CALIFORNIA DIGEST

CALIFORNIA DIGEST

2017

A Newsletter for New Church residents and friends of California www.californiadigest.org January

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The Journey of Grief

by Rev. Clark Echols

Taken from New Church Connection Magazine 2010: issue 2

The teachings for the New Church explain that a belief in a God of love will carry a person through loss to a life that is not diminished, even if there is something missing.

Grief is a person’s spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical reaction to loss, which can begin before the loss actually occurs and persists until the grief reaction is no longer noticed. People in the helping professions know that a person’s experience of grief is short or long, mild or disruptive, mental or physical, depending on both obvious and subtle influences. You have experienced grief. Perhaps a favorite piece of clothing wore out, you moved away from friends, or a parent died. Perhaps you experienced panic, or depression, or despair, or sadness, or nostalgia, or anger, or something else. Maybe you experienced foggy thinking, an absence of emotions, uncontrolled emotions, a loss of appetite, joint pain, or any number of other sensations.

Your experience of grief will be unique, even though it may include states others experience. That you experience your own grief is wonderful, actually, because the Lord is accommodating His divine love and wisdom to you in a way specific to your spiritual and physical needs. This is the first observation from New Church ideas that can help you. The Lord actively leads you through a process which is governed by His rules of love. This will progress to completion, and He will return you to a balanced state in which you can again experience joy.

As the New Church teaches, love creates and maintains a spiritual connection; the tighter the connection, the more the loss affects us and impacts our spiritual and natural worlds.

Perhaps you have experienced a sudden loss: a pet died accidentally, or you were fired without warning. The experience shocks you, spiritually and physically, disrupting thought and even movement. These effects of the shock of

the loss are so significant that researchers found they can be measured in the brain. Perhaps the Lord wants you to stop everything for a moment rather than do something damaging to your process of recovery. Typically, a grieving person either does almost nothing for some time, or merely “goes through the motions” on emotional autopilot. During this static stage, your identity is protected, allowing you to continue through the process without requiring permanent changes to your personality in order to cope. The Lord preserves your eternal welfare, even though you have lost something integral to your spiritual life.

Grieving includes using coping mechanisms to deal with your loss. Not everyone cries, but everyone needs the sphere of love around them. Like many, you may turn inward, reflecting on a picture bigger than you have ever considered before. The Word explains that this happens because what is mortal is put right next to what you want to be immortal in your mind and heart. You sense your own mortality as a new reality. If you experience sudden loss, you may feel a new fear of the future—a worry that you could die tomorrow. You may feel anxiety that you have not become a good person or that you have not achieved your life’s goals.

This tension creates an emotional rollercoaster that comes from resisting the Lord’s care, His providence, which leaves us unsatisfied and weary. The ride only slows and levels out as you acknowledge the reality of the loss and give yourself permission to experience sadness, loneliness or helplessness. Your intellect may find it hard to believe, but the fact is that when you let go and grieve—an act of will—you let God carry you through the process to the end of the ride, when you can walk on your own in the joy of being on solid ground.

Many who grieve notice that the story of the loss runs around in their minds in bits and pieces. Perhaps you have experienced this. Some of the bits are accurate memories of what happened, and you can feel badly, even responsible, for the loss. Some of the memories are inaccurate and cause you unnecessary distress. One way to discover the difference, and to be able to put the story “to bed,” is to tell the story. Of course, there will be more analysis, and perhaps regrets and resentment. But when these are put in the context of your eternal life and the eternal life of your loved one (if that is what you are grieving), the Lord puts the pieces together in a way that helps you overcome any distress. Given time and cooperation, the Lord will finish the puzzle of your life, and you can enjoy a whole picture.

Forgiveness is an important stage of grief for most people. When you forgive another, you let go of a burden. When you experience a loss, it is common to have trouble forgiving both others and oneself. Jesus teaches that forgiving is a spiritual act. But He points out again and again that to the degree that you spiritually let go of any thought or feeling that keeps you from forgiving, to that degree you find security and joy. When you grieve, you can become immersed in the pain of anger, resentment, regret and recrimination. These are all tied to merely natural thoughts and feelings. It is important to face what you really think and feel—what you label good and label bad. When you do, you welcome the Lord’s forgiveness and can then find the strength of heart and clarity of mind to forgive yourself and others.

