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   August 24, 2016


   
 
"The Old Testament is boring". "The Old Testament tells the story of an angry, vengeful God." "The Old Testament is irrelevant, Jesus even said so." "As Christians we only need to know about the New Testament."
 
I hear these things all the time from Christians and it makes me want to die like King Saul. I know such sentiments are largely the fault of the Church which tends to focus on the life of Jesus and therefore ignores the Hebrew scriptures. Doing this is the theological equivalent of making a pizza without the crust; you lose a lot of the good stuff. The Hebrew Scriptures are our spiritual foundations without which, despite what people often argue, we absolutely cannot appreciate or fully understand the role that YHWH and Christ play throughout the entire course of the history of the world. As most Christians know the stories of Jesus pretty well, having an opportunity to learn about everything that came before him tends to deepen their love of his life and work. Being raised in the Church I always loved Jesus, but when I began to study the so called "Old" Testament, I felt myself fall in love with him. When I'm able to read and teach from the same scriptures he read and taught from there are times when I can actually feel his breathe on my neck.
 
Despite the beautiful stories of grace, the Hebrew Scriptures can be intimidating. They are long, they talk about people and places we don't know about and there are some very dull parts. However, they also remind us that despite chronology, geography and culture, people don't change very much which means that, amidst the boring parts there are a lot of really juicy bits as well. We cannot pick and choose what we use as scripture any more than we can pick and choose which people to love and care for. It's all or nothing, awkward parts, boring parts, juice parts and all.
 
This summer I'm so proud to say our students have become well versed in 1 Samuel, mostly because it is a book squirting with jealousy, attempted murders and a bloody but failed suicide. 1 Samuel closes with the death of Saul which means the beginning of David's reign as king of Israel. According to our curriculum, this fall we are supposed to shift our study to three books in the New Testament however last Sunday the kids voted unanimously to instead ditch the curriculum and continue our journey through 2 Samuel. There was actually a bit of protest and shock that we would do anything different, all summer they have been hearing about David and now that he is going to be made king they want to know what happens. As they will soon learn, despite being anointed, David's road to the throne won't be easy. In the midst of his struggles we will hear more stories of jealousy, conspiracy, romance and murder. We will also read through parts of the Psalms so we can hear David's own prayers he wrote to God during different points in his life.  
 
If you are an adult and would like to learn more about the scriptures Jesus read and the stories he heard about his ancestors, please feel free to sit in on our Sunday school or help teach! We have a lot of fun and are always looking for creative people who want to learn.

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Last Sunday the we took a field trip to the Gentle Barn to pet, brush and hug animals rescued from abuse and neglect. Here are some of the friends we made.
















 












~ Upcoming Events ~
 
Sunday, August 28
Mass on the Grass
 

10 am - 1:30 pm
The Angeloff Home 2930 E. California Ave.  

Please dress casually 
Tables and chairs will be provided by St. Edmund's.
After the service, a picnic lunch will be served at a cost of 
$7 per person and $3 per child (12 and under). 
Please RSVP to 
Veronica Guerrero . 

The fun continues until 1:30 p.m. with games, swimming, volleyball, and tennis. Please bring suits, towels, racquets and sunscreen.  
 
There will be no Sunday School however we will be presenting some
of what we have learned this summer. Please come and help us teach the
congregation what happens in 1 Samuel. If you participated in the Bible packages, please bring the items that were sent.
 
~
 
Saturday, September 3
High School Trip to


Old Zoo in Griffith Park
Please meet at the church at 5:30 pm
This is a picnic so please any snacks and cash for a sandwich stop
at Jimmy Johns before the show. 
RSVP to Heather by email or text 626.244.5188 by September 1st.
 
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Sunday, September 4
Team 1 Acolyting
 
Sunday School: Combined Class
10 am | Library
 
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday School Movie Trip


Matinee | Santa Anita AMC
Parents are invited to join us for dinner at Benihana
 
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Sunday, September 11
Rally Sunday
Team 2 Acolyting
 
Sunday School
10 am | Begin in the Library
 
~

Saturday, September 17
St. Edmund's Street Fair
4 pm - 8 pm


Bring the whole family to the St. Edmund's Street Fair  for an old fashioned good time! In honor of its 75th  Anniversary, St. Edmund's will provide fun for all ages with game booths, snack  stands, kids' entertainment, music, refreshments, and Gus's Barbeque!

Admission is free.  Tickets for dinner and scrip for games, snacks and beverages,
including beer and wine, are available for purchase at  SaintEdmunds.org.   Buy early and save. Ticket prices will go up at the door.

For more details and pre-sale tickets, go to SaintEdmunds.org
Questions? Email: Allison Dietrick at stedmunds75thanniversary@gmail.com

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Sunday, September 18
Team 3 Acolyting
 
Sunday School
10 am | Begin in the Library
 
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Sunday, September 25
Team 4 Acolyting
 
Sunday School
10 am | Begin in the Library
 
   ~

Sunday, October 2
Team 1 Acolyting
Blessing of the Animals/ Feast of St. Francis

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Saturday, October 8
High School Youth Brunch
10 am | Einstein Bagels 

Please feel free to contact Heather if you have questions.
 
 

Translation available
here

Rev. Heather Blackstone | Youth Ministries |  stedmundsyouth@gmail.com
Antonio Bartolome | Children's Ministries | antonionbjr@yahoo.com