Friends in Faith,
Well, if you can believe it, my one-year anniversary of serving as Bethany's pastor is this coming Sunday, February 28th. How has it already been a year?! Then again, these past 12 months of the pandemic have been jam-packed with many new "normals", tons of Zoom meetings, a few care packages, lots of anxiety, encountering God through virtual worship and other new ways, and some very meaningful conversations and reflections.
Through it all, God has managed to bring us to another season of Lent. We are afforded the opportunity to tend to our souls, to explore new ways of being, to ask important questions, to study, fast and pray. As Jesus made his way through his time in the wilderness, he emerged with a stronger relationship with God, a clearer sense of calling, and encouragement for the journey that lay ahead of him. The same gifts are ours, too, as we live into Lent with intentionality. I wish you many blessings as you live into this special season of renewal. If you are interested, you can click here to access the Presbyterian Church (USA) devotional for each day of Lent.
After our Session meeting this evening, I will be enjoying a few days of vacation/continuing education (I'll be back on Monday, March 1). Parish Associate Rev. Judy Davis will be leading worship this Sunday, the second Sunday of Lent. This Sunday's service might be slightly different; Rev. Judy will be offering a pre-recorded service; plans are still coming to fruition. Rest assured, Office Manager Maria Mar will be sure to get the details to everyone! Please also note that we will not be having a Wednesday Zoom Check-in tomorrow (February 24th).
You can access all of our online/Zoom opportunities here.
The SSIP Food Closet's upcoming virtual gala is a celebration designed to nurture the soul. By filling the plates of those who need a little help right now, we are filling our own hearts with love and gratitude that we have the ability to give back for all that we have been given. Please join us on March 11 at 6:30 p.m. for an hour that we hope will help to nourish your soul. Click here to join the gala Zoom. If you can’t make it, you can still help fill a plate. You can text a donation to 243725 and put FPFH in the message field—you’ll get a link to our donation page. Or you can click here to donate online (put FPFH in the memo line). Or send a check with FPFH marked on it to: 5625 24th Street, Sacramento, CA 95822. We will recognize your contributions on March 11!
Please be sure to join us early for bidding at our silent auction on March 7. There are over 100 exciting items, including original art, wine, gift certificates, music and watercolor lessons, and much more. The auction will close the evening after Full Plates, Full Hearts, on March 12.
For those interested in our Zoom conversations concerning Ibrahim X. Kendi's "How to Be an Antiracist" , our final three sessions will be on March 3, March 17, and March 31 (all Wednesdays at 7 p.m.). You can click here to learn more about this opportunity. We have found this time to be very meaningful and we'd like to encourage everyone to attend. If you would like to join us, and please e-mail Donna Tabaie for more information.
As we celebrate Black History Month together, many members of our book study group are excited about a PBS documentary airing soon about the Black Church. It's sure to be an excellent show—click here for more info and showtimes.
If you have news for our church family that you would like to share, please reach out to myself or Maria and let us know. Also, whenever you share a joy or a concern, please be sure to tell us if the information is confidential or not; we never want to inadvertently share anything that wasn't supposed to be shared.
As always, our prayers are with a few members, friends, and loved ones who are struggling with health concerns, loss, and grief:
Loving God, hear our prayers for healing, care, and hope for all in the midst of anguish and troubles.
God's peace to you all,
Rev. Jesse Larson
