altadenablog

Christmas celebrations at Altadena Community Church

All are welcome at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve at Altadena Community Church, 943 E. Altadena Drive.  Pastor Joe McGowan's service will feature Wendy Caldwell and the choir, accompanied by flute, oboe and piano, in Pepper Choplin's contemporary cantata, "Lead Me Back to Bethlehem."

On Christmas morning at 10 a.m., worship will be a celebration for all ages, "You Are the Gift!"  Childcare is available both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Altadena Community Church part of the United Church of Christ.  ACC's web site is still down for repairs, but for more information about the United Church of Christ, visit www.ucc.org.

"Blue Christmas" service at St. Mark's, Dec. 19

Christmas is not a joyous season of celebration for everyone. If you’ve experienced the loss of a loved one, your health, a relationship, your job, or a deeply held dream, if you are far from those you love, or if you have painful memories of Christmas in years past, the holidays can be agonizing and isolating.

Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church will offer a “Blue Christmas” service at 7 PM on Monday, Dec 19.  Our worship will be quiet and reflective, accepting the hurts we bear, and offering the hope of comfort and healing.

St. Mark's is located at 1014 E. Altadena Drive

For more information, contact the Rev. Betsy Hooper, 626-798-6747.

Haussler's novel looks at the modern challenges of teachers and students

Local author Michael Haussler will have a book signing and discussion tonight at Flintridge Bookstore and Coffeehouse, 1010 Foothill Blvd., La Canada Flintridge.

He'll be talking about his first novel, Results May Vary.  Now a Glendale resident, Haussler has been local for many years:  a graduate of Muir High School, he's also taught at Marshall for 14 years, and was a high school teacher in Los Angeles,  as well as teaching for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese schools.

As for his novel, he says: "I've always wanted to write a novel, and i wanted to write about what I know about ... I decided to make it a story about the two main characters in public education: about a student and a teacher -- and I decided to make it take place in a single day."

Much of the inspiration was drawn from living and working in Altadena and Pasadena, Haussler said, and a career spent in inner city schools. 

The major points, he says: inner city schools are overcrowded and inefficient, and lack resources, which crushes the creativity of students; and an emphasis on state achievement tests "sows a culture of failure."

"Kids don't have a stake [in tests]; schools do, kids don't.  Kids don't take them seriously.   

"Despite those obstacles, kids are so creative ... kids succeed anyway ... KIds bring the creativity and flexibility of adolescence to the table, and those things are hard to suppress.  Kids want to learn, kids are willing to learn."

Now an adjunct professor at California State University-Los Angeles in the charter college of education, Haussler teaches teachers.

"I see good teadhers can help students overcome ... I think good teacher are the greatest resource.  I will be so bold to say that that's an interesting observation to make, because if you look at the dialogue that's taking place, teachers are being blamed for the problems in schools.  I'd say teachers are one of the only things that are holding schools together."

Pasadena City Council discusses Hahamongna sports fields tonight [UPDATED]

UPDATE 5/12: At the request of Pasadena councilmember Jacque Robinson, the  hearing has been postponed until June 7.

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For those of you tracking the potential for putting soccer fields in Hahamongna, the Pasadena City Council will be revisiting the issue tonight at the city council meeting, which begins at 6:30 PM in the council chamber, 100 N. Garfield Ave. Room S249.

Christian Science Reading Room moves

The Altadena Christian Science Reading Room announces that they have a new location.  After being located at 875 E. Mariposa Avenue for over 35 years, the Reading Room has moved to 942 E. Altadena Drive.  At this time, the hours are Tuesdays from noon to 3:00 pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.  Other times can be arranged with the librarian. 

All are welcome to come to a quiet place to study, read and purchase Christian Science literature and other Bible study aids. The Reading Room is a community bookstore and resource center for spiritual discovery, as well as health and healing through prayer. Our local Reading Room

• Provides information and materials about Christian Science and its discoverer, Mary Baker Eddy, including her primary work, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and her other writings, which teach and illustrate the healing power demonstrated by Christ Jesus.
• Offers a variety of Bible research materials, books and magazines (in various languages), audio-video products, and world news from The Christian Science Monitor.
• Sponsors special activities and community events, and also participates in national and local conferences, fairs, and expos.

