The Grapevine
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF NAPA
(707) 253-1411
September 15, 2008
Open
Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors:
the People of The United Methodist
Church
...Pastor’s Column
My general, Veronica, has recently been in a
transformational state of mind, changing furniture around in the
house, painting walls in rooms different colors and rearranging
flowers and plants outdoors. My honey do list has grown
tremendously (sigh) as she keeps getting excited about changing
things around the house and outside. Being the worker ant and
dutiful husband allows me understand that all things must change
eventually. There is nothing wrong with change. Sometimes
it just means different.
God transforms our lives every
second of every day. Change is a constant. Like gravity,
God is always there to catch each of us and affect our lives. God's
Holy Spirit and Son, Jesus Christ, are also there to walk us
through every change in our lives. Sometimes change just
brings on a different perspective of looking at life and at God. We
look for miracles when our very lives are a miracle. God's love
transforms and changes us into people who are compassionate,
loving , kind and gentle to one another. Being a Christian
means God can transform and change your attitude and behavior
concerning this world and the people in it. God can turn
your life in side out so you get a real good look at life from the
other side.
That is the humbling part of the miracle.
God takes time to speak to each of our hearts to tell us all are
welcome at God's table. Difference does not exclude anyone.
Matter of fact, there is great beauty in diversity. God's
rainbow of opportunities in life are infinite and beautiful. So
let each of us embrace change, whether it is the waistline or the
hair line. (smile) God is still working miracles in and through our
lives. Change is really about just changing your
perspective and embracing the Holy in your life and letting God pick
the colors in the rooms of your life. Just learn to enjoy the
perspective God gives you each day.
Shalom my friends.
Roger
Stewardship Seeds of Faith
You will be seeing seeds of faith for the next few weeks as part of our Stewardship Campaign, Celebrate the Faith. The first one was an insert in the worship folder for Sept. 7. In the last Grapevine I referred to "faith disciplines." My thanks to Eloise English from the Prayer Group who took the material home, prayed about it and transformed "the "program" into a format to fit our church. There are 10 seeds of faith in all, and Eloise has crystallized the meaning of each one, then added a question upon which to reflect. It is our hope that you will try each "seed" for a while until you find one that fits your needs, schedule, and/or growing edges. They will be in the next Grapevines and in worship folders each Sunday. See you in church! Barb Thompson
Seed 1: Worship in church regularly
“When Jesus came to Nazareth,
where he had been brought up, he went
into the synagogue on the Sabbath day,
as was his custom.”
Worship in church regularly. Worship is that moment
when we feel that we are in the presence of God.
What is your story?
The Napa RCD is coordinating the annual Creek to Bay Cleanup Day again this year and it will be on Saturday, September 20th from 9am to noon. We have ten sites in Napa County this year from Lake Berryessa all the way down to American Canyon. I also encourage you to check out the cleanup page of our website at http://www.naparcd.org/cleancreek.htm. If you would like to volunteer, please give me a call at 252-4188 x111 or e-mail me at steph@naparcd.org.
Seed 2: Meditation
A verse from one of the earliest hymns I remember:
“I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the
roses, and the voice I hear, falling on my ear, the Son of God
discloses. And He walks with me, and He talks with
me, and He tells me I am His own; and the joy we share
as we tarry there, none other has ever known.”
Meditation opens the door for the special moments to hear God.
Review a special moment to yourself.
Come Visit with Veronica and Roger
WHEN September 21, 2008 at 12:00
WHERE Kay and Bud Steven’s House @ 13 Highland Drive, hosted by Jan Geren and the Stevens’
WHAT Potluck, bring your favorite finger food and beverage.
Paper plates, cups, plastic utensils and ice will be furnished. Everyone is welcome. Swimming available. Let’s just get together and fellowship with Roger and Veronica. R.S.V.P. Church Office
Help is needed in the Mini Thrift Shop. Please call Martine if you have a few extra hours on Tuesdays to help out this fun group of people.
FRIDAY NITE BOOK CLUB has begun!
During the month of September we're reading Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen. On the first Friday of October (10/3) come to the FUMC Library to share your thoughts about the book. Questions? Call Jan Geren who will "host" the discussion (and bring cookies). Please join us.
Sept. 20th is the 39th Anniversary of Doug and Martha Monroe. And the happy journey continues!!!
All-church Month of Saturdays Work Days! We need you! And we promise good fellowship, good snacks and a good feeling when you leave! We’ll start promptly at 8:00 and be finished by noon.
Please call the church office at 253-1411 and let us know you’ll be here so we can plan job assignments. Right now we have openings on all days!
