The El Sobrante United Methodist Church Newsletter The Appian Wayfarer The United Methodist Church: Open hearts . Open minds . Open doors October 2020

Online Motion Class Hope you all had a lovely weekend. It is challenging to find ways to be together/apart. Zoom communities are great and I hope you benefit from them. They can never replace a hug longed for, but our hope is our trust that this will end. We will have a different 'normal' but a better one than this. Moving is good for your muscles and your mood. It raises endorphins! So, let's feel good!

You will need a chair, a block, and a ball (one of the bigger ones if you have it). Of course, all the moves can be done without props, but I find they add an element of challenge and just plain change. See you soon!

Jacqueline Corl is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Mon: Balance & Range of Motion - 1:30 PM 310 058 896

Tues: Stretching for Balance & Yoga - 10:00 AM 864 405 132

Wed: Balance & Range of Motion - 10:15 AM 971 863 356

Thurs: Stretching for Balance & Yoga - 1:30 PM 846 5530 5608

Fri: Stretching for Balance & Yoga - 10:00 AM 864 405 132 Are You Ready to Vote?

If you live in Contra Costa County, you can check your voter registration status here: https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/. If you Need a mask? Call 510.223.0790 haven't registered, it's still not too late! or email at [email protected] Register here: https://covr.sos.ca.gov/ (Deadline for online registration is October 15).

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Wilderness Survival Guide you refreshing your spirit by spending time alone with God? Can you step out in faith, Our current worship series, “Through the trusting God as your refuge? Wilderness,” follows the Israelites as they

journey out of Egypt to the Promised Land, as 2) Pay attention told in the book of Exodus. Right now, many of us feel like we are in the middle of our own Notice your surroundings. The wilderness can wilderness—the wilderness of global be full of unknown dangers, but it can also pandemic, destructive fires, political turmoil, contain a beautiful lake or a warm, dry cave. If economic uncertainty, and social unrest. There we are caught up in worry and anxiety, our is a small group at ESUMC that meets on cares can be so overwhelming that we can’t Sunday after church to explore what it means see what is right in front of us. We read in to be a Christian in the context of John Psalm 46, “Be still, and know that I am God!” Wesley’s Three Rules: 1) Do no harm; 2) Do (Psalm 46:10). Paying attention requires being good; 3) Stay in love with God. At a recent quiet enough to see and hear what is going on meeting, we talked about being lost in the around you. Be open to the moving of the wilderness. It can feel overwhelming. What do Spirit. What might God be trying to tell you? Is we do? How do we survive? After a time of God opening a path through the wilderness in discussion, we came up with this list. an unexpected way?

1) Find water, food, and shelter 3) Get a buddy When you are lost in the wilderness, your first It’s much easier to get through the wilderness if priority is finding the basic necessities needed you have someone with you to help you during to survive: water, food, and shelter. When your wanderings. Our ESUMC church family Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he told does an awesome job helping to take care of the devil, “One does not live by bread alone, each other. Here is wisdom from the book of but by every word that comes from the mouth Ecclesiastes: “Two are better than one, of God” (Matthew 4:4). Jesus told the because they have a good reward for their toil. Samaritan woman at the well, “Those who For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe drink of the water that I will give them will never to one who is alone and falls and does not be thirsty. The water that I will give will become have another to help. . . And though one might in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal prevail against another, two will withstand one. life” (John 4:14). The psalmist affirms: “You A threefold cord is not quickly broken” who live in the shelter of the Most High, who (Ecclesiastes 4:9,10,12). We are not alone! abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.’ For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; he will cover you with his —Eileen Johnson, Laurie Corl, Jacqueline pinions, and under his wings you will find Corl-Seidel, Marilyn Lomelino, and Cory Tipton refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler” (Psalm 91: 1-4). Take time daily to be nourished by reading the Bible and spending time in prayer. Is there a passage of Scripture you can “chew on” throughout your day? Are

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Worship

Worship What comes next? Through the Wilderness Through the Wilderness

I’ve noticed over the past few months that -10/4 What is It?: Exodus 16:2-15 Psalm people on social media have made the 105:1-6, 37-45 & Psalm 78 comment: “I miss precedented times.” How -10/11 Strike the Rock: Exodus 17:1-7 Psalm often do you hear that these are 78:1-4, 12-16 unprecedented times? Of course, like all broad - 10/18 Spiritual Gifts Part 1 statements of that kind, this is both true and - 10/25 Spiritual Gifts Part 2 untrue. It is true that most of us haven’t lived with a pandemic. The natural disasters and the political and racial unrest all roll together to create a miasma of despair unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. Except we have. Maybe not exactly this, but we know the experience. We’ve been here before. We call it wilderness. It is a regular occurrence in the Bible and the lives of followers of Jesus. One might say it is standard operating procedure. But just because it’s familiar does not mean it’s easy. Over the next few weeks, our worship will look at “Wandering Through the Wilderness”. Wandering through the wilderness is a difficult journey at the best of times. Other times, it can seem impossible. Our task in this series is to help us find our way through the wilderness of this time by allowing the first of God-wanderers in the book of Exodus to speak to us. The stories of the people of God, along with the hymns of the faith in the Psalms, become our guides through the wilderness today.

