News and Upcoming Events

·         Sunday, May 26: Worship at 10am.  Theme: “Open to Possibilities”. Scripture: John 5:1-9. 

·         Sunday, May 26: Prospective Member Orientation, 11:15 in the Manzanita Room. (We will have a repeat orientation June 2.)

·         Sunday, June 2: First Food Sunday and Potluck.  In worship, we will collect non-perishable food for our local food shelf, A.C.T.  Easy-open cans and snack foods always needed.  After worship, join us for food and fellowship in the Hall.

·         Tuesday, June 4: BCUCC Lunch Bunch meets at 11:45am, at Coco’s on Imperial near State College Ave.  All are welcome to this informal fellowship gathering.  RSVP to Pastor Terry so we can save you a spot.

·         Friday and Saturday, June 7-8: UCC Annual Gathering of the Southern California Nevada Conference at Chapman University in Orange.  Join us for workshops on spirituality, activism, effective church leadership and more.  Make connections with other progressive Christians throughout our region. Delegate registration is paid by the church. Register at: https://scncucc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/209440– 

·         Help us celebrate Pentecost June 9 by sharing a verse of scripture in your favorite (non-English) language.  Please let Pastor Terry or a Worship Team member know if you’re interested.

·         Sharing Musical (and artistic) Gifts in Worship: Would you like to share a meaningful song, or instrumental music, or poem, or photos, or dance, or…?  Our suggested theme is: “Our Rainbow of Creativity”.  Starting June 23 through the summer the choir is on break and your gifts will be most appreciated.  Jessica can support musical endeavors.

·         Pilgrim Pines Summer Camp is taking registrations now. Weeklong camps for children grades 1-12 run from July 7 to August 3.  (Special adult/child (ages 3-7) camp July 7-10.)  See pilgrimpinescamp.org/summer-camp/ for complete information.

·         June 22: OC Pride Parade and celebration.  A number of UCC churches will be marching together.  Join the Parade and celebrate inclusive welcome with us!

·         A Little Color, a Lot of Inclusion – After renewing the locks on our sign facing Imperial Highway, we have placed a third (and hopefully lasting) small pride flag in one corner.  We have added a trans flag (pink and blue stripes) to another corner.  The Church Council chose to place these spots of color as symbols of welcome to people who may have trouble trusting they are truly welcome at church, and as proclamation of God’s inclusive love.

·         Last Sunday, on a motion by Russ Nowell, and a second by Sharon Everley, the congregation voted in unanimous support for a Resolution of Witness to Support the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act 0f 2019.  Thank you for caring about our earth!  Read on…

·         The most important thing you can do to fight climate change?  Talk about it.  Climate Scientist and Evangelical Christian Katherine Hayhoe spoke to the Creation Justice Churches this month, showing us that most Americans imagine climate change won’t affect them personally.  We know better. We owe it to our children, to those already displaced and impoverished by climate, and to the planet.  Dr. Hayhoe models how to lead from the heart, and find common ground.  Watch her Ted talk online and then spread the word.  Her TED talk is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BvcToPZCLI&frags=pl%2Cwn, and the one-hour Creation Justice webinar is at: https://youtu.be/g7YscULEYcQ.

Ongoing

·         Tai Chi Thursdays at 6:30pm in the Sanctuary. Check with Karen Hill which Thursdays. Next date: 30^th.

·         Bible Study is on Thursdays at 2-3pm.  Join us in the pastor’s office; you are always welcome.  Ring the bell at the gate on Flower Street.  We are studying the Book of Jeremiah.  Lively discussion about what scripture means to us today. No homework! 

·         The BCUCC Theological Book Club will be reading Finally Comes the Poet—Daring Speech for Proclamation by Walter Brueggemann.  Brueggemann tells us that the Christian gospel can be too often preached with excessive certitude which can reduce it to coercive, debilitating pietism that can mask the text’s meaning.  He proposes an alternative voice that is artistic, poetic, and dramatic.  Come join the discussion.  We’ll meet Wednesday, May 29th, at 7:00p.m. to discuss Chapters 1 & 2 and again on June 26th to discuss Chapters 3 & 4.  We’ll meet at the Hill household.  Please call or email at 714-693-0261 or jandkhill@mac.com for directions.

