Dear friends,  Last night, I went to my first concert at the Kia Forum and saw Brandi Carlile. She is one of my favorite artists and it was my third time seeing her perform. As is often the case for those of us who resonate with live music, it was a transcendent and soulful experience- 3+ hours of heart-filling love, solidarity, peace, and joy. I was electrified and felt liberated from my own current sorrows and connected to my fellow humans. I experienced so many diverse and

Greetings and Aloha from the hills of O’ahu on this Valentine’s Day. May you feel deeply loved and held by God.May you call to your heart a feeling of love and care that compels you to act on behalf of yourself and all creation to flourish now and always. I am 3 days into a 4 day training here in Hawaii, giving organizing tools and community to a diverse range of churches, non-profits, community health care workers, and students. Today we spent 90 minutes hearing sacred stori

Beloved Community, "You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:13-14). This Sunday, let your light shine by participating in our 'Souper Bowl Sunday' food drive. While millions gather around their TVs for the big game, we have an opportunity to be the salt and light Jesus calls us to be. Please bring canned goods to church tomorrow to support our local food pantry. Your donations will help flavor our community with God's love and brighten the l

Beloved Community, This Sunday, as we read Matthew's account of Jesus moving into new territory and calling unexpected disciples to join his ministry, we celebrate our identity as a Reconciling in Christ congregation. Just as Jesus crossed boundaries to create beloved community in Galilee, ALC Burbank commits to being a place where LGBTQIA+ siblings are fully welcomed, embraced, and celebrated as beloved children of God. When Jesus called those first disciples, he didn't ask

Beloved Community, As we read about Jesus' baptism in Matthew 3:13-17, we witness a profound moment of divine affirmation - 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.' This scene echoes the majesty described in Psalm 29, where God's voice thunders over the waters with power and glory. Just as these scriptures speak of God's presence in moments of transition and blessing, we at ALC Burbank are entering our own season of new beginnings. On behalf of the church co

Beloved Community, As we enter this season of Epiphany, the story of the Magi offers us profound wisdom for our own journey of faith. Like these ancient seekers who followed the star, we too are called to trust in God's timing and guidance, even when the path ahead seems uncertain. The Magi's journey reminds us that faithful persistence and community support are essential parts of any sacred quest.They traveled together, supported one another, and remained steadfast in their

Beloved Community, The 12 Days of Christmas, beginning on December 25th and continuing through January 6th (Epiphany), offers a meaningful way to extend our celebration of Christ's birth beyond a single day. While many pack away their decorations on December 26th, the Christian tradition invites us to dwell in the wonder of the Incarnation for these sacred days. We will be reading from Matthew 2:13-23 tomorrow. This passage references the Holy Family's flight to Egypt and co

Beloved Community, As Christmas draws near, this week's readings remind us of how God communicates with us in unexpected ways. In Matthew's Gospel, we encounter Joseph receiving divine guidance through a dream - a reminder that God often speaks to us in our most vulnerable moments, even while we sleep. This resonates with me personally, as I recently experienced a delightful vivid dream that included Benson Boone and Glinda (from Wicked ) that left me reminiscing, and ponderi

Beloved Community, In this third week of Advent, we encounter two powerful stories of divine calling - Mary's visitation by the angel Gabriel and Jeremiah's appointment as a prophet. Both remind us that God often speaks in unexpected ways and places. I spent a weekend at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley for a retreat last month where I experienced my own surprising moment of connection. Following a discernment exercise, I took Wesson for a walk in the Martin

Beloved Community, Thank you to everyone who participated in the potluck on November 23 to celebrate Pastor Nancy's ministry here at ALC Burbank. Her impact on our congregation continues to inspire us as we move forward. As your council president, I look forward to sharing some thoughts and reflections with you throughout this Advent season. As we journey through Advent, Matthew's Gospel reminds us that God's work often unfolds in unexpected ways. Just as John's disciples wer

Dear Friends, A few years ago I was a bit pessimistic about the way things were going in our country. Well, maybe, a lot pessimistic. It was hard to get my brain past the immediacy of what was happening in our world. It didn’t take me long to realize that my attitude was not helpful. It needed some adjusting.  So I decided to focus on gratitude, specifically starting each day by name three things I was thankful for. This practice was helpful as it reminded me that no matter w

Dear Friends, Oh no, another story about painting! As you’ve read over the past couple years, I am learning to paint. I’ve actually improved a lot in the time I have been with you. And this is due to taking lots of classes. Since April, some friends and I have gathered for an afternoon of a video lesson and lunch. It’s been great fun. At the end of every lesson, the instructor says, “I’m going to call this done.” I’ve learned the important lesson that sometimes you just need

Dear Friends, Happy rainy Saturday! A friend and I are taking an Urban Landscape Painting class at the Santa Paula Art Museum. This is a six-week in-person class, the meets on Saturdays.  During class, the instructor will announce that it is break time, which means it’s time to step away from my project. Why take a break? The obvious reason is that small breaks in whatever we are doing are helpful ways to give our minds a break.  While painting it is helpful to step away from

Dear Friends, I hope that you are all have a nice weekend. Mine will be busy, with some fun activities, a memorial service for a friend, a vet visit with my dog, and a Sunday night football game. It is one of these weekends when just thinking about it makes me tired! Do you ever experience this? I subscribe to a legal news reporter named Chris Geidner (Law Dork). For context Chris is gay. He wrote about an event this week that reminded me of the importance of integrity in our

Hello friends, This weekend we celebrate All Saints Day. Some might think the word celebrate is too upbeat for such a solemn occasion as remembering our loved ones who have died. For the most part, I think this is a perfect word for remembering. The exception being when someone is in deep grief, they might not be in a place to celebrate. We could say commemorate the lives those who have died on All Saints Sunday. That feels appropriate. But still, to celebrate the impact that

Dear Friends, Happy Reformation weekend. No matter what is going on in the world around us, recognizing the Reformation provides us opportunity to be thankful for the ability to learn, grow, and change our thinking. Humility in what we think we know is a gift. Tomorrow is a special day for other reasons as well. First, Chelsea, Jaffa, and I will finish our long Holy Migration series by sharing our own insights. We invite you to share yours as well. Then we will accept new mem

Hello friends, This week I headed out to La Quinta for a gathering of pastors, deacons, and other church leaders. I always enjoy these events because they provide opportunity for some spiritual refreshment alongside learning. This time the refreshment was in the invitation to think about my relationships with God, others, the world, and myself as spiritual. Obviously, I think of my relationship with God as spiritual. But adding in all those other ways that I am in relationshi

Hello friends, Since May, a friend and I have gathered at my house most Wednesdays to paint. We use an online acrylic painting lesson; we take turns providing lunch and often laugh as we work our way through whatever lesson was chosen for the week. Some of the paintings that I share in this newsletter were painted on these Wednesday afternoons. The photo I am sharing was taken upon completion of a lesson. I loved how much space each of us needed! Or, one could say we are a bi

Hello friends, While flying home from our vacation, I looked out my window just as we were flying over Lake Powell. I took the photo to...

Hello friends, This is just a quick note for you all as I am continuing my vacation. As you read this we will have gone from Spain to...