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Redding First United Methodist Church
1825 East Street Redding, CA 96001
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID REDDING, CA PERMIT #234
Return Service Request-
Joe Major Pastor
Peggy Rebol Director of Ministry
Reannon Moore Admin. Assistant & Facility Manager
Justine Lehman Accounting Clerk
Need to reach us?
• 530-243-2403
• reddingumc.org
Main email (Reannon): [email protected]
Pastor Joe’s Emai: [email protected]
Peggy’s Email: [email protected]
Justine’s Email: [email protected]
Wilma’s Email [email protected]
JOIN US DIGITALLY SUNDAYS
FOR WORSHIP!
www.reddingumc.org/worship
Sermon for Sunday, March 29th:
“Telling a Better Story”
Scripture: Luke 10:25-37
weekly newsletter
First Church Connection March 26, 2020
Sermon: “Telling a Better Story”
Scripture: Luke 10: 25-37
www.reddingumc.org/worship
Meditation
"Prejudice often prospers from
false stories
that get passed down... we judge
individuals, even whole classes and
races of people as being legitimate or
illegitimate because our accepted
narrative says it is so."
~ Pastor Rob Fuquay
In Memoriam:
Dan Briggs
Dan passed away on Friday,
March 20, 2020. Please hold Dan’s
wife Barbara and his family and
friends in your thoughts and prayers
during this difficult time.
Memorial Service:
Larry Long
Larry passed away February 27,
2020. His memorial has been
postponed at this time. We will update
you once it is rescheduled. Please keep
Peggy and family in your prayers.
Prayer Requests
Shirley Davis, Katrina Welty,
Barbara Briggs and Family,
Peggy Long, Dave Shultz’
brother Duane, Barbara Pierce,
Doyle Martin, Dick Fairlee, Jane
Nelson and Shirley Martin
Please remember our shut-ins and
any unspoken requests.
Rob Fuquay in his book Living the
Story of Christ’s Last Days, tells us the
story of Max Meyer. Max was the only
Jewish resident of Oberammergau,
Germany in the 1930's. With the Nazi
party rising to power, Max was
dragged from his home one morning in
1938 and sent to the concentration
camp at Dachau.
Max Meyer’s story reminds us of the
ways our sometimes brutal and
tumultuous world intersects with daily
life. The Passion Play in
Oberammergau through the decades,
has been used to promote bigotry and
racial hatred. The Nazi party highly
influenced the play in the 30's and 40's,
depicting the Jewish people as dirty
and despicable, as opposed to the
noble Romans. Jesus was not depicted
as Jewish, but instead was portrayed
by an Aryan actor who made him
appear strong and commanding. The
script used in the Passion Play
promoted anti-Semitism for decades!
I’ve talked with many of you about
Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan.
Jesus used the story not only to teach
about loving and caring for each
other, but also to fight the racial hatred
of his day. Remember to the people
Jesus grew up with, Samaritans were
hated and despised. As far as we
know Jesus created or invented the
story of the Good Samaritan to make a
point. He looked at the world around
him, and how people treated one
another, and he turned that reality
upside down. In other words, he told a
better story!
More recent directors of the
Oberammergau Passion Play have
been seeking to tell a better story as
well. The current director of the play,
Christian Stuckl, has done a great deal
to take intolerance and exclusion from
the presentation. This year’s
production (now postponed until 2022)
will for the first time, feature more
women than men. Cast members will
include people regardless of race or
sexual orientation. Jesus is now
portrayed as an observant Jew, with
Jewish ritual respectfully shown, and
Sabbath blessings recited in Hebrew.
Telling a better story allows
us to “live into” the best we
can become. It reminds me of
the saying attributed to
Gandhi: “Be the change you
want to see in the world.” In
terms of the current
coronavirus crisis, telling a
better story helps us not to fall
into blame and bickering.
Acknowledging mistakes is
important, but lifting up nobility
and self sacrifice in the mist of
fear is even more important!
