First Christian Church of Sacramento

One of my all-time favorite sermons was preached by the late Dr. Joseph Jeter on October 12, 1999. Does it surprise you that preachers have favorite sermons? Ju...st like singers enjoy listening to other musicians, and artists appreciate other works of beauty, preachers have great appreciation for times when someone speaks the Word to them. Before I go any further, I need to make reference to a document now found only in museums, the telephone book. Everyone used to get this big book delivered to you that had telephone numbers of people and businesses, listed alphabetically. You could use it to look up phone numbers. Anyway, Dr. Jeter preached at a minister’s gathering in 1999. He spoke about the experience of being a minister in our time. He testified eloquently of its challenges and its times of discouragement, of future hopes and present struggles. As he came to his close, he said, I’ve played a little fast and loose with texts this morning, but it’s early. I guess I’d better read you one serious text as we prepare for the day’s work. I take this final text from the Book of Numbers (at this point he held up a phone book): It says right here, The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Still here. One hundred and sixty years since our beginning and still here. God must not be finished with us yet. Still here. We have heard the saying: When the going gets tough, the tough get going. And the significance is that when things get tough, a lot of people would rather quit and run than face the challenge. There is power and inspiration to be gained from the one who stays at their post through times of great stress and trial. Scripture has a word for this: steadfast. The one who stays steadfast prevails. How are you doing today? Wondering how much longer you can hold on? I just want to remind you that you can hold on a lot longer than you think you can. Look in the mirror- you are still here. That is a good sign right there. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. I Corinthians 15:58 See more

Anyone do this already? Food pantries can always use more food.

There is a wonderful book titled, Man’s Search for Meaning, written by Viktor Frankl. I first read it when I was in college and have read it again a few time...s. Viktor Frankl is the founder of logotherapy, a form of psychotherapy that he developed after surviving Nazi concentration camps in the 1940s. Frankl said, It is through a search for meaning and purpose in life that individuals can endure hardship and suffering. (1) Frankl believed that humans are motivated by something called a "will to meaning," which equates to a desire to find meaning in life. He argued that life can have meaning even in the most miserable of circumstances and that the motivation for living comes from finding that meaning. Taking it a step further, Frankl wrote: Everything can be taken from an individual but one thing: the last of the human freedomsto choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances. This opinion was based on his experiences of suffering and his attitude of finding meaning through suffering. In this way, Frankl believed that when we can no longer change a situation, we are forced to change ourselves. Frankl believed that life has meaning in all circumstances, even the most miserable ones. (2) The reason I appreciate Frankl’s writings and research is that it parallels my understanding of faith and the way I choose to live. Ultimately, we human beings are given a choice on how we will embrace this life and how we will enrich its meaning. We can choose to be bitter and live with a sour taste in our mouth or we can choose to be better and live with purpose on our lips. In the New Testament book of Philippians 4:4-7, we read, Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Now is the time for us to make the choice to live this life with purpose and meaning. This I believe, Pastor Vickie Firch (1) Viktor Frankl and Logotherapy: Journal of Search for Meaning/Issue: 0191 3379 (2) Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl/Beacon Press. 1959 See more

November 8, 2020 #FCCSacramento

For all of the Sacramento First Christian Church folks, if you are attending in person worship tomorrow, November 8, please bring a jacket or sweater. We still have no heat!

If you are seeing these words, you assuredly know that I understand my life calling is in Christian ministry. And in that role, my primary source is the Bible. ...So hopefully, me talking about scripture in this moment will not come as a shock to anyone. In the letter of I John, we find these words, Those who say ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars, for those who do not love a brother or sister they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. I John 4:20 In this year, we have seen lots of people in disagreements. There have been disagreements over wearing masks to combat the pandemic. There have been disagreements over what is the appropriate amount of toilet paper to hoard. There have disagreements surrounding the recent election. In each of these cases, the disagreements have sometimes been heated. A lot of the rhetoric has been inflammatory. And when disagreements get heated, frequently the people on either side can let things slide over into real animosity. And this is where we have to be careful. As soon as you start to feel hatred towards that other, then you are damaging your own spiritual life and the fragile fabric of society. Love is our only way forward. And love isn’t about feelings. It is about wanting what is best for others and making the actual effort to understand what that is. Too often we say we love all of our neighbors while we blithely assume we know what is best for them. You do not know what is best for someone else until you have listened to them. You do not know what is best for someone else when you view them only through the lens of your ideology. So, even in this divided time, I encourage you to continue to do your best to love all others, no matter how you feel about their choices. For all of the Sacramento First Christian Church folks, if you are attending in person worship tomorrow, November 8, please bring a jacket or sweater. We still have no heat!

