Dear Friends in Faith—
Friends in Faith,
This coming Sunday, April 28, will be my final Sunday as your pastor. It is a bittersweet time of saying good-bye, but we are also faithfully looking to our future, knowing that the Holy Spirit is with us and all shall be well. So let's gather together to worship God—to celebrate our time together and to give thanks to God for the blessings that have been showered upon us.
We'll be focusing on Micah 6:8 and 1 John 4:7-12— and the call of love. Love makes the world go round! Our work as followers of Jesus Christ is to love God and one another and the world. John declares that "God is love." Ultimately, if there is love, there will be a way.
The Bethany Choir will be singing and there may also be an additional special song shared.
I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday to mark this special occasion.
Immediately following our service, we'll be having a congregational meeting for the purposes of approving my "dissolution of terms"—and to officially end my call at Bethany. The meeting will be moderated by the chair of the AC, Rev. Rick Hull. All members will be able to vote on this matter.
Then we'll all adjourn to the Social Hall for a time of celebration and fellowship. I've heard rumors that there may be a cake!
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.
Please note that Robert Madrigal's cataract surgery will be postponed until May 25. As always, please be vigilant about turning off lights and locking up when you leave Bethany.
On Monday, April 29, Bethany will be helping out at the SSIP Food Closet from 8:30-11:40 a.m. Please let Cathy Sapunor know if you would like participate. WE NEED ONE MORE VOLUNTEER!
Bethany is again fielding a team of volunteers to help “spruce up” the Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center (South Lake Tahoe) the weekend of May 10-12, 2024.
CHURCH RETREAT IS COMING: We will again gather on the beautiful shores of Lake Tahoe, staying at Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center, August 9-11, 2024, Friday evening through Sunday noon. Rev. Judy Davis will lead us in this year’s theme of “How We Tend Our Spiritual Gardens,” exploring ways to nurture our faith, individually and collectively, as we move forward. Registration forms will be available soon, so mark your calendars and plan to join us!
Bethany elder Jackie Sneed invites you to attend the
2024 NCNC Ecumenical Racial Justice Conference
Friday, April 26th – Saturday, April 27th, 2024
Sierra Vista Community Church
890 Morse Avenue, Sacramento
All are welcome!
This conference is sponsored by the Northern California/Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ with funding from the North Central California Presbytery. It will take place on the evening of Friday, April 26th, and on Saturday, April 27th.
Friday night's focus is on the retention of black and brown students in the university setting. On Saturday, the keynote speaker is Bishop Dwayne Royster, a UCC cleric and faith-based social justice warrior who heads the largest grassroots faith-based organization in the world.
Saturday workshops address mental health, down-payment assistance as reparations, faith-based communities as social justice agents, and homelessness and racial disparities.
Will you come for the entire conference or part of it? You can register by e-mail, letting me know if you will attend both sessions, Friday night or Saturday. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to let me know. I am pleased to answer then.
This conference is donation-based, and donations can be made when you attend. There will be dinner on Friday evening and continental breakfast and lunch on Saturday. Here is a link for more information and to register. I hope to see you there
—Jackie Sneed
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.
We continue to pray for peace in Gaza and throughout the Middle East and in Ukraine and all parts of this big world experiencing conflict and bloodshed.
Hear our prayers, O Lord! Peace to all.
—Jesse
A Prayer for a Time of Transition
O Lord, assist us in living hopefully into the future. In the face of change, help us to set unnecessary fears aside and to recognize our potential for creative response. Help us to develop a reasonable optimism when confronted by “the new” and to guard against our own defensiveness. Be with us as we remember and celebrate former times, and keep us from unreasonable yearning for them, which takes us from the work you have set before us in our time.
You are the light that guides our feet. You are the map that gives us direction. Your are the peace that makes us strong. You are the leader whom we faithfully follow. May your light illuminate our lives. And your guidance bring direction to our work. May we find inspiration in your Word, and peace in our hearts, as we follow you.
All this we ask in the name our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