By letting go and forgiving, you can begin to rebuild your life. Your work now becomes finding your own meaning for your life. Many have a change in faith. Many lose the religious faith that they had held. Many find a new confidence in their faith. The teachings for the New Church explain that a belief in a God of love will carry a person through a loss to a life that is not diminished, even if there is something missing. People who have an inaccurate idea of God (for instance, that He punishes us for our wrongdoings) will not have this resource and will find other ways of processing their grief. Of course, many of these means will work to some extent. But many of them, like abusing alcohol, are not only self destructive, but do not allow the process of grief to proceed.

You can take any number of actions to find meaning in your life. Many people begin new hobbies or return to old ones. Others take on opportunities to be of service. Some become better at their vocation, confirming their delight in doing something they love to do. In this way a person participates in redefining life. Thankfully, the Lord has provided that your loss does not diminish who you are: your personality and your place in His kingdom. However, YOUR world HAS changed! Your place in it has changed. Like an intricate mobile that has lost one of its weights, you experience a jangling, jarring tossing until the new balance is found, and slowly the bouncing settles down. There is balance, but it is a new configuration.

The Lord designed your spirit to seek and eventually achieve this balance. His loving care is always lifting you, countering the depressing effects of your loss. The warmth of His love continually radiates in your spirit. The process of grief is designed to bring your consciousness out of the cold and dark of loss into His presence again. You again take on the responsibility to live your life to its fullest potential.

The stages of grief are predictable but not uniform. They vary among circumstances and people. You have at hand a number of resources. The New Church faith may help you understand what is going on and explain why you feel the anger, despair, sadness, emptiness and pain. The Lord, especially through His Word, allows you to experience the feelings even as He alleviates them. The angels in your life, the loved ones who walk with you, hold you up when your knees buckle. There are many books and pieces of music that salve our wounds. Use them all, and your particular and unique grief process will proceed to a conclusion the Lord has designed just for you in the time He has provided.

‘Christmas miracle’ comforts parents of Nice terrorist attack victim

By Deborah Sullivan Brennan

The San Diego Union-Tribune December 23rd, 2016

(article is abridged. Go to www.caliorniadigest.org for full article)

Approaching the first holiday season since his son was killed in a terrorist attack in Nice, Conrad Leslie received what he called a Christmas miracle – a measure of comfort in a sea of nearly unrelenting grief.

Nicholas Leslie, a 20-year-old UC Berkley student from Del Mar, California, was one of 84 people killed July 14, 2016 when a Tunisian attacker drove a box truck through a promenade in the French city filled with people celebrating Bastille Day.

Conrad Leslie said that he and his wife, Paola, had been tormented by thoughts of their son’s body abandoned at the scene, until receiving a Facebook message last week saying that two French women had found Nicolas and stayed with his body through the night.

“It was a beautiful Christmas story,” Leslie said. “It couldn’t get any better.”

In the message, Leslie learned that a mother and daughter from Nice had encountered Nicolas’ body as they left the scene of the attack.

“They were there on the 14th, and they came across this young man’s body all alone,” Leslie said. “Something compelled them to stay there. They went home and got candles, and stayed and prayed by his side.”

The message, Leslie said, helped console him and his wife and represented a milestone in their journey to make sense of their son’s death. It was sent by a woman whose mother is a neighbor of the Good Samaritans….

…“I’ve been trying to find faith, to find meaning to his death,” Conrad said.

The work of Emanuel Swedenborg, a 17th Century Swedish scientist and mystic, resonated with Leslie. And Swedenborg’s illustration of two angels beside a dying person convinced him that Nicolas was not alone that night he died. Then he received the message, which he said confirmed that belief. He shared it with his wife, who was recuperating from hip surgery in the hospital.

“Basically it was the proof that I needed, that these two people were the embodiment of the angels that I saw in the illustration,” he said. “It brought us so much peace, and faith in humanity.”

