Dear church family:
As we have spent time imagining our church as a Chorus of Generosity, we’ve been thinking about all the beautiful ways that music shapes us as a community. When we sing together, we breathe together. We listen to each other so we can stay in sync and in tune, adjusting our pace and volume, ebbing and flowing as we go along. Music is about unity.
And at the same time, music is also about embracing our differences. When we sing different notes in harmony, we become more than the sum of our parts. Different instruments, different abilities, different styles of music contrast and complement each other. Music is about variety.
Unity, variety – and above all, music is about generosity. The generosity to listen, to cooperate, to make room for different notes and words and people – and to do it all for the sake of filling the world with beauty, and praise, and “making a joyful noise to God.”
The world can feel pretty grim these days – divided, unjust, and disheartening. We need as much beauty, justice, and joy in our lives as we can get, and for us, Westwood United Methodist Church is an oasis of this kind of blessing. A place where we welcome all, work together, chip in, and make a joyful noise. A choir of contribution. A chorus of generosity.
So let’s make this year’s giving campaign the best one yet. If you haven’t already, please fill out the pledge card (extras are at church, or do it online at westwoodumc.org/giving) and add your voice to the chorus.
We’ll celebrate our “joyful noise” this Sunday, November 23 at our 10am Thanksgiving Sunday Combined Worship in the Sanctuary (with a celebration lunch after in the Loft!) Please bring your pledge cards and your prayers, and a side dish or dessert to add to our Thanksgiving feast.
We will also collect a special Thanksgiving offering this Sunday, which will go to support people in need in our community. Our offering will be divided between 3 worthy projects: 580 Cafe, our campus ministry at UCLA, which works to build collective care and share food, conversation, and activism with students, including especially many first-generation and immigrant students. We will also support the Echo Park Immigration Center (EPIC), which offers a holistic range of services, in a community-centric approach to empower immigrants and cultivate a supportive and equitable environment. And, we will support our Good Samaritan Fund, which provides direct assistance to people in need in our community. Give online at westwoodumc.org/give or send it by mail or in person–mark your gift “Thanksgiving.”
Each of these projects offers tangible hope to the community, and sings a song of gratitude and grace that will make a difference far beyond our church walls.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Grace and Peace,
Rev. Molly Vetter
Dr. Christopher Carter
