|
by Pastor Gen Heywood
As we entered into 2009, we have spent six weeks exploring what it means to be in covenant.
Week 1. We started with the three basics; what covenant is, what the expectations of covenant are, and what to do when we fall out o covenant.
A. “Covenant is something that we enter by choice. It is not a quid pro quo. It is historical and relational. It is active, requiring discernment and spiritual maturity. Covenant is a work in progress.”
Elizabeth Nordbeck, Annual Meeting of the Northern California Nevada Conference UCC, 2006.
B. The expectations of covenant are
1. Fidelity: Every covenant includes an expectation that the partners in the covenant will be faithful to their common purpose.
2. Commitment to build up the relationship: Every covenant expects that the partners in the
covenant will work together to improve the common purpose (improve the marriage, improve the society, improve the church).
3. Commitment to unity rather than destruction and division: Every covenant expects that those in partnership will communicate with one another in a way that leads to understanding rather than separation.
4. Commitment to be a fully human being in relationship with other fully human beings. It is expected in covenant that we will need to be enlightened by one another about how we are living in our covenant.
C. And when we do not meet these expectations, we are out of covenant and need to be reminded who we are and whose we are.
Consider Matthew 18:15-17 as a starting place.
15 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
We like to think that the early church was unified and in harmony. There were problems with divisiveness and disunity. Matthew recommends three steps.
Matthew’s first step: Talk face to face. It works in every covenantal situation where there is no violence.
Matthew's second step: Talk to the person again but with others. Many ears and separate voices may bring resolution. When the separation from covenant continues, then;
Matthew’s third step. It is one we really don’t like. We modern congregationalists are good with the program, although uncomfortable, up to this point. And step three: If the person continues to act in a way that is out of covenant, tell the entire church body. Ask that person to leave until they are ready to return to the covenant where they practice fidelity, building up the body, practicing unity in purpose, and living with enough humility to be able to learn and, harder still, change.
Week 2. We looked at the covenant of being on this journey together. Our covenant gives us unity of purpose as we come from very diverse back grounds.
Week 3. We looked more closely at the specific covenant we share in baptism and how we affirm that covenant when we join as members.
Week 4. We looked at the covenant to be disciples, learners of this way of Jesus. The lectionary passages we heard reminded us to be learners who listen for the Still Speaking God, who have freedom and responsibility in our covenant relationship, and who need to overcome the prejudices that get us stuck.
Week 5. We considered what it means to be followers in covenant with the way of Jesus. We looked at Jesus’ non violent way of claiming our full humanity in our relationships with our domestic, legal, and governing situations.
Week 6. We considered what makes our spirits unclean and keeps us from fulfilling our role as members of the covenant.
If you are a member of this church, remember the pledges you took? Maybe the words have changed in the rite of membership over the years. The intent has remained the same, to live in covenant with one another.
We are a covenantal church, not a creedal church. Creeds are shared, and dare I say, required beliefs. Covenants are shared and yes, required, behaviors.
When we are baptized we take on pledges for how we will behave in this world. If we were baptized as children, our parents took those pledges for us. When we become a member of a church we take those pledges on for ourselves as well as take on a pledge of covenant with a local congregation.
Here are the pledges of our covenant as they are in our New Century Hymnal page 45:
Pastor: Do you desire to affirm your baptism into the faith and family of Jesus Christ?
Candidate: I do.
Pastor: Do each of you renounce the powers of evil and desire the freedom of new life in Christ?
Candidate: I do.
Pastor: Do you profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?
Candidate: I do.
Pastor: Do you promise, by the grace given you, to grow in Christian faith and to be a faithful member of the church of Jesus Christ, celebrating Christ’s presence and furthering Christ’s mission in all the world?
Candidate: I promise with the help of God.
And on page 46 comes the Question About Participation.
Pastor: “Do you promise to participate in the life and mission of this family of God’s people, sharing regularly in the worship of God and enlisting in the work of this local congregation as it serves this community and the world?”
Candidate: I promise, with the help of God.
