The First Baptist Church of Redlands
T A PE S T R Y
J uly 2020
Wo v e n To g e t h e r I n L o v e : C o l o s s i a n s 2 : 2
Issue No. 7
THE NEW TEMPLE A Message from Pastor Shawn
On the last Sunday that we worshiped together in the church sanctuary I preached on the passage in John 4 where Jesus and the Samaritan woman meet at the well. If you look at the conversation that they had, you will see that they discuss where is the appropriate place to worship God. This was a serious point of contention between Jews and Samaritans, people who had been in conflict for generations. Jesus says to the woman, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem…But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21, 23, 24). These comments are revolutionary in so many ways! First, Jesus is implying that the Temple is “temporary.” The exclusiveness of the Temple is no more. There is going to be a “new Temple” and it is going to be the community of God’s people. Worship isn’t in a “place,” it’s in people! Second, he is having this conversation with someone who is considered an “enemy” of his people. Is it possible that enemies can be the new Temple together? Add to that the fact that she is woman, and in that culture and religion women were not included in theological discussions and were only allowed so far into the temple. Up to that point the Temple was the “thin space” between heaven and earth. It contained the “Holy of Holies” where the priest as certain times would visit God’s presence. Then Jesus came with the message that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Jesus was the one who moved between heaven and earth and with the coming of the Holy Spirit the “New Temple” is the community of believers, wherever they are. The limitations that Jesus referred to are now gone.
We are now going through the book of Acts in the sermons this summer. One of the on-going themes of Acts is this “New Temple” as the people of God share the Good News of Christ well beyond Jerusalem and the Temple building. People who never imagined even entering one another’s homes become family together in Christ. Barriers of all types are broken down! As we read we keep seeing the Kingdom of God! I can’t help but think that God is trying to speak to us in this age of Coronavirus as well as the constant reminders that we have so much work to do to make sure that the kind of justice that is a value of the Kingdom of God is available to all. What does it mean that we are the “New Temple?” We are going to continue to contemplate these kinds of questions in our sermons this summer, but we also have an opportunity to go deeper. Beginning Monday, July 6, we will offer a Bible study on Zoom where we will dig deeper into Acts. We will look at the sections that we are skipping in the sermon series. There are other opportunities to study, fellowship and pray with others from our church family, all on Zoom. Pastor Nick has just started a study about Jesus. There is a book study that is starting and some of our Sunday School classes are continuing through the summer. If you are interested in getting involved, check our emails for information. If you are not getting them, let us know at nicolas@fbcredlands.org. May we continue to listen to the Holy Spirit as we discover more about what it means to be the New Temple.
In Christ, Pastor Shawn
COVER
MISSION 8 Worldwide Prayer Concerns: Cuba, China, Pakistan
1 A Message from Pastor Shawn : “The New Temple” 2 Staff and Contents
F E L LOWS H I P 9 Hugh Huntley: “Hang Waiting”
MINISTRY 3 Pastor Nick : “Our Legacy”
NEWS
4 Richard W. Steffen: “Sing a Song”
10 Church News
5 Prayer to God 6 Children’s Ministry: “In Preparation of Action”
11 July Calendar
S TA F F Rev. Dr. Shawn Zambrows Senior Pastor shawn@fbcredlands.org
Nathan Jones Youth Director youth@fbcredlands.org
Nicholas Quient Associate Pastor nicholas@fbcredlands.org
Angel Florence Office Administrator angel@fbcredlands.org
Rev. Cheryl Sneller Director of Children’s Ministry cheryl@fbcredlands.org
Isa Terrell Communications Specialist isa@fbcredlands.org
Richard W. Steffen Minister of Music rwsteffen@gmail.com
Richard Colunga Buildings/Grounds
The Tapestry is published monthly by The First Baptist Church of Redlands, 51 West Olive Avenue, Redlands, CA 92373. All material for the Tapestry should be typed and emailed no later than the 15th of each month to tapestry@fbcredlands.org. If you would like to be added or removed from the Tapestry mailing list, please email tapestry@fbcredlands.org. Current and previous Tapestry issues are available in digital format at issuu.com/fbcr.
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Contact us: admin@fbcredlands.org 909-793-3289 www.fbcredlands.org Due to the Coronavirus shutdown, our office remains closed until further notice. However, we are receiving mail and phone messages. Staff can be reached by email (see above).
