Sunday, December 15, 2024

On Sunday, our Chancel Choir will be joined by chamber orchestra, harp and organ to bring us some incredible and beautiful Christmas music that will be woven through our morning worship, including Ralph Vaughn Williams’ beautiful “Fantasia on Christmas Carols.” In our scripture passage, we hear the same question asked three times: “What, then, should I do?” This season reminds us that small, ordinary actions add up; we must trust that we each have something to offer and that other parts of the community will bring what we cannot.

Sunday, December 8, 2024

The season of Advent whispers an ancient truth: We were never meant to journey these paths alone. In a pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps culture, choosing communal life is both radical–and deeply faithful.

Sunday, December 1, 2024

Mary is described as “blessed among women” (Luke 1:28). She is neither wealthy nor powerful, and yet she is chosen to bear God’s child. Her story begins with blessedness and so does ours, for the prophet Isaiah declares that we are claimed by a God who calls our name. We are a blessing because we belong to God. When we’re rooted in our blessedness, we can treat every created being as a blessing as well.

Sunday, November 24, 2024

We believe in God’s presence in all creation, and also that God’s presence is more than we can fully understand. God’s power calls us to more than our own individualism, more than our fear, and more than our dreams. This Sunday, our Children and Grapple Choirs will sing during our one Westwood UMC worship gathering at 10am. Musicians and leaders from our Sanctuary and Loft communities will all be involved, and we get to welcome new members into the congregation. After worship, we encourage you to stay for our Thanksgiving lunch in the Loft. We are providing turkey and tamales, and encourage you to bring a side dish or dessert to share! All are welcome.

Sunday, November 17, 2024

When everything seems to be falling apart, God is also at work birthing a new thing—in this world where we are created to contribute to the well-being of one another.

Sunday, November 10, 2024

In these days after a national election, when so many among us carry fear for our safety and well-being, our faith invites us to remember that we are all held in care by God. Our God celebrates all creation, great and small, and invites us to join in care for one another. We are invited to generously participate in the work of tending the needs of all, especially those with little power.

Sunday, November 3, 2024

On All Saints Day, we remember the lives of those who’ve gone before–the ancestors on whose shoulders we stand. We honor their lives, and how they have shaped ours, as we let our community be shaped by the commandment that is at the center of everything: to love God and neighbor with all that we are.

Sunday, October 27, 2024

Trauma informed care gives us a framework for engaging with one another with compassion and thoughtfulness; I have been moved by ways that learning about this approach bring helpful changes to how we approach one another. This week, our scripture tells of Jesus healing a blind man named Bartimaeus, and invites us to think about the transformative power of divine love to heal us, too.

Sunday, October 20, 2024

In contrast to their expectations, Jesus tells his disciples describes the leadership he calls us to: it is our capacity to serve, not our elevation to positions of prominence, that makes us great.

Sunday, October 13, 2024

This Sunday our scripture texts offer at least two significant points: First, that God knows us deeply, understands our struggles, and offers us grace. Second, that Jesus expects us to reassess our relationship to our things (and just about everything), and put our trust in God’s power.