Our covenant is to behave as people joined together following this way of Jesus. We promise to be learners. We promise to attend worship. We promise to continue to develop our spiritual life.
We promise to work for the good of this local congregation and for the betterment of our world. The expectations are for fidelity, a commitment to build up the body, a commitment to work toward unity, as well as a recognition of our humanity and the humanity of others.
On the Sunday before New Year’s Day, we were invited to make our New Year’s resolution one of deepening in all our covenantal relationships especially our covenant as part of this local congregation. Come to worship. Read your Bible. Spend time in prayer. Participate in the mission and ministry of this community. Renew your covenant with God and one another.
With Blessings,
Pastor Gen
Continuing the Journey
from Violence to Wholeness
Our next
PACE E BENE WORKSHOP
exploring nonviolent living
will be on
Saturday, March 7
in our Chapel
from 9 AM - 5 PM.
Please, contact the office to sign up.
(408)739-3285 or conglchurch@earthlink.net
“To resort to power one need not be violent, and to speak to conscience one need not be meek. The most effective action both resorts to power and engages conscience.” Barbara Deming (1917-1984)
Blessings,
Pastor Gen
______________________________
Join Pastor Gen in prayer for our church
Tuesday mornings from 9:00-9:30 am.
Take a few minutes for prayer
wherever you are
to seek special guidance for our church.
______________________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Open Position on the
Worship and Community Board
We meet once every month on Sundays after Worship to reflect with Pastor Gen on worship elements and plan for fellowship events of our church community. If you may consider serving with us, please talk to any member of the board (Marilyn, Pat, Mary and Ina) or to Pastor Gen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Needed:
Sunday School Teachers
and Assistants
If you think you could possibly help, please speak with Pastor Gen!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Each First Sunday of the Month:
Please Bring Items
for our FISH Program!
Reviving a Good Old Tradition:
For every Communion Sunday (first Sunday of the month), please bring in items for FISH, our clothes closet.
They are in need of used clothes in good condition, blankets, baby items, hygiene articles and non-perishable food.
***********************************************
Come join our little choir!
All abilities welcome - just drop in!
Choir practice is on Sunday mornings
at 9:30 a.m. before Worship
and on Wednesday nights from 7:45 PM
***********************************************
DRUMMING CHOIR
Come join the Choir -
 The Intergenerational
Drumming Choir!
Our drumming choir began in September 2008, as a hope and vision of our pastor.
Goal
The goal was for an intergenerational group where everyone shares in belonging, worshiping with music, and having fun.
Drums Provided
The children and adults who drum on Sundays have a drum assigned to them. After playing 30 times (in worship and in workshops) the drum becomes the drummer’s own.
Ages
The youngest in the group is 3 and the oldest, well, let’s say the oldest is over 40.
We currently have 6 adults drumming and 17 children.
Drumming and Children's Choir rehearse each Sunday at 10:10 AM with Worship at 10:30 AM - and we welcome all to join us at 10:10 AM.
DRUMMING CLASSES
Intergenerational Drumming Classes
When:
Sunday, Feb. 8: 12-1PM for beginners
1-2PM beginner & intermediate
Sunday, Feb. 22: 5-7 PM beginner & intermediate
Sunday, March 8: 12-1 PM for beginners
1-2 PM beginner & intermediate.
Sunday, March 22: 5-7 PM beginner & intermediate.
Sunday, April 12: EASTER
Drumming in worship,
no drumming afterward
Sunday, April 19: 5-7 PM beginner & intermediate.
Where:
In the Sanctuary of our Church
Description:
Ariem will be teaching a beginner's drumming class that will introduce drum basics including basic styles of hand drums, cultures and playing techniques.
This class will feature tempo, rhythm and "call and answer" aspects of hand drumming.
Also featured will be hand exercises and how NOT to hurt yourself.
Most important is having fun and enjoying yourself. Be prepared to laugh and have a good time - all while learning how to enrich your life through drumming.
Drums
If you have a drum, bring it. If you don't have a drum, bring yourself.
