Prepare the way of the Lord!
Friends in Faith:
This Sunday, December 17, is the third Sunday of Advent —we'll be lighting the Candle of Joy. Our text is from Luke 1:5-25, concerning God's call for Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist. God calls so many people of all backgrounds throughout the Bible—we'll be reflecting about God's call for us to use our gifts in this world. We'll also remember our baptisms. Choir will be singing; come and join in the joy of the Advent season!
You are also invited to bring in a crèche scene to display for worship. Arrive to worship early and you can set up the scene on one of the tables at the front of the sanctuary. During our time of passing the peace, you can come forward to see all of the unique crèches.
Natalya begins playing our “gathering music” at 10:20 a.m. You can also join virtually here: Facebook Live. More details about worship can be found here.
The picture above may or may not be a picture of your pastor! For morning worship on December 24, we will be playing a game in worship—and to play this fun game, I'm collecting baby photos of Bethany folks. Please e-mail me one of your baby/young photos. You can scan the image and attach it as a jpg via e-mail—or you can just take a photo of your baby picture and text it to me at 608-851-0738. You can even bring the picture with you and I can take a picture of it. The more participants we have, the more fun the game will be! Don't forget to tell me who is in the picture! Thanks.
We'll be ringing bells on Christmas Eve! It's a tradition that began in England during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way of letting folks know that they aren't alone. Cathy Sapunor has a bunch of bells but she needs help preparing them for the 24th; if you can lend a helping hand, reach out to Cathy. The prep work, which includes tying on peace prayers, can be done at home. Distributing the bells can be done by someone who is planning to attend the Christmas Eve service, which starts at 5 p.m.
The monthly "Reaching Out" days are a big hit with a diverse group attending each month. The photos shown here are from the December event, held on December 9. This special day included cookie decorating, warm clothing and blankets, Christmas gifts, delicious food and lots of smiles. This new ministry is a partnership among Bethany, Faith Presbyterian, and the South Sacramento Interfaith Partnership, Elder Susan Just is the point person for Bethany—please reach out to her if you have any questions or would like to get involved.
Our final session of the 4-week class on "Spiritual Gifts" will be held in the Social Hall at 10 a.m. on Monday, December 18. A free lunch is served after our time of discussion—join us!
Our Christmas Eve service will be held at 5 p.m. Please note that 12/24 falls on a Sunday, so we'll be gathering for both our morning service and our Christmas Eve service that day.
On Sunday, December 17, all are invited to bring a special creche scene to worship where they will be displayed for the service. Details are here.
Mary Harbison's memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 27 at 2 p.m. More details to follow.
Bethany's set of handbells have been loaned to the Pacific Institute of Music, led by Dr. Irina Tchantceva. She was thrilled to pick up the bells on Tuesday and is so excited to begin teaching students to play them. In accordance with Session's decision, the bells are to be returned within 30 days of Bethany's request for them back. It's a joy that they are being used again! Dr. Tchantceva even gifted me with a box of chocolates—we'll have them out for coffee hour this Sunday!
At our congregational meeting this past Sunday, the motion passed—nearly unanimously—to keep the pastor position full-time through April of 2024. Debbie Leibrock, as chair of Budget and Stewardship, shared that our finances are better than predicted, so our deficit won't be as bad as expected. The pastor’s "Terms of Call for 2024" have been approved, so we won't need to do so at our Annual Meeting (which will probably be held in February 2024).
As a church family, we are a community that is committed to caring for one another. One of the ways that we can support one another, loved ones and strangers, near and far, is to offer our prayers on their behalf. We share our prayers because we care for one another, and we know that God listens and cares for all of God's children. If you have a joy or concern to share, please let me know; and if it is a confidential matter, please be sure to let them know. And don't forget that we have a prayer team who is committed to praying for any and all prayer concerns that come forward. You can reach out to Barbara Greene with your prayer concerns and she'll share them with the prayer team.
Be with those in our congregation who are struggling with health concerns and loss.
Hear our prayers, O Lord!
Peace to all.
—Jesse