Sat. Sept. 13th Clean and Clean-Out (Wear old clothes, bring gloves)
Sat. Sept. 20th Repair and Prepare (Work clothes, tool kit, and a smile)
Sat. Sept. 27th Painting (Paint clothes, brushes)
Sat. Oct. 4th Outside - Hauling Away Trash (old clothes/gloves)
Jan Lanterman Recognized for 35 years as Director of Music
On Sunday, Sept. 7th we really, truly surprised Jan during the worship service with a recognition of her dedicated service of the past 35 years, followed by cake and coffee in the Fellowship Hall. Jan stated her gratitude to all those who have shared their gifts and talents to help make the music department a loving and caring place for all those who participate. She is especially grateful to Anita Davies for her love and active support of all of us. Jan said “By the way, to those of you who suggested Sunday morning that I should do this for another 35 years....let me just say that I'm going to try! ; )” Thanks again, Jan, for all you do and the gift that you are.
Seed 3: Pray Daily
“Do all this in prayer, asking God’s help. Pray on every occasion, as the spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God’s people.”
Ephesians 6:18 TEV
Have you listened to God today?
What is a Staff Parish Liaison? and what do they do?
For
our church, a liaison is a person from PSPRC who communicates with,
advocates for, checks in with a FUMC staff person. Each staff
person has a liaison (see list below) who remembers a birthday
or special occasion with a card or note; checks in periodically to
see "how things are going;" or "goes to bat"
for the needs of that staff person. Some recent examples would
be Gwen Kell going down to the nursery on Communion Sunday so that
Kerrie can come up for communion. Or Bobbi Bird taking charge
of Jan Lanterman's 35 year celebration last Sunday, getting the
cake and arranging for Jan's gift. Barb Thompson made
pies for Doug's and Roger's birthdays. Bob Amoroso keeps
reminding Dianne that his personal computer is available should
hers crash again, along with Don Hitchcock pushing the committee
to recommend some purchases in that area. It's
our committee's job to take care of our staff, make sure they're
happy, and pass on any compliments/comments from you, the
parish. We also invite you to be proactive and give
thanks and appreciation to all our wonderful staff for jobs
well done!
Pastor
Staff Parish Relations Committee 2008 Liaison Assignments:
Susan Dunaway-Tsujihara - Anita Davies
Bob Amoroso - Dianne Mahler
Bonnie Andersen - Diane
Levorsen
Bobbi Bird - Jan Lanterman
Don Hitchcock - Ellen
Patterson
Lindsay Whitmer - Joellen Pope
Gwen Kell - Kerrie
Rutherford & Reid Francis
Barb Thompson - Pastors Doug
Monroe & Roger Kimble III
Fall Book
Study
Beyond Belief
The
Secret Gospel of Thomas
by Elaine
Pagels
Please join us on Sunday evenings at 7:00 PM, starting on September 21st for a discussion of Elaine Pagels book about the Gospel of Thomas and related Gnostic ideas. We will also read concurrently the Gospel of Thomas itself (it's not that long), because while the book title indicates that the book might explain that gospel, the book is really more about Gnosticism in general and partly about contrasts between G. John and G. Thomas. We will meet at the Lutz home at the regular time, Sunday evenings at 7:00PM, and of course there will be cookies. Please contact Peter Lutz at 255-8593 or plutz@sonic.net for more information and to get a book.
Vacation Church School
Wow! What fun we had this year seeking the Treasures of God’s Words! Each week we put on our Indiana Jones’ hats, gathered up our backpacks and went seeking treasures. When we dug for treasures we found hearts (God is Love), magnifying glasses (God Knows You), jewels (God Treasures You), crosses (God Forgives You) and compasses (God Is With You). We ate fruit roll ups with Cheerio hearts, biscuits with hidden treasures, cupcake sheep, trail mix and dirt pudding. There were crafts to make and stories to hear. And, of course, songs to sing—next time we sing “Standing on the Promises” during service, we will be ready! Many thanks to the following people who helped make this year’s VCS a success:
Vicki Poli, Susan Edenbourgh, Ginnie Mosher, Martha Monroe, Page Bales, Dianne Mahler, Jan Geren, Michael Herzog, Heather Banks, Laura Lewis, Mandy LaRue and Barb Thompson.
Yes, there IS room in the Choir Loft for YOU!!!
Cathedral Choir begins rehearsals on Wednesday, September 3, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. in the Choir Room (upstairs in the sanctuary building). Anyone who likes to sing is welcome--no choral experience is necessary!
We have lots of exciting plans for the year in addition to our regular participation in Sunday morning worship. In October we will participate in the Napa Valley Invitational Church Choir Festival to be held at Mont La Salle. In addition to hosts, St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Napa, choirs from First Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, First Congregational Church in Santa Cruz, and Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church will join our choir to sing for each other and in a massed choir conducted by Loren Wiebe, one of the best-known church music specialists in the country. In November many members of the Cathedral Choir will travel to Seattle for the second half of the choir exchange begun last May with Wallingford United Methodist Church. Also in November, we have been asked to sing for the Napa Interfaith Council's Community Thanksgiving Service on the Sunday evening before Thanksgiving. In December we will provide music for the 11:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service. And that 's just the fall!!!!!
