27 Oct Better Together

Dear Westwood Community,

My heart breaks for so much going on in the world; I have been spending extra time in prayer these days, lifting to God my prayers for peace in Palestine and Israel, prayers for our national government amid chaotic leadership in Congress, prayers for members of our community facing challenge, prayers for the enduring and relentless challenges of racism and white supremacy, prayers for our denomination in a time of ongoing uncertainty.

And so much more.

There are very many things that I cannot control; I continue to lean on my faith to give me courage and patience in my difficult and beautiful attempts to practice love, and live with Christ-like grace. I’m encouraged by the gift of doing this together, and grateful for moments in life that are sweet and nourishing. This past Sunday, our Fall Festival was both of those things, in both literal and metaphorical ways.

It was a gift to worship together with folks from both of our worshiping congregations, sharing some of the rich gifts of each community; the music was incredible, the conversation and community were deeply meaningful, and it made a difference that we were together. Then, when we walked outside into the sunshine of our courtyard, it was a joy to eat the incredible chili and desserts y’all made! I may be biased by my hunger for signs of joy and hope, but it seemed to me like folks really stepped up their game this year–everything I ate was delicious.

So: thanks to our Grapplers for hosting games for the children. Thanks to Shiran Witt for baking so much cornbread. Thanks to Pablo and Jaime for handing so many details to make the event special. Thanks to Sabrina for organizing us all. Thanks to everyone who pitched into help, in any way. Thanks for your patience and presence in making it special. (We needed more chairs in the Loft, and on the courtyard–which is my very favorite problem to have at church. Thanks for making space for each other.)

And, congratulations to our esteemed winners! Rev. Dr. Sharon Rhodes Wickett and Earl Hager took prizes for vegetarian and meat chilis, respectively, and Tanya Sun won best overall chili with an incredible Chinese chicken with noodles chili. Jennifer Peterson won Best Brownies, Kyle Salyer won best cookies, and Jane Leutchens took a prize for best overall dessert for her Dulce de Leche.

What a gift it is to get to savor the fruits of their labors, and the gifts of our whole community, as we shared a meal together. There are good reasons that food plays such a central part in our rituals and traditions–there is something beautiful that happens when humans get together to share meals, and life.

I look forward to our next occasion to be together as a congregation. (I promise this isn’t just a pitch to get you to put our Thanksgiving lunch on your calendar for November 19th, but it’s also not NOT that…)

I’m grateful to be the church with you.

grace and peace,
Pastor Molly