We give thanks to you, O God;
we give thanks; your name is near.
People tell of your wondrous deeds.

At the set time that I appoint,
I will judge with equity.
When the earth totters, with all its inhabitants,
it is I who keep its pillars steady.                              

Psalm 75:1-3

From week to week, the state of the world seems to be getting worse. The war in Ukraine continues, though it has been pushed out of the news by the war in Israel-Palestine. As much as we Americans want to help, we are hamstrung by the inability of our elected representatives to agree on a leader to allow Congress to act. I am embarrassed by the comfort and peace I experience in my life, as I try to imagine what it feels like to be trapped in a small piece of land like Gaza, with millions of people trapped without food, water, or power, but with bombs raining down on them relentlessly.

How do people survive through times when hope is nowhere to be found? People of faith—especially those rooted in the Jewish faith—have woven into the fabric of their being the ability, even the habit, of telling stories. More than anything, we tell the stories of God’s grace, God’s love, God’s great power to save, even from the most dire of circumstances. Throughout the Hebrew Bible, there are calls to tell the story of the ways God delivered the Hebrew slaves escaping Egypt, and other occasions of God’s mercy. In fact, many times God begins communicating to the Israelites by reminding them of their deliverance. As Jesus calls disciples to do his mission, one of the most powerful tools they use is to tell the story of Jesus’ healing power and love, and the miracle of Christ’s resurrection. Our reading of Scripture, and our offering of our own testimony, are ways we regularly tell the story of God’s story of constant care for the human condition.

As I mentioned, I sometimes feel ashamed for the ways God has blessed me. In fact, it was an issue as I began to prepare for ministry, because I could not understand why I was given so much. It seems insensitive to speak of the blessings some of us enjoy, especially when others are hurting. “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15) And it is true that we must not flaunt our privilege—and most critically, we cannot act as if we have earned the privilege, because whatever we have, is through the grace and plan of God.

But I have learned that sometimes, people in pain need to be reminded that there will be better times, that God will come through, that there will be life, even out of the worst of circumstances. Each of us is part of God’s story of humanity, and each of us has stories to share. Sometimes, when there is nothing else, and sometimes, even when we have plenty of material wealth but little meaning, we need to hear God’s story anew in the lives of our friends, neighbors, and our saints and ancestors who came before us. And if we need to hear from others, we need to tell our story as well—sometimes even to ourselves, to remind us that God is alive, and blessing us with every day of our lives.

Holocaust survivor and human rights activist Elie Wiesel prefaced his novel, The Gates of the Forest, with this Hasidic parable:

When the great Rabbi Israel Baal Shem-Tov saw misfortune threatening the Jews it was his custom to go into a certain part of the forest to meditate. There he would light a fire, say a special prayer, and the miracle would be accomplished and the misfortune averted.

Later, when his disciple, the celebrated Magid of Mezritch, had occasion, for the same reason, to intercede with heaven, he would go to the same place in the forest and say: “Master of the Universe, listen! I do not know how to light the fire, but I am still able to say the prayer,” and again the miracle would be accomplished.

Still later, Rabbi Moshe-Leib of Sasov, in order to save his people once more, would go into the forest and say: “I do not know how to light the fire, I do not know the prayer, but I know the place and this must be sufficient.” It was sufficient and the miracle was accomplished.

Then it fell to Rabbi Israel of Rizhyn to overcome misfortune. Sitting in his armchair, his head in his hands, he spoke to God: “I am unable to light the fire and I do not know the prayer; I cannot even find the place in the forest. All I can do is to tell the story, and this must be sufficient.” And it was sufficient.

God made man because he loves stories.

In the face of despair, may we be brave to stand up and tell our stories of God’s greatness—to ourselves, to each other, to a hurting world.

Peace,

Wendy

God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?”
And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.”

Jonah 4:9

War is upon us. Atrocities beyond a healthy person’s imagination have been carried out in acts of rage that are all the more horrible for the planning behind the attacks. And perhaps more than the war in Ukraine, the war in Gaza has connections with multiple nations, impacts throughout the Jewish and Palestinian diaspora, and roots from before Biblical times. I drove by the Pasadena Jewish Temple this weekend, and was sickened to see a police car on call in the parking lot—such is the reality of persistent, violent, monstrous, anti-Semitic hate. And yet, this last week has seen even more Palestinians killed than Israelis. It seems that no matter what happens in this land, Palestinians suffer.

