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Presbytery of San Jose
April 16, 2025
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The Rev. Dr. Neal D. Presa, Executive Presbyter
April 16, 2025
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We embark on this Lenten journey in the shadow of the cross, towards the silent void of Saturday’s tomb, and to promised victory of Easter morning. With existential threats that many in our common humanity are facing in the form of war, violence, hunger, trafficking, rising ocean levels, racism, threats to freedom, eviscerating of identities, widening economic disparities, loneliness, depression, lack of adequate healthcare, and death itself. . .we pray and groan for Easter’s promise to be palpable, tangible, practical, ubiquitous, and real.
In the coming days, we will join billions of Christians around the world in a common celebration of Easter. It rarely occurs that the Western and Eastern branches of the Judeo Christian faith have the same Easter date due to the use of the Gregorian and Julian calendars. This year is different. It’s that ecumenical unity that we desire would manifest in acts of reconciliation, justice, and love.
We have much work to do. Empowered by the Spirit of our risen Lord, Jesus Christ, whose decisive rising from death’s tomb vanquished sin, death, and evil, we can live and serve each day knowing that God has the final answer in all things. We may not see and experience the fullness of what we long for and pray for, but we continue to bear witness of the Lord’s resurrection hope with every moment we lift a prayer, in every instance where two or three are gathered in Jesus’s name, whenever a meal is served, whenever and wherever a migrant or refugee is provided sanctuary or accompanied, whenever a placard or voice is raised at a protest rally, whenever a candle is lit exhibiting our oneness in Christ, whenever the hungry are fed, the naked are clothed, the sick are visited, the dead are buried. . . whenever any of this happens, and so much more, we know that Christ is risen indeed. We live in hope, we live with hope. For hope is a person, the living God as Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.
In Joy and Justice,
Neal Presa, Executive Presbyter
Presbytery of San Jose
| Neal D. Presa | neal@sanjosepby.org | (408) 763-5004 | | Monterey Custom House and Cannery Row; images from Wikipedia commons | | |
May 3 NEAR After-Lunch Excursion: Walking Tour | Rev. Andy Rausch and Rev. Bill Lane will lead a visit to the Historic Monterey Custom House next to the Fisherman's Wharf. | "This includes the Museum in the Custom House as well as other historic buildings in the area, and a walk along Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf. Also available from this location is a walk along the shore to Cannery Row and back, a little less than 2 mile round trip, all on relatively flat paved walkways." | |
EVERYONE is invited to attend this event; childcare is provided.
A PDF Flyer, more information and materials are available at http://sanjosepby.org/NEAR
| | | San Jose Youth Collaborative joins 2025 CROP Walk | | | | Sunday, April 20: the Presbytery's Unity Candle will be at Foothill Presbyterian Church and First Thai Fellowship | We're asking all churches and worshiping communities to pray for the host of the Unity Candle each week, including mention in their worship bulletins and pastoral prayer/congregational prayers. | |
Foothill Community Presbyterian Church "FCPC" is located at 5301 McKee Road, San José, CA 95127.
First Thai Fellowship is nested in FCPC and served by Pastor Prasartpong "Paul" Pansuay. The two congregations frequently fellowship together.
Currently, FCPC Co-Pastor Andy Wong leads the Youth Collaborative and the Presbytery Youth Triennium Delegation; Co-Pastor Lindsay Wong chairs the Presbytery Financial Affairs Committee. With Elder Sharon Rowser, and other members of the congregation, FCPC is a founding member of Silicon Valley Allied for the Common Good, a civic-engagement coalition that launched in 2024.
The stained-glass window behind their chancel was used as the cover of our 2025 Lent/Easter Devotional.
Follow the path of the Unity Candle: http://tinyurl.com/SJUnity2025
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SAVE THE DATE: Fall Clergy Retreat Sept 9-11
Tuesday September 9 through Thursday, September 11, 2025
Two nights, Three days
St. Francis Retreat Center
549 Mission Vineyard Road
San Juan Bautista
Organized by: Church Health & Growth Working Group and EP
Registration Information Coming Soon!
Questions: EP Neal Presa or CHG Chair Pastor Dave Watermulder
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Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church will host a screening of this PDA Documentary film about eviction and homelessness, May 7 @7pm. Read about the documentary at pcusa.org.
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PACT San Jose Invites you to join clergy, community leaders and allies Thursday April 17, 11 am in front of First Unitarian Church 130 N. 3rd. St. San Jose. "Faith leaders from diverse traditions will wash the feet of immigrants...as a declaration of shared dignity and commitment to walk beside one another."
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Schizophrenia is one of three mental illnesses considered “serious.” The term schizophrenia was first used in 1911 by Swiss Psychiatrist Dr. Eugen Bleuler. It comes from the Greek “Schizo” (split) and “Phrene” (brain) which emphasizes the confused and fragmented thinking characteristic with this brain illness. Schizophrenia is NOT “split personality” now called Dissociative Identity Disorder.
The most distinctive symptoms of schizophrenia are hallucinations and delusions. Hallucinations are sensory disruptions like hearing voices or seeing things not really there. Delusions are thought disruptions like paranoia or bizarre thoughts like thinking oneself a space alien. Schizophrenia most often appears in males 18-35 years old; however, it can come at any age in males and females. The treatment for schizophrenia is most often anti-psychotic medications, as talk therapy is not as useful as in other mental illnesses. There is no cure.
This all sounds complicated and it is. But that doesn’t mean that Christians can’t help. People with schizophrenia do not usually do well living alone so they live with their families or in group settings. One way to support them is to support their families. Another way would be to attend classes at NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and learn about schizophrenia to help stop stigma. And a third way would be to hold these people and their loved ones in prayer. It is something we can always do and anything important to us is important to God.
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If you need support, here are some channels:
- Teaching Elders/Ministers in the Presbytery, can contact Neal Presa, Executive Presbyter and he will connect you to the Pastors Supporting Pastors (PSP) program.
- As well, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefit through the Board of Pensions for six free 1-hour sessions with a licensed therapist and unlimited 24/7 crisis counselor phone calls.
- For anyone (clergy and anyone) experiencing suicidal ideation, you should immediately contact 988 or 911.
Blessings.
| | First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto is Hiring | | |
By Pastor Tom Harris
First Presbyterian Church Palo Alto is seeking a part-time bookkeeper, 3-5 hours per week. Must be in-person with preferred work day of Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Experience with church and/or non-profit bookkeeping and Quckbooks and QuickBooks Online preferred. See full job description here. Email jobs@fpcpaloalto.org to apply.
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PACT will be presenting a Rapid Response Network Training at Stone Church on Sunday, April 27 from 2-3:30pm.
People can register by emailing rubyramirez@pactsj.org
| | Don't miss Presbyterian Advocacy Hour April 23, 9am PDT | | |
Fight Hunger and Poverty:
Take Faithful Action in Challenging Times
April 23rd at 9am Register at this link
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20 April Easter Sunday, Unity Candle is at Foothill Community Pres. and First Thai Fellowship.
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27 April Unity Candle is at Comunidad Latinoamericana.
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27 April 2-3:30pm Rapid Response Network Training, Stone Church.
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1 May Mission Outreach Work Group Meets.
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3 May N.E.A.R. Gathering, First Pres. Church of Monterey. (registration link)
- 4 May Unity Candle is at Cornerstone Church of Silicon Valley.
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6 May Coordinating Council Meets by Zoom.
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7 May, 7pm Evicting the American Dream Screening, Sunnyvale Pres.
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18 May, 1PM CROP Hunger Walk, Almaden Hills UMC.
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