Beloveds,
As we prepare to usher in a new congregational year in September, I send you my deep gratitude for all that we shared last year and also my joyful hope for all that we will dream and build together as we continue our shared ministry journey.
I am grateful for all the ways we created healing spaces, inspiring worship services, amazing musical performances, beautiful community partnerships, compassionate pastoral care, excellent programs for children and youth, generous fundraising, vibrant membership programs and events, and so much more!
We participated in rituals and ceremonies that celebrated elders, blessed children and youth, honored our beloved departed, welcomed new members, spoke truth to power, and lifted up community partners in solidarity. We embodied our values as we marched as a strong contingent in the Seattle Pride Parade, participated in important events organized by our Lummi and Duwamish Indigenous partners, welcomed and cared for our Porchlight guests, celebrated Diwali with a fantastic youth dance troupe, marked the wheel of the year by celebrating the seasons, contributed to supporting our Khasi Hills School partners, sent care packages to women in need and advocated for reproductive rights, created an Easter service that celebrated the divinity of Transgender people, welcomed a representative of the Wampanoag nation who shared with us the true spirit of Thanksgiving, cheered for the new members of the Clara Barton Sisterhood, and shared the pulpit with our own staff and congregants who taught us about laughter as a spiritual practice, embracing imperfection, surviving toxic theology, the benefits of veganism, parenting as a spiritual practice, and Climate Justice, just to name a few.
As we look forward to our third year together, we are invited to keep listening deeply, to continue learning, to support each other, and to build bridges together, especially during difficult times, all the while being guided by our values: Justice, Pluralism, Interdependence, Generosity, Equity, Transformation, and Love.
Beloved East Shore community, let us be grateful for all that we have accomplished this past year. Let us welcome a new year together with gratitude, joy, and a renewed commitment to embodying Dr. King’s Beloved Community. Let us be grateful for the gift of a new year, another opportunity for us to build bridges across differences, to be intentional about repairing what needs healing, and to continue to work together to successfully reach our congregational goals. May our faithful work bring us closer together and may this unity be a source of strength when facing adversity and making brave choices.
Spirit of community, in your name we welcome a new church year as we recommit ourselves to “…Live lives filled with goodness and love because that is how we will become the best people we can be.”
With Gratitude and Blessings, Rev. María Cristina