By Daniel Thomas, CGS Musician
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As the movements for social justice and equity go forward, there has been a lot of looking inward – and looking backward. People who have felt marginalized for far too long are starting to raise their voices and call out the injustices – intentional and unintentional – they have endured for years, or even generations.
 
In the initial wake of George Floyd’s murder, a group of BIPOC theater artists in the Bay Area began an online document where they could share their stories – publicly, but anonymously. It should come as no surprise that theatre, like so many institutions, has largely been in the control of white males, and this privilege has been made manifest in ways large and small, visible and hidden. In the first three days over 600 people told their stories, and the document now has nearly 2,000 entries. Everything from an off-handed remark in the rehearsal room to the cultural lack of awareness by designers (for example, theatrical lighting requires a different approach for people of color) to the selection of programming that, while “passable” to audiences of 50 or 75 years ago, now contains insensitive or offensive material.
 
This document has started conversations – constructive, thought-provoking, tough conversations. And it has also inspired another document – a call to action, even a list of “demands” from the BIPOC community to create a theatrical community that truly embodies justice, equity, and anti-racism.
 
I read this call to action and immediately felt overwhelmed. It felt like I had to completely and immediately overhaul the entire theater or else go out of business. It was dispiriting.
 
I took a break, breathed deeply – and was reminded of a song from Frozen II (and I deeply apologize that this is taking a turn into Disney) – “The Next Right Thing.” In the scene, the characters face an existential crisis, and they are separated and alone. They are overwhelmed and scared and unsure. In this moment, one of them sings:

            
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I went back and read the document again. I recognized there were steps we had already taken; steps we were about to take; and steps we had not yet thought of taking. All of these steps make up a journey, and journeys do not happen overnight. Look at each moment as it comes, and make the right decision in that moment, and move to the next moment. We will stumble, we will get it wrong from time to time, but all of the steps together will have moved us to a better place.
 
So much is happening in our country now, and there is so much despair, and fear, and anger. Trying to tackle it all at once is overwhelming. But we all can take our individual steps, and next steps – we all can do our own next right things. And together we can take a journey, and together we can move towards the world that God wishes for us.

by Jerry Clark, Council member

 
So, are you an extrovert or an introvert?
Well, whether you fall in one camp or the other might determine how you are dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s been 4 months since the order came to shelter in place, and we still don’t know what the future holds for any of us individually, or as a congregation.

Adjusting to life indoors has been tough enough and presents different dynamics if you are young, old, whether you are living alone or with others in a household. Now that it’s summer, hopefully, this provides some relief, giving many of us the option to get outside, reading a book on the porch, going on walks, exercising, and taking advantage of open spaces for outdoor activities. Open green spaces can be calming dealing with the stress we’ve all been feeling.

Extroverts tend to need more stimulation and maybe the dynamics of posting content on social media, making videos, and participating in chat groups will suffice for now. Possibly getting out in small closed groups, practicing safe social distancing could also work. But this really depends on our individual health and comfort levels.

If you tend to be more of an introvert, being hunkered down at home might be the perfect fit for living in a social distancing world. In today’s environment, you might find it much easier to interact with others on your own set of terms. However, your tendency to withdraw from others could be exacerbated in this climate, and you still need to make the effort to stay connected to others and keep physically and mentally healthy.

It’s important that we stay connected with family and friends, today we are lucky to have social media platforms to do so. Did you know, people are continuing to participate in book clubs and even playing board games with others online?  Years ago, I remember getting mad at my nephew (the introvert) for staying up late playing video games with others online, later finding out one kid was in Korea, the other in NYC. Go figure, this bunch were well prepared to handle a pandemic.