For example, nurses coming
out of retirement to help the
effort, and health care
professionals covered in
protective gear for long shifts
each day! I’m reminded of the
elderly priest who gave up his
ventilator to a young Covid-19
victim. He lost his life that a
younger person might live!
Max Meyer survived his time
in the concentration camp, and years
later had a chance to convict those
who had pulled him from his home. But
when Max took the stand he would not
specifically identify his attackers, or
speak ill of them. We don’t know all of
the reasons why, but Max may have
been trying to write a better story than
the one he had lived, and to be the
change he wanted to see. Take Care
with one another, and stay well.
In Christ,
Sermon: “Telling a Better Story”
Your Weekly Offering
We appreciate your continued
weekly giving so we can meet our
monthly bills and staff responsibilities.
Checks can be mailed to: FUMC P.O. Box 992716 Redding, Ca 96099-2716
Online giving is easy at:
reddingumc.org/worship
Scripture: Luke 10: 30-37
Jesus replied, “A man was going down from
Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of
robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went
away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a
priest was going down that road; and when he
saw him, he passed by on the other side. So
likewise a Levite, when he came to the place
and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a
Samaritan while traveling came near him; and
when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He
went to him and bandaged his wounds, having
poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him
on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and
took care of him. The next day he took out two
denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said,
‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will
repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of
these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the
man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He
said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus
said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
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Lesson #5
“Jesus Prays”
Matthew
26: 36-46
Today our Bible
story is about
Jesus praying in a beautiful garden
called Gethsemane.
Here’s what happened…..
Jesus went with his Disciples to a
place called Gethsemane which was a
garden. He told his Disciples, “Stay
here and wait for me while I go and
pray.” Jesus left most of them at the
garden and took Peter and two others
with him a short distance away from
the group. As he sat down, he was
overcome with sadness. He had never
felt this sad before. He asked Peter
and the two others to stay awake and
be close to him while he prayed.
Jesus went a little farther away from
the three before falling on his knees
to pray. He asked God, “Father if it is
possible, please help me so I don’t
have to suffer. But if this bad thing
must happen I trust you. I want what
you want.”
Jesus went back over to his three
friends and saw that they were
asleep. He asked Peter, “Couldn’t you
stay awake for just one hour? Stay
awake with me while I prayed?”
Again Jesus went a short distance
away from the three to pray. Jesus did
this 3 more times and each time, his
Disciples had fallen asleep instead of
keeping watch like Jesus had asked
them to do. Finally Jesus said, “Get
up. It is time. My betrayer is coming.”
We have some great discussion
questions along with a fun activity an
our website:
reddingumc.org/wonderyears
Let us know how you and your family
are doing: [email protected].
Together we will get through this
unusual situation!
who had pulled him from his home. But
when Max took the stand he would not
Sundays with Wonder Years!
Announcements! Dignity Health
is now offering
free virtual care
urgent care visits with a coupon
code for patients experiencing mild
to moderate symptoms of COVID-
19. We are encouraging anyone in
our community who may need a
visit to a healthcare provider for any
purpose to consider a virtual visit as
an option.
To access a virtual care visit go
to www.dignityhealth.org/
virtualcareanywhere, download the
Virtual Care Anywhere app in the
Apple App Store or Google Play
Store, or call 855-356-8053 and use
the coupon code COVID19
Support Your Local Favorite
Restaurants! Many restaurants in Redding are
offering special delivery or takeout
services during California's stay-at-
home order. Services include meal
delivery, drive-through services,
curbside pickup in the restaurant's
parking lot and in-store pickup and
takeout. For a full list visit our web-
site at: https://reddingumc.org/
important-covid-19-updates/
It’s a good idea to confirm your
pickup or delivery time when you
call with your order! If you don’t
have access to our website, simply
call your
favorite
restaurant &
see what
they offer!
Need Shopping and
Delivery? Check out Instacart.com in
Redding. Several stores are
offering shopping and delivery
services. Check out their website
and put in your address: https://www.instacart.com/
onboarding
Stores include:
Raley's
Safeway
Costco
PetCo
Food Maxx
Smart Foods,
BevMo
Sprouts
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