Note from Pastor Rick (6/21/2017)

Well, it wasn’t too hot to grill – at least Don Ha survived long enough to cook the hot dogs and hamburgers (Thanks, Don!) We actually had to move inside to eat. It rarely gets this hot for this long in our neck of the woods. I hope everyone is keeping cool.

We have several options for Sunday’s worship theme – the story of Hagar and Ishmael, Jesus teaching in Matthew that God pays attention to sparrows that fall along with the hairs on our heads (for those of  you who have some still,) or Paul’s wrestling with the question of whether not we might “sin more that grace may abound. Come Sunday to find out which direction we move. Throughout, we remember that it is in God that we live and move and have our being. Wherever our journey may take us, God is ever present and ever attentive. That is good news, even in tough times.

Next Tuesday I will be heading out on a two week road trip. I will be driving to Portland, Oregon, for the biennial Mission Summit of the American Baptist Churches – USA and then on to Boise to see my family. I will return to the office on Tuesday, July 11. Pastor Gregory will be on duty during my absence. And for your calendars, the church picnic this year will be on Sunday, July 16.

See you Sunday for worship and community sharing at 10:00 AM. Bring someone else to share the day with you.

Remember, our theme for this year is “All Are Welcome in this Place.” Let’s make certain that it is so.
Pastor Rick

Note from Pastor Rick (6/15/2017)

We had a terrific Youth Sunday. Thanks to Pastor Gregory, the children and youth for leading us. Again, congratulations to our graduates and best wishes to all our kids moving up a grade. We pray a wonderful summer for all of them as well as for school teachers and staff.

The theme for this Sunday is a timely word – Compassion. With all the mean spirited talk and behavior, not to mention the violence going on all around us every day, there needs to be space for more compassion. Matthew writes of Jesus, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). It’s not surprising to note that some of us may feel this lost these days. But Jesus’ solution is to send the disciples out to provide comfort and care, courage and well-being for the people who made up those crowds. We, too, are tasked with a ministry of compassion in Jesus name.

This week, after worship, we will have our long-awaited first cookout of the season. This one is in honor of Father’s Day. Bring your hat, your appetite and salad, side or dessert to share. Bring someone else to share the day with you.

Remember, our theme for this year is “All Are Welcome in this Place.” Let’s make certain that it is so.
Pastor Rick

This Week at First Baptist (6/15/17)

• Thursday, June 15, 7:30 PM: Choir Rehearsal in the Parlor
• Sunday, June 18: Third Sunday After Pentecost
  10:00 AM, Worship and Sunday School: Compassion, Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7); Psalm 1161-2, 12-19; Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23); Romans 5:1-8, Rick Mixon preaching.

  11:15 AM: Fathers Day Cookout Hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, condiments, and beverage provided. Please bring a side dish, salad, or dessert to share..

• Tuesday, June 20, 10:30 AM: Bible Study at Marylea McLean’s apartment, 373 Pine Lane #4204, Los Altos.
• Wednesday, June 21, 8:30 AM: Men’s Breakfast at Bill’s Cafe, 3163 Middlefield, Palo Alto. All the men from our Church family are welcome.
• Wednesday, June 21, 10:30 AM: Meditation Group at Eileen Conover’s home, 1075 Space Park Way #217, Mountain View.
• Thursday, June 22, 11:30 AM: Women’s Brunch Shoreline Lake American Bistro, 3160 North Shoreline Boulevard, Mountain View, CA. Please let Lois Ville know if you will be attending, lotusville@aol.com or (650) 814-8540. All women of the church are welcome.
• Friday, June 23: Spire deadline

Looking ahead:

• Sunday, June 25: Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
  10:00 AM, Worship and Sunday School: God and Sparrows, Genesis 21:8-21; Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17; Matthew 10:24-39; Romans 6:1b-11, Rick Mixon preaching.

  11:15 AM: Patio Hour: Everyone is invited to gather on the Patio after Worship for refreshments and community time. A sign-up sheet for hosting this summer event is posted in the Church Entryway.

This Week at First Baptist (5/17/17)

• Thursday, May 18, 7:30 PM: Choir Rehearsal in the Parlor
• Sunday, May 21, 10:00 AM, Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
  Worship and Sunday School: Called Alongside, Psalm 66:8-20; John 14:15-21; Acts 17:22-31; 1 Peter 3:13-22, Rick Mixon preaching.
• Sunday, May 21, 11:30 AM: First Cookout of the Season. Hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, condiments, and beverage provided. Please bring a side dish, salad or dessert to share.
• Monday, May 22, 7:00 PM: Community Gospel Choir in the Parlor.
• Tuesday, May 23, 10:30 AM: Bible Study at Marylea McLean’s apartment, 373 Pine Lane #4204, Los Altos.
• Wednesday, May 24, 10:30 AM: Meditation Group at Eileen Conover’s home, 1075 Space Park Way #217, Mountain View.
• Thursday, May 25, 11:30 AM: Women’s Brunch, Shoreline Lake American Bistro, 3160 North Shoreline Boulevard, Mountain View, CA. Please let Lois Ville know if you will be attending, lotusville@aol.com or (408) 247-1764. All women of the church are welcome.

