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May 2002 EVENING PRAYERS -- 7:30 pm; Wednesday, May 1 ----------- DIALOGUE ON THE CONFESSION OF 1967 Sunday, May 5, 2002 — 2 pm - 8 pm Covenant Presbyterian Church, 670 E. Meadow Drive, Palo Alto sponsored by the Executive Committee and the Silicon Valley Chapter of The Witherspoon Society The Confession of 1967 is rich in the spirit of social justice and reconciliation, and the Witherspoon Society is focusing on its challenge and relevance to the issues facing our denomination today. Building on a national conference held in February, the Society is now sponsoring regional workshops such as this one to further reflect on this vital document of the Presbyterian tradition. Keynote speaker will be Dr. Philip L. Wickeri, Flora Lamson Hewlett Professor of Evangelism and Mission at San Francisco Theological Seminary. For more information, phone Ann Euston at (505) 623-1094 or e-mail her at sustain@trailnet.com. ------------ SPIRITUAL PRACTICES SMALL GROUP FIRST MEETING MAY 6 A new Small Group focused on Spiritual Practices is now being formed; Barbara Alexander will lead the group. There were 15 interested people at the organizing meeting on April 21. The group’s first meeting will be at 7 pm, Monday, May 6, at the home of Sara Barrios. If you had to miss the organizing meeting, Sara and Barbara urge you to be there on May 6, saying, “we still have room for more.” ------------ Saturday, May 11, 2002 - 10:00 am- 12:30 pm - Old First Church WORSHIP with friends who mourn the postponement of a fully inclusive Presbyterian Church (USA) and celebrate our continuing (say Hallelujah) voices of welcome. The defeat of Amendment 01-A is sitting in a sad and familiar place in us. Surely by coming together to sing loudly and pray boldly, we can find our way down to our sorrow and up to our freedom in the certainty of God's will worked out in our church, our world, our lives. Service sponsored by Covenant Network of Presbyterians, More Light Presbyterians, and That All May Freely Serve ------------ DAY OF PENTECOST -- MAY 19 11 am worship service with Holy Communion The Rev. Sam Alexander preaching ----------- MAY 19 ANNIVERSARY LUNCH Our 153rd birthday celebration will look a lot like our 152nd — but bigger and better, of course. Last year’s Ethnic Foods Buffet was a hit — with everything from South African bobuti to Heartland Cuisine jello creations — so we’re going to do it again. The Congregational Care Committee will supply several main dishes from different ethnic traditions, and attendees are asked to contribute something from their own. If you don’t cook, that’s fine; we’ll enjoy sampling an exotic specialty from your local deli or an unusual kind of bread. We’ll hear a few More Presbyterian Tales of the City, too, such as “Jim Wilson’s Problems with Wine and Women”. We'll also hear an excerpt from "Quiet Odyssey: A Pioneer Korean Woman in America" by Mary Paik Lee, who was a member of Old First from 1980 until her death in 1995. The Old First library will soon have a copy of this biography, which has become a standard textbook in Asian American Studies. There were only about 35 Korean-born children on the Pacific Coast in the first decade of the 20th century; Mary was one of them, and the only one to have written her life story. Tickets are on sale now: adults, $5; children, $3. ------------ WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT 153 YEARS? It’s not a memorable number, not one of the big milestones .... except in San Francisco, where every year is a victory for churches and parishioners alike. When we celebrated our Sesquicentennial in 1999, we weren’t the only San Francisco church marking 150 years. First St. John’s United Methodist shared the same anniversary. First St. John’s closed its doors forever at the end of 2001. First Congregational shares the same anniversary. When their membership became small enough to be lost in their historic building just off Union Square, they sold the building and entered a period of transition. Now in temporary quarters, First Congregational is planning a new building at Polk and Bush Streets. We’re still here, still in the same place. We’ve had to make some tough decisions, but, thanks be to God, we’ve been spared many tougher ones. We’ve mourned the loss of beloved members, but we’ve been sustained by their examples and the fruits of their labors for the church. We’ve come through a period of interim pastorates in pretty good shape financially, functionally, and spiritually. We are revitalizing our community ministries and re-committing ourselves to a position of leadership in our denomination. Our Anniversary on Pentecost Sunday, May 19, will find us rejoicing in the gifts of the Spirit in our worship service, sharing a lunch of ethnic foods that reflects the diverse origins and interests of our congregation, and hearing some bits of history that could never have happened anywhere else. We’re a unique and special church, a unique and special witness to God’s love, and we’re going