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Happy Thanksgiving! Join us Sunday to celebrate Christ as King.
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From Pastor Molly: Gratitude
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High on my list of gratitudes is the privilege of getting to be your pastor. Regularly, I find myself describing to others how special our church is.
I love getting to work with a church that serves the poor and prioritizes ways we can be a blessing to others. We know that being a church means we seek out ways we can share food and dignity and mercy with others. Our community has practice at welcoming people into the life of our church family, too.
We value our work in passing on the faith to the next generations, investing in ministry with young people and trusting them to lead in our midst. Our staffing reflects this value. I love getting to watch intergenerational friendships form, and the gifts it brings to young and old; crossing ethnicity and age and political perspective, our community gives me hope.
I often feel the anxieties of our time; culture and church are changing dramatically. National politics and global issues threaten to make us afraid, and it sometimes feels like we have to swim full speed to just stay afloat. I am encouraged to be part of a community that consistently chooses hope over fear, love over hate, inclusion over exclusion. We all have a ways to go as we try to live these commitments fully, but I give thanks to God that we have each other on the journey. Thank you.
Grace and peace,
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Sunday, November 25 - Christ the King
"Revealing"
Rev. Molly Vetter, preaching
Revelation 1:4b-8
Revelation 1:4 From: Yochanan
To: The seven Messianic communities in the province of Asia:
Grace and shalom to you from the One who is, who was and who is coming; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; 5 and from Yeshua the Messiah, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the earth’s kings.
To him, the one who loves us, who has freed us from our sins at the cost of his blood, 6 who has caused us to be a kingdom, that is, cohanim for God, his Father — to him be the glory and the rulership forever and ever. Amen.
Every eye will see him,
including those who pierced him;
and all the tribes of the Land will mourn him.Revelation 1:7 ]
Yes! Amen!
8 “I am the ‘A’ and the ‘Z,’” says Adonai,
God of heaven’s armies,
the One who is, who was and who is coming. (Complete Jewish Bible).
Revelation 1:4b-8
Verse 4
[4] John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
John — The dedication of this book is contained in the fourth, fifth, and sixth verses; but the whole Revelation is a kind of letter.
To the seven churches which are in Asia — That part of the Lesser Asia which was then a Roman province. There had been several other churches planted here; but it seems these were now the most eminent; and it was among these that St. John had laboured most during his abode in Asia. In these cities there were many Jews. Such of them as believed in each were joined with the gentile believers in one church.
Grace be unto you, and peace — The favour of God, with all temporal and eternal blessings. From him who is, and who was, and who cometh, or, who is to come - A wonderful translation of the great name JEHOVAH: he was of old, he is now, he cometh; that is, will be for ever.
And from the seven spirits which are before his throne — Christ is he who "hath the seven spirits of God." "The seven lamps which burn before the throne are the seven spirits of God." " The lamb hath seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God." Seven was a sacred number in the Jewish church: but it did not always imply a precise number. It sometimes is to be taken figuratively, to denote completeness or perfection. By these seven spirits, not seven created angels, but the Holy Ghost is to be understood. The angels are never termed spirits in this book; and when all the angels stand up, while the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders worship him that sitteth on the throne, and the Lamb, the seven spirits neither stand up nor worship. To these "seven spirits of God," the seven churches, to whom the Spirit speaks so many things, are subordinate; as are also their angels, yea, and "the seven angels which stand before God." He is called the seven spirits, not with regard to his essence, which is one, but with regard to his manifold operations.
Verse 5
[5] And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first begotten from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth — Three glorious appellations are here given him, and in their proper order. He was the faithful witness of the whole will of God before his death, and in death, and remains such in glory. He rose from the dead, as "the first fruits of them that slept;" and now hath all power both in heaven and earth. He is here styled a prince: but by and by he hears his title of king; yea, King of kings, and Lord of lords." This phrase, the kings of the earth, signifies their power and multitude, and also the nature of their kingdom. It became the Divine Majesty to call them kings with a limitation; especially in this manifesto from his heavenly kingdom; for no creature, much less a sinful man, can bear the title of king in an absolute sense before the eyes of God.
Verse 6
[6] And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
To him that loveth us, and, out of that free, abundant love, hath washed us from the guilt and power of our sins with his own blood, and hath made us kings - Partakers of his present, and heirs of his eternal, kingdom.
And priests unto his God and Father — To whom we continually offer ourselves, an holy, living sacrifice.