I did not write about the war last week because it was so early, and I didn’t know what to say. I cannot ignore the war, but I still do not know what to say. The complexity of the hostility in this land that God chose for God’s own people is too great for me to comment.

Some of you may remember that I went to Jerusalem this last January. That trip left an indelible mark on me. Though I spoke with many about the conflict there, I never could have anticipated the speed with which innocents are killed and displaced, and the horrors reported by victims and families of victims. Every day shows how complicated the situation is, how deep are the roots of hatred and vengeance. As the old saying goes, violence begets violence. And vengeance seems to be the Pavlovian response to the “other” in the Middle East. I thought of the Jonah story referenced above, because the actual Bible text is not about a prophet fleeing in fear and landing in the belly of a Disneyland-like whale. Jonah fled because he so hated the people of Nineveh (now under today’s Mosul in Iraq) that he did not want to warn them of God’s wrath, thinking that they might repent, and God would be merciful. As he said to God, “That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.” And that made him angry—and, as he later stated about losing the shade bush God offered him, he was angry enough to die. Isn’t that a perfect illustration of the poisonous nature of vengeance—Jonah’s anger did not succeed in hurting the people of Nineveh, but it might kill him.

I have been shocked at the worldwide response. While I can feel for the frustration of those who have yearned for justice for Palestinians, the seemingly celebratory response to the violence is stunning. A Presbyterian pastor said “It was a shock, but not unexpected. They (Israel) had to know it would come to this.” While I have some understanding of the institutionalized injustices that Palestinian are subjected to, I cannot point to any one issue that would justify the atrocities of a week ago. So, rather than trying to explain things that are far beyond my understanding, I share a few comments from others.

A Palestinian activist who works with Jews, Christians, and Muslims for the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP), an NGO (non-governmental organization) that funds grassroots efforts for peace in Israel and Palestine, desperately asked for prayers—“for our humanity to lead us towards the light.”

Because ALLMEP is a coalition of organizations, it shared statements from some of its members. The Abraham Initiatives, which strives to fulfill the promise of equal social and political rights for Israel’s Jewish and Arab citizens, wrote, “Israel and Gaza are going through very difficult times . . . . We must all remember that the day after the war we will remain Jews and Arabs here, in the neighborhood and in close proximity. We will continue to live here together, we have the duty and responsibility to preserve what is there.”

The first member organization mentioned by ALLMEP is the Bereaved Families Forum, also known as The Parents Circle Families Forum. They are Palestinians and Israelis who have lost loved ones from the violence in the area. They go together to speak for peace in the community and in schools, showing in their words and their very presence together that the violence is real, but so is the ability to live in peace together, sadly as they realize they have grief in common. And now, they are painfully aware that their numbers will increase with the thousands of Israelis and Palestinians who have perished this last week, and who will die in the weeks to come.

The Bereaved Families Forum remembers Memorial Day, a patriotic holiday commemorating soldiers who died in the struggle to establish the state of Israel, by holding an evening remembering beloved people—Israeli and Palestinian, military and civilian—who died in the continuing violence in the area. At the 2022 commemoration, a poem was shared. Written by Yehuda Amichai, considered by some as the greatest Israeli poet, the poem is called “The Place Where We Are Right”:

From the place where we are right
Flowers will never grow
In the spring.

The place where we are right
Is hard and trampled
Like a yard.

But doubts and loves
Dig up the world
Like a mole, a plow.
And a whisper will be heard in the place
Where the ruined
House once stood. 

At the time, I didn’t understand the inclusion of the poem. But as I continue to be dumbfounded by the persistence of hate, especially in and around God’s chosen people, I begin to see how the pain in the Middle East cannot be eliminated by everyone who is convinced that they are right. In fact, I think too much of the pain in our church, at least in the USA, stems from our obsession with being right.

Perhaps what we need is the humility that comes with doubt, or with love, or with grief, or with repeated losses and violence—or with our awareness of our need for God’s grace. Perhaps that humility can loosen up the soil of a hardened past. And with that humility, that spirit of confession, God can sow the seeds of peace in all of us. Let us hope so.

Praying,

Wendy

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

It seems like last Monday was a long time ago. With the shocking explosion of violence in Gaza this weekend, it has been a very long and painful week. We are again bewildered with the intransigence of revenge and violence in God’s chosen land, and we can only pray that God’s power for peace overwhelms the human attachment to hatred.

