Richmond First United Methodist News and Events
Pastor’s Perspective
Dear friends,
Here are my sermon notes from Sunday. I will be teaching a membership class during the summer. If you are interested in joining the church (or just curious) please come to the Adult Bible Study that meets every Sunday at 10 am. I will start membership classes June 28. I miss only two Sundays this summer (July 12 and 19) so with those exceptions, I will be happy to talk about the United Methodist Church with you. We will welcome new members in September.
Share the good news with some one you care about. Invite someone to church for the Father’s Day Jazz Service.
Love and Joy,
Dan
A Mustard Seed Mark 4:26-34
Pastor Dan Damon, Richmond 1st UMC, 6-14-15
Introduction
Mustard in Meridian, an early sermonic snafu:
It was 9 am Sunday morning, and I was the only one in the room who didn’t know what mustard looked like. I started my sermon with the honest question, “Has anyone ever seen mustard?” They laughed and told me it was the yellow weed that grew everywhere, about two feet high, along the highways.
Retell the Scripture Story
Jesus went on to say, “The Kingdom of God is like this. A man scatters seed in his field. He sleeps at night, is up and about during the day, and all the while the seeds are sprouting and growing. Yet he does not know how it happens.
The soil itself makes the plants grow and bear fruit; first the tender stalk appears, then the head, and finally the head full of grain. When the grain is ripe, the man starts cutting it with his sickle, because harvest time has come.
“What shall we say the Kingdom of God is like?” asked Jesus. “What parable shall we use to explain it? It is like this. A man takes a mustard seed, the smallest seed in the world, and plants it in the ground. After a while it grows up and becomes the biggest of all plants. It puts out such large branches that the birds come and make their nests in its shade.”
Jesus preached his message to the people, using many other parables like these; he told them as much as they could understand. He would not speak to them without using parables, but when he was alone with his disciples, he would explain everything to them.
Good News Translation © 1992 American Bible Society
Application
From something small something great may grow. This is a parable for the small church.
I sent my small hymn “With the People We Have,” to Marcia McFee this week, and she plans to use it in San Antonio, Texas, August 6-9, at the Methodist Federation for Social Action and Reconciling Ministries Network joint conference, “Gather at the River.”
Dear Marcia,
I woke up thinking of you this morning. Thank you for your talk last summer at the Hymn Society Conference, and for your kind words to me. We are singing “With the People We Have” at our annual conference next week. Check out Ruth Duck’s new Hope collection due out this month, and Brian Wren’s collection from Hope next summer.
I’ll be leading a jazz hymn festival in New Orleans this July. Hope to see you there.
All best,
Dan
Dan!
You woke up with me in mind because today I am designing the worship for Reconciling Ministries gathering this summer and “With the People We Have” is PERFECT! What a gift! This is going to skyrocket this hymn to a LOT of churches and that makes me happy. See? What I said about hymn writers as midwives in the midst of my labor is proven true again.
Alas, I will not be at the Hymn Society in New Orleans. I surely wish I were. I’m very excited about Ruth’s collection since my ritual piece is in it! Didn’t know about Brian’s new collection. Yay! Are you the editor on that one? You are always a gift. Thanks for letting the Spirit wake you up and nudge you to write me!
Peace& passion,
Marcia McFee, Ph.D.
Worship Design Studio:
Inspiration, Education and a Practical App for Team Design
Here is the text:
With the people we have
we can hail a new horizon.
With the people we have
we can risk a desert road.
With the people we have
we can wade the troubled waters.
God is working in us:
we can build a better world.
With the people we have
we can sing a song of welcome.
With the people we have
we can join our hands in hope.
With the people we have
we can move a mighty mountain.
God is working in us:
we can build a better world.
With the people we have
we can dare to be a witness.
With the people we have
we can choose the way of love.
With the people we have
we can draw the circle wider.
God is working in us:
we can build a better world.
God is working in us
to repair what has been broken.
God is working in us
to redeem what once was lost.
God is working in us
to resist when evil threatens.
God is working in us:
we can build a better world.
