FCCF COVID-19 Policies

Updated June 21, 2022

  The Health and Safety Committee reported that COVID numbers were decreasing in the community. Based on that information and the recommendation of the committee Council has adopted a policy that indoor masking is optional, but strongly encouraged.  Further Council suspended the vaccine policy, meaning that church events will not require vaccine card checks or testing.  We encourage everyone to remain vigilant and respectful of others’ decisions as we continue to navigate these times.

FCCF Mask Policy

Purpose

In accordance with Fresno Congregational Church, Fresno (FCCF) of the United Church of Christ’s duty to provide and maintain safe spaces for its employees and members, free of known hazards, we are adopting this policy to safeguard the health of our employees and their families, our volunteers and their families, our members and visitors to gatherings and events; and the community at large from infectious diseases that may be reduced by vaccinations.  This policy will comply with all applicable laws and is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health authorities as applicable.

Scope

Participants present at in-person FCCF events to include but not limited to:

  • Worship Services
  • Concerts
  • Meetings
  • Fundraising events
  • Meals
  • Adult, Youth, and Children events and educational settings

All participants 2 years of age and up must wear masks during the entire session of the event.  If food is served masks may be removed long enough to eat and then immediately re-mask.  The recommended mask is N95 or KN95.  FCCF will provide KN95 masks for adults and children that do not have one. 

Review

The Health and Safety Committee will monitor masking recommendations from the CDC and local health authorities and advise FCCF Council on a monthly basis.

Weekly Bible Verses 8/9-8/15

1 Kings 2: 11-12, 3: 3-14

11 The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.

Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David; only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places. The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?”

10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. 14 If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.”

Matthew 6: 25-34

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,[a] or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?[b] 28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But strive first for the kingdom of God[c] and his[d] righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34 “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Orders of Worship

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Sunday, August 28, 2022

Sunday, August 14, 2022

Sunday, July 24, 2022

Sunday, July 17, 2022

Sunday, July 10, 2022

Sunday, July 3, 2022

Sunday, June 26, 2022

Sunday, June 19, 2022

Sunday, June 12, 2022

Sunday, June 5, 2022

Sunday, May 29, 2022

Sunday, May 22, 2022

Sunday, May 15, 2022

Sunday, May 8, 2022

Sunday, May 1, 2022

Sunday, April 24, 2022

Easter Sunday, April 17, 2022

Maundy Thursday, April 14, 2022

April 10, 2022

April 3, 2022

April 3, 2022 – Pastor Raygan’s Installation Service

March 27, 2022

March 20, 2022

March 13, 2022

March 6, 2022

Ash Wednesday, March 2, 2022

February 27, 2022

February 20, 2022

February 13, 2022

February 6, 2022

January 30, 2022

January 23, 2022

January 16, 2022

January 9, 2022

January 2, 2022

December 26, 2021

December 24, 2021

December 19, 2021

December 5, 2021

November 28, 2021

November 14, 2021

November 7, 2021

October 31, 2021

October 24, 2021

October 17, 2021

October 10, 2021

October 3, 2021

September 19, 2021

September 5, 2021

August 29, 2021

August 22, 2021

August 1, 2021

August 8, 2021

Weekly Bible Verses (7/19-7/24)

2 Samuel 11: 1-15

David Commits Adultery with Bathsheba

11 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported, “This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” So David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.) Then she returned to her house. The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”

So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people fared, and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and wash your feet.” Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a present from the king. But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 10 When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “You have just come from a journey. Why did you not go down to your house?” 11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths;[a] and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing.” 12 Then David said to Uriah, “Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day. On the next day, 13 David invited him to eat and drink in his presence and made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.

David Has Uriah Killed

14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, so that he may be struck down and die.”

Mark 5: 1-20

Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.[a] And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” Then Jesus[b] asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; 12 and the unclean spirits[c] begged him, “Send us into the swine; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.

