”Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends…“
1 Corinthians 13:7-8

It has often been noted that the famous Corinthian chapter on love really describes Jesus. He is the supreme model of mature love, today and forever. Jesus ”is patient and kind“; Jesus ”is not jealous or boastful“; Jesus ”is not arrogant or rude.“ The capacity to postpone gratification lies at the very heart of mature love; Jesus ”does not insist on his own way“. the love of Jesus ”never ends“.

It is a good bet that most wedding guests hearing 1 Corinthians 13 understand it sentimentally, not being aware that the passage is really about the love of Christ as it take shape in the Christian community. In actuality, Paul’s words have nothing at all to do with romantic love — which, for all its fabled intensity is a relatively short-lived phenomenon. Love cannot stay on the mountaintop. It must come down. Love must go where it is most needed, not at the pinnacle of youth and beauty, but in the valley of the shadow of death…1 Corinthians is about Jesus as he sets forth to be crucified. ”Love bears all things believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things.

We have all had our mountaintop experience at some point in our life. Love is grateful for the experience on the mountain top, but knows that it cannot stay there. Love persists when the glory has faded when the romance has fled, when the curtain has been destroyed on the stage set. Love never gives up.

The King James version of the Bible is stronger in some ways; Love ”suffereth long and is kind; love vaunteth not itself; is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, is not easily provoked…love never faileth.“ Love does not even require reciprocity; love goes to Memphis, love gets down on the pavement, loves goes to Jerusalem where the enemy lies in wait.

”Love bears all things, endures all things.“ Jesus turns his back on his glory, he comes down from the mountain, the throne of the majesty on high. He comes down from the infinite spaces of uncreated light and prepares to enter the darkness of human suffering and human pain. God is not looking down with detachment from a great distance. God did not remain majestically aloof somewhere over the rainbow. God is not a distant observer of our struggles.

So whenever one human being reaches out for another in the midst of suffering, whenever a person in power stoops down to help, whenever the mighty bend to the
lowly, there is the Lord. Whenever you do this, you are becoming Jesus’ disciple.

And whoever you are and wherever your pain, this very day in the power of his Word
spoken, He reaches out, He comes down, to seek you, to find you, to embrace you.

Alice Stauffer

“2023: The Year of Evangelism”

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”

Isaiah 52:7

“How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”

Romans 10:14f

About midway through this past year, the Latino members of our Board of Elders began to ask the session about evangelism at FPCSA.  They felt the members of the Hispanic Ministry were unprepared and ill-equipped to share the gospel.  The non-Hispanic members of session nodded their heads in agreement.  These feelings were not limited to our Latino friends.  After some discussion, the session voted to prioritize evangelism in the coming year.

Now, I know, the word “evangelism” conjures up many bad feelings among Presbyterians.  One of my favorite sermon titles was, “Evangelism Isn’t a Four-Letter Word.”  In fact, the Preamble of the PCUSA’s recent publication, “8 Habits of Evangelism,” begins with these comments: “It is interesting to me that evangelism, the very word that means to declare good news and glad tidings, has become a dirty word.  When an essential ministry of the church is distorted by religious zealots and used to judge others to determine who’s ‘in’ and who’s ‘out’ of the community of faith, the message of glad tidings is turned into judgment and exclusion – a dirty word.”

Evangelism is at the core of who we are as followers of Jesus Christ and what we are called to do.  It is how Jesus begins His Great Commission: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19a).  It is encapsulated in the favorite verse of many: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)  It is detailed throughout Paul’s writings in the New Testament, perhaps best outlined in 1 Corinthians 15:1-6.

The Presbyterian Church sets evangelism as its first goal in its mission statement: “The Great Ends of the Church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind…”  The congregation of which I was under care many years ago started each service with the following mission statement: “We are here to lead children, men and women to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, to nurture them in their faith, and to deploy them in servant ministries both here and throughout the world.”  In fact, FPCSA’s vision statement is clear: “In Santa Ana, we strive to see people from every culture and from every generation connect with Jesus Christ and with one another.”  In order for people to connect with Jesus Christ, they must know who Jesus Christ is.  And they cannot know who Jesus Christ is unless someone tells them.  And that’s what evangelism is all about.

But, as the members of the Hispanic Ministry pointed out, we often don’t know how to share the good news in a meaningful or effective way.  We are fearful, timid or too concerned about offending others. 

So that is what 2023 is going to be about.  We’ll go through three phases.  First, we’ll go through the Presbyterian Church USA’s study: “8 Habits of Evangelism.”  The purpose of this phase is to establish habits that attract others to Jesus, whether in our lives personally or in the life of the church.  We must be sure that when we invite people to join our fellowship, it is a fellowship worth joining.  These 8 Habits of Evangelism should change and shape us to know the heart of God and to better exhibit and share God’s love with the world.

Secondly, we’ll look at what some other churches are doing to share the good news.  We’ll take a look at congregations that are thriving and ask what they are doing to help communicate God’s good news.  If there are churches that have caught your attention (no matter where), please recommend them to me so that I might include them in our study.

Finally, we’ll learn some practical tools in sharing our faith.  Several months ago, I had a moment of de ja vu when someone at a Santa Ana Kingdom Group lunch said SAKG was sponsoring Evangelism Explosion to come lead workshops in Santa Ana.  Evangelism Explosion?!?  My goodness!!!  I remember Evangelism Explosion from when I was an adolescent in Los Gatos, CA.  In fact, I still have my parents’ old copy of the original James Kennedy book in my library.  In this training, we will learn biblically based, practical methods of sharing our faith.

Before I finish this article, I need to clarify one thing.  If we study and practice the tools of evangelism to grow the church, then we are missing the point.  If this is the case, then our motivation is skewed.  And we are no different than local businesses.  In Acts 8, there’s the story of a man named Simon who started following the apostles and offered them money to receive the Holy Spirit; he was doing it to increase his business.  Peter condemned this Simon.  We don’t want to be like Simon. 

However, if our motivation is to share the love of God and to build His kingdom here on earth and to know friends and loved ones will spend eternity with our LORD, then our hearts are in the right place.  A natural consequence of healthy evangelism might be church growth.  But even if it is not, we will be following Jesus’ instruction to us and we will be living as ambassadors of our LORD.

I’m excited for 2023.  Evangelism can be an uncomfortable topic.  But in the end, it is vital for each and every one of us.  And it is vital for the health of our church family.  Please join me in this Year of Evangelism.

I remain yours in Christ’s Love and Service,

Pastor Lance

Pastor’s Page December 2022

“The Heart That Grew Three Sizes”

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.
I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

Ezekiel 36:26

Every year, pastors approach the Advent Season with a competing sense of joy and dread.  Joyful to celebrate the birth of Jesus and the traditions surrounding Christmas.  But there is a sense of dread in how the season will be celebrated.  What will the theme of the season be this year?  What new can be brought to the familiar stories?  How can we keep this season fresh? 