Last week started with a sad email from Karen Sapio, letting me know that Dee Kelley, long-time active ruling elder of Claremont Presbyterian Church and dedicated leader of this presbytery, passed away on Sunday night. Her daughter thought that Dee had Presbytery meetings on her calendar and asked that Karen let us know. Dee was so active that in fact she was expected at two meetings last week; that’s how unexpected the heart attack was. Please pray for Dee’s family, for her Claremont family, and for all who loved and appreciated her.

Dee’s memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, October 28, 1 pm, at Claremont Presbyterian.

When I think of Dee, I am thankful for the feedback she would give me. She served in different ways, but she felt most called to the Administration and Finance Committee. Lately we have been talking quite a bit about property, and she’s been around long enough that she knew all the properties we were talking about, and the congregations that were housed there. Sometimes there would be need for repair, which takes some capital, and Dee was the one who regularly gave a critical eye to the investments we were making. But while she would pose questions and critique some recommendations, she always made clear that her priority was the care of the congregations and the mission of the presbytery. And while she was one of the people who challenged me most, she also showed appreciation for things I did that helped her. At the last meeting she attended, as we were talking about our recent cash crunch and the need for someone to be intentional about raising funds for the presbytery, she showed care for me by saying “that can’t be Wendy; we’re already asking too much of her.”

Often when I talk about the Presbyterian Church to folks who are new to our tradition, I say we’re all about accountability. Everyone is accountable to someone. I remember in another presbytery, we denied the request of someone to be ordained to a ministry with an unaffiliated mission agency in Europe because we could not find an accountability body for him that he would accept. The PC(USA) polity ensures that everyone is accountable to others, and if people are not being held accountable, it’s because someone is not doing their job. This can happen when a session does not step up to partner and guide the pastor, or for presbytery leaders to question and warn me if I’m missing something. It’s not that I like being told to do my homework, but I know there is much I miss or don’t know. I appreciate that Dee questioned me, but also showed care and appreciation and faith with the questioning.

One of our newer pastors reflected that he appreciates that the PC(USA) does have an accountability structure, but also does the work. He has seen non-denominational churches that do things but without proper accountability, or rigid institutions that follow rules but hoard resources or fail to act out of fear of making a mistake. As I’ve mentioned, we are becoming a place of hope and healing for people who have become disillusioned with the churches that brand themselves evangelical, and one of the things they appreciate the most is the accountability that prevents individual pastors or church leaders from abusing their power or exerting condemning policies in the name of God.

Indeed, we can act because we have the confidence that others are reviewing what we do from different perspectives, and as we keep our eyes and ears open for the guidance and correction of God, we are reminded that God is indeed watching over us. As in that least favorite verse in the 23^rd Psalm, we are comforted by the protection against harm, and the boundaries of guidance, that God’s rod and staff represent. God protects us from being hurt, but also keeps us from hurting ourselves or others. (This would be an obvious place to promote the boundary training that all church leaders and people working with children and vulnerable adults are required to take every three years —so be it. There is self-guided training, and while the October training held by the Synod is full, they will schedule another in early 2024.)

One of the most common themes in the Bible is God attempting to call us back to God’s righteousness —and our stubborn desire to hold to our own faulty wisdom. Our world shows how our failure to heed God’s call continues to burden the human condition. In the PC(USA), and specifically in San Gabriel Presbytery, we seek to be faithful to God’s call, to submit to the authority of the larger church and the wisdom of our group discernment to provide guardrails against abuse, and we exercise the freedom to respond creatively to the challenges and opportunities of our world today. God’s go-to form of accountability is the shared discernment of the body—as I say, it’s why we’re always in meetings, because we always like to make decisions as a group, knowing that one person never has all the wisdom. So let us contribute the wisdom God gave each of us to the ministry of our congregations and presbytery, and let us offer that wisdom with compassion, faithfulness, and humility.

Thank God for giving each of us a part of Christ’s mission for San Gabriel Valley. Let us give our part, and let us appreciate the contributions of others. And let us pray without ceasing that we may be surprised by peace in a land shocked by violence.

Grateful for this Presbytery,

Wendy

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.

Ephesians 1:15-16

Every morning I begin the day with a prayer of thanksgiving. I confess that sometimes I stray into prayers of concern and supplication, but somewhere along the way I read a quote about the importance of saying “Thank you. I have no complaints whatsoever.” (I just Google’d the quote to find the source—turns out it is a New Age-Buddhist story! Oh well, blame the Bay Area, where I lived for a long time.) A Christian corollary is from the mystic Meister Eckhart, “If the only prayer you said was thank you, it would be enough.” In any case, as I pray my gratitude, even when I stray into complaint territory, I am aware that I really have nothing to complain about. I find that to be the source of my sense of privilege—and my responsibility to work for others to find their privilege.

