November 2001

THE REV. SAMUEL G. ALEXANDER ELECTED OUR NEW PASTOR

At a congregational meeting on Sunday, October 14, members of Old First voted to accept the Pastor Nominating Committee’s candidate, the Rev. Samuel G. Alexander, as the church’s new pastor — responding with enthusiasm to his candidate sermon and to the PNC’s endorsement of his abilities and his sense of call to this church.

Sam is a graduate of Union Theological Seminary (VA). He served as pastor of Adelphi Presbyterian Church outside of Washington, D.C. for six years. In 2000, he enrolled in Princeton Theological Seminary to continue his education and focus on his preaching.

He is the son of a Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Julian Alexander. He did not, however, set out to follow in his father’s footsteps in the ministry. Sam’s first career was as a watchmaker, first self-employed and then working for Tiffany & Co. Later he trained as an engraver and worked in that capacity first at Tiffany & Co. and then for the U.S. Banknote company. He came back to the church during that time, in Philadelphia, at Old Pine Presbyterian.

At the beginning of Seminary, Sam married Debbie, a fellow banknote engraver, and their son Matt was born while Sam was serving an Intern year as part of the program at Union. Throughout Sam’s ministry at Adelphi, Debbie was battling cancer; she died in August, 1999. A few months later, Sam undertook the permanent care of Andy, a teenager in his congregation, as a foster son.

During his year at Princeton, Sam renewed his acquaintance with Barbara Walters (no, not that one) who had been in private practice as a psychotherapist in Iowa for nearly 20 years. Feeling the need to provide spiritual healing to her patients, she had enrolled at Union Theological Seminary (NY) about the same time Sam began attending Princeton. Barbara and Sam were married in June of this year; Sam, Matt and Andy moved with her to San Anselmo where she is completing her Masters of Divinity.

The Alexanders now live in student housing in San Anselmo, and the boys are in school in Marin County. Andy, 15, is a sophomore at Drake High School; he is an artist and outdoorsman. Matthew, 8, is a third-grader at Wade Thomas School; he asked to be described to his father’s new church as “friendly and nice.”

Sam has felt a deep sense of calling to Old First. He visited the church before submitting his application to our Pastor Nominating Committee. He wrote to the PNC, “Yours is a congregation that engages the scriptures with heart, mind and prayer .... a congregation that cares and wants to open their healing arms to one another along the way ..... You seem to want a leader who will work with you, one who will think, plan, encourage people, facilitate congregation-wide communication, recognize gifts and maintain a focus on the critical issues facing the church.”

Sam has also expressed his call to the wonderful worship life of Old First, remarking that “the planning for worship and the leading of worship is collegial and expressive of the life of the church.”  He says, “It is strong lay leadership in worship — the spiritual heart of the congregation’s life — that provides for the formative, spiritual, conversation I’m looking for ......” and he told the PNC, “When you pray, my heart feels like it is home.”

Since he is already settled in the Bay Area, Sam is able to assume his new duties quickly; his first Sunday in Old First’s pulpit will be November 4.

Pastor's Letter

Dear Friends,

“Dear Reverend, would you be interested in ministering to a parade of the strangest assortment of delightful, caring people you've ever seen?" Rosemary Bledsoe asked that question in an article she wrote last May. It appeared in "Monday Morning", a weekly magazine published by our denomination. That’s how I came across it, and all I could think was, “You bet I’d be interested. That’s just what I’m looking for.”  After meeting so many of you last weekend, I am more than a little grateful I’ve found it. I’m looking forward to being with you and now, as I begin, I have one or two things on my mind that I’d like to make clear at the outset.

First, I want to be available to all of you. Last night I got a call that began, “Sam, I’m sorry to bother you at home.”  It reminded me to let you know that you are welcome to call me at my home. That is especially true if you have something on your heart that you’d like to talk over or share, but it is true other times as well. If you need to reach me for something, feel free. Having said that, I thought I should also let you know that I plan to start by taking Friday as my “day off.”  When it comes to the “regular business” of running the church, I’ll work to keep that time for myself, but this day is not, repeat, not a day off from pastoral work. If you need me, call me; I’ll get “my time” somewhere else.

