Connections: July 18, 2022 |
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Dear Beloved Community at CCSM,
Thank you so much for joining us in worship on Sunday! What a compelling and moving sermon Jorge offered to us. He shared a powerful take on that familiar passage that tells us to look to the birds and the flowers and see God's care. Rather than telling us to sit back, Jorge shared that we can look to nature to see how to live in harmony and sufficiency rather than greed and accumulation. If you missed it, please do go back and watch it, I know you will be blessed. (click here to view Jorge's sermon)
One of my favorite descriptions of anthropology is that it is the task of making the familiar strange and the strange familiar. I think travel and pilgrimage, looking to nature, even faith itself, can do quite the same for us. When we step outside of our usual patterns, or gain a new perspective in another way, the things that might immediately seem strange on the surface might start to come into focus as holding familiar values or meanings. And when we return "home," or just reflect back on our own familiar lives, we might start seeing certain things that we do as strange, as we begin to question why we do what we do and whether it truly serves us and the world.
I think that these practices of seeing our lives and our world anew is so important when we think also about social and ecological justice. Sometimes more sustainable or just ways of living might at first seem really new and unfamiliar to us. But by spending time with people or communities living in that way (and time in nature too!), they can start to feel familiar and right. And sometimes the patterns and values that we are accustomed to can seem strange and we can see how they need to change once we have had that vision of what could be.
I will spend more time exploring these ideas with you next Sunday in worship. I hope you can join us in person or online from wherever you may be, be it somewhere familiar, strange, or a bit of each!
Blessings on your journey and may peace be in your every step,
Sheryl
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POSTPONED!
We're sorry to announce that Jorge's Carne Asada Feast has been postponed.
Watch for updates coming soon.
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Click on the video above for the most recent entire worship service, or click HERE to listen to Jorge's sermon
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Volunteer of the Week
Stan Higgs
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A big thanks to Stan Higgs, for his volunteer spirit! Stan has volunteered faithfully at the Main Desk for many years. In addition, Stan is an usher for us on Sunday mornings. Recently, Stan has begun to make pastoral care calls to folks who benefit from a little extra contact. Stan is always willing to serve this community, even when he is carrying his own burdens, such as his recent surgery. We love you, Stan. Thanks for role modeling the true spirit of volunteering!
We appreciate you!
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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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THE SENIOR MINISTER SEARCH COMMITTEE has finalized its schedule for congregational input. The formal process, with an electronic survey and roundtable discussions, will kick-off on Homecoming Sunday. If you'd like to share any thoughts, schedule on one-on-one meeting with a committee member, or learn more about the ongoing process in the meantime, please make contact with Alexandra Gillen, Dave Olson, or stop by the Committee's table at coffee hour in August. We'd love to hear from you.
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DO YOU HAVE A NAME TAG? We want to make sure everyone has a name tag when our new interim senior pastor Melissa Douaire is with us on July 31. If you don’t have one, leave a note in the church office or in Zoe’s box, or email Zoe at zmullery@ccsm-ucc.org.
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STARTING AUGUST 7, 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.
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Summer brings new possibilities!
As you embark on your summer adventures, whether away or at home, here's a question we would like you to ponder.
What is something you’ve been missing or gave up during the Pandemic that you want to reconnect with this summer?
Was it a spiritual experience, an event, a person, or place? The Liturgical Arts Team will be creating an installation for Homecoming Sunday with anything you provide that is a physical representation of your adventures. It could be a photo, poem, art work, rock, flower, or anything that evokes your experience.
To participate, bring your item(s) to the Church office between August 19 - Sept 1. For our non-local community, please mail to CCSM with Attn: LAM Homecoming included on the outside of your package or envelope. (225 Tilton Ave., San Mateo, CA 94401) All items will be returned if possible.
Let us know:
What type of experience: trip, activity, event, etc.
Who experienced it? Family, friends, others. Include your name
When and location
If you have questions, please contact Laura Pierce-McKenzie, Liturgical Arts Ministry Lead. Contact information in Church directory.
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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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