Friday, August 4, 2017

The Redondo Beach, California, United States First United Methodist Church eNews for Thursday, 3 August 2017: "VBS Sunday and a special Anniversary!" "A miracle story in worship at 8:30 & 10:30am. VBS celebration during 10:30 worship!"

The Redondo Beach, California, United States First United Methodist Church eNews for Thursday, 3 August 2017: "VBS Sunday and a special Anniversary!" "A miracle story in worship at 8:30 & 10:30am. VBS celebration during 10:30 worship!"

From Pastor Molly: Making Things with Glue
This year, I'm having some special fun at Vacation Bible School: I've been planning and leading our arts and crafts station. In previous years, I've led the station where we tell each day's Bible story--I've enjoyed that work, too. But this year, perhaps because our theme, I've really enjoyed making things with our children. All week, we have been talking about how we're created by God, with a purpose and gifts to use as we create, too.
This is a wild and beautiful idea: that we are created to create. We are loved so that we can love. We are forgiven and commanded to forgive.
In all this, we get to do wonder-filled work that echoes back God's glory.
This week, my work has included glue and scissors, paper, paint and yarn. With help from some fabulous co-workers, I've been giving directions about how to make stuff. (My deepest thanks to Emilio, Helen, Marilyn, Samantha and Lars, among others...) My prayer is that it's practice for the outrageous and exciting work that we're called to do with our whole lives: of creating with God's holy spirit, making this work a bit more like God's kingdom.
May it be so.
grace and peace,
Pastor Molly
After 10:30 worship on Sunday, we are preparing to share a cake reception in celebration of Ron and Norma Day's 60th wedding anniversary, which is coming on August 10. Ron and Norma were married here in our church, and both of them grew up here as well! We hope you can join us to congratulate them.

In Worship This Week
Sunday, August 6th
VBS Sunday
"Making Miracles"
Rev. Molly Vetter, preaching
Matthew 14:13-21
Scripture Text: Matthew 14:13 On hearing about this, Yeshua left in a boat to be by himself in the wilderness. But the people learned of it and followed him from the towns by land. 14 So when he came ashore, he saw a huge crowd; and, filled with compassion for them, he healed those of them who were sick.
15 As evening approached, the talmidim came to him and said, “This is a remote place and it’s getting late. Send the crowds away, so that they can go and buy food for themselves in the villages.” 16 But Yeshua replied, “They don’t need to go away. Give them something to eat, yourselves!” 17 “All we have with us,” they said, “is five loaves of bread and two fish.” 18 He said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 After instructing the crowds to sit down on the grass, he took the five loaves and the two fish and, looking up toward heaven, made a b’rakhah. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the talmidim, who gave them to the crowds. 20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and they took up twelve baskets full of the pieces left over. 21 Those eating numbered about five thousand men, plus women and children.
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary: Matthew 14:13-21
Verse 13
[13] When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
Jesus withdrew into a desert place — 1. To avoid Herod: 2. Because of the multitude pressing upon him, Mark 6:32: and 3. To talk with his disciples, newly returned from their progress, Luke 9:10: apart - From all but his disciples. John 6:1.
Verse 15
[15] And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
The time is now past — The usual meal time. Mark 6:35; Luke 9:12.
8:30am in Epworth Lounge
10:30am in the Sanctuary
Special Music: "Made For This" sung by the VBS Kids; "Calling Out To Jesus (UI KIA SISU) sung by the Tuuholoaki Family
"Made For This"
I was made for this
I live for this
God has a reason
Reason for my life
I'm gonna shout it out
Without a doubt
I was born for this
Built for a purpose
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
There is a God who made it all
Everything we see
He built the mountains
Filled the oceans
And he built me
He is with me
He is for me
I am not alone
He is with me
He is for me
And I know, I know that
I was made for this
I live for this
God has a reason
Reason for my life
I'm gonna shout it out
Without a doubt
I was born for this
Built for a purpose
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
He is with me
He is for me
I am not alone
He is with me
He is for me
I am not alone
He is with me
He is for me
I am not alone
He is with me
He is for me
And I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know that
I was made for this
I live for this
God has a reason
Reason for my life
I'm gonna shout it out
Without a doubt
I was born for this
Built for a purpose
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
"Calling Out To Jesus" by Brad Avery / David Carr / Mac Powell / Mark Lee / Tai Anderson
To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
When you said goodbye
And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right
There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
And love for the broken heart
And there is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus
Cry out to Jesus
For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on
They've lost all of their faith in love
And they've done all they can to make it right again, still it's not enough
For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains
You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you're not alone in your shame
And your suffering
There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
And love for the broken heart
And there is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus
When you're lonely 
And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
To the widow who suffers from being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
And for the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight
There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
And love for the broken heart
And there is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
And love for the broken heart
And there is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus
Cry out to Jesus
Oh, cry out to Jesus
Cry out to Jesus
Visit our Website
News From Our Members