Second, sometimes people look at a pastor as someone who holds the theological standard, someone who frowns when you say something that isn’t “theologically proper,” someone who coughs nervously when you express doubts or call cherished dogmas into question. That’s not me. I like doubt; somehow it seems more human than certainty. This is not to say that I have no point of view to share; I do, (just ask Barbara).

Here’s what I’d like to see happen in our ministry together: First, I’d like Old First to continue developing as a strong community that expresses the love of God to one another. Second, I’d like Old First to continue developing as a community that expresses that love to the world around them. Third, and most important because it will be the source of the love we share, I’d like Old First to continue to develop as a community that worships — a community that plumbs the depths of Scripture and opens their hearts to Jesus in prayer.

In these exciting and yet troubled times, I wish you peace,

                                                                                 Sam

THANK YOU TO THE PNC!

At the October 14 congregational meeting, the members of our Pastor Nominating Committee were thanked for their excellent and dedicated work. They are: Andy Cheng, chair; Pam Byers; Pat Cifor; Wilson Hardcastle; Sidney Hollar; Esther Kim; Roger Lindahl; Rose Marie Springer; and Bill Wunsch. Can they be thanked enough?  Let’s try it and see.

INTERIM PASTOR'S LETTER

Greetings,

Nine moons have come and gone since I wrote about the first moon over the city those many months ago.  It has been a full time here at Old First Presbyterian Church.  It seems a long time ago when I first met with the officers of the church at a retreat center below Mount Tamalpais.  It also seems like yesterday.  Much has happened in the intervening time.

Most of all, I have come to know and love a wonderful community of God’s people being the church in this corner of God’s globe. This corner happens to be the center of one of the finest cities in the world. It is an alive city and therefore demands churches that meet its aliveness.

Old First does that.  Its people are the people of the city, not divorced from it.  Its people use their minds, hearts, talents, creativity and spirituality to make this the fine mix of a city it is.  Not only the city but the Bay Area. 

One hopes that one’s church is a place where love is learned, community shared, and where hearts and minds are challenged to go and serve bravely and faithfully in the world.  Old First does a good job of doing all this and more.  I hope that I have played a part in doing some of this with you.

I have sought God’s guidance to do the work laid out for me and I am grateful that there were many in your midst who were all too willing to work with and apart from me do the good work of the church. My job here has been meaningful and fulfilling.  I feel privileged to have shared this time with you.  I have been told that my name will be placed in the red book that contains the names of the pastors of this church.  I am honored to be in the line-up. 

I am more than honored to have served here during this time when you all were here.  I can’t imagine Old First with another group of people — but Old First will become new as the years move on and as God continues to bless you.  Since Suellen and I are now connected to you, although I will be serving churches elsewhere, we shall follow your progress and growth.  We shall remember you.  We shall pray for you.

I remember the years I drove along Van Ness Avenue and glanced over at Old First Church, happy that this was a Presbyterian church.  Maybe somewhere in me I could sense my destiny in there somewhere.  It is good to know that when I drive by again and again I will see myself in the bricks and mortar.  I will see myself in the spirit of the building.

God bless you, my dear friends, and keep you, and may God’s face shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you peace.  It has been a joy being your pastor.

                                                                                           Cheers/Shalom,  

                                                       Cornel

EVENING PRAYERS        

7:30 pm, Wednesday, Nov 5

MISSION FAIR

Sunday, Nov. 11

Fellowship Hall, after the worship service

LEGACY CIRCLE WORKSHOP

Sunday November 18, Stewardship Sunday, The Legacy Circle will sponsor a workshop from 12:45 to 2 pm in the Munro Room. It  will address some of the more specific ways of planning your estate. We will have a panel discussion with participation by several professionals from the outside community. This is a "brown bag lunch" affair!

THANKSGIVING SERVICE

Old First Church - Thurs, Nov. 22, 10 am

The Rev. Dr. Laird J. Stuart, Pastor, Calvary Presbyterian, preaching

"BLESSING THE FUTURE"

Your Stewardship Committee and the Session feel a great sense of opportunity and excitement as we launch the Stewardship Campaign for 2002. "Behold, we are doing a new thing" has new meaning now as we welcome our new pastor, Sam Alexander. We certainly can "Bless the Future" with open arms and hearts.

