Happy Thursday Dear Church!

Well, I am back. Freddie and I had a wonderful 5 days in Cabo San Jose. The food was delicious, the resort was awesome, and it was HOT!!!!!!!!! We stayed in the pool for hours a day. Unfortunately, the currents in the ocean were too strong to play in the waves. I am so grateful to pastor a church that sees the importance of “down time” for the pastor. So, Thank you! I heard that Sunday’s worship went well. Thank you to Pastor Debbie, Brandon, Rev John Whitacre, choir/musicians, the technical team, Brian Gurriell and Rosemary Vandervort for leading.

It is hard to believe that we are in August and that our young folks, teachers, custodians, bus drivers, administrators etc. are going back to school. Many went back this week. This coming Sunday morning, we will do a special time of prayer and blessing over our kids, and everyone involved in teaching, including Sunday school. This is a great day to invite your friends who have children, and even teacher friends. We want everyone to know that we support them and will be praying for them in this new school year.

This Sunday, in addition to the Back-to-School blessing, we will be visiting the story of Joseph … the one of technicolor dream coat fame. Joseph was a man full of dreams. His nightly dreams were what catapulted him into slavery, being betrayed by his brothers and eventually to a place of high standing in Pharoah’s court. I wonder what this amazing story has for us as we continue to be dreamers ourselves. Our dreams can be something tangible such as a house or family, and our dreams can also be something abstract such as a new look on life, or a certain attitude towards a person or thing. We are the ones who make up our dreams and are the ones who make our desires and wants, real. We are the dreamers of dreams.

“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.”

--- ― Arthur O'Shaughnessy

Used by Roald Dahl in the classics “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”

Dream away and know that as you dream, you are loved and celebrated for everything you are.

I love being your pastor.

Holding you close and lifting you high!

Pastor Greg

New Wine

This week we are signing a new song entitled “New Wine” by one of my favorite artists Brooke Ligertwood who has served as a worship leader for various Hillsong ministries for many years and has a number of solo albums under her maiden name Brooke Fraser. I chose it because I think there are a lot of parallels between the life of Joseph which we are talking about this week and the suffering and trials of Jesus both of which ultimately brought about something beautiful. Brooke uses the imagery of new wine that only comes through the grapes being pressed and crushed to bring about some of the most precious things in our lives.

https://youtu.be/NbEUrNt7tbs

Jesus spent one of the most trying times of his life in the garden of Gethsemane which in Hebrew means “Olive press.” Jesus himself was press/ured three times, much like olives are pressed three times, until Luke tells us he sweat blood which becomes symbolic for the new life we experience through the way of Jesus and the way of the cross. You may be experiencing pain or suffering in your life right now. One of the great hopes we have is a God that brings new wine out of such pressings the world brings to our lives. I’ve been to Israel a couple of times and gotten to teach and pray in the garden of Gethsemane surrounded by the abundant olive trees as a reminder of Jesu’s suffering, but God’s gift through that suffering. A tourist spot called Nazareth Village shares this story of the wine press. I found it inspiring if you want to hear their narrative and the connections they make.

https://youtu.be/1ozGKlOzEVc

Ray and Dee Lampman

Ann Davis

Chuck Henry, in hospital

Steve Duty, cousin of Pastor Greg

Dee Siltanen

Jim Siltanen

Dianne Florio

Joanne Jonas

Nina Melad

Betty Nagatani

Congregational Meeting

Sunday, August 20, 2023

The Church Council is calling a Special Congregational Meeting for Sunday, August 20, 2023 at 10:45 a.m. in Fellowship Hall to conduct business of the church. We will present our latest financial statements, report on critical maintenance and building needs, and explore various funding options. 

CCPUCC 101 New Member Inquirer’s Gathering

August 27th, following Sunday Worship

If you have been joining us in worship and want to officially adopt us as your faith family;

If you have been coming here for years and have never covenanted with this congregation in membership.

If you simply want to come and learn a bit more about the United Church of Christ and this congregation …

THEN … you will not want to miss the New Member Inquirer’s Gathering on Sunday, August 27th following our Sunday worship. The location of the gathering is TBD. How wonderful it would be to have double digits join us in our quest to be the church of God’s dreams. If you would like more information, please email Pastor Greg at:

pastorgregccpucc@gmail.com

Looking Ahead to September

Many of you will remember the Sunday we participated in Holy Communion around the table. On September 3rd, the Board of Worship would like to invite you back to the table. We will be celebrating the sacrament around our altar/communion table, 10 folks at a time. It is a lovely way to reflect in a different way this practice that brings us life as we chare it together.

Greetings from Outreach

Our Basket of Hope is ready to help with the hunger needs in our community! This month we are asking for the gift of food to fill our very own CCP Food Cupboard!

The food we collect is then placed in our little libraries for members of our community to take as needed. We also fill grocery bags with everything someone might need,  to help them through a rough spot. Those bags are handed out by the staff to our friends and neighbors who stop by needing help. These bags, filled with love and food, are available for anyone in our congregation too!  If you or anyone you know needs a little help, please stop by the church or ask a member of the Outreach Ministry.

The Pantry needs full restocking. Here are the items in need…

Canned goods=

Tuna, Chicken, Spam, Fruit, Chili, Soups, Vienna Sausage’s, Jars of Spaghetti Sauce

Dry Goods=

Rice, Pasta, Mac& Cheese, Top Ramen, Cup of Soup

Small Size Packaging=

Cereal, Jelly, Peanut Butter

Snacks=

Granola Bars, Pudding Cups, Jello Cups, Apple Sauce Cups

So as you are out shopping this month, pick up an extra can or two to fill our CCP Pantry!

As ALWAYS, thank you for the generous gifts you always share to help our community and each other! You are truly God’s Hands and Feet!!!

Blessings

The Outreach Ministry  

Gratitude from Outreach…

 To our amazing church family and friends, we say THANK YOU!!!!

Thank you for your amazing gifts of school supplies for our neighboring children. As always, you gave from your heart and our Basket of Hope overflowed.

It was fun stuffing them full of your gifts and then saying a special prayer for the completed backpacks.

Thank you for making the children feel special and loved to start their school year!

With Gratitude,

Outreach Ministry

The JOY of FOOD!

Each week there will be a “Recipe of the Week” for the Buzz!

There will be a red basket in the Narthex where you can drop off your favorite recipes or please email them to julie@ccpucc.org. It can be any recipe from family favorites to ones recently discovered! We will be encouraging you to share your thoughts after you made the dish too. 

This weeks NEW recipe is a California Spaghetti Salad!

Click Here for California Spaghetti Salad Recipe!

Adult Scripture Review:

Sunday’s following worship in the fireside room!

Email Susan Gurriell

at sgurriell@gmail.com

Books & More

On July 25 Books & More will begin our discussion of One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker.   Wyoming, 1876. For as long as they have lived on the frontier, the Bemis and Webber families have relied on each other. With no other settlers for miles, it is a matter of survival.

Books & More meets on Tuesdays at 10:00 am in the Fireside Room.

All are welcome to join us.  

Centering Prayer:

Tuesdays at 6:30pm

Contact Colleen Clementson at powclem@yahoo.com or on

her cell at 858-663-6584, for the ZOOM invite

Thank you for checking out our BUZZ! Here is what you were waiting for! If you have a favorite joke or any tips to make the BUZZ even better, please send emails to julie@ccpucc.org :)

Joke of the Week:

Why couldn’t the green peppers practice archery? 

They didn’t habaneros…

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