The El Sobrante United Methodist Church Newsletter The Appian … · 2020. 10. 9. · endorphins!...

The El Sobrante United Methodist Church Newsletter

The Appian Wayfarer The United Methodist Church: Open hearts . Open minds . Open doors October 2020

Online Motion Class Hope you all had a lovely weekend. It is challenging to find ways to be together/apart. Zoom communities are great and I hope you benefit from them. They can never replace a hug longed for, but our hope is our trust that this will end. We will have a different 'normal' but a better one than this. Moving is good for your muscles and your mood. It raises endorphins! So, let's feel good!

You will need a chair, a block, and a ball (one of the bigger ones if you have it). Of course, all the moves can be done without props, but I find they add an element of challenge and just plain change. See you soon!

Jacqueline Corl is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Mon: Balance & Range of Motion - 1:30 PM 310 058 896

Tues: Stretching for Balance & Yoga - 10:00 AM 864 405 132

Wed: Balance & Range of Motion - 10:15 AM 971 863 356

Thurs: Stretching for Balance & Yoga - 1:30 PM 846 5530 5608

Fri: Stretching for Balance & Yoga - 10:00 AM 864 405 132

Need a mask? Call 510.223.0790

or email at [email protected]

Are You Ready to Vote?

If you live in Contra Costa County, you can check your voter registration status here: https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/. If you haven't registered, it's still not too late! Register here: https://covr.sos.ca.gov/ (Deadline for online registration is October 15).

mailto:[email protected]

https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/

https://covr.sos.ca.gov/

pg. 2 The Appian Wayfarer

Wilderness Survival Guide

Our current worship series, “Through the

Wilderness,” follows the Israelites as they

journey out of Egypt to the Promised Land, as

told in the book of Exodus. Right now, many of

us feel like we are in the middle of our own

wilderness—the wilderness of global

pandemic, destructive fires, political turmoil,

economic uncertainty, and social unrest. There

is a small group at ESUMC that meets on

Sunday after church to explore what it means

to be a Christian in the context of John

Wesley’s Three Rules: 1) Do no harm; 2) Do

good; 3) Stay in love with God. At a recent

meeting, we talked about being lost in the

wilderness. It can feel overwhelming. What do

we do? How do we survive? After a time of

discussion, we came up with this list.

1) Find water, food, and shelter

When you are lost in the wilderness, your first

priority is finding the basic necessities needed

to survive: water, food, and shelter. When

Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he told

the devil, “One does not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth

of God” (Matthew 4:4). Jesus told the

Samaritan woman at the well, “Those who

drink of the water that I will give them will never

be thirsty. The water that I will give will become

in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal

life” (John 4:14). The psalmist affirms: “You

who live in the shelter of the Most High, who

abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to

the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress; my

God, in whom I trust.’ For he will deliver you

from the snare of the fowler and from the

deadly pestilence; he will cover you with his

pinions, and under his wings you will find

refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler”

(Psalm 91: 1-4). Take time daily to be

nourished by reading the Bible and spending

time in prayer. Is there a passage of Scripture

you can “chew on” throughout your day? Are

you refreshing your spirit by spending time

alone with God? Can you step out in faith,

trusting God as your refuge?

2) Pay attention

Notice your surroundings. The wilderness can

be full of unknown dangers, but it can also

contain a beautiful lake or a warm, dry cave. If

we are caught up in worry and anxiety, our

cares can be so overwhelming that we can’t

see what is right in front of us. We read in

Psalm 46, “Be still, and know that I am God!”

(Psalm 46:10). Paying attention requires being

quiet enough to see and hear what is going on

around you. Be open to the moving of the

Spirit. What might God be trying to tell you? Is

God opening a path through the wilderness in

an unexpected way?

3) Get a buddy

It’s much easier to get through the wilderness if

you have someone with you to help you during

your wanderings. Our ESUMC church family

does an awesome job helping to take care of

each other. Here is wisdom from the book of

Ecclesiastes: “Two are better than one,

because they have a good reward for their toil.

For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe

to one who is alone and falls and does not

have another to help. . . And though one might

prevail against another, two will withstand one.

A threefold cord is not quickly broken”

(Ecclesiastes 4:9,10,12). We are not alone!

