Monday, June 25, 2012

Videos for 6-24-12

Chinese Choir

Chinese Sermon

English Sermon - "What is My Name?", Mark 4:35-41, Derek Lang, Certified Lay Minister

Sunday, June 24, 2012

English Ministry News and Notes for 6-24-12

*Prayer Walk - Join the Missions Ministry Team today for a prayer walk at Lincoln Square Park today. We are discerning if and how God is calling us to build relationships and "change the world" through local partnerships. We'll gather at 1:00 p.m. All are welcome.

*Adventure in Faith Training Day - You are invited to "pitch in" this summer with the 60+ children God has entrusted to us. Let us love them mightily. To get prepared, we are holding a training day on Wednesday, June 27th, from 12:30 - 4:00 p.m. Please connect with Donna or Pastor Emily to participate. AiF begins Tuesday, July 3rd.

*Let's....BUNKO! Join the young people of our congregation for an evening of fun, fellowship and laughter on Friday, June 29th, starting at 6:30 p.m. What could be better than nachos and bunko? Please sign up on the sheet going around.

*Sending Amy Off With Prayers - Amy Ma will be spending the next month (June 30th - Aug. 1st) in the mountains and wilderness of Wyoming through Summer Search. Let us hold her in our hearts and prayers.

*Summer Intergenerational Sunday School Class Starts July 1st - We are called to be witnesses and we can do that through our words AND our actions. Gather for an 8 week series exploring, practicing, and reflecting on how to share God's love in simple and practical ways with no strings attached.

Called to Be Witnesses – A Pentecost Practice

On Pentecost, Rev. Renae Extrum-Fernandez, reminded us of our call to be witnesses.  “You will be my witnesses,” said Jesus to his disciples before ascending into the heavens.  Being a witness is a key practice that supports our mission: to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  Thus, we will practice “witnessing” by simply sharing where we have recently seen or experienced God in our lives and how that has made a difference for us.  This week, we give thanks for the sharing of Brenda Wong.


About 6 weeks ago, I found new meaning in a cherished promise from God in Proverbs 17:6, “Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.” On May 2, the Lord blessed us with Jonah, our 1st grandchild (son of Micheline & Ruben). Becoming a grandma finally, I was filled with many emotions that I never knew I had! When I first laid eyes on our little surprise bundle, who arrived 3 weeks early, I felt God ‘s wonder, awe, grace, love and joy filling my heart in the Neonatal ICU where Jonah was kept warm in his little crib. We had our moments when we worried if he was maintaining his temperature. Was his pale complexion turning pink? How is he responding and acting? Was his cry, breathing, and heart rate normal? How long was the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck at birth? God renewed my faith when I saw God in the obstetrician who prayed with Ruben, and I was strengthened and encouraged, knowing that friends and family were also praying. God was in control, is all powerful, and merciful! I saw God’s peace in Jonah’s sweet face and he pulled through like a champ and was able to go home on day 3. Thank you, Jesus!

When God blesses, he often gives us more than we ask for or expect. Ephesians 3: 20-21 says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever.” The Lord not only gave us a precious grandson, but doubly blessed us with a beautiful granddaughter, Leia (daughter of Jenielle & Todd), born just 3 weeks after Jonah on May 21st. Again, God created another miracle and I now look at babies with new eyes and appreciation for God’s blessing and gifts to parents and grandparents. Even though Leia made us all wait 27+ hrs. in the hospital before she made her grand appearance, she was healthy and very alert at birth, bringing double happiness to our family.

