Faith Community

Waiting for Jesus amid the pandemic

Christmas is almost here. Will it even feel like Christmas this year?

To say this year is has been a tough one is an understatement. I’m not sure anyone could have predicted a global pandemic would have literally turned our lives inside out and upside down, but it has. Our activities, our daily patterns and even the things we take for granted have all been affected.

In my writings this year I’ve asked you to re-think what it means to be the church, to re-think our mission and to re-imagine our
vision as our congregation coped with big changes in our community and our world. What have been your answers to those questions? Have you shared them?

In the midst of all of what has happened, we’ve found ways to be the church of Jesus Christ in North Clairemont. We still feed the hungry. We’ve still had spiritual counseling via phone and online
conferencing. We’ve continued with worship in a variety
of ways: completely online, outdoors and with limited attendance indoors. But it takes a tremendous amount of work to put on worship these days.

We’ve also been able to hold Bible studies and have community groups back on our church campus, but we have had some
problems with this as well with groups not following safety protocols. And after years of work and waiting, we moved yet another step closer to our goal of building a new Fellowship Hall, and in this issue you will read about the efforts to make this happen.

Through all of the stress of this year—the spread of the novel Coronavirus, the everchanging public health orders and
restrictions, isolation from the ones we love, empty store shelves, the presidential election—we have managed to hold out
hope for the one who was, who is, and who is to come: Jesus the Messiah.

While Christmas may look and feel different this year, we can’t lose sight of the light that shines in the darkness, for the darkness has not overcome it. Our hope is in the one who came to be
friend, teacher, healer and the prince of peace: Jesus, the eternal savior of the world.

Blessing of the Animals

On Sunday, October 4th we gathered outside on the front lawn of the church campus to be one with creation, after the example of St. Francis of Assisi, whose Feast Day we also observed.

God has given us a beautiful earth, full of majesty and glory. All creation is pleasing unto God; therefore, let all creation praise God's holy name. 

It is up to us to be good stewards of creation, not just the land, the seas and the sky, but all of earth's inhabitants. 

We give thanks to God, through Jesus Christ our savior and Lord, for the animal companions entrusted in our care. May we bring each other joy and peace, and be a reminder of the goodness of God's creation. 

Thanks be to God for the animal companions in our lives, past, present and future.