14 The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. 17 Then they began to beg Jesus[d] to leave their neighborhood. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 But Jesus[e] refused, and said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

Weekly Bible Verses 3/29 – 4/4

Mark 14:1 – 15:47

The Plot to Kill Jesus

14 It was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus[a] by stealth and kill him; for they said, “Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany

While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,[b] as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. But some were there who said to one another in anger, “Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii,[c] and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news[d] is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11 When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

The Passover with the Disciples

12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 13 So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” 16 So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

17 When it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be distressed and to say to him one after another, “Surely, not I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread[e] into the bowl[f] with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.”

The Institution of the Lord’s Supper

22 While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood of the[g] covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Peter’s Denial Foretold

26 When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all become deserters; for it is written,

‘I will strike the shepherd,
    and the sheep will be scattered.’

28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even though all become deserters, I will not.” 30 Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31 But he said vehemently, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And all of them said the same.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

32 They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. 34 And he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.” 35 And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 He said, “Abba,[h] Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.” 37 He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? 38 Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial;[i] the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. 41 He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.”

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

43 Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. 44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” 45 So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 Then they laid hands on him and arrested him. 47 But one of those who stood near drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 48 Then Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? 49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled.” 50 All of them deserted him and fled.

51 A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, 52 but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked.

Jesus before the Council

53 They took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled. 54 Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards, warming himself at the fire. 55 Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none. 56 For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree. 57 Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” 59 But even on this point their testimony did not agree. 60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” 61 But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah,[j] the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 Jesus said, “I am; and

‘you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power,’
and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven.’”

63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? 64 You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?” All of them condemned him as deserving death. 65 Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him over and beat him.

Peter Denies Jesus

66 While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came by. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, “You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I do not know or understand what you are talking about.” And he went out into the forecourt.[k] Then the cock crowed.[l] 69 And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know this man you are talking about.” 72 At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

Jesus before Pilate

15 As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” Then the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again, “Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

Pilate Hands Jesus over to Be Crucified

Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. Then he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. 12 Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do[m] with the man you call[n] the King of the Jews?” 13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!” 14 Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

16 Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters[o]); and they called together the whole cohort. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. 18 And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. 20 After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

21 They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. 22 Then they brought Jesus[p] to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.

25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left.[q] 29 Those who passed by derided[r] him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Messiah,[s] the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.

The Death of Jesus

33 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land[t] until three in the afternoon. 34 At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”[u] 35 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” 36 And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he[v] breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”[w]

40 There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

The Burial of Jesus

42 When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. 45 When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Then Joseph[x] bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body,[y] wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body[z] was laid.

Acts 10: 34-43

Gentiles Hear the Good News

34 Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

John 20: 1-18

The Resurrection of Jesus

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look[a] into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew,[b] “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Lenten Devotional


Dearest friends,
This book has been lovingly written by many among us, members, clergy, church leadership, and seekers.
As I put the finishing touches on this Lenten devotional, I was moved to tears by the touching, beautiful,
vulnerable work that so many people put into their written contributions. I don’t know everyone who has
sent in words to guide our daily meditations, but I really want to sit down with every one of them at some
point with a cup of tea and talk.
The devotional is divided into thematic sections that take us from twilight to dawn in this span of forty
days. Read the scripture and then see what our writers have written in response to the text of the day.
I know that this Lent comes to us after a year of feeling like we’ve already given something up—a lot of
somethings. I invite you to instead take on a Lenten discipline, to take on the daily practice of spending
time with this devotional. I hope it challenges you and offers you a deeper connection to God, and I
especially hope that it becomes a meaningful part of your practice during this holy season of reflection.
Blessings,
Kim Williams—Editor
Authorized Lay Minister, Grace Community Church
Member in Discernment, Big Red Church of Fresno, NCNC-UCC

Many Thanks


Thank you Peter Wall for theme and scriptural inspiration.
Thank you to our writers:
Raygan Baker
Norman Broadbent
Ellie Dote
Ara Guekguezian
Mary Beth Harrison
Rene Horton
Kymberly Lindsey
Akiko Miyake-Stoner
Mary Jo Renner
Chris Takeda
Norma Uragami
Mary Wall
Peter Wall
Diane Weible
Chris Williams
Kim Williams
Carol Yamashita
Jean Yang

