12 Feb Love and Recovery Work

Dear Westwood Community,

It’s been just over a month since devastating wildfires ignited here in LA County. So much has changed in that time. My prayers continue to be with those whose lives and families are forever reshaped by this disaster–especially those who have lost homes, workplaces, churches, and especially their loved ones. I pray for continued comfort for this grief, and courage for what is ahead.

Recovery work is a long journey, and it will take a lot of heart.

I wanted to share my gratitude with you all for the ways that folks have been stepping in to try to offer meaningful assistance. Our Trustees have been working hard toward arranging for our children’s Sunday School rooms to be a temporary space for a preschool that was displaced from the Palisades when the fire destroyed their facility. They have been moving through all the appropriate licensing and safety requirements, and we have been working to prepare a lease for the Palisades Montessori Center. Our plan, which is close to becoming finalized, would be to have them share use of our classrooms for the remainder of this school year (through mid-June). We will still use the rooms on Sundays, and they will use them during the week. Our hope is that this arrangement can start as soon as Tuesday, February 18.

If you see preschool kids and teachers on our campus soon, I hope you will help welcome them!

In one of the many conversations where we were trying to work out details for this, one of our thoughtful Lay Leaders asked about what the impact of sharing our space with a preschool would be on our church staff–especially the folks who are here during the week, and who use those rooms at other times. I thought through some of the ways I imagine it will change and inconvenience various staff members. Then, I thought about our staff leaders–about each of their deep love of being a part of a church that is making a difference for others. I stand by what I said then: I think it would be harder on our staff to NOT try to make this work.

We are a congregation that wants to be of service. We are leaders who want to do our part for others. We are church folks who choose the inconvenient work of building community, again and again.

I am so grateful to our church leaders who are organizing other meaningful ways to serve the community in the aftermath of January’s wildfires. I look forward to the UMCOR Fire Relief Bucket Build project — which is both a community workday opportunity on March 9 when we assemble them after worship, and a giving opportunity to which folks can donate money or purchase specific items between now and March 9. Few things are as fun as spending some time working together for a project you believe in, and I hope you will join us for that.

Plus, this Sunday evening at 7:30pm in our Sanctuary, we are pleased to be able to host a Fire Recovery Benefit Concert of the Palisades Symphony. They were displaced from their usual home, which is currently serving as a fire recovery center, and we are very glad to be able to share our beautiful sanctuary as a venue. (The concert is free, though they are collecting free will donations for fire recovery!)

I know that there have been and will be a multitude of other ways our congregation serves the community in fire recovery work. Please know that your acts of compassion are meaningful expressions of your faith, and a beautiful part of our shared work as a congregation. May we continue to make space for others, to give assistance whenever we are able, and to build a community that reflects God’s values of love without limits.

grace and peace,
Pastor Molly