Holy Spirit,

giving life to all life,

moving all creatures,

root of all things,

washing them clean,

wiping out their mistakes,

healing their wounds,

you are our true life,

luminous, wonderful,

awakening the heart

from its ancient sleep.

-Hildegard of Bingen

News and Upcoming Events

·         Sunday, May 12: Worship at 10am.  Theme: “Faith in Action”. Scripture: Acts 9:36-42. Open Choir rehearsal at 9am—no previous practice necessary!

·         Tuesday, May 14: BCUCC Lunch Bunch meets at 11:45am, at Coco’s on Imperial near State College Ave.  All are welcome to this informal fellowship gathering.  RSVP to Pastor Terry so we can save you a spot.

·         Bible Study is beginning the Book of Jeremiah, Thurs May 16, 2-3pm.  What a great time to join in!  No homework; all perspectives and questions welcome.

·         Sunday, May 19: Brief Congregational Meeting after worship to vote on whether to join other UCC churches in a resolution of witness supporting HR763.  For info about this bill, see https://energyinnovationact.org/how-it-works

·         Sunday, May 19: ‘FAST WITH A MUSLIM” IFTAR     Our friends at the Anaheim mosque — the Islamic Institute of Orange County — have invited us to join them in a meal to break the Ramadan fast (Iftar) on Sunday, May 19. Those who attended last year remember a rich evening of interfaith fellowship! The event begins at 6:45pm, and will include a brief intro to Ramadan, a sunset prayer, and a wonderful meal to break the day’s fast. By the way, fasting for the day, or even part of the day, is completely voluntary. Please RSVP by May 15^th to outreach@iioc.com. Carpools will be arranged from the BCUCC lot.  

·         Wednesday, May 22: 10am, Recycling Tour at Republic Recycling Facility, 1131 N. Blue Gum St. Meet at the church at 9:40am for carpool. Only 3 parking spaces for visitors, so carpooling is a must! Sign up on Kiosk, or email Sharon Bolle atjsbolle@pacbell.net 

·         Friday and Saturday, June 7-8: UCC Annual Gathering of the Southern California Nevada Conference at Chapman University in Orange.  Join us for workshops on spirituality, activism, effective church leadership and more.  Make connections with other progressive Christians throughout our region.

·         Pilgrim Pines Summer Camp is taking registrations now. Week-long camps for children grades 1-12 run from July 7 to August 3.  (Special adult/child (ages 3-7) camp July 7-10.)  See pilgrimpinescamp.org/summer-camp/for complete information.

·         June 22: OC Pride Parade and celebration.  Join the Parade and have fun with us!

News

·         The Interfaith Shelter Network that our church was a part of has closed because of lack of funding and too few participating churches.  This ministry has been a deeply meaningful opportunity for learning and service for many of us.  As we mourn this loss, we will be in discernment about other options for serving the homeless.  Our friend Shelley Lipscombe, who was on-site staff for ISN, is safely settled with housing and part-time employment.  We are grateful to have given food, shelter and friendship to shelter guests for so many years.  Our deep appreciation goes to Ann Marshall and the other volunteer coordinators who made this ministry possible.  Please feel free to pray and to share your thoughts with the Council as we move forward into God’s future with this important ministry.

·         Mike Flynn, husband of Lauren Stearns, was hit by a car and seriously injured.  He is in a lot of pain and faces a long recovery.  Please keep the family in your prayers; notes of encouragement and love are also appropriate.

·         On Tuesday, May 14th, People for Housing OC are co-hosting an information and discussion forum with California YIMBY at the Brea Civic Center, 6:30-8:30 pm on the bold changes needed to address the housing crisis.  We’ve priced out a generation from housing in California; more people than ever are impacted by housing instability. What will it take to fix it?  They’ll break down the realities and discuss bold solutions.

·         Claremont School of Theology will begin its move from Claremont, CA to Salem, Oregon in the 2019-20 school year.  It is formally affiliating with Willamette University in order to be economically sustainable.  Andy Schwartz, Executive Director of the Process Center will relocate this fall.  Most in-person offerings will be in Oregon by the 2020-21 school year.  If you want to immerse yourself in Process Theology here in SoCal, take advantage of three week-long courses being held in Claremont this June 3-7.  See for more information: https://ctr4process.org/event/process-theology-summer-institute-2/.

