Thankful New Year

Dear Saints!

Before I went on vacation, I wrote this cheerful pastor’s message for you all for this Table Talk. It was basically a long version of “Yeah, we are back in-person,” thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make that possible.

The “Thank you” is still valid. And yes, we were in-person for a little while. For 5 services, to be precise.

I got to serve you in an actual church! Thank you to all of you who have helped make this possible.

First and foremost, to Peggy for her enduring work throughout the past 2 years to get us back into the church. Thanks for the millions of hours you have spent calling and watching and checking in and reporting and nagging and following up and through with contractors and the City of Fremont. Thanks for your persistence and love for our church! We all owe you a lot!

Thank you to Dana for your flexibility around moving your office, figuring out the new spaces, finding things in boxes. You are amazing and a gift to our community.

Thank you to Bill and Don for maintaining our property throughout the changes the fire and the pandemic have brought.

Thank you to Alan, Dave, Bob, Patricia, and Jim for your hours of figuring out how to make a hybrid service work well for people in-person and on Zoom.

Thank you to Barney for your patience. You have waited so long to finally get back to your organ. It's such a joy to hear you play!

Thank you to Jason for zooming the choir even before we could reopen. For finding long ethernet cables and bringing your monitor and laptop to church every Sunday to livestream our wonderful choir into our living rooms. Thank you to Bonnie, Kris, Pat, Barbara, Peggy, Dana, Joe, Jason, and Jim for filling our ears and hearts with joyful sound.

Thank you to Pat, Debbie, Debbie, Kris, Roseanne, Patricia, Myrna, and Nikki for putting everything right back into place, and improvising where need be, and adjusting to the new safety measures.

Thank you to our lectors and assistants Bunny, Pat, Kris, Elena, Debbie, Peggy, Barbara, Patricia, Toni, Joe, and Jim for being flexible, no matter whether we worship in-person or via Zoom.

Thank you to our ushers in the first weeks, to Steve, Tony, Dave, Doug, Joe, Jan, and Cam for dealing gracefully with my ignorance about liturgical traditions at CTK and teaching me by doing it.

And last but not least, thank you to all of you who have faithfully stayed with CTK through these past 2 years. Who have continued to worship with us via Zoom. Or, who have been zoomed out and therefore continued to be connected with us in prayer and thoughts. It was so amazing to welcome you all (back) in the sanctuary.

And now, we have all had to learn yet a new letter of the Greek alphabet (soon, everyone will be able to read the New Testament in its original language...) and Omicron is mixing things up. Again.

What a way to start a new year. The third one under pandemic measures. It’s tiring. Exhausting. Disheartening at times. And hopeful because I see how caring you all are. How you are willing to sacrifice the physical closeness we all long for to keep each other safe and healthy.

If we have learned one thing in the past years, it’s that there is no certainty about what will be. Neither in the far nor in the close future. I know it sounds like an empty phrase. But the experiences of the past 2 years have filled it brimful. Like me celebrating our reopening just 2 weeks ago, just to find myself in a totally changed reality upon returning from skiing. One could call that a lack in foresight. Or optimism turned into blindness. Or we can just acknowledge that change is omnipresent, that we are globally-connected, and that Covid, once again, has shown that to be true. It’s a true Epiphany. Laying open what we knew to be true but thought we could easily forget until recently. That in our world nothing is one country’s problem or one state’s failure. That no one is safe until everyone is safe. That our attempts to build little islands of safety are doomed. That a virus cannot be banned, just defeated by all for all.

No certainty means that we have a lot of space for hope. And for God’s surprises in our lives. When we have to wait and see and stop planning (which I really don’t like!), we might have a good chance of witnessing God’s spirit at work. Again. Staying realistic and hopeful. Staying God’s people. “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5)

Be blessed and be a blessing,

PASTOR TIA!