To him be the glory — For his love and redemption.
And the might — Whereby he governs all things.
Verse 7
[7] Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Behold — In this and the next verse is the proposition, and the summary of the whole book.
He cometh — Jesus Christ. Throughout this book, whenever it is said, He cometh, it means his glorious coming. The preparation for this began at the destruction of Jerusalem, and more particularly at the time of writing this book; and goes on, without any interruption, till that grand event is accomplished. Therefore it is never said in this book, He will come; but, He cometh. And yet it is not said, He cometh again: for when he came before, it was not like himself, but in "the form of a servant." But his appearing in glory is properly his coming; namely, in a manner worthy of the Son of God.
And every eye — Of the Jews in particular.
Shall see him — But with what different emotions, according as they had received or rejected him.
And they who have pierced him — They, above all, who pierced his hands, or feet, or side. Thomas saw the print of these wounds even after his resurrection; and the same, undoubtedly, will be seen by all, when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.
And all the tribes of the earth — The word tribes, in the Revelation, always means the Israelites: but where another word, such as nations or people, is joined with it, it implies likewise (as here) all the rest of mankind.
Shall wail because of him — For terror and pain, if they did not wail before by true repentance.
Yea, Amen — This refers to, every eye shall see him. He that cometh saith, Yea; he that testifies it, Amen. The word translated yea is Greek; Amen is Hebrew: for what is here spoken respects both Jew and gentile. (John Wesley's Explanatory Notes)
8:30am in Epworth Lounge
10:30am in the Sanctuary
Special Music: "My Tribute," sung by Audrey Yoder, Jim Raycroft and Chancel Choir
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I went to the Inter-Faith Thanksgiving Service at the Mormon Church location in Torrance last Tuesday. I was fortunate to arrive early and lo and behold, Don Carlile husband of Rev. Lee Carlile formerly of our church and now Pastor of El Segundo First United Church sat with me. We had a great visit and spent a portion of time revisiting our lives together at Redondo Beach First United Methodist Church. Meeting old friends is a great thing and something special to give thanks for now and then.. The service featured many religions...
Thursday, November 22, 2018
 Bob Peterson
Bob Peterson's popular column for the Mainsail has found new life, online! Read his view from the pews about church life and community news. You'll enjoy keeping up with the many good things happening in our congregation! by Bob Peterson
I went to the Inter-Faith Thanksgiving Service at the Mormon Church location in Torrance last Tuesday. I was fortunate to arrive early and lo and behold, Don Carlile husband of Rev. Lee Carlile formerly of our church and now Pastor of El Segundo First United Church sat with me. We had a great visit and spent a portion of time revisiting our lives together at Redondo Beach First United Methodist Church. Meeting old friends is a great thing and something special to give thanks for now and then.. The service featured many religions, Jewish, Catholic, Episcopal, American Indian, Bahai, Mormon, Muslim and several others. It was part concert with singing and dancing and scriptures from many faiths. We all came together, worshiping, praying and feeling a special unity at this time of the year. I thank all who prepared this special evening and I represented our Methodist faith as well as possible. If you were there, I didn't see you in the crowd of perhaps 400 to 500.
Last week we honored 26 years of Shared Bread and heard new leaders of the program, Don and Meagan Burrows who are leaders once again of that program for us. We should all thank God for their devotion and dedication to that program of helping others. They asked for help and all of us should respond in one way or another.
Thanksgiving is [today] and Christmas is on the way, so get your act in gear and prepare as never before, for there are more people in need right here in California than ever. (Thousand Oaks and the fires across the entire state). Donating through our church for these disasters is better than most other programs.
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For Good Reasons:
2019 Stewardship Campaign
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There are lots of good reasons to make financial gifts to the church. This fall, we hope you will consider making both generous contributions to our 2018 ministries, and a pledge of giving support for 2019.
All month during worship, some of our church members will share reasons why giving to the church is important to their faith and to our community. You should receive more information about making a pledge in the mail--you can read more online, too. Please prayerfully consider participating in this Stewardship Campaign!
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Our annual church budget is approximately $500,000. These funds allow us to have an incredible staff, maintain our facility as a home for ministries, support the work of the church beyond our walls and more. Most of our budget support comes directly from your tithes and offerings.
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Volunteers and Donations Needed!