Many pastors search publishers’ websites for something new.  At least, that’s what this pastor does.  And this year I was happy to find an Advent curriculum that is very different, very new, very fresh: “The Heart That Grew Three Sizes: Finding Faith in the Story of the Grinch.” 

Yes, it’s an Advent Devotional based on Dr. Suess’s classic children’s tale: “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”  Matt Rawle is the Lead Pastor at the Asbury United Methodist Church in Bossier City, Louisiana.  He is an international speaker who specializes in the intersection between pop culture and the Church.  And he has written this devotional with a desire for Christians to recapture the true meaning of Advent and Christmas.

We don’t know why the Grinch hated Christmas.  We just know he did.  Rawle explores the faith themes in the story of the Grinch, including why the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes on Christmas morning.  Rawle asks the question: Could it be that the very thing we hate is the one thing that changes our lives?

Each Sunday, we’ll explore a different theme.  On 11/27, we’ll focus on how expectations affect our attitude; on 12/4, we’ll explore the interplay between peace and hope; on 12/11, we’ll discuss different interpretations of light at Advent; and on 12/18, we’ll focus on hos reconciliation brings joy.  On Christmas Eve, 12/24, we’ll have a combined service and ask the question: Who’s a Grinch?  And because Christmas Day is on a Sunday this year, we’ll be taking that day off, in order to allow families to be together and our hard-working staff to be with their families.

The great thing about this curriculum is that it has leaders’ guides for children, youth and adults.  Not only does it have suggestions for a sermon series, but it has a study guide for adult Bible study with accompanying DVD that we will use on Thursdays for the Pastors Bible Study.  The one frustrating thing for this pastor was that try as I might to find an English/Spanish bilingual curriculum, I could only find one, and it’s the one we did a few years ago.  There’s just not a lot of bilingual Advent devotionals out there.

Overall, I’m excited for this Advent and Christmas season, as we look at a familiar classic story through the lens of faith and see how Christ speaks to us through our culture.  Rediscover the gift of Advent that comes without packages, ribbons and bows.  Join us this Advent Season!

I remain yours in Christ’s Love and Service,

Pastor Lance

“Healing Waters”

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

1 Chronicles 16:34

When I was a boy, I remember celebrating the “First Thanksgiving” at my elementary schools.  We would dress up in costumes and put on plays celebrating the hospitality of the indigenous people who welcomed the European immigrants.  I remember hoping to get to play the part of an “Indian” because in my boyish mind, I thought they were so much cooler than the Pilgrims.

Much has changed since my childhood.  Our descriptive words have changed.  And we’ve become more aware of human rights abuses in our history.  For example, many people no longer celebrate Columbus Day, preferring to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day instead. 

In recent years, abuses have come to light in regard to school-aged, indigenous children being forced to attend schools where they would be “educated” to become assimilated into western society and culture.  Mass graves have been found on the properties of some of these schools, where children died of starvation, disease, abuses, or the elements.  Many of these schools were either run by governmental agencies or by missionary groups. 

One example is the Kamloops Indian Residential School established in 1890.  At its zenith, the enrolment peaked at 500 students in the 1950s.  It was closed in 1978.  In the early 2000s, a human bone was found on the grounds.  Ground-penetrating radar was used to conclude that about 200 unmarked graves were on the property.  Further investigation is taking place. 

In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada determined that Indian residential schools were a system of “cultural genocide.”  At least 4,100 students died while attending the schools, many of them due to abuse, negligence, disease, and accidents.[1]

This month, Sofía and I will be attending the “Healing Waters” conference co-sponsored by the Presbyterian Intercultural Network (PIN) and several tribes in the Pacific Northwest.  The conference will take place at the beautiful Cedar Springs Christian Retreat Center in Sumas, Washington from November 10^th through the 14^th.  The conference was inspired by the stories of these elementary-aged abuses; and the goal of the conference is to educate and seek ways to bring healing and to build trust.  You can visit the conference center website at cedarsprinsrc.org

I’m very excited to be a member of the PIN Board, which is made up of 12 individuals, three of whom are indigenous.  I love the incredible devotion each member has to God, to the Presbyterian Church and to their individual culture.  Nelson Capitan, a member of a tribe in New Mexico, spoke eloquently at the board meeting this past summer, and when he prayed in his native tongue, I would often get goosebumps.

I’ve decided to add a week’s vacation to our trip to the conference, in order to introduce Sofía to the Pacific Northwest.  I have several family members who live there, including two sisters and their husbands and quite a few nieces and nephews.  Sofía has met a few of them, but not all.  So, we’ll be able to spend some time visiting family and seeing tourist attractions.  We may even poke our heads in on Mary Lee!

While we are away, I’ve invited our Presbytery’s new interim stated clerk to come preach for FPCSA on Sunday, November 13^th.  She recently served as the pastor for the First Presbyterian Church of San Pedro, CA (she and her husband still live there) and she became official as the interim clerk this past September.  I’ve been impressed by her intelligence, her clarity, her “can-do” attitude (a bit unusual for stated clerks, in general), and the fact that she enjoys musical theater and plays the violin.  I hope you’ll come to meet her and hear her preach!

November 20^th is Christ the King Sunday, and also the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  As we’ve done in the past, we’ll have an opportunity to offer words of Thanksgiving in the worship service that day.  For those won’t be able to attend or who worship online, please feel free to send me written words of thanksgiving or write them in the comments section of the live-stream.  I’ll do my best to share them with the congregation.

I’m guessing I’ll include a short report about the “Healing Waters” conference on that Sunday, and after our time in the Pacific Northwest, I may have new reasons to be thankful, as well.  I’m certainly grateful to God, who has blessed us in so many ways.  And we are so thankful for our church family at FPCSA.  Let us continually raise our voices in thanksgiving and praise to Him!

I remain yours in Christ’s Love and Service,

Pastor Lance

[1] En.m.wikipedia.org/Kamloops Indian Residential School / History

“It shall be said, ‘Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle from My people’s way.’”

Isaiah 57:14

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them.” (Matt. 19:14a)  He said this because the disciples were stopping the parents from bringing their children.  I guess this idea of being a hinderance has really been hitting me lately.  The pharisees often condemned Jesus for breaking the rules.  Sometimes Jesus responded with deep sadness.  Sometimes He got angry.  Often, Jesus called them hypocrites.  They were hindering the outpouring of God’s love onto the people.  The irony was that the rules the pharisees supposedly followed were not from God, they were traditions made up in their own minds.

Sometimes I hear people say, “That church [FPCSA] is more concerned about rules than relationships.”   Sometimes someone will come up with an innovative idea, but it gets shut down because it breaks some unspoken rule.  That makes me incredibly sad!  I mean, if the greatest commandments (rules) are to love God and to love one another, then the very rules we claim to follow exhort us to prioritize relationships!

Can you think of times the church has set up roadblocks rather than built bridges?  Let’s work toward becoming better bridge builders!  Let’s start asking ourselves, “How can we make this work?” rather than coming up with reasons why it won’t work.  We have a goldmine here at this church: a large facility in the heart of the city.  How can we better build partnerships with other organizations to build bridges to Jesus Christ?

