Connections: December 12, 2022 |
|
What an amazing day of community on Sunday at CCSM!
Many thanks to all who inspired and planned the beautiful Advent gathering in Kloss Hall. Hopefully, the cookies have not all been eaten!
Next Sunday will be the fourth Sunday of Advent, which holds the wonder of Love. Please look around you and see the ways Love is presenting itself in your life and the ways in which you can move the energy of Love to those around you. It can be as simple as a smile.
We had a beautiful first Advent Taizé service on Friday night and invite all of you to this Friday’s service, December 16 at 7:30 pm. Candlelight, music, and quiet contemplation; all the things to bring a little calm into your season. It will be live on Facebook and in person at CCSM in the sanctuary, with light desserts and beverages after in Buckham. Please use the parking lot doors to enter and exit.
(For online participants, please email Mdresbach@ccsm-ucc.org any prayer intentions prior to the service—we do not have personnel on the live chat.)
Christmas Eve services are at 5 pm and 11 pm. Bring your family and guests!
Children will be welcomed with the opportunity to be shepherds or angels—no practice required at our 5 pm service.
Christmas morning, we are invited to St. James AME Zion, 825 Monte Diablo Ave,
to join their worship service at 11 am.
The light of the world is drawing near; prepare your hearts to experience the hope, peace, joy, and love that is offered to all. Renew your faith in small ways, as a swaddled infant trusting the world to provide. Be vulnerable to the possibilities that lie within you and the space you hold for the world.
“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”
—Hamilton Wright Mabie
Rev. Melissa
|
|
Click on the video above for Sunday's worship service,
or click HERE for Rev. Melissa's sermon.
|
|
Pick-A-Party Lists are OUT!
If you didn't pick up a hard copy at the Cookie Exchange on Sunday (more on that below), please click HERE, or get one at next week's Coffee Hour. (If you'd like one snail-mailed to you, contact Sandy or Diane or the church office.) Spend some time looking at all the great parties listed, make some notes about your favorites or any questions you have, and be ready to sign up for parties on January 8, 2023.
CCSM'S Cookie Exchange on Sunday was a great success. Everyone present was able to go home with a great selection of Christmas cookies. Please email / text / call virtual member Michele Merfeld, whose idea this was, to personally thank her. (kaymerf@yahoo.com 206.612.6182). A special thank you goes to our pianists — Laura Peterhans, Susan Bell, and Mary Ann Notz — who supported us with their talents. Also thanks to LAM for adding artistic Christmas decorations, Chase for making great posters, Oscar for making last minute moves of the Christmas tree and tables, and Linn Fenn for supplying all kinds of goodies for noshing while the exchange was going on.
|
|
LAS POSADAS: Wed., December 21, 7:15 pm
This Advent Season CCSM will celebrate Las Posadas again! This event brings together people from all ages, both Spanish-speaking and English-speaking. It begins with the traditional candlelit, singing procession around the outside of the church. Joseph and Mary, accompanied by angels and shepherds—and by all of us, go from ‘inn’ to ‘inn,’ seeking a place to stay where Mary can give birth. When they are finally offered a manger in which to stay, we participants in the procession will enjoy cross-cultural games and activities. Then we will proceed to a traditional tamale dinner, prepared by Rev. Jorge’s mother and women from our Spanish-speaking congregation. The evening will end when our children strive to smash open a piñata.
On Wednesday from 6:00pm to 6:45pm, all are invited to join Melanie in the Fireplace Room to learn the music of Las Posadas.
|
|
MUSIC AND ART on December 16!
We have a wonderful program planned for our December 16 Christmas meeting. We’ll begin with our fellowship luncheon at noon in the Buckham Room (remember to bring your own lunch); beverages and dessert will be provided.
This will be followed by a Christmas reading by Beverly Vaughan Hock, Ed. D. She has a vast history of children’s literature and is a teachers and children’s literature specialist and has received many awards. This will be followed by the singing of Christmas carols, led by Susan Bell and accompanied by Don Harper and Mary Ann Notz. Members and guests, PLEASE reserve your space by emailing Susan Duty at susanjd52@gmail.com or by phone at 650-533-6830. Please join us to celebrate this Christmas season.
|
|
Youth and Family Events
As usual, during the service, Lily and some youth volunteers will engage our pre-K crowd in some fun playtime in the nursery, and Shannon and Elaine will share a Bible story (through Godly Play) and then invite our K-5th grade crowd to reflect, create, build, share, and serve the community in response to the story (in the Memorial Garden).
Sunday, December 18: 10:45am - Youth are invited to help Sheryl (she/her) work on the script that we'll use for Christmas Eve. Please come out if you would like to be a narrator or if you'd just like to help behind the scenes. If you can't make it on Christmas Eve, that's not a problem!
Sunday, December 18: Joyful Noise will share the gift of music in worship.
Wednesday, December 21: 7pm - Las Posadas! Youth are invited to participate as readers/with speaking roles or help out with the kids, food, etc. as we gather to walk around the church telling the story of Mary and Joseph looking for a room at the inn. Younger kids—come wear an angel, shepherd, or animal costume and walk around the church as we tell the story of Mary and Joseph looking for a room at the inn. Afterward, we will share a meal together!
Saturday, December 24: Special Christmas Eve services at church
Friday, February 24 - Sunday Feb 26 - Mid-winter youth camp in Cambria for those in grades 7-12.
|
|
Advent Taizé
Start your weekends in a meaningful way on Friday evenings.
In December we will have Advent Taizé services to ground us in the season of love beyond the commercialism that attempts to own the Season.
Fridays, December 16 and 23 we will host bilingual Taizé here at CCSM at 7:30pm. Light dessert and beverages after.
If you can't make it in person, it will also be streamed on FaceBook Live on CCSM's facebook pate (FB.com/CCSM.UCC)
|
|
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.
In January, we will celebrate communion on JANUARY 8
(instead of on the first Sunday, January 1).
|
|
BLESSING BOX
As most of you have noticed, there is a "Blessing Box" outside of the entrance of CCSM. This is a project of the Ministry of Service and Justice, which has identified the need for families in our neighborhood to access food. This project is an expression of our call to be the "hands, feet, and face of God" in our community.
Before the pandemic, CCSM had a nonperishable food collection for Samaritan House on the first Sunday of each month. We are now reinstating a food collection for each first Sunday, but it will be to supply our Blessing Box. Please take the opportunity to bring nonperishable food (canned, dried and boxed, no fresh food please!) on the first Sunday of each month. There will be helpful reminders before that Sunday in our congregational bulletins and the Connections, and the Pine Tree.
In addition, the Ministry of Service and Justice would encourage members of CCSM to consider adding a few appropriate nonperishables to your grocery list, and just drop them in the Blessing Box anytime you are at the church. If we make this a habit, we can keep the Blessing Box filled with nourishing food for the people of our neighborhood.
Thank you in advance for your continuing generosity!
|
|
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.
|
|
|
225 Tilton Avenue • San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 343-3694
|
|
|
|
Scan the QR code above or go to
to make a donation or pledge to CCSM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
