Keep Connected

We are connected to one another in Christ. Let's live that out.

Keep Connected - Keep Connecting   We need each other more than ever. I just finished writing this week's message, and that thought keeps coming back to me. As I wrote about celebration, I couldn't help but think of all the limits to celebration we have right now. We have many barriers to connection and community in our current season. We are connected, and we are community, because we are one body with Christ as our head. Yet, part of our calling as the people of God is to live this out in the world. Sometimes we emphasize this as part of our witness to the world, but this is also our witness to one another. It's hard to feel connected to brothers and sisters without living out those connections. My encouragement to you in this season is to connect. Spend more time on the phone. Write a few extra letters. You have brothers and sisters who need to experience the community of Christian family. As you're able, visit a friend or family member. We are not gathering in any group settings at church, but I am in the office Monday-Thursday and I think it's wonderful when people drop-in to say hello. We need to live as family because we truly are family in Christ.  Along these lines, we have an opportunity this weekend to live out our connectedness. Please plan to join us for drive-in communion this Sunday, February 7. We will gather at 10:45 on the Calvary parking lot. Enter from Via Magdalena and our parking crew will direct you from there. Let's continue to encourage one another as we follow Jesus together. Behold, how good and pleasant it is     when brothers dwell in unity! (Psalm 133:1) here for you, Matt Behrens, Pastor Online Worship Join brothers and sisters from Calvary for worship this Sunday. The pre-recorded segment will be available on Facebook and YouTube at 9:00am. We meet on Zoom at 9:30am.  Home Worship - printable 9:00am worship on YouTube 9:00am worship on Facebook 9:30 on Zoom You shouldn't need this with the above link, but the password for Zoom is slz. Teach Us to Pray: A Lenten Journey The words of the Lord's Prayer will guide our journey through Lent this year. The introduction, seven petitions, and conclusion outlined by Martin Luther in his Small Catechism will give shape to our worship experiences each Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. As we journey together, we also have opportunity to meditate further through daily devotions. Pastor Matt wrote a series of devotions along with Pastor Andrew Jones from First Lutheran in Concord, CA. You can read along via Issuu (a digital reading platform), download a copy and print it at home, or request a printed copy from Calvary. Use the links below for any of these options. Read On Issuu Download and/or Print at Home Request a Printed Copy Time for a Party! Well, we can't have a party just yet, but we do want to celebrate. Calvary turns 73 this year! Our official birthday is February 22, but it's uncertain that we'll be gathering by that point so we're celebrating early. We'll have cupcakes for everyone at our drive-in communion service this Sunday. Bring a party hat, and get ready to blow out candles (not really - on the candles). It's good to celebrate God's gifts with God's people. Happy birthday Calvary! If you're happy and you know it, honk your horn!  Mission Update - Pastor Oliver in Taiwan Missionary Stephen Oliver sent an update on his role in Taiwan. He is one of our mission partners, and we're thankful to hear about God's work through his role raising up leaders from within the Chinese culture. Please keep Pastor Oliver and his family in prayer. You can read his newsletter and see some family pictures at the link below. Mission Update - Oliver family Women's Bible Study Perseverance: Praying Through Life's Challenges We all have it. That one thing that's keeping each of us from a fuller life. It could be a habit to break, a goal to accomplish, or a lingering project to complete. What if we, like Nehemiah, persevered with single-minded focus and trusted God to accomplish something incredible? Nehemiah may not be the first biblical example who comes to mind when we talk about perseverance, but we look to his example to discern helpful steps that we can apply on our one-thing journey. God, through the life of Nehemiah, provides insight into how we can respond to struggles—the one thing—in our life. We will walk with Nehemiah from Persia to Jerusalem as God gives him the strength to persevere past seemingly insurmountable obstacles into His redeeming grace. Women's Bible Study on Zoom Password for Zoom is slz.   You're invited to join in watching and discussing topics covered in The Truth Project. Dave Schultz will facilitate discussions on Zoom Sundays at 10:15am. If you're on Zoom following worship you'll be able to remain on the same call, or you can jump in at 10:15 for The Truth Project (use the Zoom link above - listed with worship). You can watch a brief introduction by clicking on the title above. If you have questions, feel free to contact Dave Schultz by email or phone (510-507-5634)   Money to Give (Direct Missions) In the Behrens' family budget we actually have something we call "Money to give." It's money that we set aside to give as opportunities show up. Calvary has a similar budget item. We call it Direct Missions, and it's time to gather some ideas concerning where to share those funds.  Since the last gifts we gave back in August, we've set aside 2% of our church income every month for Direct Missions. Now, you get to nominate individuals and agencies to receive those gifts. Use the link below to send a nomination to the Calvary Board of Governance. The board plans to make decisions for distribution by the end of February. Nomination for Direct Missions   Drive-In Communion We will celebrate communion in vehicles this Sunday, February 7 at 10:45am. Arrive at Calvary and enter the parking lot from Via Magdalena. You'll be directed to a parking space and given the FM frequency for our service. You'll be able to see Pastor Matt up front, and hear him through your car stereo. At distribution, our elders will bring the bread and wine to you, and then we'll all commune together. For those who would like one, a printable service outline is available at the link below. Please plan to join us this weekend! Service Outline for Communion Received this By Forward? Want to Sign Up? If you received this email from a friend and you want to be added to Calvary's email list, use the link below. Welcome, friend!   Sign-Up for Emails Copyright © 2021 Calvary Lutheran Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Calvary Lutheran Church 17200 Via Magdalena San Lorenzo, CA 94580-2928 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Thank God for the Rain

The rain is good for our land. It's also a good reminder.

