Moments from the Advent Choral Celebration

If you missed attending this amazing event, where two communities (Good Sam Episcopal and Newman Center Catholic) came together as one, you really missed out.

Using "Lessons and Carols" as the starting point... this service of song and readings reached over 300 people, more than we ever hoped for a first time event!

Here are some video highlights, followed by photos from the evening:

most of "Rise Up Shepherd and Follow":

I attempted to put two photos together to give you the idea of how many people were a part of the evening: two choirs, the Bell A'Peal bell choir, a bunch of musicians. Somehow our music director, Tom O'Sullivan, didn't make it in, probably because he was playing the organ during this piece. Otherwise he was on the piano or up front directing.

 Soloists for "Once in Royal David's City":

Soloists from "O Sifuni Mungu" with choir. We dimmed the lights for this one, illustrating the story of creation.

Soloists for "Immanuel":

(By the way, the choir was asked to wear red, green, black and/or that crazy Christmas sweater!)

Soloist for "On That Holy Mountain":

Soloists for "Carol of the Stranger":

Soloist for "Glory to God" (Handel):

Can't wait for next year's!

Church for Sale

by Sally Anderson

Ken and I have just returned from a marvelous ”Epic Voyage of Discovery” as our cruise director called it. What a big, beautiful world we live in! 


We encountered something very disconcerting on our bus tour in Auckland, New Zealand, though. On a hill sat an old, traditional, Gothic styled Anglican Church which was for sale. Our driver explained that people were just too busy to attend church anymore and that it wasn’t needed. Needless to say, we were shocked!

As I thought about this, I thought about my relationship with the Lord. He was with me even in my college days when I couldn’t find time for him but he was there to save Ken and me as newlyweds from a serious serious car accident. He welcomed the birth of our three lovely daughters and kept us safe when our family had to be parted – from Navy deployments to family emergencies. 


Our Dear Lord was beside me when Leslie suffered a dog bite, when Kristin was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome, when Tracy was hit by a car while riding her bike to school, my breast cancer, and the upheavals of finances and alcohol in our family. I put my faith in His love and guidance or I would not have been able to survive.

The Good Samaritan family has always been there for us, celebrating good times as well as praying for us in times of need. Deep friendships can “read” how you’re feeling, so often I’ve gotten a phone call, a hug, or just an “I love you”. They are truly God’s angels on earth.

So when I think of people not knowing or not having time for Christ, it makes me sad they’ll never experience the love, strength, and peace that He so generously offers.

Moving Away Is A Hard Thing

by Jason Holliday

Moving away is a hard thing. 

There’s nothing easy about packing up and leaving anywhere you spent the last 11 years in, especially when that place is San Diego.  I don’t have enough suitcases to pack up all of the memories and good times I’ve had.  

I think the hardest part about moving however, is starting a new life with new people, new places, and so on.  Making new friends shouldn’t be a problem, leaving behind old ones will be.  It’s gonna be hard to wake up and see my father every day instead of a hug from my beautiful mother and sister, but that’s life.  

Life takes us in many directions, while God opens doors of us to do better things with our life.  I’ve met so many amazing people and done such amazing things in this life in San Diego that it’s just time to go back where I came from and start over again, make new friends, start my own life, make a new impact.  

People come and go, but memories last forever and it’s these memories I have here that I will lean on and smile about when life gets rough.  

I don’t know if I’ll ever have a home in San Diego ever again, but San Diego will always have a home in me.