Connections
August 29, 2022
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Dear Beloved Community at CCSM,
What a Sunday we had! Thank you so much to the Bell Band from Burlingame Presbyterian Church for joining our own bell choir and bringing us some incredible music. And thank you to my good friend Rev. Talitha Amadea Aho, our guest preacher, for a fantastic sermon about the need for deep hope (rather than shallow platitudes) as we face the climate crisis. If you missed it, please go back and watch! Her recent book, In Deep Waters, is fantastic and I encourage you to consider buying a copy. It is designed for parents and grandparents (and other adults) as they strive to support the kids in their lives in this time of climate crisis.
Also, our season of congregational pilgrimage this summer is beginning to come to an end. Can you remember back to Rev. Penny's farewell party and service at the beginning of June? To me, that seems like a very long time ago!
Since then, we've been on quite a journey, both individually and collectively. We've welcomed many guest preachers and musicians in addition to our own CCSM worship leaders and musicians. We've had many coming back to community events and other gatherings. Many of us have had our own pilgrimages as well: travel, summer vacations, illnesses, family reunions, challenges, successes, and much more.
I invite you to look back and reflect on this summer season. Was it what you expected? How have you grown or changed? Would you consider yourself to have been in a pilgrimage time? What gifts has God given you in this season? What are you being called to do or be next, because of this time? What have you discerned or learned or received?
It is so easy to rush ahead to fall planning and preparations, but I really do encourage you to pause and reflect as well. There is so much excitement and anticipation about what comes next, and that is great! For us as a CCSM community, we are ready to welcome Rev. Melissa this coming Sunday to begin her Interim Ministry with us! I hope to see you then.
In the meantime, know that we journey together now and always. May you be blessed and know that we at CCSM are here for you, every step of the way!
In peace,
Sheryl
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Click on the video above for the most recent entire worship service, or click HERE to listen to Rev. Talitha Amadea Aho's sermon.
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Click on the video below for a message from our Moderator, Julie Lenden, and our Interim Senior Pastor, Rev. Melissa Douaire!
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THE SENIOR MINISTER SEARCH COMMITTEE is focusing on congregational input during the months of August and September.
An online survey will be conducted from Thursday, September 1st, through Wednesday, September 14th.
There will be Second Hour roundtable discussions after church on Sunday, September 18th, and Sunday, September 25th, and there will be one online roundtable on a date to be determined.
Your participation is critical. The more clearly we're able to articulate who we are, the more likely we are to attract candidates who share our vision for this beloved community.
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Volunteer of the Week
Brian Mathews
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A big thank you to Brian Mathews for his incredible work in getting CCSM facilities posted on Peer Space, an online platform similar to AirBnB, but for venues. Chuck Rosenthal let Chase know about Peer Space as a potential platform for increasing rentals, and Julie Lenden enlisted Brian’s help in doing the foundational work to get CCSM live on the platform. Brian has been a joy to work with, and his expertise in these matters is so valuable. With Brian’s help, our wonderful facility will generate some revenue for the church, and maximize the available rental space which too often sat empty during the pandemic. Thanks to Brian, we already have three bookings!
Brian also helps CCSM out with network matters and is simply a fantastic volunteer. Thank you, Brian, for serving CCSM in so many meaningful ways!
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Do you know a CCSM Volunteer you'd like to recognize here? If so, please write two or three sentences telling us about them and send it to Zoe at zmullery@ccsm-ucc.org
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Issue #5 is here! Take a look at summer news and previews of what's coming. Click HERE to go straight to the issue.
Here's a taste:
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Upcoming Preacher Schedule
Sep 4 Rev. Riana Shaw Robinson
Rev. Riana Shaw Robinson is the Minister of Formation at Oakland City Church - a community that seeks to be People Who Don't Belong Together, Gathered Around Jesus, For the Sake of Those That Don't Belong. Riana expanded the church's City Engagement partnerships and spearheaded efforts to help the community live more deeply into its anti-racist values through teaching, relationship building, and deep listening. She feels called to name the work and abiding hope that is necessary to create the Beloved Community.
Riana is ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Reformed Church in America. She holds a Masters of Divinity at Pacific School of Religion and a B.A. in Ethnic Studies from Mills College. Before stepping into vocational ministry, Riana worked at various non-profits that focused on racial, social, and environmental justice. She served on the Steering Committee of the Faith Alliance for a Moral Economy and is passionate about faith-rooted advocacy.
Riana is an East Bay native and currently lives in Oakland with her husband, 8-year-old son, and three-year-old twins. She is extremely proud of her oldest daughter who is a senior at Howard University in Washington DC.
Sept 11 Rev. Melissa Douaire — our new Interim Senior Minister!
Melissa earned her MDiv from Chicago Theological Seminary and has served as an Interim Pastor and Pastor in the Chicagoland area. Melissa has certificates in grief counseling and intentional interim ministry, among other disciplines.
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FIRST SUNDAYS OF THE MONTH ARE COMMUNION SUNDAYS
If there’s a way you can be in person on the first Sundays of the month, communion is a meaningful time to be together.
If you’re not able to be with us in person, you’re invited to share in communion while online with us from wherever you are; just have some bread and juice ready and you can participate with us that way.
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Invitation to Participate in Homecoming Sunday 2022
Earlier this summer, we asked everyone to contemplate a simple question:
What was something you missed or gave up during the Pandemic that you reconnected with this summer?
Was it a spiritual experience, an event, a person, or place?
Whether you attend worship at 225, on Wednesday evenings, or virtually, we invite you to share your experiences with your CCSM family. The Liturgical Arts Team will be creating an installation for Homecoming Sunday with anything you provide that represents your experience. It could be a photo, poem, art work, rock, flower, or anything that evokes your experience.
This is a wonderful way to enrich the life of our community!
INSTRUCTIONS
To participate, bring your item(s) to the Church office starting August 19 through Sept 5.
FOR OUR VIRTUAL COMMUNITY, please mail to CCSM (225 Tilton Ave., San Mateo CA 94401) with Attn: LAM Homecoming included on the outside of your package or envelope. All items will be returned if possible.
You can also EMAIL any stories or pictures to Laura Pierce-McKenzie. Her email is in the Directory.
Please include:
- What type of experience was it? trip, activity, event, etc.
- Who experienced it? Family, friends, others. Include your name
- Date and location
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If you missed the special organ concert on 8/14 in honor of the 200th birthday of Cesar Franck, you can watch it by clicking HERE! |
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CCSM Playlists for inspiration
If you're looking for some comfort and inspiration, one place to look might be one of the playlists Chuck has created on Youtube where you can find uplifting prayers and songs selected from our services. You can find the prayers here and the songs here. Please make use of this wonderful resource!
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Pray for Ukraine Every Tuesday at 7:30pm
CCSM held a powerful live Prayer Ritual for Ukraine on March 6th. We have decided to premier this ritual ONLINE every Tuesday until the war ends. We hope you will join us online weekly to continue our prayers and heal our hearts. These are challenging times and this offering is a way to bring our community together and magnify our prayers.
Please share this link with your friends and family so we can extend this offering to as many people as possible.
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225 Tilton Avenue • San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 343-3694
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