Now, more than ever, we need our faith and our worshiping community. Whether we gather physically or virtually, it's important to be "together."

Our hearts are very heavy as we see the turmoil in Afghanistan. We pray that cool heads would prevail, and that the U.S. and other nations would do all they can to help so many people fearing for their lives. We also lift to you the families of our two adopted Afghan families. They are terribly concerned for their family members who remain back home.

We pray for the people of Haiti who have just suffered another horrific earthquake. Violence and political instability hold a tight grip on this poor island nation, which makes rescue and rebuilding efforts much more complicated. We pray that we can share more of our nation's wealth to help Haiti and other nations in such need—may the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood blow through our world.

So many churches are offering all sorts of unique ministries to the community and using their space in different ways as well. Whenever I have the opportunity to visit a church, I find it to be inspirational and I'm filled with possible ideas for Bethany.

Two days ago, Rowena and I had a wonderful dinner with the "younger" folks of Bethany—a handful of daughters and sons of our congregation. They are leading full lives—working, raising families, pursuing their passions, and doing their best, like all of us, to navigate through the ongoing pandemic. It was a joy to get to know them, and to hear them speak about their memories, frustrations and hopes for Bethany.

Just today, Sacramento County has re-mandated the wearing of masks due to a drastic rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in our area. This is frustrating news for many of us, especially since so many of us are double-vaccinated, but we also want to do whatever we can to halt infections which are overwhelming our medical system.

Our text this coming Sunday is from 2 Corinthians 4:13-18. It's a beautifully uplifting text about keeping things in perspective …

July 22, 2021

There often feels as though there is so much to do—so much pressing business in our individuals lives and at Bethany to attend to. We can run ourselves ragged attempting to check everything off of our list, and as soon as we take care of one issue, a new one takes its place. Although it can be argued that many of these duties are important, most of us would agree that it is even more important to slow down and be present with one another. Especially when we are facing personal struggles, health concerns, and losses.

Our hearts can become full of anxiety, but we need to remember that we are in this together—we face each day together, we'll face our problems together, and we trust that God's Holy Spirit is guiding us along each step of the way. In the midst of uncertainty, we cannot forget our spiritual center—that God loves us eternally, that God is doing a new thing in our midst, that all shall be well. This we believe!

This coming Sunday, I'll be "installed" as your pastor. As you know, we Presbyterians believe that God is very much a part of the process of bringing a pastor to a congregation. We are unsure of what our ministry will be like together, but we put our trust in the Holy Spirit that both Bethany and I have been brought into this relationship for a special purpose. Though the future can seem daunting, we have faith that God will be present in our time together.

It was so wonderful to be gathered a church family in our sanctuary this past Sunday! We were able to see one another's faces up close and personal! There are still some kinks to work out—we've forgotten how to do a few things after being away for 67 weeks!

We are thrilled to announce that after nearly 16 months worshiping outside of our sanctuary, we are now ready to return to the sanctuary THIS SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2021!

Stay safe during these blistering days, and take some time to feed your souls.

We have been talking about the Presbyterian Church USA’s "Matthew 25 Invitation" for the past few Sundays at Bethany. Essentially, the invitation asks our churches to become more focused on mission, especially the work of helping the poor, anti-racist endeavors, and on behalf of justice work. Here is a link to learn more about this campaign. Let's see if this is something we can do as well!

As we continue to face the highs and lows of each week, as all generations have done before us, let us hold fast to our faith and remember that we are in this together as a community of faith

It's amazing to think of all the ways that the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench into many of our plans. I'm sure we'll be picking up the pieces for years to come.

May we trust that God hears all of our prayers, and in Christ, we find healing, wholeness, and new beginnings. No matter what comes our way, all roads lead to Jesus— thanks be to God!

Each week brings with it new experimentations, some of which work well, and others, not so much. We are all striving to remain hopeful, to stick together, to support one another, to make sure our congregation is spiritually fed, and to grow in our discipleship of Jesus Christ …

As we continue to navigate many intense days in the life of our nation, grounding ourselves in our faith and in prayer is an important tool to help us manage all of the emotion and unpredictability of each passing day …

This morning, Rowena and I took my parents to the Rose Garden in McKinley Park. It was absolutely beautiful seeing the many flowers in full bloom. All of Sacramento is bursting with new life, and spring is always a hopeful reminder of the gift of resurrection. In this season of "Eastertide,” we are reminded that our faith is all about beginnings, endings, and new beginnings. Indeed, we believe in resurrection!

I'm reminded of the early church … when there were no churches; believers gathered in one another's homes, in secret. They prayed and sang together, and shared food with one another, as well as took care of orphans and widows. Whatever our situation may be, God finds a way …

We find ourselves in the midst of Holy Week, and like every other week, it moves right along. Too fast, I think. I hope that you find some time to read through the gospel accounts of the passion story of Jesus Christ. I also hope you have time to pray, to reflect, to mourn, to cry, to dream, and to be renewed by the promise of resurrection and the power of love.