I will light candles this Christmas. Candles of joy, despite all the sadness. Candles of hope where despair keeps watch. Candles of courage where fear is ever present. Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days. Candles of grace to ease heavy burdens. Candles of love to inspire all of my living. Candles that...
Dear Friends, In Christ’s birth, God becomes present among us. The divine and the humble are all wrapped up together. A child is laid in a manger, and heaven and earth erupt into song–singing of hope, and peace on earth. This year, may we have courage...
Dear Friends, I pray this note finds you all doing well during this holiday season. Throughout Advent the Loft community has been wrestling with the question, how does a weary world rejoice. And so, even as I write words of hope and wellness, I recognize that...
Dear Westwood Family, There are three, interconnecting prayers on my mind, today: First, a prayer of gratitude for art that has been deepening my prayer practice this season. The collage posted here, made by Liberty Worth of our congregation, is one of several pieces that hangs in...
Dear Westwood Family, A friend of mine moved to Italy this year. Last week, she noted that although the Thanksgiving holiday was an ocean away, Black Friday found her in Rome. Here, in these days of Advent, we find ourselves pulled by the festive traditions and...
Dear Westwood Family, I hope this note finds you all doing well as we move ever closer to the holiday season. Although I missed worship last week, I have heard that both worship and the Thanksgiving lunch went really well. For those of you who didn't...
Dear Westwood Community, The world needs more justice and love, more love and justice! Over the last few weeks, I’ve written about some of what Jesus means by “abundant life,” and how Westwood UMC is called to share it with the world. First, by being a vibrant,...
Dear Westwood Community, The world needs more compassion! That’s part of what God’s “abundant life” looks like – not hostility, indifference, or patronizing pity, but genuine compassion, the kind of mutual care evoked by Jesus’ call to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Compassion means seeing things from someone...
Dear Westwood Community, As our holy scriptures tell the story, from its very beginning, our earth has been home to life abundant--to creation that lives and thrives in community. Flocks and herds and schools and packs, and groups of human beings, too. Our Westwood United Methodist...
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...