Grandchildren are indeed heavenly crowns to the aged and watching our children become parents show us that God truly loves our children more than we do. All
those years of “training the child in the way he/she should go”, was not in vain.
People say you know how well you did as parents when you have grandchildren! Praise God for grandkids who just melt your heart and fill you with a joy greater than you have ever known. What a privilege it is to be a grandparent, something we can not take for granted, and all we have to do is to love them and hold them, to pray for them, and to teach them about God and His amazing love. It’s comforting to know that God will always be by their sides, protecting them and guiding them. God knew that our arms would not be long enough and that we can’t be with them at all times, so they will be embraced and tucked under the Lord’s wings wherever they go. Children are God’s gifts and grandchildren are the frosting on the cake. We praise God for Jonah and Leia, our chocolate and strawberry kisses, made by the Master Chef.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Videos for 6-17-12

Chinese Choir

Chinese Sermon

English Sermon - "Tiny Seeds. Uncontrollable Growth.", Mark 4:26-34, Pastor Emily

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Youth and Child Visionary Ministries update

An email from Grace Among, Board Member, received 6.17.12

First of all, I thank God each time I remember you. Your unceasing love in Christ, the thirst and hunger for Him. Thank you for being an encouragement to me and YCVM as whole.  Sure, we're praying with you and are confident that the Lord who started the good work will bring it to completion. He is unstoppable and no one can stand on His way.  He is the Lord Almighty!

About the children, Stella and Jessica were down with malaria but have under taken treatment and are back at school. Grace had an attack of asthma but is also fine now, the school nurse attended to her. Amazingly the great woman Sheila is fine and so is Raymond. Moses hurt his foot while he was ploughing.  He is taking treatment too. Sarah is on semester break and is at home with Silver. John is working hard and has put on some weight.

YCVM volunteer force, Patrick Okore's family has lost the whole estate to somebody in their village who has been pursuing them over land issues and the court judged in his favor. Following court's ruling their home was raised down, crops destroyed and everything damaged! Right now the whole family, of about ten is squatting in two small roomed rentals with nothing to eat apart from handouts from Christian friends. I can't imagine what they are going through! This reminds me of one thing, we came into this world with nothing and we'll go with nothing- even that which we have can be taken away. The only thing that matters is knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as a friend for even if we lose everything, yet we have everything in Him. Patrick's girlfriend Sarah is healed and they are soon to wed in August despite what has happened to their family. You would like to pray for them.

Paul in his letter to the Philippians says, 'Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that which Christ Jesus took hold of me…I press on towards the goal” (3:12-14).

My love to all CCUMC friends. May the peace of God which transcends all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Many hugs, Grace
To learn more about YCVM, you are invited to visit: www.ycvm.org

Please hold Grace and the ongoing ministry of YCVM in your prayers.

English Ministry News and Notes for 6-17-12

*Happy, happy Father's Day! On this day when we remember what it means to have a father or be a father, we recognize the importance of fathers in our communities. We pledge as a congregation to love and nurture the fathers among us so that they will manifest the love of God in all that they do.
*Great Thanks for Enthusiastic Cleaning Bucket Responses - Appreciations to all who participated in and donated towards the 6 cleaning buckets that will be taken to Sacramento (and later to the UMCOR Depot). We pray that God would use our generosity to make a difference in the life of someone who needs it.
*Prayer Walk - Join the Missions Ministry Team next Sunday, June 24th, for a prayer walk at Lincoln Square Park. We are discerning if and how God is calling us to build relationships and "change the world" through local partnerships. We'll gather at 1:00 p.m. All are welcome.
*Adventure in Faith Training Day - You are invited to "pitch in" this summer with the 60+ children God has entrusted to us. Let us love them mightily. To get prepared, we are holding a training day on Wednesday, June 27th, from 12:30 - 4:00 p.m. Please connect with Donna or Pastor Emily to participate.
*Let's....BUNKO! Join the young people of our church for an evening of fun, fellowship and laughter on Friday, June 29th, starting at 6:30 p.m. What could be better than nachos and bunko? Please sign up on the sheet going around.
*Summer Intergenerational Sunday School Class Starts July 1st - We are called to be witnesses and we can do that through our words AND our actions. Gather for an 8 week series exploring, practicing, and reflecting on how to share God's love in simple and practical ways with no strings attached.