—Eileen Johnson, Laurie Corl, Jacqueline

Corl-Seidel, Marilyn Lomelino, and Cory Tipton


Worship

Through the Wilderness

I’ve noticed over the past few months that people on social media have made the comment: “I miss precedented times.” How often do you hear that these are unprecedented times? Of course, like all broad statements of that kind, this is both true and untrue. It is true that most of us haven’t lived with a pandemic. The natural disasters and the political and racial unrest all roll together to create a miasma of despair unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. Except we have. Maybe not exactly this, but we know the experience. We’ve been here before. We call it wilderness. It is a regular occurrence in the Bible and the lives of followers of Jesus. One might say it is standard operating procedure. But just because it’s familiar does not mean it’s easy. Over the next few weeks, our worship will look at “Wandering Through the Wilderness”. Wandering through the wilderness is a difficult journey at the best of times. Other times, it can seem impossible. Our task in this series is to help us find our way through the wilderness of this time by allowing the first of God-wanderers in the book of Exodus to speak to us. The stories of the people of God, along with the hymns of the faith in the Psalms, become our guides through the wilderness today.

What comes next? Through the Wilderness

-10/4 What is It?: Exodus 16:2-15 Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 & Psalm 78

-10/11 Strike the Rock: Exodus 17:1-7 Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16 - 10/18 Spiritual Gifts Part 1

- 10/25 Spiritual Gifts Part 2

Worship


Oct. 3 - Judith Scarborough Oct. 4 - Janice Rhodes Oct. 5 - Arlene Baker Oct. 8 - Sandy Oberg Oct. 13 - Ren Partridge, Rita Nozzolillo Oct. 15 - Laurie Corl Oct. 16 - Kelsey Rahmgren Oct. 20 - Arlene Woodburn Oct. 22 - Bill Slessinger

It is never too early to prepare for an emergency. With the smoke in the air and loved ones evacuating, we are reminded that we should also make sure that we are ready. Don't wait until the last minute. Go to this link: CLICK HERE to see the steps you should take and the items you should prepare in case of evacuation.

Our church building and offices remain closed, but the church is still at work in the world! We are constantly adapting to make authentic worship and sacred filled experiences. Look out for more information about Bible studies, small groups, and fellowship events! God is at work.

Let us be open to new beginnings! For more information about the protocols, please click here.

Tuesday @ 7:15 pm Meeting ID:

965 0250 6049 Meeting Password:

610727

Wednesday @ 10 am Meeting ID:

948 5108 4509 Meeting Password:

894099

All are welcome to join in ESUMC's Bible Studies, whether you're a master theologian or have never opened a Bible! Studies will be held every Wednesday and Thursday. For any questions contact Rev. Emily at [email protected]

ESUMC Financials

July 2020

Income $115,782.09 Expenses $121,174.31

Shortfall ($5,392.22)

We know that these are unusual times. Our church is working harder than ever to support our community. Please consider your gifts and how you are helping. A BIG thank you to all who are keeping up with their pledges! You can always send in a check or donate online at www.esumconline.org.

JOIN US for

https://lifehacker.com/how-to-pack-an-evacuation-go-bag-1819669582

https://www.cnumc.org/covid19

https://www.cnumc.org/covid19

mailto:[email protected]


Monika Smith

“Here is a 5-braid headband I made a couple of weeks ago.”

Sandy Oberg

“My TV busy work. Scrubbies for the Craft Sale, hopefully in 2021. I've had fun mixing colors. It feels a little like crocheting flowers. You would think with all the down time of a Pandemic I could accomplish big things, but small projects are what I can handle. What are you doing to help pass this crazy time?”

Last month, we celebrated the Commissioning of our very own (now) Rev. Eileen Johnson. This is an exciting time for our church and for Eileen. We hope that you tuned in to watch the service. If you weren't able to, contact the church office and we'll try and send you the recording. What does commissioning mean? In the UMC, we have two types of orders for clergy. One is the Elder and one is a Deacon. Rev. Emily is a Provisional Elder and Rev. Eileen is now a Provisional Deacon. Provisional means that you are not yet ordained but are in a residency program that leads to ordination.

• Elders are Ordained to:

o Order – an administration role o Sacrament – a priestly role, called to

perform the sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism

o Word – a teaching/preaching role ex: Sunday Sermons and Bible Studies

o Service

• Deacons are Ordained to:

o Word – a teaching/preaching role o Service – especially called to the marginalized o Compassion o Justice o Minister in some particular area of expertise that serves to connect the congregation

with the needs of the world.

