My first Sunday with Sanctuary

Lots has happened in the last month, but one thing hasn't happened -- my blog. Sometimes you get so buried that you don't have the time and energy to write. This has been one of those times. But now the dust is beginning to settle.

I want to say first that I really, really... really... appreciate the help so many people have provided to help us move from Redondo Beach to Sacramento. There are too many names to mention, but some people stepped up with extraordinary measures of service. It was very difficult moving. You made it happen! Thank you!!

After lots of tears and a couple of weeks of great chaos, I can see the outlines of a new life beginning to form. Spencer and Nathaniel are in school and doing well. They are both starting to make friends. Susan and the Wagner family were up for a week putting the house together, and now Susan is back in Redondo. She will be back and forth for a couple more weeks as she helps get Lauren situated. Lauren is going to stay in the South Bay for a while or maybe forever. We'll see how that goes.

Since we have been in Sacramento, we have started to take in local life. We were taken to a River Cats game (the River Cats are the Oaklans A's AAA club). We went to the Gold Rush Days in Old Sacramento, which I have to say was really interesting. Yesterday Jason Park took us out on the Sacramento River for wakeboarding and wakesurfing. I almost killed myself on the wakeboard. I think I'll stick to wakesurfing. :-)

Yesterday was my first Sunday as the pastor at Sanctuary. We started together as a community with a sermon on Communion, and then we shared Communion. I enjoyed dispensing the elements to everyone. It provided me as the new pastor a means of bonding with people from the congregation.

At the beginning of the service, I was surprised with a Skype call from King's Harbor. It was great fun! The video was good, but not so much the audio. We could hear them, but they couldn't hear us. Oh well. We received the blessing and encouragement of Chris and the KHC folks. Thanks!

Another wonderful surprise... at the end of the service, Tommy, the son of Tony (our worship leader) and Kristina Edwards, presented me with money for Haiti. Last time I was here, I did a Haiti Show-n-Tell slide show. Tommy (who is about six or seven) listened and was affected by the plight of our Haitian friends. He decided to put on a lemonade stand, and he donated all his proceeds to Haiti. As we closed the service, he presented me with a baggie full of cash. It was awesome! That cash will find its way to Maison de Lumiere within the next month. I am really impressed that Tommy would to all that on his own. He made a nice sum of money, and he never asked to keep any of it. Wow!

So it has been a good start at Sanctuary.

Comments

  1. PastorStarbucksSeptember 7, 2010 at 3:22 PM

    Very stoked for the Beck family and this new season of life and ministry! We will miss you and yet we are going to be in a new season ourselves! With Dr. Beck in Sacramento, Lauren staying back (for now) and the constant changes of life I am reminded that nothing ever stays the same. Well almost nothing. With kids growing and seasons changing, constant challenges confronting the advancement of the Kingdom of God, we the believer want to be about His business and agree with what He is doing. God forbid opposition come from with-in right? Although changes are inevitable and quite possibly difficult at varying degrees one thing is for sure He never changes, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. I thank God for you Dr. Beck and pray you will continue to sense the Spirit of God leading you as you lead others.

    btw, how’s the surf up there?
    hee hee
    Your brother in Christ!
    D

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 8, 2010 at 11:33 PM

    So glad it went well Dave! And what Dan said...

    ReplyDelete

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