Friday, December 21, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
The Power of Love
Posted by Stella Perez on March 25, 2012 · Leave a Comment
By Rev. Dr. David Alicea, UCC Paradise Hills
Imagine…
You and your ten year old daughter, after years of struggling through life, find yourselves on the streets, going from shelter to shelter, church to church, door to door with little success. Homelessness for you is both a situation, a physical reality, and a condition, an emotional affliction of the spirit, soul and body – your worst fear come true; an incomprehensible crumbling of your daughter’s life.
Or…
You’re a recent widower whose wife passed away last month after enduring weeks of excruciating pain. Your heart has lost its home, your spirit its hope. You spend your days in her old brown recliner, your wedding picture in your hand. Two of your friends are also wrestling with a sense of “homelessness.” Divorce left one anchorless; he bar hops aimlessly. The other’s son, her only child, lost in drugs, has sent her life reeling and brought constant trouble into her once peaceful life. She dreads every knock on the door, a knock her son would be too stoned to hear. While both have places to live, buildings to call “home,” they, too, have seen what they hold dear disintegrate before their eyes. Dealing with loss, their emotions run rampant as a flood of questions without answers assail them. They find themselves homeless in heart and spirit.
These stories could be yours or those of someone you love.
Dealing with loss can plunge us into a time of crisis, of searching frantically, often fruitlessly for answers or, lacking the will to search, of not knowing where to turn or how to find within ourselves the energy or the spirit to continue.
When life deals a bad hand it may seem like the end and yet, even at its toughest, life offers lessons that can bring out the best in people – and reminds them that new beginnings are possible through the power of love. Love can be the key to open new doors. It can be the energy to start anew. It can be the force that brings hope to the heart.
Love can be the catalyst to see beyond our limitations. Love can heal our pain and sorrows. It can help us believe in people, to open our arms to new possibilities. It can bring the spirit of life, a new song and a new vision of life. Love can be the redeeming power for salvation, empowering people to forgive as they liberate themselves from the poisons of bias and trauma.
Metaphorically, those whose stories are told above represent innocence lost or betrayed and every heart which struggles with finding its place in life. It is only through the power of love that solace and completion can be found, allowing strugglers, the lost and the betrayed alike to dare to be all they can, to do all they are capable of.
With these stories in mind, I invite you to celebrate with me the joy love brings to life as it challenges us to be who we really are and to look at life knowing that it is not about what we get, but what we share. Let us celebrate that it’s not just how much people love us, but also how much we love those God places along the paths of our lives. Let us rejoice together and celebrate the truth of love that embraces all, no matter who and what, and seeks to unify, to bring light into the darkest places and to reveal God’s gift of the strength and daring to be fully ourselves, our very best selves!
If you are “homeless” today, walking through life with concerns and worries, know that here in the house we call the United Church of Christ a family awaits, a family offering comfort, understanding, acceptance and love – a love which respects hearts and innocence and shares the word of a God who is still speaking, still working with us. Whatever challenges you have, whatever you have been through, love, God and a warm welcome await you.
Posted by Stella Perez on March 25, 2012 · Leave a Comment
By Rev. Dr. David Alicea, UCC Paradise Hills
Imagine…
You and your ten year old daughter, after years of struggling through life, find yourselves on the streets, going from shelter to shelter, church to church, door to door with little success. Homelessness for you is both a situation, a physical reality, and a condition, an emotional affliction of the spirit, soul and body – your worst fear come true; an incomprehensible crumbling of your daughter’s life.
Or…
You’re a recent widower whose wife passed away last month after enduring weeks of excruciating pain. Your heart has lost its home, your spirit its hope. You spend your days in her old brown recliner, your wedding picture in your hand. Two of your friends are also wrestling with a sense of “homelessness.” Divorce left one anchorless; he bar hops aimlessly. The other’s son, her only child, lost in drugs, has sent her life reeling and brought constant trouble into her once peaceful life. She dreads every knock on the door, a knock her son would be too stoned to hear. While both have places to live, buildings to call “home,” they, too, have seen what they hold dear disintegrate before their eyes. Dealing with loss, their emotions run rampant as a flood of questions without answers assail them. They find themselves homeless in heart and spirit.
These stories could be yours or those of someone you love.
Dealing with loss can plunge us into a time of crisis, of searching frantically, often fruitlessly for answers or, lacking the will to search, of not knowing where to turn or how to find within ourselves the energy or the spirit to continue.
When life deals a bad hand it may seem like the end and yet, even at its toughest, life offers lessons that can bring out the best in people – and reminds them that new beginnings are possible through the power of love. Love can be the key to open new doors. It can be the energy to start anew. It can be the force that brings hope to the heart.
Love can be the catalyst to see beyond our limitations. Love can heal our pain and sorrows. It can help us believe in people, to open our arms to new possibilities. It can bring the spirit of life, a new song and a new vision of life. Love can be the redeeming power for salvation, empowering people to forgive as they liberate themselves from the poisons of bias and trauma.
