Sounds of the Season

​Coastside Lutheran has been a busy place recently, especially right now during the season of Advent.  In addition to the sounds of Sunday morning worship and all of our usual activities, our building was filled with music, laughter and conversation last Saturday at our annual tree trimming party where we made crafts, decorated the tree and packed gift bags for our friends at Abundant Grace. Last Wednesday our Sanctuary was filled with singing and the beautiful music of Holden Evening Prayer at our Advent Midweek worship service and following that, the West wing was filled with the sounds of food and fellowship being shared. Last Sunday evening, CLC was the site of the rebirth of the Half Moon Bay Community Christmas Sing. This year the sing had a different format than in pre-Covid times. Instead of consisting of performances by area choirs, the event was a community hymn sing with a few special pieces by the Coastside Community Orchestra and a Pop-up Community Choir conducted by our own John Lehrack. (And so last Monday, our sanctuary was also filled with the voices of at least 35 Coastside residents at the Pop-Up choir’s one and only practice.) Over 150 people attended on Sunday evening and the music was glorious!
All of these joyful noises remind me how blessed we are to have such a wonderful facility to be used by our Coastside Lutheran Community and to be shared with the Half Moon Bay Community at large. It is a place for community – to gather, to grow and to deepen.
On Christmas Eve, Sunday Dec 24. Our CLC community will gather together to celebrate the birth of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, when God takes on human form to enter into community with us. And that is certainly something to sing about. Please plan on attending the 7:30 Candlelight worship service and bring your communities of family and friends with you to celebrate with song, candlelight and prayer. Christ invites everyone to be part of the community of God he is gathering around himself.
Advent and Christmas Blessings, Pastor Sue