Connections: June 13, 2022

Dear Beloved Community at CCSM—

As many of you will have heard, the Covid pandemic has come home to my own household this week. It's so strange to have something I have read about, prayed about, and thought about so much over these past 2 years now be present in my own body. Thank you all so very much for the prayers and support, I am doing okay and recovering well. 

Thank you, especially, to Rev. Jorge for being willing to fill in at the last minute and preach on Sunday! I was so touched by his message that reminded us of our true calling as people of faith. That even in these difficult times when we are sad about Rev. Penny's retirement, we can remember that the church has been through many transitions before and our calling to be people of love and justice remains. If you missed it, please do go back and watch. I know you will be blessed as I was. 

It is truly in times of need that we so often experience the depth of love of our communities. I have been so grateful for the many ways people have stepped in and stepped up for me this week. Please know that we want to be present for you too, in whatever you may be experiencing right now. This is a time when it is more important than ever to connect to one another. Times of transition can be hard, but they can also be times when we step into new ways of being and deepen our bonds of care. 

I look forward to being with you this coming Sunday to share a deeply personal story that I hope will resonate with you in some way, and a message of how my faith has grown through hard times. More than anything, I look forward to seeing each of you and connecting in other ways as well. 

Please know Rev. Jorge and I, and the whole congregation, are here for you. Stay safe and be well, and know how deeply grateful I am for this wonderful community of faith and love. 

Peace be with you,
Sheryl 
Click on the video above for the most recent entire worship service, or click HERE to listen to Jorge's sermon, CARRY ON.
If you tried and were unsuccessful at seeing Chris Yeh's wonderful photos from Penny's celebration last week, try THIS LINK. And CLICK HERE to see more fantastic photos by Brian Mathews. The whole program from Saturday's celebration may be viewed HERE, and the words from Betsy's song for Penny HERE. And of course Sunday Services are always available online; Penny's farewell service is available for viewing.
Coming Back to Community Events
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This Saturday, June 18: Ice Cream Social Sing-Along, 7 p.m. at CCSM
Hosts: Melanie Dresbach and Siew Kang   
Don't sit in front of the tv on another Saturday night! Come to CCSM's front lawn for fun, fellowship, singing and ice cream! Melanie and Siew will lead songs everyone can sing and enjoy—they'll have the lyrics ready for you. COVID protocols will be observed so everyone should feel safe. If you can't/don't want to sing, come anyway, you'll be with some great people, and did we mention ice cream? Contact Melanie (mdresbach@ccsm-ucc.org). And if you forget to contact her in advance, just show up and bring a friend!

Carne Asada Feast, July 23, 5-7 p.m. CCSM
You don’t want to miss Pastor Jorge’s Carne Asada feast on July 23.  He will be cooking up a storm to serve guests on the CCSM lawn, and it promises to be a great family experience. We are asking guests to pay $15/person or $30/family to attend, but if that doesn't fit your budget right now, don't let that stop you. Just sign up and come enjoy some amazing food. Let Jorge, Sandy McNabb (Sandra.j.mcnabb@gmail.com, 650-678-5650) or Diane Kalliam (dkalliam@gmail.com, 415-279-1359) know you're coming.

Tamale Cooking Class, July 9(?), CCSM
And speaking of amazing food, our Wednesday night members have offered to teach everyone how to make tamales! This will be a hands-on lesson in making tamales, you'll have tamales to take home (or eat there, no judgment), and you can enjoy some great fellowship. We're still pinning down exact date and time, so watch for details, but let us know you'd like to come. Sandy McNabb (Sandra.j.mcnabb@gmail.com, 650-678-5650) or Diane Kalliam (dkalliam@gmail.com, 415-279-1359)  
Summer brings new possibilities!

As the restrictions of lockdown seem to be easing, the opportunities to capture summer fun seems endless when compared to this time last year.

As you embark on your summer adventures, whether away or at home, here's a question we would like you to have you ponder.

What is something you’ve been missing or gave up during the Pandemic that you want to reconnect with this summer?

As Homecoming Sunday gets closer, reflect on something you experienced this summer that felt freeing from the restrictions of lockdown. 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 physically represents your adventures. It could be a photo, poem, art work, rock, flower, or anything that evokes your experience.

If you would like to participate, check the Sunday Bulletin for more details.
Wishing everyone a glorious experience of “the possible” this summer.
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!
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.

Link for Prayer Ritual on YouTube: tinyurl.com/CCSM-Ukraine-Prayer
225 Tilton Avenue • San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 343-3694