Dear Westwood Community, In The Loft, we are currently in the middle of a sermon series titled Better Together. This series explores the impact of loneliness on individuals and communities and the harm it can cause to our spiritual lives. The gospel shows us that social...
Dear Westwood Community, Last week, I saw a new coming-of-age movie that affected me deeply*. There is a sequence where two main characters talk about saying goodbye and growing up. One of them observes what a blessing it is to know that an ending is an...
Dear Westwood Family, Last Sunday morning the Westwood Kids played a game of “Reverse Musical Chairs.” The point of the game wasn’t the typical one: to be the last one sitting on the final chair, with everyone else on the outside, watching. This time, when the...
Dear Westwood Family, A few months back, folks from one of our neighboring United Methodist Churches contacted me, to ask about a gift from our congregation to theirs in 1940: that year, our congregation donated a wood-framed building to what was then the Japanese Community Church at...
Dear Westwood Family, I love being a parent—most of the time. Isaiah is a great kid, and Gabrielle and I having a child is one of the reasons why I believe in miracles. However, being a parent or a child is increasingly challenging. Collectively, the three...
Dear Westwood Community, As I was getting ready for a staff meeting today, I pulled up notes from a retreat that our staff leaders participated in a year ago--where we shared ideas about how we would describe the kind of church we are and are seeking...
Dear Westwood Family, Walking from the church parking structure to our front doors today, I was struck by how beautiful the sunlight seemed as it lit the blossoms of the crape myrtle trees. I stepped back, to enjoy the view of our church spire through the...
Dear Westwood Family, This morning, my read through the LA Times online affirmed something I've been thinking about lately: what a gift intergenerational friendships are. (You can read the Times' take here.) I continue to believe that the relationships we are able to make across diversities are...
Dear Westwood Family, I hope this email finds you all doing well, and a special shout-out to the parents who are (quietly) celebrating the return of the school year! Given the number of graduate degrees I have, it may come as a surprise that I didn't...
Over the summer, I am inviting clergy members connected to our Westwood UMC congregation to serve as guest writers of our Pastoral Notes. This week, we are pleased to share words from Rev. Dr. John Holbert. I am grateful that he is a part of...