Called to Be Witnesses – A Pentecost Practice

On Pentecost, Rev. Renae Extrum-Fernandez, reminded us of our call to be witnesses.  “You will be my witnesses,” said Jesus to his disciples before ascending into the heavens.  Being a witness is a key practice that supports our mission: to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  Over the next 6 weeks, we will practice “witnessing” by simply sharing where we have recently seen or experienced God in our lives and how that has made a difference for us.  This week, we give thanks for the sharing of Frances Fong.


I have just finished reading An Altar in the World:  A Geography of Faith, by Barbara Brown Taylor.  This book was selected for the Adult Sunday School Class for Lent and Pentecost; and though I am not attending the class, I have read the book on my own and found it enlightening and enriching.  Tired by the end of the day, I found myself looking forward to reading pages of the book before retiring for the night.
In this book the author describes ways we can experience God in our everyday activities.   She shares meaningful ways we can discover the sacred in the little things we do and see.  She gives examples such as hanging clothes on a clothesline becomes an act of meditation if we pay attention to what we are doing and taking the time to notice the sights, smells, and sounds around us.  Or, by making eye contact with the cashier at the grocery store, we can experience a moment of true human connection.  The author notes if we include practices such as these into our daily lives, we can begin to discover altars everywhere we go, in most everything we do.  We can find God in the simple tasks of our everyday living, making these daily acts and tasks spiritual expressions. 
After reading the book, I thought it would be interesting to put into practice what I have learned and to report my experience to the above questions.  I note that I had to make a conscientious effort to find and experience God in the daily routines I have done without much forethought in the past.  Taking care of my elderly dog has been challenging lately.  I try now to patiently and unhurriedly provide for her needs, since she now requires more attention and assistance.  I feel that she was entrusted in my care, so I want to make her senior years as comfortable as possible, having been my loyal companion for 13 years.  Though I never considered commuting to/from SF a daily grind, I now appreciate the bus drivers who navigate the commute traffic so that I could spend some quiet time perusing my newspaper or enjoying the magnificent view unfold before me.  Though it may be an inconvenience to wait for good weather to do the wash and hang it outside to dry, I now appreciate the practice of conserving energy by engaging the warm sun and gentle breeze to naturally dry my wash, always leaving everything fresh, clean, and crisp.  Taking my car in recently for servicing, I realized that I have taken for granted all these years the trust that I have placed in the owner and his mechanic for their skills in caring for my 23 year old car, so that I would have a peace of mind and that my car will run safely for many years to come. 
An Altar in the World:  A Geography of Faith has given me a new insight and a new perspective in making my daily moments an opportunity of finding God in my very midst.   If I am intent on finding God, I will find His presence everywhere and in everything.  It is true as the author notes in Isaiah 30:21:  And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it.”  Amen.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Videos for 6-10-12

Chinese Choir

Chinese Sermon

English Sermon - "We Are Family or Family, Reconsidered", Mark 3:20-35, Pastor Emily

Sunday, June 10, 2012

2012 Annual Conference Recommendations & Resolutions [Part 2]

CCUMC’s Lay Delegate, Becky Wong
 
This is Part 2 of a series to help inform you about issues that will be coming before the members of the Cal/Nevada Annual Conference, June 20-23.  Please hold these items in your prayer.

Item 11 concerns a church property at 1525 Waller Street in San Francisco. This was formerly Hamilton UMC, and is currently being used by Bethany UMC as well as the Committee on Archives and History. The current proposal would put the property under the Conference Board of Camp and Retreat Ministries. Realizing the value of such a large campus, which includes a gym, the Board intends to create an urban retreat center with possibilities for many uses by groups wanting to explore and experience ministry opportunities in San Francisco.