We will be preparing a drumming Alleluia for Easter!
And we are continuing to play at least one piece each Sunday in Worship. These classes are open to all ages!
Cost
A heartfelt donation for Ariem is appreciated.
Techniques for
Christian Centering
An adult education study
for the
Congregational Community Church
of Sunnyvale
Wednesdays
March 4 – April 8, 2009
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
This six-evening series will focus on the importance of centering in the spiritual development of Christian people. Each of these classes will begin with background information and will proceed with a guided discussion of the topic.
The course will also provide the opportunity for participants to try various techniques for centering.
The course topics do not build one each other, and this means that you can drop in or out of this series at any time you need without loss
of continuity.
There are no preparatory readings; however, reference resources will be suggested for those wishing to dig deeper into any of the topics.
The instructor/course leader is Dr. Terry Shoup, a Professor at Santa Clara University and a graduate of SCU’s Pastoral Ministries Program. His theological specialization is spirituality and he has taught this class at other churches in the
community.
The topics to be covered are as follows:
March 4, 2009
Spirituality and Personality Type
– Understanding the relationship between our spirituality and our personality.
March 11, 2009
Prayer and Spirituality
– Understanding the fundamental elements of prayer and the scriptural foundations of our Christian spirituality.
March 18, 2009
Centering prayer
– Exploring the role of centering prayer in modern Christianity.
March 25, 2009
Lectio Divina
– Adapting the ancient practice of “praying the scriptures” to the needs and situations of modern Christianity.
April 1, 2009
Theological Reflection
– Understanding the possibilities and techniques helpful in the search for meaning.
April 8, 2009
Opening Boundaries
– Utilizing centering practices of diverse traditions to augment our own centering.
 UCC IDENTITY SEMINARS
To register, email office@ncncucc.org or phone 510 247 8995
There is no registration fee, but we need to know you're coming so we can provide space and food.
UCC IDENTITY SEMINAR 1:
MINISTRY IN THE UCC
Most everything you ever wanted to know about the processes of authorization for ministry, standards for accountability, expectations of authorized ministers
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Saturday, February 7
San Leandro Community UCC/ABC
1395 Bancroft Ave,
at the corner of Joaquin Ave in San Leandro
UCC IDENTITY SEMINAR 2:
UCC HISTORY
This Seminar will be part of Church Day -- See the February-March Pacific for more info
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Saturday, March 21
Orinda Community UCC,
10 Irwin Way
UCC IDENTITY SEMINAR 3:
UCC POLITY
How we're organized; how we do things
11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Thursday, May 28
Asilomar, Pacific Grove
UCC IDENTITY SEMINAR 4:
UCC THEOLOGY
UCC Theologies/UCC Theologizing
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Saturday, October 3
College Avenue UCC,
1341 College Ave, Modesto
Church Day Events!
Don't miss our first two All-Conference Church Days! Save the dates now so you can enjoy special events filled with your fellow NCNCers, discovering a variety of resources, workshops, ideas and connections.
March 21, 2009 - 9am-4pm
Community UCC, Orinda
Topics to be covered during Church Day 1 include:
• How to be a church moderator
• Summer Children's Programs
• Youth Ministry
• Young Adult Ministry
• Stewardship in Tough Economic Times
• Professional Boundary Training (for authorized ministers who wish to complete their 6 hour requirement)
• UCC History, led by the Rev. Frank Baldwin (all day session, part 2 of the 4 part UCC Identity Seminars)
October 3, 2009 - 10am - 4pm
College Avenue Congregational UCC,
Modesto
Topics to be covered during Church Day 2 include:
• UCC Theologies / UCC Theologizing
• ... and much more ...
SACRED
CONVERSATIONS
When the Administrative Action "Call to Sacred Conversations on Race" was adopted by the delegates to the 2008 Conference Annual Meeting, MMTT
[the Multi-Racial, Multi-Cultural Transformation Team]
was called upon to "encourage the sacred conversations on race and racism throughout the Conference; to be in communication with the Local Churches and Associations of the Conference to spark interest and to receive word of the conversations that take place."
