A Message from Rev. Kathy

Hello everyone,

This is my first time checking in with you on Updates from the Journey. I am so grateful to be with you in this sabbatical-time journey and looking forward to leading worship this Sunday. As you know, we will be reflecting on our experiences in nature last Sunday. I have to say, spending time in the Filoli gardens was a great way to begin a ministry! The gardens were spectacular, and it was good to meet several of you in person. I also am grateful for the very meaningful Pentecost service where I was welcomed into ministry with you. Some more on that below.

I will begin by reflecting on our time at Filoli. We started our day there with a meditation time before heading out to explore. It was a warm and sunny day, and I was grateful for the many benches in the gardens to stop and rest. There was so much to explore, including bonsai trees, an extensive rose garden, a vegetable garden, statues made of tree branches, and many different floral species. Trees along the trail to an upper level of the garden were filled with colorful bird houses. After exploring by ourselves, we gathered again to share a tasty lunch. Thanks to Kristina for all the work that she did arranging the details so that the day ran smoothly.

I hope that those of you who could not attend the field trip did have an opportunity to explore the beauty and serenity in nature. If you haven’t already, be sure to take some time to reflect back on your experience, paying attention to what spoke to you and made your heart sing. The late, great preacher, Rev. Fred Craddock, talks about the importance of remembering in understanding how God works in our lives. He says that there are three possible times that we can understand the significance or importance of an event in our lives: in rehearsal, at the time of the event, and in remembrance. In rehearsal, understanding is hindered because we have not yet experienced the event, and it can be hard to imagine all that might happen. In the moment of the event, understanding is hindered by the clutter and confusion of all that is happening and having one’s attention taken away by various details. But in remembrance, we have the time to look back and take in all that happened; we can recognize what was truly important, we might see that something that seemed big in the moment was not so, and something we barely noticed in the moment has become very special. In doing this, we gain understanding of the experience and of the work of the Spirit in our lives.

I am looking forward to hearing how the Spirit spoke to you through your time in nature.

Now, I want to reflect back on the Pentecost service. The covenant and blessing part of the service was so meaningful. It was a reminder to me of the power in ritual and the way in which it connects us deeply to our faith. Even though we could not meet in person and were instead communing via screens, it was a profoundly meaningful moment.

I want to share with you the story of the stole that I put on that Sunday. Like many pastors, I have several stoles, so a choice needed to be made. The one I chose is one that I received on my ordination. I was ordained by the Lafayette Christian Church (LCC). That stole previously belonged to Rev. Mike Matthews, who was the Music Minister at LCC. Mike had one of those outgoing, bigger-than-life personalities. He loved music and sang in opera companies before going to seminary. He was very enthusiastic about music and even got me to sing in the choir a few times.

As you may recall, I made the decision to pursue ministry later in my life. I was a member of LCC, active in several groups and committees, and served as an Elder. In the Disciples of Christ tradition, Elders serve at the communion table. One Sunday, when I was serving at the table, my husband Alan had come to church with me. When the service ended, he took off, and it took me a while to find him. Once I found him, he told me that he felt like he had seen me receive a call while I was at the table. He was a little taken aback by the experience and so went to Mike to process it. From that point, Mike began to encourage me to go to seminary, and he was not going to take no for an answer. One of the other things Mike was passionate about was cooking, so he invited Alan and me to dinner after my first day of seminary.

During seminary, I did an alternative field education experience looking at the connections between physical health and spirituality. Rev. Mike was one of my supervisors for that experience and remained one of my mentors throughout my time in seminary. When I graduated, we celebrated at the home of Mike and his wife, Rev. Faye Orton. Sadly, Mike passed away before I was ordained.

Like many pastors, Mike had several stoles, and Rev. Faye decided that she would bestow one to each person ordained by LCC. The church had for many years been a field education site, so several people were ordained there. And so, when I was ordained, I received the stole that I put on when you blessed me on Pentecost. It is meaningful, of course, because it belonged to Mike. It also has colors I love and golden stars, musical instruments, and musical notes. It seemed particularly fitting given our sabbatical theme of “What Makes Your Heart Sing?” I have no idea what the words on it say; I assume they are Latin and speak about God and the wonder of music.

Again, I want to say how grateful I am for this experience and that I am honored to be on this sabbatical journey with you.

