Monday, January 3, 2011

Dr. Jeffrey Kuan to be installed as Dean of Drew Theological School

KuanJeffrey Kuan has accepted an offer to become the Dean of Drew Theological School in Madison, New Jersey.  His passion for teaching, preaching, and being on the forefront of social justice issues has made an indelible mark on our congregation.
Jeff will be installed as the Dean of Drew on April 8th, 2011.  Congratulations, Jeff!  We’ll miss you while you’re away on the East Coast.
Read more about Dean Kuan here:  Theological School Names New Dean

Celebrating 70 Years of Marriage!

Michael and Lucy SunMichael and Lucy Sun from the Chinese-speaking congregation recently celebrated a milestone that most of us will never even approach – 70 years of marriage.  At a special luncheon given in their honor, Lucy described how they met, and why this celebration was extra-special for them.  They have been truly blessed by God in their long relationship!

Celebrating Epiphany!

star The term epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" or even "to reveal." In Western churches, it remembers the coming of the wise men bringing gifts to visit the Christ child, who by so doing "reveal" Jesus to the world as Lord and King. The Wise Men or Magi were the first Gentiles to acknowledge Jesus as "King" and so were the first to "show" or "reveal" Jesus to a wider world as the incarnate Christ. This act of worship by the Magi was one of the first indications that Jesus was for all people, of all nations, of all races, and that the work of God in the world would not be limited to only a few. With this Sunday, we will enter the Epiphany season. This season will continue until the beginning of Lent (Ash Wednesday, Mar. 9th, 2011).

Our call during this season is to be attentive to the signs and presence of Jesus being revealed, perhaps in the most unexpected and unlikely places as well as by
the most unexpected and unlikely people. Our call during this season is also to be like those wise men: to reveal Jesus as Christ and King for all.

During the next three Sundays, we will explore these calls by:

Lifting up the ministry of Small Groups…a warm, supportive place to practice being attentive to the signs and presence of Jesus in your own life. / Jan. 9th – Small Group Ministry Sharing Sunday

Exploring our boundaries around what “all” really means and being challenged to be in right relations with “all people, all nations, all races.” / Jan. 16th – Human Relations Sunday

Celebrating the ministry of the laity. / Jan. 23rd – Laity Sunday 2011

Happy Epiphany! May we be surprised as we, like the wise men, follow the bright star.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Emily