Paul

Tonight we invite you to pause for a time of prayer and meditation as you hear Paul’s gift of music. You can find the lyrics below to read over or simply ask God to speak while you listen. Grace and peace, friends.

What Wondrous Love is This

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul?
What wondrous love is this, O my soul?
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul?

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
when I was sinking down, sinking down,
when I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing,
to God and to the Lamb I will sing,
to God and to the Lamb who is the great I Am,
while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
while millions join the theme, I will sing.

And when from death I’m free I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on,
and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be,
and through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
and through eternity I’ll sing on.

Friday Updates 03.19.2021

Happy Friday, Friends at FBCP!

Today Ruthie and Corrie have a super fun video about how you can be part of making our garage sanctuary beautiful on Easter morning. Check out the video below and get excited for what will be a really special celebration of the resurrection!

Here are the updates you need to know for this week:

  • We look forward to gathering again for outdoor worship on Sunday, and we will have a few more chairs out for folks in the seating area! As always, we will livestream the service and post a recorded version later in the day. Thank you for honoring our safety agreements so that we can love each other well and stay safe and healthy. As we look ahead to when we can be in the sanctuary, it would help us if you let us know your vaccine status, including whether or not you have received it and if you still have questions about it. Click here to share that info with our staff.

  • This Sunday at 7:30PM we invite you to gather with us over Zoom for a time of prayer and lament in light of this week’s violence. We will make space to hear how recent events have deepened the pain for the AAPI community and to pray for healing, peace, and the Spirit’s leading in the work of justice. We’ll send out a Zoom link on Sunday for all who want to join.

  • Blair High School is just down the street from FBCP, and we regularly have students from Blair in our youth group. This year we have one senior who will graduate from Blair (do you remember Thomas?!), and we are always looking for ways to partner with this neighborhood school. This spring they are still in need of a few folks to sponsor a high school senior by sending them some Blair swag and other small gifts as an encouragement to the students and their families. If you are interested in being matched with a senior to help spread some joy during this difficult school year, you can email Pastor Lindsay at lindsay@fbcpasadena.com.

  • Our weekly Lenten Bible Study continues this week on Wednesday at 12pm over Zoom. This week Chip is leading—wahoo! Join us for a time of reflection and discussion as we make the journey through Lent together. We’ll be using a Lenten devotional created by the folks at SALT Project, and you can pick up a physical copy of the devotional at Outdoor Church or can access a digital copy here. We would love to add your voice to the mix, so be sure to look for the Zoom invitation in the coming week!

Grace and peace as you head into the weekend. We can’t wait to worship with you on Sunday!

Less without you,

The FBCP Community

 
 

This Week’s Mixtape:

Mary

For more ways to pray and advocate for those in Myanmar, see information below the audio recording.

The following information is for those interested in knowing some ways to respond and help the people in Myanmar. Here is a PDF version for those who would prefer to download it. This document was compiled from information and suggestions from American Baptist International Ministries. In addition, you might find this PBS Newshour segment on Myanmar from Tuesday (March 16) helpful.

Standing in the GAP for Myanmar

In Myanmar (Burma) the leaders of the coup have extended martial law to more and more areas, and on Tuesday (March 16th), Leslie Turley from American Baptist International Ministries shared that the capital of Yangon now looks like a war zone. I, Judy Sutterlin, have seen pictures showing how terrible it is with fires and smoke and destruction everywhere. It is overwhelming! At least 275 have been killed since the beginning of the coup, many have been beaten and harshly treated in other ways, women have been raped, villages have been burned, some hospitals and schools have been taken over and used by the military as temporary bases, many have been arrested—some in daylight and many in night raids. The horrors continue to be compounded. In addition, it has been announced that all cell towers, all cell tower data, and all internet will be cut from March 18, making it even more difficult to get information about what is happening from that point forward.

A friend of Leslie Turley who is in Myanmar cries out: “Oh Lord, hear our cries!  Please don’t let innocent lives be taken away from us anymore!” Leslie also shares another prayer, “Soon…these dark days will be over and we will see the beauty of this entire nation once again. Declaring that in Jesus’ name. Amen!”

Leslie Turley and International Ministries are calling us to consider committing to “Stand in the G.A.P. for Myanmar. What does that mean? G stands for Give; A stands for Advocate; and P stands for Pray. Although she introduced us to praying and its importance even before giving us this acronym, we, as she, will explain them in the acronym’s order as we think about the ways we can respond.

