“Be bold! The powers of hate may cause us pain, sorrow, some suffering, but the power of love will and is already overcoming. Arise as we have not arisen before! Proclaim God’s millennial, timeless pride in us, in our communities — the eternal, sacred pride that comes with lovers, justice-makers and peace-seekers.” ~Rev. Elder Hong…
The historic inaugural Metropolitan Community Church worship service on October 6, 1968 was an act of trust. When Rev. Elder Troy Perry opened the doors into his little pink house in Los Angeles, he trusted that people would show up. He also trusted that God loved him unconditionally as an openly gay, defrocked Pentecostal Pastor…
“Wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion and connection to wake up in the morning and think, ‘No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough.’ It’s going to bed at night thinking, ‘Yes, I am imperfect and…
Pastor Reflection Living BIG: The Great 50 Days of Easter BELIEVE BEFORE YOU CAN SEE “Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” ~Hebrews 11:1 This Second Sunday of Easter marks the time after Jesus’ resurrection when then the disciples found themselves locked in a room contemplating what…
This Sunday at 9 AM and 11 AM we will proclaim “Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!” We will gather for the first of The Great Fifty Days of Easter. Our theme is “Rising Strong with Life.” How do we live, really live? Our worship Sunday will inspire ways to live our strongest…
“The blessed heart of Jesus is an expansive heart: it holds a place for each of us. The blessed heart of Jesus is also a heart of resistance, refusing to compromise to any power keeping others down.” ~T. J. Mourtoix This Sunday, we will look deeply into Jesus. We will see his heart shining through.…
“They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all they do, they prosper.” ~Psalm 1:3 Who could guess that what appears to be a dried up bit of nothing is actually a powerful something ready to explode with beauty? That…
“Transformation without work and pain, without suffering, without a sense of loss is just an illusion of true change . . . You can’t do any of this on your own or even on your own terms. You were created by a community to exist in community, made in the image of a God who…
“Most of us have nicknames—annoying, endearing, embarrassing. But what about your true name? It is not necessarily your given name. But it is the one to which you are most eager to respond when called. Ever wonder why? Your true name has the secret power to call you.” ~Vera Nazarian There is power in naming.…
“I alone know my plans for you, says the Lord. My plans are for your prosperity and my purpose is not to harm you. My purpose is to give you hope with a future in it.” ~Jeremiah 29:11 God holds a future for each of us and for our congregation. The impulse is to try…
