Author Archive for pastorwfumc
EYE FOR EYE, TOOTH FOR TOOTH
It’s said that Mark Twain once said this about the Bible:[i] “I have no problem with those parts of the Bible I don’t understand. It’s those parts of the Bible I do understand that give me fits.” This passage certainly belongs to this category:
Here’s another old saying that deserves a second look: ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ Is that going to get us anywhere?
Here’s what I propose: ‘Don’t hit back at all.’ If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it.
And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. Matthew 5:38-42, The Message
Do you believe in an eye for eye, tooth for tooth? Jesus said to love your enemies, turn the other cheek, to throw out retribution and punishment, and take up a servant life in everything we do. But I’m not sure if it’s doable! Jesus, are you sure you meant what you said? How can we turn our other cheek?
Sadly, even we Christians seem to mess this one up.
One day a truck driver stopped at a restaurant for dinner and ordered a steak.[iii] Before he could eat it, in walked a motorcycle gang, with dirty leather jackets and long, unkempt hair. They took the man’s steak, cut it into six pieces, and ate it. The driver said nothing. He simply paid the bill and walked out.
One of the gang members said, “That man couldn’t talk. He didn’t say a word.” Another one said, “He couldn’t fight, either; he didn’t lift a hand.” A waiter added, “I would say that he couldn’t drive either. On his way out of the parking lot, he ran over six motorcycles.”
Something in us loves that story, because we like retaliation.[iv] But that’s not the only thing. The flip side of the coin has to do with forgiveness. Can God, will God, really forgive murderers?
I’ll be honest. I don’t know a lot of folks currently in prison, or those who have been incarcerated in state or federal prison. It’s just not my usual crowd. On the other hand, I’ve known attorneys who convict people, and those that defend them. I’ve met a guard who works in Soledad prison south of Salinas who’s a parent of one of our music kids, and I’ve even met a few judges who decide what punishment the convicted will receive.
Over the years, I’ve known children who’ve lost a family member or parent to incarceration, leaving them without that person in their life. Sometimes that’s not all bad, but most of the time it’s a disaster. Having someone you love go to prison can rip a family apart, even though yes, the criminal, in most cases deserves the punishment.
I’ll confess that I can only guess how it feels to be caught up in the criminal justice system—on either the victim or the perpetrator’s side—and what it means to be sentenced to prison. Either way sounds really bad, and I know there’s a lot of pain involved.
Here at Watsonville First United Methodist Church, we try to help this process in a small way by working with the Superior Court of Santa Cruz County as part of an alternative payment system. Folks from the court who owe fines are referred to us to work off the money by volunteering at our facility, under my supervision.
However, getting a traffic ticket and having to pay a fee, is different than spending time in a state or federal penitentiary. A lot different. Sure, I’ve seen plenty of TV shows and read murder mysteries about crime, but that’s not the same thing as actually having a close relationship with someone who is currently in jail. Maybe you know more than I do.
So you may wonder, how does this pertain to us? Why should we care?
You and I know that ordinary citizens are likely to take part in the processes of government in one of two ways during our lifetimes: either as a voter or when summoned to serve as a juror in a trial court.[v]
The right to a trial by jury is an important safeguard for all Americans.[vi] It is guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which states that “the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed.” … The juror’s role is to listen to all the evidence and to impartially decide the case.
This summer, I received an official looking letter in the mail, which contained a jury summons from the Office of the Jury Commissioner to appear for jury duty in Monterey County (where our home is located.) That wasn’t so unusual. I’m usually asked every two years or so to do my civic duty and appear in court to help decide a case. It’s one of the hassles and privileges of citizenship, although in the past I’ve always been booted off the jury panel in the process. I guess no attorney wants to try to guess how a pastor/lawyer/mom like me is going to decide a case. But I’m privileged to offer to serve.
What surprised me about the summons this time was that I was in Group No. 12. Usually in my experience a typical panel of jurors is around 100 or so people. But to call twelve panels meant something big was coming up on the court trial calendar.
Then I read the paper.
Do any of you recall the tragic story of 13-year-old Christina Williams of Marina, who vanished without a trace from her family’s home back in 1998? My daughter Lydia was nine-years-old at the time, and in the third grade. That crime really upset both of us, as it did the rest of the community. I remember that she and I prayed together for Christina and her family every night before Lydia went to bed for months. Despite a massive search, nobody knew what had happened until later that year when her remains were found in nearby Fort Ord.
