Trusting God's Process - Even When We Don't Like It

Most of us can look back over the past year and say with certainty, “In one way or another, I have gone through the fire.” As I sat with the Lord this morning, wondering before God what the future holds, I heard these words in my spirit:

There are things each one must endure in order to become the one that I am creating. The Refiners fire is hot but it is the way to be purified. To deliver you from this fire before the work is complete would be to prevent you from your highest calling and injure your very being. But do not be afraid because my eye is continually on you and do not be overwhelmed by the time I am taking.  You must learn to trust in me, and know that you are safe in my hands. Do not be afraid of the flames; they are not meant to harm you.  You are in the hands of the Master and I am creating a Master-piece.

These words gave me comfort even though I recognize that I do not like the process of purification. The thought of being held in the fire is scary.  The question I knew I had to ask and answer is do I trust God's process even when I don't like it? To that question, through God's grace, I can still answer with a resounding "yes!"

It's hard to acknowledge that God allows difficulty in our lives, but it's important to acknowledge that whatever God allows is ultimately for our good and for our highest.  We must learn to rely on God and trust God's goodness and faithfulness in every trial, no matter how long it lasts, and even when we can't feel God's presence or understand God's purposes. In this world there will be trials, there will be trouble. When hardship and tragedy come - and they will come - we must know that God is a loving Father and in the perfect time, we will not be put to shame but we will come through shining and reflecting the Light of the Son.

So in this new year, let us pray with confidence: Loving God, I trust in the safety of your strong hands and in your faithfulness.  Your goodness never fails. You have saved me from what is utterly worthless and shaped me into unimaginable beauty.  You see my suffering and know my sorrow.  Though you know my weaknesses, you never leave me in trouble or hand me over to the enemy.  Instead, you strengthen me, honor me and from the ashes of my life, create a Masterpiece.  Thank you. Amen.

Psalm 31

Zechariah 13:9

1 Peter 1:7 

December Calendar

 

December Events

Thursday, December 4, 10:30 - 12:30
(Debra, Julie, Leiko, Nina)
Weekly Prayer, Lau Branson home

Sunday, December 7, 5-7 - ADVENT II
ALL ARE WELCOME
Sunday Worship, Williams Home

Tuesday, December 9, 1:00 - 2:00 pm
(Debra, Kelly Soifer)
Weekly Coaching - Via Skype

Thursday, December 11 10:30 - 12:30
(Debra, Julie, Leiko, Nina)
Weekly Prayer, Lau Branson home

Sunday, December 14, 5-7 - ADVENT III
ALL ARE WELCOME
Sunday Worship, Williams Home

Tuesday, December 16, 1:00 - 2:00 pm
(Debra, Kelly Soifer)
Weekly Coaching - Via Skype

Thursday, December 18, 10:30 - 12:30
(Debra, Julie, Leiko, Nina)
Weekly Prayer, Lau Branson home

Sunday, December 21, 5-7 - ADVENT IV
ALL ARE WELCOME
Sunday Worship, Williams Home

We will be welcoming the community

Caroling and serving Hot Chocolate and Hot Cider

Tuesday, December 23, 1:00 - 2:00 pm
(Debra, Kelly Soifer)
Weekly Coaching - Via Skype

Wednesday, December 24, 11:00am
(Debra, David, Nina)
Delivering Christmas Gifts - Adopt-a-Family

* * *MERRY CHRISTMAS * * *

Thursday, December 25th

Sunday, December 28, 11AM - 4th Day of Christmas
ALL ARE WELCOME
LA Community Free Methodist Church

Our community will join the celebration and

Sunday Worship at LA Community Free Methodist Church

2100 W. 54th Street

Los Angeles, California  90062

Pastor Debra is guest speaker

 Sunday, December 28th - Evening 

DISCUSSION AND PLANNING

Altadena/Pasadena Response to National Tension

 Further Instructions on Time and Place to be provided 

We're Caroling at Sunday's Service! December 21st

Hot Chocolate, Hot Cider and our joined voices singing praises to 

the King of Kings!

