Image: Rev. Polly Moore Dear Beloved Community, I’m sorry I won’t be able to be with you this Sunday. I’ll be at Montclair Presbyterian Church in Oakland, where I’ve been invited both to preach and to serve as the guest speaker for their educational hour. During that time, I’ll be sharing about what it takes to be an equitable denomination, how we move from expressing our commitment to justice and inclusion to putting those values into practice in our shared life, leadership,

Image: Jorge Bautista Dear Beloved Community, This Sunday, we will honor St. Francis of Assisi, whose life reminds us of the sacredness of creation and our connection with all living things. In that spirit, we will celebrate a Blessing of the Animals during worship! Bring your furry creatures, dogs, cats, and other beloved animal companions, so they can receive a special blessing. It will also be a wonderfully full Sunday, because October 4 is Communion Sunday as well. With s

Image: Roy Gesley Dear Beloved Community, This week we will hear from Roy, and he will share with us a powerful spiritual experience he had in Redwood Park last year. Through guided meditation and the metaphor of a Möbius strip, Roy will invite us to reflect on the nature of reality, the mysteries of living, and what makes an experience “spiritual.” Together, we will explore how spirituality embraces both what can be explained and what remains beyond words, and how moments of

Image: Jorge Bautista Dear Beloved Community, This past Sunday, we had the joy of welcoming Cat McKenzie as the newest member of College Heights. It was a wonderful moment in the life of our congregation and a beautiful reminder of what a gift it is to welcome new people into our faith community. We are blessed for Cat’s presence among us and look forward to continuing our journey of faith together. Now, this Sunday, we will reflect on Paul’s call in Romans to welcome one an

Image: Jim Garrison Dear Beloved Community, Within the span of only six days, two migrants have been fatally shot during immigration enforcement operations. On Tuesday, July 7, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was killed by an ICE officer in Houston, Texas. And on Monday, July 13, Joan Sebastian Guerrero was killed during an ICE operation in Biddeford, Maine. Two lives taken by ICE in less than one week. They were not merely names in news stories. They were beloved members of families

Image: Jorge Bautista Dear Beloved Community, This past Sunday, I shared the first part of my spiritual journey with you: the story of how I came to convert to Christianity. This upcoming Sunday, I look forward to sharing the second part of that journey: my life as a Christian, beginning as an Evangelical Christian in 1998 and continuing to where I find myself today as a progressive Christian. Over these past 28 years, I have experienced many transformations in my faith. Whil

Image: Jorge Bautista Dear Beloved Community, In recent days, our hearts have been heavy as we have learned of the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. We grieve with all who have lost loved ones, homes, neighborhoods, schools, churches, and any sense of safety. We hold in prayer those who are still searching for family members, those waiting for rescue and medical care, and all who are now facing the long and painful work of rebuilding. When tragedy strikes anywhere in the

Image: Rev. Polly Moore Dear Beloved Community, This Sunday, Rev. Polly will be kicking off our summer series, “Our Spiritual Journeys.” I am really looking forward to this series because it gives us an opportunity to listen deeply to one another’s stories, to remember where we have come from, to reflect on where we are now, and to learn more about the many paths that have shaped our faith and lives. There is something sacred about sharing our stories. It requires trust, vuln

Image: Roy Gesley Dear Beloved Community, This past Saturday, Sabrina, Reina, and I had the joy of attending San Mateo’s Pride event alongside our friends from the Congregational Church of the Peninsula, Congregational Church of San Mateo, and Island United Church. Events like this are so important for us as churches to participate in because they allow us to show up publicly with love, welcome, and support for the LGBTQ+ community. It is one more way we can live out our comm

Image: Rev. Melissa Tumaneng Dear Beloved Community, We had such a wonderful church picnic service this past Sunday. We gathered for a sweet and meaningful outdoor service on the lawn, celebrated communion together, and then shared in a beautiful time of community, conversation, and plenty of good food. This Sunday, we are blessed to welcome Rev. Melissa Tumaneng, our Associate Conference Minister, as our guest preacher. She will be sharing a timely message on “how Artificial