Give: A medical friend of Leslie Turley said, “There is urgent need to support the families of those heroes killed in the protests, those who are injured and a need to support those who have been evicted from their housing.” American Baptist International Ministries is currently collecting funds, 100% of which will be used to assist those affected by the coup. Specifically, the funds will be used to: 1) Assist civil servants and their families who are engaged in the passive resistance; 2) Assist the people who are suffering due to their jobless status; and 3) Help those who cannot afford to pay for medical care and vitamins as well as to pay for tests, medical supplies, and vaccines related to Covid-19. If you are led to give, one way to do so is available on the International Ministries website.

Advocate: Leslie Turley reminds us that “To advocate means to publicly support” and asks us to “publicly support democracy and the call to protect innocent lives.” One way to do that is by writing our senators and representatives, and Leslie provides this link, which can help us do that quite easily. In addition, she reminds that researching the issue and letting others know what is happening in Myanmar is another way to advocate.

Pray: We can pray for and with our brothers and sisters in Myanmar. We can pray individually and we can pray as a church and in other groups whether large or small. I am grateful to those of you who joined us for prayer together last Sunday evening as we prayed for the people and about the horrible situations that they are facing. I am grateful for Pastor Mary who has included our prayers for the people of Myanmar in the “daily” recording we receive on Thursdays. I am grateful for each of you and for others who are praying for the people of Myanmar based on what we are sharing on our church Prayer Wall and/or what you are reading and learning about the situation from other sources. This link gives materials to assist in our prayers and to help us understand more about the current situation. Pray with and for the people of Myanmar and also those in our country who have friends and loved ones in Myanmar. Within our American Baptist Churches, there are over 80,000 who have come here from Burma as refugees, with some of them being in at least four churches in our own region. Please continue to pray! 

FBCP Families | 03.17.2021

Hey, Friends!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We hope you are having a great week and that you can enjoy all the green that goes along with today. A friend of mine loves the story of St. Patrick, so she created this little maze for kids to do as a way to learn more about his journey and life. This Saturday at our family liturgy in the park, we will continue with the themes of green, growth, and following Jesus as we look at all the things we hope to see bloom from the inside out. Today’s email has important reminders and news about Easter, so read on for more details!

March Liturgy for Families with Kids

Don't forget that this  Saturday, March 20th, at 10:30AM is this month's liturgy in the park for all of our families with kids! We will have a fun-filled morning praising God together as we consider what it means to let God grow goodness in each of us. It's also the first day of Spring, so we are so pumped to think about all the beautiful things that can bloom around us and inside us! Bring a blanket to sit on and your favorite mask.  You can RSVP using this link to help us prepare enough supplies for everyone.

Easter Liturgy for Families with Kids

This Easter we are so excited that we have ways to gather in person after staying home last year. We have two services happening Easter Sunday, and our families with kids are invited to attend both! First, we will have our all-church worship service in the garage at 10:30AM with all the beautiful elements that go in an Easter service. Following garage worship, families with kids are invited to head to the park area where they can enjoy a picnic lunch or whatever they want to bring. You could also get some food in Old Town and bring it back to the park to eat. Then at 1:30pm we will have our Easter Liturgy for Families with Kids, complete with songs, a Bible lesson, and lots of fun Easter activities! If you can’t make it to the morning service, then you can plan to join us in the park sometime between 12:30-1:30pm if you want to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy with your family. Please note that we will also have some activities and snacks for kids who come to the garage service in the morning. We hope to see you on Easter for this special day when we celebrate new life and all the hope that comes with the resurrection! You can let us know your plans for Easter with this RSVP link.

Youth in the Park

This Sunday the youth have a gathering in the park 10:30AM—yay! We can't wait to hang out, learn, and have fun together in person in the safety of our outdoor space. Breakfast is included as always. We hope to see all of our youth there! 

Sponsor a Blair High School Senior

And a reminder that if you are looking to spread some love to other youth in the area, there's an opportunity to sponsor a student at Blair High School by sending them some Blair swag and other encouraging gifts to help make the end of the year special for them. We have one Blair senior in our youth group at FBCP, and we are always grateful for ways to partner with the school. Let me know if you are interested, and I can get you more information!

With deep love and gratitude for each of you,

Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary

FBCP Families | 03.13.2021

Hey, Friends!

