Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.  1 Peter 4:10

In just a couple of weeks it will be a year since my husband, Bobby, retired from 35 years of working at Northrop Grumman. His time at Northrop brought him both celebrations and struggles. It has taken him some time to decompress from those 35 years and to rediscover who he is and what he would like to do in this new season of his life.

Recently there was a need for volunteers to help with our shower ministry. Bobby decided that he would give this a try.  He was told that he could choose how many times a week or month he would like to volunteer. He opted to work both days that the showers were in operation.
Volunteering is a new thing for him and in some ways is really taking him out of his comfort zone.  Bobby leans towards introvertness. While he is on campus, I always make my way out to the courtyard to say hi and see him in action.  I see him building relationships with our guests, growing in his confidence and really coming into his own as a volunteer of the shower ministry. He has really blossomed. I always head back to my office with a big smile and a warm feeling. 

I’m proud of him for trying something new and for stretching himself. I have seen such growth in his emotional and mental well being since he has started volunteering. We often think of the shower ministry, and other ministries we offer, as a ministry for those we serve but they are also a ministry for the volunteers as well because they offer an opportunity for growth and renewal for everyone involved. 

Loving God, With You every day is a new day where Your love and grace enable us to blossom into the person that you desire.  For this we give thanks. We are grateful for those that give of their time to be the light in this world and for those opportunities to grow and become renewed. Help us to get out of our comfort zone so that we can be in ministry in new ways.  Amen.

Marty

“From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’” – Matthew 16:21-23

One tenet of 12-step and recovery programs is that change often only happens when the pain of using is greater than the pain of not using. This is often referred to as “hitting rock bottom.”  Some folks never hit bottom, and many deny that there is any pain. In the same way, many folks are reluctant to go to the dentist because they fear pain, or don’t want to hear any bad news. But let me tell you: the pain from a cracked tooth is much greater than the pain a cavity, and the pain of having that cavity addressed!

God comforts us in our pain. God heals our spiritual diseases. Jesus listens to our hurts and hopes and brings us into a new relationship with our Creator, Jesus rescues us from the power of sin and death, and brings us into new life! This is the good news!

Please notice that there is a pattern that is followed: we acknowledge our inner death, and we find revival. Jesus is like a polite and gracious visitor: He won’t enter our lives without an invitation. (Well, actually, we believe that God builds the house and the Holy Spirit clears the path to our door, but you know what I mean.)

Peter doesn’t want Jesus to talk about the painful things that will happen to him. But Jesus says that without this death, there can be no new life.

Sometimes we don’t want to talk about our fears and hurts and frustrations. We don’t want to acknowledge our need. We want to “tough it out.” And so we live in spiritual disease and stagnation  where Jesus is so ready to take that from us and give us a new start. We try to avoid admit our journey in the shadows where Jesus want to guide us into light.

And so especially in this time, I invite you to be honest. At least be honest with yourself and God. Ideally you can get to the point where you can share your hurt and frustration with another believer. Talking with God and with a friend might not make everything perfect, but you will certainly find your load lightened.

Pastor George

Jesus, our friend and our hope, we open ourselves to you. Shine your light in the shadowy places of our lives. Allow us to name our hidden hurts, fear,  and anger so that you can transform them into peace, confidence, and joy. Help us to experience your refreshing love moving in and through us. In your holy name we pray. Amen.

Your questions for this Sunday:

1. What does it mean to you to be “Born Again” or “Born From Above”?
2. What has refreshed your spirit in this time of isolation?
3. What in your life could be made new?

God is our refuge and strength,
   a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
   though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
   though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

Come, behold the works of the Lord;
   see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
   he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
   he burns the shields with fire.
‘Be still, and know that I am God!
   I am exalted among the nations,
   I am exalted in the earth.’
The Lord of hosts is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our refuge.

— Psalm 46:1-3, 8-11 (NRSV)

Many of us are frustrated today. We want to know results and they are slow in coming. Where there are results we don’t understand why things didn’t go our way, or the way we thought they would. This might be true of politics, but it just as easily be about COVID-19, or the economy, or our spiritual lives.

We aren’t sure what to do in these times. Sometimes we are paralyzed and just watch the same stories over and over. At other times we focus on things we feel we can control and district ourselves with busy, ultimately meaningless repetition.

I encourage you to pull back a bit, to pause and to reflect. When you do so, you might be able to get the big picture. This is the invitation of the psalmist. Be still for a moment, and remember both who you are and who God is. Then you find refreshment of your spirit and will be able to act in meaningful, effective ways.

