Pastor's Message


 

                                                                            

Two Holy Weeks we spent isolated, physically distant, not worshiping in person.
Two Easters we spent isolated, physically distant, not worshiping in person.

And here we are. 2022.
I’m almost too nervous to invite you to in-person worship for Holy Week and Easter this year, afraid I might jinx it.

But, then again, what is Easter about if not hope?

 

We started the season of Lent guided by these words: “Jesus as a mother hen, a prodigal son welcomed home, a fig tree nurtured with care and hope, precious oil poured out lovingly and freely, stones shouting out with praise —these sacred texts are brimming with a gospel of grace. We’ve done nothing to deserve or earn this grace, and yet, like water, it spills over. Full to the Brim is an invitation—into a radically different Lent, into a full life. It’s an invitation to be authentically who you are, to counter scarcity and injustice at every turn, to pour out even more grace wherever it is needed…When we allow ourselves to be filled to the brim with God’s lavish love, that love spills over. It reaches beyond ourselves; like water, it rushes and flows, touching everything in its path” (A Sanctified Art, Full to the Brim 2022).

 

This Holy Week and Easter, we want to share that fullness with YOU. Included in this letter is our Holy Week and Easter worship schedule which includes virtual options for every service. If for any reason you are not able to be with us in person, there is still a way for you to join us. I encourage you to embrace these opportunities to experience God’s love and grace. When we walk through the dark days of Holy Week together, the joy of Easter is that much brighter. When we remember that we are not the first to experience despair, grief, and uncertainty, we find the courage to live as people of hope.


The last two years have been full of challenges, to be sure. Yet through it all, we have continued to be the church, thanks to your ongoing and generous support. Your gifts of time, talent, and money have allowed us to respond and adapt in creative ways—to worship at home, on The Point, in Fellowship Hall and in our sanctuary, and to update our technology and staffing so we can offer hybrid worship on Zoom; to stay connected through phone calls, cards, and emails; to care for our facility and provide a safe place for Apple preschool and recovery groups to meet; to continue supporting ministries and missions here and around the globe. All of this, and so much more, was possible because of your faithful prayer, service, and giving, part of our unwavering commitment to “ignite hearts everywhere with God’s love.” Thank you, Pioneer Ocean View UCC, for living as Easter people all year round.

 

I hope to see you, in person or on Zoom, this Holy Week and Easter.

May we all be filled to the brim with God’s extravagant love!

 

Pastor Mary Sue

 

P.S. We’re excited to share our plans to resume lunch after worship beginning April 24! Please see the weekly e-news or the church website for more information.