Pastor Laurie’s move to Windsor UMC 
on July 1st has us praying and talking about what is in store for Upstream — and we want to take some time to do this together. Please join us during the regular Upstream worship time on Sunday, May 20 for some singing, prayer and conversation. Please prayerfully consider whether you might like to serve on an Upstream Transition Team. 8:45 am in the Fellowship Hall.
Small groups this month are considering the “practice of jubilation” chapters from Brian McLaren’s Naked Spirituality. The prayer movement is a simple one: look upward to the sky, raise your hands, then close your eyes and bow your head. Take an “O walk,” pay attention to the amazing diversity in the creation and in the people around you, dance!
This spiritual practice leads to a lifestyle which infuses everything with worship. Consider what you might incorporate into your life:
1. Giving God the first greeting in the morning
2. Giving God the first thanks at every meal
3. Giving God the first thanks to every pleasure
4. Giving God the first consideration in your weekly schedule
5. Making God the first supervisor or customer of your work
6. Giving God the first part of every paycheck
7. Giving God the joy of your creativity
It’s not too late to join in with this highly accessible book study. Contact Pastor Laurie for more details.
This Sunday our monthly sermon series on Brian McLaren’s book on prayer, Naked Spirituality, will continue with a message on the simple expression “O” — on the practice of jubilation. It’s not too late to join this highly accessible study; read along, join a small group (meeting once a month, or weekly — seven groups meet at a variety of times and places through the week — see post below), or just come to worship.
And after worship — oh! — Pastor Laurie will be serving complementary chai lattes at Sacred Grounds.
Spirited music, prayers of thanksgiving, the scripture story, a powerful message, and the smell of breakfast cooking will all be part of our worship celebration on Easter morning. Upstream will be held at the usual time and place (8:45 am in the Fellowship Hall), and thanks to a host of volunteers, we’ll quickly convert the room into feasting space as we continue the celebration with breakfast for our entire community. A freewill offering will be taken for the youth group’s participation in the Sierra Service Project this summer. SSP provides life-changing experiences through acts of service repairing homes in Native American and urban communities and in Central America. Our team will be headed to a Northern California location this August; you will find some of these young people serving breakfast on Easter morning. Come show your support and enjoy a delicious meal with our community!
You won’t want to miss the drama of the Palm Sunday as we retell the story of Christ’s Passion in word, song, sound, and dance. In The Cry of the Whole Congregaton, the worshippers take on the role of the crowd, shouting “Hosanna” as well as “Crucify him!” It will be a moving experience, ending with Holy Communion. Participants include Marianna Kombou (dancer); Chuck Carman (drummer); Jim Kozelka (projection); Marilyn Baudiedel, Patti Flecther, Donna McCartney and Dick Spivey (readers); the Upstream Ensemble and our heard-working behind-the-scenes team.
Worship begins at 8:45 am in the Fellowship Hall.
Seven Naked Spirituality groups, including three brand-new groups, have been organized to meet once a month for the purpose of making new friends and deepening our prayer life together. Fifty-five people are reading Naked Spirituality — a significant number! Imagine what God will do with that united energy…
It’s not too late to join in.
Every SUNDAY @ 9:45 — in the Wesley Room at church TUESDAY @ 7 pm — at the home of Valorie Hamachek (next meeting: May 1)
Every WEDNESDAY @ 10 am — this weekly group has decided to keep discussing the month’s topic every week!
WEDNESDAY @ 4:30 pm — in the Patio Room (next meeting: May 3)
Every THURSDAY @ 7 pm at Starbucks on Santa Cruz in Menlo Park
FRIDAY @ 11:30 am — at Betsy Scroggs’ home (next meeting: Apr 20)
SATURDAY @ 10 am — at Doris Lippitt’s home, 2nd Saturday of the month (next meeting: April 14)
Drop ins welcome! Groups meet at the church unless otherwise indicated; contact the church office for addresses of church member hosts.
This month’s word: THANKS. Read through page 62 in preparation for group gatherings.
This month’s prayer practice: Journal
or movement …
Raised fist – to say “no” to the untruth perpetuated by consumerism that we don’t have enough!
Open hand - in thanksgiving for the blessings already received by God.
Next “Naked Spirituality” sermon: April 15 on O. A new prayer practice will be introduced then!
