November 2023 Newsletter

News of the Presbytery of San José

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Genesis 1:3-5

Final Presbytery Meeting

of 2023

November 18th

To list an event that is supported by your church or committee, and that is open to the entire Presbytery, go to

https://sanjosepby.org/submit-an-event

Remember to visit the Presbytery's Online Events Calendar for information on upcoming meetings and events.

The link may be found here:

Calendar

The most current copy of the Mid-Council Newsletter may be found here:

Newsletter

Peacemaking Advocate Presbytery Position

If you're interested in the details of the Prebytery's Peacemaking Advocate position, please contact the Executive Presbyter, Rev. Joey Lee at [email protected].

For those passionate about gun violence prevention, on Thursday, November 16th at 7:00 pm, Griffin Dix will share from his book Who Killed Kenzo? at West Hope Presbyterian Church. More information may be found here:

Informational Flyer

Given that our Executive Presbyter, the Rev. Joey Lee is retiring at the end of the year, the Presbytery of San Jose is beginning the search for our next EP.

Information on the position and application process may be found here:

EP Position Posting

Open Positions in the Presbytery

Due to the number of open positions right now in our Presbytery, we've created a dedicated page on our website for all of them, both pastoral and administrative. Click here: (Presbytery Website Link) for a listing of all the current open Presbytery positions.

Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church

Evensong Gatherings

Every third Wednesday from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm, Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church is offering an Evensong gathering in the church sanctuary. All are welcome for this Taizé-style meditative worship experience.

More information may be found here:

Evensong Page

Rev. Joey Lee Preaching

Sunnyvale Pres would also like to extend an invitation to their weekly worship service on Sunday, November 19th at 10:00 am. Rev. Joey Lee will be preaching, and an informal dessert reception will be held after the service in honor of his pending retirement.

Pastoral Reflection

I don't know about you, but the benefit of that extra hour of sleep from the change to daylight savings time dissipates after only a couple of days. Waking up that first day thoroughly rested feels so good! (Maybe I need to start getting to bed earlier!)

But, here we are with darkness coming that much sooner in the day, lasting that much longer, and we realize we need to wait for the winter solstice before things begin to change again.

In the first Creation story in Genesis, God created light and darkness, putting parameters around the first day. The sun, moon, and stars didn't come along until day four. This helped Israel distinguish itself from their captors, the Babylonians, who worshipped the sun, moon, and stars instead of the Creator.

We tend to favor the light and look down on the darkness, but is there goodness to be found in the dark? St. John of the Cross would say "yes!" He was responsible for coining the phrase "The Dark Night of the Soul." Formation happens in the dark. It means a period of waiting and a sense of perhaps being pressed down or alone, but in the quiet moments, growth is occurring. It will become evident when we experience light again.

And as we look towards Advent, which is right around the corner (!), we realize the Christ-child (like all babies) was formed in the darkness of a womb. It was sacred space.

So, as we wait for the next change in season and for the days to begin to get longer again, may we find joy in the darkness knowing the Spirit is at work, perhaps by moonlight, but still at work, bringing us into the fullness of God.

Amen

Rev. Dr. Jennifer Bales

Communications Director

Presbytery of San Jose

(408) 279-0220

[email protected]

Phone: (408) 279-0220 Website: www.sanjosepby.org