Dear Friends,
Numbers matter, and they used to make sense. But it seems the older I get, the more the numbers do not. Such as this week. My wonderful, Godly, beautiful wife Carolyn and I are celebrating 30 years of marriage, which would not have been hard to understand years ago. But today I am baffled. How can we be married 30 years when I’m still 25? If I admit I am really 52, it makes sense.
Speaking of impressive numbers, our summer attendance has grown nearly every week, and attendance at our Wednesday noon service has doubled from last year! And how about the incredible Blessing of the Animals Service last Sunday? We had over 400 attending with their pets, yes, that’s almost 2,000 legs in attendance!
My favorite number is still ONE, as it represents Christ and unity. Here at Bethesda, we want to be a community that is unified in Christ, as one. I encourage you to bring a friend to a service, or an upcoming event, and together join in the unity that exists here at Bethesda-by-the-Sea. And we must always remember, Christ is the ONE. The ONE who forgives all sin, the ONE who loves us unconditionally and forever.
I am so truly blessed. 30 years with the love of my life, and six months already being a part of such a wonderful parish that has impacted my life so greatly in such a short time!
Thank you for allowing my family and me to become a part of the ONE here at Bethesda.
Blessings,
Joseph E. Sanelli
Parish Administrator