Item 12 is called Foreclosure Protection. It pledges support of the Church for homeowners facing foreclosure and eviction and calls for a response of UM people to study the issue and join with community groups to work for fair processes to be in place. It also pledges support for the “Homeowners Bill of Rights” (authored by CA Attorney General Kamala Harris).

Item 13 is a Resolution on Bullying. It encourages churches to: (1) become informed about and to support community organizations working against bullying; (2) support local school anti-bullying programs and support gay-straight alliances; (3) call on parents to model behaviors of empathy and mutual respect; (4) preach the need to welcome and give respect to all persons; (5) be available to provide support or referrals to appropriate resource persons to all those who are affected  by bullying; (6) help parents become knowledgeable on how to talk to kids and to schools using a resource book such as “The Bullying Action Guide” by Edward F. Dragan.

English Ministry News and Notes for 6-10-12

*Annual Conference Special Offering Today! - The UMC has an ambitious goal: to end unnecessary suffering and death from malaria in  Africa by 2015. The Cal-Nev Annual Conf is committed to this goal and therefore has designed the 2012 Annual Conference Offering to go to Imagine No Malaria.

*Homework Club Summer Program Family Orientation...Today! All are invited to meet and greet, to welcome and connect with this summer's students and their families. The orientation will begin at 2:30 p.m. You can also pitch in by helping to set up and clean up!

*Small Groups Completes Another Season - This upcoming week is the final week of small group ministries for the 2011-2012 season. We celebrate each person who participated - once or weekly! We pray that God was made real to you in ever more transformative ways and that your discipleship was strengthened and deepened. Small Groups will "rest" during the summer and kick-off again in September. Let us affirm and celebrate our faithful and committed lead facilitators: Burt & Jane, Becky, Charlie & Steve.

*More Celebrations - We want to recognize and celebrate the graduates amongst our community:
 
-From 5th grade: Emma Yin
-From 8th grade: Cyrus Ng and Jeffrey Lu
-From 12th grade: Crystal Lee 
-From university: Jenny Chio and Elaine Yu
 
We will recognize these special accomplishments in worship next Sunday.  Let us lift our young people in prayer!

*Save the Date...for Fun & Fellowship! Our young folks are organizing an evening of fellowship to kick off the summer involving nachos and Bunko on Friday, June 29th, at 6:30 p.m. More information to follow.

*Sharing Hospitality - Each Sunday, people provide simple refreshments that invite the community to linger and fellowship.  This is one way we extend hospitality.  You are invited to sign up to provide refreshments during the 2nd half of the year: July—December.  Consider inviting a new friend or an old buddy to partner up and work together.  Thank you!

Called to Be Witnesses – A Pentecost Practice

On Pentecost, Rev. Renae Extrum-Fernandez, reminded us of our call to be witnesses.  “You will be my witnesses,” said Jesus to his disciples before ascending into the heavens.  Being a witness is a key practice that supports our mission: to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  Over the next 6 weeks, we will practice “witnessing” by simply sharing where we have recently seen or experienced God in our lives and how that has made a difference for us.  This week, we give thanks for the sharing of Derek Lang.

“It is normal for several students to have to be held back until the class is taught again.”  “They should get what they deserve.”  “You have to be fair to all the other students.”

These were some of the voices I heard as I was winding down the first class I ever taught at a university.  I still recall being a teenager when my swimming teacher called me “professor,” and the teaching path was on my mind when I went on for further graduate studies.  Teaching and interacting with students was fun, but grading… ughhh.  Having to judge a student and possibly set him or her back a whole year before the class would be taught again felt like playing God with their lives, and I was very uncomfortable with that responsibility.
 
And sure enough, there were a few students who were failing by the end of the semester.  I really struggled about what to do with them.  What would failing mean to their academic career?  What did it say about me as a teacher?  What would other students or professors think if I was lenient on them?
 