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Oct. 3 - Judith Scarborough Oct. 4 - Janice Rhodes Oct. 5 - Arlene Baker It is never too early to prepare for an emergency. With the smoke in the air and Oct. 8 - Sandy Oberg loved ones evacuating, we are reminded that Oct. 13 - Ren Partridge, Rita Nozzolillo we should also make sure that we are ready. Oct. 15 - Laurie Corl Don't wait until the last minute. Oct. 16 - Kelsey Rahmgren Go to this link: CLICK HERE to see the steps Oct. 20 - Arlene Woodburn you should take and the items you should Oct. 22 - Bill Slessinger prepare in case of evacuation.

Our church building and offices remain closed, but the church is still at work in the world! We are constantly adapting to make authentic worship and sacred filled experiences. Look out for more information about Bible studies, small groups, and fellowship events! God is at work.

ESUMC Financials Let us be open to new beginnings!

July 2020 For more information about the protocols, please click here. Income $115,782.09 Expenses $121,174.31

Shortfall ($5,392.22) JOIN US for We know that these are unusual times. Our church is working harder than ever to support our community. Please consider your gifts and how you are helping. A BIG thank you to all who are keeping up with their pledges! You can always send in a check or Tuesday @ 7:15 pm Wednesday @ 10 am donate online at www.esumconline.org. Meeting ID: Meeting ID:

965 0250 6049 948 5108 4509

Meeting Password: Meeting Password:

610727 894099

All are welcome to join in ESUMC's Bible Studies, whether you're a master theologian or have never opened a Bible! Studies will be held every Wednesday and Thursday. For any questions contact Rev. Emily at [email protected]

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Last month, we celebrated the Commissioning of our very own (now) Rev. Eileen Johnson. This is an exciting time for our church and for Eileen. We hope that you tuned in to watch the service. If you weren't able to, contact the church office and we'll try and send you the recording. What does commissioning mean? In the UMC, we have two types of orders for clergy. One is the Elder and one is a Deacon. Rev. Emily is a Provisional Elder and Rev. Eileen is now a

Provisional Deacon. Provisional means that you are

not yet ordained but are in a residency program that leads to ordination.

• Elders are Ordained to:

o Order – an administration role o Sacrament – a priestly role, called to perform the sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism o Word – a teaching/preaching role ex: Sunday Sermons and Bible Studies o Service

• Deacons are Ordained to:

o Word – a teaching/preaching role o Service – especially called to the marginalized o Compassion o Justice o Minister in some particular area of expertise that serves to connect the congregation with the needs of the world.

Rev. Emily will still be the head pastor of ESUMC, but Rev. Eileen is now celebrated as A pastor of ESUMC. If you have any questions about what this means, please contact either Revs. Eileen or Emily.

Sandy Oberg

Monika Smith “My TV busy work. Scrubbies for the Craft “Here is a 5-braid headband I made a couple of Sale, hopefully in 2021. I've weeks ago.” had fun mixing colors. It feels a little like crocheting flowers. You would think with all the down time of a Pandemic I could accomplish big things, but small projects are what I can handle. What are you doing to help pass this crazy time?”

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humanity of those who differ from us. It is about recognizing our foundational role as citizens to be