WORDS and MUSIC © 2013 Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved.
I was encouraged and inspired at the October 2011 meeting of the Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) held at Jones Memorial United Methodist Church, San Francisco, California. I was glad to find members of my own congregation taking leadership and expressing their compassionate interest in the world. I am sometimes troubled to hear that unless we have large numbers, we can’t do much. As the pastor of a small church, I have learned to do a lot with a little. The spark for this hymn text came to me as I was driving home from that MFSA meeting. I used the ideas in a sermon the next day, but it took me a little longer to shape them into a hymn. I write to empower people of faith to risk, to change, and to grow.
I grew up working in my dad’s bicycle shop in Rapid City, South Dakota. Referring to a customer’s poorly maintained bicycle, he would often say, “We can make it a little better.”
In closing I’d like to share something from the April 30 issue of the Washington Post that my brother, a missionary in Macau, recently sent me. The article is entitled: Stop Making Church Cool (Washington Post 4/30/15)
Church attendance has plummeted among young adults. In the U.S. 59% of people 18 to 29 with a Christian background have, at some point, dropped out. According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, among those who came of age around the year 2000, a solid quarter claim no religious affiliation, making them significantly more disconnected from faith than Gen-Xers were at a comparable point in their lives and twice as detached as Boomers were as young adults.
In response, many churches have sought to lure Millennials back by focusing on style points: cooler bands, hipper worship, edgier programming and impressive technology. Recent Barna Group research found 67% of Millennials prefer a “classic” church over a “trendy” one, and 77% would choose a “sanctuary” over an “auditorium.” They also exhibit an increasing aversion to exclusive, closed-minded religious communities masquerading as hip places. Barna’s David Kinnaman said “Millennials are not disillusioned with tradition; they are frustrated with slick or shallow expressions of religion.”
With the people we have, we can build a better world. Let us be in prayer.
Joys and Concerns
Please keep Katherine Parker, our missionary, and the people of Nepal in your prayers.
PRAYER: NEPAL RECOVERY
Katherine Parker, missionary with Global Ministries who serves as part of the Health Team of the United Mission to Nepal (UMN), shares a new list of prayer requests as response efforts in Nepal continue after the April 25 earthquake.
- Please pray for the seven emergency community health facilitators, local health workers and female community health volunteers as they spend the next three months sharing key health messages and coordinating nutrition, reproductive health, psycho-social support and WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) responses in remote parts of Dhading district.
- Please pray for the provision and distribution of seed stock so that farmers can plant this year’s crop before the monsoon and avert future food insecurity.
- Please pray for those whose homes are severely damaged or destroyed that monsoon stable housing can be quickly constructed.
- Please pray for those living in the far north where even walking paths have been damaged that needed imports like salt will be available in sufficient supply.
- Please pray for UMN’s on-going long-term development work in other less-affected districts that they will not be forgotten and projects will flourish. Pray especially for our office in Doti (far-western region) that was also damaged during an aftershock.
- Please pray for those who have lost family members and homes.
Karen Merkle who often attended our church, died June 4, 2015 of pancreatic cancer. She moved back East several years ago and was thrilled with her life there. Condolences can be emailed to the family at www.oakshinefuneralhome.com.
Megan Timberlake is asking for prayers for her ex-husband, Ernest R. Style III, as he struggles with serious illness.
Deby McFadyen is requesting prayers for three young friends who are battling cancer. Please remember Sarah Talkington, Carolyn Thomas and Jimmy Lowe in your prayers.
Sandra Kokoruda (Fran Smith’s daughter) update: Sandra thanks everyone for their prayers and concerns. Fran reports that Sandra is more animated and cheerful than she has been in months. Sandra has undergone 5 chemo treatments and feels good. Both Fran and Sandra ask that prayers continue.
Pat Dornan and Linda Pereira continue to need your prayers of support. Update: Hospice services have started. Pat says that Linda is failing. She can no longer stand, is having more difficulty with chocking on food and is sleeping more.
Robbie Robinson would appreciate your prayers.