Rev. Kathy

June at United Church of Hayward

Welcome to Summer 2026 at the United Church of Hayward, UCC! With our minister, Rev. Jeanne Loveless, getting well deserved rest and rejuvenation during sabbatical leave, we have some wonderful guest ministers lined up to lead worship and/or preach. Our main sabbatical minister is Rev. Kathy Cramer, who will facilitate worship most Sundays.

Here is what our line-up for June looks like:

• June 7: Rev. Kathy will celebrate communion and lead us in sharing our Nature Sunday experiences.

• June 14: Our own Jennifer Pridgeon will demonstrate Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), or “tapping.”

• June 21: We will celebrate Pride Sunday with Rev. Dr. Monica Cross as our guest preacher.

• June 28: Rev. Rhina Ramos from the Northern California/Nevada Conference, will be our guest preacher.

Nature Sunday at UCH

Sunday, May 31 is Nature Sunday at the United Church of Hayward, UCC. There will be no Zoom Worship on that day. Instead, we invite everyone to get out into nature that day, be it in someone’s yard, a public garden, or a park. Explore and take time to sit and just be. You may also want to journal.

Here are some suggestions for your time in nature:

• Be open and pay attention to what draws you. What makes your heart sing? What strikes you? How and where in your body do you feel it?

• Consider what speaks to you. What is the message?

• Pick one item, a blossom, leaf or blade of grass for example, and concentrate on it for a few minutes. What do you see? What does it tell you?

• Is there a question in your life you are struggling with? Be still and wait to see if the answer presents itself.

• Nature is full of plants. What other life is there? What else can you see? Sit still and listen: What can you hear?

Use your phone to take some pictures. On June 7 during worship, we will share our experiences in nature. Choose one of your pictures to use as your Zoom background that day.

Gratitude as God Watches Over “Our Coming Out and Our Going In”

God is acquainted with all our ways… and will watch over our coming out and our going in-both now and forevermore.” — Psalm 121:8

There is a part of me that still can’t believe we got the CTS/Lilly renewal leave grant. My renewal leave begins after our Pentecost Celebration and covenanting with Rev. Kathy as our sabbatical minister on Sunday. It is so close! And the good news is that, after months of work, we are well organized. We have a great slate of guest ministers, spiritual practices, and creative projects that fit within the five elements of our “What Makes Our Hearts Sing?” theme. We have set things up so the church community can also have fun and experience renewal during what has been a particularly challenging and draining time in our nation.

You know I believe strongly in practicing gratitude. So, I wanted to take this opportunity to express a lot of it. This renewal leave would not be happening without the work of the impromptu “sabbatical team” that has emerged at UCH. My PPRC and our Council have been the core of that. And I want to especially acknowledge Kristina, who has done a little bit of everything (spreadsheet builder, administrator, proposal writer, order taker for the Filoli gardens excursion, and coordinator of guest preachers). We are excited to have Rev. Melissa Tumaneng (NCNCUCC Conference staff), Rev. Rhina Ramos (NCNCUCC Conference staff), Rev. Dr. Laura Jean Torgerson, Rev. Dr. Monica Cross, and Rev. Paul Gafney as guest preachers. Jennifer, Steve, and Jackie are also all leading worship experiences or preaching and sharing their gifts during this season.

Jessica also helped write the grant proposal and has made reimbursements and record keeping seamless, which has relieved stress for the Council and for me. Jackie and Laurie have organized the Order of Worship process that should unfold smoothly in my absence, Ashley is managing my professional page, Updates publications, livestreaming, and other things while I am away. Scout built the surveys you have been filling out online to provide information and feedback that have driven the entire process. And Steve and Kirk are making sure our worship services will have singable, well organized, shared music. Many of you have also quietly prayed for and encouraged the process, sent me cards, texts, and notes of support. I am grateful for you, and for your ongoing support of this body of Christ.

I also want to say “Thank you” to Rev. Kathy. In order to rest well and renew my spirit in this time of uncertainty and challenge in our nation, I needed to know that the community is well cared for and will have the ministerial support to face whatever unfolds. I am 100% sure that will be the case with Rev. Kathy and our sabbatical leadership team.

I also wanted to thank the congregation for the beautiful journal and pen I received at last week’s Lunch Bunch gathering. The embossed pattern on the outside of the leather journal is an Amaranthus flower. Amaranthus is found all over the Aegean, and in Greek means “immortal” or “unfading.”  It is often used in threshold rituals in Greece and Turkey and is associated with the Goddess Artemis (Particularly Artemis of Ephesus-who was wildly popular in Ephesus in the Hellenistic age and is a primary reason Paul has a bee in his bonnet in the book of Ephesians). I am writing in my new journal already, and it is a particularly fitting gift to take with me on my renewal leave travels.  