This is an open invitation for those who like to sing and who are middle school age and above to join us! Hoping to see many new choir faces on September 3!
Joy in singing,
Jan Lanterman
Roman Imperial Theology
John Dominic Crossan
Jesus Seminar Fellow
Speaking in Santa Rosa, Friday October 17, 2008
Before Jesus ever existed—and even if Jesus had never existed—these were the titles of Caesar the Augustus: Divine, Son of God, God, God from God, Lord, Redeemer, Liberator, and Savior of the World. When those specific titles were taken from a Roman emperor on the Palatine hill and given to a Jewish peasant on the Nazareth ridge, it was either low lampoon or high treason. Since the Romans were not laughing, their choice was clear. But what exactly—apart from identical terms and titles in confrontation with one another—was the precise content of that Roman imperial theological program incarnate in Caesar, as opposed to the Pauline Christian theological program incarnate in Christ? A group will be going from the church to hear Dom Crossan. To join us, contact Peter Lutz, 255-8593 or plutz@sonic.net
Seed 4: Fasting
“When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others
but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father
who sees in secret will reward you.”
Matthew 6:17
Fasting is for spiritual growth.
What are you doing for your spiritual growth?
“Get High on Hope”
September is National Recovery Month and FUMC Napa is having a Recovery Service during our normal worship time of 9:30 am on Sunday, September 28th. Faith Partners Ministry, along with our very own God’s House Band, will lead worship and provide a glimpse into why there is such a need for healing and reconciliation from the disease of addiction. In addition to worship, there will be a coffee hour panel of experts who can answer questions on addiction, prevention, intervention and treatment. Everyone is WELCOME.
Come to Builders on Sat., 9/13 at noon for a potluck and fellowship. All are welcome.
The Friday Night Out Movie Group will meet again on September 19th. The movie selection will be "Frankie Starlight", a personal favorite of Bill Sharp's. The movie begins at 6:30 with pie and discussion following. Come and join us!
Remember, that's September 19th , mark your calendars!
SAVE THE DATE
Our 2008 AIDS Walk will be held on October 11th at the
Veteran’s Home.
Call the church office to sign up.
ALL ABOARD!!!!
It truly takes a whole church to teach the faith
Thinking about a way to be more involved with church? Need to get in touch with your inner child? How about volunteering to be a part of the God Reaches All People Everywhere Express? There are several ways you can be a part of our travels. You can be a conductor and assist with a group each week by making sure each child in your group is engaged and paying attention and helping the engineer (leader) with the lesson. You can be an engineer (leader) and plan the lesson each week for the month. The curriculum provided is well thought out and has detailed instructions on how to present the material. You can be a station agent and help out wherever needed each week. Please consider joining our travels this year. You never know where we will go next! If you are interested, contact Vicki Poli, Susan Edenborough or Dianne Mahler.
Put your Grapevine article here. The next deadline is Sept. 18th and will be mailed out on Sept. 24th
Many thanks to our church family for the cards, calls and prayers for Wayne. Our time of sorrow was comforted knowing that others cared. In his honor you are invited to a Celebration of Life and Masonic Service on Sunday, Sept. 21st at 11:30am at the Masonic Hall located at 4125 Solano Ave., Napa.
The Dykstra-Sanderson Family
First United Methodist Church
625 Randolph St. Napa 94559
Office: (707) 253-1411 Fax#: (707) 253-1976
www.napaumc.org
Pastors: Douglas J. Monroe
Roger Kimble, III
Sunday Worship - 9:30 a.m.
Child and Infant Nursery Care is available
Church Office Hours:
Monday—Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
The Grapevine is published bi-monthly.
Editor: Dianne Mahler
Mission Statement
The First United Methodist Church unconditionally welcomes all people in greater Napa wherever they are on their faith journey. As a congregation rooted in scripture, tradition, experience, and reason, we promise opportunities to grow in the Spirit and to become active followers of Jesus Christ.
Sunday Worship Service: 9:30 am
Coffee, cookies, lemonade and friendship are served at 10:30 am
Adult Bible Study: 10:45 am Parlor
Sunday School for All Ages begins at 10:45 am
Watch for news about the High School Youth Group
Sept. 21 Scripture: Exodus 16:2-15; Psalm 105; Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16
Pastor Roger Kimble Bonner Bells
Sept. 28 Scripture: Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 78; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 16:13-20
Faith Partners “Get High On Hope” God’s House Band
Oct. 5 Scripture: Exodus 20:1-20; Psalm 19; Philippians 3:4-14; Matthew 21:33-46
Guest Preacher, Jim Adams “World Communion Sunday” Cathedral Choir
Oct. 12 Scripture: Exodus 32:1-14; Psalm 106; Philippians 4:1-9; Matthew 22:1-14
Worship Committee will present “Reconciling Sunday Drama” with Holly Zaccone directing