual Bake Sale and Treasure Table in parlors--bring your checkbooks and wallets for Christmas goodies!