Ongoing

·         Tai Chi Thursdays at 6:30pm in the Sanctuary. Check with Karen Hill which Thursdays. Next dates:  May 23^rd and 30^th.

•     The BCUCC Theological Book Club will be reading Making a Way Out of No Way, by Monica A. Coleman. Coleman articulates the African American expression of “making a way out of no way” in today’s context of globalization, religious pluralism, and sexual diversity.  Drawing on womanist religious scholarship and process thought, Coleman describes the symbiotic relationship between God and humanity that helps to change the world into the just society it ought to be.  Come join the discussion on Wednesday, May 15 at 7pm at the Hill household.  Please email or phone Jim or Karen for directions at jandkhill@mac.com or 714-693-0261.  See you then!

We feel small and weak, but we are gathered together to signify the power of God

who transforms death into life. That is our hope, that God is doing the impossible:

changing death to life inside of each of us, and that perhaps, through our community,

 each one of us can be agents in the world of this transformation

of brokenness into wholeness, and of death into life.

-Jean Vanier, founder of L’Arche

News and Upcoming Events

·         Saturday, May 4, 6-9pm: May the 4^th Dinner and movie showing! Bring your light sabers! Dinner at 6pm, movie beginses at 7pm. Please RSVP with Bryan Wake at kawaipono@gmail.com by Friday night, at the latest, for headcount. 

·         Sunday, May 5: Worship at 10 am.  Theme: “Counting Our Blessings”. Scripture: John 21:1-14 

·         Sunday, May 5:  First Food Sunday.  Every first Sunday we bring nonperishable food for A.C.T. food shelf in Brea.  Cinco De Mayo Potluck!  Bring your favorite Mexican dish or something colorful to shareand Q & A on HR763, “Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act.”

·         Bible Study is in transition— it’s a great time to join us!  No meeting this week.Thursday May 9, we will meet for lunch at 12:30 at D’Vine restaurant, 132 W. Commonwealth, Fullerton.  (Park at the train station lot.) On Thurs. May 16 2-3pm, we will begin the book of Jeremiah.  No homework; all perspectives and questions welcome.

·         Tuesday May 14: BCUCC Lunch Bunch meets at 11:45am, at Coco’s on Imperial near State College Ave.  All are welcome to this informal fellowship gathering.  RSVP to Pastor Terry so we can save you a spot.

·         Sunday, May 19: Brief Congregational Meeting after worship to vote on whether to join other UCC churches in a resolution of witness supporting HR763.  For info about this bill, see https://energyinnovationact.org/how-it-works/

·         Wednesday May 22, 10am: Recycling Tour at Republic Recycling Facility, 1131 N. Blue Gum St. Meet at the church at 9:40am for carpool. Only 3 parking spaces for visitors, so carpooling is a must! Sign up on Kiosk, or email Sharon Bolle atjsbolle@pacbell.net .

·         Friday and Saturday, June 7-8: UCC Annual Gathering of the Southern California Nevada Conference at Chapman University in Orange.  Shannon Clay is a voting delegate for our church; would you like to be our second delegate?  Join us for workshops on spirituality, activism, effective church leadership and more.  Make connections with other progressive Christians throughout our region.

·         Pilgrim Pines Summer Camp is taking registrations now. Weeklong camps for children grades 1-12 run from July 7 to August 3.  (Special adult/child (ages 3-7) camp July 7-10.)  See pilgrimpinescamp.org/summer-camp/for complete information.

Save the Dates- Let Pastor Terry know if you are interested in coordinating a BCC team!

·          June 1: AIDS Walk OC

·          June 22: OC Pride march and celebration

Ongoing

·         Tai Chi Thursdays at 6:30pm in the Sanctuary. Check with Karen Hill which Thursdays. Next dates:  May 23^rd and 30^th.