We have learned that we can still meet as a congregation, albeit virtually with YouTube, Zoom for coffee hour, Bible study, and other virtual group interactions. I’ve been meeting with a group of friends for our bi-weekly Zoom “dinner-gang” discussions. Only recently have we decided to move into the next phase, meeting in person for dinners, social distancing, wearing our masks, and eating outside.
We are all getting a bit stir crazy, but the day when we can all come together in person as a congregation will happen, at some point. And, even if your personality leans to being more of an extrovert, or the flip side, an introvert; ether can suffer from bouts of anxiety and depression, but we can find a way to keep our sanity through this pandemic, supporting each other by staying connected and a little prayer to God doesn’t hurt either.

by REY LAMBATIN, Choir Director
As part of our choral ministry adjusting to our current situation, we started creating videos of us singing virtually that we play in our CGS live-streamed worships. And as much as it’s wonderful that we’re able to do this and see our choir singers singing together, nothing can replace the experience of singing and hearing our music live. I believe that every choir singer will agree that it’s not just the singing that everyone misses. It’s the in-person fellowship, praying for each other, sharing of stories, food, and drinks during rehearsals, and being physically present and surrounded by people with whom you enjoy being around. An article published on The Guardian on June 16 states well how I feel:

​Sadly, according to experts in “A Conversation: What Do Science and Data Say About the Near-Term Future of Singing?”, the ability for choirs to safely gather again could be as far off as two years. Two years without live singing. The problem stems from the proximity of singers, and the fact that the very act of singing propels viral droplets, and choral singing won’t be a safe activity until the pandemic is well under control. One especially cruel cautionary story was when 87% of the members of the Washington State Choir developed Covid-19, two of whom died, from one symptomatic member. The prospect of two years without live singing sent a wave of anguish throughout the choral community.  It is a sad reality, and choir singers all over the nation are grieving. But I continue to encourage our singers to find comfort in our faith, and in the hope that the time will come when we can gather and sing together in person again. We’ll continue to do our best to create beautiful music and minister with the videos we create, for no matter how long this takes, we cannot let choral singing fade away. 

​The Teufel Family signed up for a family get- away at Mount Cross from August 7-9 but we have two pet family members that have to stay behind (a green cheek conure and a tortoise). We are looking for a pet lover to take Naya and Willy in for that weekend or check on them and feed them twice at our house. Please call or text Beate at 650 206 3356 if you can help so we don’t have to cancel our trip.
Thank you!
The Teufel Family with Robert, Beate, Annika and Yannis

Usually on this day, Wednesday, you would receive an email update from CGS with all the news and information that would connect you to the life of our congregation. In the past, this email has been effective and most people even read it!
 
However, since most everything has either moved online or shut down, this weekly email has become less effective.
We know that you get a lot of emails.
We know that you are burnt out on Zoom meetings, videos, and computer work.
And we know that despite all this, we can’t give it up. If church is not here on your computer, it might be too easy to just drift away from each other altogether.
 
In the New Testament of our Bible, an apostle of Jesus Christ writes a letter to a whole group of Christians – it happens over and over again. It’s how the whole Christian Church was built. As our congregation moves forward with the rest of Christ’s church, that is what we’re going to do here. But we’re going to change our letters to be a little bit shorter, a little more frequent, and hopefully relevant to a life offline as well as online.
 
On Mondays, we’ll send you an email of all the ways we’re being Church in the world. It will give you access to our celebrations, our sorrows, where we are serving, and all the ways that the Body of Christ is being made visible among us.
 
On Wednesdays, we’ll send you a pastoral letter from a staff person, a council member, or a special guest. We’ll also include our prayer list for the week. Hopefully, this will be an opportunity for faith formation and reflection in the middle of your week.
 
On Fridays, we’ll send you all the information for Sunday worship and fellowship: a link to worship, a bulletin, a place for offering, a list of the leaders, and a connection to coffee hour fellowship.
 