On vacation this week!
Click here to read past Lay Looker columns.
Coming at Church
Celebrating our VBS!
We are so grateful for all the young people who were are a part of Vacation Bible School 2017! We are even more grateful for all the volunteers who made it happen: thank you!! The week was amazing, and we were please to welcome more than 100 students over the course of the week.
We look forward to sharing some of what we made and learned with you on Sunday during our 10:30 worship!

Blessing of the Backpacks:
Sunday, August 27
Students of all ages are invited to bring their backpacks to worship on Sunday, August 27--we will share in a special prayer blessing as we begin a new school year. In worship at 8:30am and 10:30am.
Fall Ministry Fair on Sept 10:
YOU ARE HERE Sunday
On Sunday, September 10, we will host a ministry fair to launch our fall season here at church, with breakfast, fellowship and meaningful ways to get involved in the work of the church. (We hope you can be here!)
Breakfast and the Fair begin at 9:30, with opportunities after the 10:30 service as well.


Fall Sunday School Starts: Sept 10
There are still a few more weeks of summer...but we want you to know we're excited for the fall Sunday School year to begin! Regular 10:30am Sunday School for children and youth from age 3 through 8th grade will begin on September 10. Kids begin the hour in Sunday School, and join us in worship for Holy Communion.

Summer Fun-Day School Continues in August!
We love having kids with us in worship! But we also have two more weeks of Summer Fun-Day School, for age 3 through 5th grade! Those weeks (August 13 & 27) your kids can start out in church, then during "Passing of the Peace" we'll head to the fellowship hall for a fun activity! We'll rejoin our families for communion! Whenever there is no Sunday School, the nursery is available for children up to 5 years old.
For Kids Age 4-7
Spanish Classes for our 2017 Fall/Winter Session begin in October and will run through May, every Tuesday. (Holidays and Breaks TBA.)
Tuesdays, 3:45-4:45pm - 4, 5 & 6 year olds
Tuesdays, 5:00-6:00pm - 6 & 7 year olds
To register or for more info click here


Directions for Faith
This fall, Pastor Molly will preach a sermon series with directions for how to live out your faith. Using tools from our Methodist tradition, we will look at how to live out our faith, with devotion to God and service to others. The series begins September 10, and continues for 7 weeks.
This fall, Pastor Molly will preach a sermon series with directions for how to live out your faith. Using tools from our Methodist tradition, we will look at how to live out our faith, with devotion to God and service to others. The series begins September 10, and continues for 7 weeks.
The early Methodists got their name because others noticed how fond they were of their methods. We've long been known for having specific ways of living out our faith. Since John Wesley helped start the Methodist movement, we've understood that our faith isn't just about how we pray and talk to God, but also about how we treat our neighbors and work for the good of the bigger community. Through this seven week series, we'll draw from some time-honored traditions, looking at how to put them into practice today.
Join us as we work through the General Rules of the early Methodist Societies, and as we look a map for United Methodist discipleship. (You can read more about the General Rules and about Wesleyan Means of Grace online, too!)
September 10: General Rule #1: Do no harm.
September 17: General Rule #2: Do good.
September 24: General Rule #3: Keep practicing.
October 1: Means of Grace: Do Devotion.
October 8: Means of Grace: Worship.
October 15: Means of Grace: Share mercy.
October 22: Means of Grace: Work for justice.
Read more online.
Endowment Fund Completes 19th Successful Year
Our church‘s Endowment Fund was founded 19 years ago, with a $50,000 bequest from Edith Enbom on July 21, 1998. Additional bequests over the years from estates and gifts of members have been invested in securities for growth and income as a part of the Endowment Fund. Only income from dividends and interest is transferred to the church budget, bringing ministry funds each month. Capital gains are retained for future growth. The fund is managed by Ashland Investment Advisors and monitored by the Endowment Committee. The value of the fund on June 30, 2017 was $1,694,984.85 representing a gain of 7.72% for the year. So far this year, $22,248.33 in income has also been generated for our church budget.