On Saturday I invited clerks of session of our churches to come and “have your books stamped.” My guess is, only clerks of session and a few pastors know what that means. Since I have never been a stated clerk for this presbytery, I had no idea how people would respond, because I don’t know what the traditions of this presbytery’s clerks have been. In the presbytery where I was stated clerk, I came to rely on several long-time clerks of session to help mentor new clerks, but when I came to San Gabriel it wasn’t clear who our veteran clerks were. I was glad when Ally started to have quarterly meetings with clerks, to develop the camaraderie that we clerk-types share.

On Saturday I was happy and grateful to welcome 17 people, representing 14 churches, to the Presbytery Center. Not all of them were clerks (that happens; often pastors step in to help with the clerk role); not all of them had their books ready (that happens too!). It was nice to see folks I know pretty well—and nice to see others whom I have never met—and just visit a little. And it was impressive to see the care that many clerks have taken to preserve the records of the congregation.

When several folks had arrived, I was moved to thank the clerks and pray for them. I have not been a clerk of session, but I know that clerks are unusually dedicated and gifted, as they take on the responsibility of maintaining records and the requirements of the PC(USA) on an ongoing basis, with no monetary compensation. I don’t know how often they are thanked for their work, which many church folk either don’t know about or don’t always appreciate. But as someone who has been in the church for a while, I am aware that clerks are a key connection to the larger church and to fellow congregations—and to the church in ages past. I am reminded of, for instance, clerk of session Dorothy Kirkland digging into the minutes of my family church, now First Presbyterian Altadena, to show me how my grandfather worked with the session to discern their response to the rising threat against Japanese-Americans after Pearl Harbor.

Yesterday was the first of several actions that need to be taken as we come to the close of the year and the beginning of 2024. We budget for next year, and look ahead to elected leadership. The clerks partner with each other to review the records from last year, and get ready to provide several annual reports—from minister members of the presbytery, from sessions on pastoral terms of call and contact information for church leaders, and from sessions to the national church (known as statistical reports). And, we prepare for new requirements that came out of the last General Assembly, which include:

• providing for a minimum of twelve weeks paid family medical leave for pastors
• boundary training for everyone including elders, deacons, commissioned ruling elders, anyone working with children and vulnerable adults, and people in the CPM process; and
• an anti-racism policy along with policies on sexual misconduct, harassment, and protection for children and youth.

Yikes! I have to say that I’ve been one of several voices pleading with the national church to slow down the growing list of requirements being loaded onto sessions—though the biggest issue is the General Assembly (see above!). While there is value in all of these new requirements, we also have to have patience and support as we strive to meet them.

In the midst of all of this is the clerk of session, who is the main communication link between the session and the presbytery and therefore the national church. Did you know that in the PC(USA), the only position that is required at every level of the church is the clerk? Congregations can go without a pastor, presbyteries can go without an executive presbyter, but we must have clerks of session and stated clerks! That’s how much the administration of the PC(USA) relies on clerks. So I ask that you let them know they are appreciated, and offer them some support and prayer!

I’m thinking I will try to give thanks for others in future columns, as we look forward to Thanksgiving. Other things might arise to take my attention, but there is much to be thankful for. If you want to share what you’re grateful for, please let me know!

Grateful for this Presbytery,

Wendy

They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display God’s glory.

Isaiah 61:3b

Last Tuesday’s Presbytery meeting resulted in several important decisions. I was looking forward to the meeting with joyous and anxious anticipation—joyous because the meeting highlighted wonderful ministries in our Presbytery family, and anxious because we were trying to do so much, and we were testing our abilities to communicate effectively over a hybrid format. I want to thank Claremont Presbyterian Church for being hosts on short notice, and for the many hours they put into setting up the system for the hybrid meeting. The decisions were made, the ministries were supported and encouraged, but we weren’t able to run the videos that were to be offered. However, you can view the videos on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SanGabPresbytery.

