A note from Pastor Travis 5/21/26
On Monday, I was at a meeting facilitated by a rabbi when the news of the horrible shooting in San Diego came through. You could see a wave of sadness and anger ripple through the 75 people gathered for the meeting. When the news reached our facilitator, he stopped what he was saying, breathing a deep sigh.
He told us that over the last decade or so, he had sent numerous messages of care and solidarity to the local Muslim community following hate crimes and acts of violence toward Muslims in our country. He said that he had also received many messages of care and solidarity from the local Muslim community following hate crimes and violence against Jews in our nation. Then, he offered prayer.
Today, as I continue to think about the rhetoric of hate and the many acts of violence in our nation, I ask with the Psalmist,
“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain[ in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long?”
This Sunday, as we celebrate Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are reminded that God’s Spirit empowers us for action. We are called out of our insulated lives and privileged communities to speak and act for justice. We are called to stand up to hate and with communities that are targets of violence.
In the words of our Bishops, “We urge all United Methodists to denounce the divisive rhetoric and violence pervading our society and work towards creating paths of reconciliation, dialogue, and nonviolent solutions to our differences. May we love one another and build bridges towards peace and unity.”
The task may seem overwhelming and we may despair, but our faith offers a word of hope. We believe in the power of God’s Spirit at work in the world and we are committed to participate with God in that work, trusting that the day will come when God’s presence will be felt in the world in such a way that every tear will be wiped dry and mourning, crying, and pain will be no more.
Until that day, we hope, we pray, and we stand with our siblings working for God’s transformative love to be known.
Blessings,
Pastor Travis
On Sunday, May 24 we will be moving back into the sanctuary for worship. Although the days are warming up, it takes a while before our sanctuary temperature reflects the outside temperature. So bring a sweater or a lap blanket to feel cozy during worship.
May 24 is also Pentecost, so be sure to wear red as we celebrate the birth of the church.
Sunday, May 31 is officially Trinity Sunday. However, in our congregation it is the day that we celebrate our graduates. Join us as we mark the important achievement of our graduates.
Then, join us after worship for our Haitian Flag Day Potluck Fundraiser. We are close to our goal of $5000 to help our ministry in L’Asile. We have currently raised $4,275! Together we can make life better for our siblings there.