Rev. Emily will still be the head pastor of ESUMC, but Rev. Eileen is now celebrated as A pastor of ESUMC. If you have any questions about what this means, please contact either Revs. Eileen or Emily.


We know that November 3rd is looming over all

of us. Politics is a tricky subject right now, and for many, it always has been. Many say that

politics don’t belong in the church or that it’s a

forbidden word. We, as a society, have forgotten

how to have decent and civil conversations about the tough subjects in life. We have avoided confronting tough conversations in a hope that they will go away or get forgotten. Instead, we’re seeing how the lack of conversations is building up like a pressure cooker that has exploded instead of letting out steam over time. For anyone who has lived with another person, you usually can tell that an argument about who washes the dishes isn’t really about the dishes. Other conflicts come up that we often choose to brush aside as not being a big deal, when instead all of these small conflicts build up until a catalyst (like the dishes) releases them. This is what has happened with politics. For so long we’ve said, “We don’t talk about politics” at the dinner table or at church, that we forget what we’re called to do. Jesus calls us to live out our faith, and this includes in our civic lives. The Bible also asks us to seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God (Amos 6:8). We have an opportunity, unlike so many, to make a difference with our vote. I hope you all are registered to vote. We all are feeling divided, angry, frustrated, and we hold a deep sense of sadness for the state of our world. Therefore, ESUMC has chosen to partner with the organization Braver Angels. BA was started following the 2016 Presidential Election to foster conversations that bridge the divide. They are having the conversations that are releasing that pressure and helping us see people who believe differently as kin, rather than enemies. We have agreed to join with their project called “With Malice Toward None”. The goal is to create a space for people to deal with their emotions (positive and negative), to build our capacities for working together to address our common challenges, and to commit ourselves to a renewed citizenship. This is not about covering up strong political differences or encouraging people to support whoever wins the election. It is about a commitment to respecting the

humanity of those who differ from us. It is about recognizing our foundational role as citizens to be

the architects and agents of a more perfect union. In order to help with this campaign, we (ESUMC) will be having an online worship on Election Eve to create more mindfulness and intentionality in our sacred lives to lift up the pains and aches of our world. We will also celebrate the heroes of suffrage that have paved the way in allowing us to vote. Look out for more information about this service and other initiatives as we continue our partnership with Braver Angels. For more information, you can contact Rev. Emily and/or go to www.braverangels.org.

Craft Project—

contributed by Rev. Emily Want something creative to do for decorating this Halloween? Try creating these fun window stencils for a spoooooooky silhouette effect. Supplies needed: black construction paper, orange tissue paper, pencil Create silhouette shapes of different Halloween items. Examples include: a Jack-o’-Lantern, moon and stars, black cat, creepy trees, owls, bats, spiderwebs, you name it! Trace images you can find or draw your own! Then use clear tape to attach them to the windows. Place the orange tissue paper behind them and tape to the window.

http://www.braverangels.org/


Noel’s Pumpkin fluff Dip

Ingredients: 1 can Pumpkin PUREE (Not Mix) 15oz 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie spice or to taste. 1 tub 8 oz Cool Whip 1 pumpkin small size

Instructions: Mix together the pumpkin puree, the dry pudding mix, and the pumpkin pie mix. Stir in the Cool whip and mix a little more till everything is blended. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour. Meanwhile, scoop out the inside of the pumpkin removing the seeds and strings. After the hour is up get your fluff and pour it into the pumpkin. Place your pumpkin on a plate and add ginger snaps, or cinnamon graham crackers, all around to dip in the fluff.

*** You can also use a marker and make a face on your pumpkin to have a little festive fun. *** You can also use mini pumpkins.

Crazy Caprese Eyes

Ingredients Green Olives Black Olives 1 package of pearl mozzarella balls 1 package of grape tomatoes Basil leaves Optional but particularly good, Drizzle of olive oil

Instructions Slice the green olives into rings. Cut the black olives in half. Cut each olive half into 6-8 pieces. Stuff the inside of the green olive ring with a black olive piece. If the black olive is too big to stuff inside the green olive ring, cut it to size. Cut the pearl mozzarella balls in half. Cut the grape tomatoes in half.

