“Reasons for us to praise God despite the fact that ‘we are closing out a year that has given us more adversity than any other year in memory.’”
Psalm 148
Guest preacher: Elder Jim Guida
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

Dozens of Bethany members and friends joined from their respective homes in preparing the church’s 2020 Christmas Eve service.

“Jesus's birth and its relevance to today”
Matthew 1: 18-25.
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko
FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT

“God continues to guide and transform us through difficult and confusing situations.”
Luke 1: 26-38
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko
THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT

“Readying our hearts and lives to receive the Son of God”
Matthew 3:1-12
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko
SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT

“We not only remember and commemorate the birth of Jesus … but look ahead to the time when he will return, bringing peace and justice to all.”
Mark 13: 24-37
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianis: Natalya Amelchenko
FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT

“Taking time—in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic—to inventory our lives and experiences. When we give thanks, we do see the world with clearer vision.”
Jonah 2:1-10
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko
THANKSGIVING SUNDAY / PLEDGE DEDICATION SUNDAY

“Churches should remain places where we feel a sense of wholeness and peace, rather than of stress and burden.”
Isaiah 43:18-21 & Matthew 25:14-30
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“In these post-election days, more than ever are we called by God to find creative ways to get along with one another.”
Mark 12:28-31
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“Faith in God during trying times, including loss of loved ones.”
Matthew 5: 1-12
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko
ALL SAINTS OBSERVANCE

“Being a Presbyterian … calls for embracing an open, questioning, learning and forgiving approach to life.”
Luke 18: 9-14
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko
REFORMATION SUNDAY

“Both trust and faith require us to let go of the need to be in control.”
Psalm 28
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“The Fairer Text: The Important. Role of Women in the Bible”
Philippians 4:1-9
Guest preacher: elder Jim Guida
Pianist: Dr. May Tuan Tucker
Guest vocalist: Glena Jue

“Our worship experiences may be not be identical, but we all share the promise of life everlasting through Christ.”
Philippians 3:4-14
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Dr. May Tuan Tucker
WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY

“Perspective is what keeps us grounded and enables us to prioritize what's truly significant in life.”
Ephesians 15: 1-23
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“Emotional well-being and mental health: how are you doing?”
Matthew 15: 21-28
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Dr. May Tuan Tucker

“Take time to enjoy all that creation has to offer … to turn off our connection to social media … and let silence fill our souls with wonder.”
Genesis 2: 1-4
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“The Myth of Scarcity”—How do we take leaps of faith on behalf of love and hope, rather than fear and scarcity?
Luke 9: 12-17
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Dr. May Tuan Tucker
Guest Musician: John Doolittle

“Through God, we are offered not scarcity, but abundant life.”
John 2: 1-12
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“Conflict is not usually borne out of malice, but of a difference of opinions. How do we hold one another in the light amidst the discomfort and then move forward after the turbulence?"
1 John 4: 7-12
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“We shouldn't just sit back and wait for things to happen. Rather, we are the change agents that the Holy Spirit works through to build the Kingdom of God here on earth.”
Luke 19: 1-20
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“Life at its very core is all about change and recovery … and persistence and patience.”
Mark 4: 30-32
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“When we put love and trust and faith into our acts—no matter the size—they are blessed by God and send out far-reaching ripples into the world.”
Mark 12: 41-44
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“When hatred is met with grace, the results are often amazing."
John 8: 1-11
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“Christ continues to be the anchor in any and all storms.”
Matthew 8: 18-27
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“The Kingdom" is ours to strive for … and to live in now thanks to God's grace.”
Psalm 84 & excerpts from the Gospel of Matthew
Rev. Judy Davis
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“Freedom and the sacrifices it can require … including our individual efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
Rev. Judy Davis
Galatians 5: 1-15.
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko
INDEPENDENCE DAY

“Every generation fears that we facing pending doom. There are no sure things and no way to prevent storms, but when we cling to Christ … our faith offers a powerful hope that will see us through.”
Matthew 7: 24-27
Rev. Jesse Larson
First “in-person” worship service held since start of COVID-19 quarantine

“The more we understand about one another, the more we value one another's gifts and perspectives.”
1 Corinthians 12: 4-13
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko
FATHER’S DAY

“We need to understand the extreme anxiety and sense of hopelessness that can preoccupy people . . . and realize that we should not be afraid to look back on mistakes we and our ancestors have made, lament them and work to correct them.”
Lamentations 5: 1-22
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“in times of crisis—particularly in light of ongoing racial injustice and community response—we must have the courage to hear each other … to really listen … and to honor each other’s intentions.”
Ephesians 4: 1-16
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“The ‘great wind’ that caused excitement in early Christians’ lives is just as powerful today … when we allow it to direct and guide us.”
Acts 2: 1-13
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko
PENTECOST SUNDAY

“Different forms’witnessing’ can take, including offering hope to one another.”
Luke 24: 44-53
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“Ultimately, God will bring us through to the other side” of this time of uncertainty, stress and disappointment due to the coronavirus crisis.”
Psalm 66: 8-20
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

"We are the church. Christ is the cornerstone and we disciples are the living stones who gather around him to form the house of God."
1 Peter 2: 2-10
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko
MOTHER’S DAY

“How ‘church’ has changed throughout not just the centuries but within the past decades … and even more so since the recent COVID-19 quarantine.”
Acts 2: 42-47
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“We wonder what the future holds. Why is this time of trial happening to us? Will life ever return to ‘normal’ again”Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

“After the Cross: Now What?”
Rev. Jesse Larson
Pianist: Natalya Amelchenko

Bethany moved its livecast service from the pastor’s living room to the church sanctuary for a moving Easter Sunday service.

Rev. Jesse Larson tells the story of Holy Week, plays the African drum and talks about the challenges we face in confronting the coronavirus pandemic.
PALM SUNDAY

Rev. Jesse Larson presented a Sunday morning “show and tell” devotion, delivered live from this living room.

Rev. Rev. Jesse Larson delivers encouraging words as Sacramento enters its second week of “sheltering in place” due to the coronavirus.

In Bethany’s first “livecast” during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bethany’s new pastor Rev. Jesse Larson delivers a message about hope.