More of Us, Less of Them

I can do all things through the One who strengthens me. In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress.

Philippians 4:13-14

Yesterday felt like the first day I went into public since the fire. It ended up being quite the day, and I experienced anew the importance of the church, and have been stunned by the number of people who have reached out to me. Thank you. I feel that I am sharing a bewildering experience with all other folks in Southern California, so forgive my rambling as I share so many different thoughts.

One church I visited has been mentioned often by the press, not so much for the fact that their building burned down, but because they have demonstrated how strong their spirit is, and the lengths they would go to continue worshiping God. Some of you know that I have had a connection with Altadena Community Church since I came back to California in 2007, partly to continue my ecumenical work with the United Church of Christ, whose predecessor denomination first ordained my grandfather and who has joined with the Presbyterian Church in several Japanese churches that my family has served, including what is now First Presbyterian Church, Altadena.

Yesterday Altadena Community Church worshiped in what will be their new temporary home, the historic Blinn House in Pasadena. Their hearts are still tender, as folks still looking for housing were mentioned in prayer and the liturgist teared up a couple of times during the service. But the generosity of their spirit showed as their weekly prayer for peace was focused on the hope of reconciliation that the Israel-Hamas ceasefire will bring, the liturgy was inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr., and the lectionary passage from 1 Corinthians 4:1-12 led the preacher, who had just announced his retirement the week before, to remind the people that they have all the gifts they need, and that the community needs them and their gift for welcoming especially the marginalized. The preacher, Paul Tellstrom, suggested that the more different kinds of people they have brought into the church, the stronger their moral resolve. His hope is that the more kinds of folks they welcome, the more become part of “us,” and the fewer people are left on the other side of the dividing wall as “them.”

That rang true for me, because we had just sung “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and through the hymn, photos of their beloved church building showed the fire and destruction give way to the people being cared for by a sister congregation and caring for each other. I have always felt that I did not have the right to sing that hymn, especially the second verse, but yesterday, for the first time, I felt a hint of the struggle, persecution, and resolve that is reflected in the hymn. As I carry my material belongings around in my car, trying to take care of the one constant in my life, my dog, I have a small sense of feeling homeless. And I also reflected on God’s economy of grace, because I heard about this UCC church when they called a pastor who was very well-respected as a Presbyterian pastor until he was outed as gay and pushed out of his Presbytery. And I thought about how San Jose Presbytery ordained me to serve the UCC in Hawaii because they were the only ones who would entrust me, a Japanese- American woman just graduating from seminary, with a significant leadership role as the interim head of staff of a 600-member church, while my Presbyterian mentor, a former GA moderator, suggested that the best I could hope for was maybe being considered for an associate position in Elko, Nevada
(not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it wouldn’t use my 15 years of management experience in nonprofit and high technology contexts). Though the Presbyterian Church did not have much use for us, we eventually came back to contribute to the Presbyterian mission, as this little church and their post-Presbyterian pastor has cared for me as I care for San Gabriel Presbytery. They even dared to sing “This Is a Day of New Beginnings” as they face a future without a pastor and without a building.

Interwoven also focused on the call to be neighbors with others, even those you have never met. The fire has created neighbors out of total strangers, and the spirit of community has risen up like a phoenix. Now that they worship at 11 am, some new folks are checking Interwoven out, including a couple of folks from Eagle Rock Presbyterian and people from the neighborhood, like the young mother who asked to give me a hug because she saw me tear up, and later shared that my voice reminds her of her grandmother who sang a lot of hymns! In the midst of loss of material possessions and shelter, the gift the people of Interwoven offer is love overflowing for people they know, and people they don’t know. While they cannot manufacture buildings, they can celebrate that we are alive, and we are loved.

And it’s worth noting that the Eaton fire took 17 precious lives, and the fire is over 80% contained, with 14,021 acres and 9,391 buildings burned. This fire and the Palisades fire effectively wiped Altadena and Pacific Palisades away in less than two weeks. As horrifying as this is, we must also pray for the ceasefire in Gaza, and hope for some break in the cycle of violence that has lasted for thousands of years, and has claimed up to 70,000 Palestinian and 2,000 Israeli lives in the last 15 months alone.

As we touch base with our affected churches, I am really impressed to see how some churches are proactively managing donations that are being used to provide significant support for members and neighbors. It seems that most of our members who suffered damage to their homes have insurance, and are entering the thick of that system, which can be quite confusing. Friends near and far are giving donations to the Presbytery’s Eaton Fire Response Fund, and the Executive Commission will consider the best use of that fund as well as initial emergency funds from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. We may be able to help vulnerable folks beyond our Presbyterian membership.

Last week I mentioned that our Presbyterian church buildings were all spared, unlike so many of the churches in Altadena. Having been blessed, they are being a blessing to others, by welcoming other churches onto their campuses, or being hosts to service providers as they offer delicious hot meals or tangible provisions to the displaced or those who are helping them.

As one liturgist started a prayer this morning, it’s been a difficult couple of weeks. But it’s been weeks of love shared, hope renewed, and resolve shown among the millions of people in Southern California and around the world. May we continue to nurture these responses of grace, for our people and for all people who are suffering. We all have seen how many people are watching us with concern—may they also witness the love of Christ flowing through us into our community.

In peace,

Wendy