Sunday, July 31, 2011

What Can God’s Love Do?

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By Matthew Wong

A few weeks ago, a visitor came into our sanctuary after the Sunday services, and I noticed him talking to a few of the members in our congregations. By this time, most were finishing up with Coffee Hour and about ready to depart the church to continue on with the rest of their Sunday and start their week. I happened to greet this man, as I could tell that he was in need of something. Even before I spoke with him, in my mind, I was thinking how I could best serve his needs and already contemplating how I would respond to his request for money should he ask for some. As it turns out, he explicitly mentioned that he’s not asking for money, and he’s not the type of person to lie and say he needs money for food just to solicit money to spend elsewhere. His request for was to go to a local Chinatown store with him and purchase him lunch: two pieces of fried chicken for only $1.10 including tax. I sort of smiled, as I also have a fondness for fried chicken, especially having switched to a high-fat/high-protein diet. I agreed, and we walked to the corner store on Franklin and 8th.

On the way there, while dodging the sidewalk market vendors and shoppers, we talked a little bit, and asked him if he knew about CityTeam Ministries, an organization with which CCUMC has previously partnered. He said yes, and he knew exactly what times they passed out dinner, but for some reason he chose not to receive food there. He also mentioned that he was supposed to meet with another local pastor, but there may have been miscommunication, and the pastor did not show up at the time he thought they were supposed to be meeting. When I told him my name, he pleasingly said that I had a Bible name.

By the time we got to the restaurant, he asked if it was okay if he got four pieces of chicken, two pieces which he would save for dinner, which he alerted me would only be $2.20 after tax. I didn’t have the heart to “call” him on his bait-and-switch technique, but instead told him I’d buy six pieces, give him four, and that I’d eat the other two for myself, as I had not eaten anything for lunch yet. After that, he took his four pieces, left the store, and I ate my lunch on the walk back to church.

I have recently had mixed feelings about giving people money on the street when they ask me for it. It’s not quite clear to me which helps the person more in the long term: if I give them the small amount of money they are seeking, or if I refuse to give them anything. While it is commonly believed that people asking for money for food are really seeking money for alcohol or drugs, I know someone who stays near my workplace in Livermore that asks for money on a daily basis, hoping to earn $40 each day which pays for a hotel room for that night. He probably works 8 hours a day, 5 to 7 days a week, and earns and spends $1200 a month for his hotel room. It’s unclear to me if he’d be better off in the long term finding an alternate way to earn the money he needs for food and shelter.

As for the gentleman that visited our church a few weeks ago, I feel better granting a request to someone who is not trying to deceive me by lying about what they need the money for, and I also feel better that he has “shopped around” and knows the most economical place in town to purchase the meal of his choice. As an aside, I’m also grateful that he introduced me to a new place where I can purchase a low-carb budget lunch in Chinatown!

I don’t know the needs nor relationship with God that either of these men have. However, having humbled themselves enough to request help from others in the form of money or 50¢ pieces of chicken, it’s evident that these men most likely need positive change in their lives, which can only be helped by additional faith and love from God. We shall keep these men and other people in need in our community in our prayers.

“[F]or I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Matthew 25 35-40

English Ministry News and Notes 7-31-11

*Great thanks to all those who pitched in at Saturday's Work Day!

*Let's Celebrate Baby Siu! We will be hosting a baby shower for Vikki & Aidan's new baby girl on the way, Saturday, Aug. 6th from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. You are invited to bring a plate to share (finger foods, sweets, or fruit). Baby Siu is especially in need of clothes.

*Teaching Team Orientation - Our new Sunday School year will begin on Sept. 11th. A new team is needed to continue this vital ministry to the growing numbers of children and youth in our midst. Please prayerfully consider being a part of this ministry. An orientation will be held Sunday, Aug. 14th at 12:30 p.m. You are invited! Please RSVP so that enough food can be prepared.

*John Keck is Off to Camp! John is off to Asian American Summer Camp next Sunday, July 31st. Let us hold him in our prayers that this would be a meaningful week of fun, faith, learning and growing! You are invited to send him mail while he is at Camp Lodestar. The address is: Asian Am Camp, c/o Camp Lodestar, 6135 Blue Mountain Rd, Wilseyville, CA 95257. Your card, note, or package WILL be appreciated!

