La Tijera United Methodist Church & Center for Children Newsletter

Transcription

1 La Tijera United Methodist Church & Center for Children Newsletter V O L U M E I V, I S S U E 8 A U G U S T Messy Church is back from summer vacation! On September 11th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. it s Messy Church! If an evening once a month with kids, teenagers, adults, parents, grandparents, and everyone else, where creativity, celebration and hospitality are valued, then Messy Church just might be what you are looking for. Make some noise, have fun with art, and come as you are! Be a Rainbow in Somebody s Cloud by Ashley Boyd As Maya Angelou passed this May, many of my friends and family took to social media to honor her life. One of my favorite quotes by Dr. Angelou seemed to be a favorite amongst others: Be a rainbow in someone else s cloud. She once stated in an interview: There s an African American song that 19th s century it s so great. It says, When it look like the sun wasn t gon shine anymore. God put a rainbow in the clouds. Imagine. And I d had so many rainbows in my clouds. I ve had a lot of clouds, but I have had so many rainbows and one of the things I do when I step up on the stage I bring everyone who has ever been kind to me. I say, Come with me I m going on the stage. Come with me, I need you now. Long dead, you see. So I never feel like I ve had no help; I ve had rainbows in my clouds. 08/03 9:30 a.m. Worship Communion Sunday 08/03 6:30 p.m. The Gathering, an hour of meditation, silence and music in the style of Taize 08/04 7:00 p.m., Westchester Neighbor Association meets in the Sanctuary 08/10 9:30 am., Worship When I heard her words I started thinking of rough chapters in my life when I didn t know when the sun would shine again. At 16, I found myself there when I started questioning my sexuality. Up until that point I saw myself as a good Christian, and being a good Christian definitely didn t include being a lesbian. At least that is what I was told by my pastor and my family. Needless to say when I began to come into myself and contemplated coming out, I struggled. I struggled to find meaning in a world that now seemed incredibly frightening and confusing. I struggled with my church for turning me away when I told the leadership my truth. I also struggled with God for not freeing me from these feelings and for what I thought was abandonment. I was overcome with fear and anger, and I had no place to put it or Dates to Remember... 08/10 C4C meets at 10:40 am 08/12 First day of school for LAUSD 08/17 9:30 a.m. Worship 08/19 6:30 p.m., Ad Council meets in Chapel Lounge 08/24 9:30 a.m. Worship 08/29 5 to 7 p.m. it s the Center s Luau! 08/31-9:30 a.m. Worship the tools to work through it. One day I was mulling through articles online in search of some sort of guidance, I came across a news article about a minister named Beth Stroud from Germantown, PA who was defrocked by the UMC. Intrigued, I read her story and was inspired by her bravery. In a flurry of excitement, I pulled out my best stationary and wrote Beth Stroud a letter. In it, I told her I was a 16 year old high school student from California who knew she was a lesbian, but who was afraid that God didn t love her anymore because of it. I sent the letter not know if she would respond. Luckily for me, she did: (Continued on page 2) 09/01 Labor Day Center & Church Offices will be closed 09/07 9:30 a.m. Worship Communion Sunday 09/07 6:30 p.m. The Gathering 09/11 5 to 7:00 p.m. it s Messy Church!