Gifts to the Endowment Fund in honor of special occasions such as weddings, anniversaries and births are always welcomed.
A donation or bequest to the Endowment Fund is the gift that keeps on giving.

I've Been Watching: Wonder Woman (from Youth Director Stephen Hale)
Stephen Hale loved Wonder Woman, and shared some reflections about the theology of its characters--he wrote it especially to help youth leaders, but we thought you might enjoy it, too!

WONDER WOMAN AND HUMAN DEPRAVITY BY STEPHEN HALE So you’ve probably seen Wonder Woman by now. If you haven’t, see it! On top of being a great action movie, giving girls a hero, and boys a helpful female hero, it engages deeply in theological conversations.
*WARNING: SPOILERS TO FOLLOW*In the film, Diana’s (that’s Wonder Woman, Princess Diana of Themyscira) basic trajectory is to confront a simplistic understanding of evil in the world. She was raised in isolation on tales of Greek gods and their interaction with humans. She understands all war to be the product of Ares’ (the god of war) influence on humankind. Her people, the Amazonians of Themyscira, exist to oppose Ares’ work.
As Diana interacts with Europe during World War I, she begins to realize that Ares did not cause this war. Human beings caused the war, and our idealistic hero is troubled. It is during the big finale that she must confront the idea that human beings are deeply evil.
Ares informs Wonder Woman that he whispered in the ears of mankind, but never caused a war. He had seen the deep evil in the human heart and believed the best thing for creation was for human beings to destroy themselves. He simply fostered the deep brokenness inside of human beings.
ARES & TOTAL DEPRAVITYImplicitly, Ares believes something close to a Calvinist idea called Total Depravity. Total Depravity is the idea that human beings are totally depraved because of the fall. That is, they are completely ruined, with all ability to do good before God destroyed. Wayne Grudem, a Reformed/Calvinist theologian, writes
“In these passages, Scripture is not denying that unbelievers can do good in human society in some senses. But it is denying that they can do any spiritual good or be good in terms of a relationship with God.”[1]
However, many Calvinists go farther, believing even your good deeds are not truly good, as John Piper (a deeply Reformed thinker) articulates HERE. You might love puppies, but you only love puppies because they make you feel good. Without the healing of the human heart that comes with redemption, we are totally unable to do good. You can see this in Wonder Woman since humanity is totally unable to do works that impress Ares. As far as Ares is concerned, humans are totally ruined.[2]
COMPLEX REALITYInitially, Wonder Woman is persuaded by Ares arguments. She can see, as a deeply ethical person, that this makes a lot of sense. However, she ultimately rejects this idea. As she remembers the loving things done by the flawed people she met through the movie, she realizes that reality is more complex. Humans are deeply flawed, but they are not completely ruined. This is a rough approximation of positions staked out by much of the rest of Christianity: humans are deeply scarred, but they are not totally depraved. Good, true good, remains in them.
It is important to see that these positions rely on other questions about God and humanity. The Calvinist position really comes from Augustine’s later writings, where he argues with a man named Pelagius. Pelagius argued that good works earned God’s approval and ultimately, salvation.[3] Before Pelagius, Augustine believed strongly that fallen humans sometimes choose good and sometimes choose evil.[4] It is the debates with Pelagius that include Augustine’s insistence that humans are all evil. That is, the virtue Calvinists see in this position is that it clarifies that humans cannot earn salvation. If you are totally unable of doing any work that impresses God (that “merit’s God’s favor,” where merit is a technical term), then you are totally dependent upon grace for salvation.
Most other strains of mainstream Christianity argue this dramatic position is unnecessary. It certainly accomplishes the goal but in an excessive and semi-gnostic way. Varied Christians will take several approaches to this question, but a common approach is the position staked out by Wonder Woman. Humans can do both good (which God would certainly recognize, as the god Diana recognizes) and also do deeply evil things (which God and the gods in the movie would also recognize). Either position leaves humanity deeply sinful, in need of God’s salvation. The fact that humans do some good works (as much of Christianity endorses) does not mean they do all good work. If 60% of my actions are pleasing to God, I am still a sinner in need of God’s loving grace.
