Memorial Day Hike

Memorial Day hike with Kumar, Naomi (11), and Anna (8). We explored a trail new to us on San Bruno Mountain -- Summit Loop Trail. It was simply marvellous: the weather, the views over about half of the Bay Area, the abundant wild flower, and the exercise, too.

Upon return I snooped around a bit and came across this poem by Angel Sharum (2008):
Awaken the senses
Explore and learn
Treasure the seasons
Natures' beauty at every turn

Climbing rocks
Walking trails
Leaves and grasses
The surface we sail

Open yourself up
Listen with your heart
Hear the wild calling
Become a whole, not part

Enjoy the majesty
Take in the sublime
Don't rush
Take time

Feel the wonder
The breeze on the air
Feel the sunlight
And be aware
Magnificent and beautiful
All coexisting
Excellence and perfection
The power of hiking

Location:San Bruno Mountai

Field Day @ Bethel Lutheran School

Lots of creativity in concocting games
out of simple, every-day items,
energy, and fun.
Got to play tug-of-war!
So good to be around kids!

Some Thoughts re.Young People in the Church

I came across this on Facebook and really think the gal who posted it, a young Episcopal women, hit the nail on the head. This is what she had to say to her own denomination about how to get more young people into the church:

1. Be genuine. Do not under any circumstances try to be trendy or hip, if you are not already intrinsically trendy or hip. If you are a 90-year-old woman who enjoys crocheting and listens to Beethoven, by God be proud of it.


2. Stop pretending you have a rock band.


3. Stop arguing about whether gay people are okay, fully human, or whatever else. Seriously. Stop it.


4. Stop arguing about whether women are okay, fully human, or are capable of being in a position of leadership.


5. Stop looking for the "objective truth" in Scripture.


6. Start looking for the beautiful truth in Scripture.


7. Actually read the Scriptures. [If you don't already have a Bible, go buy one and read it. Start in Genesis, it's pretty cool. You can skip some of the other boring parts in the Bible. Remember though that almost every book of the Bible has some really funky stuff in it. Remember to keep #5 and #6 in mind though. If you are evangelical, you may need to stop reading the Bible for about 10 years. Don't worry: during those 10 years you can work on putting these other steps into practice.


8. Start worrying about extreme poverty, violence against women, racism, consumerism, and the rate at which children are dying worldwide of preventable, treatable diseases. Put all the energy you formerly spent worrying about the legit-ness of gay people into figuring out ways to do some good in these areas.


9. Do not shy away from lighting candles, silence, incense, laughter, really good food, and extraordinary music. By "extraordinary music" I mean genuine music. Soulful music. Well-written, well-composed music. Original music. Four-part harmony music. Funky retro organ music. Hymns. Taize chants. Bluegrass. Steel guitar. Humming. Gospel. We are the church; we have an uber-rich history of amazing music. Remember this.


10. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.


11. Learn how to sit with people who are dying.


12. Feast as much as possible. Cardboard communion wafers are a feast in symbol only. Humans can not live on symbols alone. Remember this.


13. Notice visitors, smile genuinely at them, include them in conversations, but do not overwhelm them.


14. Be vulnerable.


15. Stop worrying about getting young people into the church. Stop worrying about marketing strategies. Take a deep breath. If there is a God, that God isn't going to die even if there are no more Christians at all.


16. Figure out who is suffering in your community. Go be with them.


17. Remind yourself that you don't have to take God to anyone. God is already with everyone. So, rather than taking the approach that you need to take the truth out to people who need it, adopt the approach that you need to go find the truth that others have and you are missing. Go be evangelized.


18. Put some time and care and energy into creating a beautiful space for worship and being-together. But shy away from building campaigns, parking lot expansions, and what-have-you.


19. Make some part of the church building accessible for people to pray in 24/7. Put some blankets there too, in case someone has nowhere else to go for the night.


20. Listen to God (to Wisdom, to Love) more than you speak your opinions.
    This is a fool-proof plan. If you do it, I guarantee that you will attract young people to your church. And lots of other kinds of people too. The end.

(source: http://www.azdiocese.org/dfc/newsdetail_2/1039?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4d763bf85445744b%2C3)

An Introduction

Greetings!

Many of you may have seen my face smile down at you before worship from the two screens. Others may have heard my name mentioned here or there. ... If not, that's o.k., too.

I began serving as Bethel's new associate pastor on May 8. One of my biggest challenges, at this point, is to meet people and get to know them....learn not just your name, but find out "what makes them tick," who you are, what excites you, what concerns you, and how together we can serve as partners in God's Kingdom.

I am planning to keep adding to this blog on a regular basis. Some of the comments may have to do with faith and theology, some with spiritual practices, others with current events at Bethel and (far) beyond.

At this point, it is still very much in flux what precisely I will be doing at Bethel. Some of my areas of responsibility will include: worship (duh, of course!), outreach & mission, young adult ministry, and multi-ethnic ministry. I will cover none of these areas alone, of course, but work alongside all of you who have been here much longer and know Bethel and the area much better than I.

As time will go by, I will introduce myself and my family a bit more. For now, I just hope to share with you some ideas that I have (shamelessly) stolen from Shane Claiborne, whom I heard speak in Sacramento this Spring. In his book The Irresistable Revolution, Shane writes of of 4 R's that are important to him in his ministry and that I hope to practice, too:

• REAL. In a day when superficiality is the norm, I promise to be authentic and genuine.


• RELEVANT. I will strive to provide resources that contribute to personal and spiritual growth in everyday life.


• RELATIONAL. Through authentic love and unconditional acceptance, I will help people develop deep relationships.


• REVOLUTIONARY. I promise to do whatever it takes to reach people with the gospel, no matter how revolutionary I must be.

Please stop by after worship, in my office at Bethel, or on my FB page and introduce yourself to me. Sometime soon, I plan to have a regular "coffee hour" at a local coffee shop and'll let you know.

Peace and grace to you,

Pr. Gabi