Theta Alpha International Bryn Athyn College Scholarships for Women

Two Education Scholarships are offered to women attending the Bryn Athyn College of the New Church for the 2017-2018 school year. Eligible applicants must intend to become New Church teachers, and  have declared education as a major, minor or part of an Interdisciplinary Degree.  The annual scholarship award is $2,100. One award is for an incoming freshman, and one award is for a current Bryn Athyn College of the New Church education student. Awards may be used for tuition and fees.

Three scholarships are offered to women attending Bryn Athyn College of the New Church and who are studying Religion, participating in the MARS program or are international students. There are (2) $2,000 and (1) $1,000 scholarship awarded to eligible recipients who exemplify the teachings of the New Church.  These annual merit based scholarships may be used for tuition or fees. Applications are due February 1, 2017. Applications are available online at http://bit.ly/TAScholarships For more information contact email ancdaughters@gmail.com or call Sarah Wong at BAC 267-502-6085. 

Theta Alpha International Worldwide

Laws of Life Essay Contest

Girls aged 15-16 during the 2016-2017 school year are eligible to enter Theta Alpha International’s Laws of Life Essay Contest.  Write from the heart about your personal laws of life.  Essays must be submitted in English (Google Translate can be used for this purpose). Please include your name and address but do not identify yourself on your essay. Winning essays are published in the Theta Alpha Journal if space allows. Winners receive a certificate and a check: 1st Place: $100 USD, 2nd Place $75 USD, 3rd Place $50 USD. Guidelines are as follows:

“The Laws of Life” are a set of rules, ideals or principles by which one should live:

- What do you value most in life? 

-What is important to you?

-What ideals do you hold deep in your heart?

Think about the people and experiences that have helped you form these laws…

Pick a topic to write about:

     - a personal experience/lesson learned that affects how you live/view your life now.

     - an aphorism or quote that inspires or guides you.

You can use an analogy, a quotation or a story or parable. No personal romantic relationships!!

 

Submissions are to be sent to Theta Alpha International PO Box 511, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009, USA or emailed to ANCdaughters@gmail.com.  Essays must be received by March 1, 2017.  

 

Phillippines

New Christian Church School Christmas Celebration

The NCCS Christmas party was held on 3 days: Toddlers and nursery of Teacher Let on December 14, Nursery of Teacher Carla on December 15, and Kindergarten of Teacher Veron on December 16. NCCS faculty decided to schedule class parties on different days because of the larger number of students we have this school year.

The parties were from 8AM to about 10AM. Each gathering started with a prayer lead by one of the students in each class. After the prayer, we began playing games.  The games we prepared were Trip to Jerusalem, Train to New Christian, and Caterpillar Walk.

The winners get candies as their prize. After the games we served them their foods from Jollibee. The last part of the party was the exchanging of gifts. Teachers called the names of the students and also revealed who had given them their gift. Only after everyone had their gift did we allow them to be opened.  It was more fun for them to enjoy the opening together and we were so glad to see the smiles on their faces as they saw the presents that had been given by their classmates. 

Carla Caranog, NCCS Teacher

Students ready to open gifts

Bataan New Church Christmas

 The Christmas church service started at 5:00 PM on December 24th led by Pastor Sam Requierro who delivered the sermon entitled "Am I A Lost Sheep?"

After the church service, the program was started by a prayer led by Sunday School students Kadeane and Kristel, who are also students at NCCS.  They followed with a song number joined by Thea. The title of their song was “Jesus Loves Me”.

After their song, the kids from Hulo (farm area) performed their surprise dance number. Then, selected Sunday School kids in costume danced to the tune of “Kembot”.   

After that, Sunday School teacher, Melody with teacher, Ness and the other kids, danced to the tune of “Shake Body Dancer”.

After the dance number, the choir sang “Isang Pamilya Tayo” (We Are One Family). Then all the Sunday School attendees sang the “Salvation Song.”

The song “Ang Pasko ay Sumapit” (Christmas Is Here) was sung by all the members in the church and that ended the program.

After the program, we had our dinner.  Each family brought food to share with everyone.  

Then after eating, we had our games for the kids and for the adults. Everyone, especially the kids, enjoyed the Christmas celebration.

