It was a cold, brisk early morning in January. The bus picked up my tour group at 1:30am and we headed for what would be the experience of a lifetime. Our mission was to ride a camel ¾ of the way up the mountain and then hike the remaining 750 steps to the peak of Mt. Sinai in time to watch the sunrise. It was so dark, we could not find our camels, how would we climb a steep mountain ridge? If Moses could do this, so could I- right? This was high adventure!

My camel’s name was Whiskey and his owner, Ahmein. For the next two hours we meet and passed people from all over the world- London, Australia, France, Russia, the Middle East and of course, Americans, some hiking and others on camel back. The gentle presence of the camel soon became meditative and my heart was peaceful. I took the opportunity to pray and connect with God. As I looked to the sky and saw all the stars, I felt the overwhelming presence of God surrounding me. This holy moment is what I imagine Moses felt as he climbed Mt. Sinai, a transcendent feeling of grace and assurance. I was climbing on holy ground.

As we neared the top, we left the camels behind and began the rugged hike upwards with flashlights in hand, trying to maneuver each step safely. My legs started shaking and my lungs were having a hard time breathing. I had to rest. Soon those more fit than myself were out of sight. Was I going to make it? I could have given up right then and say this was good enough. But my guide would not let me remain behind. Is if the hand of God was reaching down to me and pulling me along, my guide would gently grab my arm and pull me to the next step. When I was tired, we waited together. When I was ready, we climbed together. He continued to encourage me, always saying, “Only 10 more minutes.” (It took several “10 minutes” more.) Finally we arrived at the top. I sat on a huge rock overlooking the valley and a mountain range in the distance waiting and watching as the morning sky filled with an orange-pinkish glow and the sun rose over the peak. The sunrise was astonishing.

As the sky brightened, I was able to see the cave of Moses, presumably where Moses hid from God as the 10 commandments were made and I saw how far we had climbed. Many times, I almost quit, but the encouragement and physical strength of my guide allowed me to experience an event I would have never witnessed otherwise. In our culture, we are taught to do things individually in order to be successful. When we are faced with a challenge bigger than we can accomplish, it’s easier to quit that it is to ask for help and lean on the support of someone else.

I learned a lot about faith that morning. Such as where my weaknesses lie, what it means to surrender my pride and accept the help of someone else along the way and how we, as Christians, are dependent on others to bring us closer to God and build the body of Christ. Christianity is not an individual faith; it is strengthened within the community of others and exists because of the help and support we give to each other. I also learned that God loves us too much to let us struggle on our own. We can count on God to encourage and strengthen our faith walk and pull us through the tough times. Finally, to experience the full glory of God, we have to endure some challenging moments. The camel ride was peaceful and serene, but the final ascent on foot was where the moral fiber of my faith grew.

“Gratitude … goes beyond the “mine” and “thine” and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift. In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy.” –Henri J. M. Nouwen

Try this prayer from the Iroquois:

“We return thanks to our mother, the earth which sustains us. We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water. We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases. We return thanks to the corn, and to her sisters, the beans and squashes, which give us life. We return thanks to the wind, which, moving the air, has banished diseases. We return thanks to the moon and stars, which have given to us their light when the sun was gone. We return thanks to the sun, that he has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye. Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit, in whom is embodied all goodness, and who affects all things for the good of his children.” –Iroquois Prayer

Let’s encourage each other to find new levels of generosity and creative ways to express it. With our financial campaign for 2010 already under way and the special Thanksgiving offering appeal, the church offers two ways to express gratitude and generosity at the start of this season of giving.  I urge you to give these two expressions of thanks your prayerful consideration.

After much suffering, the psalmist retells his story of deliverance wondering how to show his appreciation for God’s blessing, a blessing that is yet to come. How do we show our appreciation for all God’s blessings? We may not face grave issues as did the palmist, but we certainly experience suffering whether it is the death of someone we love, a broken friendship, economic struggles, or personal battles. But watch, as the psalmist crawls out of the pit and steps into a new life, does something radically different than other forms of gratitude or proclamation that we would engage in today, he offers a prayer of thanksgiving for the deliverance given and celebration for the newness that is being experienced.

