A Word from Laura: Sabbath
Contemporary theologians remind us that Sabbath is an act of resistance, saying “no” to a culture of endless work…
A Word from Laura: Faith and Uncertainty
The topic of the conversation was antiracism, but the talk turned to uncertainty, to the fears that come up when trying to make decisions in an uncertain time, when you don’t know what the future holds. This was a conversation when your leaders were sharing deeply and honestly; their words and feelings belong to them and therefore they get to share them as they feel led. But they named a larger, shared sentiment that seems to belong to everyone these days.
When faced with an uncertain future, leaders can be tempted to reassure people that everything is fine, to encourage others just to stay calm. And it’s true that in the end, when God’s creation is complete and the fullness of salvation is realized, everything will be as it is supposed to be. But in the meantime, anxiety is real for anyone paying attention to our realities, whether to the fall election cycle or to areas struggling in the face of fires and drought or to economic struggles or the spread of virus once school starts.
The challenge for all kinds of leaders – and it coincides with the gift of Christian faith – is to live in the uncertainty without giving in to anxiety.
A Word from Laura: August 14 – Invitation from the Personnel Ministry Team
Western Friends,
As we get ready for this fall, several invitations are coming your way, primarily an invitation to join us once again, in-person, as we prepare for a return to 11 am worship on September 11. Following in Jesus’ footsteps, extending the same invitation he shared with his first disciples, we invite you to “come and see” – and to serve and grow and welcome each other!
This week the Personnel Ministry Team invites you to come and find out more about what is happening around our staffing process.
Session Notes: August 2022
Your Session sat, by Zoom, for its regular monthly meeting this week.
It’s been an active summer. Worship attendance online has been stable and, thanks to a steady stream of walk-in visitors, in-person attendance is growing. In fact, there’s enough interest from newcomers that we’ve scheduled new member classes beginning this month.
A Word from Grace: Being Here
In the Gospel of John, when Jesus tells his disciples to “come and see,” he offers not just an invitation to be with Christ, but to live out the Good News. Being with you this summer, I see how “come and see” evolves into a call to live out an active faith. God’s work at Western moves us to take faithful footsteps both inside and beyond the church’s walls, what Pastor Laura calls, “praying with our feet.”
Just this summer, I’ve seen many ways that Western and the D.C area are inseparable and that is a holy gift. Being at Western means being a neighbor to a more expansive community than what might first come to mind when we think of “church.” I am in awe of how being in Foggy Bottom breathes life into this church and how this inherent proximity necessitates a call to live out our faith.
A Word from Laura:
“We’re a destination church.”
It was a new term for me when one of you told me this several years ago. You were describing how Westerners come from all over the region to gather in Foggy Bottom. As I listened, many of you shared how you started coming to Western because of the sermons or the music or the ongoing connection with Miriam’s Kitchen or the progressive Christian spirit. You were drawn, and so you stayed.
When I asked why you stayed, however, your answers were different:
• You got to know someone (for many of you, it was Mark Finks!) while serving together in Miriam’s Kitchen, and he invited you to be part of the community.
• You appreciated the prophetic bent of Western’s ministry and found like minds and hearts on the Mission Ministry Team.
• You admired someone in the choir, and you found yourself a part.
• You joined the Free Inquiry class because you wanted to hear the speaker, and in the process discovered a group of thoughtful friends.
• You found a spiritual home while you were a young adult or student at GW and kept coming back because your children were growing in faith, singing with “Ms. Amy” or learning with any number of you who have volunteered with our children.