Friends in Faith—
If you haven't yet met our office manager, Maria, you should—she's got a huge heart, a deep faith, plenty of wisdom, profound creativity, and many other gifts! She wanted to share a small reflection she wrote upon reflecting on the recent loss of her mother:
On Living
Monday 11/22/21It’s not what you think.
I sat with my Mama as she passed early this morning As people of faith we hope for a life after death. Why is it so very hard to let go?
Here at Bethany some things are passing away. We do not want to let go of very good things (programs, traditions, systems, people). Wanting someone to live on is a sign that this person was loved and will be missed. And so, it is for the things at Bethany which we fear are dying.
Jesus had to die to be resurrected. There is no Easter without Good Friday.
Can we let go of very good things, trusting that God has plans for unimaginably better things? Letting go does not mean that those things are not loved.
It is the night of Monday 11/22/21 and I am remarkably happy. I wonder why I am not crying for Mama who is possibly the closest thing I know to unconditional love. I am not crying, in part, because I believe that Mama is reborn in heaven. Her physical body was worn out from 77 years of life. It could no longer serve the purpose for which it was created. Mama could have lived longer. She was on many medications to support her lungs and her heart. Mama decided the protocol required to keep her body alive was no longer worth all of the work and discomfort. She let her body die.
And so, it is with some of the things which we love here at Bethany. We can keep things going with some extra effort and perhaps a lot of strain.
I am in no position to judge which things should go on and which should be let go. I do know that we can let go, trusting that God has something unimaginably awesome to follow.
“Falling Upward,” a book by Father Richard Rohr, is the subject of this Monday’s book study. You do not need to read the book to engage in this second of two discussions. This past Monday we shared stories of letting go. Some of us let go of anger. Others let go of fear. Almost all of us are trying to let go of physical stuff. Even if you did not join in this past Monday, you are welcome to the second discussion. Father Rohr explains, in surprising depth and complexity, that the first half of a life is a time of defining ourselves, boundary setting, and judgement. Then comes a fall, usually a crisis, which is followed by the second half of life. This second half of life, which most likely is not defined by an age, is about letting go of the judgements, ego definitions, and presumptions of the previous life.
To learn more about “Falling Upward,” consider reading this critique.
This upcoming Monday we'll wonder together about what falling upward could mean for Bethany Presbyterian Church.
Thank you for all of the love and support extended to me and my family.
Sincerely,
Maria
Amen. Thank you, Maria. Please consider joining us for our faith conversation on Monday, December 6, starting at 10-11:30 a.m. in our Social Hall. And if you want to join us virtually, click here for details.
This coming Sunday—December 5—is the Second Sunday of Advent. Our text is from Luke 1:39-56; Mary's Magnificat—her song of praise. We'll be celebrating the Lord's Supper together. For folks worshiping from home, be sure to have some bread and juice available. And have an Advent wreath [or a candle] ready to light!
On Sunday, 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.
Also, as it’s the Sunday of the month, we'll be receiving canned/dry good donations for th SSIP Food Closet. If you have goods to donate, we'll bring them forward during our offering.
Our monthly Zoom "What's Happening" is this Wednesday, December 1 at 11 a.m. Please join us for this informal time of sharing. Click here for log-in details.
We are excited to share that we have hired Robert and Lety Lopez as part-time custodians at Bethany. They will be cleaning the interior of our facility for five hours a week. They are kind, adaptable and hard-working, and we are eager to welcome them aboard! Robert Madrigal will continue to reside in our house and work for us on Mondays. He'll also do nightly rounds to make sure the facility is locked up. As we adjust to the financial realities of our church, some of our expectations need to be modified. We are asking all groups to take care of their own set-ups, and then returning the room to its original set-up. If you run across a problem with our facility, please let me know. We thank you for your help in pitching in to keep our campus clean, and we thank you for your understanding.
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.
A few of our pledge mini-questionnaires 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."
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