Here is an amazing concept, to give thanks in reverse. Not to ask God to take care of something but to give thanks because God is working thru the people. Before we can ever utter the words of our hearts, God has answered the prayer. This is an attitude adjustment. To thank God because we know it is done, even when we do not see things so clearly ourselves. Next, the palmist stands in the midst of God’s people and declares what God has done. This testimony is a prayer of thanksgiving built on gratitude and confidence in God. It is not an individual prayer or acknowledgement between God and ones self, rather it is validated by the rest of God’s people. The prayer is a song of thanksgiving that moves from intimate, personal experience to comprehensive, communal celebration. No longer is the palmist the victim of suffering, but a beneficiary and advocate of grace.

I believe that it is important for us to share how God is working in our lives for many reasons. 1. We need to be reminded that God is working in the lives of those around us too. We sometimes only focus on ourselves and forget that others are in great need of God’s love. When we hear of how another received an answer to prayer, it reminds us that we are a cooperate body, we are all part of God’s creation. 2. Sharing what God has done helps build up the community, creates energy and enthusiasm within the body and community. 3. It helps us reaffirm our faith, reminds us of the promises of God and renews our covenant with God. 4. It deepens our understanding of God and challenges us to think outside the box.

The palmist asks, what shall I return to God for all the bounty given to me (v12)? The Israelites would have given the first 10% of their harvest or their livestock’s first born. What ways do we show our gratitude? In our personal lives, we think of November as a month of giving thanks. It is also a time to give thanks in our church community with the celebration of our ministries and a recommitment to the vision and mission of our church. As we enter into a mindset of stewardship, let us rethink our attitudes as did the palmist and give praise for what God has done. How can we show our support for Sunday school, missions, church life, programming, worship, etc?

Next the palmist lifts up the cup of salvation (v13) and offers thanksgiving (v17). This prayer of thanksgiving is centered on a meal/feast between three parties: worshipper, community, and God. Worship was not a private affair, but a community event of thanksgiving and celebration not limited to our hearts and minds, but an attitude of daily living with others. The celebration of Holy Communion is our coming together as community to offer our praises and reconnect as the family of God, essential components to our faith growth.

Finally, the psalmist speaks of how he will pay his vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people (v18). There is no greater example or model for life than one who will stand before his or her friends and family and admit their faith and how that carried them through to where they are at that moment. We all could use lessons from the AA- 12 step program where the person must admit the issues before God and proclaim that they cannot do it by themselves, but need God. The addict must seek restitution and repentance. This step includes a self-examination and forgiveness of oneself as well as outward steps towards forgiveness. When we admit or pay our vows in front of others they are not as easy to forget or renege. Our words, deeds and actions become significant and powerful witnesses to our transformation.

Our response to Commitment Sunday (Nov. 22) can be modeled after the palmist. We claim our faith in God, give thanks for what God has done, is doing and will do in our lives and church. Finally, we recommit ourselves to the coming year of ministry and life within the church as a response of gratitude. I pray that our hearts will respond in the same manner as the psalmist.

In Christ’s Peace,

Pastor Sue

-Lewis Carroll, Through The Looking Glass

“The future isn’t what it used to be,” said Yogi Berra. The time was when there was such hope and optimism about the way things were going in the world that a person would be hard pressed to hear a discouraging word. The 1950’s were such a time. World fairs and places like Disneyland built models of the future saying in effect, “Every day in every way things are getting better and better.” The visions people had and the plans they made may have been pipe dreams, but there was a sense that human progress was being made.

Things have changed. Now what visions there are, are often cynical or at least worrisome. The wishful pipedream visions of a couple of decades ago have been tossed. The imagination of people that used to be turned on the future, dreaming dreams, now gets turned inward to imagine fantasies of worlds that could not exist except in a person’s mind. In an age when young people expect to see the exploding of a nuclear bomb, or fall victim to a terrorist, in an age when more and more people have little or no confidence in the future of God’s creation, the world is in dire need of people willing to dream dreams of a future with hope. I want to make a plea for those dreams.

“Push Or Pull Or Get Out Of The Way!” In the Book of Isaiah, the prophet imagines a time when God’s law of love and justice will be a reality. It is to be a time of peace when “…the wolf shall live with the sheep, and the leopard lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion shall grow up together, and a little child shall lead them.” (Is. 11:6) Such a vision is part of the very fabric of our faith. The call to envision a better, more just time is needed as never before. There are three ways that we can respond to that invitation: We can push against the vision trying to live in the past, we can help to pull that vision into reality much like a midwife helping a mother give birth, or we can decide to stand aside and not get involved.

