Friends in Faith—
The church will be closed from Wednesday, November 24 through Saturday, November 27 due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Thank you to everyone involved in preparing/purchasing/serving our delicious pies at last Sunday's coffee hour—they were delicious! We wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving—enjoy the holiday time with family and friends, and lots of yummy food. We really do have so very much to be thankful for—God has blessed us beyond measure.
As you awake from your tryptophan stupors this weekend, don't forget that Advent is nearly here (it kicks off on Sunday, November 28)! To prepare for this beautiful season, we need your help to decorate the sanctuary on Saturday, November 27 at 9 a.m. With many hands making light work, we are usually done before noon. Also, donuts will be provided! Here are all the details.
This coming Sunday, November 28, is the first Sunday of Advent. Our bible reading during the worship service is Luke 21:25-36; it's not an easy text, but we'll still seek to find what God's Spirit is calling us to hear. For folks joining us from home, be sure to have an Advent wreath [or a candle] ready to light! Pianist Natalya Amelchenko begins playing gathering music at 10:20 a.m, with the service starting at 10:30 a.m. Folks can also join from home on Facebook. (You can also watch services at any time here.) Following the guidelines of Sacramento County and the CDC, we continue to practice social distancing and require masks while worshiping while indoors. If you plan to attend a worship service at the church, you can find out more about our safety protocols here.
Immediately following our service this Sunday, anyone interested in the music programs at Bethany is invited to a conversation in our Social Hall to discuss future music options for worship.
Also happening during Advent: I will be offering a book discussion and a mini-sermon series on Falling Upward by Richard Rohr. Our book discussions will be next Monday, November 29 and Monday, December 6—both at 10-11:30 a.m. in our Social Hall. You can learn more about the book here and purchase a copy [via Amazon]. However, you can still join in our discussion even if you don't read the book.
Many thanks for all of the pledges that have been returned—and for all of your continued gifts. We have a profoundly generous church, and it's your gifts that keep us going. If you have not yet turned in your pledge card for 2022, please send it to the office as soon as possible. Your pledges help us to determine a realistic budget for the coming year. You can also pledge online! Details are here. If you are in need of more information, or if you didn't receive a pledge card, please contact Tim and Kathy Lumsden.
Thanks to our crew of Bethany volunteers who offered freshly baked goodies to the SSIP volunteers during their big Thanksgiving distribution! Simon Yeh, SSIP's director writes: "Thank you all for preparing the hot beverage and homemade baked goodies on Saturday morning. Our volunteers enjoyed them very much. Way to leave an impression! Let me know when the next bake sale is, cause I'll be your first customer for sure!" Click here for details and to see the rest of the pictures.
A few of our mini-questionaires were returned, explaining how folks have been fed by Bethany:
"By our pastor and others who give us the tools we can use to help others know God. My heart is happy every Sunday and it helps me through the week. The many things Bethany give to our members—bible study, book studies, The Gathering, fellowship, music, so many things. We are small but mighty!"
"The caring visits while basically homebound due to the COVID-19 virus. To have people go to so much effort to provide cheerful little bags of cheer delivered by a caring person provided a message of hope and cheer."
A few also shared how they have strived to feed folks at Bethany and in our community:
"Just be being present each week to help any way I can—I talk to those who need someone; phone calls to those unable to attend and reach out through donations to SSIP."
"Speaking to members by phone, joined in the online book group, donated to SSIP."
Robert Madrigal, our part-time custodian, has been hired full-time at Westminster Presbyterian Church. We are working on a plan that will still keep Robert in his house and a presence on our campus, but his hours will be greatly reduced. The Personnel Commission is working on bringing on a new custodial team dedicated solely to keeping our facility clean. Hopefully, this will happen soon. As we adjust to the financial realities of our church, some of our expectations need to be modified. Robert will no longer be available for set-ups, and so we are asking all groups to take care of their own set-ups, and then returning the room to it's original set-up. We thank you for your help in pitching in to keep our campus clean, and we thank you for your understanding.
As a faith community, we have the privilege of being able to journey with one another through a chaotic and beautiful world, full of many highs and lows. We celebrate one another's victories, and we hold one another in prayer during those times of pain, fear, and loss. If you have prayers that you would like to share with our community, please contact myself or Office Manager Maria Mar. Also, be sure to indicate if you'd like your prayer to be shared, or if you'd like it to be held in confidence.
God hears all of our prayers, and in Christ, we find healing, wholeness and new beginnings. With each passing day, the Spirit of God is presenting us with new opportunities of love and grace. No matter what comes our way, all roads lead to Jesus—thanks be to God!
Blessings,
Jesse
