Calling all brains and lovers of history and scripture!
Oct 17, 24, 31 and Nov 7, our Sunday forum (11:40am, following worship) will be led by Bob Coote, recently retired from 30 years as Senior Research Professor of Hebrew Exegesis and Old Testament at San Francisco Theological Seminary. Bob is highly respected by biblical scholars throughout the world. He earned B.A., Harvard College; B.D. Harvard Divinity School; Ph.D. Harvard University.
For fun during retirement Bob has been studying Akkadian, one of the first written languages in human history, I believe, from very early empire in the Tigris/ Euphrates valley. For the layperson, think chicken scratch on ancient tomb walls kind of stuff. Bob has agreed to lend us his mind to teach four weeks on the influence of Hebrew scripture on the Gospel of Mark.
This is a great opportunity for you to learn scripture and stretch your mind. Bob is not a charismatic, entertaining public speaker; he is a brilliant mind. This means you should come prepared to listen at length with focused thought. I find it a fun and exciting challenge to see if my mind can track where he goes; the reward is great. I consider Bob to be the smartest human being I have ever met. I loved his classes. Classes at St. John's are free! Make room on your calendar, stay after worship and learn. History lovers, regardless of faith, will enjoy, so invite friends and family too.
This year we will be celebrating All Saints Day and Dia de los Muertos on Sunday Oct 31. See Abby's article inside on arts and crafts to be made for worship. Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos is basically the same idea as All Saints Day and falls on the same day (Nov 1). All Souls day is Nov 2. All Saints day has developed its own flavor in Mexico and Guatemala, where there is a festive nature to remembrance and the honoring of those who have died. Altars of remembrance are made with pictures and momentos which we associate with our departed loved one. There is a bit of humor, festivity and earthiness to it not typical of Anglo Saxon memorial. We will build our creations over two Sundays, October 23 and 31.
Presbytery at St John's Tuesday, November 9! We will be hosting the business meeting of the local governing body of our Presbyterian church. 200-plus people will visit us and use our facility from 2:00pm to 10:00pm. We will need volunteers. Please mark your calendar and be ready to help St. John's show the rest of the church how God is working in our midst.
Love to all,
Pastor Max
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Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4
We all walk through the valley of the shadow of death at times in our lives, whether we are grieving our recently deceased loved ones, remembering people and ancestors who shaped us but died long ago, or are facing the reality of our own mortality. It is not an individual experience that we face alone, but an experience we process in community through our cultures.
Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) provides a particular way to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. This year at St. John's, we will include some of those ways in our worship. There are two ways to be involved and participate in these traditions at the end of October.
First, come for an afternoon of "Art with Abby" on October 23, from 1-3pm. If the weather cooperates, we will meet on the patio. We will learn about Dia de Los Muertos, the craft traditions, and what goes into building an offrenda to our lost loved ones. We will then make the components of an offrenda that will be used over the next couple of weeks in worship. We will make sugar skulls, paper flowers, and memorials. Bring a picture (we won't use the original) of a loved one who has passed away whom you would like to remember and honor. All ages are welcome. It will be a great time to share with your family, but plenty of creativity for adults too! On Sunday, October 24, we will use our crafts in worship to theologically process our experiences of the valley of the shadow of death together.
Then, on Sunday Oct. 31, you are invited to bring pictures, items, and even foods to honor a loved one who has died. We will place them on our offrenda during worship. Rather than walk, sometimes we can dance in the valley, knowing...
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
Psalm 23:6
Abby king Kaiser
pastor, fruitvale presbyterian church, fvpc.org
An immediate need — Do you have, or know of, a car available for $2000 or less? As soon as possible, please help meet the need of a family we have recently welcomed to St. John’s. Call or phone Lalnunzira Bungsut . Or call Gail Peterson
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Another need — DESPERATELY seeking volunteers to work ALL shifts of football parking on October 23. At time of this publication, game time had not yet been set. Please call Claudia Cate at
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A Gala to
honor Fred Goff and the new generation of leadership
at the Data Center will be held
Wednesday, November 10, 6:00pm. We are putting together a table of 8-10
people from St. John's. If you would like to participate, please
contact Glenda by Sunday, October 17, by 3:00pm. (
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Special Extra-Ordinary Chocolate Sunday!
Our Chocolate Sunday on October 10 was incomplete because the new order of chocolate had not yet arrived. So, Sunday, October 17 will be a special Chocolate Only Chocolate Sunday featuring our fresh new order. New flavor this year: Dark Chocolate Caramel With a Hint of Sea Salt. I can't wait to try it and I hope that the three cases I ordered will be enough. November Chocolate Sunday will be November 14
—Marilyn Chilcote
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Haunted House and Pre-Halloween Family Party, October 30
Pick up, post and give to friends flyers for St. John's Haunted House and Family Pre-Halloween Party Saturday, October 30 6:30 to 8:15pm. Our youth grades 6 and up will come at 6:30pm to build and prepare to staff the Haunted House and will stay afterwards till about 9:30pm for our clean-up party. We need some adults to help with sign in and refreshments and we need all adults in the church to join us to meet, greet, and share the warmth of St. John's with the visiting families who join us.
Youth Ministry meets again October 24
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“Poetry and Spirituality,” a new program at St. John's. . .
meets the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month,10:00am in the church office. This is an opportunity to find and share the words in our lives, past and present, which stir our souls. They may be in the form of a poem found in both likely and unlikely places — from the Bible and bumper stickers(!) to traditional/contemporary poetry — which speak to our faith from many perspectives. Join us, not for teaching and preaching but for the pleasure of sharing our "finds" —and collecting our discoveries. October 22 is the next get-together. For starters, bring a “poem” you recall, or passages in the Bible/hymnal which you feel have poetic qualities.
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Flick Flak. . .
our every-popular, indestructible movie group, will meet for a potluck on Friday, October 22 at 6:30pm in the Campbell Reception Room. The films to see are "Last Train Home" still at the Shattuck, and/or "The Town" still at the California, Cerrito, or Grand Lake.
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Women at the Well. . .
which offers women of the church an opportunity to get to know, support, and enjoy each other, will meet on Saturday, October 30 at 8:30am in the church office.
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Contribute to a greater need than ever. . .
for food (nonperishable, self-opening, ready-to-eat)— and also for clothing (especially men's underwear, pants, etc.). Please bring to church on Sunday mornings — and anytime during the week during office hours. Remember, the current economy has made life worse for many people already in difficult straights. You can help.