Assemble Lay a small- medium-sized basil leaf on a serving platter. Top each basil leaf with a tomato half. Top the tomato with mozzarella then top the mozzarella with the stuffed green olive. Repeat until you make as many Crazy Caprese Eyes as you want. Optional: Drizzle each Crazy Caprese Eyes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Recipe Notes Make your Halloween fun and use a Halloween plate or decorate a paper plate. Get creative and Happy Halloween.

ESUMC


Royal Icing: ½ lb. confectioner’s sugar 2 ½ tbsp. meringue powder 2 tbsp water brown, yellow, and orange food coloring

Noel’s Pumpkin Pie Cookies

Ingredients:

Instructions: Bake the cookies: Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl. Set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the egg, milk and vanilla extract and mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Roll out to ¼ inch-thick on a floured surface and cut into 4-inch circles. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Slice some of the circles into segments.

Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Decorate the cookies: Combine the confectioner’s sugar and meringue powder in a bowl. Add the water and beat with an electric mixer for 5-7 minutes, or until the icing maintains shape when drizzled.

Dye 4 tbsp of icing brown using brown and yellow food coloring. Keep 2 tbsp white icing, then dye the rest orange using orange and brown food coloring. Place the brown icing into a piping bag fitted with a small angled piping tip, the white icing into a bag fitted with a small, star-shaped piping tip and the orange into a bag fitted with a small, round piping tip.

Flood the entire surface of the cookies with the orange icing and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour, or until dry to the touch. Pipe the crust with the brown icing, wiggling the piping bag to create a wavy pattern.

Use the white icing to create dollops of whipped cream. Allow the cookies to dry completely, about 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Cookie Dough: 2 cups flour ¼ tsp salt ½ tsp baking powder 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice ½ cup unsalted butter 1 cup sugar 1 egg 2 tbsp milk ½ tsp vanilla extract


Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

10 AM Photo Club, (online)

1:30 PM Motion Class (online) 7:00 PM Bible Study (online)

2

10 AM Motion Class (online)

3 10 AM Worship Rehearsal (online)

4

10 AM Worship, (online)

12:15 PM Small Group (online)

5

1:30 PM Motion Class (online)

7 PM Worship Committee (online)

6


4 PM Faith Exploration (online)

7:30 PM Kairos (online)

7

10 AM Bible Study, (online)

10:15 AM Motion Class (online)

7:30 PM Choir (online)

8



7:00 PM Bible Study (online))

9



11



12

1:30 PM Motion Class (online) 7 PM Worship Committee (online)

13




14




15



7:00 PM Bible Study (online)

16



18



19



20




21




22




23


24 10 PM Worship Rehearsal (online)

25



26



27




28




29




30


31 10 PM Worship Rehearsal (online)

2020


Wayfarer

October 2020 issue El Sobrante United Methodist Church

670 Appian Way, El Sobrante, CA 94803

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Resident Bishop, Minerva Carcaño

District Superintendent, Schuyler Rhodes

Pastor, Emily Pickens-Jones

Director of Music, Eileen M. Johnson

Lay Leader, Jacqueline Corl-Seidel

Lay Minister, Charlene Kafer

Treasurer, Marilyn Lomelino

Office, Erika Cortez

Find ESUMC online www.esumconline.org Facebook, search for “El Sobrante United Methodist Church”

Prayer Concerns Jimmie Harvey (son-in-law of Wendy Allen); Marion Damon (mother of Eileen's step-daughter, Heather); Family of Lauren Hanley (from Nerd Crossing and President of the El Sobrante Chamber of Commerce); Slessinger family, Reynolds family, Family of Ray Lussier; Edna Luffey; Paulette Collins; Mort Weishahn; Morie Oberg; The family of Nancy Corl; Lee Hunt; Paddi Just and the family; the family of Pauline Webber; Teresa Berenger (Madeleine Trouerbach's daughter); Sherry Banks; the family of Judy Buhlis; Robert Johnson (former colleague of Karen Jarrell); Annette Allan (Noel Stout's sister); Ron Driskell (Karen Jarrell's colleague); Gary Dwiggins; Hailie James; Leota Merrithew, family of Teresa Morin Stanton (friend of Lee Hunt); Victor Nozzolillo; the Fleming family (Darlene, Steve, Denise Roby, & Michael); Laureen Kelly and Linda Goodman (nieces of Darlene); Gary Spearie (Paula Hammond's brother); those who continue to be impacted by natural disasters and the COVID-19.

The El Sobrante United Methodist Church Newsletter The Appian … · 2020. 10. 9. · endorphins!...

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