Beloved Community,

Today I did what I said I wouldn’t do during Lent—checked social media first thing in the morning. My feed was flooded with news of violence and destruction—broken ceasefires, the arrests of doctors in Texas, funding cuts, educators unsure how their schools will feed children, families torn apart by deportation, fighting on all sides. It was overwhelming.

What I neglected to do (until about 1pm) was read my Everything in Between devotional card. Today’s question? What would it look like for you to lean more into faith, or more into works?

Boom. It hit me. As my heart breaks for our world, I pause. I breathe. I hold onto the trust that God is present in all this pain and suffering, that even in devastation, resurrection is possible—that the worst thing is never the last thing. To be honest, I didn’t even see the second part of that question at first, but faith calls us not only to trust, but to act. If I lean into works, it means staying informed, refusing to look away from suffering, making calls to representatives, offering financial support, serving where I can, and trusting that others are doing the same.

Our Lenten logo holds this tension—the hands reaching for each other but not yet touching. As the designers at Sanctified Art shared, “The space between the hands forms a doorway, a threshold where God meets us in the complexities of our world.” Faith and works are not opposites, but companions, inviting us to step into the spaces where healing and justice are needed.

This week, how might you lean more into faith? How might you lean more into works? And how is God calling you to stand in the in-between?

As the prayer on the back of the devotional card reminds me, Today I’m grateful that God blesses our productive days, our awe-filled days, our just-barely-hanging-on days, and everything in between. God is with us in it all. Thanks be to God for a love like that.

In hope,

Jessica

DID YOU MISS WORSHIP?

CLICK HERE for Last Sunday's Entire Service

CLICK HERE for Rev. Jessica's sermon,

"Faith & Works"

THIS WEEK AT CCSM

Thursday, March 20

9:00 AM — Casual Bike Riders, CCSM Parking Lot (Contact John Ebneter, jebneter@aol.com)

10:00 AM - 1:30 PM — Peninsula Solidarity Cohort Meeting, Buckham Room

10:15 - 11:30 AM — Women's Coffee Group, Food Court at Hillsdale Mall (Contact: Linda Skromme)

4:00 - 6:00 PM — Samaritan House Meal Service, Kloss Hall

7:00 - 8:00 PM — Lenten Bible Study, Zoom

Friday, March 21

12:00 - 2:30 PM — Music and Art Meeting and Concert, Buckham Room

1:30 - 3:00 PM — Bella Voce Rehearsal, Fireplace Room

4:00 - 6:00 PM — Samaritan House Meal Service, Kloss Hall

7:30 - 9:30 PM — Junior Bach Festival Concert, Sanctuary

Saturday, March 22

8:30 - 10:30 AM — CC Riders Weekly Bike Ride (Contact Peter Held, paheld1417@gmail.com)

Sunday, March 23

7:00 - 9:00 AM — Golf Affinity Group (Contact Peter Held, paheld1417@gmail.com)

9:45 - 10:15 AM — Joyful Noise Kids' Choir/Music Program, Fireplace Room

10:30 - 11:30 AM — Worship Service, in person and online

10:45 - 11:30 AM — Children's and Youth Programs, CE Building

11:30 AM — Coffee Hour, Kloss Hall

11:45 AM - 12:30 PM — Open Cathedral Sandwich Making, Kloss Hall Kitchen

Monday, March 24

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM — Women at the Well Women's Group, Fireplace Room (contact Siew Kang, internationalchoir@gmail.com or Melodie Lew, boygie.m2000@yahoo.com)

4:00 - 6:00 PM — Samaritan House Meal Service, Kloss Hall

Tuesday, March 25

10:00 - 11:30 AM — Men’s Coffee Group, Food Court, Hillsdale Mall (Contact Peter Held, paheld1417@gmail.com)

4:00 - 6:00 PM — Samaritan House Meal Service, Kloss Hall

7:00 - 8:30 PM — Our Home San Mateo Meeting, Third Floor Conference Room

Wednesday, March 26

4:00 - 6:00 PM — Samaritan House Meal Service, Kloss Hall

7:00 - 8:30 PM — Chancel Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary

7:15 - 8:45 PM — Bilingual Worship Service, Kloss Hall and Zoom (Contact Álvaro for Zoom link)

View our full calendar on our website

THIS SUNDAY IN WORSHIP

Please Note: We are moving "This Sunday in Worship" as well as details on this week's plate offering—CCSM's Intergenerational Service-Learning Trip—to the worship Links email. Check it out on Saturday at noon in your inbox!

JOIN US!

LENTEN ZOOM BIBLE STUDY:

FINDING GOD IN THE IN-BETWEEN

Thursday, March 20, 7 - 8 PM

This Lent, we invite you to look beyond black-and-white binaries and easy answers and imagine where God might be meeting us in-between the categories we create. Join us for a Lenten Zoom Bible Study as we journey through this sacred season and explore these themes together! Each Thursday from 7-8 PM (March 13 – April 3), we’ll gather online to reflect on the scripture for the upcoming Sunday, reflecting how it speaks to our lives today. This is a great opportunity for conversation, connection, and deepening our faith during Lent. We'll conclude our Lenten journey with an in-person gathering over dinner at Wursthall on April 10, celebrating the connections we've made and the insights we've discovered together. Contact Rev. Jessica with questions.