2 P A G E 2 Be a Rainbow... Cont. from page 1 I wish I could say that I had overcome all self-doubt, but I haven t. I still wake up sometimes in the middle of the night and think What if I m wrong about God accepting me just the way I am? But in those times, it s the supportive community around me that gives me strength. I see all the amazing same-sex couples in my church who are raising beautiful, healthy children. I experience the unconditional love of my family, my partner, and my congregation. And all that helps to keep me feeling strong. Just keep spending time with God and seeking out communities where you experience being accepted just as you are. Those communities will be channels of God s love for you. Blessings, Beth Stroud Stroud s love was a rainbow that burst through my clouds. Her love and kindness saved me from my darkness. As I moved forward in my life, I have carried this card with me. There are times when we all experience loneliness and doubt, and we need someone to remind us that love still exists and that God is always right there with us. I use this card as a reminder of why I do this work. I note Beth s kind hand to me as the origin of my commitment. I only hope that I can be as much of a rainbow in someone s cloud as she was in mine.... Ashley Boyd is an advocate for LGBTQ rights and youth/ young adult leadership in church structures. For more about Ashley and other great articles, please visit: Ashley Boyd Come walk or run with us on September 28th We are Alive and Running! as part of the La Tijera team at Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services Alive and Running 5K Walk/Run for Suicide Prevention. You can support the La Tijera team online at didihirsch.org! Come run with us! On Sunday, September 28th, we invite you to join us at the Alive & Running 5K Walk/Run for Suicide Prevention we will not hold our worship service in the sanctuary we will be at the starting line of the 5K! We will meet at the race location the morning of the 28th, lift up a prayer together, and then walk, run, jog, stroll, laugh, and share stories as we raise awareness and money for suicide prevention. If you would like to support Team La Tijera UMC - click on and look for Alive & Running! Search for Team La Tijera UMC and help us make a difference. Pastor Lyda is the Team Captain, and team members include Maryann Reuter, John Messy Church... Sept. 11th! Reuter, Mimi Muro, Keith Dager, Kimiko Dager, Kane, Kyla and Keira Eddington, and Charlie & Kallan Eddington will be working at the 5K. If you would like to be a part of the La Tijera Team for Alive & Running, let Pastor Lyda know. Everyone is welcome! Gone are the birds that were our summer guests. - Longfellow Thursday, September 11th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. it s Messy Church! The Messy Church registration form is on our website you can download the registration form in advance and join us on the 11th of September for lots of Messy fun! We will meet in Chapel Lounge (behind the blue glass chapel) for snacks, crafts, puzzles, and games, then have a time of celebration with singing and September s story from the Bible, and then we will all share a meal together! At Messy Church, you don t sit quietly while you hear about stories from long ago you get to create, dance, pretend, make noise, and laugh! Tell a friend bring a friend! ALL are welcome here! If you would like to check out Messy Church, please go to our Facebook page Messy Church at La Tijera! L A T I J E R A U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T

