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In the meantime... A Pentecost wind blew through our congregational meeting on May 25th! As we gathered to face our challenges and make decisions about the use of our property, we tried to articulate a one-sentence statement of purpose for Plymouth Church. In an exercise that can take hours and many revisions, Jean Lindborg very quickly and clearly said, “Our purpose is to create and sustain the ministry of Christ in the world.” That summarized everything that had been said before. When I asked Jean later how she came up with that answer, she said, “I don’t know, it just came out” -- a true mark of whispering of the Spirit. Thank God Jean was listening! If we are to create and sustain the ministry of Christ, we need to be clear about what that ministry consisted of. Jesus was: A healer who mended bodies and repaired brokenness of all kinds. A reconciler who forgave, brought the marginalized in to the center, and worked for justice and peace. A teacher who instructed in the law of love and grace. A preacher who gave people a glimpse of the realm of God. And, we can’t get around this one, a radical who stepped on toes and made people uncomfortable. But this isn’t all Jesus did. If we just follow this part of Jesus’ ministry, we’ll get burned out and lose our way. Jesus also renewed himself through prayer, through retreats, through times of silence and solitude, through the study of scripture, through conversation with his friends, through worship, through banquets and parties, through times in wilderness and on mountaintops. These are the practices that allowed him to remain centered in his Divine Father-Mother and allowed him to remain centered in himself. The two words “create and sustain” are both important to remember. We are called to be co-creators of new visions. God calls us to do “a new thing” as well as sustain what has gone before. What we are called to do today won’t look like what we’ve been asked to do in other eras. With the dedication, love and hope evident during the congregational gathering, I’m sure that we’ll faithfully discern and implement our next direction. Blessings, Lois [back to top] What's Happening Welcome: to our new members who joined with Plymouth on May 12, 2002. Carolyn Collins and Elizabeth Hasychak bring spiritual gifts and an array of talent with them. We are so glad you have officially joined the Plymouth Fellowship. Carolyn Collins and Elizabeth Hasychak as new members to Plymouth Church. They come to us via transfers of membership from other United Church of Christ congregations. Elizabeth lived in the Bay Area prior to living in Virginia, Hawaii and Seattle. She works for Peerless Coffee as a special projects manager. Carolyn worked as a scientist, living in New York, Germany, North Carolina and Boston prior to attending seminary at Pacific School of Religion from which she graduated in 1997. She moved most recently from Mendocino to Oakland and is working towards becoming an ordained United Church of Christ minister. Welcome Carolyn and Elizabeth! We are blessed to have you join us. Asilomar Meeting: Rev. Lois Mueller and Carolyn attended the UCC/NCC annual meeting in Pacific Grove May 16-19. They will share their impressions and the outcomes at a future date. Asilomar is always an experience of great fulfillment and appreciation for God’s natural beauty. Music: What musical talents Plymouth enjoys each Sunday under the auspices of music director/pianist Mark Little. Greg Jones as choir director accompanies the choir on guitar. A joyous sound of praise. We also appreciate the talents of our soloists Jeanette Morris, Jamie Davis and Deborah Winters. Fellowship Hour: It is greatly appreciated that volunteers are really joining in to assist with the clean-up. We were cleaned up in no time with everyone giving a helping hand. Marylin, Dorothy and I truly thank you all. Thanks, too, for the delicious fruit salad made by Pamela of Landmark Ministries; it added to our monthly birthday celebration. Appreciation from Valerie Rivera, Kristen & Shannon Chase: Dinners have been prepared by Lucie, Yvonne, Jeanette, Dorothy, Lois, Loreen, Marylin, Carol & Bill, Patricia, and Ellen Nott (by donation). When you sign up with me you are making life easier for others, especially Lois on Sundays. Thanks for your understanding. Vacations: Bill and Carol were at Lake Arrowhead recently attending their 51st college class reunion. What a beautiful spot and great seeing and being with a group of very special friends. Minister’s Office Painting: the Church Council voted to have Lois’ office brightened up a bit and much of the painting was done during her sojourn to Asilomar. It looks great! Prayers:For our homebound; Lola Duncan, Jamie Farris, Helen Grant, Mable Lem; for Mark Little’s mother having surgery on May 20th for Loreen’s sister and family, and for her great-niece, Melissa; for the joy of Pentecost (the birthday of the church) and for the artistically spiritual talents of Lois in decorating the altar; for Reggie Williams; for the courage of Jimmy Carter and his trip to Cuba; for the talents of Lorant Chovan and his San Francisco showing at a gallery; for Plymouth Church each day for discernment and guidance for Saturday’s meeting about the use of our property. Upcoming Dates: Women’s Fellowship Picnic, Thurs., June 6 at the home of