As we close out our Eastertide sermon series – Life After Life After Death – we will reflect on how Jesus invites the disciple Peter to “follow” him at the end of John’s Gospel. Personally, I have found that following Jesus is best performed step by step, otherwise I might get spooked by where I’m headed. Usually, I find myself arriving somewhere I could have never envisioned (say, for example, San Francisco!) with a story and community of folks that I could have never imagined for myself. When Jesus foreshadows how Peter’s story might end, he cannot grasp what Jesus is saying (which might be all for the better in the moment). However, what Peter does grasp is Jesus’ deep love for him and the desire to not only stay in relationship, but be part of God’s next chapter. Peter receives from Jesus a radical kind of hospitality and dignified transformation in this invitation to follow. This Sunday, we will have many opportunities to celebrate this same invitation as we hear from the Rev. Paul Trudeau about what God is up to at City Hope. Jason Morrell will begin his role as the interim worship leader and you are invited to share your gifts (Please don’t hesitate to reach out!). We will also be holding our Spring Congregational meeting, where you will not only hear takeaways from our congregational survey and updates on the hiring process, but also celebrations for what has been and invitations to participate in what is to come. (Be sure to RSVP!) That evening, we will celebrate the ordination of Joshua Jalandoon – a milestone in his (and our!) journey of following Jesus. As we move into this time of transition at City Church, it would do us well to be reminded that following Jesus is not only an act of faith and commitment but also a locus for transformation that we could have never imagined for ourselves. So let us take these next steps together, with faithfulness and anticipation at what God’s transformative power might do among us in the days and months ahead.
Faithfully,
Pastor Emily
As we highlight our partners at City Hope during their month of fundraising, we also celebrate the ways that we can partner with them in their commitment to “Radical Hospitality and Dignified Transformation” – two anchor points which guide their vision. We are proud of our partnership with City Hope because it is one of the ways that we can follow Jesus as a community, making God’s vision of wholeness of life for all more real through radical hospitality and dignified transformation. Learn More!
Congregational Meeting, May 7th
All are invited to join us at our next Congregational Meeting on Sunday, May 7th. At our May meeting we will be sharing a report on our Congregational Survey, as well as a quick update on Hiring for our current open positions. Rev. Dr. Peter Choi will also be sharing an update on the upcoming 2023-24 Faith + Justice Network Year. Registration is requested to plan for childcare and lunch.
Ordination of Joshua Jalandon, May 7th
All are invited to join us on Sunday, May 7th at 4:30pm Live or ONLINE as we celebrate the ordination of Joshua Jalandoon. This is the culmination of 2.5 years of work that Joshua has been doing, all the while leading and growing our ever-expanding Student Ministry at City Church.
Take & Read Theological Book Club, rescheduled for May 15
Our April T&R Book Club was postponed and the new date is May 15 at 6:30pm at the Dahl’s in Pacific Heights. The book is Discipleship: Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Volume 4. Everyone is welcome, whether you've come before or not: it's okay if you've missed previous meetings! And to receive calendar invites for this and future gatherings, please make sure to register here: once you do, Sarah will make it easy for you to add each month's gathering to your calendar.
Serving at St. John’s with Katie Biber, June 10th
Help our neighbors in need at the Harvest Food Pantry. St. John’s Presbyterian church is part of the Neighborhood Grocery Network of the San Francisco Food Bank. Every week they sort, bag, and distribute to their Richmond district neighbors who need supplemental groceries. Join us to help with this important work. Space is limited, so please sign up. Fill out a form for each adult and let us know how many child volunteers you're bringing. Thank you to Katie Biber for leading this serving outreach. Registration here.