Last update May 5, 2008

Cool Planet Working Group

Please consider joining the Cool Planet Working Group. We meet in the Church Lounge on the first Sunday of each month just after the main worship service. Want to know more about us? Check out our Cool Planet Working Group page!

Great Photos & Stories of 1st. Pres. at Home and Out in the World

• Christian Peace Witness (March 2007)
• New Orleans Mission Trip (2007)
• Gay Pride Los Altos and San Jose 2006
• Motzart Requiem (May 2006)
• Wildflower Hike May 2006
• Crop Walk 2006
• Palm Sunday
• Chili Cookoff 2005
• 2005 Youth Confirmation Celebration (connects to ShutterFly.com)
• Whales, Wildflowers and Woods Hike 2005
• Jeff Vamos Going Away Party (connects to ShutterFly.com)
• Habitat for Humanity
• All Church Retreat 2004
• Summer Arts Festival (requires Flash plug-in)
• Two Decades of Solidarity with El Salvador
• All Church Picnic 2003
• Peace Rally 2003
• Our Stained Glass Windows
• Memorial Garden
• Halloween Party
• Sowing the Seeds of Peace in Afghanistan (2002)
• Confirmation Class 2002
• Creek Cleanup Day
• History of banners

Remembering Dear Ones

One of the greatest gifts of being part of our community is the opportunity to be touched by incredible people and sharing in the treasures they bring to our lives. With that gift, though, comes sadness, when one of our treasures passes away. No one is ever truly gone, as we affirm when we shout "Presente!" in our circle. When possible, we try to have a web page dedicated to those who have died, here on this site. (If you'd like us to create a page for someone, please send a photo and information about that person and we'll create the page.)

• Helen Morales
• Margot Drekmeier
• Jan and Flora Hartog
• Theresa Wells
• Bob Soderman
• Stephanie DeKay
• Tom Henderson
• Nancy Jones
• Dick Clayton
• Larry Irons
• Peter Milward
• Judith Browning
• Rick Hubbard
• Phil Hahn
• Jack Robertson
• Peter Barney
• Bob Brown
• John Stafford

Lectionary, Sermons and Communion

Click here to visit the PCUSA Lectionary page so that you can study each day's Bible passages. Get a head start on Sunday's prompting (which is often based on the lectionary readings for that day). Each week we are inspired by promptings from our pulpit. We like to share some of these promptings with visitors to our Web site.

• Rhubarb Pie - Rev.Nan Swanson, June 17, 2007
• To Bear the Resurrective Spirit - Rev. W. Robert Martin, April 8, 2007
• Head Over Heals in Love with God - Rev. Jonas Mark Hayes, January 21, 2007
• You Have Come A Long Way - Rev. Jonas Mark Hayes, November 5, 2006
• The Very Center and Heart - Rev. W. Robert Martin III, October 8, 2006
• A Broken Halleluiah - Rev. Jonas Mark Hayes, July 30, 2006
• Matters of the Heart - Rev. Jonas Mark Hayes, July 16, 2006
• Householdship of God - Rev. Jonas Mark Hayes, July 9 2006
• Galilee - The Easter Directive
• Of Satans and Saviors (Rev. Rob Martin, March 12, 2006)
• A Journey to the Wild (Rev. Rob Martin, March 5, 2006)
• The Dynamic Duo (Rev. Nan Swanson, Feb 19, 2006)
• A Boldness of Faith (Rev. Rob Martin, Feb 12, 2006)
• The Demon's Recognition (Rev. Rob Martin, Jan 29, 2006
• NAY-Thanael (Rev. Rob Martin, Jan 15, 2006)
• How Do You Get Married in Heaven? (Heather Reichgott, October 16, 2005)
• Take Up Your Cross (Rev. Nan Swanson August 28, 2005)
• Worship at 1st. Pres (Elder Kathy Merkle-Raymond August 14, 2005)
• The Centrality of Doubt (Rev. Rob Martin May 22, 2005)
• Dry Bones (Rev. Rob Martin March 13, 2005)
• Lenten Assurance (Poetic prompting by Rev. Rob Martin February 20, 2005)
• If I Could Make One Thing Happen (Rev. Rob Martin January 2, 2005)
• Look Ahead With Joy (Rev. Rob Martin November 14, 2004)
• Thank God I Am Not Like... (Rev. Rob Martin October 24, 2004)
• The Shrewd Steward (Rev. Rob Martin September 19, 2004)
• This is Crazy! (Rev. Rob Martin September 12, 2004)
• Loose Talk (Rev. Rob Martin August 22, 2004)
• Rendering Our Lives (Rev. Rob Martin August 8, 2004)
• False Promises (Rev. Rob Martin July 4, 2004)
• Sophia, the Trinity, and our transgender God (D. Kikuchi - June 6. 2004)
• Easter Honesty (R. Martin - April 11, 2004)
• Forsaken (R. Martin - February 8, 2004)
• Shock and Awe (Jeff Vamos - March 23)
• Pip Marihart Story (Rev. Jeff Vamos)
• More Light Sunday Promptings (October 14, 2001)
  • Walls that Divide (Dale Bracey)
• Shall the Terrorist Win (Derrick Kikuchi)
  
• Words of Oscar Romero

Homebound: If you are homebound someone can visit and bring you communion and tapes of each week's service are available to borrow. Contact your Deacon.

Some Tidbits of History

Have you ever seen bumpers sticker or peace pins with the phrase "Arms Are for Embracing" on them? Guess where the inspiration came from! That's right, it was in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church Palo Alto in the 1980's when Elisabeth Bell was listening to Robert McAfee Brown. Inspiration struck her and a slogan was born.

Our congregation has a long history and wonderful people like Martha Clayton and Sarah Johnson have kept much of that history alive in folders and boxes. Martha has kindly shared some of her treasures with me and I have decided to build a section of the web site dedicated to the history of the congregation. Would you like to help? Please loan me photographs, documents and other items you'd like to see scanned in and added to our history page. Please provide a brief explanation of each item to help me understand its historic significance.

I've gotten just a brief start on this page, and it will be a spare time project I'm sure for a long time to come. Click here to check it out.

Late-breaking News and Upcoming Events:

Movie Reviews From Faith Issues in Films Small Group

Click here to check out the latest movie reviews from our Faith Issues in Films covenant group. The group is examines films in their relationship to social justice, faith, grace, and personal ethics in modern culture. That group is but one of many small covenant groups you might want to join. Click here to see the latest list of groups.

Help Central-American Refugees While You Help Yourself!

Reliable, hard-working men and women need jobs while they rebuild their lives. If you need help with anything listed below, or anything else, please call the South Bay Sanctuary Covenant Job Hotline at 650-494-8340.

• Bookkeeper
• Housecleaning
• Window Washing
• Yard Work
• Clean Gutters
• Home Assistant
• Care for Elderly or Disabled
• Child Care
• Help With Moving or Packing
• Wonderful Meals for Group Functions
  (tamales, enchiladas, papusas, salads, and more)

Keep up with the latest news! Join our Church E-mail list, courtesy of YahooGroups. Once you join the list, you can send messages to the whole group and receive messages from the group. Click here to read about the purpose for and guidelines on how to use the group. Click here to send an e-mail message to the webmaster to sign you up.