January 2012

PASTOR'S PEN  New Year Resolutions and New Year Beginnings... "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" - II Corinthians 5:17 Happy New Year 2102 - I pray for God's many blessings on you and your family this new year and always! Many people see January 1, not only as the beginning of the new calendar year, but as a new beginning for various things: academic semesters, budgets, and starting/re-kindling passions. We used this marked time to 'wipe the slate clean' and begin anew. We make 'new year resolutions' and work to keep them (at least for a while!) While I am not against making/keeping these 'new year resolutions' (I, too, make them and TRY to keep them), I wonder if it is too easy to take them upon ourselves to make/keep and forget to put GOD in the picture. Let me explain... During Advent last year, I began reading "God in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas" by Dietrich Bonheoffer. This devotional book has readings until the end of Christmastide, which is Epiphany (January 6) - and the devotion from January 1 challenged my thinking a bit... "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." This saying...reveals deep Christian insight. At the beginning of a new year, many people have nothing better to do than to make a list of bad deeds and resolve from now on - how may such "from-now-ons" have there already been! - to begin with better intentions, but they are still stuck in the middle of their paganism. They believe that a good intention already means a new beginning; they believe that on their own they can make a new start whenever they want. But that is an evil illusion: only God can make a new beginning with people whenever God pleases, but not people with God. Therefore, people cannot make a new beginning at all; they can only pray for one. Where people are on their own and live by their own devices, there is only the old, the past. Only where God is can there be a new beginning. We cannot command God to grant it; we can only pray to God for it. And we can pray only when we realize that we cannot do anything, that we have reached our limit, that someone else must make that new beginning. Bonheoffer is reminding us that only God is truly able to start us anew - to change and transform us - and that we alone, even with good intentions, cannot achieve this. We are called to align ourselves to God's will, acknowledge our inability to change on our own, and pray for God to start us anew. As we begin this new year, I pray that we will keep God in the center of all our 'resolutions' and hopes. The Bible passage above claims that "in Christ...everything has become new"! And it is this Christ that we relinquish ourselves to, put our faith in, and hope in order to be made new - to truly be given a new beginning. Here's to beginning 2012 with the God of new beginnings! Peace and blessings, Pastor Grace CLERK'S REPORT  At a special session meeting on December 4, 2011, session approved placing a B&W business-size ad in the New Year's edition of the Nichi Bei Weekly. At another special session meeting on December 18, 2011, session approved placing a half-page in Nihonmachi Little Friends' " Dowa No Matsuri " program to be presented on February 26, 2012. At the special session meeting on December 18, 2011, session approved to endorse an individual to apply as an inquirer to ordination in PC(USA). Note: Everyone is invited to attend our regular session meetings. If you are interested in how the session, our governing body, discusses ministry at CUPC, please come and join us! You are also welcome to read the minutes, which are public documents. The minutes are available in the church office. DEACONS' REPORT I recently came across this resource called Yes!. It uses the belief that we are created by a loving God for a loving purpose in which we can say YES! to God, YES! to our neighbor, and YES! to ourselves. The Deacons hope to say YES! to all and be a blessing to each and everyone, just as we are blessed by you. Coffee Fellowship: The Deacons would like to thank the individuals who have contributed to the coffee fellowship during the month of December.

Jan Der, Co-moderator

November 2011

PASTOR'S PEN

Inconvenienced!

"People were bringing babies to Jesus so that he would bless them. When the disciples saw this, they scolded them. Then Jesus called them to him and said, 'Allow the children to come to me. Don't forbid them, because God's kingdom belongs to people like these children...The blind man shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, show me mercy." Those leading the procession scolded him, telling him to be quiet, but he shouted even louder, "Son of David, show me mercy."... Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight! Your faith has healed you." At once, he was able to see and he began to follow Jesus, praising God."- Excerpts taken from Luke 18

At our church retreat last month, our speaker talked about 'being inconvenienced' - and why it bothers us so much. Although I remember this being more of a 'side illustration' during the retreat, it got me thinking further about convenience, and being inconvenienced. We live in a world which is all about conveniences. We love conveniences! Convenience stores that sell a variety of things so you don't have to shop at different stores, convenience foods that help you prepare meals with almost no preparation, convenience of instant information and communication via the internet...

We don't like it so much, though, when we are inconvenienced - having to shop in multiple places in order to finish running errands, having to take the time to make that slow-roasted meal, having to live without (gasp!) internet access when it is down... and although we often talk about the importance of taking time, I would be the first one to admit that our realities rarely reflect this.

So why do inconveniences bother us so much? After all why would God allow such ineffective uses of time? God would never allow such inconveniences if God had a choice! But, wait... does the Bible passage above state that Jesus, the Son of God, was inconvenienced from time to time, too?

Actually, it was the disciples that were inconvenienced, not Jesus. Parents were bringing their children to Jesus to have them be blessed by him. But the disciples scolded them and told them to stop. Maybe it was because they couldn't hear what Jesus was saying due all the noises that the children were making. Maybe it was because the parents were being disruptive from trying to push through the crowds. Maybe it was because children shouldn't deserve to be blessed by the Master - children were commodity, after all in those times.