Looking ahead:

• May 28, 10:00 AM, Seventh Sunday in Easter
  Worship and Sunday School: All My Relations, Psalm 66:1-10; 31-35; John 17:1-11; Acts 1:6-14; 1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11, Rick Mixon preaching
  11:30 AM: Adult Spiritual Formation “Speaking in Parables.” We will continue our study of Jesus’ Parables, focusing this week on “The Parable of the Talents,” Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27.
• Sunday, May 28, 2:00 PM: Memorial Service for Marilyn Hunwick in the Sanctuary with a reception to follow in the Fellowship Hall.
• Tuesday, May 30: Spire Deadline

Note from Pastor Rick (5/17/2017)

Our focus scripture for this Sunday will be Acts 17:16-34. In this story Paul has stirred up trouble in Athens by preaching the gospel. He is called before the Areopagus, a kind of civic council, to account for himself and the claims he was making. He takes the opportunity to make a brilliant speech about the “unknown God” to whom the Athenians have erected a shrine. He goes on to challenge them to consider whether this might be an entry point to knowing the “living God” he serves, the One in whom we “live and move and have our being.” This is an inspirig tale and a powerful early witness to the faith tradition we claim as our own.

After Worship, we will hold the first cook out of the season and the weather is promising to cooperate. So, bring salad or a side dish to share. The rest will be furnished. Come early to help set up or stay after to help clean up.

Sadly this Sunday we will say farewell to Soo Kim and Doug Lee as they return to Korea. It has been a joy to have them sojourn with us the past 4+ years. We will miss them very much. We celebrate them in the service and at the cook out.

Remember, our theme for this year is “All Are Welcome in this Place.” Let’s make certain that it is so.

Pastor Rick

This Week at First Baptist (5/10/17)

• Thursday, May 11, 7:30 PM: Choir Rehearsal in the Parlor
• Sunday, May 14, Fifth Sunday in Easter (Mothers Day)
  10:00 AM: Worship and Sunday School: Stand Firm, Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16; John 14:1-14; Acts 7:55-60; 1 Peter 2:1-10, Rick Mixon, preaching.

  11:30 AM: Adult Spiritual Formation: “Speaking in Parables.” We will continue our study of Jesus’ Parables, focusing this week on “The Parable of the Talents,” Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27.

• Wednesday, May 17, 8:30 AM: Men’s Breakfast at Bill’s Cafe, 3163 Middlefield, Palo Alto. All the men from our Church family are welcome
• Wednesday, May 17, 10:30 AM: Meditation Group at Eileen Conover’s home, 1075 Space Park Way #217, Mountain View.

Looking ahead:

• Sunday, May 21, 10:00 AM, Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
  Worship and Sunday School: Called Alongside, Psalm 66:8-20; John 14:15-21; Acts 17:22-31; 1 Peter 3:13-22, Rick Mixon preaching.
• Sunday, May 21, 11:30 AM: First Cookout of the Season. Hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, condiments, and beverage provided. Please bring a side dish, salad or dessert to share.

A Note from Pastor Rick (6/15/2016)

In the study of psychology, we discover that numbness is often a first response to trauma. I feel something of that as I have tried to wrap my mind around what happened in Orlando this weekend. I don’t live in that part of the country and no one I know so far was personally affected. But, as others have commented, a gay bar has been sanctuary, “sacred space,” in this country for most lgbtq people as we’ve struggled to find safe space and journey partners in a hostile world. For whatever reasons, the pain of this violation is palpable for me. I thank God that I find safe space and blessed community among you and I thank you as well. May God bless and keep us. May we yet find the grace and peace of God’s Beloved Community where no one hurts or destroys anymore.

We had a great time hanging out with and learning from The Lorax last Sunday:

 the word of the Lorax seems perfectly clear.
UNLESS someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better.
It’s not.’”

Thanks to Daniel Ha for his beautiful playing of movement from a piano sonata by Beethoven. We have certainly been blessed with young musical talent recently. Sunday we will have more as James Poe will play his violin once more before heading for summer in New York City, where he will be studying with famed violinist, Itzhak Perlman.

Our Suessian text for Sunday is the tale of that wonderful elephant Horton, who hatches an egg. It seems to me a wonderful text for Father’s Day, as well as a reflection on faithfulness. Jesus says if we had the faith of a mustard seed we could move a mountain. Paul says faith sustains people like Abraham and Sarah on perilous journeys to strange places when God calls. Horton says “an elephant’s faithful, one-hundred percent.” How about us? Can we make such a claim? The Psalmist says “God’s steadfast love endures forever.” Isn’t that the model for fatherly love, from whomever it comes?

After worship we will enjoy our first cookout of the season on the patio. It’s another way to celebrate Father’s Day. We can use your help in making this a grand event. Come for worship Sunday at 10:00 AM and stay for the cookout. Invite your family and friends, neighbors and colleagues, acquaintances and strangers to join us on the journey.

Together, let us strive…to know God’s love!