This leads us to act in faith, even when we don’t know everything. Indeed, the author of the letter to the Hebrews writes, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV)

Right now, your church Committee on Finance are working on a budget for the year of our Lord 2021. We don’t know exactly what giving will be like in the coming year. We do have a good idea that the congregation will be faithful and generous, because you always have been! We want to be ready to be in ministry from day one; literally the first day of the new year. So we are stepping out in faith.

We invite you to step out in faith as well. We invite you to be still for a moment, and know that God is with you. With all of the changes and restrictions of this year, God has been a rock and a relief. Through God-given courage and imagination, the church of Jesus, and the expression of that known as Community UMC of Huntington Beach has been able to adapt and to remain present for you.

We don’t know what challenges and opportunities the new year will bring. We DO know that we will be here for you and with you. Join us as together we revive!

Pastor George

We cast our anxiety upon you, O God, revive us again! Help us to step out into the unknown in faith. Keep the other always in our mind and cause us to be kind and caring, following the example of our friend, Jesus. Amen.

Equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:21

What would we do without the blessing of technology and the people who understand it and help us use it?  Technology is a blessing and a curse.  We love it when it works and have a bad day when it doesn’t, especially during a lockdown since technology is the main way we communicate with our church family and get our ministry and work done.  This morning our internet was out.  That means no emails, not being able to get my daily blessing out on time etc.  One of our wonderful tech people Kelly Smith came over and got it to work after we called the service from our provider, which was no help.  Kelly got us up and running in about 15 minutes.  Now you wouldn’t think of tech people using their gifts and knowledge for ministry, but in these times, we are at a loss without them.  Without Bill Fugard, Kelly Smith, and Doug Blue your church would not be able to the ministry that we are able to do.  They are a daily blessing to all of us, working behind the scenes, using their knowledge to help us in ministry. We have many folks who work behind the scenes to get all the ministry done here at CUMC and you are all a blessing to us and to ministry every day.  We would literally be lost without you. We are blessed to have so many folks who will work together to get the work of the church done for God.

Gracious and Loving God, we are so thankful for all the people who come together to work to get your work done here on earth.  We are thankful that you can use our gifts to further your kingdom on earth.  Help us to remember that we all have a part in our church family and that we are important in the ministry of our church, your church.  Open our hearts to ways that we can serve you, be ministering to others.  In Christ name we pray. Amen

Stay safe, stay well and be the hope you wish to see in the world. Suzanne

“…I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you.” Psalms 26:1b-3

I have begun the task of preparing my living room to be painted. It is a daunting task, with removing everything from the walls and filling the holes, cracks and the “how and when did THAT happen?” spots. As I was removing pictures off some shelves, I saw a tiny picture of me sitting in the middle of my grandparents, I’m about 3 or 4 years old and we are on the front steps of their front porch. As we approach All Saint’s Day this Sunday, I stopped my fussing with things and spent a little time remembering them.

This set of grandparents were my dad’s parents, they began their family at older ages. Therefore, I do not have a life time of memories. My grandma Rose Passed away when I was 7 and my grandpa Hugh passed away 5 years later. I remember their house, they lived on 4^th street in Long Beach not far from Ocean Blvd., they had a detached garage and the driveway had a pergola that was covered with concord grapes. They had a front porch swing that I absolutely loved to swing on and their backyard was full of wild flowers.

My grandma played the piano, an old upright that is now in my possession that my brother and I took lessons on. This piano still has a picture drawn with crayons under the keyboard that my dad and his brother drew when they were quite young. My grandma would only play church songs and when my dad came home and played some boogie woogie on it he said his mom thought it was going to go up in flames! I remember playing go fish with my grandma, not the card game, but a game made with wood spools that had a bent paper clip stuck in the middle of the spool and a bent paper clip tied onto a piece of string like a fishing pole. The idea was to try to pick up the most fish (spools) that you could in a small amount of time. Simple but I remember it very well, and as a special treat we would sit in the small built-in in the kitchen corner and have a scoop of vanilla ice cream with Hershey’s syrup on top, I believe that’s where my love of ice cream began. What I remember of my grandpa is not a lot. He was in WWI, was a Bank Teller and then a Taxi driver, but when he was around he was a kind and gentle soul.  

My grandparents had strong faith, always went to church and raised their family to love God and others. I’m grateful to have these memories as few as they are and I believe our loved ones souls continue to move among us in ways we are not fully aware of. They are the saints that raised us and continue to influence our hearts.

“People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun’s out. When the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light within.”—Anonymous

Brenda

Thank you God, for the saints that came before us long ago and for those in our lives today. May our hearts be forever grateful for those that have shown us how to love you through ordinary ways. May we in turn lead in love for the world and generations to come. Amen.