There was also blind person who heard that Jesus was passing through. In order to get Jesus' attention, the person began shouting. Those who were leading the procession tried to make him stop. Maybe it was because they were running late to taking Jesus' to his next appointment. Maybe they didn't want to be associated with someone blind, someone 'unclean' - or else they would have to go through a ritual to be 'clean' again. Again, it was those with Jesus that were inconvenienced, not Jesus.

So, what does Jesus do in these 'inconvenient' situations? He blesses the children and confirms their worth. He takes the blind person and heals him, on the spot. These 'inconvenient' situations became the times of blessing and healing.

Could it be that God actually sends (or allows) these moments that seem to be inconvenient - and uses them to be moments of blessing and healing? Could God be permeating through our 'culture of convenience' to somehow reach us with times of grace? Could we be, unwilling to be inconvenienced, losing out on those holy moments?

I don't like being inconvenienced as much as the person next to me. But perhaps next time, I'll try to look a little harder for the 'holy' - the blessing, the healing, the grace - in those moments where I feel I've been inconvenienced. Who knows? Maybe the Holy One is trying to teach or show me something...

Looking for holy moments,

Pastor Grace

CLERK'S REPORT

      A letter from the Japanese Benevolent Society of California (Jikeikai) regarding the Day of Peace event on 11/13/11 was presented to the session. This will be a luncheon in honor of clergy who serve the Japanese community in the Bay Area. Christ United Presbyterian Church will be sending a representative to the event.


      Old First Presbyterian asked CUPC to co-host the Presbytery meeting on Tuesday 11/8/11. CUPC was asked to provide and help serve refreshments during the registration and early hours of the meeting.


      Session approved to form a CUPC team for the 2012 Relay for Life fundraising event for cancer research. This will be coordinated by Mission and Outreach Committee.

Note: Everyone is invited to attend our regular session meetings. If you are interested in how the session, our governing body, discusses ministry at CUPC, please come and join us!

COFFEE FELLOWSHIP: 

The Deacons would like to thank the individuals who have contributed to the coffee fellowship during the month of October.

The Deacons are aware there are others who do not sign up on the list, but contribute. We would like to thank you all!

Jan Der, Co-moderator

September 2011

PASTOR'S PEN

Some Budding Ministries at CUPC...

"Look! I'm doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don't you recognize it? I'm making a way in the desert, paths in the wilderness." - Isaiah 43:19

Recently, I attended an amazing concert held by Jesse Manibusan and Valimar Jansen. Some of you may remember Jesse from the times we held two concerts here at CUPC some years back. And if you've attended any of his gatherings/concerts, you know that one of the responsive sayings he uses with the congregation/crowd is where he would say, "God is good..." and everyone would respond, "All the time!"

Well, God is truly good, all the time - even in times when we don't recognize it, or seems shadowed by the things around us. But then, there are times where we are able to see glimpses of God's goodness, and as in the Bible verse above, the new things that God is doing around us! So here, I'd like to give brief introductions to two newly budding ministries at CUPC:

G.I.G.: A Music Fellowship of CUPC

GIG stands for "God Is Good" - and is a fellowship group for anyone - amateur or not - who is interested in learning to play a new instrument and jammin' together. It is lead by a prominent member of our Worship Team.

The initial gathering had about 15+ interested folk from children to mature adults who wanted to learn ukulele, guitar, bass, drums, etc. They hope to meet regularly to practice, to 'jam', to have fun together, and play for church together. Music is such a powerful tool to bring people together and provide fellowship with one another...so I truly look forward to hearing how God works through their musical experience and their time together!

Youth R.O.L.E.

This is our latest youth ministry group. This group is a service-project oriented group where high school youth seek to live out Jesus' call for us to serve each other and our surrounding communities. Thus, the 'ROLE' in their name is most appropriate and stands for 'Reaching Out Loving Everybody'. (The youth collaboratively came up with the great name too!)

The 'core group' has met twice already and had great, positive energy. They came up with quite a few creative ideas for projects, and have been tasked to coordinate/lead them. Be on the look out - they may be working on a service project near you! It is truly wonderful to see the leaders of the next generation be so passionate about serving God through serving others.

Please remember, support and pray for these new ministries at CUPC. And please join as you feel led! As we give thanks for these budding ministries, I pray that we will all be able to find God's new thing that is happening all around us. I believe this is possible if we open our eyes and heart to them, and being attentive to them.

After all, God is good...all the time! All the time...God is good!

Peace and blessings,

Pastor Grace

CLERK'S REPORT

There is no Clerk of Session's report for this issue - the next session meeting will be held on September 25, 2011. 

Note: Everyone is invited to attend our regular session meetings. If you are interested in how the session, our governing body, discusses ministry at CUPC, please come and join us!

