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You may have heard recently that a lot of these awareness weeks/months/days are being “cancelled.” Well, not for us. We thought, what a better to way to start the month than to highlight some Black-owned businesses in the Valley. One meaningful way to honor Black History Month is by supporting Black-owned businesses, thereby contributing to economic empowerment and community growth.

BlaqHaus NoHo (North Hollywood): A vibrant spot known for its Southern-inspired cuisine and lively atmosphere.

Mom’s Bar-B-Q House (Van Nuys): Renowned for authentic barbecue and soulful sides that capture the essence of traditional Southern cooking.

Les Sisters’ Southern Kitchen & BBQ (Chatsworth): Offers a cozy setting with a menu full of classic Southern dishes and hospitality.

Sweet Blessings (Van Nuys): A delightful bakery specializing in homemade desserts that bring a taste of the South to California.

Fish Bone Seafood (Reseda): Perfect for seafood lovers, offering a variety of fresh and fried options that are sure to satisfy.

For a more comprehensive directory of Black-owned businesses in the area, “Black In The Valley” serves as a valuable resource.

Ways to Learn More and Celebrate

Educate: Read books by Black authors to gain diverse perspectives. Consider titles like “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison or “Somebody’s Daughter” by Ashley C. Ford.

Attend Cultural Events: Participate in local events celebrating Black culture, such as art exhibitions, musical performances, or lectures. Check community calendars for virtual or in-person events in the San Fernando Valley.

Support Black Artists: Explore works by Black creators through platforms like Google Arts & Culture’s “Black Creators” hub, which features exhibits about Black history and culture.

Engage in Discussions: Join book clubs or discussion groups focusing on Black history and contemporary issues to foster meaningful conversations and broaden your understanding.

Volunteer or Donate: Contribute time or resources to organizations that support the Black community, whether through mentorship programs, educational initiatives, or social services.

Explore Media: Watch films, documentaries, and series that highlight Black experiences and stories. Platforms like Google TV curate collections spotlighting Black voices during Black History Month.

By actively participating in these activities, we not only honor the legacy of Black individuals who have shaped our world but also contribute to a more inclusive and equitable society. Celebrating Black History Month is a commitment to recognizing and celebrating the profound impact of the Black community, both historically, in our present day, and in our future.

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Pastor Rich shares some thoughts on the aftermath, and includes a link to help, if you can.

Dear Saints of Faith Pres,

A friendly reminder to hold our sisters and brothers struggling with devastating weather in love and in prayer.

While we know that Jesus could walk on water and calm storms when he willed it so, we also know that even in the physical presence of Jesus (wow!) that his disciples were terrified – so imagine how much more so when not in the physical presence of Jesus.

From the earliest verses of Scripture, we are presented with the challenging idea that light and dark exist in close proximity to one another. One interpretation of one of the first verses in Genesis is that “God’s spirit hovered over the watery chaos… and brought forth order.”

We often wonder where God is in the midst of suffering and hardship: the consistent answer from Scripture is not an easy one. God is in the midst of it – but not celebrating or glorifying it, rather, leading the way out.

Let us save our questions about why this happened and what God’s relationship to the why is, and focus on God’s effort to bring order to the chaos and lead the way out. One of the ways He may be bringing order is through us. There are many ways that you can help outlined on our main denominational website, pcusa.org.

To help animals in need, see here.

Prayerfully,

Pastor Rich

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The Faith Pumpkin Patch’s goal is to provide our community with a quality pumpkin and a meaningful experience.

Since arriving in Los Angeles in 2010, I found achieving a balance between quality, experience, and affordability hard to do: I could get an affordable gourd of low quality with zero experience, or, over-pay for experience with moderate quality, or pay a reasonable price but travel a great distance to get a high-quality gourd with a great experience. By partnering with this farm in New Mexico, we bring in high quality gourds, farmed responsibly by indigenous communities, with little to no travel for our neighbors. At the same time, we try to provide some fun experiences – come check it out!

I hope you like it, and if you have ideas about how we can strengthen any of this experience, please let us know. The funds we raise will go to physical improvements of our campus community center.

Pastor Rich

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Well, yes, of course we should! The fact of the matter is that there are so many issues and causes, and nearly all of them have days or months to raise awareness and educate on the topic. But with so many causes to know about, how do you keep track of all of them and remember to care?