As I am preparing to take my leave, I want to invite you to follow my personal page (Jeanne Loveless) if you aren’t already on Facebook. I will be posting there from time to time about our travels and about my sabbatical experiences. I won’t respond in writing to your comments, but I’ll see them.

I also want to be clear that I am logging out of my church email, and will not be posting on my professional page, or on the church page. I will also not have access to Wi-Fi or cell service in Big Sur or be able to even use my US Sim while we are out of the country. So, I can’t and will not receive voicemails, or texts. I will return to UCH on September 13 and preach for the first time on September 20. We will resume Transitions Group and Scripture Seekers on October 1.

Lastly, I want to invite you to join us for worship this Sunday on Pentecost. May 24 at 10:30 Pacific. We will be celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit and birthday of the church on Zoom and Live-Stream. We will also be entering into covenant with Rev. Kathy and will also bless Christy, Clive, and me as I go forth on my renewal leave journey.

So again, thank you for making this renewal leave possible — not just for me, but for all of us. May God bless us richly and watch over us in this season of “our coming out and our going in.” In this present moment “and forevermore.”  

With Infinite Love and Gratitude,
Rev. Jeanne

ICE Out of Dublin Coalition Toolkit

As you know, we have been concerned that the federal government is planning to reopen FCI Dublin, a closed down prison with a history of many problems, as an ICE detention facility. We have been awaiting an environmental assessment from the federal Bureau of Prisons on FCI Dublin. On Friday, May 1, the Federal Bureau of Prisons published an Environmental Assessment Report on FCI Dublin. It is a 2,731 page document, which you can access here.  

The publication of this report moves FCI Dublin one step closer to its possible reopening as an ICE detention center.  

We need everyone to take action now: A 30 day public comment period opened on May 1 and closes on June 1. Let's FLOOD the process with hundreds of our public comments: NO ICE DETENTION CENTER IN THE BAY AREA OR ANYWHERE! 

👉Use the ICE Out of Dublin Coalition Toolkit, which includes a sample comment. 

• Submit your public comment by emailing bop-adm-facilities-s@bop.gov (in the “to:” line), and PLEASE BCC US by including iceoutofdublin@gmail.com in the “bcc” line. Include "FCI Dublin Environmental Assessment" as your email’s subject line. The deadline is June 1.

Fights over environmental impact reports have been crucial in stopping the opening of warehouse detention centers around the country. Together, we can keep ICE Out of Dublin!

Great New Resource About Christian Nationalism from Rev. Benjamin Cramer

I have had several requests for something concise and simple that explains what Christian Nationalism is, and why it is problematic. This free new booklet published by Rev. Benjamin Cramer does a terrific job of answering these questions. And it has a nice bibliography which you have already seen a lot of but is contained in one place. Take a look and share it with your friends.

Renewal Leave Begins in 35 Days! (Not Like Anybody Is Counting)

I wanted to update you about renewal leave. The church council/renewal leave team have been working hard behind the scenes to put things in place and I am delighted to report that all our Sundays are covered! As Kristina reminded us in council last Thursday, part of CTS/Lilly’s thinking around clergy renewal leave is that the minister AND THE CHURCH can experience renewal. And getting things in place to run smoothly while I am away will create the opportunity for the community to have that experience.

While I am on leave, Rev. Kathy, Jackie, and Steve will be facilitating worship. Steve and Kirk will be sharing music. Jennifer and Steve will be providing special spiritual practice experiences, and Jackie will be preaching and Kristina providing backup if needed. We also have a great slate of guest preachers including Rev. Melissa Tumaneng (Associate Conference Minister), Rev. Dr. Monica Cross, Rev. Dr. Laura Jean Torgerson, Rev. Rhina Ramos, and Rev. Paul Gaffney. And as you now know, we have called Rev. Kathy Cramer to be our sabbatical minister. Rev. Kathy will be with us on April 26 to observe worship, and Council Leadership and I are having Zoom conversations with her to bring her up to speed. If you have not seen our introduction of Rev. Kathy, you can see it here: Meet our Sabbatical Minister — United Church of Hayward

Our field trip to Filoli Gardens will be Sunday, May 31. Kristina will be writing a separate Updates article to give you more information about, and how to opt in with your preferences for rides, lunch, times, etc. within the next couple of weeks. All expenses for this excursion are covered by our CTS/Lilly grant. For those of you that do not live in the south Hayward area, we are hoping you can also spend time out in nature on this day in your location, so we can share observations and perhaps do a spiritual exercise together with Rev. Kathy when we return to Zoom worship on June 7.  