*Sending Jenny Wong Off - Jenny Wong has entered a special 1 month program that will give her a head start at UCSD. She leaves for San Diego next week. Let us hold Jenny in our prayers as she enters this wonderful new season of college life. Let us also remember Jenny's family in our prayers.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

English Ministry News and Notes 7-24-11

*Let's Go Camping! Head out for a wonderful time of fellowship and celebrating creation with brothers and sister, Aug. 3rd - 6th. All are invited and welcome - for one night or the whole time. Please connect with Burt & Jane or Pastor Emily to find out more.

Sign Up for UM 101 - UM101 is a free, basic online course designed for new United Methodists and anyone wanting to know more about the denomination. Each of the four modules contains interactive features and takes about one hour to complete. Led by minister Tom Slack. Course Dates: August 3 – September 14, 2011. To register, please visit: www.umcom.org, go to their store and look for "United Methodist 101" Aug11.

*CCUMC Work Day, Saturday, July 30th - All are invited to "pitch in" to this month's work day from 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. You are invited and welcome to contribute an hour or 5! The tasks will include everything from standard cleaning, to yard work, to special projects. Your presence is needed and appreciated!

*John Keck is Off to Camp! John is off to Asian American Summer Camp next Sunday, July 31st. Let us hold him in our prayers that this would be a meaningful week of fun, faith, learning and growing! You are invited to send him mail while he is at Camp Lodestar. The address is: Asian Am Camp, c/o Camp Lodestar, 6135 Blue Mountain Rd, Wilseyville, CA 95257. Your card, note, or package WILL be appreciated!

*Sending Jenny Wong Off - Jenny Wong has entered a special 1 month program that will give her a head start at UCSD. She leaves for San Diego next week. Let us hold Jenny in our prayers as she enters this wonderful new season of college life. Let us also remember Jenny's family in our prayers.

What Can God’s Love Do?

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The mission of the United Methodist Church is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” I have often pondered about how God can transform a person’s life. In our Small Group Ministry, we have been practicing the discipline of sharing what God has been doing in our lives. For the next seven weeks, I have invited some of our congregation members to take the next step by answering the following question: "What is one thing in the life of a specific person you know (you can keep the person anonymous) or the lives of a local group of people that you wish could be changed by that person or group experiencing the love of God or having faith in God? If possible, please share a scripture verse or faith example that you feel inspired/influenced/challenged by as you think about this possible change." I pray that as we envision how wondrous it is to have God in our lives that we will be emboldened to share God with others because God can be that wonderful in their lives too. [We still have some weeks available, so please let me know if you too would like to share your story in the Messenger.]

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By Charles Ho

A few weeks ago, our family was vacationing in Arizona; it was a family reunion. We had a chance to drive up to Sedona on the Fourth of July and took a jeep tour out of town and into the back country to experience closer what made this area famous.

Why Sedona is considered one of the most beautiful vacation spots lies in its geology – the colorful layers of limestone, mudstone, and sandstone. What made usually grayish limestone red was iron deposits seeping into the rocks and oxidizing over time. The area where Sedona Arizona lies is “Red Rock Country” of about 500 square miles. What is now cliffs, buttes, canyons, and grassy areas were once under water, then sand dunes. Nature used weather/erosion, lava, fractures, and rivers to crave the scenery that we saw.

As the family went up and down on the jeeps like kids on Disneyland rides, and took pictures whenever we were delivered to a scenic spot, the tour guide went on and on about how the land was created over hundreds of millions of years, long before Man or Woman walked this Earth. It was as if he was “preaching to the converted”. In this spot of Creation called Sedona, there was no denying our sense of awe or of aesthetics. Through this shared experience, invisible bonds between far away cousins are strengthened. I am sure even the younger cousins will remember this trip the rest of their lives.

Likely none of the cousins felt as I did. To me, this aesthetic experience was also a religious experience. Nature’s grandeur evokes feelings of a sacred place. Why, in some of the jeep ride’s wild ups and downs, surely prayers were said by others besides me! And like Sunday worship, our two hour ride does not show adequate appreciation of the Creator’s work. In Genesis, Chapter 1, verses 9 and 10 spoke of what we saw – “ 9 And God said, ‘Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.’ And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground ‘land,’ and the gathered waters he called ‘seas.’ And God saw that it was good.”

Genesis spoke of the Creation in six days. Most likely the Almighty wants to spare us the details; Lord knows some of us can’t pay attention no matter how exciting the Service is. Perhaps it only seemed like days because God loves us so.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Nicole Chang’s baptism

We celebrate the baptism and membership reception of Nicole Chang today!