This Sunday's Service is same time, same station - but we'll be doing things a little different.

As the cars stream up and down the street viewing lights and the people walk up and down the block, we will be extending the love and joy of the season in song!  

The message of Christmas carols and hymns is ageless and the tradition of joining together and singing them shares the Message and even teaches the story of the birth of Jesus Christ in ways that few other things do! So come let us adore Him!

Between caroling and passing out hot drinks, we'll also be wrapping our Adopt-a-Family presents and sharing in good conversation.  And there's so much to discuss!  

So see you tomorrow, Sunday, December 21st at the Williams Home - 5pm - 7pm.  Bring, salads, drinks or desserts - and if you have friends who would love to join in the singing, bring them along!  We'll be serving toasty bread, hot soup and the warmth of this holy season!  See you tomorrow!

Pastor Debra

FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

We Share Love...Adopt-a-Family

“For from him and through him and to him are all things..."

Romans 11:36a

Part of our DNA is living generously.  We are to live generously every day but during this blessed season, we remind ourselves and the world that all we have is by God's lavish grace.  As followers of this generous and gracious God, we too are to live graciously.  Each day we are extended the invitation to be fruitful with our gifts and treasures.  This invitation extends far beyond our financial situation.  It is an invitation to open our hearts and share our very selves, our unique gifts and strengths, our creativity - and yes, even our material wealth. To. share love.  

This living generously thing matters.  It opens our hearts, it enriches our soul and empowers our spirits.  I bet you thought I was going to say something about reaching a hurting world - and yes, it does that too. Many people are hurting financially - but this living generously is not about how much we have, it's about how we use what we have. It's about surrendering whatever we have to The Giver and allowing it to be used, multiplied, freed! Whatever we have - no matter how great or seemingly small, when surrendered into the hands of our gracious God, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!  

This year our church will "adopt" a family and share the love of God this season.  The family our church is adopting has twin 3-year-old girls and a 6-year-old son. 

Appropriate gifts for the girls...

-Baby dolls. (Mom says it works best when the twins get the exact same thing (even same color)  

- Bikes

- Coats

- Clothes  (The girls are a size 3/4)

- Shoes

Appropriate gifts for the son...

- all things Teenage Mutant Nina Turtle

- Transformers

- Scooter

- Clothes (He is a size 6/7)

- Shoes

Shoe sizes can be a bit tricky so I suggest a gift card to Famous Footwear or Sears.

Groceries

It would be good to provide a Food box or grocery store gift cards and gifts for the parents.  I this to your discretion.  If you don't have time to shop, you can simply bring a donation to service and I will shop early next week.  If you would like to participate, please let me know and if you have ideas, please feel free to share. 

Participation is, of course, voluntary.

For those purchasing gifts, we will wrap gifts on Sunday evening during our Sunday worship - in between our caroling - but if you prefer to wrap at home, that's fine too!  Bring boxes, tape and gift wrap.  

May the Grace and Peace of the Christ Child fill your heart!

Pastor Debra

A Royal Priesthood

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God's own possession.  You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light.  Once you weren't a people, but now you are God's people.  Once you hadn't received mercy, but now you have received mercy." 1 Peter 2:9-10 CEB

When we heard God’s call to begin a new worshiping community, we weren't sure what it would look like but we were determined to see what God was out ahead of us doing. And we were determined to join God in whatever that was.

This word from 1 Peter gives us some good clues on why we should join God and how we should join God.   Peter is writing this letter “To those who are elect exiles in various regions of the Roman Empire. They are called “elect pilgrims.” The world “Elect” means selected or chosen and is speaking here about their position before God. They are God’s chosen people. The world “Pilgrim” often means traveler or wanderer and has to do with their position in the world;  they are strangers in this world without a real place.

As we prepare to follow God into the world and join him in the work he is doing, I want to ask you to focus on who God says we are through Jesus – and what makes us qualified to do this particular work. The Scripture says we are a royal priesthood. All of us are actually priests. It is saying ordinary you and ordinary me are priests – and what has made us priests is our faith in Jesus.  

