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May 2004 Anniversary
Luncheon on May 23 On Sunday, May 23, we
will celebrate the 155th birthday of Old First at a fun and festive
luncheon party. Lunch will feature ham, ribs, and an assortment of salads
provided by the Congregational Care Committee.
Anyone who wants to help is welcome to bring a birthday cake to
serve 10 people. A program of “Still
More Presbyterian Tales of the City” will
highlight some memorable people and moments from our past. Mary Lou
Wilson will explain who the Doctor’s Daughters were. Bill Campbell will
bring some stories of young lives rescued by Larkin Street Youth Services.
Jim Fagler and Lori Yamauchi will remember George Jeffrey, and
Mary Russell will talk about her Small Group. Our special guest
historian, Joe Beyer of Calvary Presbyterian Church, will highlight some
historical connections between Old First and Calvary, beginning with our
role in the establishment of that church 150 years ago. Tickets are now on sale
at Coffee Hour $7 adults, $3 ages 6-12, through May 16. On the day of the
event they will be $8 and $4.
May
30 “Conversation with Jim Emerson” Our next Church Town Hall
meeting will be “A Conversation with Jim Emerson” on Sunday, May 30,
after the worship service. Jim has been our
Temporary Supply Pastor since January. He will share what he has learned
about our church and answer questions. Polly
Day’s 25th Recital on May 1
You are invited to a
piano recital of “The Greatest Hits from 25 Years” given by Polly Day
on Saturday, May 1, at 3 pm. This will be Polly’s
25th recital. As in other years, it will be a benefit for Old First
Concerts. Any donation you may care to make will be gratefully received. A reception will
immediately follow the recital, and all are invited to attend. Celebrating
Eastertide, May 2 On May 2 the children of
Old First will help lead the congregation in a time of celebrating
Jesus’ resurrection. The children will reenact several stories from the
Gospels, helping us to remember God’s incredible acts of revelation in
love to all of creation. Thanks to Jonathan Lee for writing the script and
making this happen. Come to the morning
worship service ready to be amazed, as the disciples were, by Jesus’
post-resurrection appearances. Join with the children in
proclaiming: Christ is risen indeed! Evening
Prayers -- Wednesday, May 5
-- 7:00 - 7:40 pm Old
First Choir Concert May 8 The Old First Choir will
present a concert at 8 pm on Saturday, May 8, with Kenneth Matthews at the
organ and Dr. Jay Pierson directing the choir. Cinq
Motets for sopranos and altos by Jean Langlais.
Langlais, the French twentieth-century composer, was the organist
of St. Clothilde and a teacher in several institutions. His output of
organ music included concertos with orchestra and liturgical works. Lux
Aeterna by Morton Lauridsen, premiered in 1997, has become perhaps the
most frequently performed modern American choral work. It examines the
"universality of light" as a symbol for many things, including
"beauty, hope and erudition." Composer Morton Lauridsen says Lux
Aeterna mixes religious and non-sacred philosophy. Jazz
Vespers -- 5 pm, Sunday, May 9 --
The John Calloway Quartet Celebrating
Pentecost May 30 How will the Holy Spirit
manifest in our Pentecost worship this
year, in wind, fire, or water? You’ll find out on May 30. Come to
church wearing some garment of liturgical red if you can, and enjoy a
Spirit-filled service. Sermon
Titles May 2 - “The Christian
as Caregiver”, Dr. Emerson May 9 - “The Christian
as Agent of God’s Love”,
Leslie Veen May 16 - “New Life in
the New Community”, Dr. Emerson May 23 - “The Christian
in Mission”, Dr. Emerson & Leslie Veen May 30 - Pentecost -
“The Christian Under God” - Dr. Emerson Adult
Education Classes Sundays, 9:30 am, Munro
Room
Congregational
Conversation June 5 The Mission Vision Team
is updating our mission report from 2000. An important part of this
process in an update of the description of Old First today. Much of the
description of Old First from 2000 is no longer accurate because we have
all changed in many ways. On the other hand, some aspects of who we are as
a Christian community have remained unchanged. This description is
structured around four or five major dimensions of our community life
(called core identities) Within
each dimension, areas that are changing or producing tensions (called growing
edges) are identified and the associated implications for the pastor
are described. We must get this description right before we develop
mission goals for the next few years. The Session and Board of
Deacons have reviewed an early draft. Based on their helpful insights, the
Mission Vision Team is revising this description. The next step is to
provide an opportunity for members of the congregation to review and
comment on the new draft. You will have this
opportunity on Saturday, June 5. In the morning, the Mission Vision Team
will facilitate a Congregational Conversation to discuss this important
document. You will receive by mail
in mid-May the latest draft of this document and the details of the
Conversation. Please plan to attend and add your insights to the process. June
26 Games Night and Potluck Supper
What happens when The Fun
People (Chris and Cindy Burt) team up with The Party People (the
Congregational Care Committee)? We call it Games Night,
and it will happen on Saturday, June 26, at 6:30 pm. There will be a potluck
supper of non-messy finger foods, and lots of games for all ages, and lots
of fun. Faith
and Pride, June 27 San Francisco’s Pride
Parade will be Sunday, June 27. Old
First has registered a contingent “to march along with our many brothers
and sisters of faith.” Watch for details. Pastoral
promptings -- Please read! Please do something! Friends --- Three
oíclock Sunday morning. This is crazy. I need more sleep for preaching
this morning, but I cannot. Why? Because I
am excited about this church! We
come to my last month at Old First. This month you must choose an interim
pastor. This month you must replace Leslie in Christian Ed. This month you must face a financial
reality. Some
suggest that the Town Meeting the end of May should include a report from
me on the state of the church and its future. I will speak of this to
Session. Let me speak of it
to you now: This
is a 30/70 church. An old rule says that in any organization, 20% of the
people carry 80% of the load. When I began here, the activity of members
of the congregation amazed me. Surely, I thought, this church is at least
50/50. Now I have run the
numbers: 30% of you carry 70% of the load — better than most, but we can
do better. A
church this size needs a 50/50 balance. Forty
more of you — especially newer members, must “step up to the plate”! The
most obvious financial need — $50,000 more a year in the budget.