But the killer had vanished.
Finally in 2017, there was a breakthrough in the case. Federal DNA evidence linked the crime to a man named Charles Holifield. He’s an incarcerated, convicted kidnapper and serial rapist. Christina’s alleged killer had been found.
Fast forward to last month, and after earlier court proceedings, Holifield’s case was formally set for trial this August, the same week I was to report for jury duty.[vii] And the newspapers said that the District Attorney’s office was pursuing the death penalty, which meant that I would probably (a.) be stuck at court all day to get through that many jurors, and (b.) be called upon to decide whether or not Holifield should be put to death, if I was chosen for the jury.
And this possibility blew me away.
On one hand, if anyone deserves the death penalty, I think that if the evidence lines up, Charles Holifield sure does. The murder of little Christina was a horrible tragedy. On one occasion I saw her mother driving around in a car, crying her eyes out. Her father repeatedly pleaded on TV for the little girl’s return. And I know their family was torn apart. Many, many people, including my daughter, were terrified.
But could I support a capital conviction, even in this kind of case?
First, I knew I didn’t want to be a juror on the trial for a number of reasons, including the fact that it would take weeks if not months to present all the evidence. I’ve got too much work to do around here for that. But I discovered another reason. I realized that I just didn’t want to be on a jury to convict someone—anyone—of the death penalty.
I was ready to appear for jury duty, but it turns out that Charles Holifield’s criminal trial was postponed for a year, so I was excused. (Thank God.)
But I’m still considering what I would do and what I believe. I’m wondering if together you and I might be able to learn more about the ethical and biblical issues involved with the death penalty if we thought about it together, here at church.
And that’s how the idea for this sermon was born.
What would I say in court if forced to explain my position to a judge? I realized that I didn’t really know all that much about it, except that it grossed me out. If I was called upon as a juror, I wanted to be able to articulate what I believe before I got there. I wanted the facts, so I did some searching online: “Cut This: The Death Penalty,”
The death penalty is admittedly a very tough subject, whether you’re for it, against it, or neutral. Maybe you’re like me, and want to think about it in terms of your faith. We’re Christians. We seek to live by three simple rules. Do no harm. Do good. And stay in love with God. I wonder, what would Jesus do when it comes to the death penalty anyway? People argue about the answer.
Exodus 20 verse 13 says, “You shall not murder.” Pretty clear cut, right? But not so fast.
As one writer puts it, it’s complicated.[ix] Yes, the 10 Commandments prohibit murder, as we know. But there are plenty of other bible verses particularly in the Old Testament, which state that those who violate the law will be put to death! Yet, it’s significant that Cain, Moses and David were all capital criminals who were not executed. But many others were. I’ve seen a list of 100 Bible verses that pertain to the death penalty, one way or the other.[x] Arguments are made that Scripture both mandates and prohibits capital punishment, depending on your viewpoint.
Although on average American’s support for the death penalty in 2016 was the lowest it’s been in over four decades at 48%, there’s been an uptick to according to the Pew Research Center to 54%.[xi] This coincides with the current administration, which makes sense.
I’m guessing we’ve got views on all sides of the issue here at church. But what I want to consider are the arguments against the death penalty. Are they really convincing? Here’re the basics.
First, as we saw in our video this morning, life imprisonment costs less than death penalty cases. That’s a reality. California’s Legislative Analyst’s office estimates that California would save $150 million a year if it replaced the death penalty with a sentence of life without parole.[xii]
Here’s another one. Killing should not be punishment for killing, just as we don’t burn the house of an arsonist, or sexually assault a rapist.[xiii] At least in this country.
The countries in the world that use the death penalty the most?[xiv] China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and the United States are among the 10 countries that annually execute the most people. Contrast that with 140 countries including nearly all of Europe, Central and South America, Mexico and Canada, who have abolished the death penalty in law or practice.[xv]
Fact. Since 1973, over 150 people have been released from death row in the US with evidence of their innocence.[xvi] States with the death penalty have higher murder rates than states that do not, although some dispute these statistics.
Will released death row inmates threaten our safety? Not with life sentences, which have been used in California since the 70s.
Is the death penalty fairly applied to everyone? No way. Money and race are key factors. That’s pretty obvious.
