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First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael
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October 18, 2020 – Worship Experience, Video,
and Announcements
 

First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael 

In this Enews

•  Worship Service with readings, special music and sermon
   Our pastor Cynthia Cochran-Carney is on vacation
   Note special link to sermon from National Cathedral
•  Adult Ed Class after worship at 11:00 am  Oct. 18 - SFTS Prof. Greg Love

  "God and the Covid Pandemic: Different Christian Answers"
•  Adult Ed – October 25, 11:00 am on Zoom Stewardship Questions and Answers
•  Adult Ed Class after worship at 11:00 am Nov. 15 with John J. Prendergast, Ph.D. on Zoom
•  Roofless Church 9:00 am on Sundays in October 
•  Photos from the joyful Baby Shower for Isla held on Oct. 11
•  Memorial Service for Binny Fischer – Oct. 24

•  Wednesday Community Conversations
•  Doing the Work: Confronting and Addressing Our Role in Systemic Racism 
•  Loving Our Neighbors - Mission Committee
•  Women’s and Men’s Book Groups
•  Zoom gathering instructions - Sundays 11 am, Wed 11 pm, Thurs 10 am
•  Supporting our church’s ministry and mission 

Church Calendar - https://www.fpcsr.org/church-calendar
 

Prelude        by Alan Choy
                     Click here for video

 Service Video – Welcome, Reading and Special Music
                           Click here for video on YouTube
                           Click here for video on Vimeo


Welcome       Pastor Cynthia Cochran-Carney

Reading         Prayer for Hope
After the fire, the greening.
After the death, the rising.
God of mercy, give me faith.

Despite the insult, the beauty.
Despite the wound, the wholeness.
God of healing, give me grace.

Within the sorrow, the joy.
Within the trouble, the way.
God of light, give me peace.

Beneath the noise, the silence.
Beneath the earth, the seed.
God of truth, give me hope.

Amidst the prisoners, the presence.
Amidst the cruel, the witness.
God of justice, give me courage.

Beyond despair, the wisdom.
Beyond defeat, the power.
God of love, give me love.

By Steve Garnaas-Holmes

Special Music     Praise to the Lord, the Almighty     arranged by Jason Krug
                             Sounds A’Pealing Handbell Choir
                             Musicians:  Janie Martin, Lynn MacDermott, Laurel Stevenson,                                   Briana Voss 

Sermon Link     Sermon by David Brooks
                           Given at the National Cathedral in Washington DC on July 5, 2020
                           Click here for sermon text of sermon (provided below video)

Music     Be Not Afraid     by Craig Courtney
               Click here for music video

Closing Words   

May the tenderness of the creative divinity
sustain us in times of change
and when facing new challenges.
May the solidarity of the Jesus of the way-
who embraced his friends,
who laughed and celebrated,
sharing the table and dreams,
who wept at the farewells
as he was separated from his own-
enfold us in his grace
And affirm us to walk
our own paths with passion and joy.
And may the warmth of God’s maternal breath
renew our faith and encourage us to hope
As we seek the new world of the fullness and justice that brings peace.

- Gerardo Oberman, Argentina   giftsinopenhands.wordpress.com


Postlude      by Alan Choy
                     Click here for music


Online Service Production Team
Martha Wall, John Steiner, Alan Choy and Cynthia Cochran-Carney
Filming & Video Production – Karyn Kleinman

Songs included in this service are covered by streaming copyright license
One License #A-706502

Adult Education Class
October 18,  11:00 am on Zoom
"God and the Covid Pandemic:
Different Christian Answers"

Presenter:  Dr. Gregory Love
SFTS Associate Professor of Systematic Theology

 The Covid Pandemic has caused untold suffering worldwide.  Christians believe in a God who is personal, who loves us deeply, and who acts in the world and in our lives.  Why, then, is this pandemic occurring, and what is God's relation to the pandemic?  This class looks at the four Christian answers to this question, and what leads Christians to lean toward one answer versus the other three.

Click here for intro video

Bio: Gregory Love is Associate Professor of Christian Theology at San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo.  He has spent his career focused on the question of divine action:  How does God act in our world and in our lives, in a way that makes sense with what science understands about how the world works?  He has trained Presbyterian pastors at the seminary since 1999, and is himself a Presbyterian pastor.

Adult Ed – October 25, 11:00 am on Zoom
Stewardship Questions and Answers

Please join the Stewardship Committee on Zoom to learn about our church finances and how you can contribute to the church’s continuing vitality as we move into the future.

Thanks, from the Stewardship Committee: Steve Astle, Susan Bryant, Ralph and Leslie Purdy, and Cynthia Cochran-Carney

Adult Ed November 15 @11:00 am
with John J. Prendergast, Ph.D.

Join us on Zoom when Dr. Prendergast will lead a discussion on exploring who we really are by using the heart as a portal to our deepest psychological and spiritual nature. 

