February 7, 2016 "CONSPICUOUS ... I GUESS!"

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We believe in God, the creator of heaven and earth.
We accept God’s abundant grace granted while we were being made in secret.
We believe that God’s testimony is written upon our hearts.
God forgives our rebelliousness and cleanses us of all guilt.
We believe in Jesus Christ.
God anointed him to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives,
to bind up the brokenhearted, heal the sick, and to comfort those who mourn.
We believe in the eternal healing power of Jesus’ name.
We believe in the Holy Spirit who comes to all who are new beings in Christ, Jesus.
The Spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us according to the will of God.
We believe in the church, empowered as the very real Body of Christ,
to bring good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to the captives,
bind up the brokenhearted, heal the sick, and comfort those who mourn.
We believe prayers offered in Jesus’ name will heal the soul, the mind and the body.
Thanks be to God!
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Glorious and most Radiant God, we are awed by the brilliant plan of your universe, and the unfathomable, infinite length and breadth of it all. We confess how easy it is to get weighed down by the minutiae and myriad tasks that fill our days as we try to keep our lives organized, healthy and safe. This is the day we are invited to accompany Peter, James and John, to witness the transfiguration of Jesus on your holy mountain. Help us embrace our place with the disciples allowing our mind’s eye to see what they were privileged to see. Let us linger in the wonder of the story for awhile before allowing today’s list of all that must be done to encroach on our thoughts. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
OFFERING INVITATION
My father was a frugal man. He taught us never to throw away a perfectly good pair of shoes until the cobbler tells you there is no hope of repairing them. I will tell you that after all of our college tuitions were paid, he discovered Gucci loafers and did some splurging. The word frugal is derived from the Latin frugi meaning: useful, proper, economic, worthy. It is further derived from the word frux meaning fruit or produce, which in olden days figuratively referred to success. Fruitful endeavors were and still are successful, profitable endeavors. So being frugal isn’t about hoarding our fruit or holding back our produce; it is about choosing wisely and identifying worthy endeavors, which will make the best and most valuable use of our produce. The church is our fruitful endeavor.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your blessing upon the gifts we bring. We offer them with full and grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us in our use of them. Proclaiming our belief that all things are possible with you, we offer ourselves in service, seeking always, in the name of the Christ, to do your work and will. Amen.

January 31, 2016 "CIRCUMSTANCES BEING THUS..."

AN AFFIRMATION FOR THE SEASON OF EPIPHANY
We believe in God, the creator of all things, the giver of life and breath.
We believe in Jesus Christ, born Emmanuel, God with us, baptized and revealed the most beloved Son of God. He sought to heal humanity by taking our brokenness upon himself, suffering for us and ultimately dying for us.
God raised Jesus from the dead for our sake and for the sake of all the world.
We believe that he will come again.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, continually poured forth from the Creator
as refreshment for our souls.
The Spirit leads us into the new day, ever-birthing believers, and transforming the church, the body of Christ for the healing of the world.
This Spirit is our soul companion and counselor of truth reminding us of the gift of faith, the ever presence of God, and the promise of eternal life.
By faith in the promises we are reborn, refreshed and renewed.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
O, most merciful and patient God, we are reminded today how easily we can become set in our ways, comfortable with the status quo. As we grow up, mature and age collecting the bumps and bruises that come with life’s experiences we long embrace the familiar, and often wriggle away from ideas or individuals that challenge our thinking too radically. Then again, we must confess that we have decided to follow Jesus, and we realize that his words and ideas have both comforted and discomfited humankind for over two thousand years. When we find ourselves in resistance mode, afraid to say “Yes, Yes” to your challenge; help us turn our eyes upon Jesus. Cause us to look fully in his wonderful face. Let us see in his eyes the light of your unending grace and the assurance that all will be well. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
OFFERING INVITATION
THE HOLINESS OF GRATITUDE
When this church was built in 1965 the ground upon which it was constructed was consecrated by Bishop Kennedy. In other words Bishop Kennedy called upon the presence and power of God to make the ground under our feet HOLY GROUND. To consecrate something, then is to make it holy. Today, on this final Sunday of our Gratitude Campaign we invite you, if you have not already done so, to make your pledge of support to the ministries of this church.
Now the word "pledge" carries an interesting history: As a verb it refers to a promise of something to someone. It refers also to a promise of faith, to be responsible for something or someone. It has the sense of making a solemn promise, standing surety for, and guaranteeing that promise. Did you know that to pledge one’s allegiance originally meant to make a vow attested to by drinking with another. Much later in the history of the word "pledge," taking the pledge, meant to abstain from drinking. When we pledge allegiance to our nation, we don’t lift our glasses and utter the pledge, we put our hand over our heart and repeat the pledge or salute if we are military. It is a solemn promise. No matter the contradictions in its references throughout history, what the church asks for in any Stewardship campaign such as this one, is your pledge of support, your solemn promise of support.
We are not consecrating the pledge card or the amount of you pledge. We are consecrating your promise and the promise and the promise of your leaders to be prudent with your pledged support.
This church currently boasts a membership of 238 individuals. Of those 238 individuals 106 pledged their support in writing in 2015. 81 members gave, but were not moved to pledge. Counted in the number of givers were those members who gave $1 to the church in 2015. And finally there were 49 members who did neither, that is, they neither pledged nor gave to support the ministries of the church.
I visited my lawyer the other day to prepare my living trust --my accountant has been bugging me for two years to get it done. The trust will determine how my assets will be divided up and parceled out when I am dead and gone. I designated the UMC PS as one of the beneficiaries and my lawyer asked who I would like to name as an alternate beneficiary if the church no longer existed when my assets were being distributed. I got a little testy when he said that, but said: "The Claremont School of Theology, then."
Today we consecrate and make holy your pledge, your commitment to glorify God here, now, and in the future, by sustaining this church as a place of welcome for all who follow Jesus Christ, for all who seek him out, to love him, and embrace his commandments, working for the kingdom of God.
Consecration Prayer: Gracious God, pour out your blessings upon the promises we make and the promises we keep. Remind us of the many opportunities we have to respond to your love, mercy and goodwill with gratitude. Give us the courage to commit a portion of the many blessings you have given us to the building up of your kingdom upon the earth. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your blessing upon the gifts we bring. We offer them with full and grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us in our use of them. Proclaiming our belief that all things are possible with you, we offer ourselves in service, seeking always, in the name of the Christ, to do your work and will. Amen.

