Lea

This Sunday, we’ll gather at the threshold of Transfiguration, a moment in the church year that invites us to look up and around, to notice what’s shining.  We’re invited to remember that the holy happens here, too, even in our messed up, hurting world.  

Dear Friends, I hope you’ll join us for worship this Sunday as we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord, a day centered on water, grace, and belovedness.

Dear Friends, This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent, a season that starts not in bright lights and carols, but in the dark. It begins with tremors and shadows, with stars falling and the ground beneath us shifting.

So much of life depends on how we show up for one another, and just as importantly, how we allow others to show up for us. This week in worship, we’ll reflect on what it means to live that kind of mutual care: to lend what we can, to ask when we need, and to trust that God’s abundance flows through our shared courage.

These are days heavy with worry. The headlines shift by the hour, and the politics of our moment seem to lurch further into reactionary territory. It’s so very troubling. And more often than not, we are left wondering what to do, how to keep moving, how to make sense of this much uncertainty and ache all at once.

Jesus is always getting into trouble, often because of his somewhat casual approach to rules. I can relate to that. There was a brief period of my life when I was a serious rule-follower; I believe it was several months in the spring of 1971. It didn’t work out as well as it should have, and I soon reverted to my scofflaw ways.

Jesus never calls the ‘good’ Samaritan good. That’s our idea. The Samaritan in the famous story was just a person. A random person. Like me. Like you. This Samaritan sees someone in need of help. That’s important, but it’s not enough. The priest and the scribe in the story also ‘see’ the wounded man. It’s just that the Samaritan, a stranger, a foreigner, is moved to do something.

This Sunday, we begin our summer worship series: Grounded in Grace, Growing in Gospel.

We’ll reflect on what it means to carry the peace of Christ into the world– not as conquerors, but as guests. Not with power, but with tenderness.

Sarah Ahn and her mother, Nam Soon Ahn, co-authored the cookbook, “Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom.” The project came out of these short Instagram videos that Sarah made with her mom in the kitchen. They went viral, capturing the hearts of thousands of folks, including mine. The videos offer little glimpses into their family and daily experiences, all featuring food. They’re tender and sweet.