WHY DOES THIS DEBATE MATTER IN YOUR YOUTH GROUP?After all, western Christians haven’t been able to agree on this. Will your group of adolescents figure out the right answer? I think this matters for a few reasons.
First, simply having this debate, and making it clear that lots of good, Bible-loving Christians disagree, really opens youth to explore their faith. Learning that they can engage critically with ideas and that they are expected to think for themselves is often liberating. In most churches, most youth sort of implicitly assume they are supposed to simply memorize truths handed down. Thinking that way sabotages their faith. As soon as they have doubt about some detail of their church’s understanding of the Christian faith, they assume they are doubting Christianity itself. That might be the case, but it is just as likely they simply question a particular theological position. Discussing theological debates undermines abandoning Christianity.
Second, what we think about these ideas informs our understanding of ourselves and the Christian task. Our youth are in the middle of sorting out what they think of both. Too rarely, we fail to see how our theology affects our identities. If Ares and Grudem are right, this says something about who your youth are. Further, it says something about what exactly God is doing in Jesus. Both systems believe we need redemption, but the two approaches differ dramatically in understanding what Jesus’ redemption is doing. That means they differ in what the role of a Jesus-follower is today. That’s a big deal to any Christian.
Third? This movie’s awesome!
CONVERSATION STARTERS 
(:What does Ares think about human beings? What does Diana think about human beings at first? What does she think at the end of her fight with Ares?
I know Ares is the bad guy in the movie but is there any value in what he has to say? Have you ever been shocked by how evil someone’s actions are? Have you ever noticed how many people do evil things?
What advantages are there to Diana’s approach?
ADDITIONAL RESOURCESPassages in Support of Total Depravity (as Reformed theologians understand it): Rom. 3:9-10, 18; 7:18; 14:23; John 3:20-21
Passages often cited in opposition to Total Depravity: Deut 30:11; Josh 24:15; Acts 2:40; Mk. 4:11,12; Mark 6:6; James 2:24; Lk. 18:13-14.
Please note that these theological positions are much more complex than can be discussed here. I’m much more interested in having a debate and seeing the debate played out in Wonder Woman. That’s extremely useful to our youth.
If you’re interested in these discussions, keep reading elsewhere! However, it’s important to remember that these ideas are integrated into wider systems. Our understanding of human depravity is a cog in a bigger machine. It takes a central place in theological systems, so it must fit together with lots of other theological ideas. If you want to read further about this, keep that in mind!
The THEOPEDIA ARTICLE on Total Depravity is a good defensive introduction to Calvinist understandings of the term.
The WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE on Total Depravity gets into the debate a bit more. However, if you want to read a better presentation of a system (instead of rebuttals against Calvinism), you need to pick a system and read more about it. The Wikipedia article gives a few leads on that.
[1] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Press, 1994, 2000), 497.
[2] It’s important to see that, for Calvinism, this is really a question about whether humans can do works good enough to merit God’s favor. Can you earn God’s love?
[3] It’s important to also know that Pelagius didn’t argue this exactly. This is something of a caricature of the actual man’s ideas.
[4] Serene Jones and Paul Lakeland, Constructive Theology: A Contemporary Approach to Classical Themes, 132-3.
Stephen Hale is Director of Youth Ministries at First United Methodist Church Redondo Beach. He is also Director of International Programs for INALIENABLE, a non-profit working for the dignity of migrants. He received a BA in Social Sciences from BIOLA, an MA in Theology from Fuller, and is finishing an M.Div from Claremont School of Theology in May (he hopes). You can keep up with him at STEPHENPHALE.WORDPRESS.COM.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the YS Blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of YS.
Read Stephen's take on the theology of Wonder Woman here, on the Youth Specialties blog!