For further information, please call 626-797-8403.

Cameron Turner to speak at Altadena Baptist Black History celebration Sun.

Cameron Turner, a rising journalist and social commentator, will be the keynote speaker at the 25th annual Black History Celebration sponsored by Altadena Baptist Church, on Sunday, February 21, beginning at 5 PM.

Turner is a native of Pasadena, where he attended public schools before earning a Bachelors Degree in Communications at Stanford University. His column “Turner’s Two Cents,” is published regularly in The Pasadena Journal. He also contributes to two web sites, Urban Thought Collective (UrbanThoughtCollective.com) and Electronic Urban Report (EURweb.com).

Recently, he has launched a career as a television commentator, partnering with well-known anchor Fred Roggin in the groundbreaking KNBC news program “The Filter with Fred Roggin.”

Altadena congregations respond for Haiti relief

Laura Monteros has done a fine job of legwork, checking out what local houses of worship are doing to provide relief to the people of Haiti.  We recommend her piece in the Examiner to give you some ideas of where to provide assistance.

Baha'is host "Pancakes and prayer"

Join us for a neighborhood gathering and bring your friends!

Saturdays, 10-11 PM581 Devonwood Rd.Contact: 626.797.4977

e-mail: nazaninho@gmail.com

Come and share ...- a prayer

• -a poem
• - a song
• - an inspirational quote
• - a devotional reading
• - a special “etc”

Pancakes and refreshments wil be served.  Sponsored by the Baha'is of Altadena

"Blue Christmas" ecumenical service @ St. Mark's, Dec. 21

Blue Christmas: A Service of Comfort & Light

Christmas is not a joyous season of celebration for everyone. If you’ve experienced the loss of a loved one, your health, a relationship, your job, or a deeply held dream, if you are far from those you love, or if you have painful memories of Christmas in years past, the holidays can be agonizing and isolating.

You are invited to join St. Mark's Episcopal Church for a “Blue Christmas” service at 7 PM on Dec. 21, the longest night of the year. Our worship will be quiet and reflective, accepting the hurts we bear, and offering the hope of comfort and healing.

Blue Christmas: A Service of Comfort & Light
Dec. 21st – 7 PM
Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church
1014 E. Altadena Drive, Altadena
626-798-6747

Winter Solstice celebration at Farnsworth Park Dec. 20

Something for everybody!  We found this activity (to take place at the Davies Building) from the Men's Center of Los Angeles.

St. Mark's Church hosts Alternative Christmas Market, soldier care packages

COME TO THE ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS MARKET!
The spirit of giving fills the Holiday season with joy! This year, why not choose to give the gift of HOPE? Saint Mark's Episcopal Church annual Alternative Market will be held on December 6 and 13 in the Community Hall from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

This is an opportunity to purchase items or in-kind donations for loved ones, friends and family members during the holiday season. We will be supporting the Heifer Project, Habitat for Humanity, African Team Ministries, Episcopal Relief and Development, Altadena's own Altadena Church's Together Serving (ACTS) Food Pantry.  The Saint Mark's high school youth group is also collection items for holiday care packages for our soldiers.  We hope all of you will come and shop to give the gift of HOPE for people here and around the world by helping them on the road to self-reliance.

Saint Mark's Church

1014 E. Altadena Dr.

Altadena, CA  91001

626-798-6747

The tan church on the south side of Altadena Drive just East of Lake Avenue.

Advent: now, the time of waiting

Matthew Lumpkin, a congregant at Altadena Baptist Church, shares some wonderful short sketches on his blog that were done as part of the worship service, in immediate response to haiku written and read by Tim Eby-McKenzie.  The sketches and haiku are on the web page, they're all beautiful, and a good way get ready for the season ahead!

"Damascus Speaks" at Altadena Baptist Sun.

Altadena Baptist Church will offer the local premier showing of a very unusual and inspiring movie, a film called "Damascus Speaks." The viewing will be on Sunday, Nov. 29, 6 PM, and is open to the public free of charge. This is the first movie developed by Christian Arabs in Syria, most of them associated with Eastern Orthodox churches.