I also wanted to help us prepare our hearts for renewal leave together. So, I have designed a worship series based on the five things we identified in our congregational survey that make our hearts sing, which was the renewal leave proposal theme.

 Spring 2026 Post Holy Week Sermon Series Theme: “What Makes Our Hearts Sing?”

• April 19: What Makes Our Hearts Sing? Spiritual Connection and Spiritual Practices (Resurrection Appearance #2): John 20: 18-29. When Jesus shows up in the upper room after his resurrection, several things happen that point us toward deeper spiritual connection and practice. He makes connections in this pivotal story between breathing, the holy spirit, and peace. Join us for conversation and a group “Lectio Divina” practice on this passage as we talk about what this may show us about Jesus’ spirituality and about what makes their (and our) hearts sing on the journey. You ‘all will be doing some new spiritual practices during renewal leave. And I will be practicing the Greek Orthodox “Jesus Prayer” in preparation for our visit to Greece and a form of Sufi prayer with my prayer beads called “Tasbih/Dhikr” in preparation for our visit to Turkey. So, this feels like an effective way to get our feet in the water.

• April 26: What Makes Our Hearts Sing? Being Creative/Making Things and Enjoying What Others Have Made. Exodus 35. It is no accident that our “Virtual Art Wall” in Updates from the Journey has been popular. At UCH it makes our hearts sing to participate in creation with God, and to enjoy what others have created. You know photography is my artform, and it is central in my renewal leave proposal. But I am also- inspired by Laurie- going to try a new beginner project by trying some watercolors based on my photography. I do want to be clear that heart singing creation is not just about art- it’s also about the skills and beauty that create community. Join us for a conversation about Exodus 35 in which “stirred hearts and willing spirits” create the first tabernacle together by bringing time, talent, and treasure of all kinds forward for an incredibly important community project.

• May 3: What Makes Our Hearts Sing? Living Into Jesus’ call for a relational life and getting to know our neighbors and each other better. I Corinthians 13. We are familiar with Jesus calling for us to “Love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength and neighbor as self” which shows up in one way or another in all the Gospels. But did you know that Paul (in one of his most openhearted, spiritually connected moments) also has something important to say about being in relationship? I will be visiting the agora of Old Corinth on renewal leave (where this letter Paul sent may have first been read) and have been thinking about the Corinthian church. So, we are going to dive into I Corinthians 13 in which Paul talks very poetically about the greatest relational calling, “love.” This is more than just a popular wedding reading. So, join us for deeper conversation about the “Heart Singing (and Shaping)” aspects of relationship, loving, boundaries, and “looking through the glass dimly” before we can “see face to face.” (I will also bring Rumi, who wrote some of the most beautiful poetry in the world about his relationship to the Divine and his beloved Shams Tabriz into this conversation- as we will be visiting his shrine, and learning more about the Sufi tradition in Konya, Turkey on renewal leave.)

• May 10: What Makes Our Hearts Sing? Learning New Things Together: Romans 12. Most of us would not list vulnerability and change as things that make our hearts sing. But our survey indicated that “Learning New Things Together” is heart singing activity- even though that activity can be full of vulnerability and change. I find tension worth a deep dive, especially since I am going to be putting myself in completely unfamiliar places and cultural situations, I am unfamiliar with on renewal leave, and so are you. Paul has some incredibly astute things to say about learning new things and embracing new ways of thinking in Romans 12. Join us as we deep dive into a practice that might make a tremendous amount of difference in our lives: Paul’s invitation to the “renewing our minds.”

• May 17: What Makes Our Hearts Sing? Being Out in Nature and Finding God There. Psalm 104. The Psalms are full of natural images, and we are clear that noticing God in nature makes our hearts sing. Nature can be beautiful, and breathtaking, and intimidating and scary (which is the nature of spiritual mysteries). Join us for conversation about the elements of creation (earth, air, fire, water, and spirit) that feature so prominently in Psalm 104, and for reflection on the wisdom of getting outside, whether that is on a windswept Big Sur coastal walk (I am opening my renewal leave with a 12 day silent retreat at the New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur), or watching the birds in your yard.