Does the death penalty offer justice to victims’ families? Arguably no. Families of murder victims undergo severe trauma and loss which no one should minimize.[xvii] But executions do not help family members heal their wounds. The extended process prolongs the agony.
I can tell you what cinched it for me.
The United Methodist Church—like many other major religions—is clearly against the death penalty on religious grounds. Here’s what our national church says, at paragraph Sect. 164.G of the 2016 Book of Discipline, Social Principles. And the amazing thing is that Methodists have stated this belief publically since their historic 1956 General Conference.[xviii]
According to our church, and I quote:[xix] “We believe the death penalty denies the power of Christ to redeem, restore and transform all human beings. The United Methodist Church is deeply concerned about crime throughout the world and the value of any life taken by a murder or homicide.
We believe all human life is sacred and created by God and therefore, we must see all human life as significant and valuable. When governments implement the death penalty (capital punishment), then the life of the convicted person is devalued and all possibility of change in that person’s life ends.
We believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and that the possibility of reconciliation with Christ comes through repentance. This gift of reconciliation is offered to all individuals without exception and gives all life new dignity and sacredness.
For this reason, we oppose the death penalty (capital punishment) and urge its elimination from all criminal codes.”
Wow. Even Pope Francis… has changed Catholic Church teaching on the death penalty, saying it can never be sanctioned because it “attacks” the inherent dignity of all humans.[xx]
It reminds me of the story of several convicts who were in a prison library one day, flipping through a merchandise catalog.[xxi] On one of the pages there was the picture of a lovely home. One of the prisoners said, “Man, I sure wish I could give my mother a house like that to live in.” Another prisoner pointed to the nice car that was pictured in front of the house and said, “No, I’d rather give my ma a car like that, so she could come to see me once in a while.”
Then the two men noticed their friend, Bill, just staring blankly at the magazine, so they asked him to say what he would like to give his mother. After thinking for a few minutes, he looked at them with tears in his eyes and said, in a sorrowful tone, “I wish I could give my mother a more honorable son.” That young man was grieving about the fact that his dishonorable life and actions had dishonored his mother.
No we’re not all of a like mind on the death penalty. But I can tell you what Jesus said.
“Here’s another old saying that deserves a second look: ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ Is that going to get us anywhere? Here’s what I propose: ‘Don’t hit back at all.’ If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.”[xxii]
You realize of course that Jesus was the ultimate wrongfully convicted (so-called) criminal. He died on a cross to save our sins. “Christians are well aware of the atoning power of blood, believing that Christ’s blood—shed at his execution on the cross—spares us from the spiritual “death penalty” that our sins would otherwise merit.”[xxiii]
To me, it’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.[xxiv]
I pray we give it a try. Do justice. Have mercy. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[i] James Merritt, “Going the Second Mile,” page 1, retrieved online from www.esermons.com, August 25, 2018.
[ii] Matthew 5:38, Eugene H. Peterson, The Message.
[iii] Based on Bill Bouknight, “No Retaliation,” page 1, online ibid.
[iv] Ibid.
[v] LexRoll.com, “Your Rights and Obligations As A Juror: Overview,” https://lawhelp.lexroll.com/2017/02/20/rights-obligations-juror-overview/.
[vi] Ibid.
[vii] For more details, see Tom Wright, “Monterey County DA’s Office pursues death penalty against Charles Holifield in 1998 murder of Christina Williams,” July 25, 2018, with updates, http://www.montereyherald.com/general-news/20180725/monterey-county-das-office-pursues-death-penalty-against-charles-holifield-in-1998-murder-of-christina-williams.
[viii] Video: “Cut This: The Death Penalty,” 2:29, published June 27, 2010 by ACLU of Northern California, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zGBbK-k8xk.
[ix] Andy Rau, “What Does the Bible Say About Capital Punishment?” page 1, Sept. 27, 2011, www.biblegateway.com.
[x] See for instance, 100 Bible Verses about the Death Penalty, https://www.openbible.info/topics/the_death_penalty.
[xi] June 11, 2018, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/06/11/us-support-for-death-penalty-ticks-up-2018/.
[xii] https://deathpenalty.org/facts/death-penalty-is-broken-beyond-repair-costly-failure/.
[xiii] Death Penalty Focus PDF
[xiv] https://www.umcjustice.org/documents/11.
[xv] Various online sources.
[xvi] https://www.umcjustice.org/documents/11.