The film tells the story of the first group of Christian believers in Damascus, the world's oldest city. It focuses on the martyrdom of St. Stephen, as well as the conversion of the Apostle Paul and his earliest church fellowship, where he was nurtured in his new faith.

Dramatic sequences are interspersed with a narrated tour of many of the ancient sites, where modern churches and monasteries mark significant events. All the actors are Syrians from a Muslim background. The film is done in Arabic, with English subtitles. The use of this Middle Eastern tongue, speaking the actual words recorded in the Bible, brings a sense of authenticity to the reenactments of first century events.

Millions of people in the Middle East have already experienced this unique film, since it focuses on some historical events important to both Muslims and Christians. Because it highlights the historical significance of Damascus, the Syrian government has promoted it as an expression of patriotic pride.

For more information, call the church at (626) 797-8970.

Community Thanksgiving Service Sun., Nov. 22

In an annual interfaith expression of Thanksgiving, several religious congregations in Altadena will join for an Altadena Community Thanksgiving Service this Sunday, November 22, at 7:00 PM.   This year's event will be hosted by the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, with the music under the direction of the Temple's Cantor, Judith Sofer.

The featured speaker will be Rev. Ruth Sievert, who is the pastor of Christ the Shepherd Lutheran Church.   Other participants in the service will represent the Bahai Faith, St. Marks Episcopal Church, First Christian Science Church, Altadena Baptist Church, and Altadena Community Church.

These various religious traditions will express their unique ways of worshiping, but will also demonstrate their common dependence on God's care and provision.   A high point of the service will be a prayer specifically for the community of Altadena and an acknowledgment of our interdependence on one another in spite of our diversity in beliefs.

ACTS (Altadena Congregations Together Serving) is the informal fellowship of local church leaders who sponsor this annual celebration.   Meeting monthly to discuss common community concerns, ACTS focuses its energies on programs for children, the homeless and the hungry.   The Altadena Food Pantry is its major continuing outreach program.   Many local families are helped through hard times by weekly distributions of food from the Pantry's center at Altadena Community Church.   Donations to the Pantry are always welcome.                 

St. E's pastor Duyshart celebrates 25 years

In a little blurb in the Tidings (the Archdiocese of Los Angeles newsletter), it lists St. Elizabeth's Fr. Edwin Duyshart as one of 26 diocesan priests who is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his ordination.

Sikh conflict at UCR has Altadena angle

Riverside Press-Enterprise reports on a conflict at UC-Riverside over the work of a Sikh scholar Dr. Pashaura Singh.  Our local angle is that the opposition is led by Altadena veterinarian Dr. Baljeet Sahi.

First Presbyterian works on creative worship

The Calvin Institute's weblog looks at Altadena's First Presbyterian Church, 2775 Lincoln Ave..  An historically Japanese-American church, is is becoming more diverse and more creative in its worship.

(Apropos of nothing, we read somewhere that fully a quarter of Presbyterian churches are named "First Presbyterian Church."  This is the one in Altadena!)

ACTS holds ecumenical Thanksgiving celebration Nov. 23

An ecumenical community Thanksgiving celebration will take place on Sun., Nov. 23, 7 PM  at Altadena Baptist Church, 791 East Calaveras Street. This event will include representatives from a number of local Christian denominations, the Jewish community, the Bahai faith, and other religious expressions, demonstrating the need all people have to express their gratitude.

The keynote address will be presented by the Rev. Wendy Tajima, who is a third-generation Japanese-American, born and raised in Pasadena. Wendy worked with battered women for ten years, then in management with the Apple Computer Company. She entered seminary in 1997 to train for Christian ministry. She was ordained in the Presbyterian Church and served as a pastor in Hawaii with the United Church of Christ. Her Thanksgiving message will be entitled "Raisins in the Stuffing."

Music expressing thanks and praise will be led by two choirs, the Pasadena Jewish Temple Choir, directed by Cantor Judy Sofer, and the Altadena Baptist Gospel Choir, directed by Glenn Molina. There will be readings from sacred writings of the various faith traditions participating.