This meeting was planned as an all-Zoom meeting, and we did have 57 participants through Zoom. When we heard that Milagro Mejia, International Peacemaker from El Salvador, would be in Southern California, we switched to a hybrid meeting, so we could meet Milagro in person. Thanks to a delicious dinner arranged by Puente de Esperanza Church, we were able to meet Milagro, and hear a little more about the Calvinist Reformed Church of El Salvador (IRCES), which she helped to establish. Her translator, Joseph Russ, is the new Coordinator for Migration Issues, Advocacy, and Mission in the Northern Triangle of Central America with World Mission in the Presbyterian Mission Agency. This position was created by the General Assembly when they acted on an overture from our neighbor, the Presbytery of the Pacific. It was good to meet Milagro and Joseph, because we are planning to have a presence in the leadership group that will guide the ministry that Joseph will implement, and the IRCES is a key partner in that ministry. Some of Milagro’s pre-Presbytery talk is one of the videos on Facebook.

We are blessed to have relationships across the miles. Inquirer Kristi Van Nostran gave the opening prayer from San Diego. When Kristi was a mission co-worker in El Salvador, she attended the church where Milagro is a Deaconness and Milagro’s husband is Pastor. And Ally Lee joined us from Georgia, where she and Brian introduced us to baby Rowan Mae Lee, who was born just 6 days earlier!

We heard from Inquirer Veronica Ota (First Presbyterian Altadena), and voted to advance her to candidacy. Veronica is passionate about her calling to help the church play a more active role in creation care and community, which is being recognized as critical to the future church. She is also a gifted musician, and we were hoping to have her open the meeting by inviting the Holy Spirit to be with us—if you want to hear and see her do so, go to Facebook.

The report from Commission on Ministry was action-packed, including welcoming Rev. Beth Putney into San Gabriel Presbytery. Beth is the inaugural Pastoral Resident with San Marino Community Church, focusing on social innovation, which is another emerging movement in today’s church.

We also received the annual updates from new worshiping communities Interwoven and in Temple City, and voted to fund them in the coming year as they grow and mature. These two new communities of faith were to lead us in worship and music; they can be seen and heard on Facebook. Both groups have exciting potential. Interwoven has always had the vision of entrepreneurship in its ministry—an adjacent venture that would engage the community, provide training and employment for young people, and provide the ministry with an alternate source of income. In order to do this, they will need a home base that can support a larger venture than Sunday worship.

The New Worshipping Community in Temple City proposed a new name for their ministry, which is partnered with Westminster Presbyterian Church in Temple City. The new name, which was approved on Tuesday, is Live Oak Community Church. This name offers many connections for us, as a live oak symbolizes the perseverance of Westminster, their growth that is already evident, the strength of the combined efforts of Westminster and the Bridge service of Arcadia, the care they offer to new Christians—and oh yeah, the church is on Live Oak Avenue in Temple City!

We also gave thanks for the faithful ministry of Vikki Randall as she moves to retired status, while she continues to contribute to the Haven ministry with Claremont and as other needs arise. And the 2024 Presbytery minimums for pastors were approved. We will post them elsewhere in the Monday Morning Update. Look also for the nomination form for General Assembly positions in Salt Lake City, Utah, next year, and if you are led to nominate yourself, please do so by October 15^th.

The Justice, Peacemaking and Misson Committee shared highlights from the June survey on our churches’ relationships with homeless neighbors; the main message was that we don’t know how to interact with them and don’t know what resources that are available, so JPM will work on providing education and information. They also reminded us about the Peace and Global Witness special offering, which is traditionally offered on World Communion Sunday, which is always the first Sunday in October (that’s this coming Sunday, October 1). Individual congregations are encouraged to utilize up to 25% of this Offering to connect with the global witness of Christ’s peace. Mid councils retain an additional 25% for ministries of peace and reconciliation. And the remaining 50% is used by the Presbyterian Mission Agency to advocate for peace and justice in cultures of violence, including our own, through collaborative projects of education and Christian witness.

Speaking of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, JPM shared a brief and insightful video introducing Rev. Jermaine Ross-Allam, Director of the new Center for Repair of Historical Harms in the PMA. You can hear from him on Facebook as well.

Additional key points from the Presbytery meeting included the approval of the sale of the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church property; the announcement of WinterFest, to be held on Zoom January 31-February 2 and in person on February 3; new task forces created for the 2024 budget and to look again at the Presbytery’s strategy on property development, and a new survey, to hear from you on interests for new learning and relationship-building. You can complete the survey online by September 30 at https://forms.gle/AjWcYVa4SNQzzWV98.