Helen Wysham welcomes your prayers for healing as she undergoes chemotherapy.
Bobby and Pamella Hall would like to be remembered in prayer as they go through some difficult personal times.
Please keep the people of Camp Liberty in your prayers as chaos reigns in Iraq and near the camp.
News
Katherine Parker, missionary in Nepal: Katherine reports that the emphasis now will be on long-term recovery efforts in Dhang province. Katherine will continue to work with WASH, nutrition and psycho-social support. Non-earthquake work is resuming and Katherine will soon be traveling to Rukum and Rupandehi for the baseline survey of their community health program focusing on maternal and child health.
A couple of our church family have housing needs:
Lara Choe is looking for a single Christian woman to share a house in Point Richmond. Big bedroom, private bath, walk-in closet and bay view of three bridges within walking distance to downtown Point Richmond. Cost $12-1500/mo. Contact: larachoe@gmail.com.
Mim Drake & Kate Gebhart are looking for a new place to live because their condo is being sold. They would like to stay in the Point. They have a sterling letter of recommendation from their current residence. They do greyhound rescue and would have an occasional dog or two around but would spend most of the day at work, Bark Stix. A yard would be nice but not necessary. Please call 415.595.4006 or 510.235.2430
New Church Brochure: The new brochure is here! Pick one up and share with your friends.
Mark your calendar!
The 7th Annual
Jean Eakle Art Auction and Gala
Saturday, September 26, 2015 from 4-7 p.m. at
The Point San Pablo Yacht Club
@ 700 W. Cutting Blvd. in Richmond located
on San Francisco Bay.
Invite your friends and neighbors!
This is our second largest fundraiser.
Donations needed at this time !
Do you craft, knit, crochet, make jewelry, sculpt, paint etc., or would like to donate cash or gift certificates for auction and door prizes?
Please contact:
Diane @ dianefrary@comcast.net or Debbie @ debbenko160@aol.com;
or bring your tax deductible donations to:
Richmond First United Methodist Church @ 201 Martina St.,
Point Richmond (at the corner of W. Richmond and Martina St.)
on Sunday’s between 10-11 am or 12-1 pm
Generosity
New Public Address System
Our public address system has served our church well for many years, but it is nearing the end of its service. A new sound system is on the horizon for our church. The choir and the congregation need to be able to hear the spoken and sung word in our worship services. The Administrative Board has discussed the matter fully and has decided to encourage your giving to this project. A new public address system will serve the needs of the church for future generations both with the spoken word and with the music that is presented in the church. Please pray and contribute what you can to help us achieve this good goal. This will help us continue in ministry serving the needs of the whole community.
How You Can Help
You can purchase a Piano Key for $45. Choose your key and color it or sign it or both! Sale of the entire keyboard will get us to our goal.
If you would like to donate for relief for the people of Nepal, go to umcor.org the Advance.
Don’t forget that donations for Imagine No Malaria are always welcome.
Please add donations to the church for Katherine Parker so that we can continue to sponsor her good work. It costs $250 per year to be sponsors.
Events
.
Ca/Nev Annual Conference, June 17-20 (Wed. thru Sat.). This year’s theme is ” Engaging Faith in the Public Square”. San Francisco Airport Hyatt Regency, 1333 Old Bayshore Hwy, Burlingame, CA. Pastor Dan and Eileen will be attending.
Sunday, June 21, Father’s Day Jazz Service: Dan Damon Jazz Quartet, 11 am Service with singer Sheilani Alix.
The Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) is meeting in San Antonio, Texas in conjunction with the Reconciling Ministries Network. Gather at the River, Thursday, August 6 to Sunday, August 9. The conference will be working on issues of justice throughout the church and resolutions they would like to see presented at the General Conference in 2016. Register at http://www.gather2015.org/.
Vacation Bible School will be the week of August 10 thru 14. Contact Jean Reynolds if you would like to help at sweetheart05@mac.com. this is always a fun event and much looked forward to by the children and the helpers.
Please send submissions for FUMC News and Events to Barbara Haley, editor: bahcats@sbcglobal.net