Metaphorically, those whose stories are told above represent innocence lost or betrayed and every heart which struggles with finding its place in life. It is only through the power of love that solace and completion can be found, allowing strugglers, the lost and the betrayed alike to dare to be all they can, to do all they are capable of.
With these stories in mind, I invite you to celebrate with me the joy love brings to life as it challenges us to be who we really are and to look at life knowing that it is not about what we get, but what we share. Let us celebrate that it’s not just how much people love us, but also how much we love those God places along the paths of our lives. Let us rejoice together and celebrate the truth of love that embraces all, no matter who and what, and seeks to unify, to bring light into the darkest places and to reveal God’s gift of the strength and daring to be fully ourselves, our very best selves!
If you are “homeless” today, walking through life with concerns and worries, know that here in the house we call the United Church of Christ a family awaits, a family offering comfort, understanding, acceptance and love – a love which respects hearts and innocence and shares the word of a God who is still speaking, still working with us. Whatever challenges you have, whatever you have been through, love, God and a warm welcome await you.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
My New Year’s Resolution
A few years ago, I ran into a list similar to this one. It spoke to me so deeply, that I quickly adopted it as mine and added my own thoughts.- Never stop starting over. God is a God of second chances. I am going to firmly believe that. So, every time I make a mistake, or forget something important, or don’t do as I am suppose to, I am going to forgive myself and start all over.
- Live intentionally, not aimlessly. Sometimes my life becomes very hectic. At times my priorities become skewed. Sometimes I spend way too much time doing nothing or worrying about things that are beyond my control. This year, I will live my life with a purpose. If I lose track on where I am going, I will ask God to teach me how to embrace the journey. If I don’t know where I am going, I will trust God knows and that will be enough for me.
- Never despair whatsoever. Someone once said, “We promise according to our hopes and perform according to our fears.” I am a control freak. When things get out-of-whack I tend to loose focus. Sometimes anxiety gets the best of me. Sometimes I panic when things don’t go as I have planned. This year, I will strive to keep my cool, even during those times when it seems the weight of the world is on my shoulders. God has a track record with me. Even in the worst of times, God has been present in my life. It’s time to trust that God is not going to abandon me, ever.
- Pray simply, not stupidly. I waste too much time attempting to tell God how to act. I said before, I am a control freak and that sometimes includes attempting to exert control on what God is doing in my life. Those of you who have watched me work know I am very organized and that I love to plan well in advance. The problem is that sometimes I spend an enormous amount of time trying to convince God on what is the best plan of action. This year, however, I will endeavor to simply present to God my needs, wants and dreams and then let God do whatever God wants to do with them. I will continue planning ahead. Trusting God does not mean I will not do my part. The difference is that I will listen more carefully as my plans develop or fail, as a way to discern which way I should go.
- Renounce all self-justification. This is a tough one. Sometimes, I waste too much time in my attempts to justify my actions. Excuses abound, especially when I have done something wrong. This year I will work on assuming more responsibility for my choices in life. When I do something right and am recognized for it, I will just say, “Thank you.” When I miss the mark and get called on the carpet, I will say “I am sorry” and then will make sure I don’t repeat the same mistake, again and again.
- Stop judging others. Another hard one. Judging others is so easy, for it makes me look much better than the person being judged. It is easier to point the finger at someone else than to look at my own behavior. See, when I highlight what is wrong with another person I am making sure the attention is being placed on the person being judged and not on me. This year I intend to accept others as they are. I will treat others with grace as God treats me. I will love others unconditionally, as God loves me. I will allow others to have second chances, as God allows me to have second chances. I will especially work hard at loving my enemies and forgiving those who have caused me great pain. Above all, I will stop judging myself.
- Wait. I am very impulsive, so working on this one is quite a challenge. This year, I will breathe deeply before I speak, and will be patient with myself and with others. I want to learn to live one day at a time. I want to enjoy each day. I want to learn the spiritual discipline of waiting.
- Acknowledge my brokenness. This one is closely related to self-justification. Since I don’t want others to see my brokenness I spend an inordinate amount of time attempting to cover it up. This year I will acknowledge that through God’s immeasurable grace, I am a broken vessel, a wounded healer, a discouraged encourager, a forgiven sinner. In doing so, I will let others know that God’s grace is also for them, and like me, they can still turn their brokenness around and start walking the path God has laid out for them.
- Be ruthlessly realistic. The older I get, the less romantic about my future I become. In his Life Cycle Theory, Erik Erickson states that at age 50, men realize that most of the dreams they dreamt about in their twenties and thirties will never come to fruition. This is the reason, he says, why many men in their fifties become depressed. The answer to the depression, according to Erickson, is to immerse oneself in the wisdom acquired during those years and share that wisdom with others. I will be 55 this year. At my age I have accomplished much, so I believe the chances of me becoming seriously depressed are very small. The truth is that I have fulfilled most of my dreams and I will be content if the rest of my dreams are not fulfilled. As I have grown older, I have come to understand that my dreams do not need to come to fruition for me to find happiness. So, this year, I will begin by being realistic. However, I will never give up hope.