That sounds like a harsh question to ask. Of course we care. Of course these causes are important. But it can be hard to remember them all, all the time. And without these days coming across your news or social media feeds, how would we even know they exist?

International Days and Awareness months are meant to do many things. They raise awareness of global issues, like climate change and human rights. They act as a memorial of world events, like the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the Chernobyl disaster. They celebrate our humanity, including the contributions different groups have made to the world and scientific contributions that have changed the way we live. They bring us together as one people, no matter our backgrounds.

Okay, but what does one day or one month really accomplish? Well, most holidays that have “International” in front of it are formalized by the UN, who works on these issues every day of the year. Even if they aren’t backed by the UN, there are non profits and supporters who work on these causes year round, too. The day or month highlighting them acts as a boost of support and awareness.

And sometimes, they’re just fun. Did you know the third Sunday in July (the 21st this year) is National Ice Cream Day?

If you would like to learn more, this website is a great resource of different awareness days and months, and they even categorize by type.

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The church as a whole has not been the most welcoming and receiving, but it is our goal, along with MANY other churches, to show that we are changing and that sort of exclusivity is no longer how we define ourselves. We welcome and love all, whether they come through our doors or not.

So on to the topic… how do we celebrate Pride? Can Allies even celebrate? YES, and we should. There are so many ways, and each is as meaningful and valuable as you need it to be.

First, look to Educate and Learn. Learn about the Stonewall Riots and the historical significance of what really started the Queer Rights movement in the US. Learn about laws and legislation that is either harmful or helpful to human rights. Look up different terminology so that you can understand the conversations happening around Pride.

Attend a Parade. In Southern California alone, there are so many Pride parades this month. WeHo happened last weekend, LA Pride is happening on Sunday, Valley Village Pride is happening on Saturday. You’ve got Long Beach, San Diego, San Fernando Valley, Pasadena, Santa Barbara… do a google search of your city + Pride, and you’ll find a lot of options! One of our favorite trends in the parades that we have seen in the last few years are people offering Free Mom/Dad/Sister/Brother/Cousin/Pastor hugs for anyone who might need one.

Support LGBTQ businesses. It’s always great to shop small and shop local, but for June (and beyond!) find local businesses who have LGBTQ owners and employees. (Haven’t the billionaires gone to space enough?)

Support non profit organizations focused in this area. One of our favorites is The Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ young people. We provide information & support to LGBTQ+ 
young people 24/7, all year round.

Have an open mind. It’s okay if this is all new to you. If you’re not sure what some of the acronyms mean, or getting the hang of someone’s pronouns is new, don’t feel discouraged. Ask questions, if you feel safe doing so. Does LGBTQIA+ feel like a lot of letters? We’ve got you. Often shortened to LGBT, it stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Ace. You can learn more about each of these and what’s encompassed in the + here.

“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

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From their website, “The choice to serve is one of sacrifice. Military service means complete commitment to something larger than ones self, selflessly bearing the responsibility for the security of everything we hold dear in the United States. Soldiers’ Angels’ purpose is to honor that. Our global network of volunteers — representing all 50 states, Washington DC, and 31 countries abroad — work to ensure that those who serve or have served are supported, uplifted, and remembered through a variety of support programs.”

Soldiers’ Angels really has “something for everybody,” from a letter writing team, deployed adoption, veterans teams, womens teams, and so much more. You can help with deployed heroes, families at home, wounded veterans, even hosting baby showers.

Our Clerk of Session, Erin, has been volunteering with Soldiers’ Angels since 2012, even being a leader among the Deployed Adoptions team (and would be happy to answer any questions you might have!)

And of course, to all of our active duty service members, veterans, and their families, thank you for all that you do and have done.

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Today’s organization is an app available in Google Play or the App Store called Treat. When you interact with the app, you are helping dogs in shelters across the US. So far, Treat has helped over 3,000 shelter dogs find their forever homes!

When you open the app, you get to choose and remote foster a real dog who is currently in one of the app’s participating shelters. As you interact by feeding or bathing the dog in the app, you earn treats and kibbles that are sent by Chewy to the actual dog at the shelter. (You do have to pay to send medical supplies and kibble, but sending treats is free!) If you live close to the shelter, you are welcome to visit your dog in real life, too.