• May 24: Pentecost. Acts 2 Celebration and Sending Forth of Rev. Jeanne (and Clive and Christy) to renewal leave. Blessing of Rev. Kathy as she steps in to serve as our sabbatical. minister. More details to come.

If you have additional questions about renewal leave, please contact Kristina. Thank you for giving me this incredible opportunity for sabbatical renewal. It is my hope that with all of the excellent work that we have done, we are setting this up for the congregation to experience renewal too.

 – Rev. Jeanne

UCH at No Kings

I wanted to share news that we had a great turnout of UCH folkx for local "No Kings" protests and rallies last Saturday in Fremont, Hayward, Piedmont Avenue/Oakland, San Francisco, and Union City!

I had several conversations at the Union City Resists rally and food drive with folkx who expressed how much the community needed for Christians to show up and express alternatives to Christian nationalism. It was obvious our visibility and presence was important. And it felt synchronous and fitting to rally on the same weekend we were celebrating Palm Sunday- a 1st Century community action led by Jesus riding through the gates of Jerusalem on a donkey while the Roman Legions entered Jerusalem from the other side of the city with fanfare and clanking armor to keep peace during Passover.

Meet our Sabbatical Minister

Rev. Kathy Cramer was born in the Midwest but has lived most of her life in California. She has a lifelong connection with the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ denomination. While in high school she became very active with the Pomona First Christian Church and with the Regional Church serving in various leadership roles. These experiences led her to declare her intention to go into the ministry. While at Chapman College she worked as a Chaplain’s assistant and library aide. After some soul searching, she decided to pursue social work instead of ministry. In 1982 she graduated from San Francisco State University with a master’s degree in social work. As a social worker she worked with individuals who have developmental disabilities as well as emotionally disturbed children and adults. After working at Napa State Hospital for 9 years, she went to Solano County Mental Health where she was a direct line worker, manager, and Mental Health Director.

While working for Solano County, Kathy again heard the call to ministry and began attending the Pacific School of Religion as a part time student. She was ordained by the Lafayette Christian Church in 2005 but continued her work as a social worker for another few years. During this time Kathy was active with the Lafayette Christian Church in various leadership capacities including being an Elder, chairing committees and leading a women’s group. She continues to lead a monthly women’s group there along with an annual retreat. After retiring from Social Work, Kathy spent time caring for her elderly parents, did some part-time work and began taking tai chi classes.

In 2011 she received a call to serve as a part time Co-Pastor for a small community-based church in Bodega Bay, California—Fisherman’s Chapel. She splits Sunday responsibilities with another pastor and provides pastoral support as needed. In addition, she is now leading a Tai Chi group that meets twice a week in a local park. She lives with her husband Alan and their two cats in Napa, CA. Their adult daughter, Caitlin, lives in Twentynine Palms, CA, where she operates a star gazing tour company.

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Beauty
by Steve Garnaas-Holmes

Beauty is God's bait.
She sets it out and waits
for you to notice.
You pause and gaze,
and, God hopes, linger a bit,
rapt, while she stares at you
because she loves seeing
your face like that.

The 4th Sunday in Lent: Even So Lord Jesus Come -- Converted Over and Over Again In New Ways: A Conversation About Apocalypse Then and Now

Jim Wallis writes, “When I first read Matthew 25 as a student activist, I felt it was the most radical thing I had ever encountered.” He goes on to say that “Matthew 25 has continued to convert me over and over again in new ways.” I find it striking that with all of the talk about apocalypse and the “second coming” rising again in Christian Nationalist circles in the U.S., with our undeclared war upon and bombing of Iran, that this scripture is never mentioned or used in the conversation.

Yet this very apocalyptic scripture about judgment is directly from the mouth and teachings of Jesus. What does Matthew 25:31–45 say about Jesus’s spirituality? What does Jesus want us to know is important in this evocative scripture about “the least of these” and our responsibilities toward them? Does (this scary word) apocalypse mean what we think it means?

Join us this Sunday as we continue our Lenten series about Jesus’ spirituality with “Even So, Lord Jesus, Come: Converted Over and Over Again in New Ways — A Conversation About Apocalypse (Apokalupsis: ἀποκάλυψις), Then and Now.”

I look forward to being with you on Zoom and livestream on our Lenten journey.
—Rev. Jeanne

GREEK WORDS IMPORTANT IN OUR CONVERSATION TODAY:

1. Apokalupsis: ἀποκάλυψις ah-po-KAH-loo-psis: revealing, disclosure, through what is concealed. A manifestation of what is hidden. The book of Revelation in the biblical canon

2. xenos: ξένος KSEH-nos stranger, alien, foreigner, the root from which we get our word Xenophobia.