We are thrilled to have over 20 vendors booked for our HandMade Holiday. We need your help welcoming many people to the church on December 1:
- Volunteer for a shift during the event. Options include: welcome table, children's craft area, childcare, gingerbread house making, AIDS Memorial Banner making and more. Click here to sign up for a volunteer spot.
- Donate baked goods for a bake sale to raise funds for AIDS Project LA. Our Monday Night Family Bible Study group is hosting the sale. Bring donations to church during office hours next week or on Friday, Nov 30 between 3:30 and 8:00pm (during Parents Night Out).
- Donate supplies for our kid zone and coffee bar Click here to sign up for an item to donate!
We also hope you will come to the event, and support local artisans and fair-trade gifts. You can have lunch, too: there's a bake sale and our youth will be selling tater-tot nachos. We have free childcare while you shop, and fun crafts and activities that families can do together! A prayer space in May Day also gives you a chance to add a name or prayer to our AIDS memorial banners, which will hang in our sanctuary through Advent.
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Invite friends to join us!
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Special Worship Events during Advent
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Flawless love. Unexplainable peace. Boundless joy. Endless hope. The true gifts of Christmas are already yours; discover them with us.
Celebrate during 10:30 Worship:
-Dec 16: Children's Christmas Pageant, "The Unfriendly Beasts"
-Dec 23: "The Story of Christmas" combines Luke's Christmas story with treasured carols; and, our Walk to the Manger living nativity.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship:
5pm - Family Worship; 11pm - Communion
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Advent Party Potluck on Dec 2!
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Join us after 10:30 worship on Sunday, December 2 for an Advent Party Potluck! We encourage you to bring a favorite holiday food to share.
We'll have Advent wreaths and devotionals for you to pick up and use at home. Plus, some carol-singing, festive fun for all ages. AND...we're hoping you'll participate in our "Hanging of the Greens." Help us decorate the church for Christmas (tree in sanctuary, tree in Epworth Lounge and much more!).
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Give Gifts for Others This Christmas
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We have four specific ways you can choose to give to Christmas gifts to others this year. On Sunday, we'll have a Christmas tree set up, with tags for each of these gifts--pick one up to participate, and return the gifts to the church office.
- Donate $75 to cover the cost of a disaster Cleaning Bucket, to be distributed by UMCOR. Our church is joining with other UMCs here in our Mission Area to raise funds for 100 buckets, in response to the wildfires in our state.
- Donate a $30 Target gift card as a Christmas Gift for one of six foster youth in a group hope near us, in Carson. Or, a $10 Starbucks card for one of their staff. (We're also planning several other ways to make this Christmas a special one for the boys in this home.)
- Donate a $20 gift card to Target or Walmart to send to a young person from Paradise, affected by the fire there. We'll send it along with letters from our kids and youth in a pen pal project.
- Donate $10 (by 12/2) to buy 10 puzzles or games as prizes during the Corazon Christmas Fiesta on Dec 8 in Mexico
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Make your Christmas more meaningful by giving helpful gifts like these to people you do not know!
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Order your Christmas Poinsettias here
(or at church on Sundays)
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Help decorate our sanctuary with poinsettias for Advent and Christmas. With your $10 donation, we will order a poinsettia and dedicate it in honor or in memory of someone special, or to the glory of God.
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Love Thy Neighbor Shirts are Back!
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These shirts are on sale on the church patio Sunday mornings for $25. They make great Christmas gifts!
Proceeds go to support youth missions, though they're still voting on what, exactly. They'll know by Sunday!
We only have the gender-neutral cut (sorry, there's no women's cut this year), though it's on the softer T-Shirt material.
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See "Gifts for Others" above to donate game prizes for the party, too!
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Corazón Fiesta de Navidad: Dec 8
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The annual Corazón Christmas Party in Mexico will be Saturday, December 8. If you would like to join in helping volunteer to make this celebration special for the people and communities that are a part of Corazón, please contact George or Peggy Mercer! You don't need to have been a part of our Corazón house-build team to be a part of the party.
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Acolyte Training for Christmas and beyond
All 3rd-8th graders are invited to attend a crash course in acolyting. We need acolytes every Sunday in worship and several for our Christmas Eve services.
This is a meaningful way for our children to be involved in worship and we hope you'll join us. Two training times will take place: December 19th at 4:00pm and December 23rd at 9:30am!
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Men's Breakfast: Our next breakfast is Monday, December 3, 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.