Seems high, does it not? Yet
a student intern is not possible for the next academic year. An increase
in giving for this year would allow us to start with a part-time director
of Christian Education and bring our mission budget up to $10,000. Is that
not within reach? Do
not be fooled by these figures. The money issue is only a symptom.
The real needs begin with a focus on prayer and awareness of
God’s leading. Therefore:
Suggested
discipline in prayer: Read a portion of two psalms each day. Start with
Psalm 1 and Psalm 76. Read until you find a sentence that seems a good
"focus sentence" for the day.
Underline that sentence, think about it in relation to the tasks of
the day, repeat the sentence quietly to yourself several times, be still.
Thank God for the sentence, pray for your tasks of the day, for some
aspect of Old First, for some aspect of the world situation. Conclude
each night with a prayer of surrender such as, “Lord, be merciful to me,
a sinner,” or “Lord, into your hands I commit myself and my tasks.” If 50% of us really did that, that would solve a problem — fulfill a ministry. Peace and
blessings, James
G. Emerson, Jr. Part-time
Supply — Full-time
Enthusiast The
Children’s Library Is Growing Our Children’s Library
is acting like many of the children who use it – getting too big for its
britches (or, rather, its shelf space). To accommodate new books and to
make them more accessible to the children and families using them, the
Children’s Library has moved into Classroom B. Please stop by to peruse
the variety of reading materials available— and feel free to borrow and
return anything of interest. Many thanks to Steve Johnson, who has donated
many new books, and to Sara Barrios, who continues to oversee its
maintenance. Baptized On April 18 - Kurt Fisch
Wilson, son of Earl and Jennifer Wilson Lectionary May 2
- Acts 9:36-43; Ps. 23;
Rev. 7:9-17; John 10:22-30 May 9
- Acts 11:1-18; Ps. 148; Rev. 21:1-6; John 13:31-35 May 16 -
Acts 16:9-15; Ps. 67; Rev. 21:10, 21:22-22:5;
John 14:23-29 or John 5:1-9 May 20 - Acts 1:1-11; Ps.
47 or 93; Eph. 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53 May 23 - Acts 16:16-34;
Ps. 97; Rev. 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21;
John 17:20-26 May 30
- Acts 2:1-21 or Gen. 11:1-9;
Ps. 104:24-34, 35b;
Rom. 8:14-17 or Acts 2:1-21; John 14:8-17 (25-27) June 6
- Prov. 8:1-4, 22-31; Ps. 8; Rom.5:1-5; John 16:12-15 Attracting
the Spirit by Rosemary Bledsoe Of course you know what
happened after the Resurrection. There was the Ascension, when Jesus
"was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight,” and the
curious drama of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit took possession of his
followers. What happened between these two big scenes? Nothing much?
Have a look at Acts
1:12-26. Is it just there to fill the time and space between The Big
Stuff? Or does it have something interesting to say about the Holy Spirit? We know there are certain
meteorological conditions under which hurricanes and tornadoes form,
lightning strikes and snow falls. Might there also
be certain conditions under which the Holy Spirit manifests in our
world? Let's not rule out the
possibility of natural laws
relating to the Holy Spirit which might be at least partially
comprehensible to us. Even though there are some things we can never know
about the dynamics of hurricanes and lightning, let alone the Holy Spirit,
we shouldn't assume there is nothing we can understand. In this passage of Acts,
you might see a third season of preparation to add to Lent and Advent.
You might see a list
of certain conditions to consider as Spirit-attractors. Faithfulness
- The disciples were still Christ's followers, even after a series of
bewildering and horrifying events and reactions:
betrayal, despair, resurrection, joy, doubt, revelation, triumph,
loss. They hadn't expected
this, they didn't want to
have to endure any of the events or their consequences, but they held on
anyway, in spite of everything. Community
- They were still together, which might be how they managed to hold on.
