May 20, 2026
- May 20
- 3 min read
Dear Beloved Community,
This week, we hold our beloved church member Teri Jackson and her family in our prayers as they grieve the death of her nephew, Jason Collins. Jason was known to many as a trailblazer in the NBA, a gifted athlete, a courageous advocate, and the first openly gay active player in the league. His life and legacy reached far beyond basketball. He helped open doors, create space for others to live more fully as themselves, and reminded many people of the power of courage, dignity, and love.
As a church community, we give thanks for Jason’s life and for the many ways his story touched people near and far. We pray for Teri, for Jason’s husband Brunson, and for all of Jason’s family and loved ones. May they be surrounded by comfort, strength, and peace in the days ahead. May Jason’s memory continue to be a blessing.
And as we carry that spirit of love, courage, and community with us, we also prepare to gather this Sunday for Pentecost Sunday. It's the day we remember the Spirit moving among the people, crossing boundaries of language, culture, and difference. We are grateful to welcome Rev. Terri Echelbarger as our guest preacher. She will be preaching on Acts 2:1–8, 11b–12. And don’t forget to wear red as we celebrate the fire and movement of the Holy Spirit among us.
See you Sunday!
Peace and blessings,
Jorge
P. S. May's Giving Sunday collection is for the California Clubhouse. Aspire House, formerly California Clubhouse, is a social and vocational rehabilitation program in San Mateo County that builds supportive community, dignity, and pathways to recovery for people living with mental illness.
On the first Sunday of the month (the "Giving Sunday"), the whole plate goes to the designated nonprofit. Any other time during the month you can contribute by way of a check with the name of the nonprofit in the memo line.
Recent sermons
Check out our YouTube page to see recent sermons. Go to our archive of slides to see bulletins and slides used during recent services.
Recordings of our Taize services are also on the YouTube page.
Upcoming services and events
Church Pot Luck: Sunday, May 31 , after worship. Our monthly meal together.
Book Group: Sunday, May 31, 7pm on Zoom. Continued discussion of "Theo of Golden" by Allen Levi. All are welcome; this book has wide appeal.
Thursday Discussion Group: Thursday, June 4, 7pm on Zoom. Dream exploration. We're continuing with the new book -- "The Spirituality of Dreaming" by Kelly Bulkeley. His thesis is that dreaming is/can be a spiritual practice.
Annual Picnic: Sunday, June 7, 10am. Gather on the front lawn for an outdoor service under the pear trees, followed by a brief congregational meeting, and a fabulous community lunch (see description above).
Congregational Meeting: Sunday, June 7, after worship. Our annual meeting to elect officers for the coming year. We will also vote on an amendment to the ByLaws. If you won't be at the picnic, be sure to send in your absentee ballot (which you will get as an email).
Taize Service: Friday, June 12, 7:30pm. Our regular monthly service of chant and prayer.
Worship & Arts: Sunday, June 14, after worship. All are welcome to come help us plan worship.
Church Council: Sunday, June 21, after worship.
Links and resources
Masterworks Chorale's spring concert is set for May 30 (7pm) and May 31 (4pm) at Cunningham Chapel on the Notre Dame de Namur campus in Belmont. We are singing Karl Jenkins" "The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace", along with Samuel Barber's "Agnus Dei" and Lars Jansson's "To the Mothers of Brazil: Salve Regina". Tickets are on sale here. Just to whet your appetite, here is VOCES8 singing the Barber.
Quote of the week
“The American way of life is not sustainable. It doesn’t acknowledge that there is a world beyond America. ” - Arundhati Roy
Weekly events
• Meditation group: Wednesdays at 7:30 am.
In person at the church building
• Sunday worship: 10 am
In person at the church building
• Church Office Hours: Thursdays 2:30pm-5:30pm, in person at the church building.
To schedule an appointment please call or text 510-754-6796 or email xicanominister@gmail.com.
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