In partial fulfillment of that charge MMTT offers the following:
1. An MMTT page will soon appear on the Conference website:
www.ncncucc.org.
Churches will have the opportunity to review resources MMTT members have compiled, read stories of what churches are already doing with this topic, and share your own stories of your church's sacred conversations.
2. MMTT invites each church to ask its own members and friends to reflect on the following question: "What is your personal understanding of racism and have you or are you now experiencing it?" and share your thoughts with MMTT.
Responses can be sent to Rev. Drew Nettinga dsnett@ncncucc.org
While you may remain anonymous in your response, it would be helpful to know your ethnic/racial background, although this information, too, is not required. MMTT will post your reflections on the MMTT page at ncncucc.org.
Through The Pacific and the Conference website, MMTT will let you know of other opportunities to live ever more fully into our sacred conversations on race. In the meantime, your prayers for their work are deeply appreciated.
Move
with the rhythm
of abundance,
Did you know that our moderator Mei Wang and our Pastor Gen are members of the MMTT?
Please feel encouraged to approach them with any questions or comments you may have!
 
January 2009
by our Treasurer Bonnie Harvey
January has been a busy month for numbers. This is the month that we begin to use Quickbooks financial software for basic church reporting. The council requested this change to match the preschool, who is already reporting with Quickbooks, as we prepare to be audited without a major expense in getting books audit-ready. We will run reports in both old (Peachtree) and new software for two months. This is also the month that 1099’s go out to unincorporated for-profit vendors, stating what we have paid them (an IRS requirement). For both the basic church and the church owned and operated preschool I sent out 15 1099’s.
All of this would not be possible without the wonderful work of Ina Bork, our bookkeeper.
The December financial report (to be reviewed by F&P and Council) shows that on our approved in the annual meeting budget of $367,000 we are at 59% of income and 52% of expenses. Since this is the end of the seventh month, we are somewhat lower than expected in each category.
 Looking Ahead
- Please Mark Your Calendars!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
2nd Workshop
with
PACE e BENE
on
Non-Violent Communication
UCC NCNC
Annual Gathering at Asilomar
May 28-31, 2009
Highlights include:
- The beautiful Asilomar Conference Grounds
- Outstanding worship experiences
- An exciting youth program
- Making connections and meeting new people
- Discovering new resources for yourself and for your church.
No matter where you are on life's journey,
If you have been to Annual Meeting 50 times, or if this will be your first experience,
Whether you are a delegate or not,
You are welcome here!
Please speak with Pastor Gen
if you are interested in attending!
Communicator Deadline
Deadline for the March 2009 edition of our Communicator is Tuesday, February 24, 2009.
We accept submissions of texts, photos & graphics at our office, 1112 S. Bernardo Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94087 or via e-mail (conglchurch@earthlink.net).
Office Hours: Tuesdays - Fridays 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Gabriel’s Trumpet
10:30 a.m. for Sunday Worship Service and Sunday School
Children’s Sunday School begins after “Children’s Time” with the Pastor
11:30 a.m. – Fellowship (approximate time)
Chapel for Preschoolers Friday mornings 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Come join us!
Worship & Fellowship
Every Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
(nursery & childcare provided)
Bible Study Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.
Choir Rehearsal, Wednesdays at 7:45 p.m.
Sunday, February 8
after Worship:
Listening Session
Noon - 2:00 PM
Drumming Workshop
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Worship and Community Board Meeting
Sunday, February 15
after Worship:
Listening Session
Tuesday, February 17, 4 PM
Finance & Personnel Board Meeting
Wednesday, February 18, 11:00 AM
Women’s Fellowship Luncheon
Thursday, February 19, 6:30 PM
Church Council Meeting
Sunday, February 22
after Worship:
Listening Session
Monday, February 23, 6:30 PM
Pre-School Board Meeting
ASH WEDNESDAY
Feb. 25, 7:00 PM
Service of Oil and Ashes
|