One thing that we did not mention is the fall equinox, when the PC(USA) has traditionally observed Native American Day. We provide some focus on our Indigenous hosts and neighbors in our November Presbytery meeting, but as it happens, I just received good news from Mona Morales Recalde, elder from La Verne Heights Presbyterian and also Community Outreach Coordinator and enrolled member of the Gabrieleno/Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians. Because she gave such an excellent presentation at our WinterFest this last February, her co-presenter, Elaine Enns, referred NPR to interview Mona! We’ll announce when the interview is broadcast. Mona also shared that AB (Assembly Bill) 776 was passed in a strong bipartisan show of support and was just sent to Governor Newsom for signing. This bill, for which the Presbytery wrote a letter of support, will direct the Department of Transportation to install highway signs along the 210 freeway that recognizes tribal lands in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, and renames the freeway to the Southern California Native American Freeway.

As I mentioned, there was much to celebrate this last week. As a family of established and emerging ministries, we are like that live oak, able to lend protection to new ministries as we continue to endure from our strong roots in the gospel. Let us give thanks for new and continuing life in our Lord!

Peace,

Wendy

Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.

1 Corinthians 3:18-19a

I realize that the last several weeks I have been reflecting on paradoxes, as I have seen how God’s world seems to be our world, inside out. Even the way I describe this paradox shows the bias of my perspective—I am tempted to say that God’s world is an inversion of our world. But, if we are to reflect our Reformed viewpoint of God’s sovereignty, God’s world is not the inversion; God’s world is good, and eternal. Our world is the inversion, or the distortion, of God’s world. But since I was born to this world, it seems to me that God’s world is the strange place I must attempt to accept.

 I’m sure you have seen different optical illusions that show how we can see things differently. One of the most famous ones I just learned is usually titled “My Wife and My Mother-in-Law”—I don’t like the implications of that title, so I won’t show it, though
my guess is you know the image I mean. I’m showing instead another image that is also very popular, especially in church circles. Let me know if you don’t see what (or who) is “hidden” in this image.

One of the great blessings of my job is getting to meet amazing people. As we prepared for tomorrow’s meeting, I touched base with Veronica Ota, whom CPM is recommending be examined for candidacy, and Beth Putney, who just started at San Marino Community Church as the very first Pastoral Resident, focusing on culture and pastoral entrepreneurship. Both are Princeton types—Beth just graduated this year, and Veronica is still there. And from what I can tell, this focus on social enterprise/entrepreneurial ministry/ministry innovation (they haven’t landed on an easy handle yet) is all the rage at Princeton, and other seminaries as well. Harlan Redmond, a recent Princeton grad, envisions this for the future of Interwoven.

In conversations with these bright lights in the future of our church, it has become clear to me how much things have changed since I was in seminary! But it also reminds me of my early years in ministry, when church transformation consultants kept talking about “adaptive change”—so much that some of us joked we can all sing a song about it together. We more recent seminary grads realized that what we had been taught was new and foreign for the prior generations of pastors, who could see the church as a stable, prominent, unchanging institution. Now, I am the one in that prior generation, and now I’m stumbling to figure out what the next generation is talking about!

In fact, the first time I met Veronica, I attempted to correct her on her initial theological statement. Turns out she was just a few steps ahead of me—! Isn’t it great how we old-timers think we’re in the position of guiding and teaching the next generation, when they have so much to teach us. We are blessed to have these leaders of the next generation in our midst, as they have the grace and wisdom to be bridge people for us as we move into the future church. We will continue to be blessed as San Marino’s Pastoral Residency Program continues in full swing, because they expect to have two residents for two years each, starting in alternating years, so we will get to receive a gifted new pastor every year through their program! Beth is a most excellent pioneer in this effort.

By the way, one of those amazing people I met fairly recently is Kevin Haah, who joined our presbytery in April. Kevin is a member of our JPM Committee, and he emailed us right before their meeting last Wednesday to tell us that he would have to miss the meeting because he had just been in a motorcycle accident and was at the emergency room. He has ended up in the hospital for the days since, though most people know that his injuries could have been much worse.

Another amazing person is Ally Lee, who recently left us to move back to Georgia. Wednesday was a big day for her as well, as she gave birth to Rowan Mae Lee. Ally, as an only child, texted that “seeing the sisters together has been by far the most joyful part.” I cannot quantify the impact of having my three older sisters has been on my life! Blessings to Ally, Brian, Johanna, and Rowan.

Let us pray—for these new pastors and ministries in our midst, for healing for Kevin and all who need the power of the Holy Spirit (that’s all of us), for new life and growing families in our Presbytery family, and for all that God has entrusted to us, as we consider together the will of God in our Presbytery meeting tomorrow evening. See you then!

Peace, 

Wendy