Pastor Rick

This Week at First Baptist (6/15/16)

This Week at First Baptist

• Thursday, June 16, 7:30 PM: Choir Practice in the Parlor
• Sunday, June 19, Fifth Sunday after Pentecost- Fathers Day
  10:00 AM: Worship and Sunday School
  “The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss: Horton Hatches an Egg,” Psalm 136, Matthew 7:14-21; Hebrews 11, Pastor Rick preaching.
  11:30 AM: All Church Cookout in honor of Fathers Day on the Patio.  Hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, condiments and beverages furnished.  Bring side dishes, salads or dessert to share.
• NO Bible Study this week. We will meet again on Tuesday, June 28, 10:30 AM at Marylea McLean’s apartment, 373 Pine Lane, #4204, Los Altos.
• Wednesday, June 22, 10:30 AM: Meditation Group at Thelma Parodi’s house, 543 South El Monte Avenue, Los Altos.

LOOKING AHEAD:

• Thursday, June 23, 11:30 AM: Women’s Brunch at Dinah’s Poolside Restaurant, 4261 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. All women of our church community are invited to join in.
• Sunday, June 26, Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
  10:00 AM: Worship and Sunday School
  “The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss: Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?” Isaiah 43:1-7; Ephesians 1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:-17-4:6, Pastor Rick preaching. This Sunday marks Pastor Rick’s 10th anniversary as our pastor as well as the 20th anniversary of his ordination.
  11:15 AM Patio Hour hosted by Caroline Shepard.
• Monday, June 27: Spire Deadline
• Friday, July 29 – Sunday, July 31: Lead Through Story, an All-Church Retreat with Daniel Pryfogle. See details.

This Week at First Baptist (6/8/16)

This Week at First Baptist

• Thursday, June 9, 7:30 PM: Choir Practice in the Parlor
• Thursday, June 9, 8:00 PM: Free Movie Night- Michael Moore’s Where to Invade Next, Los Altos Youth Center in Los Altos, CA
• Sunday, June 12, Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
  10:00 AM: Worship and Sunday School
  “The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss: The Lorax,” Genesis 2, Job 12:7-10.
• Sunday, June 12, 11:30 AM: Church Finance Committee in the Parlor.
• Sunday, June 12, 2:00 – 7:00 PM: Communications in the Church- Pacific Coast Baptist Association Spring Conference including worship, panel discussion, and dinner. Grace Baptist Church, 484 E. San Fernando St., San Jose. Pastor Rick will be one of the panelists. Registration forms are available in the entry way and the church office.
• Tuesday, June 14, 10:30 AM: Bible Study at Marylea McLean’s apartment, 373 Pine Lane, #4204, Los Altos.
• Wednesday, June 15, 10:30 AM: Meditation Group at Thelma Parodi’s house, 543 South El Monte Avenue, Los Altos.

LOOKING AHEAD:

• Sunday, June 19, Fifth Sunday after Pentecost- Fathers Day
  10:00 AM: Worship and Sunday School
  “The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss: Horton Hatches an Egg,” Psalm 136, Matthew 7:14-21; Hebrews 11, Pastor Rick preaching.“The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss: The Lorax,” Genesis 2, Job 12:7-10.
  11:30 AM: All Church Cookout in honor of Fathers Day on the Patio.  Hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, condiments and beverages furnished.  Bring side dishes, salads or dessert to share.

Note from Pastor Rick (6/1/2016)

Last Sunday we continued “violin month,” as we listened to the beautiful playing of James Poe. James will play for us again on June 19 before heading off to New York City for seven weeks of study with Itzhak Perlman. We also concluded Peace Month with a focus on “Peace Now!” and a spirited discussion of Daniel Shapiro’s Negotiating the Nonnegotiable.

This month as we center on our own children and youth, celebrating graduations and the end of the school year, and raising funds for the Granholm Scholarship Fund, our theme will be “The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss.” The beloved children’s author and illustrator, Theodore Seuss Geisel, dispensed wit and wisdom for children of all ages, from one to 100. Each Sunday we will focus on one or more of his works, along with the Ancient Word to see what together they might teach us as people of faith.

This Sunday is Youth Sunday. Pastor Gregory, along with our children and youth, will be leading us in worship. The book they’ve chosen is the classic graduation gift, Oh, the Places You’ll Go. We will also celebrate Communion. Adult Spiritual Formation is on hiatus for the summer. Sunday will be our bi-monthly Lunch Bunch,

June 12 we will begin patio hour and June 19 we will hold our first cook out of the summer in honor of Father’s Day. If you’d be willing to host Patio Hour or help with the cook out, please sign up on the sheet in the Entryway. Also, on June 12, Grace Baptist Church in San Jose will be hosting the annual spring gathering of the Pacific Coast Baptist Association. The theme is “Communications in the Church.” There will be worship at 2:30 PM, followed by a panel on which I am participating, ending with dinner. Registration forms are available in the Entryway and office, or you can let me know if you’d like to attend. Registration deadline is Monday, June 6.

Join us for any of these opportunities beginning with Sunday at 10:00 AM. Invite your family and friends, neighbors and colleagues, acquaintances and strangers to join us on the journey.

Together, let us strive…to know God’s love!

Pastor Rick