John 21:1-14
This week we see another post-resurrection account of Jesus and his followers. This one occurs by the Sea of Tiberias to seven of the disciples. We have come full circle with Jesus as the ultimate fisherman, reminiscent of when he called his first disciples by the Sea of Galilee only a few years earlier. The story goes on to describe how Jesus coached them to successful fishing and then cooked up the fish for them!! If my math is correct, there were 153 fish for 8 people - that would be nineteen fish each!! What that tells me is that Jesus intends to show them that they have great abundance as followers of the Risen Christ, and that they are called to go and share the catch with others who are not present. How wonderful that after all the pain and drama of Holy Week, Jesus directs our attention to a future with abundance, community and a call to share.
Please join us in the FUMC chapel on Sunday as we explore these themes together in worship. Our Sabbatical Pastor Anne Cohen will be present to co-lead worship this Sunday and we will send the Pomeroys off with our support and love. See you Sunday!! We will also serve Communion so bring your offerings for Friends in Deed (NOTE: they mostly need diapers of all sizes, wipes and canned protein. Please make sure that any donated items are not beyond their expiration date).
Also This Weekend
On Saturday the Central Association will be having their Spring meeting at the Altadena UCC Church. We invite all FCC folks to come to this meeting since our church is being honored for its history (Central Association is honoring a few churches each year starting with the oldest ones). The morning starts at 9:00 with worship, business and a program, followed by lunch at noon. Please see article below and RSVP for the meeting and for lunch to Laurie Fox at (626) 725-9208. Many thanks to Roberta and Lu for gathering memorabilia to share as well as to Elizabeth Lanski for preparing a brief presentation of the history of our church.
Women' s Scholarship Committee Meeting
with Finalists Saturday afternoon Our scholarship committee will be meeting with our finalists to select our recipients for the 2019 scholarships. Our committee is very excited about our pool of applicants this year and can't wait to meet them. Many thanks to committee members: Grace Rinck (Chair), Mary Camacho, Krysty Leckrone, Sue Miele, Bettie Teel and Pastor Marlene Pomeroy. Please see below for info regarding the Tea where we will give out the scholarships; please RSVP so we have our final numbers for this sit-down event. And please contact Lu Burd or Kevin Cordova-Brookey if you have not yet signed up to bring some food for the Tea.
On Sunday afternoon the Pomeroys
will host the FCC Choir at their home for a thank-you luncheon starting at 4:00. If you are a member of the choir please be in touch with Connie about whether you or your loved one can attend and what you will bring.
New Bibles to be Dedicated and Placed in our Pews
Due to the extra pews in our new worship space, Nina has purchased new Bibles to fill the extra pews and you are invited to buy a few to dedicate to someone. Please leave a check for Nina in the amount of $20 with the dedication you wish to be included in the front inside of the Bible. We suggest only 1 or 2 persons be listed in each Bible so that each is more personal.
Sabbatical begins for our pastors Sunday May 12th
Our pastors Marlene and Jake will be taking a three months sabbatical beginning on Sunday May 12th. The Rev. Anne Cohen will be providing the primary coverage during their time away. Anne will be in the office and working 10 hours each week and will be putting together the Touchstone and doing other administrative work. In addition to that, she will be providing most of the preaching over the three month period, and also coordinating worship services when others preach. We have several interesting pastors lined up to preach over the summer - some whom you know (Andy, Randy, Leo) and a new person (Rae). All will be provocative preachers for you to hear! We have hired the Rev. Leo Lynch to provide pastoral care as needed over that time. Please be in touch with him or Nina for that. You may also be in touch with our Moderator Randy VanDeventer or Vice Moderator Krysty Leckrone for other matters.
We are very grateful for the time away for replenishment and renewal. Initial plans for us are:
Travel to Ireland and enjoy the beauty and history of that country, including trips to Cathedrals, the Book of Kells, Celtic spirituality sites, etc. We will also visit other progressive and forwarding thinking church communities and Marlene will attend a retreat with Rev. John Philip Newell, Celtic Scholar and writer in Connecticut. She will also do some reading and perhaps take a sign language class.
Jake plans to start a small organic garden in the Pomeroy's backyard that could supply simple produce to the Friends In Deed food pantry in the fall. If the garden yields results, church and community folks would be invited over time to help in the garden, learning about organic gardening and the needs of persons in our community. Jake also plans to take a beginning tai chi class with an eye toward a small group at church later in the fall that shares and engages in spiritual practices. In addition, Jake hopes to have conversations in person or by phone with UCC folks who are engaged in alternative ministries as part of their definition of being "church" - homeless outreach, bike repair, coffee shop, wellness center.
- With gratitude for the time away, Marlene & Jake
Save the Dates:
May 4th
Central Association Spring Meeting featuring our church's history at the Altadena Community Church. More info in article below. Please RSVP
May 11th Women's Scholarship Tea
Please RSVP. The date is Saturday May 11th at 4:00 p.m. Staff and volunteers are busily planning for the Tea.
If you have some teapots that you can loan us for the event please let Sallie know! (not the beloved ones that break easily please!). Food sign-ups for the Tea are coming from Kevin Cordova-Brookey. Please help us put on another wonderful event for these women who will be receiving scholarships.
Sunday August 18th Hollywood Bowl Summer Outing!
Membership Ministry has selected Smooth Summer Jazz for our annual trip to the Hollywood Bowl, featuring Dave Koz & Friends, and the Commodores. We have 30 tickets reserved at $36 each. We will start sign-ups in the next week and can turn in any unused tickets by the end of June. Let us know if you wish to join us. Once Marlene leaves on sabbatical please be in touch with Lu Nguyen (formerly Burd) to sign up and pay!! Should be another fun evening. The concert starts at 6:00 so we will meet earlier for a potluck and some fellowship time!
Pastor while the Pomeroys are away on their Sabbatical. Anne's first Sunday will be Mother's Day. See below for her request for you to bring a photo of your mom on May 12th.