Lois at 1037 Sunnyhills Rd., Oakland. First Friday Night Out: June 7th. Birthday Sunday, June 9 Church Council Meeting, June 10th. A’s Baseball Game Super Saving Saturday, August 3, 2002. Tailgate Party, $15 per person. First come, first served, money must be paid to Carol by Wednesday, July 17th so the tickets can be purchased before deadline. Worship in the park & picnic, Sunday, August 25th. [back to top] Top 10 Reasons to Check out the UCC 10. What if church is like spinach . . .? You know, like something that you hated as a kid but you love as an adult because you eat it in ways that suit you much better. Guess what? A lot of people are having the same sort of experience with church . . . In the UCC, things are often quite different and worth checking out. 9. Variety . . . UCC churches tend to tailor themselves to fit the people they feel called to serve in their local community. The result: A wide variety of musical traditions, expressions and values that have integrity and purpose. From conservative to liberal, we’re not short on variety. 8. No apologies . . . You are what you are . . . and so are we – we like ourselves just fine. Find a church where you will fit in, be nurtured and challenged to grow. 7. No waiting . . . You don’t have to join to be active in many UCC churches. If you want to get involved, many of our churches will find a place to help fulfill your need to give – whether or not you decide to join. 6. No boxes God can blow the lid off any box, unfold it and turn it into a dance floor. We tend to be the “out of the box” people. Among our many firsts, we were the first mainline church to take a stand against slavery (1700), the first to ordain an African American person (1785), the first to ordain a woman (1853), the first in foreign missions (1810), and the first to ordain openly gay lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons (1972). We value education for all people. We founded Harvard and Yale, as well as many historically black colleges, six of which remain affiliated with the UCC to this day. 5. One God, One Faith, One Baptism for All When we baptize you into our community, we promise that we will never take it back – no matter what you discover about yourself or what others discover about you along life’s journey. We believe that baptism places each of us into the “body of Christ” and lasts forever. Some are baptized as infants, others as adults. Some are sprinkled. Others are immersed. Some reclaim their baptism from a previous church life. For each of us, however, baptism is big enough, strong enough and cleansing enough to last forever. We believe that everyone – old, young, straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, physically or emotionally challenged, rich or poor, sure or unsure, lost or found, Democrat or Republican has a place in the body of Christ. Baptism is like a badge that says, “you’re a full member of the church and no one can take that away from you.” 4. Good News People We believe that No. 5 is good news! [back to top] |
3. “Party” Church
God is having a party and we are all invited. At God’s party our spiritual hungering is fed and our thirsting is satisfied. At God’s party we get strength, stamina and community support that helps us through the tough times that come to everyone. Feeding our spiritual hunger helps reduce those, “I can’t believe I’m so stupid” moments – but we’ll never eliminate them all. That’s why we need friends and companions and not judges (no offense to judges) for the journey. 2. Spiritual Guidance . . . It’s not about commandments. It’s about relationships – even with God. The most important relationship is our relationship with God. Second most important is our relationships with the rest of the human family. In balance, these relationships produce justice amid injustice, kindness in the face of meanness, and the humility of self acceptance that comes as we sense the presence of a God who knows our inmost thoughts and loves us uncontrollably – just as we are. Spiritual journeys can be like the exercise equipment we buy and leave under the bed. Without coaches and workout partners, most of us don’t stick with it. We’re the “Journeys Wanted” people . . . bring yours. 1. We’re waiting for you. (Check out more at www.stillspeaking.com) [back to top] My Faith Journey My faith journey has taken me from Minnesota, California, Hawaii, Virginia, Washington and back to California. Approximately one year ago, I returned to the Bay Area to be closer to my family. Having just finished serving on the Search Committee at my previous church conducting an exhaustive search for an interim minister and a settled pastor, I was not in any hurry to find a new church home. However, after September 11th I started shopping around for a church that would make me feel welcomed and spiritually nourished. Plymouth Church was the third church I visited and after the service was completed, I knew my hunt was over. On 5/12/02 I made it official and transferred my membership from Admiral UCC church in Seattle to Plymouth Congregational Church. I am genuinely elated to be a part of such a dynamic and diverse faith community, which is so rich in talent and fellowship. Monday through Friday I work at Peerless Coffee Company, which is located in the Jack London Square area. In my spare time I enjoy doing Jazzercise, dancing, listening to