I thought a lot about the saying “you reap what you sow.”  Was it fair to the other students that I give them another chance to pass the course?  The parable came to mind of the vineyard workers who worked all day and complained about the Master who gave equal share to those who worked only part of the day.  The thought kept coming back to me that my job was not to mete out justice.  And while many schools emphasize competition, this really was not about one gaining at the expense of another.  Rather, my job and my service was to give the students the tools to succeed as engineers.
 
Of course, they still had to demonstrate they understood the fundamentals of the course.  I owed that to the teacher of the next class they would take, and to safety of the public who would fly the airplanes or rockets they would eventually design.  I would not be doing them any favors by passing them if they were not ready. But if it took extra time and effort that I could afford to give, then so be it.  I met with those special students to assess their comprehension of the course and eventually gave them a final assignment to demonstrate what they knew.                    
I pray that this was the right decision.  As I told a friend, there are life and death situations, but then there is everything else.  And sometimes it is good to be generous with a little grace.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Videos for 6-3-12

Chinese Choir

Chinese Sermon

English Sermon - "Hot Coal to Our Lips", Isaiah 6:1-8, Pastor Emily

Sunday, June 3, 2012

2012 Cal-Nev Annual Conference Recommendations and Resolutions (R & Rs)

Becky Wong



As your current Lay Member to Annual Conference, I attended a session to learn about the workings of the Conference and get a preview of what the proposals will be. This year there are 19 R&Rs in total that will be discerned at Annual Conference held June 20 - 23rd in Sacramento. I will highlight several in the upcoming issues of the Messenger.  Today, I highlight six that all have to do with finances and giving.  You can read further about each one at the website: cnumc.org < Annual Conference Session.



Item 2 proposes a new formula for calculating Apportionments, which is the money each local church is assessed to fund the ministries and work of the worldwide UM Church. If this recommendation is adopted, each church will be assessed a tithe, 10% of their yearly operating income, as defined on line 67 of the year-end Table III report. Income that is designated for special use (e.g. missions) is not part of this operating income. The Annual Conference budget will then be based on the apportionment tithing, not to exceed 10% above the base. Anything above the base will be evenly distributed amongst all the churches. The budget will use data from the year-end report two years prior. This is a major shift from the present method of calculating apportionments based on church expenditures.



Item 1 requests “Second Mile Giving” from each church, not to exceed 1% of the tithing base. This money will be used for District Council on Ministries, District Unions, Ethnic Minority Congregations, and New Church Development.



Items 5,6,7, and 8 insure that the Church has a plan in place to fund clergy pensions and healthcare for clergy retirees.



Let us hold this year’s Annual Conference session in our prayers!

CCUMC News and Notes for 6-3-12

*Great Thanks - What a wonderful welcome to the Holy Spirit and kick-off to our 125th year in ministry we had last week! Tremendous thanks goes to the Anniversary Task Force (Yvonne, Helena, Elsie, Leo, Gloria G., Richard, Adrienne, Becky, Steve) as well as the many, many whose hands and efforts made everything come together. Together, let's look ahead to Street Fest!

*Sending Donnie & Holly Off - We give thanks for the last 3 years of community shared with Donnie and Holly and bless them with God's continued care and direction as they return to Indiana on June 15th. Please share a time of fellowship with them following worship.

*Learning Together! - As we begin the Season after Pentecost, the Adult Sunday School will return to  the book An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor.   We studied parts of this book during Lent.   We’ll discuss 4 more chapters in June with the help of these leaders :
June  3rd,  Ch.  3 -  The Practice of Wearing Skin  - Becky & Al 
June 10th, Ch. 8 -  The Practice of  Saying No  - Laura & Adrienne
June 17th, Ch. 5 -  The Practice of Getting  Lost  - Aeri & Ben
June 24th, Ch. 7 - The Practice of Living with Purpose  - Ed & Arlene
There are still copies of the book available. If you’d like a copy, please see Charlie.

*LMUMC Food Pantry Workday - Saturday, June 9th, 9:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. You can be a part of witnessing to God's love through your actions to share food and hospitality.