 Carla Caranog

Sunday school children

Dancing to “Kembot”

Philippines matching fund

By Bergen Junge

As many of you know I have visited the church and school in the Philippines three times and was active in raising support for the new school building that was dedicated in 2014. Now at the end of 2016, this little school and church are on my mind. Geraldo Gomes and I have worked to set up a matching fund to help with the operating costs for 2017 and now that it is in place, I would like to invite you to do something positive for the world by sending support for this school to:

Geraldo Gomes

1774 La Jolla Rancho Rd.

La Jolla, CA 92037

Donations are tax deductible and should be written to: Universal New Church, and in the notation, write for the "Philippines New Christian Church School."

Donations will be doubled out of the matching fund.

Palo Alto News

The service dates in January deviate from our normal 1st & 3rd Sunday routine by one week to avoid hectic travel and distractions of New Year's Day which falls on the first Sunday.  So our January schedule is Jan. 8 (Rev. Jean Atta) and Jan. 22 (Rev. Mark Perry).   

January 8 will also be a Holy Supper service as we reflect on the new beginnings that typify the turn of the year.

Our services in February will be on February 5th with Jean Atta and February 19th with Mark Perry.

Our activities are at the usual time of 4pm, in the stand-alone chapel of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Palo Alto

We look forward to seeing you at Church!

-Hannah & Jonathan

Los Angeles News

We on taking a break, but will update you when news becomes available.

San Diego News

Sunday School

As Christmas season merges into the New Year, we followed the story of how anangel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream instructing him to take Maryand the young child to Egypt where the family lived in safety until it was safe to return. 

'Egypt' represents the Lord's instruction when he was a boy. This is where the young Jesus learned many of his first lessons. We talked about Egypt, the pyramids, Pharaohs, the Nile river and hieroglyphics (pictures that represented words sounds or ideas) and how people forgot what these pictures represented and began worshipping the things instead.

Crayons and paint was used to color the picture of the Flight to Egypt and then we had fun making coconut, powdered sugar and condensed milk pyramids. The picture shows Angela Balthazar, Darren and Janine Perry's artwork.  The pyramids tasted delicious!

Artwork by Angela Balthazar, Darren Perry and Janine Perry

San Diego Tableaux 2016

The San Diego society had a lovely tableaux service held on Sunday, December 11th at 5 pm.

Editorial

Happy New Year! I hope you had a fabulous holiday season!

    Please take the time to fill out the 2017 subscription form below and send it in the provided envelope.  The digest does not cost anything for the hard copy OR online version, BUT donations are ALWAYS appreciated.  The suggested amount is $15 dollars.  

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God Bless,

Catie Jungé

California Digest Editor

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California Digest

Publisher: California New Church Board (CNCB)

Editor: Catie Jungé

Tel: 949-916-9436

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Los Angeles New Church

Services temporarily held at the Manse: 5022 Carolyn Way

La Crescenta, CA 91214

Tel. 818-249-9163

Website: www.newchurchla.com

On a break until January

San Diego New Church

2701 Meadowlark Drive

San Diego, CA 92123

Sunday Filipino Service 9:15 a.m. (Tagalog)

Sunday 10:30 a.m. (English)

Joint service first Sunday each month at 10:30 a.m.

Pastor: Rev. Mark Perry

Tel: 858-610-WORD

(e: cmperry@san.rr.com)

Palo Alto New Church

Sunday services are held at the First Baptist Church, NE corner of Bryant and California in Palo Alto, CA

Thanksgiving Service: November 17th

Christmas Service: December 22nd

Children's class at 3:30 pm; worship at 4:00 p.m.

Discussion/class at 5:00; Dinner/Social at 6:00 pm

Contact: Jonathan & Hannah Cranch

T: 650-327-2788 (e: jpcranch@pacbell.net

God

Is

Good!

Central California New Church

Worship at the home of Jane

Schroeder in Mariposa, CA 95338.

T-209-966-3423 (Services/ doctrinal classes quarterly.

“The Lord is mercy itself and good itself, and mercy itself and good itself cannot possibly condemn anyone.”

-(Arcana Coelestia 2335:3 Emanuel Swedenborg)

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