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Earthquake & Tsunami Relief Benefit for Northern Japan

Join us Sunday, November 3 between 11am and 3pm for an Arts & Crafts Fair and Udon Sale. Tickets for Udon are $6.00 per bowl and can be purchased from Michie Koga at (415) 665-1338 or at meechee007@yahoo.com.

The Arrival

We are excited "The Arrival" by director Narissa Lee will be showing at the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival! Saturday, June 23rd, 11:00am at the Victoria Theatre. It will be a part of a film "Taking a Chance on God". Get Tickets here!

Message From The Pastor

"ABC" (titled after a song The Jackson 5 released in 1970)

During the last week of August, I had the privilege of going on my first RIM (Residents In Ministry) Retreat at Monte Toyon camp in Aptos, CA – just 20 minutes from Santa Cruz. My being Commissioned at this past Annual Conference placed me in a different phase of the Ordination process, where I participate in these mandatory retreats two times a year.

There are many things I get invited to as a clergyperson in the UMC. Some mandatory. Some more fun than others. This RIM Retreat was an unexpectedly pleasant opportunity to connect with others Commissioned in the Ordination process, under the theme of self-care.

Without cell phone and wifi signal, I was forced to really take the time away from emails, from texts, and from phone calls. It was hard to distract myself. Luckily there was a basketball court easily accessible. And lots of spots to connect with nature. It was a perfect setting to explore self-care.

We were led in worship, in plenary sessions, and had the opportunity to sign up for time with a spiritual director or life coach. We engaged in listening exercises with our colleagues, allowing us to get to know each other better. For some, it was a very healing experience. For all, I think it’s safe to say that it was a time of renewal and of being reminded of the importance of keeping balance and making time for spiritual practice. I was reminded of the basics, the ABCs, of faith community. Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, [God is] there among them.” We gather together because God is there with us. And when we recognize that God is there with us, we can pay attention to how God moves among us, in this life, in this reality, in one another and ourselves.

Perhaps part of Pine’s call to ministry right now is to get back to the basics. To maintain the parts that keep our building going and keep our ties to the institution, but to do those very little things that nourish our spirits and remind us of the bigger vision that God has for us and how we each individually take part.

In October, Nominations and Leadership will gather to discuss, not just who will take on certain roles in our commissions, but to discuss why each commission exists. It is a chance for us to be more intentional of Pine’s various ministries and for the faith community, as a whole, to own them all. It is a chance for us to take a step back and to look at how we can be more organized in the ministries to which we have been called so that we can be nourished and not have to struggle with burn-out.

I believe that the timing of the RIM Retreat was perfect. I had just returned from the Pastoral and Solidarity Visit to the Philippines and was searching for how to integrate what I experienced and saw there, with what I experience and see at Pine. I know from a knowledge deep within myself that there is a connection, more intimate than we know, of our kin around the globe. And I was more able to access it when I had time to reflect, to pray, to meditate, to enjoy nature, to have physical activity, and to just simply be. Be one with God and be open to the Spirit that binds us all together.

I pray, going forth, that we are able to get back to the basics of what it is to be faith community and to keep our eyes and ears open to the very small ways that God moves among us, inviting us into deeper relationship with God, so that, if Pine does grow in numbers, we are prepared and have the capacity within ourselves to accompany each newcomer on their spiritual walk

Pastor Jeanelle