You probably have already read the Stewardship Letter for the  2002 campaign. The congregation responded so generously to the 2001 campaign and most especially to the "Funding the Future of Community Ministry" effort. We are not planning any special giving opportunities this year. We will be directing the Stewardship effort to the Annual Campaign and the Planned Giving program. This makes the Annual Campaign even more important. This is our opportunity to "Bless the Future" of Old First Church and its mission  with our financial support . These are difficult times in many ways,  yet the work of the Church must go on with as much support as we can muster.

Please prayerfully consider your commitment to "Blessing the  Future"

Stewardship Sunday will be November 18. Please bring in your pledge then or mail it to Old First by the end of November, the close of the campaign.

                                          Amelia Kaymen, Stewardship Moderator

SESSION NOTES

from the September 25 regular meeting

Christian Education - Rev. Barron reported a great start to the church school year  using the lectionary-based curriculum. It was agreed to compensate Jeanne Choy Tate for her services in writing and implementing the new program.

Mission - Plans are in place to continue the Tutorial Program beginning October 3, to evaluate and recommend changes, and to participate in the budget process to ensure its success.

Personnel - The new parking lot attendant is Robert Kahn. A replacement will be needed for the Senior Center nurse.

Peacemaking - The PC(USA) Commitment to Peacemaking was circulated and discussed; the eight items for fulfilling the commitment were reviewed. The Mission Committee will discuss a suggestion that Old First readopt and reaffirm with intention its commitment to peacemaking.

LECTIONARY

Nov 1   All Saints’ Day - Dan. 7:1-3, 15-18;  Ps. 149; Eph. 1:11-23;                    Luke 6:20-31

Nov 4   Hab. 1:1-4, 2:1-4;  Ps. 119:137-144; 2 Thess. 1:1-4, 11-12;                   Luke 19:1-10

Nov 11   Hag. 1:15b-2:9;  Ps. 145:1-5, 17-21 or Ps. 98;  2 Thess. 2:1-5,         13-17;  Luke 20:27-38

Nov 18   Isa. 65:17-25;  Isa. 12; 2 Thess 3:6-13;  Luke 21:5-19

Nov 25    Christ the King/Reign of Christ - Jer. 23:1-6;  Isa. 12;  2 Thess. 3:6-13;  Luke 21:5-19

Dec 2    1st Sunday of Advent - Isa. 2:1-5;  Ps. 122; Rom. 13:11-14;           Matt. 24:36-44

HOMELESSNESS TASK FORCE NEWS

I've now been a part of the community as the Director of Homeless Ministry since July.  In the few months I've been at the Welcome Center, there is one thing that has come to me that I think is very important.  I raise it up because it is something we can all spend our lifetimes working on.

It is respect — respect for ourselves, respect for each other.  It is what I "preach" every day the Welcome Center opens its doors.  It is what I have come to expect from those who pass through the Welcome Center's doors.  And of course, love comes with respect.  So we can learn to love our neighbor as ourselves.  This is a small point, but is at the center of our being able not only to help each other, but at the center of our being able to live with each other.  It is at the center of our being. 

Jesus taught us to have respect for each other.  He even tells us to love our enemies.  For me, this is quite a difficult concept, especially in light of what happened on the morning of September 11.  But Jesus didn't tell us we have to simply accept all that our enemies do, without question or challenge (remember, he tossed the money-changers out of the temple).  No, what Jesus is telling us is to know that we can overcome even the worst enemy, the worst situation, if we were to show respect for those not exactly like us.

Every new day at the Welcome Center brings a new perspective on who is friend to whom, and conversely, who is enemy to whom.  It is a wonderfully diverse congregation of folks that comes into the Welcome Center.  Most of these folks can get along well enough to sit and eat at table together, but there are a few who seem to be absolutely unable to view each other across the table without making challenging remarks or threatening postures.  I see these times as teaching/learning times, and as long as things stay controlled, which is most of the time, I simply hover around and "guide" the offending parties to show respect for each other.  Some days are a bit longer than others!

