As we step into a new year at The Oceanside Sanctuary and a renewed vision and mission, you are invited to lean into community and help us cultivate a Christian spirituality “reclaiming its calling to be known for love, liberation, and the celebration of God’s image in all people.”
Starting on Sunday, September 6th, our weekly online gathering is moving to 9 AM PST. With more people attending from outside the state, we want to make it as convenient as possible for those in other time zones. Gathering earlier also means you can have more of your morning free for the other things you have planned for your Sunday!
Twenty-three centuries ago a Jewish philosopher who some translators call The Preacher wrote those words in what eventually became the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. They seem especially appropriate today.
“Nothing new” stands in sharp contrast to another word we hear often these days: unprecedented. As in, the Pandemic is unprecedented. The Black Lives Matter protests are unprecedented. America’s recent, historic, 33% drop in GDP is unprecedented. Precedent literally means, go before. So, the point, of course, is nothing like this has happened before.
This spring we conducted our second round of the relatively new 6-week class How (Not) To Read the Bible. With the COVID lockdown in full-force, I hosted the class on Zoom and wasn’t quite sure what to expect for turnout. Turns out, we had an amazing showing! People Zoomed into the course from all over the country: California, Texas, Georgia, New York, Utah, and Alaska! In fact, of the 23 people who completed the course, nearly half of them were from out of State…
We pray you are staying safe and healthy out there during this pandemic! Our prayers are with those of you who have family members and friends who have tested positive for the virus. We pray for quick recovery and no lingering health effects. Today we want to share some the details of our plans for returning to in-person worship:
As the State of California eases public health lock-down restrictions, OSC leadership is carefully considering when and how we might best meet our congregation's physical and spiritual needs and prepare for a return to in-person gatherings. Your feedback will help us make the best decisions together as a church.