Bio: John J. Prendergast, Ph.D., is a spiritual teacher, author of The Deep Heart (2019) and In Touch (2015),
a retired adjunct professor of psychology, and licensed psychotherapist in private
practice. www.listeningfromsilence.com

Roofless Church
Under the Redwoods
October 18 and 25
9:00 am – 9:45 am • Front patio of FPCSR 
Reservations required 
To reserve a space each week for upcoming Sunday worship service,
please email or call Susan Isler by Friday
susan.isler.sport@gmail.com • 415-272-2526

Joyful Baby Shower for Baby Isla Cuzzi on Oct. 11
I
sla is the daughter of our Communications Designer Nicole Cuzzi & her husband Joel
Photos by Sandra Fisk

Online Memorial Service for Binny Fischer,
Sat. Oct. 24, 11:00 am

A live online Zoom memorial service will be held at Saturday, October 24 at 11:00 am
(Pacific Standard Time).  
Click here for the invitation, link and instructions
Click here for link to Zoom service
A pdf of the bulletin will be available on the church website the morning of the service

Memorial Donations in memory of Binny may be made to FPCSR.  Checks may be sent to the church or donations made online on church website.



Wednesday Community Conversations
11:00 am on Zoom 
Log in below

October 21 & 28 - "Hunger and Hope:  Lessons from Ethiopia and Guatemala."
Presenters: Leslie and Ralph Purdy

Rick Steves, the well-respected travel authority, has produced a one hour public television special program, "Hunger and Hope:  Lessons from Ethiopia and Guatemala."  On Oct. 21st and 28th at 11 a.m., we will share excerpts from the program and discuss some of the encouraging ideas in this film.  Rick Steves travels through Ethiopia and Guatemala to learn about extreme poverty and the new ways it's being tackled.  He learns how smart development aid can be a practical investment and how ending hunger in our time is a realistic goal.  This program comes to us from Bread for the World, a national faith-based organization which works to promote policies to end world hunger.  

Doing the Work: Confronting and Addressing Our Role in Systemic Racism - Resources

Dated List of our Enews Anti-Racism resources from previous weeks. 
Click here for list.



 


Loving Our Neighbors – The Mission Committee

Thank you to the Congregation for Supporting 2020 PDA Trip  
Special announcement about disbursement of funds 

Do you remember the wonderful Crab Feed last February?  The Mission Committee expresses deep gratitude to the entire congregation for your contributions in support of our 2020 Presbyterian Disaster Assistance mission trip. Fifteen of us were going to Omaha, NE to help rebuild homes damaged in the 2019 Nebraska-Iowa floods. This trip was to take place this past April. However, it had to be canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.  

We want to honor your wishes by supporting agencies doing disaster relief. The money raised at the February 2020 Crab Feed plus other donations will be distributed as follows. 

$1,191 will go to each of the following agencies:

  • Omaha Rapid Response (Nebraska). This agency continues the house rebuilding work in Omaha that we would have participated in on our PDA trip.
  • Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to help communities harmed by hurricanes floods and fires.
  • Red Cross (California) for fire victims.
  • Canal Alliance (San Rafael) to help keep people in the canal area with emergency assistance in housing, food, job training, etc.
  • Marin Interfaith Street Chaplaincy to support ongoing services, suppers and chaplaincy costs.
  • $500 will be given to the First Congregational Church, Sonoma (Rev. Curran Reichert) for gift cards for local emergency assistance.
 

Special Request from the Mission Committee –
Paper Grocery Bags Needed  


The Mission Committee is starting to plan for the Thanksgiving collection of food for Ritter Center.  We will be collecting and packing 50 bags of non-perishable food for a Thanksgiving meal for families.  We'll have more specific information in a few weeks, but we know now that we need paper bags -- the large, sturdy ones with handles.  Please save any that you have or can gather.  It will save us having to buy any.  We will let you know when to bring them to church or you can request someone to pick them up from you. Thanks!  



Book Groups

Women’s Book Group
The women have a book for our October 28 zoom room meeting at 3:00 pm. When Women Were Birds: Fifty-four Variations on Voice by Terry Tempest Williams. All are welcome to join in the discussion. For more information contact Susan Isler susan.isler.sport@gmail.com









Men’s Book Group
We are meeting via Zoom at 8:30 am. October book - The Big Nine: How The Tech Titans and Their Thinking Could Warp Humanity by Amy Webb
October 22, Part II and III

All men are welcome.
For info contact Alan Pabst ajpabst@aol.com




 


Zoom Info for all gatherings
Click on link (includes password)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/738258079?pwd=Z3pKTXVYQU5TWTE4dXgxakd2dUtGZz09
or Click on link https://us04web.zoom.us/j/738258079
Password for the FPCSR Zoom room. 996359
Meeting ID: 738 258 079
Call in number 1-669-900-9128

Zoom Sundays  Today 11:00 am – 11:45   Adult Ed Speakers and Conversations

Wednesday Conversations   11:00
Church members lead discussions on topics they are interested in. All are welcome. 

Centering Prayer Thursdays 10:00 am
Contact Kay Collette for information kaycollette25@gmail.com


Financial Support

1) Send a check to the church
    First Presbyterian Church, 1510 5th Ave, San Rafael, CA 94901
2) Set up automatic payments through your bank
3) Give on line through our secure link - https://www.fpcsr.org/giving


Remember to Vote!  

It is our responsibility to be active citizens.  For information about checking your voter status, click here

Our mailing address is:
First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael
1510 Fifth Ave. San Rafael, CA 94901

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