3 V O L U M E I V, I S S U E 8 P A G E 3 Frank Schaffer s Book, Defrocked In July, Frank Schaefer s book Defrocked was released. Due to the continuing attention around the UMC community on this polarizing subject, the United Methodist Reporter has posted an exclusive book excerpt. This excerpt comes from Chapter 23, The Aftermath : As ministers, we hold our membership in The United Methodist Church through our membership as clergy in the conference. We don t have a membership in any local church. So when the church defrocked me, it also ended my membership in the church. I had been de facto excommunicated. I found myself without a faith community for the first time in my life. On December 22, just three days after I was defrocked, Brigitte and I joined the Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington DC, along with our sons Kevin and Pascal. On first blush, this might not seem to make sense. Why would anybody rejoin an organization that had just kicked him out? However, it was important to me to rejoin The United Methodist Church because I had made a commitment, especially to the LGBT community within the church, and I wanted them to know, I m not leaving. I will continue to speak from within the church. A day after I was defrocked, Rev. Dean Snyder, the pastor at Foundry, who was a great supporter and friend throughout my trial, contacted me and invited me to come to DC the next Sunday. He said, Why don t you plan on preaching, Frank? I think we need to hear a word from you. And I think you need to be among United Methodist friends. I was touched by his offer and accepted. Foundry United Methodist Church has been a beacon of hope in our denomination for many years, and it is well known for its LGBT advocacy. I remember thinking, I would not mind being a member of Foundry. A couple of days later I called Dean back and said, What do you think about our family joining Foundry this Sunday? He said, I love it! I m really glad we did this. Foundry actually live-streamed the entire service and it was widely covered by the United Methodist news agencies in addition to some Washington media outlets. So I had the honor of speaking that Sunday, and my message to all United Methodists was, If you re thinking about leaving the United Methodist Church, don t. Because we need you. We need you in our fight. We need you to help us change the Discipline, to get rid of the discriminatory and exclusionary laws. I continued, I sincerely believe that we as United Methodists have been taken captive. We have been living in homophobic captivity since 1972, the year homophobic language was first introduced into the Book of Discipline. This is not us. We re not homophobic people. We have always been proud of being a diverse people. We are an inclusive, not exclusive, people. I continued sharing about how the church s founder, John Wesley, had sought to include everybody in the then fledgling Methodist movement, how he went to the street corners and even into the prison system. And let s not forget Wesley s three simple rules for living: Do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God. That s who we are as United Methodists God-loving people who do good, not people who do harm. This excerpt was submitted by Chalice Press. You can read more about Frank Schaefer s book at unitedmethodistreporter.com. There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart. - Celia Thaxter Discrimination is Not a Christian Value a Pledge at Believe Out Loud As political debates over religious freedom rage, Christians are rising above the fray to make a simple proclamation: Discrimination is not a Christian Value. Unfortunately, discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people remains common, even here in the United States. In 29 states, it is legal to fire or discriminate against hardworking employees based on their sexual orientation. In 32 states, it is legal to fire or discriminate against hardworking employees based on their gender identity. In a world broken by prejudice and hatred, Christians are called to embody the unconditional love of God for all. Jesus proclaimed this message to the world in his new commandment: Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another, John 13:34-35 Pledge today to end discrimination against LGBTQ people. Join our chorus of Christians as together, we proclaim: discrimination is not a Christian value! Sign the pledge at: By Believe Out Loud

4 P A G E 4 Mayola s Corner Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability. - Sam Keen Don t forget to pack sunscreen, Welcome to La Tijera s school term. Due to LAUSD s session starting on August 12th, August is our transitional month. Children will be transitioning to their new classrooms and teachers will get acquainted with their new students as well as doing observations and making preparations for lesson plans and daily instruction effective September 1st. Re-registration is in its third week. I know you have many choices for childcare but to secure your spot, please return your paperwork as soon as possible. Childcare will be open to the public effective Monday, August 4th. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all who are continuing to let La Tijera provide your childcare needs. We are midway into our summer camp, making new friends, but missing friends who have left for various reasons. The children are enjoying going on adventurous trips, and enjoying their art classes, cooking projects, and water play. Summer, a time when many of us think about vacations and fun in the sun, we sometimes forget the effect the sun has on us and the many boo boos that occur while children are playing. Please make sure that you apply sunscreen daily to your children. Teachers will re-apply as needed before and after water play or when going outside. Please don't forget leggings under little one s outfits which may help prevent some scrapes and scratches. SAVE THE DATE! Our Annual Luau has been postponed from early August to August 29th! Since many of our children will not be returning to elementary school until mid- August, we decided to move our Luau! So mark your calendars for August 29th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.! Aloha! This year we are planning monthly activities for the entire family from parent s date nights, an exercise class, family health fair, a sweetheart dinner/dance, family game night, and a stressreducing drum circle, just to name a few of the upcoming events. Please check your mailboxes for details. If you have fun ideas, please share them with me or your child s teacher. Don t miss out on the fun! a hat, bathing suit, towel, and extra clothes (including socks and shoes) for your little ones summer is here! Don t forget to label all belongings. Thank you! Infant I Here we are, looking forward to our last month of summer with more great times and more great friendships as we welcome two newcomers, Lilah and Becker and their families to La Tijera. We re very happy to have you join our group! This month we plan to paint surfboards to add to our room fun and the sand and sea board! Please label your child s bottles and lids as our group is growing. Thank you for your cooperation. We re looking forward to seeing everyone at our end of the season Luau. It will be a party and a nice time to meet and talk to our teachers and families! Happy birthday to teacher Lynnette! L A T I J E R A U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T