3. aiónios: αἰώνιος ahee-OH-nee-os eternal, eternity, forever. perpetual (also used of past time, or past and future as well) (aiṓnios) does not focus on the future per se, but rather on the quality of the age or aiṓn) it relates to. Thus believers live in "eternal life" right now, experiencing this quality of God's life now as a present possession.

For Empathy During a Time of War (written by Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow)

Let us pray —

God, we know empathy will not win this war
— but it will instigate a future of peace
Empathy will not topple regimes
— but it will liberate collective imagination
Empathy will not destroy weapons
— but it will disrupt our tendency toward violence
Empathy will not solve generational hatred
— but it will open us up to generational healing
Empathy alone will not guarantee peace
— but without empathy, peace is not possible

God, during this time of war
when our government wants us to choose
destruction over discourse
nationalism over faith
and mercilessness over empathy
grant us the courage to choose Your way.

When empathy is too difficult to mine from within
— God, grant Your people grace
When empathy causes chasms of conflict
— God, grant Your people persistence
When empathy solicits reactions bound by hate
— God, grant Your people fortitude
When empathy makes clear the holy within our enemy
— God, grant Your people reassurance
When empathy becomes exhausting and overwhelming
— God, grant Your people rest

And God, embolden Your people
to live a life of unapologetic empathy
in a world that would prefer it if we didn't

For these things we pray

— AMEN

Lent 2026: On Level Ground Exploring the Spirituality of Jesus

Most of us think of Jesus as an important part of our spirituality. But what can we learn from closely examining his connection with God and the spiritual world, and his connection with his community, with his neighbors, and with those in political and religious authority around him? I invite you to join us on Zoom and Livestream for our Lenten series: On Level Ground: Exploring the Spirituality of Jesus. We had a terrific conversation last Sunday to kick things off. Join us for the journey. —Rev. Jeanne

2nd Sunday of Lent, March 1: What is Jesus’ relationship with scripture?  (What did Jesus choose for his first sermon? And how is that choice in alignment with his ministry?  Luke 4: 16-21)

3rd Sunday of Lent, March 8: What does Jesus’ prayer life look like? (We’ll look at what we can know of Jesus’ prayer life and explore “The Lord’s Prayer.” How does prayer keep Jesus and us aligned? Matthew 6 and Luke 11)

4th  Sunday of Lent, March 16: How was Jesus in relationship with others? And what does that say about his spirituality? (We will do a deep dive into Matthew 25: “When you do it for the least of these, you have done it for me” and talk about Jesus call for us to align our values with the Kindom of God rather than the Kingdoms of the World.) 

5th Sunday of Lent, March 23: What is the most powerful and useful spiritual alignment metaphor Jesus uses in the scriptures? I’m going to argue it is “The Vine and the Branches” in John 15. We’ll get into it and see what you think.

6th Sunday of Lent, March 30 (Palm Sunday): What gets under Jesus’ (sometimes very human) skin and how does he manage it? What does what he gets upset about say about his alignment and spirituality? We’ll invite him to give us a spiritual justice tutorial on how to stay aligned and turn over tables when the situation requires. On this Palm Sunday we will enter into Jerusalem with Hosannas and explore Jesus’ cleansing of the temple right after the party in Luke 19: 41-48.

How We Learn to Be Brave: Spring Book Club Syllabus

Join us on Wednesday, March 4, at 7:00 pm Pacific for the first gathering of a seven-session book discussion of Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde's "How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith."  We will be meeting every other Wednesday for 7 sessions, and you can find more details here.

Here is a map of our journey (Gratitude to my colleague and friend the Rev. Michal Anne Pepper - Episcopalian clergy in New Mexico - for her guidance): 

• Session 1: Welcome, Introductions. (Please read the intro if you can for the first meeting. And Google "Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde" and watch some videos so you can get to know her. Here is one. Questions for reflection: How is this moment in our nation's history a "Decisive moment" for you personally? Reflect on past "decisive moments" in your life. How have your decisions changed you? How have they fostered a bigger sense of agency in your life? 