It’s October.  We have a tradition to celebrate WORLD COMMUNION on the first Sunday in October.  We have a combined service with our Hispanic, Youth and Children’s Ministries.  We hang flags representing the countries of origin of our members in the sanctuary.  Some of our members refuse to come because they don’t like the flags or don’t like the bilingual service.  Are we setting up roadblocks or building bridges?

On Monday, October 31^st, we’ll be hosting TRUNK-OR-TREAT in our parking lot.  Last year, we had nearly 100 people show up, many of whom were unrecognizable to Sandra and me.  We had many volunteers show up from outside of the church.  What an incredible opportunity to build bridges to our community!  And yet, many people refused to come because they “don’t celebrate Halloween.”  Are we setting up roadblocks or building bridges?

I want to encourage myself and our church family to consider possibilities, rather than focus on possible problems.  Let’s seek to encourage and build up, rather than criticize and tear down.  Let’s prioritize relationships above rules.  Let’s build bridges, rather than set up roadblocks.

I remain yours in Christ’s Love and Service,

Pastor Lance

Since its inception, the Church has struggled with issues of race and inclusion, asking questions: Who’s in and who’s out?  Who has the power and who does not?  Who makes the decisions and who does not?  The 1960s raised many questions about race and reconciliation, civil rights and institutional segregation and discrimination.  These civil problems were magnified in a Church that was commissioned by Jesus to proclaim the gospel to all nations (ethnicities).

I believe most pastors and church members want to practice diversity and inclusivity; however, we’re not doing a very good job of it.  For this reason, there have been movements in the church to rectify this concern.  The Confession of 1967 marks a clear institutional step toward reconciliation on the part of the PCUSA.  Other movements have been more grass roots.

One such group was the Presbyterian Multicultural Network (PMN).  The seeds of this network were planted at the Multicultural Church Conference in 2000.  And then PMN was formally launched at the 2004 Multicultural Church Conference in Irving, Texas.  The initial purpose of the PMN was to strengthen racial/ethnic congregations and to help Anglo congregations see the benefits and positives of welcoming all ethnicities.

The network grew quickly.  There was a lot of excitement for what the network was doing and providing.  The Office of General Assembly provided a staff person for the group.  Workshops were held, seminars were offered, and books were published.  Attendance at early conferences reached 400 to 600 participants.  As understanding evolved and definitions clarified, PMN changed its name to Presbyterian Intercultural Network (PIN).

In the ensuing years, and for a variety of reasons, PIN lost its OGA staff representation and also lost a good chunk of its funding.  By the end of 2020, the board had shrunk to three and those board members questioned the future and viability of PIN.

But then, the Holy Spirit nudged these three faithful individuals.  And they reached out to a number of interculturally minded church leaders, interviewed them and invited several of them to serve on the PIN Board.  In 2022 the new board started with 13 gifted, talented and passionate advocates for intercultural ministry.  Thank be to God!  I was honored to be one of those individuals. 

The make-up of the Board represents the beautiful spectrum of God’s family: 3 are Native Americans, 1 was born in Guyana, 3 are African Americans, 2 were born in South Korea, 3 are Anglos, and 1 was born in Venezuela (our friend, Alfredo Delgado).  There’s also a representative from the Presbyterian Mission Agency who was born in Nigeria.

The current stated purpose of PIN is to:

After months of zoom meetings with the board, we finally gathered in person at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia in the beginning of August 2022.  Here are some highlights.

We began our time together on Monday evening with praise & worship, prayer & scripture.  At one point, we lifted our voices in words of adoration to our God.  We asked all persons present to complete the sentence, “LORD, You are…”  For me, this was a profound moment to hear different voices, different accents, different perspectives exalting the one, true LORD who unites us.  Then we moved into a time of conversation, getting to know each other, hearing stories.

Tuesday morning, we began with an exercise to get to know each other even more deeply, with a particular focus on what attracted us to intercultural ministry.  As we heard personal stories, we built trust.  It’s hard to build intercultural relationships without first building trust and care for one another.  Our conversation also included some helpful definitions and resources.

Our afternoon session focused on the history of PMN/PIN.  Former board member and treasurer, Nibs Stroupe, gave us an overview of the first 20 years (much of which I shared above).  He shared with us the good times and the bad times.  Through it all, the board remained committed to the call of Christ to build the full kingdom of God here on earth.

The next morning, we were blessed to have a variety of PCUSA leaders meet with us via zoom to share their heart and passion for interculturalism.  These leaders included current General Assembly co-moderator Shavon Starling-Louis, former GA moderator Cindy Kohmann, Seattle Presbytery Co-Executive Eliana Maxim, and San Gabriel Executive Presbyter Wendy Tajima.

I so much appreciated these leaders sharing their hearts and also acknowledging their missteps.  As Cindy Kohmann said, “I don’t know about the cultural differences until I trip over them.”  Those of us who seek to establish intercultural ministries can certainly relate to that! 

Kohmann related the American church in the USA as a dry, drought-ridden land.  When rain falls, the surface is too hardened to absorb the rain.  Farmers often break up soil to allow it to absorb the rain.  She went on to say church leaders need to break up the hardened soil of the American church in order to allow it to soak in the life-giving “water” of their neighbors who are different from them.

We were also joined by Caroline Leach who is a current member of the Task Force for the Intercultural Decade of Transformation commissioned by the General Assembly in 2018.  Their task is focused on raising awareness and “curating” resources.

Next, we heard from Colombian-born Seattle Presbytery co-executive, Eliana Maxim.  She brought up some excellent cautions.  Like many of us, she acknowledged a real desire on the part of the church to invite & embrace a multi-cultural experience without a desire or willingness to make any changes.  She also warned that a congregation or governing body must do its own work before it can build a truly diverse kingdom; in other words, until a congregation has worked through some of its latent racism and implicit biases, it will not be ready to welcome those who are different.

Seattle Presbytery has a special Race & Equity Task Force that attends various meetings.  The task force’s prime purpose is to “interrogate ourselves” before we make any decisions: Who will benefit from this decision?  Who have we not heard from?  Who will be impacted by this decision?

Finally, we met with Wendy Tajima, the executive presbyter of San Gabriel Presbytery.  She spoke of the idea that racism is based on fear, what she called a “paralyzing fear of not being right.”  She encouraged us to recognize that immigrant congregations have gifts and talents to offer the global church; immigrant congregations also provide safe refuges for the immigrant base they serve. 

One interesting point Tajima raised was that most immigrants come to the USA with an acknowledged need to adapt to the Anglo population, but they are wholly unprepared to adapt to the other immigrant populations surrounding them (even in a Presbytery meeting).  A Presbytery or congregation can help these immigrant churches in this matter.

After hearing about the PMN/PIN history and hearing the hearts of denominational leaders, the board moved to the task of clarifying our goals and strategies.  We believe there is a need for tools and resources to help congregations, presbyteries and the denomination as a whole to become more intercultural.  We recognize that we, as Presbyterians, are good at raising awareness, but we have a harder time moving to action. 

