Dear San Gabriel Presbytery,

Grace and peace to you.

This year’s Ash Wednesday Service was something sacred. As the young folks might say, “it hit differently.” And it truly did—because the Holy Spirit was on full display, moving through a community of believers who came together across denominations, traditions, and cultures to worship as one.

We were four different pastors—Rev. Tiffany Ashworth (Occidental Presbyterian Church), Rev. Violeta Sanders (Eagle Rock Lutheran Church), Rev. Jerem Lagahit (Los Angeles Filipino American United Church of Christ), and myself, Harlan Redmond (Interwoven Presbyterian Church)—representing three different denominations, and yet, standing shoulder to shoulder to serve and love one another in Christ. It wasn’t just clergy coming together—it was three different worship teams, blending musical gifts in unity and joy. And let me tell you, when Pastor Jerem started singing, the room was lifted.

Ash Wednesday is a solemn day on the liturgical calendar. It marks the beginning of Lent—a season of reflection, repentance, and return. We remember our mortality with the words, “from dust you came and to dust you shall return.” But this year, those words took on a deeper meaning. When spoken in community—after praying, singing, and laying hands on one another—the truth of our shared fragility didn’t feel isolating. It felt holy. It felt healing.

Under the collaborative vision of Rev. Tiffany Ashworth, what began last year as a joint service between her congregation and mine expanded this year into something beautifully ecumenical. This service wasn’t just about the imposition of ashes—it was about the imposition of grace. It was about serving one another, confessing with one another, and standing in awe of the cross together.

We washed each other in prayer and song. We imposed ashes on each other’s foreheads. We broke bread in fellowship afterward, sharing laughter and stories. It was more than ritual—it was relationship. More than tradition—it was transformation.

As busy as our lives can be, we often search for rest, for joy, for meaning. And sometimes, unexpectedly, those things show up in the form of a midweek worship service—with a multicultural mix of churches, three worship teams, four pastors, and the unmistakable presence of God.

Scripture tells us, “where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.” But let those gatherings be signs that the love of Christ transcends our denominations, our liturgies, our traditions. The road to the cross is not just personal—it is collective. It draws us together. It reconciles us. It calls us into community.

My prayer moving forward is that Ash Wednesday would continue to carry this ecumenical spirit. That more churches would embrace this moment not only as a reminder of our need for grace, but as a holy opportunity to reflect Christ’s reconciling love. As Rev. Tiffany so beautifully showed us, part of our sin is division—but part of our redemption is gathering.

Thanks be to God.

With gratitude and hope,

Harlan Redmond

When I think of this passage of scripture from Paul’s letter to the Galatian Churches, I am reminded how important it is that we model the essence of the Kingdom through service to one another. Using our abilities and freedom to serve one another in love rather than to tear each other down. And given the political climate of the day, the latter seems to be the opium of choice to get some people through their own pain, hurt and insecurities.

However, what we are witnessing in Southern California as a result of the Eaton and Palisades fire is the former, people using their freedom to serve one another realizing that love is a greater force than hate, to reference MLK Jr.

On the morning of January 9th, I witnessed firsthand the work of people seeing and loving their neighbor as themselves.

As I was driving to Altadena to check on my house, I received a text message asking me if I could check on another neighbor’s house and to send a photo. As I stepped out of my vehicle to take a photo of a home that had been decimated by fire, all but a corner section of the garage, I began to snap away. And right in the process of taking the photo, the last portion of the garage began to erupt in flames. I was stunned because I thought all that could burn did burn and with the winds that had died down, the worst would be over.

In my peripheral vision, I saw another guy taking a photo of the carnage as well. We both were stunned to see the fire start up again! We instinctively wanted to jump into action, run to the house next door that had not been touched by fire at all, and try to see how we could put out this garage fire. But there was something in us that was hesitant for we did not want to go onto someone else’s property looking for water in fear of being seen as looters. But swiftly the owner of the property showed up. And what happened next, I can only explain as divine.