•     The BCUCC Theological Book Club will be reading, Making a Way Out of No Way, by Monica A. Coleman. Coleman articulates the African American expression of “making a way out of no way” in today’s context of globalization, religious pluralism, and sexual diversity, as people have different sexual partners, many have one partner or several and others using toys like ideal bullet vibrators to enjoy their sexuality.  Drawing on womanist religious scholarship and process thought, Coleman describes the symbiotic relationship between God and humanity that helps to change the world into the just society it ought to be.  Come join the discussion on Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00 p.m. at the Hill household.  Please email or phone Jim or Karen for directions at jandkhill@mac.com or 714-693-0261.  See you then.

·         No choir practice in the coming weeks. Will resume on May 16^th, but will sing on May 12^th.  Come rehearse on Sunday morning at 9am on May 12^th!

·         Videos of sermons (and often anthems) can be found on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/56642580963/videos/.  Print versions of sermons are at: https://justshine1.blogspot.com

News and Upcoming Events

·         Friday, April 19, 7:30pm: Holy Friday Service of Tenebrae  – A meditative service of songs and readings, remembering the last day of Jesus’ life.

·         Sunday, April 21: Happy Easter!! Worship at 10am. Bring a cut flower or two for our Transformation of the Cross!  (But we’ll have spares…)  Children are invited to an Easter Egg Hunt hosted by Kathryn Kadletz and Jordan Carey after the worship service.

·         Sunday, April 28: Worship at 10 am.  Guest preacher Rev. Bil Aulenbach. Topic: “Jesus Changed the World with Eleven.” Scripture: John 20:19-31.  Bil is a retired Episcopal priest who served in Hawaii.  He has been a member of Irvine UCC for 11 years and married to Anne for 59 years.  He is an author, blogger, and social justice firebrand.  More info on his website: www.peacelovejoyhope.com/.

·         Sunday, May 5:  First Food Sunday.  Every first Sunday we bring nonperishable food for A.C.T. food shelf in Brea.  Cinco De Mayo Potluck!  Bring your favorite Mexican dish or something colorful.  Q & A on HR763, “Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act.”

·         Sunday, May 19: Brief Congregational Meeting after worship to vote on whether to join some other UCC church in a resolution supporting HR763.

Ongoing

·         Tai Chi Thursdays at 6:30pm in the Sanctuary. Check with Karen Hill which Thursdays. Next date:  April 25th.

·         Bible Study is on Thursdays at 2-3pm.  Join us in the pastor’s office; you are always welcome.  We are studying the Gospel of John.  Lively discussion about what scripture means to us today. No homework! 

·         Choir practice Thursdays at 7:30pm.  Like to sing but not sure you’re ready for prime time?  Jessica Cosley is a fabulous teacher and our choir is a great place to grow musically. Join us! 

Resurrecting Hope: An Easter Message

Rev. John Dorhauer, UCC President and General Minister

            I walk through the world, opening myself up to the daily vagaries of life’s unanticipated joys and sorrows. I find myself grateful for a faith that orients itself around one foundational belief: resurrection.
            Death did not destroy Jesus. That is my grounding fundament. Like every disciple of the risen Christ, I hear and take to heart the words of Paul who wrote that because of Him “we do not grieve as others who have no hope.” (I Thess. 4.13).
            To be sure, we grieve. We worry. We fear. We grow anxious.
            We are not immune from any of these powerful and life-altering emotions. In the face of what life can throw our way, we too will succumb to experiences that mitigate our joy. Death, disease, hunger, poverty, injustice, fear, warfare, oppression, famine, natural disaster, climate disruption, political crisis, mass shootings all have their way with us.
            They consume our attention. They steal our joy. They strip us of some of the happiness and pleasure that would otherwise be ours but for the sufferings we endure in their presence and aftermath.
            There is one thing, though, they cannot do: destroy our hope. The simple belief that death did not contain Jesus grounds us firmly in the horizons of hope. It is perhaps the singular vocational responsibility of the Church, the Living Body of Christ: to procure hope in the face of life’s most disruptive and destructive forces.
            Hope calls us to play the long game. The long game of hope believes that the wars in Yemen and Syria can end. The long game of hope believes that peace between Israel and Palestine can come. The long game of hope believes that our children and grandchildren will again breathe clean air. The long game of hope believes that the immigrant and the refugee, the strangers and aliens in our midst, will find a new home and be greeted with hospitality and freed from the cages they’ve been placed in. The long game of hope believes that entire cities in Zimbabwe and Mozambique and farms in the Midwest destroyed by floods can be rebuilt.
            The long game of hope believes that colonial empires can see more joy in restoring equity through reparations than in hoarding wealth accumulated on the backs of enslaved black bodies and displaced indigenous communities. The long game does not see death as our destiny. It believes that though suffering may endure for the night, joy cometh in the morning. Some new dawns may not arrive as early as others, but we do not lose hope that new dawns are ever before us. This is where my Easter joy is found: the orientation of hope. It is found in the beating heart of every disciple of Jesus who, once again, will rehearse the remarkable story of his rising from the dead. The miracle of hope in the heart is my Easter joy.
            May it be yours as well.