What a great example we had this week of God's character displayed in nature (especially right after the teaching we heard from John Jay last Sunday!). As the rain comes and snow is visible in the mountains, it's a beautiful reminder of the ways that God is at work to bring new life forth after the winter months. It's also a good reminder to pray for our neighbors who are without shelter in the midst of rain and cold. We hope you and your families can take time this weekend to praise God and lift up the needs of others as you look out at creation. (And this idea of rain and growth will be part of our upcoming Liturgy for Families with Kids—see below for details!)

Liturgy for Families with Kids

Hooray—it's almost here! Next  Saturday, March 20th, at 10:30AM is another liturgy time in the park for all of our families with kids. We will have a fun-filled morning praising God together as we consider what it means to be soil where God can grow goodness in each of us. It's also the first day of Spring, so we are pumped to think about all the beautiful things that can bloom around us and inside us!  You can RSVP using this link to help us prepare enough supplies for everyone.

Kids

This weekend we encourage you to get outside as a family and take a prayer walk around your home. This kind of embodied prayer can be so powerful, and it's a fun way to pray as a family together. You can use this guide as inspiration to help you use the environment around you to prompt your prayers. (And you can always substitute things based on what you find around your neighborhood!) 

Youth

This week the youth have a Youth Zoom gathering at 2pm. Here is the meeting link that you can use to hop on the hangout. We look forward to being together on screen!

And if you are looking to spread some love to other youth in the area, there's an opportunity to sponsor a student at Blair High School by sending them some Blair swag and other encouraging gifts to help make the end of the year special for them. We have one Blair senior in our youth group at FBCP, and we are always grateful for ways to be good neighbors to other youth in Pasadena. Let me know if you are interested, and I can get you more information.

Sending you so much love and virtual hugs!

With gratitude for you,

Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary

Friday Updates 03.12.2021

Happy Friday, Friends at FBCP!

Today we have some important updates and opportunities to share with you. You can listen to the audio version below, but here are the highlights:

  • We look forward to gathering again for outdoor worship on Sunday, and we will have a few more chairs out for folks in the seating area! As always, we will livestream the service and post a recorded version later in the day. Thank you for honoring our safety agreements so that we can love each other well and stay safe and healthy.

  • Don’t forget to move your clocks an hour ahead on Saturday night! It’s Daylight Savings and time to spring forward. We’ll understand if anyone looks a little sleepy on Sunday morning!

  • Our weekly Lenten Bible Study continues this week on Wednesday at 12pm over Zoom. This week Pastor Gretchen is leading—yay! Join us for a time of reflection and discussion as we make the journey through Lent together. We’ll be using a Lenten devotional created by the folks at SALT Project, and you can pick up a physical copy of the devotional at Outdoor Church or can access a digital copy here. We would love to add your voice to the mix, so be sure to look for the Zoom invitation in the coming week!

  • Blair High School is just down the street from FBCP, and we regularly have students from Blair in our youth group. This year we have one senior who will graduate from Blair (do you remember Thomas?!), and we are always looking for ways to partner with this neighborhood school. This spring they are looking for folks to sponsor a high school senior by sending them some Blair swag and other small gifts as an encouragement to the students and their families. If you are interested in being matched with a senior to help spread some joy during this difficult school year, you can email Pastor Lindsay at lindsay@fbcpasadena.com.

  • We are sad to share the news that longtime friend and member of FBCP Jesse Terry died early this week. Pastor Mary has some words to share about his legacy, and you can hear her tribute in the audio below. If you would like to send words, photos, or videos of remembrance for a digital page honoring Jesse, please send them to lindsay@fbcpasadena.com or use the button below. Here are the addresses if you would like to send cards to the family:

    Mrs. Bunny (Annabelle) Terry
    Copper Canyon Senior Center
    37225 Jerome Lane
    Murrieta, CA 92562

    Karen and Lewis Dawson
    31455 Corte Madera
    Temecula, CA 92592

Grace and peace as you head into the weekend. We can’t wait to worship with you on Sunday!

Less without you,

The FBCP Community

 

This Week’s Mixtape:

Mary

Additional Information about Myanmar

Detailed reports of brutality by the military police include the killing and beating of peaceful protesters who seek an end to the military coup and a release of the duly elected civilian government officials arrested in the coup. The brutality also includes forcing civilians to be porters for the military police under threat of beatings or death; forcing civilians to walk ahead of the police in dangerous areas so that the civilians would become human shields and human minesweepers for the soldiers. In addition, there are reports of rape by military police. There are many night raids in which civilians are arrested, and over 100 people were detained and at least three killed in such raids Sunday night. Medical personnel, medical facilities, ambulances, and crews are also targeted. Over the weekend the military took over hospitals and schools to use them as temporary bases for the military. Also, hospitals taken over were used to arrest wounded who came in hoping to get treatment. The military there assumed that the wounded were protesters. In rural areas, there have also been villages that have been burned by military police. It is reported that the average age of those who have lost their lives defending democracy is 17. There are also reports of some military police or former military police who have refused to participate in these acts against civilians, disobeying their superiors and leaving their military positions. They, too, need our prayers.

