What does it mean to claim an identity as God's beloved children? And how does it change us to believe that God finds pleasure in us? Join the conversation and spiritual practices as we contemplate this good news.

One of the words New Testament writers use to describe Christ's gift to the world translates pretty literally as "mystery." I treasure how this description honors that there's something transcendent, and not fully understood, about how divine love works. Even as we celebrate Epiphany this Sunday, we honor that there's more to see, learn, and understand about God.

This Sunday we finish our sermon series "Housing the Holy." This series used the "Innkeeper" from the Bethlehem narrative as its starting point and asked us how we could make the most of our resources, personal and congregational, to best "house the holy" among us? Celebrating the birth of new life is a beautiful, joyous occasion. I can only imagine the overwhelming emotions that Mary, Joseph, and those who came to visit the Christ-child would have felt. What emotions do you feel as you remember the Christmas story? What memories return to you as you reflect upon past Christmases? What floods your imagination as you contemplate what future Christmas celebrations may bring? Rather than checking "Christmas party" off of our proverbial to-do list, the invitation for us this year is to dwell in the Spirit of Christmas. Developed in the 14th century, the word "dwell" became known as a "lingering" or "abiding." It had connections to "in-habit"–another word developed at that time. After an Advent season of focusing on housing the holy, how will we linger and abide in this habit of hospitality? What habits did you invite into your heart in this season that you desire to take with you into the new year? How might we sustain the dwelling places that feed, house, clothe those who need it most? Join us this Sunday as we lean into some ancient wisdom regarding how we are called to live and how dwelling in the Spirit of Christmas can help us discern how each of us can do our part to house the holy.

This Sunday, Pastor Molly will join me in the center as we continue our advent worship series "Housing the Holy," and we will also be joined by the Singers of Soul Gospel Choir! Our sermon series takes the "Innkeeper" from the Bethlehem narrative as its starting point and asks us how we could make the most of our resources, personal and congregational, to best "house the holy" among us? I can only imagine how Mary and Joseph must have felt, arriving in Bethlehem only to find that their room was no longer available. Then again, I wonder if they had already gotten used to responding, rather than reacting, to unexpected circumstances. I wonder how Mary, whose womb was literally housing the Holy, felt in the moments after learning that they were going to have to find another place to stay – another place for her to give birth? The biblical account leaves this question unanswered, however the bible does tell us that Mary had just spent three months with her kinfolk Elizabeth. What did they discuss and how might it have shaped the ministry that both of them and their children would take up? Did they leave each other feeling confident that they were more than capable of birthing something life-changing into the world? As we consider the ways that we might also "house the holy," we must ask ourselves do we believe that we are capable of birthing something life-changing for the people in our community? As the Body of Christ, could we live with more expectation of what is possible? Could we look more closely at what is right in front of us? Join us this Sunday as we learn from the wisdom of Elizabeth and Mary how leaning into the love that we have for each other might reveal potential that we never knew we possessed.

This Sunday we continue our advent worship series "Housing the Holy" which will culminate the Sunday after Christmas. This series takes the "Innkeeper" from the Bethlehem narrative as its starting point and asks us how we could make the most of our resources, personal and congregational, to best "house the holy" among us? . Many imaginative tales have been spun about "The Inn" and the people who may have been involved in the story. As we've already said, we know very little about the circumstances from the Bible. Another theory is that it wasn't an Inn at all, consistent with ancient near-east dwellings of the time some scholars argue that it was more likely the downstairs of a house where the family animals were kept, under the top floor where the family lived. This scenario suggests that each and every home can be a birthing place for more goodness in this world. It suggests that this House of God, our church, might contain a surprising nook or cranny that could house a holy endeavor for bringing more joy to someone's life. . Join us this Sunday as we learn from the words of John the Baptist how we might live lives full of joy and help bring joy into the lives of others.

This Sunday, we continue our advent worship series "Housing the Holy" which will culminate the Sunday after Christmas. As I noted last week, this series takes the "Innkeeper" from the Bethlehem narrative as its starting point and asks us how we could make the most of our resources, personal and congregational, to best house the holy? Some scholars have wondered if "The Inn" and its "Keeper" were part of Joseph's family–after all, he went back to his hometown for the census. Or perhaps Joseph's own family did not or could not make room for them and they had to look elsewhere for a place to lay their head. As many of us know, family can be complicated. We'll never know the real circumstances of Joseph's family relations but the story can help us gain deeper compassion for what we DO know–too many people experience rejection, even from family. What if we endeavored to BE family to those who need it most, to "house the Holy" in ways we have not yet imagined? Join us this Sunday as we explore how the sacrament of the eucharist (i.e. communion) invites us to expand our understanding of family, to create space to allow for healing, and to embody a peace on earth as it is in heaven.

This Sunday, we begin our advent worship series "Housing the Holy" which will culminate the Sunday after Christmas. Interestingly, rather than Jesus, Mary, or Joseph, this series takes the "Innkeeper" from the Bethlehem narrative as its starting point. You see, the Innkeeper was confronted with a huge problem and they had to figure out something, anything, to help this family. So they used the resources they had for good, and in the birth of Jesus we witness the inbreaking of the Divine into our world. How might we make the most of our resources or the resources at Westwood? How can we best house the holy? One thing is for certain, more often than not we have to make space when we invite anyone into our homes. For our sermon this Sunday we are going to explore the spiritual practice of fasting and what we might learn from this practice to make room for the holy. To be sure, we usually associate fasting with Lent, but the Eastern Church observes a "Nativity Fast" in preparation for the birth of Christ, understanding fasting as a way to "make more room" for the Holy and shift our focus to care of the neighbor. In a time when so many are suffering the economic consequences of the pandemic, we are invited this year to create room for more hope in the world as we learn to reallocate and multiply resources in ways that are just and right.

This week, we will be finishing our series "Saints Who Were Sinners" with an exploration into the work of Fannie Lou Hamer through the lens of the story of Jesus feeding the (more than) 5000. Hamer is mostly known as someone who caused "good trouble" through her political activism during the civil rights movement. However, Hamer also grew up on a farm and she understood the important role access to food plays in providing people with an opportunity to live flourishing lives. She knew how to identify and rehabilitate land that some might believe to be barren or useless. Join us this Sunday as we ask how might we learn to see value, to see the sacred, in what others overlook?

We continue our series, Saints Who Were Sinners, with a focus on Rev. Dr. Howard Thurman. Each of the figures in our series were known for causing "good trouble," yet despite the justice oriented work they did they were often viewed with contempt by many within traditional church communities.

Howard Thurman's Christian faith was formed in the midst of institutionalized white supremacy and segregation. Still, he found in God an expansive affirmation of his humanity, and of the full humanity of all others. His Jesus and the Disinherited laid out a Christian theology that identified Jesus with those who have been oppressed, and laid the foundation for a radical re-interpretation of the gifts and challenges before us as the church. It pointed him to interracial and interreligious work that remains radical. We ask: what can we learn about being the church today?

This week we will be beginning our new series Saints Who Were Sinners. This series will build on the tradition of All Saints' Day and we will be celebrating four saintly figures within the Christian tradition. Each of these figures were known for causing "good trouble," yet despite the justice oriented work they did they were often viewed with contempt by many within traditional church communities.

This Sunday we will be exploring the work and legacy of Dr. Delores Williams, one of the foundational figures in the development of Womanist Theology. Through her rereading of the biblical figure Hagar, Williams shed light on the issues of reproductive justice, suffering, and surrogacy for Black women. How might centering the experience of Black women shift the way we view the story of Hagar, Sara, and Abraham?