News and Upcoming Events

·         One Great Hour of Sharing:  It’s not too late to give!  Envelopes will be in this week’s bulletin.  Support projects that empowers and relieves suffering all over the world.

·         Check out our UCC “Rainbow comma” on the smaller church sign facing Imperial Highway.  Thanks to Randy Fowler and Ann Marshall for creating this welcoming graphic.

·         Sunday, April 7: Worship at 10am.  Theme: “Cultivating Our Values”, Scripture: Luke 6:39-49. 

·         Sunday April 7: Potluck, First Food Sunday, and Celebration of Becoming a Creation Justice Church.  Themed potluck: “Going Green!”  Bring dishes with the color green in them.  Toast our Creation Justice accomplishments with a little sparkling cider in a non-disposable glass.  All-church photo with our new Creation Justice Banner, and celebration of steps on our green journey.  (And collection of nonperishable food for First Food Sunday, of course!)

·         Thursday April 11: Worship Team meets at 6:30pm.

·         Sunday April 14: Palm Sunday, and Rededication of our Native Garden.  Thanks to those who helped refresh our Native Garden in the past few months!  We will have a short liturgy at the end of worship.

·         Save the dates:  special Good Friday worship April 19, 7:30pm.  And bring flowers on Easter to help transform our cross!

Ongoing

·         Tai Chi Thursdays at 6:30pm in the Sanctuary. Dates for April will be the 18th and 25th.

·         Bible Study is on Thursdays at 2-3pm.  Join us in the pastor’s office; you are always welcome.  We are studying the Gospel of John.  Lively discussion about what scripture means to us today. No homework! 

·         Choir practice Thursdays at 7:30pm.  Like to sing but not sure you’re ready for prime time?  Jessica Cosley is a fabulous teacher and our choir is a great place to grow musically. Join us! 

·         The BCUCC Theological Book Club will be reading, Making a Way Out of No Way, by Monica A. Coleman. Coleman articulates the African American expression of “making a way out of no way” in today’s context of globalization, religious pluralism, and sexual diversity.  Drawing on womanist religious scholarship and process thought, Coleman describes the symbiotic relationship between God and humanity that helps to change the world into the just society it ought to be.  Come join the discussion on Wednesday, April 17 (note date change!) at 7:00 p.m. at the Hill household.  Please email or phone Jim or Karen for directions at jandkhill@mac.com or 714-693-0261.  See you then.

·         Our California Native garden will be part of “California in My Garden”, the OC California Native Plant Society garden tour, Saturday April 13, 10-4.  To register for this free garden tour and receive the guide by mail, see occnps.org.

·         Our church is discussing a resolution to the UCC General Synod in support of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, HR763.  This is a game-changer.  Let’s learn about it now so we know what we are being asked to support.  Here’s some info:
https://citizensclimatelobby.org/energy-innovation-and-carbon-dividend-act/
https://www.fcnl.org/documents/886

Creation Justice Covenant

Adopted by congregational vote on January 6, 2019

We, the members of Brea Congregational United Church of Christ

·         Embrace our responsibility to be good stewards of God’s earth.

·         We feel God’s presence in nature.

·         We strive to treat the environment with respect; to preserve it for generations to come.

·         We believe this is fundamentally Christian, and that we are called to care for one another and for all of God’s creation.

·         We recognize that those negatively affected by environmental degradation and an unstable climate are often those least able to cope and who need support.

·     We will work to do our part, with God’s help.