New Members Welcome
By becoming a church member, you affirm or reaffirm the covenant of baptism, and claim your commitment to serve Christ through our congregation. We are planning to receive new members in church soon, and would be happy to welcome new people into the life of our congregation.
If you are interested in church membership, please contact Pastor Molly.
Book Club on Summer Hiatus: Our Book Club is taking a summer vacation, with no meetings in June, July, and August. We will meet again Tuesday, September 19. There are four selections for enjoyable summer reading: “I Capture the Castle,” by Dodie Smith; “Marriage of Opposites,” by Alice Hoffman; “Sally Ride,” by Lynn Sherr; and “The Shoemaker’s Wife,” by Adriana Trigiani. For more information, on our club, contact Ann Gallagher.

Sept 30: Fall Rummage Sale
Mark your calendars for our UMW fall rummage sale! It will be One Day Only, on Saturday, Sept. 30!
Announcements
Men's Breakfast: Our next breakfast is Monday, August 7, at 7AM. Coco's Restaurant, 18120 Hawthorne Blvd. (Hawthorne and 182nd). All men of the church and their friends are welcome to join us for fellowship.
Church Council: Our August meeting will be on Monday, August 14 at 7pm in Epworth Lounge. For more information, contact Chair Dan Martens.
Prayer Quilt Ministry: Know someone in need of prayer? You can sponsor a free prayer quilt for them. Join us for our monthly quilting workshop Friday, August 11, 10am - noonin the choir room. Even if you haven't tried quilt-making before, this is a great way to begin. More information is online.
Meals and More: Did you know that we have a ministry that organizes meals and other assistance for church folks in times of need? In the past, we've helped arrange rides to medical appointments, meals for people recovering from surgery, and more. Leila Grantz coordinates this ministry, using online sign-up tools. If you want to be a part of the group that she emails when there is an opportunity to help, or if you know someone who's in need of a little help, please contact the church office or Leila.
This Week: Children, Youth & Adults
Nursery (6 weeks+): The Nursery is open during both services, for ages 6 weeks to 6 yrs old. Located right off of the parking lot across from Epworth Lounge. Any questions email the Nursery Coordinator: Adriana Hwang
Children's Ministry (age 3 - 3rd Grade) and Church R Us (Grades 4 & 5):
We're in church this week celebrating VBS! Go ahead and grab some fun activity sheets from the back and we'll see you there.
Youth Ministry (6th-12th grade):
-Middle School Sunday School? Nope, it's summer!
-Youth Group(3-5pm on Sunday)? Nope! Normal youth group is hibernating through the summer!
-We're going to Raging Waters on Tuesday, August 8th!
Young Adults (19-not very specific):
We get together occasionally. Contact Stephen for more info!
Adult Sunday School: Bible Study and Discussion in May Day Parlor. Sunday mornings from 9:30-10:15am. Led by Paul Caldwell and Helen Stockwell .
Thursday Pastor's Bible Study:
We usually meet Thursday mornings from 11:00-noon, in May Day Parlor. All are welcome.
United Methodist News & Events
Our congregation is a part of the El Tordondo Mission Area, in the West District of the California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
First United Methodist Church of Redondo Beach
243 South Broadway
Redondo Beach, California 90277, United States
Ongoing Ministries
Free Meal on Wednesday Nights
Offering food and friendship to those in need, every Wednesday night since 1992. More info here.
DESSERTS FOR SHARED BREADOur dessert supply is still low! Would you like to help? Homemade treats are treasured by our guests – but purchased treats would be wonderful, as well. Please wrap desserts tightly and mark for Shared Bread. Deliver Sunday (when you come for church) through Wednesday to the church kitchen (or the office if kitchen is closed.) Wednesday deliveries
should be here by 4:00pm to help us plan our meal better. THANK YOU!


























MaryAnn is out of town this week, so our own Cris Monarch is filling in on the bench for her. He is working on a very special postlude: Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody of a Theme of Paganini (A Minor, Opus 43, Variation #18)" This beautiful piece was requested by Norma Day, who plans to be in worship on Sunday, celebrating the 60th anniversary of her wedding to Ron, which took place here in our sanctuary.
The VBS kids have been busy all week and are bringing their music to us for this week’s anthem...
Thursday, August 3, 2017 - Music Notes

Music Director, Jim Raycroft, will
share upcoming worship music
selections and a little bit of history, too.
Jim Raycroft
Thursday, 3 August 2017 by Jim Raycroft