• Session 2: Deciding to Go. Deciding to Stay. (Please read chapters 1 and 2). Questions for reflection:  Have you made a “decision to go” that transgressed others’ or cultural expectations? What did you learn from that experience and what was its impact on future decisions? What “life quakes” can you identify in your own personal transitions? Think about a significant time and/or situation when you decided to stay. Identify any sacrifices or blessings you reaped from a decision to stay?.

• Session 3: Deciding to Start (Please read chapter 3)  Questions for reflection: Reflecting on past decisions to start a particular life path, do you agree that they start with small steps? What were your sources of courage to take those first steps?  What vision has carried you through past decisions to start? What is your vision, even if incompletely formed, that supports your current decision to start or to stay?  What are your biggest fears or misgivings associated with your current decision to start or stay?

• Session 4:  Accepting What You Do Not Choose (Please read chapter 4) Questions for reflection: Frodo was not happy that the ring of power had come to him in Tolkien’s Lord of the Ring. Gandalf responded: “We cannot choose the times we live in, but we can choose how to respond to the time we are given.” What corollaries do you find in your life? In events in your lifetime?  Have you ever been part of a community that was faced with the need to take an evolutionary leap in order to thrive in a new environment? What was transforming about walking through that experience?  How have you found meaning in adversity? Have you ever found the divine or your higher self in adversity?

• Session 5:  Stepping Up to the Plate (Please reach chapter 5) Questions for reflection: Think about times in which you “stepped up to the plate”, both large or small. What was your experience in making that decision in the moment.? Was there a time when you stepped up to the plate and did not feel ready? How did you manage your fears/anxiety in following through? What were the consequences and how did you manage them? What benefits have you experienced? 

• Session 6:  The Inevitable Letdown. The Hidden Virtue of Perseverance (Please read chapters 6 and 7) Questions for reflection. Bishop Budde describes a variety of types of “let down” (eg natural consequences, backlash, desolation that follows consolations). Why is perseverance called a “hidden virtue”? Think of a time in your life when the “guiding star” of your perseverance was a “hidden companion on the quest” instead of a reward or goal at the end. Have you experienced moments of kairos ? How did that support you on the journey? Reflect on the status of your “heart energy”?

• Session 7:  Hope or Despair? Closure  (Please read the Epilogue) Questions for reflection: How do you sustain hope and speak of hope about the challenges we are facing? How has our reading and conversations helped you in our current “decisive moment”? How can you share any insights, or even transforming thoughts, with your community?

Meeting Dates:

• Session 1: March 4

• Session 2: March 18

• Session 3: April 1

• Session 4: April 15

• Session 5: April 29

• Session 6: May 13

• Session 7: TBD 

Meeting Link

P.S. At UCH, we encourage everyone to support your local independent booksellers. If you are in the Hayward Area, our go-to Bookstore is Books on B. If you'd like to join the group, but can't afford the book, drop me a note and I'll make sure you get a copy.  

Lent: 2026 (We Are Giving Up White Christian Nationalism)

On Level Ground Exploring the Spirituality of Jesus: And Cultivating The Art of Sustoicheó/συστοιχέω (Alignment)

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; and may your Spirit
    lead me on to level ground. -Psalm 143:10

In recent years, we have explored Jesus’s healings, miracles, actions, exorcisms, relationships, and primary teachings. In Scripture Seekers Bible Study we are now studying Jesus’s parables with Dr. Amy-Jill Levine as our guide. And I have decided that in this remarkable and exhausting year, during the Season of Lent, we are going to bring a new lens to the conversation and explore Jesus’s spirituality.

Most of us think of Jesus as an important part of our spirituality. But what can we learn from closely examining his connection with God and the spiritual world, and his connection with his community, with his neighbors, and with those in political and religious authority around him?

This seems like an important conversation to have when Christian Nationalists in the US are getting out of alignment with who Jesus was so drastically. His ministry and life are tutorials in spiritual alignment. His actions, thoughts, feelings, and words usually match up- which is one of the key things that makes him such a fully divine fully human force to be reckoned with. Jesus invites us to live in alignment too, and it is a life-long challenge. If we can get even a little closer to the way Jesus does it- and stand on the “level ground” he does our spiritual journey(s) will deepen, and our joy will be more complete (John 15:11)

The Greeks called alignment sustoicheó: συστοιχέω:  Sustoicheó means literally: “to file together as soldiers in ranks or straight (or for some of us: gayly forward) lines.” Sustoicheó is about being lined up, and parallel with or in alignment with something. There is also a sense of being “level” which is why Psalm 143 is so relevant to our conversation. Sustoicheó shows up in the Pauline scriptures one time in Galatians, in a bit different context. But sustoicheó strikes me as a terrific descriptor for the way Jesus lived and walked in alignment spiritually.  