the architects and agents of a more perfect We know that November 3rd is looming over all union. In order to help with this campaign, we of us. Politics is a tricky subject right now, and for many, it always has been. Many say that (ESUMC) will be having an online worship on politics don’t belong in the church or that it’s a Election Eve to create more mindfulness and forbidden word. We, as a society, have forgotten intentionality in our sacred lives to lift up the pains how to have decent and civil conversations about and aches of our world. We will also celebrate the the tough subjects in life. We have avoided heroes of suffrage that have paved the way in confronting tough conversations in a hope that they allowing us to vote. Look out for more information will go away or get forgotten. Instead, we’re seeing about this service and other initiatives as we how the lack of conversations is building up like a continue our partnership with Braver Angels. For pressure cooker that has exploded instead of letting more information, you can contact Rev. Emily out steam over time. For anyone who has lived with and/or go to www.braverangels.org. another person, you usually can tell that an argument about who washes the dishes isn’t really about the dishes. Other conflicts come up that we often choose to brush aside as not being a big deal, when instead all of these small conflicts build up until a catalyst (like the dishes) releases them. This Craft Project— is what has happened with politics. For so long contributed by Rev. Emily we’ve said, “We don’t talk about politics” at the Want something creative to do for decorating this dinner table or at church, that we forget what we’re Halloween? Try creating these fun window stencils called to do. Jesus calls us to live out our faith, and for a spoooooooky silhouette effect. this includes in our civic lives. The Bible also asks Supplies needed: black construction paper, orange us to seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly tissue paper, pencil with our God (Amos 6:8). We have an opportunity, Create silhouette shapes of different Halloween unlike so many, to make a difference with our vote. items. Examples include: a Jack-o’-Lantern, moon I hope you all are registered to vote. We all are and stars, black cat, creepy trees, owls, bats, feeling divided, angry, frustrated, and we hold a spiderwebs, you name it! Trace images you can deep sense of sadness for the state of our world. find or draw your own! Then use clear tape to Therefore, ESUMC has chosen to partner with the attach them to the windows. Place the orange organization Braver Angels. BA was started tissue paper behind them and tape to the window. following the 2016 Presidential Election to foster conversations that bridge the divide. They are having the conversations that are releasing that pressure and helping us see people who believe differently as kin, rather than enemies. We have agreed to join with their project called “With Malice Toward None”. The goal is to create a space for people to deal with their emotions (positive and negative), to build our capacities for working together to address our common challenges, and to commit ourselves to a renewed citizenship. This is not about covering up strong political differences or encouraging people to support whoever wins the election. It is about a commitment to respecting the

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ESUM C

Noel ’s Pumpkin fluff Dip Crazy Caprese Eyes

Ingredients: 1 can Pumpkin PUREE (Not Mix) 15oz Ingredients 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie spice or to taste. Green Olives 1 tub 8 oz Cool Whip Black Olives 1 pumpkin small size 1 package of pearl mozzarella balls Instructions: 1 package of grape tomatoes Mix together the pumpkin puree, the dry pudding Basil leaves mix, and the pumpkin pie mix. Optional but particularly good, Stir in the Cool whip and mix a little more till Drizzle of olive oil everything is blended. Instructions Place in refrigerator for 1 hour. Slice the green olives into rings. Meanwhile, scoop out the inside of the pumpkin Cut the black olives in half. Cut each olive half into removing the seeds and strings. 6- 8 pieces. After the hour is up get your fluff and pour it into Stuff the inside of the green olive ring with a black the pumpkin. olive piece. If the black olive is too big to stuff inside Place your pumpkin on a plate and add ginger the green olive ring, cut it to size. snaps, or cinnamon graham crackers, all around Cut the pearl mozzarella balls in half. to dip in the fluff. Cut the grape tomatoes in half.

*** You can also use a marker and make a face Assemble on your pumpkin to have a little festive fun. Lay a small- medium-sized basil leaf on a serving *** You can also use mini pumpkins. platter. Top each basil leaf with a tomato half. Top

the tomato with mozzarella then top the mozzarella with the stuffed green olive. Repeat until you make as many Crazy Caprese Eyes as you want. Optional: Drizzle each Crazy Caprese Eyes with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Recipe Notes Make your Halloween fun and use a Halloween plate or decorate a paper plate. Get creative and

Happy Halloween.

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Noel’s Pumpkin Pie Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookie Dough: Royal Icing: 2 cups flour ½ lb. confectioner’s sugar ¼ tsp salt 2 ½ tbsp. meringue powder ½ tsp baking powder 2 tbsp water 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice brown, yellow, and orange ½ cup unsalted butter food coloring 1 cup sugar 1 egg 2 tbsp milk

½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions: Bake the cookies: Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl. Set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the egg, milk and vanilla extract and mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Roll out to ¼ inch-thick on a floured surface and cut into 4-inch circles. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Slice some of the circles into segments.

Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool

completely.

Decorate the cookies: Combine the confectioner’s sugar and meringue powder in a bowl. Add the water and beat with an electric mixer for 5-7 minutes, or until the icing maintains shape when

drizzled.

Dye 4 tbsp of icing brown using brown and yellow food coloring. Keep 2 tbsp white icing, then dye the rest orange using orange and brown food coloring.

