Dear Friends in Faith—
Happy Valentine's Day! Hope your heart is warmed today.
This Sunday, February 18, is the first Sunday of Lent. Lent is a holy time of repentance, reflection, and renewal—for 40 days—as we make our way to the miracle of Easter morning. Lent officially begins with Ash Wednesday; we remember that we are human—flawed and temporary—while God is eternal and God's love is unending. As you begin this sacred "journey," you might consider taking on a spiritual practice or two. Some folks like to give up something—chocolate, social media, soda—as a way of being more mindful about how we spend our time and what decisions we make. Others commit to reading a Bible passage each day or offering morning prayers. Here are a few other suggestions:
Pray for somebody. As you’re walking the streets, driving the highways, or waiting for a meeting to start, pick out a person who appears to be in need and pray for that person. Be mindful of the words of philosopher Philo of Alexandria, who said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.”
Think about what you usually spend your money on. Do you buy too many clothes? Spend too much on dinner out? Pick one type of expenditure that you’ll “fast” from during Lent, and then give the money you would usually spend to a local charity.
Take something on—40 days of letter writing, 40 acts of kindness, 40 phone calls to the important people in your life.
Spend some time in silence—turn off the TV, your phone, and the car radio. The silence may be jarring at first, but you may find that you are able to concentrate better and will be more observant of your surroundings.
Spend at least one weekend or evening volunteering during Lent. If you feel comfortable volunteering in person, you could help at the SSIP Food Closet. If you’d rather volunteer from home, send letters to shut-ins or even prisoners.
Get to know your neighbors. Introduce yourself, plan a dinner, or bring food to an older person on your block.
Our service this Sunday will begin with a "sacred pause" - we'll be focusing on Mark 10:46-52: the story of Jesus healing blind Bartimaeus. We hope you can join us for worship as we always find the Spirit moves in beautiful ways among us!
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.
When was the last time you went out to the movies? For most of us, it's been a while! We are gathering at the Century Cinemark Theater at 1590 Ethan Way, Sacramento CA 95825 (in Arden-Arcade) on Tuesday, 2/20 at 1:10pm. Tickets are $7.50 per person; no need to RSV, ;just show up in the lobby by 1:10 p.m—the show starts at 1:20 p.m.
I wanted to pass along this kind note (above) from Rev. Jeff Chapman of Faith Presbyterian Church. The monthly "Reaching Out" events—held on the 4th Saturdays of each month at Bethany—have been a very meaningful ministry. Faith, SSIP, and Bethany collaborate to offer a variety of services to our neighbors. Susan Just is our point person for this ministry—reach out to her to learn more and for ways to get involved.
Monday, February 19, our Spiritual Formation group will be screening part 2 of the film, "Silence"—and enjoy discussions led by Rev. Judy Davis. Our time together begins at 10 a.m. and concludes with a free lunch. All are warmly invited to join us
The River City Chorale is having a concert at the end of the month, entitled "The Power of Love" - Marilee Keene, Trisha Uhrhammer, Peter Baird, and other Bethany folks have been a part of this choir and they always put on a fun show. Reach out to Marilee Keene if you are interested in purchasing tickets.
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.
Prayers for peace in Gaza and throughout the Middle East and in Ukraine and all parts of this big world experience conflict and bloodshed.
Hear our prayers, O Lord!
Peace to all.
—Jesse