From Pastor Raygan

I had a friend in college who wasn’t from the United States, so as a part of new student orientation, the school held an information session on basic American norms and etiquette for him and all of the international students. They covered the basics about American culture like how it may be more individualistic, private, and informal than their home countries, but what I found interesting and funny was that the staff felt the need to interpret a few common American sayings and formalities for the international students. They said things like, when an American says, “Make yourself at home,” it is just an invitation to sit down and relax, and not an invitation to look through personal things or help yourself to anything in the refrigerator. Or how “Let’s do lunch sometime” is someone just being nice and polite, and the person may not actually ever make plans to go eat with you. Or, my favorite, that when an American asks “How are you doing?” you are only supposed to answer by saying “good,” regardless of how you are actually doing. This is a greeting, not an actual question. On one hand, it was funny to imagine the  miscommunications that taking these conventions literally could lead to, but what really stuck with me was how often we might say things that we don’t really mean, and without even realizing it. 

I think about this whenever I encourage people to “please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.” I’ve tried many different ways to reword it, but it always feels like another convention, just another nice thing you’re supposed to say, whether or not you even mean it. 

When we face uncertainty, a lot of us (including myself) feel better if there’s something we can “do” about it. I think this is why toilet paper and other household essentials flew off grocery store shelves at the beginning of this pandemic. It wasn’t reasonable, but it gave people something to do to prepare for the unknown. Or, for others of us, we want to jump in and help someone, somewhere, with anything, so that we might be useful and helpful. Of course it’s good to do what we can and help where we can, but there’s a part of hospitality that too easily gets overlooked; receiving it. Our distance and isolation have helped us to see even more deeply than usual how we are not and cannot be completely self-sufficient, regardless of how ideal we are told it would be. 

As this pandemic and our safety precautions stretch on, so will the challenges we face and the areas of help that each of us need. We each need to “do our part,” but we owe each other (and ourselves) the gift of asking for what we need. If we are only willing to give, to help, to do, it doesn’t help create community and relationship— we just maintain the status of the “giver” over the “receiver,” the one who is able enough to give over the one who “needs,” the have over the have-not. When we keep those distinctions between ourselves, we not only make ourselves look like the “saviors” of those who “need us,” but we undercut the truth that we all need each other; that we are all interconnected. 

It is hard to ask for help, it is hard to accept help in a culture that makes it look like weakness, but in reality it takes a lot of strength and the courage to acknowledge our vulnerability. In this time when we feel each other’s distance more profoundly, don’t let the fear and stigma of asking for what you need drive us even further apart. Let’s take care of each other, and graciously let ourselves be taken care of. 

Pastor Raygan

From the Pews: Derrol Keith

By Dale Buchanan

“I think I always hated rules. They seem to be for people who had no place to go, who worried a lot. For me, I just followed my feet. That was my rule. All the rest took care of itself.”

“I just followed my feet” is a quote from Darrol’s novel, Aero. I confess that I have not read the book in its entirety, but I am convinced that this paragraph is biographical in nature.

Darrol is seventy-one years old, and it is this scribe’s conviction that he always “just follows his feet” and never allows conventional mores to dictate his direction or behavior. A poet and a composer, this unique “From the Pews” gentleman is in the midst of composing his fifth opera. From his prolific pen flow in operatic form:  Saint Francis, The Trial of Socrates, The Death of Socrates, Jesus King of the Jews, and now Ghandi. In this work about Ghandi, Derrol hopes with the score to capture the energy of this remarkable man and with the lyrics portray his heart and soul, describing Ghandi as a person of God and the people. 

Born in Fresno living near the Manchester Center, Derrol attended Winchell Elementary School for six years of almost constant fights and schoolyard scraps. Junior high found him at Fort Miller and a turnaround in behavior with only two or three school fights. He graduated from Fresno High with a clean slate of no fighting.

While picking cantaloupes one summer near Huron all the guys were playing guitar. Then in high school, he was befriended by a football type guy named Roger who played the guitar and wrote songs. At age fifeteen, Derrol was sure he could write better lyrics, but he could not play the guitar. His mother had sent him for guitar lessons at a Christian music store when he was eight years old. He hated the school, his teacher, the music, and the guitar. These lessons continued for a year and after being hit in the hand with a baseball bat he was forced to give up the guitar. That hated instrument was set down behind the sofa where it remained for nine years. 