“Can These Bones Live Again?” Ezekiel wrote of a vision of the scattered dry bones of a long dead army of Israel bleached white on the quiet battle field. God had taken him over these bones and asked the question, “Can these bones live again?” The bones represented the defeated and broken Nation of Israel and God wanted to demonstrate to Ezekiel that indeed there could be a future for the children of Israel. As the bones came to life in this vision, and muscle and flesh covered them, it was a lesson to Ezekiel and to all of us when we stop believing that love and justice has a chance in the world. The Kingdom of God can come. To the degree that a people have a vision of what can be, to that degree will the vision become real.

“The Planet Eden” Let me briefly sketch the plan of this home we call the “Kingdom of God.”

1. God’s future is a future whose main feature is Shalom. Shalom is a word that means a lot, but it at least means peaceful harmony between humans because of the presence of God’s spirit and word. It is described in the Bible in several places, but Isaiah 11 is a good place to start the description.
2. God’s future will be one where there is communion between persons and with God as well. It is the kind of communion that is captured in the very simple and conversational prayer Jesus taught to his disciples in Matthew 6.
3. God’s future will be a place of freedom. The Exodus story reminds us of the fact that God is concerned with the freedom of human beings and of God’s involvement in the liberation of people.
4. God’s future is a place where people care about each other without regard for differences, where everyone chooses to be the Good Samaritan.
5. God’s future will be a place of joy, laughter, and play. It will value fantasy and wild thoughts of the sort that poor Alice could not bring herself to think. It will be a place, as Joel wrote thousands of years ago, “…where your old ones will dream new dreams and the young will see mighty visions” (Joel 2:28). It is my hope that such visions will find their way into our minds, conversations and plans.

What do you think?

A couple of months ago I bought a GPS Navigator.  I was tired of getting lost and taking the wrong turns, which would often mean an extra half hour detour. Many times, I would have to call a life line, a friend who could give me directions back to the main road. My new GPS gave me a sense of new found independence.

My first trip was to visit a friend 45 minutes away. Having never been there, I was assured that the GPS would take me directly to the correct location. As I was driving, I was nervous about putting all my trust in a mechanical object, what if it didn’t turn where I needed to go? How do I know I am going to the right location? My friend assured me that I would end up in the right location.

As I drove the route directed by my GPS, I realized how much blind trust and faith I had to put in this machine to get me to the right location. It was uncomfortable surrendering myself to something that I didn’t fully know was working for my benefit, or capable of doing what it promised. By human nature we want to know where we are going and what lies ahead and how long it will take to get there.

This uncertainty reminded me of how often we do not know what plans God has for us or what direction we are heading. Faith requires us to place total trust in God to lead us and guide us when we would rather have control over where we are going and how we get there. It is hard to surrender to something we cannot see or touch. Just as I had to trust my GPS to get me there, which it did, we have to trust God who only wants the best for our future. We are called to surrender ourselves completely to the unknown, to go in faith and allow God to work through us and in us with the same confidence of Jeremiah who says, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Can you think of a time when God lead you astray? Not me. However, I can recall many times God led me towards the right places in my life and not one of them I regret. Why? Because when we seek and place our trust in God it is similar to having our own GPS navigator for life. I may not know what plans are in store for me, but I can trust God to lead my there much easier than I can trust my car’s GPS navigator.

I have had this in my files for years and had forgotten it was there. I don’t know who wrote it, so I don’t know who to thank. The best I can do is pass it along.

I dreamed I had an interview with God.

“So you would like to interview me?” God asked.

“If you have the time,” I said.

God smiled.

“My time is eternity. What questions do you have in mind for me?”

“What surprises you most about humankind?…”

God answered…

“That they get bored with childhood. They rush to grow up and then long to be children again. They lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health. That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future.  That they live as if they will never die, and die as if they had never lived.”

God’s hand took mine and we were silent for awhile. And then I asked…

“As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons you want your children to learn?”

God replied with a smile.

“To learn they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is let themselves be loved.

To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others.

To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.

To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and it takes many years to heal them.

To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.

To learn that there are persons who love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings.

To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it differently.

To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, But that they must forgive themselves.

And to learn that I am here always.”

Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

Traveling from Wisconsin to California with my parents was a “priceless experience” as MasterCard would promote. My father is a natural-born salesman, he loves to talk to people,find out about them- it is his gift. As we would walk past other guests waiting to be seated in the restaurant, he would engage in conversation to complete strangers. I was shocked at the openness of my dad and amazed at how easy it was for him to meet and greet other people. I remember one gentleman who also was shocked that someone entered his space without invitation! All I can remember is thinking to myself, “Didn’t your MOTHER tell you not to talk to strangers!” That was how I was brought up– don’t talk to strangers.