We also recognize that Presbyterians are good at adopting resolutions, but not great at following up on what we have voted to do.  We believe PIN can be an advocate for non-white groups who are often lost in the bureaucratic milieu.  We hope to serve as advocates and allies for these silenced voices.

Our time together was not limited to business meetings.  We ate together.  We ate a lot!!!  There’s something about sitting at table with others to break down walls and build bridges of trust.  We even played some ice breaker games; I felt like I was at a youth retreat!  This was a little out of my comfort zone, but it was good to laugh and be silly together.

In the next few months, PIN will focus on updating their website, organizing their finances, and making resources and consultants available to our denomination (from local to national levels).  We hope you will join us in celebrating the beautiful spectrum of the image of God endowed on all people.  And we encourage congregations to join the Network.  Go to the website: www.pin-pcusa.com

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Lance Allen

[And Jesus said to them] “No one puts new wine into old wine skins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.” Mark 2:22

Sofía started a dialogue with the new Los Angeles de Jesus leadership team the other day by saying, “Welcome Charlie’s Angels!  Wait.  No.  That’s not right…  Welcome Jesus’ Angels!”  Everyone had a good laugh, and the meeting commenced.  Los Angeles de Jesus / The Angels of Jesus is a new fellowship group for women here at FPCSA.

The purpose of this fellowship group is stated below:

Create a community of all women that includes single, married, with or without children, adolescents, and without distinctions of languages. To empower each other and share experiences, knowledge, skills, talents, recommendations, and learnings that culturally enrich us.  To uplift and help each other to grow in all areas of our lives and become a strong support group for the church and for the community in general.

Many of the women who are serving on the leadership team are very excited about this new adventure.  It certainly fits our Vision Statement to connect people with Jesus Christ and with one another.  But I worry a bit…

I’ve had conversations with pastors recently who talk about people starting new programs at their churches, but the new groups have met so much resistance and experienced so many roadblocks from longtime church members or staff that the leaders of these new groups threw their hands up in the air and gave up.  Often these leaders end up leaving the church.  And, in fact, I can think of examples where this has happened here at FPCSA.

This fact begs the question: Why does this happen?

I believe there are several reasons people with new ideas meet resistance in the local church.    First, I think fear plays a part in the minds of longstanding church members.  Fear that a new group won’t accurately represent the traditions of the church; fear that there might be ulterior motives on the part of the leaders (for example, selling products); fear of losing people from the existing fellowship groups to this new fellowship group; and, fear of the unknown.  Fear is one of the worst reasons to make decisions.  We should make decisions based on a sense of call and fulfilling our sense of vision and mission, not based on fear.

This fear can be subtly couched in two oft-heard comments: 1) we’ve never done it that way before; or, 2) we tried that before and it didn’t work.  Comments like this can take the wind out of the sails of those who are proposing new ideas.

Secondly, I think people resent new ideas; they almost feel insulted.  It’s as if the person with the new idea is saying, “What you’ve been doing isn’t good.”  At least, that’s the way it can come across to longtime leaders.  When someone has been doing something for a while and someone new shows up suggesting something similar but different, the first person asks, “What’s wrong with what we’ve already been doing?”  It’s that feeling of, “What am I, chopped liver?”  And long-time members and staff can think, “Who do you think you are?”

Finally, there’s a sense of envy.  When long-time members see excitement and energy going to this new fellowship group, they feel envy.  They ask, “Why aren’t more people excited about what we’ve been doing for so long?”  People who feel this way may even come across as angry and can be downright mean to those who are starting the new thing.

Perhaps you can think of more reasons people who bring new ideas meet resistance in the local congregation.  I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.  When Jesus arrived on the scene 2,000 years ago, the religious leaders felt all these feelings: they were afraid of Jesus, they were insulted by Him and they envied His popularity.  What was wrong with the way they were doing things?  They were, in fact, seeking to fulfill the Law handed down to them by Moses!  Jesus responded, “No one puts new wine into old skins…”  The lesson for us is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is always new and fresh, and we should seek new and fresh ways to present that gospel to the world.

In his book, The Fly in the Ointment, Russell Crabtree says this resistance to innovation is one of the primary reasons for decline in mainline denominations.  Crabtree goes on to say, if we don’t make substantial changes in the very near future, those denominations will go the way of Blockbuster, Pier 1 and Toys R Us. 

Crabtree relates the story of the burning oil platform.  An oil worker was on an offshore platform that caught fire.  He ran to the edge, looked at the fire, then jumped 150 feet into the ocean.  Rescuers pulled the man out of the ocean and exclaimed, “Why did you jump?  You could have killed yourself!”  The man said, “If I stayed on the platform, I knew I would die for sure.  But if I jumped, I might die, but I might live.  It really wasn’t much of a choice.”  Crabtree goes on to say mainline denomination congregations are quietly ignoring the burning platform behind them.  If they don’t jump into innovation, they will be consumed.  If they don’t put the new wine into fresh skins, they will burst.

So what can we do in light of this new fellowship group – Los Angeles de Jesus / Angels of Jesus – and innovative ideas like it?

First, we can avoid putting up roadblocks.  If we feel a need to question or tell them they can’t do this or that, perhaps we should ask ourselves why do we feel the need to make these comments?  What is it in us that causes us to resist this new idea?  I confess, I need to ask myself this question!

If Los Angeles de Jesus sounds like a good option for you, please join in.  Talk to one of the leaders: Alice Stauffer, Sofía Allen, Paula Rodriguez, Sandra Escoto, Donnette Alexander-Jeffers, and/or Denisse Valera.  Ask how you can get involved.  Ask how you can support the fellowship group.  Show up and enjoy!

I like a phrase that Betty Thompson coined a few years ago: “Let’s go where the energy is.”  In other words, when we see the Spirit of God working, let’s focus our attention on that!  As Paul instructed Timothy, “fan to flame the spiritual gift of God in you.”  If the Spirit is at work in our midst, let’s focus our attention and energy there.  Let’s fan it to flame!

Also, we can all be a little more flexible.  I know that’s a tall order for Presbyterians.  Sometimes there’s an attitude among church members that if we have an activity set for a particular day and time, then it is set in stone.  But sometimes those activities connect only for a few people, who could easily change their time, giving way for a new activity to thrive and flourish.  So, let’s all try to be flexible, seeking God’s best for our congregation.

Finally, we can pray.  Pray that the Los Angeles de Jesus / the Angels of Jesus connects people to Jesus Christ and to one another, builds the kingdom of God, and helps the church to grow.  But also, let us pray that the Spirit of God inspires us to consider new innovations and new ways to build the kingdom of God.  I don’t know, but if we have a women’s group called Los Angeles de Jesus / the Angels of Jesus, perhaps we should consider a men’s group called Los Dodgers de Jesus / the Dodgers of Jesus.  Kidding!

I remain yours in Christ’s Love and Service,

Pastor Lance

2 Timothy 1:5

A couple of months ago, I got together with one of my former youth members (he’s in his 50s now).  Over lunch, he said his 17-year-old son was questioning a lot.  I thought, “Okay… Here we go!” thinking of all the potential questions this teen might be asking.  Then my former youth member said, “He’s asking a lot of questions about baptism.”