- Always think good of everyone. I want people to think good of me. For that reason, I will give everyone the benefit of the doubt. I will only change my relationship with others when they prove otherwise. Once again, God is the God of second chances, so why not give others a second chance. That doesn’t mean I will be naïve and let others take advantage of me. It means they will be worth my goodness until they prove me wrong.
- Read the obituaries. They remind me that I am but a traveler on a short journey. One day, my journey on this earth will end. In the meantime, I will do everything in my power and in God’s grace to make it count for something.
Put Yourself in the Picture: Synod 2013 Story II: Staging Magic
Put Yourself in the Picture: Synod 2013
Story II
Why do UCCers gather together every two years, traveling long distances to plunge headlong into the intensity and immensity of a General Synod? Why should YOU attend? What’s in it for YOU? Gregg Brekke, Editor of the United Church News, summed his “why” up succinctly when writing of his very first Synod in 2009. “We seek an experience of God’s peace – through worship, renewed connections, new relationships and an immersion into our identity as people of the UCC.”
The editors of Connecting Voices recently asked a number of past attendees (delegates and visitors, clergy and laypeople alike) about their “whys” and their Synod experiences – what “coming together” meant to them. Their responses will be presented in a series of mini-articles over the next few months. We hope that, stirred to “go and do likewise,” YOU will join us at Synod 29 in Long Beach, CA.
Staging Magic: Synod Story IIby Carol Rainey, United Church of Christ of La Mesa, CA
What surprised me most the first time I went to Synod (2007), and continues to delight me, is the staging of the event, beginning with the “set.” I start to wonder – weeks in advance – how the theme of Synod will be portrayed in the set. And, as I do, my excitement about attending and participating in Synod grows. I usually arrive a day in advance, and enjoy poking my head in to observe the building of the set and note the embellishments as they are put in place. Then, as Synod proceeds, I find it intriguing to note the sometimes subtle changes that are made from session to session, day to day, to dramatically showcase the theme as it unfolds and deepens, evoking in me an awakening, an emotional response I had not anticipated. I continue to be in awe of the “magic” that happens.
ANNUAL GATHERING 2012
Here are our Tentative Plans for 2011-2012...
| Date | Event | Location |
| Feb. 17-20, 2012 | FEB Camp, (9th-12th grades) | Pilgrim Pines Camp |
| Mar. 10-11, 2012 | Roundtable Meeting III | SCNC Office (Altadena) |
| Mar. 16-18, 2012 | Confirmation Retreat (Optional) | Pilgrim Pines |
| Mar. 23-24, 2012 | Founders Day (Optional Event) | Chapman University |
| Apr. 14, 2012 | Youth Uniting in Mission, (Jr. & Sr. High) | TBD |
| May 5-6, 2012 | Roundtable Meeting IV | TBD |
| Jun 8-9, 2012 | Annual Gathering | TBD |
| Jul 10-14, 2012 | National Youth Event (optional event) | Purdue University |
| Jul 29-Aug 4, 2012 | CYMC | Pilgrim Pines Camp |
To find out what's going for youth In the UCC, go to www.ucc.org/youth
Youth Group Ideas: Are you looking for youth group ideas? Check the Resources page for youth group related ideas and information.
Safe Church Policy - Abuse Protection
Adopted November 11, 2008
Modified April 2, 2011
As a community of Christian faith, the Southern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ is committed to creating and maintaining programs, facilities, and a community in which employees, volunteers, and persons served by the SCNCUCC can work together in an atmosphere free from all forms of discrimination, harassment, exploitation and/or intimidation. Click Here to download this document.
For more information about these web pages or about the Youth Ministries of the Southern California Nevada Conference, UCC, please contact the Conference office:
Phone: (626) 798-8082
Neal Washburn
Youth and Young Adult Ministries Coordinator
E-mail Neal Washburn
Monday, February 27, 2012
NEWS FROM OUR CONFERENCE - WANTED: YOUR PILGRIM PINES STORY
Wanted: Your Pilgrim Pines Story
Do you have wonderful memories of Summer Camp? Funny stories of your adventures there? Did you discover new depths of faith? Set new goals? Make special friends? Share a never to be forgotten moment? Learn something new and exciting?
Whatever your highlight moment or moments, Connecting Voices, the e-magazine of the Southern California Nevada Conference (SCNC) of the UCC, wants to hear your story! We’re planning a series of articles and mini-articles the share the story of our beloved Pilgrim Pines. Articles may be a paragraph or two or as long as you need to tell the tale and share the wonder. Send to: Mary Domb Mikkelson, Senior Editor, Connecting Voices, publicity@ucclm.sdcoxmail.com or 4558 Aragon Drive, San Diego, CA 92115. Questions? Please call 619-265-2698. Photos (ones taken at camp would be great) also wanted (all identifiable people shown must be willing to sign releases for use of the photos).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)