Daily Post: If you know me, then you know I have what is known as a tender heart. Translation: I feel for others with my heart...deeply. I also cry easily durin...g movies or cute commercials. That is why we have tissue boxes throughout the house. So, I want to share this story with you, but you just might want to have a tissue box handy. The story was taken from Stories of Kindness From Around the World: Free Hug Stock. One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers. That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper and listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. Really? she heard whispered. I never knew that I meant anything to anyone! and, I didn’t know others liked me so much, were most of the comments. No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn’t matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on. Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last do so. As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. Were you Mark’s math teacher? he asked. She nodded: Yes. Then he said: Mark talked about you a lot. After the funeral, most of Mark’s former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark’s mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher. We want to show you something, his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it. Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark’s classmates had said about him. Thank you so much for doing that, Mark’s mother said. As you can see, Mark treasured it. All of Mark’s former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, I still have my list. It’s in the top drawer of my desk at home. Chuck’s wife said, Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album. I have mine too, Marilyn said. It’s in my diary. Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. I carry this with me at all times, Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: I think we all saved our lists. That’s when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again. I want to encourage you to feel deeply today and take this opportunity to tell those you love or just care about why you appreciate them. It is a tremendous gift to offer and to receive. In one of his writings to the Philippian Church, Paul wrote, And now, brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about. (Living Bible Philippians 4:8) Now is the time for us to look for the good in others and let them know what it is we appreciate about them. Bless you, Pastor Vickie Firch See more

A lot of people who know me would say that I talk about baseball too much. It is true that I often make references to the game and to players when I preach or j...ust when I am talking about anything. But I must remind you that baseball is the first sport to be mentioned in the Bible. Genesis chapter one says, In the big inning, God created the heavens and the earth. But joking aside, as I have followed the game, I have always watched for, and discovered players and people associated with the game who are inspirational to me. Even though it has had some villains, baseball has had many great humanitarians too. Even in this time of pandemic and chaos, these men still go about the work of lifting up the world. One whom I have always admired is the Anaheim Angels’ Albert Pujols. Albert Pujols spent the first sixteen years of his life in the Dominican Republic. Although Albert’s family would certainly be considered well below global poverty standards, Albert will quickly tell you We were not poor. He says, The poor people go days without food, they drink water from the river. I may not have had shoes on my feet, but at least every day I had something to eat. When Albert made his first few million dollars as a player, he established the Pujols Family Foundation. Its goal is to improve the health and quality of life for thousands of people living in poverty, in the slums of the Dominican Republic through health care, mentorship and education. In 2006, the Pujols Family Foundation launched their first mission trip to the Dominican Republic. The Foundation has since established on-going clinics in seven impoverished neighborhoods with full medical mission teams including; medical doctors, dentists, optometrists, pediatricians and a full pharmacy. In the past ten years they have treated over 18,000 people. They also run a youth baseball league that mentors and encourages young boys to become responsible husbands, fathers and community leaders. It doesn’t matter where you come from, or whether you have millions or pennies, all of us can do something to make our world a bit better. Just look around you and see where the need is. See more

Daily Post: Ted and I decided to take advantage of the lower interest rates that will reduce our home loan to a 2.89%. This will be an enormous savings over th...e life of the loan. I called the loan processor yesterday to ask her if she had all the documents she needed to move toward closing the loan. In a serious voice she promptly said, Oh, Mrs. Firch, I don’t want you to worry about a thing. I will be with you until the end. I guess the phone went silent because suddenly I heard Alison saying, Mrs. Firch, Mrs. Firch, are you still there? Yes, I was there. I was just so moved by the thought that a stranger had just offered to be with me until the end. I was truly speechless, for about a minute. Finally, I responded and said, Alison, I was so moved by your very thoughtful offer. Only one other person has offered to remain with me until the end and it was my husband, Ted. The phone went silent again. This time it was me saying, Alison, Alison, are you still there? Yes, she responded. But I frankly don’t know what to say. I really appreciate your business, but that is not exactly what I meant to say Mrs. Firch. I assured her that I still wanted to move forward with the loan and I knew she had meant to say, I will walk with you all the way through the loan process. We had an uncomfortable little laugh together before the phone call was complete. It was followed up by an email from Alison saying, If you need anything else, please feel free to email me. I am sure Alison will remember that phone call for a long time. It certainly gave me reason to open my Bible and read again the words of Jesus, where he wrote some of his final instructions to the church. In Matthew 28:20b, he said, And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. I take comfort in the promise that the never-failing presence of God and God’s people is with me at all times. Even in those times when we are surrounded with chaos, we can hold on to these faith companions. May you also find confidence in these companions in your journey. Blessings, Pastor Vickie See more