Well, that caught me by surprise.  We talked more and I said I would love to sit down and talk to his son about baptism.  We got together a few weeks later.  At FPCSA we have four units in the New Member Class: 1) What does it mean to be a Christian?  2) What does it mean to be baptized? 3) What does it mean to be a Presbyterian? and, 4) What does it mean to be a church member of FPCSA?

So, I brought the worksheet on baptism from our New Members Class.  But before we discussed baptism, I asked the young man if he knew what it meant to be a Christian.  After his answer, I said, “It’s probably smart for us to go over the first unit on what it means to be a Christian.  Without that foundation, baptism is an empty ritual.”  After discussing what it means to be a Christin, I asked if he had ever accepted Jesus into his heart.  He said no.  So, I asked if he would you like to so.  And he said, “Yes.”  So, we prayed together and he invited Jesus into his heart.

With all the angels in heaven, we rejoice!  Few things are more profound for a pastor than when someone commits themselves to Jesus Christ.

Then we went into the baptism unit.  It’s really quite a fascinating discussion on the various purposes and symbols of baptism.  At the end of the unit, I said, “Now that you’ve committed yourself to Jesus, it’s up to you to seek out baptism.  According to the polity of the PCUSA, for me to baptize you, you would need to join our church.  So, take some time to pray and discern your next steps and we’ll go from there.”

The family attended the Pentecost Sunday worship service and saw the new members joining the church.  After the service, they approached me to say they wanted to join the church, as well.  At the time of writing, they are finishing out the New Member units and will go before the Board of Elders as soon as possible.  Once confirmed we will celebrate the sacrament of baptism, and we’ll welcome them into the church family in a worship service.  God is up to some Holy Mischief!

According to the Barna Research Group, American children between the ages of 5 and 13 have a 32% probability of accepting Christ; youth between the ages of 14 and 18 have a 14% probability; and adults age 19 and up have just a 6% probability of accepting Christ.  This shows the importance of instilling faith at an early age.  Once a person turns 19, the probability of them dedicating themselves to Jesus is dramatically lower.  For this reason, I emphasize the importance of children’s and youth ministry.

My friend, Steve, was a youth pastor for many years.  He always joked about the seasons in the church.  When summer came, many ministries slowed or shut down.  Weekly Adult Bible Studies took a hiatus, fellowship groups and committees went “dark,” choirs took a break, and many staff members went on vacation.  He said, “As everyone else is slowing down, we’re ramping up.”

Many students have more free time during the summer.  So, youth and children’s ministries schedule weekly activities and special events.  Summer camps and mission trips take place.  Midweek programs go later into the night because no one has to get up for school the next morning.  Unplanned Friday night events have a mind of their own.  Beach bonfires seem like a great idea.  There’s so much going on!

Summers are a great time for youth and children.  And many decisions are made for Jesus Christ during these times.  Decisions that last a lifetime and more.  Many of us probably remember a summer camp or a Vacation Bible School where we made a decision for Christ.  We want to facilitate these opportunities here at FPCSA.  Donnette and Sandra are working together to provide some great programs for our children and youth where they can grow closer to Jesus Christ and to one another.

Sandra and CCM artist, Junko, are working together to partner FPCSA with PlayGround Arts to provide arts instruction to children and youth in our congregation and community.  Areas of instruction include music, juggling, arts, improv, and more.  And it’s fun!  Check the church website for details: www.fpcsa.org

Sandra is also planning Vacation Bible School – Passport to Peace – for the week of July 18^th to the 22^nd in the late afternoon/evening.  We’re looking for help with volunteers and with dinners.  If you feel called to do assist in any way, please contact Sandra!

Donnette has several Presbytery-wide shared youth events, including the Youth conference to Montreat, North Carolina in the beginning of August.  The last time we did something this extensive with our young people was when Pastor Danny & I took our youth to Mexico to help with a local VBS in Ensenada.

Furthermore, July 3^rd is Youth Sunday.  On this day, the youth will be in charge of worship.  As is the tradition at FPCSA (one that is unique to this particular congregation, by the way), we will hear from our recently graduated seniors.  And after worship we’ll all join together in playing games and having fun at Portola Park in Santa Ana.  Bring your own chairs, blankets, games, and picnic lunches.

The former youth member that contacted me several months ago remembers well the activities of the youth ministry when he was growing up.  In particular, he remembers the youth choir tours that I led.  These events drew him closer to God and to other believers.  He remembers fun activities and exploring new areas, but most importantly he remembers the deep conversations and life-changing decisions that were made on these trips.

I encourage you to encourage our children and youth this summer (and always!).  They are at pivotal moments in their lives.  And God can work through us to bless them and draw them closer to Him.  Let’s pray for them and for our leaders: Sandra Escoto and Donnette Alexander-Jeffers.  May God do a new thing here at FPCSA and continue to build His kingdom here.

I remain yours in Christ’s Love and Service,

Pastor Lance

Acts 2:47b

Pentecost is a unique day in the life of the Church.  In the Hebrew scriptures, three names were used to describe this holy day.  The most common designation was Hag Hashavuot which means “the Feast of Weeks.”  Sometimes this was shortened to Shavuot which simply means “weeks.”   And the third designation was Hag Hakatzir or “the Feast of Harvest” to mark the beginning of the summer wheat harvest.  This festival was held 50 days or seven weeks after the Festival of First Fruits which was held on the second day of Passover and celebrated the barley harvest.

On this day two thousand years ago, people of faith gathered in Jerusalem to rejoice in the LORD, to offer freewill offerings, and to remember that the LORD had freed them from the bondage of slavery in Egypt.  On this day two thousand years ago, the Holy Spirit rained down from heaven, in-filled and empowered the disciples to declare praises to God in various languages, and unleashed Peter to powerfully proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.  And on this day two thousand years ago, some three thousand people came to faith in Jesus Christ, and the Christian Church was born.  In the days after Pentecost, scripture reminds us that “day by day the LORD added to their number those who were being saved.”

For this reason, Pentecost which literally means fiftieth (day), is a special day in the life of the Church, an important day in the liturgical calendar.  We celebrate the birth of the Church of Jesus Christ.  We celebrate the unleashing of the Holy Spirit on all believers.  And we celebrate the diversity of voices once silenced, freed to worship God in their own language.

Pentecost is not on a specific date in the Roman calendar.  It always follows seven weeks after Resurrection Sunday (Easter).  This year, Easter was later in the calendar, so Pentecost will be later, as well.  We celebrate on June 5^th this year.  That makes it a Family First Sunday.  That means we will also be celebrating the LORD’s Supper as part of our worship, as well as June birthdays and anniversaries.

In recent years, we’ve made Pentecost an extra special day in which we celebrate our diversity.  As the Spirit inspired the disciples to speak in different languages, we celebrate various languages in our fellowship and our community.  We adorn our sanctuary with flags representing the different countries of origin within our fellowship.  We hear different languages in the worship service.  And we sing in English and Spanish.