*Annual Conference Special Offering - The UMC has an ambitious goal: to end unnecessary suffering and death from malaria in Africa by 2015. The Cal-Nev Annual Conference is committed to this goal and therefore has designed the 2012 Annual Conference Offering to go to Imagine No Malaria. We’ll take this special offering next Sunday, June 10th.

*Adventures in Faith (AiF) & More - Last Wednesday, we held our 6th and final AiF chapel for the school year. Deep thanks for the dedicated and faithful work of Donna, Peggy, Becky, Richard, Adrienne, Jonathan, Theresa S., and others who made this possible. Next Sunday, June 10th, we'll hold a Family Orientation and Reception for Homework Club's summer program families at 2:30 p.m.. This is a time to extend hospitality by sharing your presence, bringing a snack (fruit and cookies only), and learning more about what will be happening in the
summer. Additionally, Summer AiF will kick off on Tuesday, July 2nd, and continue every Tuesday and Thursday following. Would you be willing to pitch in to this unique opportunity to plant God's seeds? To learn more, connect with Emily or Donna.

*A Prayer for Silver & Grace - We received word on Wednesday morning that Silver and Grace had been denied visas a 2nd time. This is a great disappointment to us as well as to them. Let us continue to hold our common ministry before God and pray the Holy Spirit direct us in next steps. We share appreciations for the work of the Mission Exchange Task Force: Vince, Burt, Becky, Aeri, and Pastor Emily.

Called to Be Witnesses – A Pentecost Practice

 On Pentecost Sunday, our DS, Rev. Renae Extrum-Fernandez, reminded us that:
  • Our God never calls us without sending us on a mission (think of Moses and the burning bush), 
  • Our God never sends us on a mission without empowering us to fulfill it (remember Jesus’ words to his disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you.”) 
  • So what is our mission?   To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
  • And how do we fulfill that mission? By becoming witnesses, Jesus’ witnesses. (Acts 1:8 – You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.)
Rev. Renae challenged us to become the burning bush, to live lives aflame with God’s Spirit that draws those around to turn and wonder, “Wow!  How do I get a life like that?”

Many of us – if not all – might feel a little intimidated by the thought of becoming witnesses.  Our minds might drift to people who hand out pamphlets containing the “steps to salvation” or street preachers who accost those passing by. We might think that being a witness requires us to say certain things and make certain invitations.  We might even have had a few negative experiences around witnessing.  But the reality is that being a witness is something we all know how to do.  Really!  How do I know this?  Because we bear witness – or tell someone about – the things that matter to us all the time.  And it’s not really all that different when it comes to faith.

The Lutheran pastor, theologian, and writer, David Lose, says this: “Witnessing does not mean shoving our faith down someone's throat or threatening them with eternal hellfire if they don't believe like we do. It's simply telling others where we sensed God at work -- at home or work, at church or school, through a stranger or a friend, a doctor or teacher or neighbor, even through ourselves. Bearing witness is nothing more than saying where you think God is at work in your life and the world.” You see, it’s something we all know how to do though we might be a little out of practice.

And so….during Pentecost, we’re going to commit to “getting in shape” by a simple practice.  We’re going to share with each other where we think God is at work by reflecting on and answering these two questions:

  • How have you experienced God recently in your life?
  • And how has that made a difference to you?
We’ll do this through the Messenger – this very space, as well as in worship.  I’m certain that within weeks, we’ll start to see a change in that somewhat flabby witnessing muscle of ours.  It’ll start feeling easier and easier each time we do it.  It’ll get stronger and more defined.  And before we know it, sharing the way God is at work in our lives and the world will become just as easy – and comfortable - as sharing about a really wonderful book we’re reading, a great recipe we’ve found, or the wonders of our recent travels.

Happy Pentecost, dear witnesses of Christ!  Come, Holy Spirit, come!