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Nicole really appreciates the “close” feeling at CCUMC. There’s a sense of being family here. She has always felt welcomed and at home. She also really likes how everyone gets to participate in the worship experience – from lighting the candles, to sharing announcements, to lifting up the call to worship. Additionally, she likes that Pastor Emily preaches from the floor rather than the podium. This helps her feel like Pastor Emily is closer to the people rather than “above” the congregation. Coming to church has given Nicole the language for her ideals and values. She’s always felt it was important to love others, for example, but listening to the sermons has helped her know how to talk about it better. She feels like CCUMC is not about the rules – like dressing up - but about the faith in one’s heart. She doesn’t feel like she has to go to church but wants to come!

Nicole is the oldest child of three. She has two other sisters, aged 15 and 11 (the youngest attends church with her cousin in Walnut Creek.) Nicole just graduated from Encinal High School in Alameda and plans on attending Peralta Colleges in the fall. Her goal is to transfer to Mills College and study environmental science and nonprofit organizational development. Nicole has gotten involved in worship leadership over the last few months, leading the call to worship, reading the scripture, participating in occasional skits, and most recently, becoming part of the acolyte rotation. Nicole also volunteers with the Summer Program and Adventures in Faith. Nicole loves eating and sleeping and going on spontaneous adventures with friends.

We welcome Nicole as part of this faith community!

English Ministry News and Notes 7-17-11

*Celebrating CCUMC's 1st CLayM Graduate - We will hear a message from Derek Lang on Sunday, July 24th, followed by a special reception to celebrating him becoming a Conference Lay Minister. Let us hold Derek, his vocation and call, in our prayers.

*Let's Go Camping! Head out for a wonderful time of fellowship and celebrating creation with brothers and sister, Aug. 3rd - 6th. All are invited and welcome - for one night or the whole time. Please connect with Burt & Jane or Pastor Emily to find out more.

*Great thanks to Richard, Al, and Steve who have pitched in over the last two weeks to ensure that our church buildings and grounds remain clean and sparkly. We are all invited to pitch in to ensure that bathrooms are stocked, garbage is taken out, and all remains clean.

*We Welcome Back Aeri! Aeri returned to the Bay on July 12th. We look forward to hearing about her time at Reformed Theological College as well as with YCVM in Kumi. We give thanks for her safe return. Please note, Aeri will be "resting" from worship leadership through the end of August.

*Our Neighbor, Chinese Presbyterian Church is celebrating their 133rd Anniversary today. Additionally, they are installing a new pastor, Rev. Grace Song. We extend our joy and celebration to them and wish them all of God's blessings!

*We send Cloud, Ursella and Shing off to Camp Today! Cloud, Ursella and Shing are off to Super Kids Camp at Camp Lodestar. They are attending a Cal-Nevada Annual Conference Camp. Please pray that this would be a time of fun, learning, exploration and faith nurture.

*Keep the Snacks Coming! 60+ hungry kids fill our buildings each day and appreciate all the nuts, dried fruit, seeds, and cereal provided as snacks!

What Can God's Love Do?

By Derek Lang

The mission of the United Methodist Church is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” I have often pondered about how God can transform a person’s life. In our Small Group Ministry, we have been practicing the discipline of sharing what God has been doing in our lives. For the next seven weeks, I have invited some of our congregation members to take the next step by answering the following question: "What is one thing in the life of a specific person you know (you can keep the person anonymous) or the lives of a local group of people that you wish could be changed by that person or group experiencing the love of God or having faith in God? If possible, please share a scripture verse or faith example that you feel inspired/influenced/challenged by as you think about this possible change." I pray that as we envision how wondrous it is to have God in our lives that we will be emboldened to share God with others because God can be that wonderful in their lives too. [We still have some weeks available, so please let me know if you too would like to share your story in the Messenger.]

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A young woman visited our church one Sunday. I had a strange sense about her. On one hand, she was very private about her own life; but on the other, she wanted to be part of something. She lingered for a long time after service, wanting maybe to do something with someone. I spent more time with her later in the week. She seemed afraid to let people be close to her. She asked a friend of mine about the availability of a job, but was very circumspect about that fact that she was looking. She had expectations that people should do certain things before she would reciprocate. She had been through some tough things in her life. She did not seem to have anyone close to rely on. Her view of life hit me when she shared a traumatic experience in which she cried to me, “No one should ever have to go through that!” The thing I wish could be changed in her life is for her to have the sense of safety and security that comes with experiencing a relationship with Jesus.