Following the worship service, we eat!  There will be a potluck in McFarland Hall immediately after the worship service.  We ask all participants to bring their favorite ethnic food to share.  Honestly, we’re not quite sure what we’re talking about when we say “ethnic” food.  Truth be told: all food is ethnic.  So, we leave the interpretation of that term to you. 

One way in which this year will be different is that we’ll be welcoming new members into the life of the church.  It looks like we’ll have ten new members joining the church on Pentecost Sunday.  Two were born in Mexico, one in Colombia, one in Nicaragua, three in Nigeria, Africa and three in the United States.  Ages range from teenagers to octogenarians.  When we say we’re seeking to be intentionally intercultural and intergenerational, we can point to the new member class of 2022 and say we’re doing a pretty darned good job of it! 

On a side note of interest, two of the new members who were born in the United States were born in Downey, CA.  What are the odds?!?  And although she’s a member under care of New Hope Presbyterian Church and the Presbytery of Los Ranchos, Donnette Alexander-Jeffers attended the classes and feels a deeper connection to our church family. 

And if that’s not enough to get you excited about the Family First Sunday on June 5^th, we’ll also be introducing our summer seminary intern: Rachel Crawford [see her bio in this newsletter].  I’m excited to have Rachel joining our staff this summer.  She’ll be plugging in to all areas of ministry.  Please welcome her and get to know her and encourage her in any way that you can.

We have lots of other fun things coming up this summer.  But at this point, I’ll leave you thinking about Pentecost Sunday on June 5^th.  Please bring your favorite ethnic dish to share.  If you feel so led, feel free to wear red (the liturgical color symbolizing the fire of the Holy Spirit).  It should be an awesome first Sunday, an awesome month, and an awesome summer!  I look forward to sharing it with you!

I remain yours in Christ’s Love and Service,

Pastor Lance

from Proverbs 31

I remember a few years back, sitting in my office during a staff meeting, looking around the room, and thinking, “My goodness!  We are very male-heavy.”  We had a male business manager, a male youth director, and a male children’s director.  Our administrative assistant was the only female in the room.  Ironically, I was also single at the time. 

My, how things have changed!  The pendulum has certainly swung in the other direction.  I’m happily married, now.  We have a female Director of Children’s Ministry, a female Church Administrator, and a female Director of Youth Ministry.  All (whether male or female) bring their unique gifts, talents, tastes, and perspectives; and each help us broaden our understanding and appreciation for the image of God implanted in each and every one of us. 

In May, our country celebrates Mother’s Day, so we thought we could focus attention on Celebrating Women in the Church during this month.  Our Family First Sunday on May 1^st will be a traditional Tea.  After our worship services, we’ll meet in the recently renovated Calvin Lounge; we’ll serve several different kinds of tea and a selection of finger-foods. 

There won’t be any entertainment per se; rather, we’ll open the floor to have people share tributes to women who have made a difference in their lives or to remember women of FPCSA who were past pillars of the church.  Who remembers Barbara Comito?  Louise Crandall?  Isabel Towner?  Joyce Smith?  Grace Paulson?  Annie Lugo?  Mary Lee?  And so many more!  There will also be a presentation by my wife, Sofía, for a possible support fellowship group for Spanish-speaking women.  Should be a great afternoon!

Of course, the Sunday after Family First is Mother’s Day.  And as we have done for many years, we will have time and space in the worship service to remember and to honor mothers.  For those who cannot be in the service in person, please feel free to send me a written tribute, which I can read in the service.

And then on May 22^nd, we have an incredibly special event.  Many years ago, some very valuable paintings were donated to FPCSA.  These scenes from the holy land were painted by the artist named Evylena Nunn Miller.  Several of her paintings adorn our sanctuary walls; others are sprinkled throughout the facility.  Bowers Museum in Santa Ana (just up Main Street a few blocks from us) has a collection of Miller’s paintings, as well. 

Some years ago, one of Miller’s relatives (a great niece, I think) visited our church and took photos of some of the paintings.  This past autumn, Leslie Compton contacted me to let me know she had finished the biography she had written for Evylena.  She’s been invited to give a presentation at Bowers Museum and was wondering if FPCSA would be interested in having a book release party.

I checked with a few of our key players and they all said that they thought it was a wonderful idea.  So Sunday, May 22^nd, Leslie will give a brief announcement in worship.  And then after the service we’ll all go down to Calvin Lounge where she will give a power-point presentation on the life, art and legacy of Evylena Nunn Miller.  She’ll also have copies of her book available to purchase and I’m sure she would be happy to sign them.  I’m not sure, but there might even be pictures of some of the paintings that hang in our facility in the book.  What a great way to continue Celebrating Women in the Church!

Beyond our celebration of women in the church, May 5^th is the National Day of Prayer.  Along with other pastors, civic leaders and church workers, many of us will be gathering at noon in the Plaza of the Flags in the Santa Ana Civic Center to join our voices together to pray for our city, our nation and our world.  There is power in prayer.  And God’s Spirit is present when sisters and brothers gather together.  Please join me.  If you’d like to park in the FPCSA parking lot and walk down with me, I plan to head over around 11:45 a.m.

At the time of writing this, I’m still resting in the afterglow of our Easter season.  What a great time we had!  The Maundy Thursday service was different from previous years, but equally powerful; I especially liked Andrea’s and Ian’s solos and the Sanctuary Singers under the leadership of Carol.  I also appreciated the different prayers offered up to God for Ukraine and the world.

On Resurrection Sunday, Sofía & I enjoyed the Hispanic Sunrise Service.  We loved observing the youth cook and serve at the Pancake Breakfast.  The worship service was a great testimony to our mission to be an intentionally intercultural and intergenerational community of faith.  The Sanctuary Choir sounded awesome and Tom’s solo was great.  A highlight for me was singing the praise song, “Undignified,” and watching so many children (and a few adults) jumping and shouting, “Hey!”  And both Sandra and I saw quite a few unfamiliar faces at the Easter Egg Hunt.  Just a great day all around!  And a huge debt of gratitude goes to our staff and volunteers.  Thank you all so very much!

How I love our creative God!  And how I love His Church!  Please join us in Celebrating Women in the Church this month.  In fact, this month may be good preparation for us as we look forward to the arrival of our Summer Seminary Intern: Rachel Crawford.  We are moving forward!

I remain yours in Christ’s Love and Service,

Pastor Lance

Jesus warns, “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy.”  But then He continues, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)  As we’ve been going through our sermon series – American Idols: Reclaiming Our Intimacy with God – we’ve discussed various forms of idolatry in our lives.  Some are obvious, others are more subtle.  At the core, idols are counterfeit gods that take us away us from the one, true God, distract us from authentic worship, and rob us of the life Jesus provides for us.