[xvii] Death Penalty Focus PDF
[xviii] “United Methodist Church Marks 50th Anniversary of Stance Against Death Penalty,” https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/node/1707.
[xix] There are several sources for this online: http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/political-community, https://www.umcjustice.org/who-we-are/social-principles-and-resolutions/the-political-community-164/the-political-community-the-death-penalty-164-g,
[xx] “Pope shifts church teaching on the death penalty, says it’s never acceptable,” August 2, 2018, https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/02/pope-shifts-church-teaching-on-death-penalty-says-its-now-inadmissi.html.
[xxi] From R. E. Lybrand, “Mother’s Day Gifts,” page 3, retrieved online ibid at www.esermons.com.
[xxii] Matthew 5:38-42, The Message, ibid.
[xxiii] Andy Rau, ibid at page 2.
[xxiv] Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/en/who-we-are/. They have fantastic resources online as part of their effort to abolish the death penalty.
A new Safe Sanctuary Policy was approved by our Leadership Circle on April 2, 2017. What a wonderful way to express our faith in Jesus Christ! Here is the entire document:
Scriptural Context:
Exodus 22:21
“You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.”
Leviticus 19:33-34
“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.”
Deuteronomy 10:17-19
“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
Isaiah 1:17
“… learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.”
Matthew 25:31-46
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.
Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’
And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’
Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Luke 10:25-28
“Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.””
1 Corinthians 12:26
“If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.”
Hebrews 13:2
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
Historical & Current Factors:
“Human migration is as old as human history. Individuals, families, tribes, and nations have been on the move since the days of Abraham and Sarah and before. Throughout the centuries, political and economic factors, including wars; health and environmental challenges; and racism, xenophobia, and religious discrimination have at times uprooted people and at others lured them to new venues across deserts, rivers, continents, oceans, and national and ethnic boundaries.” umc.org/what-we-believe
“All of us are called to love our neighbor—all our neighbors. Generations of immigrants have made this country great with their ideas, hard work, resilience, and traditions. We must resist the inclination to allow grief and despair to turn us against one another, or to blame an entire community for the actions of a few individuals.” (Testimony by Bishop Minerva Carcaño before the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives, April 19, 2016.)
In 1942, over 127,000 United States citizens of Japanese ancestry were relocated to internment camps because of the fear that they would act as spies or saboteurs for the Japanese government.
United Methodist pastor Rev. Mert M. Lampson of the Watsonville Methodist Church, along with other local clergy and individuals, vehemently opposed the anti-Japanese hysteria in a public way. In letters to the Register-Pajaronian Newspaper printed in March, 1943, they resolved to block a proposed order designed to keep the Japanese for an extended period in the camps. Over their objection, the order ultimately was enacted, but their strong support of the Japanese was notable. (“Liberty Lost … Lessons in Loyalty,” April 27, 2002 Re-enactment of the 1942 evacuation, Commemorative Program.)
“The courage to speak out for civil rights and against racial intolerance by [these clergy and others] is especially remarkable in view of the fact that American battle casualties were mounting many losses from central coast towns.” (“Liberty Lost … Lessons in Loyalty,” ibid.)
Immigrants have built this country and continue to sustain it, working for the benefit of us all –whether by picking our crops, putting food on our tables, building our roads and homes, tending to the needs of our children and elderly parents, and inspiring our congregations.
However, every day, many of our immigrant brothers and sisters are deported. Children live in constant fear that at the end of the school day, they will find that their parents have been deported. Immigrants are subject to arbitrary detention, and denied due process.
It is critical that as people of faith, we work toward community wholeness. We hold true that God loves the immigrant in our church and community, and we care deeply for each and every child of God, no matter where they are from or what language they speak.
Today, we reaffirm that as United Methodists, we believe in “Open Minds, Open Hearts, and Open Doors.”
The United Methodist Church believes that “migrants should be given due process and access to adequate legal representation. Due to these raids and the ensuing detentions and deportations that follow them, families have been ripped apart and the migrant community has been forced to live in a constant state of fear.” (Book of Resolutions, ¶ 3281 “Welcoming the Migrant to the United States”)
Resolution:
We, the Watsonville First United Methodist Church hereby resolve to:
1. Openly declare our church a Safe Sanctuary, where immigrants, refugees, and sojourners, including children, youth, and the elderly, may experience the abiding love of God through Jesus Christ, and fellowship within our community of faith.