The idea of talking, greeting and welcoming people into the church can be difficult if you have not been taught how to talk to strangers. A few months ago I was going to take on the challenge of meeting other people in church. I approached one lady and asked if she was new, because I had not seen her in church the two years I served there. To my surprise, she is a long time member. How awkward that felt for even a people person like me. Maybe you have had similar experience?

How do we overcome the jitters of meeting new people and make our church feel warm and inviting? We can all be ministers of hospitality without having the gift of gab like my dad. It is as simple as, “Hi, my name is _______. I don’t think we have met. What is your name?” For further conversation you can ask how they found our church or just welcome them to morning worship and offer to introduce them to other people in the church after worship for coffee out on the patio.

Each of us can remember a time when you were a stranger and what made you feel cared for and accepted. Recall those situations each time you meet someone new and you will be more attuned to the needs and hopes of those who are visiting our church for the first time or those who are trying to get acquainted enough with others to make this their church home.

The first question we all probably remember: “Is there anyone here like me?” A welcoming congregation’s answer is, “There are many like you. We welcome you no matter who you are.” The second question is more personal: “Is there anyone here who is interested in me?” If we are not interested in them, why should they be interested in us? Solution: Make it an objective to give a warm welcome instead of “swarming” them to death. Encourage someone of similar age or interests to say hello and show them around the church. Be purposeful in remembering their name, invite them to worship next week or a special event during the week. Then seek them out and welcome them again.

According to the Igniting Ministries campaign, “Open Doors, Open Hearts, and Open Minds,” if the congregation is not prepared to receive guests then the newcomer will look elsewhere or worse yet, they may not look again! Even the friendliest church can come across as uninviting. Each week visitors attend LAUMC looking for a church home. Let’s make our worshippers welcome, really welcome. Find out who is sitting next to you on Sunday and then, see if you can remember their names!

Her tutor introduced her to this Quote:
“Our Greatest Fear” By Marianne Williamson from her book “A Return to Love”

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

“You are the light of the world.” Jesus said. Wherever your journey takes you, take courage along too. Take the courage to dive into new opportunities to love and witness for goodness and justice, the courage to join your joys, discoveries and struggles with
other pilgrims and the audacity to celebrate each moment of your life-expedition. And above all let The Holy Spirit be your call forward.

Greetings new church family,

I am Susan Oeffler, your new associate pastor. I am originally from Wisconsin where I served as a local pastor to smaller rural churches for 5 years before attending seminary in CA. In May, I received my Masters of Divinity at Claremont School of Theology.

Most recently I worked as Director of Invitational (evangelism and outreach) ministries at Fullerton First UMC. Among my many years of ministry experience, I have probably worked as the youth director the longest, caring for over 50 teens. We enjoyed many activities such as going to National Youth Convo in Knoxville, TN and helping senior residents clean up their homes after a tornado destroyed the town.

Here are some of the responsibilities I have done while in ministry:

• Provide spiritual guidance and leadership for the church and the surrounding communities as the lead pastor for congregations ranging between 50-75 members. Prepare and lead regular weekly worship services, weddings, funerals and other special services and services of sacrament.
• Develop and coordinate spiritual formation programs for Christian education, child and youth ministries, elderly and shut-in ministries, Bible studies, Vacation Bible School, outreach and mission programs.
• Develop leaders within the church organizations to chair various committees and groups.
• Coordinate fundraising to repair church roof and send children to camp.
• Analyzed and reconstructed a budget to work within the means of the church and their financial situation. Work with council to develop and implement a working budget. Request special funding from Annual Conference. Prepare annual charge conference reports.
• Kept accurate membership rolls; visited members and non-members regularly.
• Welcome and care for visitors (weekly average of 25 guests) through phone calls, mailings,newsletters and membership care classes. Oversee the Invitational Ministries and Fellowship Friends groups and their programming for a congregation with 430 members.

Apart from work, I have 3 grown children, Curtis – 25, Chelsey – 23, and Chad – 21, who all live back in the Midwest. I love to travel and experience life. I like to cook, sing and play guitar, photography, decorate and garden. For years I worked in our family flower shop and greenhouses and look forward to learning about CA plants and flowers.

In Christ’s peace,

Pastor Sue