Dear , 

"Gather the harvest from the seeds that were sown....."

Liturgy - one of my favorite things.  The familiar words of the order of worship on Sunday morning are a comfort in their familiarity and the sense of "home" that they bring to us.  We feel blessed and renewed by the words and the music and the faces of friends old and new.  That sense of comfort - of being welcome in this special place - is what we try to create in all of the programs and services we provide at LSS.

This past month we were able to provide that sense of home in our housing programs through family and adult activities - community dinners, a weekly food pantry, pumpkin carving and Halloween treats for children.  In many of our sites residents celebrated Dia de las Muertes - the Day of the Dead - to honor the saints in their lives.  Multiple cultures, multiple traditions shared in new communities:  blending old traditions with new friends.  Often this is the first step on the way to achieving stability for the future.

This time of year is also marked by Harvest Festivals - Oktober Fests - as the seasons change and we sense a chill in the air and see new seasonal fruits and vegetable in our markets.  We reap the bounty of seeds that were planted many months ago.  The familiar words we sing each Sunday as the gifts are brought forward - "Gather the harvest from the seeds that were sown that we may be fed with the bread of life" - recently came to have new meaning for me and the staff at LSS.  We were the recipients of the harvest of some seeds that were sown many years ago by a kind and generous man.

Robert McCarthy had been a friend of LSS and had made occasional small gifts to us over the years.  What we did not know is that many years ago he had also set up a trust which would provide lifetime care for an older brother confined to a nursing home and then be distributed to church ministries upon his death.  This past June we received notice LSS was one of ten church ministries that were beneficiaries of this trust.  Through the thoughtful seeds sown by Mr. McCarthy his brother received care all of his life and now ten ministries across the country are planting new seeds of hope through his generosity.  At LSS his gift came at a time when we are struggling to keep programs going as cuts to social service programs are being felt every day.  It made a significant difference for the work we were able to do.

Sowing seeds.  Gathering the harvest.  Giving thanks for all we receive.  Remembering the saints in each of our lives.  And, taking time to give thought to what kind of seeds we could each plant as our legacy for the needs of the future.

At LSS we give thanks for your generosity and support.  May your Fall harvest be bountiful.

Nancy Nielsen

LSS Co-Director

We remember in prayer:  

Pastor Tom Nibbe (Holy Cross, Pacifica) and spouse Priscilla as they celebrate the birth of their first grandchild, Sophia Alexander, to Tim and Shama (Nibbe) Alexander  

News from our 

Lutheran Office of Public Policy

The comment deadline has been extended to November 11 for the ELCA Criminal Justice Task Force study document, "Hearing the Cries."  Informed by response from across the ELCA, the task force will next prepare a first draft of a social statement.  California-specific commentary by LOPP director Mark Carlson is in the March/April edition of the Journal of Lutheran Ethics.

The St. Olaf Band Visits Our Synod

Monday, January 30 at 7:00 p.m. 

Wednesday, February 1 at 7:00 p.m. 

Thursday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m. 

Friday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m. 

Click here for ticket info...

2012 Clergy/AIMs/Diaconal Ministers and Spouses/Partners Retreat

Redwood Glen, Santa Cruz Mountains

February 19-21, 2012 

The cost of the retreat is $500 and covers room and board; $250 is needed by November 30th to reserve your spot.  Space is limited to the first 21 couples. 

Please make your check payable to Santa Clara Valley Lutheran Parish and mail to: 

ELCA Rostered Leaders & Partners

c/o Jim & Peggy White,

3744 Cadwallader Ave., San Jose 95121

??? - call Todd Bertani at 707-688-6411.

Synod Staff Wellness Log

SPS staff members have reported wellness progress for the month of October...

Pounds Lost:

October - 1

To Date - 62 

Exercise Hours:

October - 29.5

To Date - 304.0 

Spiritual Dev. Hrs.:

October - 24

To Date - 398.5

Cultural Competency Workshop - November 12

If you have not registered, please do so now; for child care and/or translation, contact the Registrar, Linda Vogelgesang, immediately! 

Anti-Racism Workshop

St. Matthew, Walnut Creek November 17-19

Register soon; click here for more info or to register.

Contact Information

Cindi Eckert, Newsletter Administrator                            Pr. Jim Goldsmith, Synod Communicator