2. Affirm the actions of United Methodist Bishop Rev. Minerva Carcaño in expressing her deep and abiding faith in Jesus Christ in support of all immigrants, her bold leadership both here and around the world, and her vision for our California-Nevada Annual Conference to be welcoming to all people.
3. Continue our work with other member organizations, leaders and community groups to actively support COPA’s (Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action,) “Know Your Rights, Know Your Neighbor,” immigration campaign, including implementing its 3 key components: workshops in immigrant parishes, civic academies, and research actions with public officials.
4. Pledge to conduct our ministry of the gospel in supportive ways that encourage our members, visitors, friends, neighbors, other churches and community leaders and other organizations and entities, to promote immigration policies and procedures that are humane, fair, and based on the equal worth of all people, regardless of their countries of origin.
5. Be a church where immigrants, refugees, and sojourners who are in our community may find a spiritual home, and receive welcome, radical hospitality, peace, reconciliation, and the healing presence of the Holy Spirit.
6. Offer to support immigrants to the best of our ability as we work to support their integration and settlement into new, safe communities, and provide learning of and leading to local resources that provide help, legal aid, and advocacy for their needs and issues.
7. Pursue peace on earth through justice-making efforts to end suffering here, and throughout the world, and help stabilize local communities whose residents experience pressure to leave their homeland.
8. Continue to provide compassion for and solidarity with the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed.
9. Support immigrant rights to gainful employment, social and political freedom, cultural affirmation, legal rights and equal protection under the law, and the exercise of human rights, so people do not become so desperate that they abandon their loved ones, their culture, and all that is familiar to them, in search of a better, safer life.
10. Support the rights of all LGBTQI immigrants and others in all our policies and programs, and help end discriminatory practices, beliefs and prejudices against them.
11. Welcome the immigrant, the newcomer, and recognize, embrace, and affirm all people, regardless of where they come from, as members of the family of God.
12. Affirm the right of all persons to equal opportunities for employment, access to housing, healthcare, education, and freedom from social discrimination.
13. Urge all our brothers and sisters to recognize the gifts, contributions, and struggles of those who are immigrants and to ensure justice for all as sacred children of God in Jesus Christ.
14. Affirm statements by Rev. Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe of the General Board of Church & Society of the United Methodist Church, umc-gbcs.org on February 17, 2017, as follows:
a. To the United States government: we call upon you to immediately cease arrests, detainment, and deportations of undocumented immigrants, including children, solely based upon their immigration status until a fair and comprehensive immigration reform is passed.
b. To people of faith: We affirm that all are created in the image of God and we are called to welcome immigrants into our congregations, provide care for those facing separation from their families, and advocate for policies that uphold the civil and human rights of all migrants.
c. To all who live in fear of detention, deportation, or separation from your family and community: you are valuable, deserving of opportunity, your contributions to society are important, and we will stand with you to advocate for justice.
15. And acknowledge the truth of this statement in our United Methodist Book of Resolutions: “To refuse to welcome migrants to this country – and to stand by in silence while families are separated, individual freedoms are ignored, and the migrant community in the United States is demonized by members of Congress and the media – is complicity to sin.” (¶ 3281 “Welcoming the Migrant to the United States.”)
Our Prayer:
Blessed are You, Lord Jesus Christ.
You crossed every border
between Divinity and humanity
to make your home with us.
Help us to welcome you in newcomers,
migrants and refugees.
Blessed are You, God of all nations.
You bless our land richly
with goods of creation
and with people made in your image.
Help us to be good stewards and peacemakers,
who live as your children.
Blessed are You, Holy Spirit.
You work in the hearts of all
to bring about harmony and goodwill.
Strengthen us to welcome those
from other lands, cultures, religions,
that we may live in human solidarity
and in hope.
God of all people, grant us vision
to see your presence in our midst,
especially in our immigrant sisters and brothers.
Give us courage to open the door to our
neighbors
and grace to build a society of justice.
Amen.
(Source: Pax International Christi, a Catholic peace movement)
Experience it in a new way at
Watsonville First United Methodist Church
// Primera Iglesia Metodista Unida de Watsonville
Sunday Worship 10:00 am, Christmas Eve 5:00 pm
Join us in worship as we celebrate All Saints’ Day & El Día de los Muertos // Day of the Dead.