While playing, you will learn more information about the dogs, see videos from the shelters (you can skip these) and there are no ads unless you want extra ball tosses, which refresh quickly.

I have Treat on my phone, and so far, five dogs that I virtually adopted have found their forever homes. One was adopted after being in the shelter for 36 weeks, and I definitely got a little emotional when I opened the app and got the notification.

The icon is a white background with a dog’s face inside of a paw.

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On Saturday, March 23rd, I experienced a really unique intersection of faith. Early in the morning, in a quiet meeting room in First Presbyterian Church of Burbank, ten or so Clerks of Session gathered to review the records of our last year.

Minutes don’t really hold a lot of excitement- it’s okay to say it! They’re detail oriented and they’re certainly not a Jack Reacher novel or a Star Wars movie (Pastor Rich, I used that example for you), and but they do hold a rich history to them. From spirited debates, to tender moments of fellowship, to another flood we had to deal with, the pages held the decisions made in the last year, revealing a shared (if polity driven) history. Still, in those pages discussing the day to day of the church, I could catch a glimpse of the soul of our congregation—a tapestry of resilience, compassion, and tenacity. Say what you will about us, we do not throw in the towel.

I also love the annual review of the records for the sense of community it brings, too. I met new clerks and returning clerks, and we jumped in to answer questions and help where we could. I sat next to Deb, the new clerk of Session at Kirk of the Valley, and we talked about sharing a pastor and joked that any time his name was mentioned, we both perked up.

As the clerks from different churches in the San Fernando Presbytery began to leave and our record reviews completed, I had only enough time to run home and change into an all white outfit, purchased entirely the day before and after a last minute invite to ARTHAFEST– a celebration of Holi right in Burbank.

Holi, the festival of colors, began with a new friend right in the parking lot, and quickly turned into a dazzling spectacle of light, laughter, and color. Holi celebrates many things: the end of winter, the promise of renewal, rebirth, and the eternal cycle of life, the triumph of good over evil. (Sounds just a little like parts of what we celebrate in Easter, doesn’t it? Not to say that they are the same, but to say that these things are worth celebrating).

The festival was a non-stop celebration of these things, and the sense of community was delightful. I was welcomed like an old friend while making new friends. I was covered in orange and pink and blue, and I was dancing in the middle of the stage (I am not a dancing person normally)!

I left the day with moments that spoke of the beauty of faith and the power of community. Whether it’s the formal process of reviewing the past year, or dancing under a cloud of color, those moments and the sense of community add depth and richness to the whole.

I highly encourage you to read up on a Holi a bit, if only to understand the celebration of our Hindu brothers and sisters. Maybe you’ll see what I did, too: unity in diversity, harmony amidst chaos, and the boundless expanse of the human spirit. Happy Holi, and Happy Easter.

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Thursday, March 28th at 6 PM: Maundy Thursday Service. By separating Maundy Thursday/Black Friday this year we will focus on them differently and more specifically. Maundy Thursday will be a focus on the foot washing, communion, and prayer of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.

Friday, March 29th at 6 PM: Black Friday Service. Black Friday is one of the most important, but also, least-popular services/experiences of the Christian calendar/story. We have a tendency, particularly in our modern western context, to ‘rush through; (or skip entirely) to the joy and power of Easter and resurrection, and, for understandable reasons. We want to honor Black Friday with this service.

Sunday, March 31st @ 6 AM: Sunrise Service
Sunday, March 31st @ 6 PM: Sunset Service

*Please note that the Holy Week services will not be live-streamed. These will be in person in the chapel.

We are intentionally moving to a less “techy” service for these in order to be fully present for these meaningful services. While technology has allowed us to connect in unprecedented ways, we believe that Holy Week is a time for deep reflection and spiritual presence. By choosing not to live stream our services, we hope to encourage our community to fully immerse themselves in the moments of worship, prayer, and contemplation without the distractions that screens can sometimes bring. We want to create a space where we can truly be present with one another and with God, allowing the Holy Spirit to move among us in a meaningful way. While we recognize the convenience and accessibility of live streaming, we believe that being fully present in the moment during Holy Week is essential for experiencing the depth and richness of this sacred time. We invite you to join us in person as we journey together through Holy Week, drawing closer to God and to one another in worship and fellowship.

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