5 V O L U M E I V, I S S U E 8 P A G E 5 Infant II We are having a blast these hot days with water play. Don t forget to bring hats, towels, bathing suits, and sunscreen. Our water play days are Wednesdays and Fridays when the weather permits. We also go on buggy rides and have arts & crafts. Transition I The children have been having fun being free in the mist of summer. They have been able to spend family time going on vacation and returning to the Center with their friends. Summer has been a fun time for the children as they explore and play freely. We hope to continue to have fun in the sun. We would like to congratulate the Grings family on their wedding! We would also like to wish Brad Li, Jacob Blevin and Adelynn Bolton a very happy birthday! We say goodbye to David and Samuel as they transition to Infant III. We will miss them! A big welcome to Riley, Josephine and Grayson. It s great to have new friends in class! Happy birthday to Giovanni, Tyler, Layla, Arya and Aubree! Thank you for your support and have a great rest of your summer. - Teachers Rosy, Laurel, Shay & Marisol We will be creating sea life creatures for the month of August and we will also be going on a picnic. - Teacher Chestina Camp Crossroads Summer camp has been a blast! We ve had so much fun getting know al our new friends. The Orange County Fair was wonderful and exciting with so much to see and do. - Teachers Sharon & Suzy A life without love is like a year without summer. - Swedish Proverb

6 La Tijera United Methodist Church & Center for Children Osage Avenue Los Angeles, CA Church phone: (310) Center phone: (310) Lyda Mayola We are a Reconciling Church! ALL are welcome here. Re-Think Church... Re-Think Possibilities! From Lyda... We re on the web! Latijeraumc.org In the Bible, the desert is a meeting place. A place where the unexpected happens. The devil with his captivating temptations, a burning bush, a mysterious angel who wrestles with a man named Jacob they all show up in the desert. Many of us understand the metaphor of the desert in our own lives. Many of us have desert places, and in the desert, we often encounter spiritual mystery. But in our world of iphones, ipods and Facebook, do we have enough desert enough empty space to have those desert experiences which drive us deeper into our faith? Or have we filled up our time with so much Solitaire and Google and Siri that there s never any emptiness? In her most recent book, Learning to Walk in the Dark, Barbara Brown Taylor examines darkness as a place of revelation. We take light at night for granted, and may be suffering from too much of it as it interrupts our sleep cycles and contributes to illness. When Jacob wrestled with an angel, he was in a very dark night of his life. In her book, Barbara Brown Taylor finds darkness to be an important part of spiritual life: Step 1of learning to walk in the dark is to give up running the show. Next, you sign a waiver that allows you to bump into some things that may frighten you at first. In the darkness of the desert, Jacob bumps into the God who is much bigger than all of his plans and schemes. Journeys of any kind give us a small glimpse into the world of refugees, and the profound disorientation of not knowing a culture, a language, and where to find essential items until we learn a whole new world. Every time we take a trip, we experience that disorientation in a small way. United Methodism is on a journey right now. I think we are in that middle place, where Jacob was in that desert night so very long ago, between the old and the new. We United Methodists are learning to walk in the dark, and have to learn to give up our running of the show and hand it back to God, where it belongs. We are spiritual descendants of Jacob, and we must learn from his journey in the desert, his journey in the darkness, and his journey that brought him into a wrestling match with an angel. Sleeping in the desert in that deepest dark of night, Jacob dreams of angels and knows that God is with him on his travels. Jacob learns to walk in the dark, and God assures Jacob that God will always be with him, no matter what happens next. As United Methodists, we too must learn to walk in the dark. We need to let go of our fear of bumping into things that frighten us, and remember that God is a God of inclusive love, and that being a follower of Jesus means we must invite everyone to journey with us. Because wherever any of us are, God is with us. Even in the desertfilled, dark places in our lives.