I’ve enjoyed this series a great deal.  And now, as we approach Holy Week, we’ll take a kind of Sabbath from this series to focus on the Passion of our LORD.  In the Pastor’s Bible Study, we’ve been keying off the PCUSA Lenten Series: Full to the Brim.  Several other congregations in our presbytery are following this series, as well.  And so, I thought it would be good to switch gears during Holy week to make use of this series on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter Sunday.

Lent is often a time for restraint, confession, piety, and generosity.  Traditionally, the goal of Lent is to step away from the grind of the daily rat race and the fear of scarcity, in order to focus on the more expansive life offered by faith in Jesus Christ.  Dr. Mark Douglas is Professor of Christian Ethics at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia.  In an article in Journal for Preachers, Douglas writes:

Still other reasons for Lent are more troubling to my Reformed mind.  Believing that grace is always a surprise, that apart from God’s grace we can do nothing, and that resurrection is the deepest, most mysterious expression of God’s grace, I simply can’t make theological sense of the claim that any of us can do anything to prepare ourselves for the arrival of such grace on Easter Sunday… Easter is a shock of divine goodness that reveals not the evidence of our worth or the magnitude of our efforts, but God’s astounding power, to which we can but whisper, “Thank you,” not “Okay: now I’m ready.”  Whatever work we do at learning to discipline our bodies and our lives, we do in response to God’s grace, not in preparation for it.  But there again, this response – this disciplining – isn’t a seasonal exercise; it’s a lifelong one.

These sentiments are not new.  We often say, we should not only celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ at Christmas; we should celebrate Jesus being born into our lives every day of the year.  We should not only offer thanks at Thanksgiving; we should be thankful to God every day of our lives.  We should not only celebrate resurrection life on Easter Sunday; we should celebrate it all year long.  But these festivals help us focus on these particular graces from God and encourage us to incorporate them into our lives on a daily basis.

The Full to the Brim series fits very well into the sermon series on American Idols.  And so it follows that this break for Holy Week will actually enhance our understanding of finding life in Jesus Christ.  As we have done in the past, we’ll develop a special, interactive service for Maundy Thursday, April 14^th.  Part of that time will be devoted to prayer for peace in the world.  Participants will have an opportunity to pray out loud or in silence during the service.

And, of course, Easter Sunday will be a day of celebration, praise, and worship.  Following the service, we’ll have our annual Easter Egg Hunt on the Old OC Courthouse lawn.  We encourage our church family to invite friends and neighbors to join us!

Looking forward to a meaningful and memorable Easter time.

I remain yours in Christ’s Love and Service,

Pastor Lance

On one of my trips to Moloka’i, Hawaii, with the Laguna Presbyterian Church youth group mission trip, I met a couple of students who told me they were brothers.  They looked nothing alike.  I asked which was older.  The taller boy said, “I am… by 5 months.”  I saw what was going on; I wasn’t born yesterday.  I was the guest speaker on this trip, and these boys were pulling my leg; they were treating me much the same way I treated substitute teachers when I was in high school.  I rolled my eyes and said, “Yeah, right.”

My friend, Steve (the youth pastor at Laguna PC), walked over and said, “It’s true!  They’re brothers.”  I retorted, “Yes, we’re all brothers and sisters in Christ.”  Steve laughed, “Yes, that too.  But they’re actual brothers!”  I figured they must be step or half siblings, or perhaps one was, or both were adopted, but Steve assured me they were full blooded brothers.  I asked, “How can that be?” 

Apparently, their parents were having trouble conceiving, so the wife’s sister offered to be a surrogate.  The older boy was conceived in a fertility clinic and then the sister carried the baby.  So, he was fully their son.  Once the pressure was taken off the husband and wife, they conceived on their own within a matter of months.  I was reminded that my former neighbors had had trouble as well and they finally chose to adopt.  Within a year of the adoption, they conceived and had twins.  It’s funny when the pressure is off, everyone relaxes, and things happen.

Even though the Bible tells us to “be anxious for nothing” and reminds us to “wait patiently on the Lord,” we are a worrying bunch, aren’t we?

A couple years ago, Xander Montes resigned after a great tenure as our youth director.  We contacted local colleges, universities and seminaries, talked to other churches, posted on job boards, and used word-of-mouth.  In the end of 2020, we hired Nancy Galeana as a short-term interim, which ended rather quickly.  Of course, the COVID stay-at-home quarantine made ministry hard, and made youth ministry especially hard. 

We went months without a Youth Director.  On October 3, 2021, we celebrated World Communion.  At the International Potluck following the service, I interviewed several first-generation immigrants in our fellowship.  Oke Lin was one of the people I interviewed.  She mentioned one of the reasons they had initially been attracted to FPCSA was the strong youth ministry.  This comment reminded me of our need and I remarked that we really needed to fill the Director of Youth Ministry position in order to keep our young people engaged and growing in their faith.

After the potluck, Scott Overpeck offered to serve as interim DYM.  He was pretty firm that this was just on an interim basis, for a couple of reasons: 1) he is pretty busy with his own work; and, 2) his two sons are both in the youth program.  And so, Scott began as interim DYM in the middle of November 2021.

I received an email in the end of January saying she had seen the youth ministry posting on the Presbytery website and asked if the position was still available.  I laughed because I had recently asked someone, “Do you really think anyone ever even looks at the job posts of the Presbytery website?”

Donnette Alexander-Jeffers is a member of New Hope Presbyterian Church.  She has a bachelors and a masters from Chapman University, the latter in education.  She also completed one year of study for a PhD in education.  Donnette has taught at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana and Whittier Christian High School in La Habra. 

Currently, she is a seminary student at Fuller Theological Seminary seeking an MDiv, and is under care as an inquirer of our Presbytery looking into ordination as a minister of the word and sacrament in the PCUSA.  Donnette lives with her husband, Ian, and their 5-year-old daughter in Orange.  Ian works for the Starbucks at the corner of Bristol and Memory Lane; if you’ve ever been to that store, Donnette says you can’t miss him.  And since New Hope PC meets on Saturday nights, she will be able to continue to worship and serve there as an ordained deacon and on the worship committee.

Donnette met with the personnel committee on February 13^th and they unanimously voted to hire her as our new Director of Youth Ministry.  She’ll begin on March 1^st.  We’ll welcome her in the worship service on the first Sunday of March and then on the 2^nd Sunday in March, we’ll have a parent/student meet & greet with her after the worship service.

The stories of the people having trouble conceiving came to mind this past week.  Just like them, we were anxious.  We’ve been stressing about filling the youth position.  And we were so grateful for Scott stepping up to help with the youth ministry.  That eased our stress.  And in His perfect timing, God brought Donnette to us.  Now, we recognize she’s not the Messiah and she’s not perfect.  She’ll connect with some students better than others.  We also know that all staff positions are temporary.  But we’re glad to have her join our staff at this time.

Please give a word of thanks to Scott.  He has two sons in the program, so he’ll stay connected, of course.  Please pray for Donnette.  When you see her, introduce yourself and welcome her to FPCSA.  She is a delight!  Please also pray for our young people.  Changes are hard for them, too.  And continue to pray for our church.  We pray God’s leading in the days ahead.