Once the homeowner showed up, we rushed to the backyard, we realized there was no water to use a garden hose, but there was a swimming pool. A pool that looked as if the water was completely black from all of the fire and smoke from the previous night. In an instant, another neighbor showed up with these orange Home Depot buckets, and when I took a scoop of water out of that pool and began to hurl the water over a brick wall onto the garage, at least 8-10 more people were there with buckets scooping out water. They formed an assembly line and we all went to work for the next 30 minutes trying to put this fire out until the fire department showed up.

I had never met these people before! But at that moment, we all understood that “This was our house!” Not literally, but if you understood how fire worked that week, indiscriminately destroying homes at will, you understood that it could be my house next if it hadn’t already. In that moment, we saw our neighbor as ourselves. We moved in such synchronized motion as if we all had some sort of formal training. It was the most diverse group working to put out this fire in order to prevent it from spreading to the house next door and beyond. In that moment, I got a glimpse into what it looks like to become one with perfect strangers, a moment that was not foiled by the judgment of political affiliation, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. We were one group of people working to put the fire out on our house. At that moment, the question of “Who is your neighbor?” was answered with a resounding, everyone in need is my neighbor!

We continued to work tirelessly until the fire department arrived to finish what we could not. Till this day, I cannot remember the people’s names, where they had lived, I just know that we were all neighbors who acted in love to ensure that our neighbor’s house did not burn. Our combined effort worked, and we were all better for it. Oneness is a feeling you will never forget. And we must take that same approach in fighting other fires that threaten our communities.

Since that experience, I have realized that there are still fires to be put out! We are called to come together to fight the fires of injustice, the fires of dehumanization, racism, hopelessness, and despair with our actions, resources, and with our prayers.

This Black History Month, let us honor the history of our past, where believers of every walk of life have come together to alleviate the burdens of the oppressed throughout history. Those who have committed themselves to putting out the fires that our nation has so eagerly started. May we continue the work as a denomination, as a presbytery, and as a local church, to fight fires with our prayers, hope, resources, and action. The fires have left many displaced. I write this as one who is displaced, and although this is a vulnerable season, it is the ripe season for the church to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Amen.

Harlan Redmond, M.A.T., M.DIV.
Organizing Pastor
Interwoven Church

Dear Friends,

“We do not do things because we know of its successful outcome; we do things because they are worthy of being done.” This powerful quote from theologian Ralph Winter has been a guiding light for me in on this journey of church planting. It’s reminders like these that reassure me that, ultimately, God is in control. As the organizing pastor of Interwoven Church, I am filled with excitement and anticipation for where our church is headed, especially in a time and world where uncertainty is ever-present.

It is exciting that Interwoven has been meeting for over 2 years now and is still in its growth phase thanks to the legacy support of South Hills Presbyterian Church, 1001 Worshipping Communities, the San Gabriel Presbytery and so many others who believe in the future of the Church. We have been reestablishing ourselves since our move from La Cañada to Eagle Rock, and the journey has been filled with growth, challenges, and transformation.

Since our move to Eagle Rock, we have been patiently waiting and preparing to have our Grand Opening in our new community. This fall will be like no other in the life of our church, and we are ecstatic to announce our Grand Opening Weekend, scheduled for October 25th, 26th, and 27th, 2024, with events each day! This celebration marks a significant milestone in our journey, and we can’t wait to share it with all of you.

Our Grand Opening festivities will kick off with a Family Fun Night on Friday, October 25th, featuring music, food, games, and activities for all ages. On Saturday, October 26th, we’ll host a Trunk or Treat event for the community, providing a safe and fun environment for families to enjoy. The weekend will culminate on Sunday, October 27th, with a soul-stirring gospel concert and worship service at 4:00 PM, a powerful expression of our gratitude and joy.

But the excitement doesn’t stop there! We are also overjoyed to announce that the Administrative Commission has given us the green light to proceed with our ambitious renovation and campus redesign, starting with the preschool building.