music, going to museums and spending time with family and friends and getting involved in community events. I am particularly grateful for the service opportunities available through Plymouth Church and have enjoyed participating whenever possible, especially our ministry to Oakland Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. I hope to see you on Sunday! Elizabeth Hasychak [back to top] From the Rabbi From the Rabbi - I am sitting at my desk agonizing over what I can say in these difficult times. Always the optimist, I look at the present crisis in Israel and I try to imagine positive outcomes. Can there ever be peace after so much destruction, after so much hate and distrust? The answer has to be that there is no alternative to peace. So I try to imagine what a world would look like if there was peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. It would have to be a world not only without bombings and reprisals, it would have to be a world were the two most highly educated peoples will work together as equals striving to erase the damage of the past five decades or more. It would have to be a world of mutual trust and cooperation as the combined economies of two peoples rapidly take the lead in that corner of the planet. Peace is possible between Israel and her neighbors. It will just take work building that world. It would also be a world where and hate and revenge were no longer taught or justified. It would be a world where essential dignity, freedom and security are valued and understood by everyone. This world of peace would begin with combined classes of elementary school students and continue through university dialogues and cultural exchanges. This world would be one in which every religious claim is treated equally and respected. (This does not mean that anyone has to abandon a personally held religious belief, but it does mean that no one has the right to invalidate or challenge someone else's belief.) In this peaceful world the rest of the Arab world will make good on their promise to recognize Israel and establish political, cultural and economic relations with her. And now for the hard part. In the world of peace that I envision, the Israelis will pick their leaders (even if I do not like their parties or personalities) and the Palestinians will choose their leaders (even if we do not like their history or personalities). These elected leaders will make an agreement with ill-clad guarantees, but more importantly these agreements will begin the process of rebuilding crushed economies and broken hearts. In this world of peace, Jews living in Palestine will be Palestinians and Palestinians living in Israel will be Israelis. Those who want to trade places to return to the country in which they would be included in the majority will be welcomed immediately. In order to move to become a member of the minority, the government on a limited yearly basis must grant permission. In a world of peace, Jerusalem, the city of peace, will be shared by two nations who value its holiness and its wholeness. When I pray for peace this is what I ask God for. I believe the only hope for peace is to be able to imagine it. I pray that your dream for peace, my dream for peace and all other dreams for peace will come to fruition speedily and in our day. Amen! [back to top] Welcome New Members! As you’ll read in several places in this newsletter edition, during worship on May 12th, we welcomed two new members to the Plymouth family! Elizabeth Hasychak and Carolyn Collins became official members by letters of transfer from other United Church of Christ congregations. Elizabeth adds a grace-filled, talented presence to our congregation and enthusiastically participates in each act of service we organize. Carolyn Collins is a graduate of Pacific School of Religion and recently returned to the East Bay after living in Mendocino. She was received as an in-care student during our congregational meeting on May 25th and will provide gifted leadership to our community while she is in the search process for a call to ministry. The next opportunity to join Plymouth Church will be this summer. We have several people wanting to join, but need to find a mutually appropriate time to set membership gatherings. If you want to become a member of this community of faith, please see Lois. [back to top] Stars In places where air still offers clarity, stars sing a siren song from space in the bright night. Lying on soft earth, carried into sky by longing, humans respond to stars with questions. Why is the Universe so vast? Why are we so small? Call and response through the night. My whole life I have sent these questions into space. And listened for response. Then sky wakens and star song fades. Humans forget mystery and get on with living. But the stars, the stars keep calling. No response. Why is it that we call to stars with science and insignificance? On the next bright night, Find the clear air and ask again. Humans, ask again. Who are we? What is our place in mystery? Perhaps you will hear what I have heard, a song of inner radiance. For the stars the stars are calling Saying we must turn to one another turn to one another and see finally see the stars everywhere. by Margaret Wheatley [found in: Turning To One Another: Simple Conversations To Restore Hope To The Future] [back to top] |
In the meantime... Rev. Lois Mueller