MI N I S T RY
Our Legacy Pastor Nick Quient
Psalm 22:26-27 (NRSV) The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD. May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. 27
It is hard, living in the moment. As human beings, perhaps the most difficult and scary aspect of daily life is the fact that the future is unknown to us. While we might make plans and prepare our events and our days, only God knows the steps we will take. I imagine it was the same thing for the earliest Christians like Paul and Mark and Junia and Phoebe—they were active, propulsive, working zealously to further God’s kingdom on earth as it was in heaven. Many of them gave their bodies upon the altar of martyrdom willingly, knowing that—someday—God would bring all things to completion and the resurrection would stand as a vindication of their lives and hearts. But, they knew enough to know that they didn’t know what tomorrow would bring. For us, I imagine it is the same way. We live with hope in the resurrection, where God will come and finally set all things in their proper place, and we will live in the peace of the new creation. But our futures are in many ways a mist—something perhaps tangible, but never certain. So our work for justice and peace begins in the present. For many of us, it means taking a knee. For others, it means voting. For others, it means protesting and speaking with prophetic fire. For others, it means raising children to be kind. For others, it means trying to do all three with a health mask (no small feat I imagine). As we—as the church—move together during this time, may we be reminded that the little things we do have an echo—they do make a difference. A smile. A post. A step down the street. A ballot cast. A prayer offered. All of these things have meaning and significance: they create a legacy that we may not witness, but we know that God does not let evil reign forever. If we participate in God’s grand kingdom vision, then we know that our daily lives will make a difference—and there is no such thing as a small difference when doing kingdom work. May that give us hope.
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Sing a Song
by Richard W. Steffen, Minister of Music I enjoy singing. I enjoy listening to singing. And I have learned much from others who have told me what songs they enjoy singing: what songs move them and why. I am not sure when I first knew of one particularly moving song. As the choral director at Riverside Poly High School, I participated in nearly 30 assemblies organized for Black History Month. In the planning for most of them, my students would ask me to help them prepare a song that was chosen: “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” In 1899, a young African-American poet and principal of Edwin M. Stanton School in Jacksonville, FL, was asked to give a speech for the upcoming anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. The school is the namesake of Stanton, who had served in the Cabinet of President Lincoln. Principal James Weldon Johnson decided to write a poem instead of a more ordinary speech. And as he finished each stanza, James handed the lyrics to his classically trained brother John, who wrote music to the words. Then on February 12, 1900, and as a tribute to the visit of renowned educator Booker T. Washington, a chorus of 500 schoolchildren performed the song at the Lincoln celebration. Within 20 years of its first presentation, the NAACP adopted it as its official song. Since then, this song has been embraced as a hymn in churches and performed at graduation ceremonies and school assemblies. Shana Redmond is a professor at UCLA who studies music, race, and politics. In 2013, she wrote a book about this song: Anthem: Social Movements and the Sound of Solidarity in the African Diaspora. She says that “it’s a song about transcending difficulties.” But “it is not in wide use in the same way with contemporary generations as it has been with my parents and grandparents’ generation.” An article on literarydevices.net tells of the ideas, feelings, and emotions of James Johnson when he wrote it. The lyrics are “a representation of joy. The poet illustrates African-Americans’ feelings about freedom. The speaker provides a realistic picture of their jubilation and pleasure and illustrates how they enjoyed the golden moments. Later, he digs deeper into the gloomy history of AfricanAmericans. Although they endured a lot, yet they did not lose hope. Now they are standing at the brink of a new, hopeful, and bright future. Therefore, they thank God, who guided them on the difficult paths.”