DEACONS' REPORT

If you have never been to a Jesse Manibusan concert, you have yet to experience one of God's greatest gifts to us. His music fills you with such hope and joy in the Lord. You want to laugh, cry and "Fly Like a Bird"...all at the same time. ValLimar Jansen joined Jesse onstage at Sacred Hearts this past Sunday evening, with her beautiful voice and wonderful gift of storytelling. The parables of Jesus came alive through her powerful and humorous dramatizations. Their message to us was that we as peacemakers need to stand together with those who are hungry, thirsty, persecuted, and excluded, sharing our time, talents and message that God is Good, All the Time.

Thank you all for coming together to share your stories and favorite dishes in celebrating the life of one of our members, on Saturday, September 3. We will remember her generous, welcoming and caring spirit always.

COFFEE FELLOWSHIP:

The Deacons would like to thank the individuals who have contributed to the coffee fellowship during the month of August.

The Deacons are aware there are others who do not sign up on the list, but contribute. We would like to thank you all!

Jan Der, Co-moderator

SUMMER CAMP MOMENTS

Each Sunday during worship in the summer, leaders from our Summer Camp program share with the congregation what has been going on at camp, along with their reflections. You will see what they shared below:

Marissa Choy 
August 7, 2011

Hi everyone! I've been coming to CUPC summer camp since the first grade, and this is my third year as a leader. This year my group was Oldest Girls, 6th and 7th graders. Although they're older and aren't so cute and little anymore, they're still great kids and I had a lot of fun getting to know them and being their leader.

This summer was my first time working an Extended week. I was so excited to come back and experience all the fun trips we took. Everything was so much fun, I felt like a camper again: the ferry ride to Sausalito where we walked around and looked at all the interesting shops, bouncing up and down on trampolines at House of Air, water slides and swimming pools at Raging Waters and Heather Farms. This week I had Group ABC, and had plenty of 1st and 2nd graders running around to keep me busy. One great memory from this week that I will always remember is when CUPC took our trip to Raging Waters. My fellow leader and I took the campers to the Wave pool which tosses you up and down every 5 minutes. The campers were scared, but excited. We all held hands and when the waves came towards us, they all started screaming and tried to run away. But when the water started bouncing them up and down, they couldn't stop laughing. One camper named Colin started cheering, and the rest soon joined in. Seeing them laughing made me so happy and we rode the waves another 4 times after.

This whole summer has taught me how our camp works together. Like the parts of the body, we all depend on each other and are all equally important. The campers, 8th grade helpers, leaders and directors are what make CUPC so great. Devotion taught us more about respecting and appreciating each other and our environment. Guess there's no more picking grass at the park!

Being at CUPC for 11 years, I can't imagine what a summer would be like without it. No matter how much things change, I always

Hi everyone! I've been coming to CUPC summer camp since the first grade, and this is my third year as a leader. This year my group was Oldest Girls, 6th and 7th graders. Although they're older and aren't so cute and little anymore, they're still great kids and I had a lot of fun getting to know them and being their leader.

This summer was my first time working an Extended week. I was so excited to come back and experience all the fun trips we took. Everything was so much fun, I felt like a camper again: the ferry ride to Sausalito where we walked around and looked at all the interesting shops, bouncing up and down on trampolines at House of Air, water slides and swimming pools at Raging Waters and Heather Farms. This week I had Group ABC, and had plenty of 1st and 2nd graders running around to keep me busy. One great memory from this week that I will always remember is when CUPC took our trip to Raging Waters. My fellow leader and I took the campers to the Wave pool which tosses you up and down every 5 minutes. The campers were scared, but excited. We all held hands and when the waves came towards us, they all started screaming and tried to run away. But when the water started bouncing them up and down, they couldn't stop laughing. One camper named Colin started cheering, and the rest soon joined in. Seeing them laughing made me so happy and we rode the waves another 4 times after.

This whole summer has taught me how our camp works together. Like the parts of the body, we all depend on each other and are all equally important. The campers, 8th grade helpers, leaders and directors are what make CUPC so great. Devotion taught us more about respecting and appreciating each other and our environment. Guess there's no more picking grass at the park!

Being at CUPC for 11 years, I can't imagine what a summer would be like without it. No matter how much things change, I always find myself on the first day of camp working four or five weeks a summer. CUPC is like a family; they support me and always provides a place for me to have fun and be with God at the same time. Thank you CUPC for another amazing summer, I can't wait to come back next year!

ANNOUNCEMENT:

To the August 13 cleanup crew:

A giant thank you to members AND friends who washed, dusted, scrubbed, wiped, polished, sprayed, oiled, vacuumed, swept, mopped, replaced mini-blinds, weeded, watered, trimmed trees/shrubs, cleaned the roof top, waxed, composted, recycled on our cleanup day. The results are a spiffy CUPC in readiness for the fall.

CUPC's Iron Chef did a super job of preparing a luscious lunch of grilled items, a fine meal at the day's end. Others shared with their favorites.

Without the willingness of one and all, the job would not have been completed so smoothly and well.

Sincerely,

Gale Kondo

Co-chairperson