This is the first step in our vision to create a dynamic, innovative campus that will foster ministry, community engagement, and social enterprise.

Our capital campaign is launching soon, with the goal of raising funds for a new, state-of-the-art campus that will not only support our ministry but also serve as a hub for job creation, particularly for foster and at-risk youth. This new space will empower Interwoven Church to become self-sustaining while addressing critical needs in our community, including employment opportunities and, eventually, housing for those in need.

None of this would be possible without the incredible support of the San Gabriel Presbytery and our generous individual donors. We are deeply grateful for your partnership in this exciting endeavor.

If you’d like to learn more about the future of Interwoven Church at Eagle Rock, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me, Harlan Redmond. Together, with God’s guidance, we are weaving a tapestry of hope, love, and transformation.

Thanks be to God!

With joy and anticipation,
Harlan Redmond
Organizing Pastor, Interwoven Church

harlan@interwovenchurch.org

Every year on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, I reflect on his legacy and impact. It can be daunting when you look at King’s legacy and the social ills we continue to face today. I always state that we desperately need a leader like King today. And I am sure that the previous idea may sound cliché, and it is probably filled with escapism to avoid confronting the work at hand. But is it?

Reflecting on King’s legacy, I think of what could have been and what continues to feel out of reach.

Where would we be if America had taken King’s dream to heart? Where would we be if everyone had embraced King’s dream as their own? I know it seems far fetch, but why would Dr. King set forth such a dream knowing our shortcomings and even the limitations that existed during his time? His dream was a gift but also a challenge.

How do we dream? King’s famous speech seems like the last public dream we have heard. The one and only dream that seemed by in large about others and not an individual. We all may be conditioned to dream individualistically and not collectively for the benefit of oneself and not for the benefit of all humanity. However, that is the charge, the legacy, for us to consider one another and our collective good.

King challenged his generation and ours with his dream. He challenged us to not see ourselves as an island but as a part of the whole. It is an audacious dream, given our conditioning to dream as individuals and not as a collective. We were steeped in the illusion of scarcity then, which still permeates our minds today. King’s dream was a bright light shining in the dark spaces of our individualism. A light that often seems dim at times but is not needed. We need King’s dream to shine a light on our individualism like never before. A dream or beam of light that will galvanize us to see our neighbor as ourselves. A dream or beam of light that reminds us that:

“We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. And whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the way God’s universe is made; this is the way it is structured.”

– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As a newly ordained minister, King’s words about “God’s universe” strike me deeply. I am keenly aware that much of Dr. King’s criticism, or accountability, was directed at the church. His clarion call to all clergy and believers was to start participating in God’s universe, not our own.

At the time, America prided itself on being a Christian nation, and in recent years you’ve heard that echoed quite a bit. But the blatant contradiction was never in what we said as a nation but in how our actions never aligned.

King’s dream came as a prophetic reminder that our words have repeatedly failed to align with our actions. Yet, the prophet never leaves us without hope. In King’s case, he left us with hope and a dream. What a gift to have both.

In a time where it may feel that King’s dream has been delayed or even denied, he still left us with hope and a dream of what could be. A hope that we can overcome our desire to control our brethren. That laws that govern people can be made by the people it governs. Hope that the police who patrol your neighborhood see your son and daughter as if they were their own. A hope that no matter how people identify themselves, they are never excluded from a table God had already made a space for them to be seated.

I personally dream and hope that the denomination I belong to, the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), sees itself, its assets, gifts, and treasures, as a solution to society’s ills today. I hope and dream that the PCUSA will become a household name…not because of our creeds and polity. Not because of the grand edifices we have built. Not because of our missionary footprint abroad but because of our domestic courage to live into the dream Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shined into the dark spaces of our hearts and minds almost 60 years ago.

Today, we can reflect that light. And let it shine into the dark spaces of our society. We can mirror what Christ had called us to do before MKL Jr.: affirm the human dignity in each other by loving our neighbor as ourselves.

May it be so with us, Amen.

Rev. Harlan Redmond, Outreach Chaplain