During the last nearly 50 years, this song has been more widely shared. Performer Kim Weston sang it in 1972 to nearly 100,000 people at Wattstax, a benefit concert held in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum given during the seventh Watts Summer Festival. Ray Charles sang it in September of that year on the Dick Cavett Show. In 1990, singer Melba Moore released a version that included Anita Baker, Stevie Wonder and Dionne Warwick. Gladys Knight and Bebe Winans added their rendition in 2012. And in April, 2018, Beyoncé sang it at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, highlighting black culture. The Morgan State University Choir opens every concert with it, and it is included in nearly 30 different Christian hymnals, including my newest one: Lift Up Your Hearts (2013). At a Zoom FBC Staff meeting last month, this song was mentioned as one that could speak to our hearts during the current happenings in our country. Then later that same day, I opened an email from the ACDA, the association that organizes the excellent conferences I attend each year. That email concluded with the second half of stanza 1 of this song. Here are stanzas 1 and 3 of the song. The italics, underlining, and bold font are mine. “Lift every voice and sing till earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith That the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope That the present has brought us, Facing the rising sun of our new day begun Let us march on till victory is won. God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who has brought us thus far on the way; Thou who has by Thy might led us into the light, Keep us forever in the path, we pray. Lest our feet stray from the places, Our God, where we met Thee, Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine Of the world, we forget Thee; Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand, True to our God, true to our native land.” “Sing a song:” full of faith from the past and hope received in the present. May we be filled with both in our future.
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by Pastor Nick Quient
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
God, give us strength of body to keep walking for freedom. God, give us strength to remain nonviolent, even though we may face death. … God, grant that we wage the struggle with dignity and discipline. May all who suffer oppression in this world reject the self-defeating method of retaliatory violence and choose the method that seeks to redeem. … God, remove all bitterness from my heart and give me the strength and courage to face any disaster that comes my way. … Amen. —Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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C hildren’s ministry
In Preparation For Action
Sometimes I am too busy in our covid-19 adapted lifestyle. Other times I don’t know what to do. So many concerns visually bombarding my vision, OK, how about limiting my news intake. When I do absorb the news make sure it is reliable and not sensational. Reminder to me: choose visual media that doesn’t accost. Slashing my heart, The Spirit of God is revealing injustice and prodding us to hear “Black Lives Matter”. I can listen to podcasts, watch reputable videos and read books and learn to understand this Kingdom of God issue. Others can help to guide me in additional actions to take. Feeling overwhelmed and hopelessly helpless, Run outside and reconnect with the Creator. I sit quietly and look up at the thin dancing leaves of the pecan trees blow in the blue summer sky. I have an amazing God who is decidedly in control. I wonder how to make a difference in this crazy world. Dear Lord help me to keep my eyes and ears open to the leading of your Spirit in times such as these. Provide me with wisdom and understanding. Give me courage as I step into new and different arenas. Help me to identify the gifts you have given to me and use them to Your glory. AMEN
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FBCR CHILDREN NEWS The midweek Bible lesson videos the children and I are learning from are out of Saddleback Church (a local church in Orange Co.) They are Bible story lessons helping us to learn the Gifts of the Spirit. The Bible characters we have studied so far are Tabitha and Lydia. Tabitha exemplifies “Kindness” and Lydia’s character illustrates “Goodness”. Two common people who become uncommon because they allow the Holy Spirit to use them in the life of their Church. Tabitha kindly observes someone in need and if she is able to create something to fulfill that need, she does. Lydia, a business woman, is at the river when she observes some travelers that need shelter. Lydia reminds me of Mary the sister of Martha and Lazareth, who chooses to sit at Jesus’ feet in order to learn and not spend her time in the kitchen. Lydia recognizes her opportunity to learn about the God of Creation from Paul and his companions and welcomes them into her home. The children of First Baptist Church of Redlands have a newspaper that has usually been coming out weekly. Children send in photos of what they have been doing or where they have been. They often send a photo of the finished craft they receive in their weekly packet. We have even published a play by Natalie about a deer and a drawing by Joseph. Junior Disciples have been meeting on Zoom once a week. We catch up on what each other are doing, briefly discuss the midweek Bible lesson, play a game and ask for prayer concerns. Together, on-line, we painted our Fathers’/Grandfathers’/special male person gift. God’s Kids meet on Zoom twice a month. Kathy suggested each child bring building materials and build together as we talk. We have them explain what it is they are building. We also briefly talk about the Bible character of the week and the Fruit of the Spirit. Each Sunday Jonathan has a special God’s Kids singing time, via our Church’s You Tube, complete with puppet like characters. We are getting to know each other better.
