29 Sep Under the Surface

Dear Westwood Church Family,

I’ve been pondering this image over the past week, of a seedling and its roots. On the surface, a tiny tree is visible. Beneath the surface, a delicate and extensive web of networked roots connects that visible plant to its home. These roots allow it to gather nourishment, to contribute to the ecology of its community, and grow upright (among other things).

So often, there’s incredible growth that happens under the surface, invisible to our human eyes. This growth supports the thing that’s growing, and also connects it in a web of mutuality with the life that surrounds it. The change that you can see, the thing we call the “tree,” is just one piece of a much bigger story.

I came across this image of this young tree this week, as workers were finally really able to dig into construction work on our campus, to prepare the Lower Helms Hall area to receive the Claremont School of Theology (CST). We signed a lease with CST back in March, which formally started in June; during all this time, we have been working together to plan for renovations that allow them to best make use of spaces formerly set up as preschool classrooms. They will continue using their existing campus in Claremont throughout this semester; we look forward to their being even more present on our campus soon.

Sometimes, the process of working together to prepare to lease space to CST has felt incredibly slow; I am grateful to be reminded that in this circumstance (as is so often the case) change is happening, even when we cannot see it. Especially in the past two months, I’ve enjoyed participating in conversations about the mission and vision of the School of Theology, and I continue to be excited about the generative possibilities that come from their being on our campus.

In all the areas of your life where transformation seems to move so slowly, I encourage you to contemplate the growth that may not be visible. We are called to do the long, slow work of self-reflection, of prayerful discernment, of building connections with the people around us, of participating in the life of our community and home.

May we all experience the gift of God’s presence with us, in visible ways and under the surface.

grace and peace,
Pastor Molly