Thank God for the Rain   We've been praying for rain, and we can thank God for the showers we've seen this week. Our land needs the moisture. We rely on snowpack in the mountains to help fill reservoirs. The rain is a good gift. The rain is also a good reminder. It reminds us of God's Word. It reminds us that his Word is a gift too. Like the rain, it's not something we control, and it's not something we take for granted. We need it at work in our lives, and we trust in its work in the lives of friends and family. Let the rain remind you of this promise. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven     and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout,     giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;     it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,     and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11) You can take that to the bank... or maybe you take it to the reservoir? Either way, it's a great promise from which we derive confidence. We we have shared God's Word in the past, it has done what he's desired. Where we continue to share his Word, it accomplishes what he has planned. As we share his Word in the future, it will do the work for which he sends it.  Notice, the Word doesn't do what we intend. It doesn't go where we decide. That's just like the rain which we don't control and we don't direct. We celebrate the Word which God sends, and we celebrate the fact that he sends us with his Word. I'm glad to be sent with you. This week, let's thank God for the rain! here for you, Matt Behrens, Pastor Online Worship Join brothers and sisters from Calvary for worship this Sunday. The pre-recorded segment will be available on Facebook and YouTube at 9:00am. We meet on Zoom at 9:30am.  Home Worship - printable 9:00am worship on YouTube 9:00am worship on Facebook 9:30 on Zoom You shouldn't need this with the above link, but the password for Zoom is slz. I Have to Confess Last Sunday you were invited to practice personal confession with a brother or sister in faith. Here's a friendly reminder that you've still got this weekend to make that happen. If you want to review what that might look like, access the file linked below.  Confession There's Still Room If you've been thinking about Alpha, we've got good news. If you have a friend who's been interested, and might still want to join... this is a great time. You and your friend can join the Alpha which just started and it'll feel like you haven't missed a thing. Alpha is meeting on Thursday nights, 8:00-9:15pm on Zoom. Sign up and you'll receive an email with the Zoom info. It's that simple! More Info and Registration Women's Bible Study Perseverance: Praying Through Life's Challenges We all have it. That one thing that's keeping each of us from a fuller life. It could be a habit to break, a goal to accomplish, or a lingering project to complete. What if we, like Nehemiah, persevered with single-minded focus and trusted God to accomplish something incredible? Nehemiah may not be the first biblical example who comes to mind when we talk about perseverance, but we look to his example to discern helpful steps that we can apply on our one-thing journey. God, through the life of Nehemiah, provides insight into how we can respond to struggles—the one thing—in our life. We will walk with Nehemiah from Persia to Jerusalem as God gives him the strength to persevere past seemingly insurmountable obstacles into His redeeming grace. Zoom Link - Mondays at 3:00pm Password for Zoom is slz.   You're invited to join in watching and discussing topics covered in The Truth Project. Dave Schultz will facilitate discussions on Zoom Sundays at 10:15am. If you're on Zoom following worship you'll be able to remain on the same call, or you can jump in at 10:15 for The Truth Project (use the Zoom link above - listed with worship). You can watch a brief introduction by clicking on the title above. If you have questions, feel free to contact Dave Schultz by email or phone (510-507-5634)   Money to Give In the Behrens' family budget we actually have something we call "Money to give." It's money that we set aside to give as opportunities show up. Calvary has a similar budget item. We call it Direct Missions, and it's time to gather some ideas concerning where to share those funds.  Since the last gifts we gave back in August, we've set aside 2% of our church income every month for Direct Missions. Now, you get to nominate individuals and agencies to receive those gifts. Use the link below to send a nomination to the Calvary Board of Governance. The board plans to make decisions for distribution by the end of February. Nomination for Direct Missions   Drive-In Communion We will celebrate communion in vehicles on Sunday, February 7 at 10:45am. Arrive at Calvary and enter the parking lot from Via Magdalena. You'll be directed to a parking space and given the FM frequency for our service. You'll be able to see Pastor Matt up front, and hear him through your car stereo. At distribution, our elders will bring the bread and wine to you, and then we'll all commune together. Please plan to join us that day!   Received this By Forward? Want to Sign Up? If you received this email from a friend and you want to be added to Calvary's email list, use the link below. Welcome, friend!   Sign-Up for Emails Copyright © 2021 Calvary Lutheran Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Calvary Lutheran Church 17200 Via Magdalena San Lorenzo, CA 94580-2928 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.