Blessings on the Hope Filled Journey, Pastor Cheryl
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missions
Worldwide Prayer Concerns
“But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.” –Hebrews 10:32-33
Cuba www.persecution.com Voice of the Martyrs asks for prayer for believers in Cuba. While many churches around the world have responded to the pandemic by moving services online, few people in Cuba have internet access, so Cuban Christians are not getting the chance to meet together for worship and fellowship. Being a Christian in Cuba is already difficult since the government views religion as a threat to their ideology and puts a lot of pressure on churches and believers. VOM also reports that food is scarce, so people must wait in long lines to get food. Pray for the Cuban people to receive both physical and spiritual sustenance and for Christians to remain committed to their faith.
China International Christian Concern and New York Times Pray for two members of the Early Rain Covenant Church who were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their Christian activities. Pastor Wang Yi was sentenced to a nine-year term for inciting to subvert state power, and elder Qin Derfu was sentenced to a four year term for illegal business activity. These charges were related to Christian literature that the church had printed for use in its ministry. The church is not registered with the Chinese government as Pastor Yi strongly advocates for the separation of church and state. Pray for both of these men as they suffer in prison, separated from their families, as a result of their firm convictions. Pray that their faith would be a witness to those around them and that their families would be cared for in their absence. Pray that Christians in China would be able to serve Christ without the interference from the government.
Pakistan www.persecution.com International Christian Concern asks for prayers for Shafqat Emmanuel and his wife Shagufta, who both have been sentenced to death under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. They have been jailed in separate prisons since their arrest back in 2013. They were accused of sending text messages that insulted the Quran and the police beat Shafqat into a forced confession. However, as an illiterate man, it is clear he could not have sent the texts. Additionally, the texts were in English, a language he did not know! The couple was sentenced to death in April 2014 and their appeal has been continually delayed. Pray that they can finally receive a hearing from the Lahore High Court and be cleared of these false charges. Pray that Pakistan would change the law so that it can’t be used to persecute religious minorities. - Jonathan Peske If you have information to share about the persecuted church or news from the mission field, please share it with Jonathan Peske.
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fellowship
hang waiting by Hugh Huntley
With the wind just right at 12 mph he pushed off into thin air. It was a lovely sight above Indian Valley in Northern California, just up the hill from the town of Greenville. At 6,250 feet above sea level the bluff is more than a thousand feet above the valley floor thus providing wonderful updrafts for hang gliding. The four men were from San Luis Obispo, in Central California, and had come here for some fun. With their white Ford truck fitted with a rack to carry all four gliders they had come to a place where the long valley below runs north and south. At 6,250 ft the launch site is a bald ridge facing west looking down at Greenville and Johnsville. The open ridge catches the updraft and with the wind just right at 10-15 mph the lift was perfect. Three friends helped “Mike” set up his 32-ft-wingspan glider made of aluminum, plastic, steel, plastic ropes and an aluminum frame. They came together in an amazing way. A “Go-Pro” camera near the tail will record his flight. Bodysuit, earphones and camera are set and Mike heads down to the crest into the wind. Hi three friends help him line up—but wait, the wind it too strong—the handheld meter says the wind in 20 mph—that’s too much. After about 10 minutes it calms and off he goes. Sailing like a bird he vanishes over the edge and out of sight, but soon to be seen making a wide swooping loop to the left. He then finds a thermal and starts circling up and up. Everyone gives a sigh of relief. Now it is time for his friends to get ready to fly—but wait, the wind is gusting to 20 mph and more— now they will have to wait. We had planned to take the pickup down to the bottom of the hill to save them miles after the flights were over—but no such luck. After almost two hours the winds were too varied and the three could not fly—they would have to wait for another day. With a shrug of his shoulders “Joe” says, “Yep, in this business of hang gliding we do a lot of “HANG WAITING.” In all life we must find the “right” time for projects, jobs, and adventures—Yes, that is what life is about— “waiting for the right time.” May you find your 10-15 mph wind!
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News HAPPY July BIRTHDAYS TO... 2
Rhiannon Fisher
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Elizabeth Updegraff
4
Benjamin Kronberg
24
Solace Huynh
6
Ruby May Price
25
Laura Hunt
9
Yholddy Jones
25
John Parke
12
Sara Graham
26
Loretta Bueermann
13
Irene Coggins
27
Norma Martinez
13
Niki Farmer
28
Barbara Stein
15
Paul Williams
28
Rod Zambrows
17
Linda Hollenberg
30
Lloyd Savage
20
Teri Jensen
31
Robert Carpenter
21
Allie Baker
31
Paul Espinosa
22
Donnie Allen
Congregation update
Submissions for the Tapestry should be sent to tapestry@fbcredlands.org by the 15th of each month.