This year, we have again created an altar to honor those who have gone before us in the faith. Based on the traditional Mexican holiday, we will incorporate your photographs, flowers and mementos into our display. Let us remember our family, and friends, who were important to us in our faith journey.
Please drop off your mementos to display this week or during worship.
The Parks and Community Services Department & Neighborhood Services Division invites you to a Free Movie Night.
Friday, September 9, 2016, 8:30 – 10:30 pm, Flodberg Park, 219 Alvarado St.
Bring your family and enjoy a fun filled activity. Enjoy popcorn and refreshments! Bring your lawn chair and blanket. “We make Watsonville an ideal place to live, work and play.” For more information please contact Neighborhood Services at 763-5678.
El Departamento de Parques y Servicios a la Comunidad y La División de Servicios al Vecindario les invita a una noche de película gratis.
Viernes 9 de septiembre, 8:30- 10:30 pm, Parque Flodberg, 219 Alvarado St.
Traiga a la familia y disfrute de esta actividad familiar. Disfrute de palomitas y refrescos. Traigan su propia cobija y sillas de campo. “Nosotros hacemos que Watsonville sea un ideal para vivir, trabajar y jugar.” Para más información por favor comuníquese con Servicios al Vecindario al 763-5678.
Sunday, May 15th 3:00 – 5:00 pm // Domingo, 15 de mayo de 3 a 5:00 pm
Join COPA leaders and public officials from the Tri-County area as we
Advocate for:
Health Care for the undocumented
Restorative Justice
Announce our strategies for:
Building affordable housing
Stopping predatory lending
Training new leaders
Strengthening COPA
St. Francis Xavier Church, 1475 La Salle Avenue, Seaside, CA
Simultaneous translation will be provided.
Domingo, 15 de mayo de 3 a 5:00 pm
Venga y únase a los líderes de COPA y a funcionarios públicos del área de los tres condados de la Costa Central mientras…
Aboguemos por:
Servicios médicos para los indocumentados
La justicia restaurativa
Anunciemos estrategias para:
La construcción de viviendas de alcance económico
Poner fin a los préstamos abusivos
La capacitación de nuevos líderes
El fortalecimiento de COPA
Iglesia San Francisco Javier, Avenida La Salle 1475, Seaside, CA
Habrá traducción simultánea en inglés y español.
Friday, March 25 in the Fellowship Hall // Viernes, 25 de marzo en el Fellowship Hall
“The winding walk of the Labyrinth symbolizes a pilgrim’s walk with God. It is not a maze; there are no tricks to it and no dead ends. The path winds throughout and becomes a mirror of the way we live our lives; so walk it with an open heart and mind.”
“The Hebrew Scriptures frequently represent God’s people journeying, to a land of Promise, to Zion, to sacred places. The Psalms also bear witness to this yearning deep within the heart of the Covenant people. The first Christians were called “people of the way,” and they willingly followed the path Jesus set before them.”
“The Labyrinth walk is different each time one walks it. Often people find peace, solace, release and a deep sense of joy. When walked with a community of people, the walk is a shared journey.”
We invite you to join us in walking the Labyrinth today on Friday, March 25th in the Fellowship Hall. Walkers, wheelchairs as well as children are welcome! Free!
Una Caminata del Laberinto para Viernes Santo
“La caminata de la bobina del laberinto simboliza la caminata del un peregrino con dios. No es un laberinto; no hay trucos a el y ningún callejón sin salida. Los vientos de la trayectoria en todas partes y se convierten en un espejo de la manera que vivimos nuestras vidas, camínala con el corazón y mente abierto”.
Escrituras de hebreos representa con frecuencia a gente de dios que viaja a una tierra de la promesa, a Zion, a los lugares sagrados. Los salmos también testimonian a este deseo vivo profundamente dentro del corazón de la gente. Los primeros cristianos se llamaron “gente del camino” y siguieron la trayectoria de Jesús hecha antes de ellos’’.
La caminata del laberinto es diferente cada vez que camina en el. La gente encuentra paz, el consuelo y un sentido profundo de la alegría. Cuando esta caminando con una comunidad de la gente, la caminata es un viaje compartido.
Le invitamos a que nos acompañen en caminar el laberinto hoy viernes 25 de Marzo en Fellowship Hall. ¡Caminadores, personas en sillas de ruedas, así como niños son bienvenidos! ¡Gratis!