American Baptist Churches U.S.A. is responding in a number of ways, and you are invited to help both with prayer and with additional much-needed help if so moved. This link provides brief information on how the crisis began and our more than 200-year partner relationship with the Myanmar Baptist Convention (MBC), a call to prayer, and a way for any who are so moved to help American Baptist International Ministries provide financial support. Funds will be used to assist civil servants and their families who are engaged in the Civil Disobedience Movement, to assist people who are suffering due to their jobless status, and to help those who cannot afford to pay for medical care and vitamins as well as to pay for tests, medical supplies and vaccines related to Covid-19.

Paul

Be Still My Soul

Be still, my soul! for God is on your side;
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain:
leave to your God to order and provide,
who through all changes faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul! your best, your heav’nly Friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul! for God will undertake
to guide the future surely as the past.
Your hope, your confidence, let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be clear at last.
Be still, my soul! the waves and winds still know
the voice that calmed their fury long ago.

Be still, my soul! the hour is hastening on
when we shall be forever in God's peace;
when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
love’s joys restored, our strivings all shall cease.
Be still my soul! when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

FBCP Families | 03.06.2021

Hey, Friends!

Thanks to those who were able to join our virtual parent discussion last week with Iris Chen. We are so grateful for the parent community at FBCP and the chance to learn with and support each other. If you weren't able to attend but are interested in the conversation, let us know! We plan to host more opportunities like this in the future and would love to connect with you. Thanks for being such a thoughtful community.

An Invitation to Parents During Lent

We are well into the season of Lent, and I am praying for God to keep tilling the soil in our hearts as we get closer to Easter. This is a beautiful time of intentionality, one that can give birth to new ways of being if we make space to pause and reflect. I came across this article with three simple practices for parents during Lent. I hope you find it encouraging if you're feeling the weight of parenting and need space to reconnect with God and other parents. We look forward to the rest of this season with our church family!

March Liturgy for Families with Kids

Mark your calendars for our next time of worship in the park on Saturday, March 20th, at 10:30AM! We will have a fun-filled morning praising God together. You can RSVP using this link to help us prepare enough supplies for everyone. 

Women in Science

Rachel Ignotofsky is a New York Times–bestselling author and illustrator. Her book, Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers who Changed the World, is a gloriously illustrated celebration of female trailblazers. It highlights the contributions of fifty notable women to the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, with examples from both the ancient and modern worlds. The result is a fun and accessible book that appeals to kids and adults alike. Check out the author's interview with KiwiCo here.

Youth

This week the youth will be in the park at 10:30AM! We are really looking forward to being together safely and can't wait to be with you all. Bring a mask and a water bottle. We hope to see you Sunday morning!

Sending you so much love and virtual hugs!


With gratitude for you,

Pastor Lindsay & Pastor Mary

Friday Updates 03.05.2021

Happy Friday, Friends at FBCP!

Today news anchors Zip Bannister and Mary Kerry Brokenberry have today’s “Baptist News Update” for you. You can listen to the broadcast below, but here are the highlights:

  • We look forward to gathering again for outdoor worship on Sunday. As always, we will livestream the service and post a recorded version later in the day. Thank you for honoring our safety agreements so that we can love each other well and stay safe and healthy.

  • This Sunday we will celebrate communion! You can bring your own elements or have one of our handy communion snack packs, which are the best option we have during the pandemic.

  • Our weekly Lenten Bible Study continues this week on Wednesday at 12pm over Zoom. This week John Kelly is leading—woot! Join us for a time of reflection and discussion as we make the journey through Lent together. We’ll be using a Lenten devotional created by the folks at SALT Project, and you can pick up a physical copy of the devotional at Outdoor Church or can access a digital copy here. We would love to add your voice to the mix, so be sure to look for the Zoom invitation in the coming week!

  • If you want to listen in on the Daily Encouragement tracks from this week, check out the mixtape below!

Grace and peace as you head into the weekend. We can’t wait to worship with you on Sunday!

Less without you,

The FBCP Community

 

This Week’s Mixtape:

In Pasadena as it is in Heaven

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