Posts from 2023

Notes on “Almost There”

Introduction Can you believe it? We’re entering the final stretch of our Advent Road Trip series. Over the past few weeks, we’ve packed our bags, asked “Are We There Yet?”, and navigated the roadblocks on our journey. We’re approaching our destination. This is about the time you keep your eyes peeled for your exit, signaling that you’ve nearly made it to the end. Those exit signs bring a sense of relief and excitement that rivals the initial excitement we feel…

Notes on “Recalculating”

Introduction Hello, travelers! Here we are at the third week of Advent, and our Road Trip series has hit a bit of a snag… but we’ll get to that in a moment. A few weeks ago we began our journey Packed and Ready to prepare for the arrival of Christ. And last week, we leaned into that all-too-familiar question, “Are We There Yet?” with John the Baptist as our guide, as he prepared the way for Christ. This week we…

Notes on “Are We There Yet?”

Introduction It’s the second week of Advent, and as you might recall, last week we kicked off our Road Trip: Journeying to Christmas series. We started by packing up, making sure we’re ready for the journey ahead, just like those anticipating the arrival of the Son of Man. This week, we’re on the road and maybe already starting to get a little antsy about the drive. Have you ever noticed that when you set out on a road trip, after…

The Colors of Christmas—A Christmas Concert

The La Jolla United Methodist Church Chancel and Dorian Bell Choirs proudlypresent their annual Christmas Concert Sunday, December 10, 2023 at 4:00 PM in the sanctuary. This year’s theme is The Colors of Christmas. The presentation of familiar carols and inspirational anthems will take you on a journey of color and sound. Composers John Rutter, Craig Courtney and Mark Hayes contribute to telling the miraculous birth of the Christ Child. Chamber orchestra and soloists will complement the performance. The concert is open…

Notes on “Packed & Ready?”

Introduction This week we begin a four-week journey of Advent called Road Trip. What is Advent? I’m glad you asked! Have you ever eagerly awaited something, counting down the days, preparing, and getting more excited as the time approaches? That’s the spirit of Advent! It’s the time leading up to Christmas where we eagerly wait and prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. It’s about anticipating the joy, hope, and love that Jesus brings into our world. During…

Notes on “After Giving Thanks”

We conclude our 3-week series on gratitude called Our Hymn of Grateful Praise exploring the essential nature of gratitude in our lives and in our faith. The text this week is familiar. The story of the feeding of the five thousand is in all four Gospels, though some of the details are different—including the number of people who share in the meal together! And in three of the Gospels, it is linked to the story of Jesus walking on water—also…

Notes on “In Everything”

We continue our 3-week series on gratitude called Our Hymn of Grateful Praise exploring the essential nature of gratitude in our lives and in our faith. The opening verse this week is, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” Consider someone in your life who acts this way. Perhaps it’s someone who is always happy or always celebrating or always filled with joy. This doesn’t mean, even as we approach Thanksgiving, that there isn’t room for grief…

Notes on “Enter the Gates”

This week we begin a new 3-week series on gratitude called Our Hymn of Grateful Praise. Through these few weeks, we will explore the essential nature of gratitude in our lives and in our faith. This first Sunday, we begin with a psalm of thanks (at least according to the heading in my Bible). I think expressing gratitude is essential for us, and sometimes I wonder if we have lost that practice. I’m sure I’ve spoken before about how terrible…

Katherine Parker Biography

Katherine ParkerUMC Global Missionary to Nepal Katherine is a missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries of TheUnited Methodist Church serving as a Health and Community TransformationAdvisor with the United Mission to Nepal (UMN). The UMN has been supportedby the Methodist Church since its founding 65 years ago. Native to California, Katherine comes from a family with deep roots in UnitedMethodism on the West Coast. Two grandfathers, a great-grandfather, an aunt,and several cousins have served as United Methodist clergy.…

Rummage Reimagined

Dear Friends, Margie and I have had a number of people ask about the status of the rummage sale. This annual event of 60+ years is indeed going to happen. However, we need your help to make it happen. The “Rummage Reimagined” Sale of 2024 will be on Saturday, March 9, 2024. This is a gigantic experiment for us. Instead of the normal, year-round preparation, we will be accepting rummage and setting up only the week before. (More details about…

“Our Money Story – Restore”

We all have a money story, whether we recognize it or not. The worship series “Our Money Story” invites us to discover and tell our money stories in light of God’s money story of liberation and justice. This series will encourage us to transform our stewardship practices into more full expressions of who we are and what we believe. Three weeks ago, we Remembered many things! We remembered the Last Supper of Jesus and his disciples on World Communion Sunday.…