At a young age he decided that there were two kinds of people—those with short hair and those with long hair. This long-haired young man was awakened when at age eighteen he heard the Beatles for the first time. He bought a Bob Dylan song and chord book and discovered the wonderful world of lyrics and music. 

The night the Beatles made their first national television appearance, his mom had to go out. She warned him not to blow out the neighborhood. But, of course, he did!  In Derrol’s words, “That concert opened up a river in me.” That very night he wrote his very first song—the music and the lyrics—in one sitting. Before that week was over, he had written four more songs and the river of creativity continued to flow. He had found something he could do. He recognized the dominate characteristics of lyrics and music flowing unceasingly through his soul.

At this juncture “just follow my feet” became that sure mantra that would serve as a never-failing rule or guide. With lyrics and music ever crying out to be expressed, Derrol followed his feet into a pilgrimage of self-education and creative narrative. He took inspiration from the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Donovan, Paul Simon, and Don McLean. His feet led him to the Junk Yard and that gave birth to the Medicine Show and a time in San Francisco. 

As Gayle and I listened to Derrol’s narratives extolling the power of just following one’s feet, we became aware of a parallel theme, something he calls “God inspired.”  His stories are often challenging, but with careful attention they all show God’s hand in his life, and of course, by metaphor all our lives.

The following stories are not meant to be in chronological order, but examples of his not only following his own feet but his conviction that there is a God who inspires and leads him on unexpected paths. 

I gleaned these stories from Gayle’s notes of our interview:

“In the late sixties Christians were always asking me if I had accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior. The desire to find an answer to that question remained hidden in me for ten years before it came out like an egg or a birth. I wrote in poetic form ‘The Testaments of Jesus.’ That was my calling to Jesus.”

“Riding my motorcycle on a dark and deserted street, I had slowed to navigate a hairpin turn when a man stepped out of the darkness, hit me on the head with a pipe, stole my bike, and left me for dead. In the hospital after I was rescued, I vividly remember negotiating with God concerning composing an opera Jesus, King of the Jews in return for restoring my health and eyesight. I recovered and my eye sight was restored except for ten per cent in one eye. And I wrote the opera.”

“God spoke through a friend who way back suggested that if I could write all those lyrics and compose music on my own just think what I could accomplish with an education. Those God inspired words set me on the road to an A.A. degree, a B.A. degree, a M.A. degree, and the tools to successfully follow my feet while all the other stuff took care of itself.”

 

May is Mental Health Month

By Kim Williams, Member in Discernment

May is Mental Health Month. It’s the month when stigma is erased, people stop using “crazy” as an adjective to describe the long line at Save Mart, and people with mental health concerns are
appreciated for the unique perspective they bring to the world.

Well, a girl can dream anyway. In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need a designated month to talk about mental health. It would be as commonly accepted to say “I am wading through the murky waters of depression” as “My blood sugar is low, I need to grab a snack” or “My allergies are soooooo bad today.” Alas, as a society we’re not quite there yet. Here’s the good news: as a church we can be!

Eliminating language like “crazy” from our vocabulary is one way to make an impact. It takes practice, and while you start combing the thesaurus for a better word, you’ll stumble on all the other words like “psycho” or “insane” that might be used in conversation. We say these things all the time without connecting them back to harmful stigma attached to mental health. We’ll say how, “insanely good that dinner was” or “my 4-year-old went psycho after she ate all the chocolate in her Easter basket” without even working through the weight of those words. I still struggle with finding better words that harm no one, but every time I catch myself I know I’m another step closer to finding better words and creating a safer, more inclusive space.

Watching our words is just one way we can work on erasing stigma in our community of faith. If you’d like to join me in a conversation about ways we can “Widen the Welcome” at the Big Red Church, I’ll be hosting a learning circle on Mental Health Sunday—May 19th—in the Heritage Room at 11:30. I’ll have a stack of resources from the UCC Mental Health Network and we can talk about what it would take to make our beloved church home even more inclusive and welcoming.