Prayer Quilt Ministry: Join us for our monthly quilting workshop Friday, December 14, starting at 10am. There's something for everyone to do to help. Even if you haven't tried quilt-making before, this is a great way to begin. Know someone in need of prayer? Anyone can sponsor a free prayer quilt. The Quilt Request Form is online or in the church office.
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.
Book Club: For our December 18 meeting, the Tuesday Night Book Club will gather at 6:30 PM at the home of Ann Gallagher for a Christmas party. Members will discuss Truman Capote’s short story, “A Christmas Memory,” a true story of his life as an orphan growing up with elderly relatives in Alabama. Please join us. For more information, contact Ann Gallagher.
Help Wanted: Sound Board Operators: We are looking for 8-10+ people to volunteer to be part of a rotation of sound board operators. There are no requirements other than a desire to help out. Volunteers should either stop by the sound booth after church or send Matt Parker an email.
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This Week: Children, Youth & Adults
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Nursery (6 weeks+): The Nursery is open during both services, for ages 6 weeks to 5 yrs old. Located right off of the parking lot across from Epworth Lounge. Please know that children of any age are always welcome in worship. Any questions email the Nursery Coordinator: Adriana Hwang
Children's Ministry (age 3 - 3rd Grade): No pageant rehearsal this week! Sunday School begins at 10:30. At the end of Sunday School, we'll head back to join our families in worship just in time to have Holy Communion with our families!
Church R Us (Grades 4 & 5): Start out in church and head to Sunday School with our Youth Director, Stephen Hale at "Passing of the peace"
-Middle School Sunday School (10:30am)? Yes!
-Sunday Morning: We're looking for volunteers to help sell Love Thy Neighbor Shirts between 9:15 and 10:30, then from 11:45 to 12:15. Email Stephen if you can help!
-Youth Group(5:30-8pm on Sunday)? Yaaaaaas! And remember, we're meeting later (5:30) for the rest of the year!
Young Adults (19-not very specific):
We have a weekly gathering, Tuesday nights at 6:30. We meet at Starbucks and talk about life. Contact Stephen for more details!
Monday Night Dinner Study:
Dinner for all is at 5:30 followed by bible study in Epworth lounge. Children's programming is available! We will begin our Advent study on November 26. We will be reading Taste & See by Jan Johnson. There isn’t any pre-reading required before our first meeting! And having a copy of the book is optional, yet encouraged. Email Dawn Kirkemo for information.
Adult Sunday School: Bible Study and Discussion in May Day Parlor. Sunday mornings from 9:30-10:15am. Led by Helen Stockwell. All are welcome.
Thursday Disciple Bible Study:
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United Methodist News & Events
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Free Meal on Wednesday Nights
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Offering food and friendship to those in need, every Wednesday night since 1992. More info here.
Shared Bread always accepts donations of the following: new underwear- men's and women's, all sizes; Sweatpants/sweatshirts-L/XL (hooded, zip up, dark colors); Men’s jeans waist sizes 32- 34; Men’s new socks, white or grey only- all sizes; Men’s tennis shoes - especially sizes 9.5 to 11.5; new or used brown paper bags with handles.
Please bring them to church on Sunday, or to the office during the week.
DESSERTS FOR SHARED BREAD
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!
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Look for this week's Music Notes in Sunday's bulletin...
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Looking for a Way to Volunteer?
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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.
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Do you have a couple hours once or twice a month to help maintain our beautiful church gardens? Tasks would include pruning, planting, weeding and watering. Whatever you can help with, we'd love to have you join our team! Duties could change seasonally. Sign up through the church office, or by talking with Jody Wilkinson.
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Our UMW circles meet at the following times:
Circle Meeting Time
Naomi Circle 2nd Tuesday @ 10:00am
Hannah Circle 2nd Tuesday @ 7:00pm
Mary Circle 4th Monday @ 7:00pm
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United Methodist Women’s Reading Program: There are many titles to choose from with new ones added every year! Books are available in the UMW library located in May Day Parlor. Any one can read the books and our own local UMW unit will get credit! click here for information about the program.
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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. We appreciate all recycling donations,but the blue recycling bins are only for CA RV or CRV. We don't get any funds from milk cartons, or other plastics that are not CRV.
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We have many spots to fill for liturgists on Sunday mornings. The following link will take you the sign up. Please check it out.
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Campus WiFi network is: First UMC Guests; Password is: openhearts
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.
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First United Methodist Church243 South BroadwayRedondo Beach, California 90277, United States
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