Their separate bits and pieces of strength and belief went into the
communal pot, and all partook of the whole. They kept going back to that
upper room, their sanctuary, to agonize and rejoice, to talk the whole
thing over again and again, trying to figure it out and find a way to deal
with it. Prayer
- "All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer". They
had learned how to pray in a
way that wasn't demanding or self-righteous; they said "Thy
will be done" quite often. They brought their fears and hopes to God
in prayer — not just once a week, but constantly, praying without
ceasing. Jesus had opened the door to intimacy with his Father, and if
they weren't always brave enough to go through that door, they were at
least kneeling on the doorstep. The
presence of women - There are enough ways to construe this to satisfy
just about anybody. You could see it as an expression of wholeness:
identification with the entire human race.
Maybe it was a need for stability and compassion, a need to be
mothered. You could say the women were there because they were always
there, or that it was the kind of family gathering that happens in times
of crisis. You could say women are more spiritual than men, or that they
can teach men how much turmoil and adversity it's possible to endure, or
that somebody had to do the cooking and cleaning. It doesn’t matter much
what you say, though. They were there. Reconciliation
- Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers were with the disciples.
There is a story of how he had rejected them, saying his followers were
his true family. This is the sort of thing mothers and brothers tend to
hold grudges about, and the all-too-human disciples might not have been
overly gracious about having received such a sign of favor. No matter.
They had all come together; they had mended their differences. Going
on with the work - They named a new disciple, Matthias, from a company
of about a hundred and twenty, to fill the vacant place. They were whole
again, lined up in formation. They
were coming to terms with their own significance and beginning to work out
how to obey Christ's commandments to them. Seeking
God’s will - Matthias wasn't the only candidate for the twelfth
place. They thought Joseph Barsabbas had an equal claim as "a witness
to the Resurrection.” They
took the question to God; they asked God to do the choosing. So......
the scene is set and all the conditions are right.
Stay tuned for the next thrilling chapter. Responding
to the Call from ‘The Woods’ On the last weekend in
March, 45 members and friends of Old First made their way north to
Westminster Woods Retreat Center. While it rained Friday evening (it’s
supposed to rain for the Old First retreat, right?) the sun came out for
the remainder of the weekend. All present were warmed
not only by the sun but also by the great fellowship. We grew together as
a community through time spent in worship and in conversation with Dr.
Phil Butin about the triune nature of God and how that affects our lives
as Christians. Of course there was
plenty of time for eating, hiking, talking, and playing charades. Thanks
to Don and his friend Bobby who provided great jazz music during our
meals! And a big thanks to all who helped plan the weekend. Larkin
Street Youth Services Marks 20 Years by Bill Campbell Larkin Street Youth
Services, an initiative begun by Old First, is celebrating 20 years of
helping propel troubled lives in new and better directions.
Started as an effort to divert kids driven to living on the streets
from prostitution, drug-abuse and theft, Larkin Street opened a dropin
center in 1984. It provided
food, clothing, counseling and a safe
haven for 70 kids in its first year. Today, Larkin Street
helps approximately 2,000 young people each year, most of them victims of
abuse or neglect. To them,
the streets appear to offer a safer alternative than the homes they came
from. Larkin Street offers
the full spectrum of support they need, from shelter to medical care to
life skills, education and job training, to give them the opportunity they
deserve to achieve healthy independence and reach their potential.
This begins with providing a place where they feel safe and
rebuilding their sense of trust and self-respect, then moving to
academics, life skills and job skills.
Larkin Street is the only
provider of comprehensive support services to youth who live on San
Francisco streets. It is
nationally recognized for innovative programs that work. 99% of the kids
who prepare for the GED through Larkin Street’s program pass. 76% who
complete its job readiness course obtain employment. 70% who express
interest in college go on to enroll. 80% who participate in Larkin
Street’s comprehensive programs are successful in leaving the streets. As Sherilyn Adams, Larkin
Street’s Director of
Specialty Services puts it, “The most important thing we do each day is
to instill hope.” This hope
is well founded, because Larkin Street has helped over 19,000 kids
redirect their lives and leave the streets for good. In 2003, Larkin Street
developed a strategic plan that will guide its efforts to help a greater
number of kids, including (1) providing services for those leaving the
foster care system who need shelter and assistance to become
self-sufficient; (2) providing services to those with mental health and
substance abuse problems who need longer term supportive housing and
comprehensive services; and (3) serving pregnant young women who need prenatal care in addition
to Larkin Street’s other services. To continue its mission of saving young lives in our community, Larkin Street really needs help now. Generous board members have agreed to match qualifying gifts totaling up to $100,000 received by June 30. If you can make an investment in resilient young lives, send a check to Larkin Street Youth Services, 1138 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94109 and mark it “Challenge Grant”. For more information, including opportunities to volunteer, visit www.larkinstreetyouth.org.
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