However, over the course of time (weeks, months  — years?), many of these same folks can sit at table and even engage in limited conversation.  It makes me smile.  We can learn, and practice, respect for one another.  It is rewarding for everyone involved when we understand that we can, in fact, hold different opinions and still acknowledge the other.  Yes, we can learn to "love our enemy," and we can learn to "love our neighbor as ourselves."  It is, as I said initially, something that may take us a whole lifetime to finally learn.  But the rewards are so great that we cannot overlook the possibilities!

Let us all practice respect, and live in harmony in a world that seems headed toward chaos.  Respect, love, harmony: it is possible.

May the Peace of the Lord be with us always, John Youngbird-Holt

MY THANKS TO ALL YOU SAINTS

from Deb McGuire

David Steele has died.  A self-described parson-on-the-loose, he was always writing funny, compelling articles for "Monday Morning" and "The Presbyterian Outlook" as well as his own published works. Presbyterians everywhere have memories of him and are sharing them in these same publications. I and some others at Old First have memories of him as well.

In the fall of 1991 David led a retreat at Bishop’s Ranch called "Jacob’s Ladder."  Little Miss New Christian here was enjoying her new church family, but had barely had time to break the binding on her new pastor-given Bible by the time this retreat rolled around. I loved the workshops David led, and looked forward to the rest time to enjoy some of the scenery in Healdsburg. I sat on a porch swing hung from a tree and tried to noodle some made-up tunes on my flute during one of these rest periods.  Keenan came by, Mary Lou came by, Mark and Cynthia (before they were parents of George and Carol) came by, each one making me feel more and more comfortable letting myself come out of my shell in my new church surroundings. And David Steele came by.  I have a photo that Mary Lou took from a distance of David and I talking on that swing. I remember the time vividly.  He signed all three of his books I had purchased, we talked and laughed, and I played while he was silent for a while.

That retreat was where I first heard of Taize music.  People were amazed that I hadn’t heard of it, told me of the Mercy Center, and thus began about five years of flute playing and praying in that wonderful community of first-Friday Taize voices. The Mercy Center experience led to my time with a spiritual director, who just happened to be in Chicago during my time at seminary so we were able to continue our relationship. My, how time flies.  Today, I have not worshipped regularly at Old First in six years, my spiritual director has passed away from a brain tumor, I have found a new place to hear Taize, and seminary is actually behind me!

David Steele dying has reminded me of the beginning of my time at Old First and has startled me into noticing how much has come my way since the congregation of Old First began to love me. While I know that God has never been out of my life, I became awake to that realization through the love of this congregation. There have been many ups and downs: my baptism (go ahead, tell someone how many days I skipped work afterward) was great, of course; Bill and Sally Meadows gave me a full fare unrestricted flight to Chicago when my father suddenly became ill and then passed away; my struggles with illness and my personal resurrection; my small group Bible study of Keenan, Mary Lou, Gina, Heather, Terry, and Cheryl, that still writes to one another even though we are at great distance, and still refer to one another as "the group"; our plastering, taping, autographing and painting of the organ loft; flute playing; gala concerts,  my adventure to and through seminary and subsequent graduation!!!! (a little excitement there). These are all personal testimonies to the grace of God through the congregation of Old First.  There are many, many more communal testimonies to God’s grace that this community represents to me and to so many others. My thanks to all you saints!

I am currently serving as a student pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Brookfield, where I hope to be ordained soon. I will have my final assessment before Presbytery in November, final examination in Chicago in December, and ordination in January – I hope.  One can never tell about the official time table of these things.  I have been at this church since last November.  We are a very small congregation with a lot of spunk.  I currently live in Berwyn, about two miles from the church.  The congregation is very warm and friendly, and very supportive of a new pastor.  They have let me lead them and have helped me to see what they have in mind.  We just completed a workshop to help with discernment for the next year.  It was a successful day and left us a bit tired, but happy to see how much we really are focused on our next steps.

My prayers are with those who lost loved ones in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, as well as all of us as we suffer the grief and shock of the events of September 11th.  My prayers are with you also, as you look forward to your new pastor even as you enjoy the work and spirit of Cornel. Be good. Work hard. Play harder. Rest. Pray. 

                                                                                                Blessings,   Deb