Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:33:48 -0600 http://www.nclcsj.com/ New Creation Church Newsfeed en-us http://www.nclcsj.com/images/logo.gif http://www.nclcsj.com/ webmaster@newcreationchurch-sj.org http://www.nclcsj.com/Article117.html The March/April newsletter is now available. Click here to download. Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:33:48 -0600 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article116.html The February newsletter is now available. Click here to download. Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:54:22 -0600 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article115.html On December 16, 2009 there was a deadly house fire on Avenida Espana, right across the street from our church. On the night of the fire, the adult son Julio was unable to make it out of the house. Both parents, Tony & Anita Garcia, made it out, but were treated for smoke inhalation. Tony remained in the hospital until he also passed away about 2 weeks later. We are holding this fundraiser to assist Anita who lost not only her husband & son, but everything they owned in the fire. (Donations also accepted…any amount helps!) Details in Flyer Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:16:34 -0600 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article114.html The January newsletter is now available. Click here to download. Sun, 03 Jan 2010 02:57:45 -0600 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article113.html The December newsletter is now available. Click here to download. Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:51:15 -0600 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article111.html We will be reading “Under the Banner of Heaven” by Jon Krakauer. Date & time: Friday, December 4, 7:30 pm Place: Carlsons' house Brief synopsis of book: Jon Krakauer's literary reputation rests on insightful chronicles of lives conducted at the outer limits. He now shifts his focus from extremes of physical adventure to extremes of religious belief within our own borders, taking readers inside isolated American communities where some 40,000 Mormon Fundamentalists still practice polygamy. Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God. At the core of Krakauer's book are brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a commandment from God to kill a blameless woman and her baby girl. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this appalling double murder, Krakauer constructs a multi-layered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, polygamy, savage violence, and unyielding faith. Along the way he uncovers a shadowy offshoot of America's fastest growing religion, and raises provocative questions about the nature of religious belief. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:30:13 -0500 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article110.html The November newsletter is now available. Click here to download. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:23:54 -0500 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article112.html This Sunday, November 1st, we will celebrate All-Saints Sunday with a special offering of old-time gospel music plus some newer favorites. Returning guest musicians Paul Reginelli and Billy G. Woodruff will join us, along with occasional band regulars Colby Pollard and Tony Sotomayor. Service is at 10:15 am, and it is sure to be an inspiring morning! Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article109.html The October newsletter is now available. Click here to download. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:33:47 -0500 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article108.html Let's start with the question every Dan Brown fan wants answered: Is The Lost Symbol as good as The Da Vinci Code? Simply put, yes. Brown has mastered the art of blending nail-biting suspense with random arcana (from pop science to religion), and The Lost Symbol is an enthralling mix. And what a dazzling accomplishment that is, considering that rabid fans and skeptics alike are scrutinizing every word. The Lost Symbol begins with an ancient ritual, a shadowy enclave, and of course, a secret. Readers know they are in Dan Brown territory when, by the end of the first chapter, a secret within a secret is revealed. To tell too much would ruin the fun of reading this delicious thriller, so you will find no spoilers here. Suffice it to say that as with many series featuring a recurring character, there is a bit of a formula at work (one that fans will love). Again, brilliant Harvard professor Robert Langdon finds himself in a predicament that requires his vast knowledge of symbology and superior problem-solving skills to save the day. The setting, unlike other Robert Langdon novels, is stateside, and in Brown's hands Washington D.C. is as fascinating as Paris or Vatican City (note to the D.C. tourism board: get your "Lost Symbol" tour in order). And, as with other Dan Brown books, the pace is relentless, the revelations many, and there is an endless parade of intriguing factoids that will make you feel like you are spending the afternoon with Robert Langdon and the guys from Mythbusters. Nothing is as it seems in a Robert Langdon novel, and The Lost Symbol itself is no exception--a page-turner to be sure, but Brown also challenges his fans to open their minds to new information. Skeptical? Imagine how many other thrillers would spawn millions of Google searches for noetic science, superstring theory, and Apotheosis of Washington. The Lost Symbol is brain candy of the best sort--just make sure to set aside time to enjoy your meal. --Daphne Durham Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:17:41 -0500 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article106.html JAMBO! The New Life Band is coming from Tanzania to share their music at New Creation Lutheran Church, 7275 Santa Teresa Blvd. San Jose, on Sunday October 25 at 4:30 pm. The New Life Band has a youth ministry and school in Tanzania. A love offering will be taken at the concert to benefit their work. The day will begin with an African Fair Trade Bazaar at New Creation Church from 9 am to 1 pm, featuring products from Asante Network (handicrafts from Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique), and Mayaworks handicrafts from South America. The Bazaar will open again at 3:30 pm and will operate during the concert. The day will be crowned by an International Potluck at 6:30. All dishes welcome. Flyers are available for download. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:07:07 -0500 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article107.html In the early days of April 1865, with the bloody war to preserve the union finished, Swanson tells us, Abraham Lincoln was "jubilant." Elsewhere in Washington, the other player in the coming drama of the president's assassination was miserable. Hearing Lincoln's April 10 victory speech, famed actor and Confederate die-hard John Wilkes Booth turned to a friend and remarked with seething hatred, "That means nigger citizenship. Now, by God, I'll put him through." On April 14, Booth did just that. With great power, passion and at a thrilling, breakneck pace, Swanson (Lincoln's Assassins: Their Trial and Execution) conjures up an exhausted yet jubilant nation ruptured by grief, stunned by tragedy and hell-bent on revenge. For 12 days, assisted by family and some women smitten by his legendary physical beauty, Booth relied on smarts, stealth and luck to elude the best detectives, military officers and local police the federal government could muster. Taking the reader into the action, the story is shot through with breathless, vivid, even gory detail. With a deft, probing style and no small amount of swagger, Swanson, a member of the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, has crafted pure narrative pleasure, sure to satisfy the casual reader and Civil War aficionado alike. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:00:00 -0500 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article105.html The September newsletter is now available. Click here to download. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:23:36 -0500 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article102.html Dear Friends in Christ, Perhaps by now you have heard that the E.L.C.A., meeting in Assembly in Minneapolis, has voted to allow people in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as rostered clergy in this church. You may be aware that this is a change for which I have advocated and worked, both as a parish pastor and as bishop. In the moments that followed yesterday's vote, I began to feel the weight of the implications of living into this new reality for all of us in the Sierra Pacific Synod. For some it will mean challenge, for others, it will be a celebration. Many others probably don't yet know what to think about these votes. Just at that moment, Bishop Hanson spoke to us with words that echoed deeply in my heart. His first sentence, below, summed up perfectly what I was feeling in that moment; when I realized I would need time with this decision to understand its implications for our life together as synod. I need time to pray, to talk with you, to hear what you think this decision means for you and your ministry. That time will come. For now, I invite you to consider the elegant and faithful words Bishop Hanson shared with us: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 01:23:10 -0500 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article104.html Lutherans’ gay clergy vote hints at major shift In breaking down barriers restricting gays and lesbians from the pulpit, the nation's largest Lutheran denomination has laid down a new marker in a debate over the direction of mainline Protestant Christianity, a tradition that once dominated American religious life. By voting Friday to allow gays and lesbians in committed relationships to serve as clergy, the 4.7-million member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will either show how a church can stand together amid differences, or become another casualty of division over sexual morality and the Bible, observers say. "We're going to be living in tension and ambiguity for a longer time, partly because the culture has shifted," said David Steinmetz, a Duke Divinity School professor of Christian history. Sat, 22 Aug 2009 23:00:00 -0500 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article103.html Dear Friends in Christ, Today marks a new kind of Lutheran Church. This birthing has been and is extremely painful. Labor pains of birth are barely a similar comparison. There is 33% of our body of faith that is feeling disenfranchised, and separated from their body of faith and their communion of believers. My thoughts and feelings are way beyond words. My request is that you all tune into network news. They will be carrying some coverage. To get deeper insight into all that is going on, go to elca.org and look for live feeds or videos of all that has happened. Most of all, Pray, pray, pray for all those who are in deep grief and estrangement with this historic vote. And pray for our presiding (head) bishop who is piloting the tumultuous waters of parliamentary wrangling with great patience and humor. I long to be home and in comfort of your loving care, but we still have to vote to enfranchise the youth of our church, to approve the beginning of a social statement study on justice for women, and of course a budget. We will be in group sessions until Sunday at noon. I will be returning on Monday, and available for questions or conversations. Blessing for now. Pastor Anne Sat, 22 Aug 2009 19:00:00 -0500 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article101.html The August newsletter is now available. Click here to download. Wed, 05 Aug 2009 03:51:14 -0500 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article100.html The January newsletter is now available. Click here to download. Sun, 04 Jan 2009 05:13:37 -0600 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article99.html The December newsletter is now available. Click here to download. Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:01:47 -0600 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article98.html The November newsletter is now available. Click here to download. Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:10:43 -0600 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article97.html The October newsletter is now available. Click here to download. Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:39:31 -0500 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article96.html Download the flyer here Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:08:00 -0500 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article95.html The July newsletter is now available. Click here to download. Note: Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view it. Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:20:10 -0500 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article94.html The June newsletter is now available. Click here to download. Note: Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view it. Thu, 29 May 2008 22:30:32 -0500 http://www.nclcsj.com/Article93.html We got everything fixed. Please note the Books & Brew is on the 30th, not the 23rd, and the Men's Poker Group meets on the 16th this month. The May newsletter is now available. Click here to download. Note: Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view it. Thu, 01 May 2008 16:52:04 -0500