to give one more great year the heartfelt celebration it deserves. -------------- DINNER CIRCLES Even though some of our Dinner Circles are still going strong, others have finished their cycles of everybody-hosting-everybody-else. It’s time to set up some new circles by reconfiguring some groups and adding new diners. If your place is too small for more than one guest or your culinary talents are mostly knowing who to call for the best pizza, consider a dining-out group. To sign up, contact Polly Day or Shirley Buono. ------------- SENIOR CENTER NEEDS VOLUNTEERS The Senior Center needs a few good volunteers for Monday morning kitchen detail. Interim director John Youngbird-Holt says, “We can put anyone to work, so don’t be afraid to sign up.” Contact John at 776-5552, ext. 310, or by e-mail at john@oldfirst.org — or just stop by the church around midday on any Monday and see what’s happening! ------------- We’ll miss Edwina Kerr, who has moved to Illinois to be near her family. ------------- Many thanks to everyone who contributed to our One Great Hour of Sharing offering at Easter — for a total of $2,910! ----------- Welcome to Juliana Marlo Lo, born March 30, to David Lo and Amy Marlo. Baptized On April 14 — Jayden Ashley Lim, six-month-old daughter of David and Nicole Lim
LECTIONARY May 5 - Acts 1:22-31; Ps. 66:8-20; 1 Pet. 3:13-22; John 14:15-21 May 12 - Acts 1:6-14; Ps. 68:1-10, 32-35; 1 Pet. 4:12-14, 5:6-11; John 17:1-11 May 9 - Ascension of the Lord - Acts 1:1-11; Ps. 47 or Ps. 93; Eph. 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53 May 19 - Day of Pentecost - Acts 2:1-21 or Num. 11:24-30; Ps. 104:24-34, 35b; 1 Cor. 12:3b-13 or Acts 2:1-21; John 20:19-23 or John 7:37-39 May 26 - Trinity Sunday - Gen. 1:1-2:4a; Ps. 8; 1 Cor. 13:11-13; Matt. 28:16-20 June 2 - Gen. 6:9-22, 7:24, 8:14-19; Ps. 46; Rom. 1:16-17, 3:22b-28 (29-31); Matt. 7:21-29 MIDWEEK BIBLE STUDY 10:30 am every Wednesday to read and discuss lectionary readings for the following Sunday
WESTMINISTER WOODS RETREAT — MARCH, 2002 by Jeanne Kirkwood Friday: Work, work, work, rush, rush, drive, drive. Traffic, accidents, hurry up and wait. Highway 116, finally .......... ahhhh. Relaxation begins. Gradually the retreat group from Old First gathers. We register, get our sleeping assignments, unpack and get together in the Boxcar for Friday night activities: eating, playing games, meeting new people and seeing familiar faces. This years' retreat was lead by Rev. Sam Alexander, Barbara Alexander, Rev. Erwin Barron with assistance from Ken Matthews and John Youngbird-Holt. The theme was “The Exodus Journey". Highlights of the weekend: ° Ken Matthews telling the Exodus story ° Early morning devotions with Tom Culp and Barbara Alexander ° The Tibetan singing bowl ° Action-Reflection with John Youngbird-Holt ° Lectio Divina with Barbara Alexander ° Erwin Barron reading stories, especially the classic "Ol' Dry Fry" ° Bible skits that included manna falling to earth via 15' of flexible dryer tubing ° Cindy Burt acting out "The Marriage of Figaro" during late night charades ° Working on putting jigsaw puzzles together ° Delicate lavender petals floating down from the flowering plum trees ° Creating the Sunday morning worship service ° Sam Alexander accessing the Biblical concordance on his hand-held computer ° Being together — lots of laughter, some tears, comforting hugs. Does this bring back your own memories of Old First retreats? Or can you not relate? If the latter, try attending the 2003 retreat! ------------- The focus of the retreat worship was Moses raising the bronze serpent in the desert, which could be seen as foreshadowing Jesus as the Son of Man being raised up. The writing of the worship service was one of the Sunday morning group activities, which produced the following litanies. WRITTEN FOR THE MARCH 17 RETREAT WORSHIP SERVICE God, we thank you for the manna in our lives, the ordinary, the daily, the routine, the things we always do. Sometimes they weigh us down. We complain and complain. BUT ... They give us life ! Thank you for our manna -- for close, loving relationships and friends for the health that we have for church family for our work for our homes for the busy-ness and meetings that we often hate for all those ordinary, life-sustaining routines. Finally, we thank you, O, God, for the serpent on a pole, for the beauty, music, humor, peace and joy that turns us again to see Christ. ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° God of the generations, we confess that we are beguiled by the snakes that come into our lives. We surprise ourselves with your capacity to act in ways that are hurtful to others. God of mercy, forgive us We resist making the changes in our lives that would bring us closer to you. God of mercy, forgive us We center on ourselves, pursuing idols of our own construction. God of mercy, forgive us We allow our pride to keep us from accepting the help you send us through others. God of mercy, forgive us We let the unexpected, dramatic and alluring distract us from the manna you provide. God of mercy, forgive us and turn our hearts, minds and wills to you. ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° Friends, believe the good news -- God shows us everyday, over and over, that we are forgiven. All we need do is look to Jesus Christ to recall that we are saved. We can see Jesus: when we share communion in sacred places; when we see the beauty of nature; when we read familiar passages of scripture; when we sing favorite hymns and hear special music; when we are surprised by joy and kindness; when we are comforted by rituals and relationships. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must Jesus be lifted up that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. Friends, believe the good news -- in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. PASTOR'S PONDERINGS What do we do with all those translations of the Bible? A number of people have asked me about all of the translations of the Bible currently available. It seems to me that the great number of translations on the market creates either a sense of confusion or a sense of insecurity about God's word. This essay is intended to clear up confusion and lessen anxiety. The Bible was written in Hebrew and Greek (with a couple of short sections in Aramaic). That presents a problem to anyone who wants to translate these languages into modern English. Simply stated, there is no one-to-one correspondence between the grammar/vocabulary of the original language and the grammar/vocabulary of the English language, so when translators approach the job of translating the Bible, they inevitably make interpretive choices. They (it is usually a committee of scholars that does this work) can either give a "word for word" translation or a "thought for thought" translation. For instance; the Revised Standard Version translates Psalm 6:6 from Hebrew this way: I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears, I drench my couch with weeping. That is a good "word for word" translation. On the other hand, the Good News Bible translates the same Hebrew passage this way: I am worn out with grief; every night my bed is damp from my weeping; my pillow is soaked with tears. That is a good "thought for thought" translation. "Thought for thought" translations are easier and often clearer to read, but they don't just translate Scripture, they go further towards interpreting it. "Word for word" translations give you more exactly what is in the text, but are often "wooden," difficult to read and hard to understand. None of the translations listed below is either purely "word for word" or "thought for thought". They all try to strike a balance. In doing so, each translation is a result of a conscious editorial choice to lean one way more than another. Generally, we read a "word for word" translation for study and a "thought for thought" translation for devotional reading, if one can distinguish between the two. The standard "word for word" translation is the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). There is no standard "thought for thought" translation. Some are written more simply, like the GNB; others have a more sophisticated vocabulary, like the REB, (my favorite). The NIV is quite popular but tends to slant towards conservative Christian interpretation. There are many study Bibles available. The notes give information which can be useful in understanding and interpreting a passage. They can be very helpful indeed, if you remain aware that these notes are not the Bible itself. The Oxford Annotated NRSV, or the Oxford Study Bible REB are both quite good. The King James Version: In 1611 AD this was an excellent "word for word" translation. Clearly, it is a beautiful translation and many millions of people have heard God's word through reading it, but the modern reader needs to be aware of two limitations. First, the English of that time is not the same as English today. Some of the words used in the KJV have a different meaning now than they did in 1611. Second, since 1611 we have found many older manuscripts of the Greek and Hebrew texts of the Bible. They show us that sometimes (though not all that often) the KJV was translated from a Greek or Hebrew manuscript that differs significantly from what the original author wrote. Paraphrases: The Living Bible, The Amplified Bible, The Message, or The New Testament in Modern English by J. B. Phillips are not translations. They are somebody's idea of what the Bible means, and when you read the Bible in a translation (not a paraphrase), you may be led to another, very different, equally valid, interpretation. Some of these can be good (J. B. Phillips for instance), but others not as good. The author of the most popular paraphrase, The Living Bible, did not work from the original language; he used a translation himself and he heavily slants his work! I do not suggest that it should not be read, only read with critical care, comparing it to a real translation. Hope this helps — Sam |
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