Dear Ones,
No doubt many of you are holding much grief and sadness in response to the violence erupting in Israel and Palestine. The situation is incredibly complex and multi-layered, as I am sure you know. In the end, innocent people are dying and many people are grieving and traumatized. I am thankful that Rev. Lacey will hold a prayer space before worship on Sunday morning for those who wish to gather. We also hope to suggest educational resources so that we can educate ourselves on the roots of all that is unfolding. In the meantime, let us take moments each day to pray for the kind of justice that leads to true peace in this region.
This Sunday, we will also begin our 3-week Stewardship Season lifting up the theme “Community Grows Here.” The Stewardship Team, led by Teri Kennedy, has done an amazing job deciding on the scripture and the theme, talking through the visuals, and deciding on who might give testimonies. The team will put on their acting hats and I my director hat for a skit this Sunday which we will be rehearsing tomorrow. I will introduce our scripture and theme and we will hear testimonies from members of our immigrant accompaniment team, Carolyn Villa and Dories Arias.
We will provide opportunities over the next three weeks for you to reflect on the offering of your own gifts and how what you bring enables our community to grow in new ways. You will also be invited, beginning Sunday, October 22, to bring symbols of your gifts and talents to put on our altar during a community stewardship ritual.
I look forward to beginning this stewardship season and am grateful for the generosity of our community. As we bring what we have, we witness the miracle of abundance which comes in a multitude of surprising ways.
Many Blessings,
Rev. Laura