January 24, 2016 "WILD IN THE WILDERNESS"

AN AFFIRMATION FOR THE SEASON OF EPIPHANY
We believe in God, the creator of all things, the giver of life and breath.
We believe in Jesus Christ, born Emmanuel, God with us, baptized and revealed the most beloved Son of God. He sought to heal humanity by taking our brokenness upon himself, suffering for us and ultimately dying for us.
God raised Jesus from the dead for our sake and for the sake of all the world.
We believe that he will come again.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, continually poured forth from the Creator
as refreshment for our souls.
The Spirit leads us into the new day, ever-birthing believers, and transforming the church, the body of Christ for the healing of the world.
This Spirit is our soul companion and counselor of truth reminding us of the gift of faith, the ever presence of God, and the promise of eternal life.
By faith in the promises we are reborn, refreshed and renewed.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Wondrous God, our most gracious creator and sovereign of the universe, we thank you for this day, this sanctuary, and this opportunity to attend to your word. With eager hearts and minds we anticipate moments of discovery when we will discern your will for us. Remind us when we awake each morning and when we drift off to sleep at night that you are ever at work prodding our spirits onward toward your kingdom come upon the earth. Fill us with your truth, and teach us how to be merciful to one another. In a world nourished on anxiety and resentment we seek only to be filled with reverence and forgiveness. We pray in the name of the Christ. Amen.

UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your blessing upon the gifts we bring. We offer them with full and grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us in our use of them. Proclaiming our belief that all things are possible with you, we offer ourselves in service, seeking always, in the name of the Christ, to do your work and will. Amen.

JOIN THE GRATITUDE CAMPAIGN WITH A PLEDGE

Newsletter Article January 15, 2016 "TALKING WITH GOD" (Template for Conversation included)

TALKING TO GOD

Many of us love to read the Psalms, but perhaps haven’t thought about them as conversations with God. We know the ones we really like, because they sound like love letters to God. There are others we are not so fond of because they sound more akin to a rant than a rational conversation. For example, we like Psalm 84, because it soothing, assuring, comforting all the way through: “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.” Now Psalm 35, on the other hand, is not particularly inviting to ponder for its vengeful tenor: “Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me! ...Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life.” But the Psalms are conversations, songs, and pleadings addressed to God that reflect every human mood and attitude. They are sometimes thoughtful, sometimes spontaneous, and each and every one of them is a permission slip and prescription for us to converse with God no matter what mood we happen to be in.
Last Sunday I mentioned I had spoken to an individual who asked me to pray for her, which could mean she was asking that I offer a prayer on her behalf. There are those who may think that the prayers of the ordained carry more weight than everyone else. There are those who think that the ordained know the right words, or the right formula, that promises to get the prayer job done most effectively. I asked the young woman if she, herself, prayed. Her immediate response was to bow her head turning her face downward and her head away from me as if embarrassed by the question. She said: “Well I ask God to forgive me.” I encouraged her not to be afraid to have regular conversations with God, and not to worry too much about the content, because God is able to discern the intent.
We started our Gratitude Campaign on January 10th and I thought to share with you my fill-in-the-blank Gratitude Template one more time, but I have decided, instead to share a fill-in-the-blank “Talking to God Template.” Let this serve as a helpful guide for conversing with God.
Blessings,

Rev. Amanda

January 17, 2016 Human Relations Sunday "ALL WORK AND NO PLAY..."