IM’s World Mission Conference is moving online! 20/20
By Jonathan Peske
I once was blind, but now I see. Mark 8:22-25
Dear church family,
Join us for life-changing storytelling and the latest news and testimonies from IM’s global servants, who will help you see with 20/20 vision that God’s mission is alive and well around the world.
Sunday, July 19 is our next scheduled congregational business meeting and we are currently planning to hold it online via Zoom. Over the past few months, many of us have been introduced to this meeting platform and learned how to use it as we have met for Sunday School and commission meetings. (If you haven’t had a chance to use it yet, it’s not as scary as you might think and you don’t even need to have a computerit is possible to call in using your phone and hear what’s going on in the meeting.) We will send out more details with the time and login information as the date approaches, but please mark your calendars and plan to join us online as we discuss the business of the church. We are hoping to bring some proposals for how we can move forward with donating money from our Gregory Estate gift, so it should be an exciting time! In Christ, Jonathan M. Peske, Moderator PS Thank you to all who have continued to give faithfully throughout these difficult times. It is a blessing to serve in a church with so many supportive members.
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Who is invited? Anyone eager for a glimpse of God’s mission through IM global servants. Anyone eager to learn how they can participate in God’s mission. Where: The comfort of your own home. When: 6:00 pm EDT on July 14, `6, 21, 23, and 28, 2020 Why now? We could all use some good news right now, for concrete reminders that God is at work and that God is sovereign. How can I attend? Registration is required, but it is FREE! Please mark your calendars and save the date. Watch for registration details that will soon be available at http://www.internationalministries.org/category/ events/.
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Pray for God’s Leading
10:15 a.m. Worship online (tinyurl.com/FBCRedlands)
9 a.m. Sunday School classes online (check with leader)
26 Pray for Strength
10:15 a.m. Worship online (tinyurl.com/FBCRedlands)
9 a.m. Sunday School classes online (check with leader)
19 Pray for Children
10:15 a.m. Worship online (tinyurl.com/FBCRedlands)
9 a.m. Sunday School classes online (check with leader)
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Pray for Generous Hearts
Pray for Guidance
27 Pray for Conviction
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13 Pray for Families
Pray for Friends
7 p.m. Executive Council online
3 p.m. IM World Mission Conference online
World Leaders
28 Pray for
3 p.m. IM World Mission Conference online
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3 p.m. IM World Mission Conference online
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7 Pray for the Homeless
Pray for Increased Faith
Positive Thinking
29 Pray for
22 Pray for Cuba
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8 Pray for Rest
Pray for Students
Pray for God’s Peace
9 Pray for China
7 pm Youth Group online
7 pm “Corner Booth” Class online (check with leader)
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Thursday
Pray for New Connections
30 Pray for Sinners
7 pm Youth Group online
7 pm “Corner Booth” Class online (check with leader)
3 p.m. IM World Mission Conference online
Pray for not becoming Weary
Pray for Open Hearts
31 Pray for Fellowship
Pray for the Oppressed
17 Pray for Compassion
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3
Friday Pray for Joy
Pray for Medical Workers
7 a.m. Walking for the Health of It
Pray for Difficult Conversations
25
7 a.m. Walking for the Health of It
18 Pray for Pakistan
7 a.m. Walking for the Health of It
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- Happy July 4th -
7 a.m. Walking for the Health of It
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Saturday
J U LY 2 0 2 0
23 Pray for Self-Awareness 24
7 pm Youth Group online
7 pm “Corner Booth” Class online (check with leader)
3 p.m. IM World Mission Conference online
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7 pm Youth Group online
Pray for Seekers
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Wednesday
10:15 a.m. Worship online (tinyurl.com/FBCRedlands)
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Tuesday
7 pm “Corner Booth” Class online (check with leader)
Pray for Encouragement
Monday
9 a.m. Sunday School classes online (check with leader)
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Sunday
Due to current need to “Shelter at Home,” all in-person meetings are either canceled or moved online.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The First Baptist Church of Redlands 51 West Olive Avenue, Redlands CA 92373-5243 909-793-3289 | www. fbcredlands.org
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