Need to catch up? Listen to Pastor Laurie’s previous Naked Spirituality sermons.
Perhaps you enjoyed our Advent/Christmas book study and worship emphasis with Adam Hamilton’s The Journey, and are ready for more. Or perhaps the New Year has brought with it a stirring to go deeper in your walk with God. If so, we’re pleased to announce that this year we’ll be delving into Naked Spirituality, the latest offering by theologian Brian McLaren. We are taking orders for the book now, and will begin monthly small groups and a once-a-month Sunday worship focus, on the twelve spiritual practices outlined in the book, starting February 5th.
McLaren is one of the great writers and thinkers of our 
time. He has a gift for taking big-picture, overwhelming issues, and breaking them into easily understood, clearly communicated concepts. His works are a pleasure to read, and Naked Spirituality is no exception.
In the book, McLaren uses the metaphor of seasons — spring, summer, fall and winter — in his description of “seasons” of the spiritual life: simplicity, complexity, perplexity and harmony. For each “season,” McLaren suggests three words that encapsulate three prayer practices. During this series, we will focus on one word/practice each month.
Focusing on one “word” per month also provides us the opportunity to host small groups that may be more workable for busy schedules. We hope you’ll consider joining a once-a-month discussion of the book to help work a variety of simple spiritual practices into your life. With this kind of meeting schedule, we can be more flexible about days, times, locations and forms. If you have an idea about where/when/how might work for you, please give Pastor Laurie a call, grab her after worship, or send an email.
You may order a copy of Naked Spirituality and sign up for a small group in the Welcome Center or by contacting the church office. You can get a preview of the book here on Amazon. You might also enjoy reading this interview with Brian McLaren.
We’ll launch this study on Sunday, February 5. If you have signed up to participate in a small group by that date, you’ll be invited to come forward for a consecration and prayer time.
You’ll find elements of Upstream (and many of the people, too!) in the sanctuary over Christmas and New Year’s:
On Christmas Eve, the children will lead worship at 5:00 pm with an energetic, fun-filled musical presentation, “The Christmas Hang-Ups.” Following worship, all are invited to a soup supper in the Fellowship Hall, and to get their free photo taken at the manger display in the Patio Room (dress up in costume or wear your holiday best). The 8:30 pm service of lessons and carols is quiet and reflective and includes readings both from scripture and from some of the great Christian spiritual writers of history.
Christmas Day at 10:45 am will include a “Blessing of the Toys” (adults can bring their favorite gift for blessing, too!), carol singing in English and Tongan, a video visit to Bethlehem with Adam Hamilton, and some surprises. Onscreen lyrics and media typical of Upstream will be part of this sanctuary worship experience. Later in the day, the “Photos at the Manger” booth will be open to guests of the InnVision meal for the homeless.
On New Year’s Day we’ll take an old Wesleyan practice, the Service of Covenant Renewal, and make it our own. Holy Communion will be open to all.
Join us as Upstream joins the “Mainstream” for these celebrations. Upstream will return to Sunday morning in the Fellowship Hall at 8:45 am on Sunday, January 8.
The room was filled with the light and scent of blue candles. Worshipers sat on couches and rocking chairs. Various worship team members read, with confident voices, powerful words of hope and comfort from the scriptures. Beautiful visuals appeared on screen. People wrote messages to, and names of, departed loved ones, and were prayed for one-on-one at prayer stations. And the music played on and on. For a small group who came to mark The Longest Night, the people of Upstream piled on the love. At worship’s close, all just sat in silence for many minutes; no one wanted to break the spell.
The scripture readings from The Longest Night observance may be found here.
One the the prayer stations that will be offered at The Longest Night
Marking the Longest Night
A special gathering for grief, hope, faith and healing
Tuesday, December 20, 7pm, FUMCPA Kohlstedt Hall (downstairs)
The holidays can be a difficult time for many people. Painful memories, loss and the prospect of an uncertain new year can feel all the more difficult in the face of so much hoopla in the surrounding culture. Celebrating old traditions can hurt when loved ones are gone or when one cannot do as much as one used to.
The Advent season is a time of waiting, clinging to hope in the midst of darkness. On the longest night of the year, we will gather to remember and to place our pain before God who never lets us go. Through quiet music and new ritual, we hope to create a space for healing. All are invited — and encouraged to bring a friend.