Peter is talking to ordinary, people who don’t even quite fit in, people who were on the fringes of society – and telling them You are priest.  And not just priest but a royal priesthood!  He is revealing their value before God and making it clear that everyone has a part to play in worship & in the life of church. Each one of us has something to give, something to offer.

The Bible is full of pages on the duties of priest but for our purposes, I want to narrow it down: priest minister in a particular place. And place is important because that particular place has a particular people. Eugene Peterson says in his book, The Contemplative Pastor that we are to ask “who are these particular people and how can we be with them in a way that they can become what God is making them."  The name of our church is Altadena Free Methodist Church – and that is because we have felt called to explore what God is doing in that particular place with that particular people. This exploring assumes a couple of things: 1) God is already at work, 2)we don’t have all the answers, 3) we are responsible for paying attention to the Word of God and the Work of God as we explore, being careful to watch and listen, not striking out on our own – because if we do, we could possible get in the way of what the Spirit is doing in this place with these people. Our work is to become aware of what God is already doing out ahead of us and to  "respond to it, participate in it and delight in it."

Peter tells these exiles in Rome that though they were rejected by people, they are accepted by God. That is our same message. It is the message to us and it is the message to the people of Altadena and to the world. Peter tells them that they are a chosen people and a holy nation. That is our same message. Anyone who has ever been rejected can know the joy of being accepted just as these spiritual pilgrims were accepted by God!  

This is the message to all of you who are reading these words. You are accepted!  And this acceptance is built on one thing alone: faith in Jesus makes us acceptable to God.  We only have to accept Jesus into our hearts and lives.  This is God's message to us all:

We are accepted!

Welcome!

New beginnings can be exciting, intimidating, frightening and fun.  Usually they’re a combination of all these things and more.  And our God is a God of new beginnings. In 2014, a small group sensed God was up to something new in the Altadena/Pasadena community.  We dedicated ourselves to actively listening and courageously following the Holy Spirit. This led us to our first steps toward becoming a new worshiping community. As we follow faithfully, we hope to build meaningful relationships, share life-giving practices and join in community rhythms of life.  We are sure God is out ahead, and we are devoted to giving of ourselves in Jesus name and to “Preach the Gospel always and if necessary, use words.” (St. Francis) 

We invite you to join us and find out more about this fresh expression. 

Grace and Peace!

Pastor Debra

Advent Conspiracy

Advent 2014 begins on

Sunday, November 30

Worship Fully

It starts with Jesus. It ends with Jesus. This is the holistic approach God had in mind for Christmas. It’s a season where we are called to put down our burdens and lift a song up to our God. It’s a season where love wins, peace reigns, and a king is celebrated with each breath. It’s the party of the year. Entering the story of advent means entering this season with an overwhelming passion to worship Jesus to the fullest.

Spend Less

Quick question for you: What was the one gift you remember getting for Christmas last year? Next question: What about the fourth gift? Do you remember that one? Truth is many of us don’t because it wasn’t something we necessarily wanted or needed. Spending less isn’t a call to stop giving gifts; it’s a call to stop spending money on gifts we won’t remember in less than a year. America spends around $600 billion dollars during the Christmas season, and much of that is joyless and goes right onto a credit card. By spending wisely on gifts we free ourselves from the anxiety associated with debt so we can take in the season with a full heart.

Give More

We know what you’re thinking. “Wait, didn’t they just say I should spend less, and yet here they are telling me to give more? What gives?” The most powerful, memorable gift you can give to someone else is yourself. And nobody modeled this more than Jesus. So what does this look like for you? Tickets to a ball game or the theater? A movie night? The main point is simple: When it comes to spending time with those you love, it’s all about quality, not quantity

Love All

It all boils down to love. Love from a Savior. Love to a neighbor in need. By spending just a little less on gifts we free up our resources to love as Jesus loves by giving to those who really need help. This is the conspiracy three churches began a few years ago, and has since grown to an international movement where thousands of churches have raised millions of dollars to love others in life-changing ways. It’s not that there’s something wrong with the shopping mall—it’s that the better story is about loving all.