This won’t cover everything. There will also still be actual mail. You’ll still be able to look at our calendar and our website for complete information. And of course, we have tools like actual phones, Breeze, and social media. But we hope to reduce stress and keep in touch through these new emails. We’re going to remind you about God’s faithfulness. We’re going to give you opportunities to live in your faith and strengthen your connection to the rest of the body. And even though it is imperfect, I don’t doubt that the Holy Spirit will be able to work even through this medium. Thanks be to God.


Pr. Manda
CGS Pastor
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Pastor Manda
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It’s been 107 days since the CGS staff packed up the essentials and started working from home. In those first weeks things seemed to change daily and we did a CGS/COVID update on a weekly basis. Then, we got used to our new situation and as we learned more about pandemics, viruses, and vaccines, we began to realize that nothing would change quickly. Our council went from making weekly decisions to making decisions for a couple months at a time. Here’s a recap of where we are:
 
In May, seeing the forecasts of the county health department and feeling everyone’s need to have something that was predictable in our lives, the council voted to continue online worship through the end of July. The next time that the council will reassess in-person worship will be at their July meeting. At Pentecost the majority (by a wide margin) of feedback received from the congregation prioritized the physical well-being of our most vulnerable members and was not concerned with rushing back to worship as usual. The council has also received personal emails and calls from members. They will consider this input alongside the input from our county, state, and denominational professionals.
 
That being said, a team of people (Daniel Thomas, Matt Byom, Phil Boyer, Steve Weirauch, Petra Menard, & Pr. Manda) have put together a technology plan for equipping the sanctuary with the ability to livestream worship. With the council’s support they’ve begun to acquire the equipment (which is in high demand and often backordered). It’s looking as if we could have this installed by the end of September…maybe.
 
Other activities at CGS continue online and in person. Just as we did before the pandemic, CGS has participated in service, public advocacy, and caring ministries. Safe Car Park was a WILD success beyond even our greatest hopes. Our people showed up in the streets to show solidarity with the other faith communities who value black lives and repent of the racism that we perpetuate. The stories of being lifted up, encouraged, and consoled by the CGS community continues to pour from our members and friends. Lives are certainly transformed by the ministry that this congregation is doing.
Our financial outlook is bright, even considering the loss of income from all our tenants who have stopped meeting at 1550 Meridian and the loss of value in our investments. Congregational giving is not only up, but more regular, with the increased use of electronic giving. CGS applied for and received a PPP loan in the amount of $49,000 whose payment will be forgiven. CGS was also the recipient of a gift from St. John Lutheran in amount of $100,000 for ministry with LGBTQ+ folx.
 
Most of our staff continues to work. Our office manager, choir director, church musician, and pastor all work from home and have altered their job duties to serve our congregation in pandemic appropriate ways. Our sexton and housekeeper continue to work onsite at 1550 Meridian but have altered their job duties to address the current needs: cleaning the common used spaces, securing the property, & keeping the outside tidy & safe. Our nursery attendant & drummer were paid through the end of May but since their duties cannot be used or transferred, they have been furloughed until we have use for these services again.
 
I don’t want to give you false hope that we could return to church as normal any time soon. The infection rates are increasing again as commerce restarts. And worship activities are still some of the riskiest public behavior in a time of pandemic. All the things we love are still far off if we want to prioritize the physically vulnerable in our community (and we do).
 
But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t hope. Frankly, this pandemic has been good for CGS. It has inspired us to give more generously of ourselves. It has re-routed our relationships to deeper connections. It has given us a Sabbath from some of our obligations and freed us to be more creative. As Presiding Bishop Eaton said, “The Church has NEVER been closed,” and that continues to be true for us at CGS. We might have gathered more often at 1550 Meridian before this, but God has always been calling us out into the world. No matter how long this pandemic lasts, that will always be true for us.

As we move forward through and beyond this pandemic over the next year, we will continue to steward the resources we’ve been given – our selves, our time, and our possessions. We will continue to stay nimble and adapt as the world changes. And no matter where we are or what the state of the world is, we will continue to do what God has called us to do – Proclaim, Welcome, and Serve.