Zoom Link

MUSIC AND ART

Friday, March 21 at 12 PM

Buckham Room

We will gather for " bring your own bag lunch" and a short business meeting, after which we will be treated to a 30-minute concert by the Z Quartet — Kim Williams (violin), Chris Yeh (violin), Marty Lee (viola) and Amy Brooks (cello). They will play modern works by Michael Harrison, a young local composer, Shane Scott Cook, the Danish string quartet, and others, highlighting contemporary string music in an engaging and accessible way.

What a wonderful way to forget the demands of the real world for a while! Please RSVP to Genel Morgan, glmrn12@gmail.com, so we know how many tables to set up and how much yummy dessert to provide. Please join us!

JUNIOR BACH FESTIVAL CONCERT AT CCSM

Friday, March 21 at 7:30 PM

CCSM is proud to host one of the concerts in the 2025 Junior Bach Festival on Bach’s birthday! Not only will it feature some of the gifted young musicians of our area, but this concert will include several young musicians well-known to CCSM: Rosie Fan Lee, Raymond Jiang, and Tilden Wu on organ, as well as Vija Norkvesta’s student, Pasha Kaznacheev, on piano. In addition, Xiang-Xiang Reynolds will be one of the harpsichordists of the evening. Come enjoy an inspiring evening of music!!

TAKE ACTION

VOLUNTEER TO HELP IMMIGRANT FAMILIES:

RAPID RESPONSE HOTLINE

Fear and false reports of ICE activity are isolating immigrant families in San Mateo County—keeping kids home from school, stopping people from getting food, and disrupting livelihoods. You can help.

The Rapid Response Hotline needs trained volunteers to verify ICE activity and stop the spread of misinformation. Join us in standing with our neighbors and ensuring our community stays strong.

More Information

COMING UP

SOUND BATH PICK-A-PARTY

Saturday, March 29 at 3:00 PM

**Spaces Still Available**

A sound bath is an immersive somatic experience. Our nervous systems need to be recalibrated on a regular basis. Each experience builds on the next and supports us to be more connected to the liminal space, sharpen our intuition, and experience deep peace. To experience this yourself, follow the QR code above or contact Chuck Rosenthal for more information: chuck@csm-ucc.org. There are five more Pick-A-Party tickets and twenty more general admission tickets available.

CELEBRATE WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

WITH A SPECIAL FILM SCREENING

Sunday, March 30 at 2 PM

Join us at 2 pm on Sunday, March 30, in the Buckham Room for a special screening of Sally!—an award-winning documentary about Bay Area feminist icon Sally Miller Gearhart. Filmmakers Deborah Craig and Jorg Fockele will be present to share insights about this pioneering activist, writer, and academic.

This free event is sponsored by the San Mateo County UCC Cluster of Affirming Churches: CCSM, Congregational Church of the Peninsula, College Heights, and Island United Church. Refreshments will be served.

Want to help with hosting, set-up, or clean-up? Email Rev. Jessica.

Learn More

MASTERWORKS CHORALE CONCERT

Saturday, March 29, 7 - 8:30 PM

Sunday, March 30, 4 - 5:30 PM

Join us in CCSM's Sanctuary and immerse yourself in consoling and transcendent music. Duruflé’s Requiem is a masterpiece rooted in Gregorian chant that resonates with forgiveness, solace, and the radiant mystery of human existence. We then dive deeper, exploring humankind’s perpetual search for meaning in the vast grandeur of nature with repertoire including Music of the Stars by contemporary composer Cecilia McDowall and Choose Something Like A Star by Randall Thompson. Performed with orchestra. https://masterworksbayarea.com

SPIRITUAL CONVERSATIONS

New Discussion Begins Tuesday, April 8

7:15 - 8:30 PM, Zoom

Meets the 2nd & 4th Tuesday of the month

Spiritual Conversations' next reading will be Richard Rohr's latest book, The Tears of Things. We will begin with a time of sharing with each other our feelings about the social and political stresses of these times and supporting each other in fellowship. We will then get into Rohr's book, of which one reviewer has written, "In a world that can feel like a house on fire, Richard Rohr's The Tears of Things is a much needed-road map to wisdom and higher - more hopeful - ground."

Please join us for this time of spiritual solidarity between and beyond us.If you would like to join our discussions every other Tuesday evening via Zoom, starting April 8, please let Chris Wuthmann know at cewuthmann@gmail.com.

CHURCH LIFE SNAPSHOTS

Defying a chance of rain, members and their pampered pooches enjoyed

a walk along the Bay at the Dog Walk Pick-A-Party.

A group of CCSMers discovered their latent artistic talents at a great

Pick-A-Party hosted by Allison Rock, and featuring her yummy caramel apple coffee cake.

GREEN TIPS

Purchase a home battery to store excess solar electricity generated by solar panels.

DONATIONS

ARE YOU A CAT PERSON OR A DOG PERSON?

Either way, please help the Gran’Its collect ping pong balls, cork wine stoppers, and toilet paper rolls to make toys for the animals needing adoption. Soon, the children and youth will be studying the Lost Sheep, and the “lost" animals at Peninsula Humane Society need some love until they are "found.” (If you have fleece material in your fabric stash, send it along also.) Bring your donations to the church office.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Job Position: Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) Director

We're seeking a creative and passionate leader to guide our children and youth in their faith journeys. Our CYF Director will cultivate an inclusive, engaging environment where young people and their families explore spirituality, build community, and engage in social justice. If you're called to nurture the next generation's faith development through innovative programming and meaningful relationships, we invite you to learn more about this opportunity.