I remain yours in Christ’s Love and Service,

Pastor Lance

The final verse of the Apostle John’s epistle has always fascinated me: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”  After a letter discussing God’s love and forgiveness, God’s light and truth, and our assurance of faith, the Apostle John ends his letter with this short phrase: “keep yourselves from idols.  It just seems so off-the-wall, like it’s out of left field, and such a weird way to end a letter.  No blessing.  No “peace and grace be to you,” just, “keep yourselves from idols.”

The fascination with this short verse in 1^st John has carried over to an interest in better understanding idolatry.  Of course, God condemns idolatry in what I call “The Big 10.”  The second commandment states: “Thou shalt not make for thyself any graven image” (Exodus 20:4a KJV).  And yet, the people of Israel continually went back to idolatry.  Why?  What causes the people of God to abandon God and seek out idols?

This fact causes me to wonder: Are idols limited to graven images carved out of wood, stone, or metal?  When most of us think of idolatry, we think of statues that people kneel before, pray to, and worship.  But in my studies, I’ve found that idolatry is much broader and more encompassing than simply graven images.  Thus, I’m asking myself what might be considered as idolatry in our present-day?  I think a better knowledge of idols and idolatry can and will improve our relationship with God and can also improve our relationship with one another.

And so, beginning in February, I’m going to start a sermon series titled, American Idols.  We’ll look at the history of idolatry, the common ways we think about it, and some ways that the Bible talks about idolatry that may be different than what we think it is.  Then we’ll apply these lessons to ourselves, examining our own lives and how idolatry may creep into our lives.  We’ll look at how destructive idolatry can be to us, to our relationships, and to our faith.  And we’ll look at how we can remove idols from our lives and worship God alone.

I remain yours in Christ’s Love and Service,

Pastor Lance

Psalm 145:4

Our Mission Statement says:

Celebrating that which unifies us and that which makes us unique, we are intentionally building an intercultural, intergenerational community of faith in Jesus Christ that cares for, and serves, one another and our city.

We are seeking to be intentionally intercultural and intergenerational.  Remember, there is a big difference between the prefix “multi-” and the prefix “inter-”.  In multi-ethnic/multigenerational communities many different cultures and/or generations are in an organization together, but there is little interaction or appreciation for the other.  These communities take great photos, but they are rife with miscommunications and misunderstandings, tribalism and territorialism, fear and frustration.

“Inter-” speaks of people from many different cultures and/or generations being in community together, and there is intentional engagement.  Intercultural/intergenerational communities seek a deeper understanding and respect for all cultures and ages.  Communication focuses on the mutual exchange of ideas and the development of deep relationships.  In truly intercultural/intergenerational communities, no one is left unchanged because everyone learns from one another and grows together.

Here at First Presbyterian, we have done well focusing on becoming more intercultural, but we must remember, we’re seeking to be intergenerational, too!  We have a wide spectrum of ages and generations, from the cradle to adults in their 90s.  We don’t want to think we’re intergenerational just because we have a wide range of ages.  “Inter-” implies mutual value and respect, a deepening of relationships and ideas, and transformation of all through those relationships.

I’m excited that our interim Director of Youth Ministry, Scott Overpeck, wants to strengthen our intergenerational ties.  Many congregations have incredible youth ministries.  They have exciting Sunday and midweek programs, camps, retreats, and mission trips.  But when the students from these ministries graduate from high school, they all too often visit churches looking for an experience similar to the one they had in their youth group.  And when they don’t find it, they abandon the church.

On the other hand, students who plug into the larger church, and build relationships with older adults and children, have a better understanding of the whole Church family and more often remain connected to the church the rest of their lives.

For this reason, Scott is not implementing a separate youth ministry on Sunday mornings at 10A.  Rather, he is encouraging youth to plug into other ministries in the larger church, whether assisting in the children’s ministry or in worship in the English or Spanish services.  You may see more young people involved in reading scripture or praying in worship, playing instruments on praise songs, or helping run sound or video.

The next step in Scott’s plan for integration is to connect individual students with individual adults in the congregation.  The idea is that there will be a kind of mentoring or discipleship going on.  Now, this does not mean adults need formal training in discipleship.  It means taking time to care for, pray for and love these young people.  It might mean contacting them once every couple of weeks or so to see how they’re doing and how you might pray for them.  It might mean sending them a card on their birthday.  It might mean attending a school concert or game.  It might mean giving them a little something when they graduate.

Now I recognize this is nothing new to FPCSA.  We’ve had similar programs back in the day when Joyce Smith and Mary Lee were here.  But it’s been a few years since then.  And we have a whole new generation of students who could use a little encouragement, support, and love.  And trust me, as is usually the case in ministry, when you pour into other people’s lives, you experience a renewed interest in the ministry and a renewed sense of purpose.  Rather than being a burden, it becomes a source of energy and inspiration.

Be on the lookout for a poll from Scott asking if you are interested in being paired with a student.  I’ve already started reaching out to high school seniors and recent graduates (there are 5 of them) to start a focused discipleship program between January and June with the pastor.  I’m excited to spend time with these outstanding young people, to love and challenge them, and to learn from them.

A final comment: Scott is still planning to have gatherings with the youth, just not on Sundays at 10A.  There will be a program once a month on a Sunday after church (around 11:15A).  And there will be monthly gatherings off-campus for fun activities as well as mission opportunities.  Scott is also focusing on connecting with the students throughout the week.

I’m excited for this next stage in the life of our church.  Under Sandra’s leadership, the children’s ministry is really taking off.  And now with Scott guiding our youth, I see exciting days ahead for students.  But not just our children and youth, I see a strengthening of our whole church family.  In so doing, we will continue to strengthen and embrace our church family as an intentional intercultural and intergenerational community of faith in Jesus Christ.  We pray for God’s leading and blessing in the days ahead.

I remain yours in Christ’s Love and Service,

Pastor Lance

Connection. That’s the one word vision.

We connect with Jesus. Through participation in Sunday service in English or Spanish, through devotionals and in collaboration with family the Underground is helping students find way to connect with Jesus. Students and their families are encouraged to download the Bible App and find a reading plan to do on their own or together.

We connect our talents with service opportunities around the church. Through surveys and conversations we are finding ways to help students plug in and connect throughout the church. When students take leadership roles in the church, they play an active role in its future and that helps connect us all. Students are encouraged to fill out this survey to get started.

We connect with adults in the church. We are working on ways to build up relationships intergenerationally. When students know that people in the church care about them that helps to solidify their connection to the church. Having friends you see on Sunday, knowing people are in your corner, having trusted adults to reach out to for advice… All these things will help our students grow in their love for our church and help them on their spiritual journey. Interested adults should fill out this form.

We connect with each other. Fun hang out times, parties, activities… Our students, like so many others throughout the world right now, have been lacking opportunities to connect with each other. We are working to put together a longer term calendar but right now, we are committed to providing at least one “student only” connection point per month, in addition to helping students connect with each other at other events throughout the church by serving together. The church calendar is always available here on our website. Students can get more details and rsvp for events in the app or online.