Psalm 94:22 says, “But the LORD is my defense; and my God is the rock of my refuge.” In fact, the book of Psalms is full of verses about the Lord protecting His sheep. When I moved out of my parents’ house, I remember vividly a sense of guilt in feeling like if I lost my job I could always come home and my parents would take care of me. That sense of security was a foundation from which I have felt free to take many risks and try to achieve many things. I know that my parents cannot do everything. In fact, it hit me a few weeks ago when my mother was sharing in Sunday School about how they were challenged financially with a new business and my father’s health. I recall those days, but they never let on how serious things were as I went about my own life. Listening to her story, I realized how that is so much like God looking after us. God has so many worries and problems to deal with, yet God insulates us so that we do not have to worry about all those things too. I am grateful for the sense that God will take care of me. I know that bad things happen, but I have always had a sense of peace that God will be there. I pray that this young woman, and so many others like her, can experience God’s love so that she is not alone and she can feel safe.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

English Ministry News and Notes 7-10-11

*Missions 101: Adventures in Missions begins today! Everyone but everyone is invited and welcomed to attend throughout the summer. Class will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m.

*Nicole Chang is getting baptized next Sunday, July 17th! Please remember Nicole in your prayers as she prepares for baptism.

*Celebrating CCUMC's 1st CLayM Graduate - We will hear a message from Derek Lang on Sunday, July 24th, followed by a special reception to celebrating him becoming a Conference Lay Minister. Let us hold Derek, his vocation and call, in our prayers.

*Let's Go Camping! Head out for a wonderful time of fellowship and celebrating creation with brothers and sister, Aug. 3rd - 6th. All are invited and welcome - for one night or the whole time. Please connect with Burt & Jane or Pastor Emily to find out more.

*Cheering the A's On - We are organizing a group to head out to the ballpark on Saturday, Sept. 3rd. RSVP's are requested by Aug. 1st to Jason Ma. Tickets will be between $15 - $20

*Sharing Prayers - Ken Lui, CCUMC's trusted friend and faithful custodian for more than 30 years, will no longer be keeping the grass green and the altar covered in the right liturgical colors. As of July 8th, Ken will be "taking it easy" as he prepares for heart surgery and the recovery afterwards. We hold great gratitude for all that Ken has done for the church. Let us hold Ken and his family in our prayers.

The Parables of… Peanuts?

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~ By Derek Lang
Awhile back, I picked up Robert Short’s book “The Parables of Peanuts.” I thought it would be some light reading – after all what could be more enjoyable than reading cartoons about Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus and Lucy?! But references to Kierkegaard, Barth, and Nietzsche were early indications of some heady theology on its way. Contrary to what we may have been taught in Sunday School, parables are deceptively not so simple.
Short explains that parables, such as those told by Jesus or Charles Schulz’s lovable Snoopy and Charlie Brown, are an art form which can be described as sugar-coated pills – treats that are treatments – that bring people to swallow medicine that is deeply needed. He defined three categories or purposes of parables:
· The Lens – The least threatening and most direct form, these stories use words and examples to bring sharp focus. An example: The Good Samaritan. [Luke 10:25-37]
· The Mirror – We follow and enjoy listening to these stories that poke at the characters until we realize that the story is about ourselves. An example: Laborers in the Vineyard [Matthew 20:1-16]
· Through a Glass Darkly – “It is the art-parable that is deeply puzzling, that cuts all understanding out from under us so that initially we do not know which way to go. Many of the parables of Jesus were designed to do just this: not to give an easy answer, but to provoke an altogether new kind of question.” An example: The priests and scribes asking Jesus by what authority he did miracles [Luke 20:1-8]
Over the next few weeks, we will dig into the Parables of Jesus. Instead of yawning at old stories of our childhood Sunday School, I invite us to not only hear a new twist but also be in wonderment about how true they are about us or about life in general. These are not just stories for the Christian to tell non-Christian; rather it is just as important for us as Christians to learn from.
Now, I do not want to scare you away Parables, so I will offer a thought that we learned in our Conference Lay Ministers class on Christian Education about teaching the Bible. The lesson was to teach the stories and not worry about teaching the lesson. The students will simply enjoy the stories. But as they grow and mature, it will someday dawn on them that their current life situation actually relates to a story they heard long ago in the Bible. And at that point, they will realize how marvelous, how wise, and how meaningful God’s words really are. May that same light bulb turn on for us.