When I was 13 years old, I went to Junior High Church camp. As a very shy kid I did my best to not stand out, but I did carefully observe everything that went o...n around me. There were popular kids at camp and there were socially awkward kids. I was more socially awkward, but not enough to stand out. There was one girl at that camp who was very much not like the other girls. The other girls were learning to use makeup. They were very careful with their hair and their fashion choices. This one girl was a little too loud. Her dark hair was a mess. She wore blue jeans every day, and not cute shorts like the other girls. And worst of all, she smelled. One of the boys made up a crude nickname referencing how she smelled, and suddenly everyone was calling her by it. I remember her hearing the nickname and becoming angry and withdrawn after that for the rest of the week. The other thing I remember about that week is that I did not stand up for this girl. I was worried if I did I would be treated the way she was treated, and all I wanted was just not to be noticed at all. Looking back, I wonder if she had any kind of mother figure in her life. When I think back at that time, I am both understanding towards my thirteen-year-old self and also a bit ashamed. At the very least, I could have said things to make her feel less alone and ostracized. But now, as my adult self, I want anyone out there now who feels awkward for whatever reason, who experiences prejudice for your race or sexual orientation that I stand with you today. If you need someone to officiate your wedding, I will do it. If you need someone to pray with you in tough times without judging you, I want you to call me. This is who my faith calls me to be. The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Psalm 9:9 See more

Daily Post: I am sure you have heard the story about the Trappist Monk who was allowed to say only two words every three years. After the first three years, he... said to the Brother Superior, Bad bed. Three years later he came back to say, Bad food. After three more years of silence the monk said, No TV. Another three years passed. This time the monk appeared with robes and sandals in hand and announced, I quit. The Brother Superior answered, It’s no wonder. You’ve done nothing but complain since you got here! Many of us are living on the edge of ‘sensitivity and vulnerability’ right now. For this reason, we must think before we speak or roll our eyes in response to others. Words play big part in the way we are perceived by others. But our body language often speaks volumes about what we really wanted to say or refrained from saying in a conversation. Imagine if you could only speak one sentence a day. What would you say? What would you refrain from saying? Think on this today and decide how you will use the power of your words. The instructive words of Proverbs 16:24, says, Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. Blessings, Pastor Vickie See more

November 1, 2020 #FCCSacramento

One of the things that has happened during my pandemic experience is that I have discovered Netflix. I know that I was late to the party on that one. And my new... favorite Netflix show is Call the Midwife. It is an English show about some Anglican nuns and secular midwives who work together in the late 1950s and early 1960s for an Obstetric/Gynecology clinic. The clinic is located in and serves an impoverished area of London. The show tells the story of these women as they deliver babies and provide women’s health care. The show is not for the squeamish. Part of what interests me about it is that it explores faith both among the nuns, and among the secular midwives. In one episode, a newborn baby is found abandoned outside the front door of the clinic. The local police are called in for an investigation of the matter. The lead policeman interviews the nuns and asks, What would cause a person to do this? The senior nun answers, In my experience there are only two great motivations in human life. They are love and fear. And probably this mother acted out of both. Love and fear. There are other motivations for human activities, but these two are very powerful. And they usually lead to different kinds of choices. Fear leads to selfishness and division. Fear causes us to build walls between us and others. As Yoda said, Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. Love on the other hand, is based in a sense of trust. When you trust that God is with you then you can take the risk to love others. It is God’s will that we live in love, so God first offered unconditional love to us. And when we tune into that love, we can overcome the fears that assail us. As the evangelist wrote so long ago, There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. (I John 4:18) Even though the world is still a mess, I pray that you will allow the love that is in your life work at casting out the fears that would pull you down. DON’T FORGET TO SET YOUR CLOCKS BACK TONIGHT! GET AN EXTRA HOUR OF SLEEP BEFORE LIVESTREAM OR IN-PERSON WORSHIP TOMORROW!

Daily Post: Rabbi Earl Grollman tells the following story in his book, Talking about Death: A Dialogue between Parent and Child. A king once owned a large, be...autiful, pure diamond of which he was justifiably proud. It had no equal anywhere. One day the diamond sustained a deep scratch. The king called in the most skilled diamond cutters and offered them a great reward if they could remove the imperfection from the treasured jewel. No one could repair the blemish. The king was very distressed. After some time, a gifted lapidary (diamond cutter) came to the king and promised to make the rare diamond even more beautiful than before. The king was impressed with his confidence and entrusted the precious stone to his care. The man kept his word. With superb artistry he engraved a lovely rosebud around the imperfection, and he used the scratch to make the stem." We, too, are precious in the eyes of God. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, we read, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! By grace, that which has left us flawed can be transformed into some amazing. Think about this today while you work, play, and engage with others. Blessings, Pastor Vickie Firch See more