Letter from Pastor Rajiv

Dear Good Samaritan Family,
Greetings!

Until this morning I was committed to have worship service this Sunday. However, this morning there were floods of email and other social media information letting me know that Governor Gavin Newsom has asked us not to meet in a group of more than 10 persons where there may be older persons involved. This means we should not meet for worship this coming Sunday. For now, we are canceling only this Sunday’s worship.   Beyond this Sunday, I will provide you with additional future updates. Please share this information with others in the congregation, by email or any other means possible. For those of you on the phone-tree, please call those on your list.

Instead of meeting in person, we will record the portion of worship and will put it on the church web site. I will still be at the sanctuary in case some people come for worship. Working with Church Council, we will develop the plan for recording the worship service.

This Sunday I had been planning on talking about Chapter 6 from the book, Growing Young. The title of the chapter is being a good neighbor. The research found that churches which grew younger were also churches which were good neighbors. As we ponder how to be a good neighbor, it is imperative that we first become a good and holistic human being. Taking care of our own selves, and not spreading any type of sickness or any other nuisance, is a big part of being a good neighbor. By not meeting this Sunday, we communicate to ourselves and our neighbors around us that we respect civil authority which God has establish through our votes and democracy. We thank our civil servants and listen to their wisdom in this time of crisis. We also communicate that as good neighbors, we are ready to change our practices of worship. We are not changing what we believe in, but we are ready to change how we worship. Our Lord Jesus gives many examples of how we can worship God in small groups, as family.

We all are experiencing confusion and uncertainty. We do not know where this is all heading. What I know is God is in control. The God whom we worship and believe in is a good God and knows the beginning and the end. Our God has promised us that “surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20). Let us support each other and let us pray for each other. Know that I am here for you. Feel free to call me anytime for personal conversation and even visitation.

In Christ Jesus,
Pastor Rajiv Pathik