Place the brown icing into a piping bag fitted with a small angled piping tip, the white icing into a bag fitted with a small, star-shaped piping tip and the orange into a bag fitted with a small, round piping tip.

Flood the entire surface of the cookies with the orange icing and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour, or until dry to the touch. Pipe the crust with the brown icing, wiggling the piping bag to create a wavy pattern.

Use the white icing to create dollops of whipped cream.

Allow the cookies to dry completely, about 1 hour.

Enjoy!

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3

10 AM Photo 10 AM 10 AM Club, (online) Motion Worship Class 1:30 PM Rehearsal (online) (online) Motion Class (online)

7:00 PM Bible Study 2020 (online) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10 AM 1:30 PM 10 AM Motion 10 AM Bible 10 AM Photo 10 AM 10 AM Worship, Motion Class Study, (online) Club, (online) Motion Worship (online) Class (online) Class Rehearsal (online) 10:15 AM 1:30 PM 4 PM Motion Class (online) (online) 12:15 PM Motion Class Small Faith Exploration (online) (online) 7 PM Group Worship (online) 7:30 PM 7:00 PM (online) Committee 7:30 PM Choir (online) Bible Study (online) Kairos (online) (online))

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

10 AM Bible 10 AM 1:30 PM 10 AM Motion 10 AM Photo 10 AM 10 AM Study, (online) Worship, Motion Class Club, (online) Motion Worship (online) (online) Class 10:15 AM Class Rehearsal 1:30 PM (online) 4 PM Motion Class (online) (online) 12:15 PM Motion Class Faith Exploration (online) (online) Small 7 PM (online) Group Worship 7:30 PM 7:00 PM (online) Committee 7:30 PM Choir (online) Bible Study (online) Kairos (online) (online)

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

10 AM 1:30 PM 10 AM Motion 10 AM Bible 10 AM Photo 10 AM 10 PM Worship, Motion Class Study, (online) Club, (online) Motion Worship (online) Class (online) Class 10:15 AM Rehearsal (online) 1:30 PM (online) 12:15 PM 4 PM Motion Class (online) Motion Class Small Faith Exploration (online) 7 PM (online) Group (online) Worship 7:30 PM (online) 7:00 PM Committee 7:30 PM Choir (online) Bible Study (online) Kairos (online) (online)

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

10 AM 10 AM Bible 1:30 PM 10 AM Motion 10 AM Photo 10 AM 10 PM Worship, Motion Class Study, (online) Club, (online) Motion Worship (online) Class (online) Class 10:15 AM Rehearsal (online) 1:30 PM 12:15 PM (online) (online) 4 PM Motion Class Motion Class Small 7 PM Faith Exploration (online) (online) Group Worship (online) (online) 7:30 PM 7:00 PM Committee 7:30 PM Choir (online) Bible Study (online) Kairos (online) (online)

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Prayer Concerns Jimmie Harvey (son-in-law of Wendy Allen); Marion Damon (mother of Eileen's step-daughter, Heather); Family of Lauren Hanley (from Nerd Crossing and President of the El Sobrante Chamber of Commerce); Slessinger family, Reynolds family, Family of Ray Lussier; Edna Luffey; Paulette Collins; Mort Weishahn; Morie Oberg; The family of Nancy Corl; Lee Hunt; Paddi Just and the family; the family of Pauline Webber; Teresa Berenger (Madeleine Trouerbach's daughter); Sherry Banks; the family of Judy Buhlis; Robert Johnson (former colleague of Karen Jarrell); Annette Allan (Noel Stout's sister); Ron Driskell (Karen Jarrell's colleague); Gary Dwiggins; Hailie James; Leota Merrithew, family of Teresa Morin Stanton (friend of Lee Hunt); Victor Nozzolillo; the Fleming family (Darlene, Steve, Denise Roby, & Michael); Laureen Kelly and Linda Goodman (nieces of Darlene); Gary Spearie (Paula Hammond's brother); those who continue to be impacted by natural disasters and the COVID-19.

El Sobrante United Methodist Church Wayfarer 670 Appian Way, El Sobrante, CA 94803 October 2020 issue

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Resident Bishop, Minerva Carcaño District Superintendent, Schuyler Rhodes Pastor, Emily Pickens-Jones Director of Music, Eileen M. Johnson Lay Leader, Jacqueline Corl-Seidel Lay Minister, Charlene Kafer Treasurer, Marilyn Lomelino Office, Erika Cortez

Find ESUMC online www.esumconline.org Facebook, search for “El Sobrante United Methodist Church”