MaryAnn is out of town this week, so our own Cris Monarch is filling in on the bench for her. He is working on a very special postlude: Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody of a Theme of Paganini (A Minor, Opus 43, Variation #18)" This beautiful piece was requested by Norma Day, who plans to be in worship on Sunday, celebrating the 60th anniversary of her wedding to Ron, which took place here in our sanctuary.
The VBS kids have been busy all week and are bringing their music to us for this week's anthem.
The Kingdom of Tonga is a group of 169 islands, of which 36 are inhabited, that lies east of Australia, with Fiji to the northwest and Samoa to the northeast. They are a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy, and thus have both a King and a Prime Minister. They were first visited by Europeans in 1616 by the Dutch ship Eendracht, which stopped to trade. They were later visited in 1773 by Captain James Cook, who dubbed them "The Friendly Islands" because of the congenial reception he was given. Just as the Hawaiian Islands were united into a single kingdom under Kamehameha, the Tongan islands were united into a single kingdom in the mid-1800s by a visionary young warrior named Tāufaʻāhau. The Methodist missionaries baptized him with the name Siaosi, which means George, after King George III of England. He then declared Tonga a constitutional monarchy, adopted the western royal style, established a code of law, land tenure and freedom of the press, and limited the power of the chiefs. Since then, in spite of colonial pressures, Tonga has governed itself, making it unique in the Pacific.
The first time I heard the Tuuholoaki Family singers sing, I was astonished. I suppose I should have known – singing is very much a Polynesian tradition – but I was impressed with how good they are. Every summer, when the choir is off, they are always there to support the worship service with their music. The Tuuholoaki family, which hails from Tonga, arrived in Redondo Beach in March of 2000, looking for a spiritual home. They found it at FUMCRB, and have been heavily involved ever since. Upon their arrival, the church's music director at the time, Linda Waterman, invited them to sing a Tongan song for the service every month for a while. Since then, they've always unhesitatingly jumped at the chance to bring parts of their heritage and culture to our worship. Personally, I vividly remember the breathtakingly beautiful hula dance that the young ladies did for us last October. Last Sunday, Vika came up to Cris after he played his postlude – Reach Out To Jesus (his was Elvis' version) – and told him that she had that very same song in Tongan. So, this week, the Tuuholoaki Family Singers will be singing UI KIA SISU, or Calling Out To Jesus, which draws its text from the Book of Jeremiah.
He's Got The Whole World In His Hands is, actually, a traditional American spiritual that was first published in the book Spirituals Triumphant, Old and New in 1927. It was collected and performed by Frank Warner, who was a YMCA executive whose hobby was collecting American spirituals and folk songs and bringing them to the public (he also found and popularized Tom Dooley). Warner sang it throughout the 40s and 50s, and then recorded it in 1952. But the recording that really brought it into the limelight was the 1957 recording by English singer Laurie London with the Geoff Love Orchestra, which reached #12 on the U.K. Singles chart. It then reached #1 on the Most Played By Jockeys Songlist in the U.S. and reached #3 on the R&B charts in 1958. It reached #2 on Billboard's Best Sellers In Stores survey and #1 on Cashbox's Top 60. It ultimately went gold, and became the 1st, and to date, the only gospel song to reach #1 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart. It has since been covered by numerous artists, including Mahalia Jackson, Marion Anderson, Odetta, Jackie DeShannon, Perry Como, The Sandpipers, Pat Boone and Andy Williams. Personally, I profess to a fondness for Steve Martin's version in the movie Roxanne, when, telling "big nose" jokes, he sings it as "He's got the whole world in his nose".
Next week, we'll be serenaded by another FUMCRB tradition – the McCandless Family singers.
"Reach Out To Jesus" by Ralph Carmichael
Is your burden heavy as you bear it all alone?
Does the road you travel, harbor dangers yet unknown?
Are you growin' weary in the struggle of it all?
Jesus will help you with all his name you call
He's always there hearing every prayer, faithful and true
Walking by our side, in his love we hide all the day through
When you get discouraged just remember what to do
Reach out to Jesus, he's reaching out to you
Is the life you're living filled with sorrow and despair?
Does the future press you with its worry and its scare?
Are you tired and jealous, have you almost your way?
Jesus will help you, just talk to him today
Click here to read more Music Notes!
Looking for a Way to Volunteer?
The Welcome Team is looking for volunteers who can help about once a month between the two services and/or immediately after the 10:30 service. Go to our "Want to Help" page to learn more about this awesome ministry, as well as several other current ways you can lend a hand in ministry.

United Methodist Women’s Reading Program Any one can read the books and our own local UMW unit will get credit! click here for information about the program.
Support missions through recycling!
Bring your plastic bottles, aluminum cans AND CRV glass bottles to church every Sunday. By recycling we can support Corazon, Crop Walk, Habitat for Humanity and some of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) programs: Syrian refugee relief, eradicating hunger, clean water, ending malaria and fighting HIV/AIDS. Please bring your cans and bottles.


We have many spots to fill for liturgists on Sunday mornings. The following link will take you the sign up. Please check it out.
Sunday Worship Liturgist Sign Up
Parking Reminder: If you are able, we encourage you to park at the Wells Fargo bank on Sunday mornings, and walk across the street, reserving the parking lot for those with mobility challenges or for new visitors. We also have a bike rack on the patio. Thanks for your consideration.
Hearing Assistance Devices are available on Sunday mornings. Just ask for one at the audio/video booth in the sanctuary.
Connect with us
First United Methodist Church
243 South Broadway
Redondo Beach, California 90277, United States
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