AN AFFIRMATION FOR THE SEASON OF EPIPHANY
We believe in God, the creator of all things, the giver of life and breath.
We believe in Jesus Christ, born Emmanuel, God with us, baptized and revealed the most beloved Son of God. He sought to heal humanity by taking our brokenness upon himself, suffering for us and ultimately dying for us.
God raised Jesus from the dead for our sake and for the sake of all the world.
We believe that he will come again.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, continually poured forth from the Creator
as refreshment for our souls.
The Spirit leads us into the new day, ever-birthing believers, and transforming the church, the body of Christ for the healing of the world.
This Spirit is our soul companion and counselor of truth reminding us of the gift of faith, the ever presence of God, and the promise of eternal life.
By faith in the promises we are reborn, refreshed and renewed.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
O, Most loving and merciful God, Creator of the Universe, on this Human Relations Sunday, we are called to open our eyes and see that we are not a one-size-fits-most world made up of homogenized people. We are neither the same type, size, color or shape. English is not the first language of everyone. Rather we are diverse, in all our attributes and aspects, likes and dislikes, gifts and frailties. What we share, in common is our devotion to you and our desire to live out the commandment to love one another as you love us. As this year unfolds, give us the will and the courage to be open to diversity, new experiences, and the gifts that will be shared by the hands, hearts and souls belonging to unfamiliar faces. All this we pray in the name of the Christ who shows us the way of welcome. Amen.
GRATITUDE CAMPAIGN INVITATION TWO
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your blessing upon the gifts we bring. We offer them with full and grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us in our use of them. Proclaiming our belief that all things are possible with you, we offer ourselves in service, seeking always, in the name of the Christ, to do your work and will. Amen.

January 10, 2016 "God WITH US"

AN AFFIRMATION FOR EPIPHANY
We believe in God, the creator of all things, the giver of life and breath.
We believe in Jesus Christ, born Emmanuel, God with us, baptized and revealed the most beloved Son of God;
he sought to heal humanity by taking our brokenness upon himself, suffering for us and ultimately dying for us.
God raised Jesus from the dead for our sake and for the sake of all the world.
We believe that he will come again.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, continually poured forth form the Creator as refreshment for our souls.
The Spirit leads us into the new day, ever-birthing believers and transforming the body of Christ for the healing of the world.
This Spirit is our soul companion and counselor of truth reminding us of the gift of faith,
the ever presence of God, and the promise of eternal life.
By faith in the promises we are reborn, refreshed and renewed.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Wondrous and Mysterious Creator, we have come to glorify your name. Accept our best efforts to give you thanks and praise. We realize that we can praise your name and thank you every day at home, at work, at school, even in the bathtub, but there is something awe-inspiring about offering praise in the company of those with like-hearts. We confess a kind of longing to get back to a routine when the holidays are over. In so doing we may leave the message of Emmanuel behind with the discarded boxes, wrapping paper and bows. But you, O God, are ever with us, in ways we cannot begin to comprehend. And so, we embrace that truth, trusting that each of our days will begin and end in you. O Lord, hear our prayer, in the name of the Christ. Amen.

THE INVITATION TO BE A PART OF OUR GRATITUDE CAMPAIGN
Today we begin our annual Stewardship Campaign. We are calling it the Gratitude Campaign. A few months ago I asked members of the church to play with a fill-in-the-blank form which I called the Gratitude Template. I asked folks to fill in the blanks with their responses. What fills you with a sense of gratefulness? Are you grateful to God for anything and how do you show your gratitude? Today I begin our campaign sharing what makes my heart grateful.
I confess I have spent some time lately pondering my future as an individual, no longer active in the workforce, e.g. my life as an unemployed pastor. Don’t looked so shocked, many of you have found yourselves in the same position thinking about who you will be and what you will do when facing -- that word that shall remain unspoken, but which defines the time in one’s life when one is no longer working a full time job, whether it is saying good-bye to one’s own business, chosen career, vocation, or to the company that has been loyal and offered great benefits.
You can ask just about anyone who knows me and they will tell you that the 10 years I have spent with you – so far-- have been the best years of my ministerial career. I am so very grateful to God and Kathy Middle for helping us find each other back in 2005, over 10 years ago, now.
I have heard our winter folks, some of whom are life-long United Methodists, say: “Gee, I can’t believe you are still here. Don’t the Methodists have a practice of moving pastors around every three years, or so? You’ve been pastoring this church longer than most.” Mind you, the folks who make this observation aren’t upset; they are just surprised. For the most part they are glad, and in some cases relieved, to see me, because my presence here completes their vision of their church-home away from home.
We were apart from 2006 to 2007, but reunited in 2007. We were nearly parted again in 2011, but God who is good all the time, kept that from happening. We have triumphed together working to revitalize our mission, purpose and presence in this community.
What was for a time viewed as little remote church in the desert, is now known far and wide to be a place of spiritual significance and welcome where anyone is invited to come in and Experience God’s wondrous and powerful YES.
Last Sunday I shared with you the weekly bottom line. This week I have shared how grateful I am for you. Over the next four weeks please think about how you will express your gratitude for all that God has done for us. And keep in mind that our spirits are never to be undone by anything; the work of the body is to keep the mission of the church vital and alive until Christ comes at last.
Amen.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your blessing upon the gifts we bring. We offer them with full and grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us in our use of them. Proclaiming our belief that all things are possible with you, we offer ourselves in service, seeking always, in the name of the Christ to do your work and will. Amen.