This community celebration is being sponsored by ACTS (Altadena Congregations Together Serving), a local affiliation of clergy and lay people dedicated to growing together through conversation, fellowship, shared projects and mutual respect. One of the continuing programs of ACTS is a cooperative Food Pantry, staffed by volunteers from the various congregations, that helps local families in financial stress. An opportunity will be given at the celebration for people to bring either canned foods or money to support the Food Pantry.

We're being skeptical about it

Altadena's Michael Shermer of the Skeptic's Society is profiled by the Spiritual Book Club (but honestly, I thought most of us got over Atlas Shrugged after college).

"Enlarge the place of thy tent" -- Is. 54:2

The Altadena Community Church (UCC) seems to be having a tent meeting on Altadena Drive.  Or perhaps it's for the termites.

Community Fellowship Service @ Adventist Church Aug. 17

Just received a note from the Altadena Sheriff's Station:

The Altadena Sheriff's Station Clergy Council will host a Community Fellowship Service at the Altadena Seventh Day Adventist Church, 2609 N. Lincoln Avenue, on Sun. from 3-5 PM. The theme for the celebration service is "Partnering to Build a Better Community". The guest speaker is Bishop Edward R. Turner, Director of the Sheriff's Headquarters' Clergy Council. This is an opportunity for the community, law enforcement, and faith based leaders to fellowship together.  The Zimbabwe choir, Power of Love Ministries choir and the Altadena Seventh-Day Adventist choir will be the entertainment  for the event .  We encourage all to attend.

For more information, please contact Sgt. Yolanda Palomo at 626-296-2104 or Deputy Sam
Estrada at 626-296-2103.    

Stay skeptical

In his blog, Michael Shermer, head honcho of the Altadena-based Skeptics Society, talks about his encounter with Ben Stein for  the film Expelled.  He rightly says that a Darwinist world view doesn't necessarily lead to fascism, but merrily trips over the fact that authoritatians and eugenicists have used Darwinism for their own ends anyway, using the same rhetoric Shermer does -- it's right because it's "scientific," don't you know and you NEVER argue with science!

Shameless plug dept.

The Altadenablogmaster will be delivering the Trinity Sunday sermon at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 1014 E. Altadena Dr., at 7:45 and 10:30 AM on Sun., May 18.

Memories of Fr. Cornelison

Dr. Tax's "Rambles" blog has a remembrance of Fr. Bob Cornelison.  Conrnelison, who died recently at age 80, was a former rector of Altadenablog's home parish, St. Mark's - Altadena.

Holy Week (and shameless self-promotion) dept.

The weekend starts the observances of Holy Week in the Western Christian churches, leading to  Easter festivities on March 23.

This Palm Sunday, March 16, the Altadenablogmaster will be taking off his community journalist hat and putting on his theologian hat to deliver the sermon at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 1014 E. Altadena Dr., at the 7:45 and 10:30 services.  (There's also a family-friendly service at 9 a.m.)                        

Altadenans return from haj

LA TImes follows up with locals Raef and Ellen Hajjali about their trek to Mecca, with great pictures and something new we hadn't heard of: "haj flu."

Bishop Juan Arzube dies

Retired Los Angeles Auxiliary Roman Catholic Bishop Juan A. Arzube, 89, among the country's first Hispanic bishops ordained in the post-Vatican II era, died Dec. 25 in Los Angeles.  The second Hispanic bishop ordained in the U.S.,  he lived in residence at Sacred Heart Church, Altadena, after retirement before moving to Nazareth House in West Los Angeles in 2002.  A native of Ecuador, before becoming a priest, Bp. Arzube did voice-over dubbing work in film and cartoons for Warner Bros. and Disney -- he was the Spanish voice of Peter Lorre and of the fox in "Song of the South."  Tidings Online has a nice obit.

1/12 addendum:  The LA Times has an obit, too -- it omits Arzube's Altadena connection, but includes something Tidings left out: the bishop's membership in the LA Diocese's "we're paying a settlement but not admitting any wrongdoing" club.

Lemme out!

  This guy was not impressed at the annual Blessing of the Animals at St. Mark's Episcopal Church this morning.