"The Thousand Columns" at Chichén Itzá. (Yucatan, Mexico)

So, I invite you to join us at UCH on Zoom and Livestream during the Lenten Season for: On Level Ground: Exploring the Spirituality of Jesus and Cultivating the Art of Sustoicheó/συστοιχέω. Here are some things we will be chewing on. -Rev. Jeanne

• 1st Sunday of Lent: What is Jesus’ relationship with the spiritual world and what does that have to do with how he moves and aligns himself in the physical world? (We will look in-depth at Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness and his conversation with Satan in Luke 4: 1-13)

• 2nd Sunday of Lent: What is Jesus’ relationship with scripture?  (What did Jesus choose for his first sermon? And how is that choice in alignment with his ministry?  Luke 4: 16-21)

• 3rd Sunday of Lent: What does Jesus’ prayer life look like? (We’ll look at what we can know of Jesus’ prayer life and explore “The Lord’s Prayer.” How does prayer keep Jesus and us aligned? Matthew 6 and Luke 11)

• 4th Sunday of Lent: How was Jesus in relationship with others? And what does that say about his spirituality? (We will do a deep dive into Matthew 25: “When you do it for the least of these, you have done it for me” and talk about Jesus call for us to align our values with the Kindom of God rather than the Kingdoms of the World.) 

• 5th Sunday of Lent: What is the most powerful and useful spiritual alignment metaphor Jesus uses in the scriptures? I’m going to argue it is “The Vine and the Branches” in John 15. We’ll get into it and see what you think.

• 6th Sunday of Lent (Palm Sunday): What gets under Jesus’ (sometimes very human) skin and how does he manage it? What does what he gets upset about say about his alignment and spirituality? We’ll invite him to give us a spiritual justice tutorial on how to stay aligned and turn over tables when the situation requires. On this Palm Sunday we will enter into Jerusalem with Hosannas and explore Jesus’ cleansing of the temple right after the party in Luke 19: 41-48.

Asking The Right Questions: Re-examining the Parables of Jesus

Scripture Seeker’s Bible Study
2026 Spring/Lenten Study
5:30 PM Pacific on Thursday evenings
(no meeting the 3rd Thursday) on Zoom

Our Guide: Dr. Amy-Jill Levine

The Books:

• The Bible (Whatever translation you prefer)

• Short Stories By Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi

Jesus’s parables serve “as keys that can unlock the mysteries we face by helping us ask the right questions: how to live in community; how to determine what ultimately matters; and how to live the life that God wants us to live. They (the parables) are Jesus’ way of teaching, and they are remembered to this day not simply because they are in the Christian canon. But because they continue to provoke, challenge, and inspire. -Dr. Amy Jill Levine.

Join us as we do a deep dive into Jesus’ parables, see how 1st century hearers might have heard them, and invite new insight as we hear them again in the 21st century. I decided not to put dates on the later sessions that I will have to change because we have decided to linger or move faster. So we’ll adjust the dates as we go. Watch Updates from the Journey for (well…) updates.

For those who would like to join us (or return) this is an excellent time to do so. We meet on Thursdays (except for the 3rd Thursday of the month when we have Council and PPRC). If you’d like to learn more about Dr. Amy-Jill Levine and her work, here is a podcast of interest from the Maxwell Institute.  

Here is a loose map (with early adjustable dates) of our journey.  — Rev Jeanne

New Book Club starting March 4

Join us on Wednesday, March 4, at 7:00 pm Pacific for the first gathering of a six session book discussion of Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde's How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith. We will be meeting every other Wednesday for 6 sessions. So if you have been thinking about joining a group here at UCH, here is a short-term commitment and a chance to make some new friends or get to know some old ones better. We welcome your coffee, your pets, your laughter, your tears, and your wisdom. LGBTQIA+ folkx are especially welcome. 

If you think Bishop Budde's name sounds familiar but can't place her, here is a reminder of who she is. I think, after the sermon she preached at the National Cathedral, standing firmly in the values of Jesus, while speaking truth to power, uniquely qualifies her to guide us in our sharing and discussion about being brave, standing in our integrity, and doing what we can to make a difference wherever we find ourselves.  

If you have any questions about the group, let me know. I'll be posting a "syllabus" of sorts to create a container for our conversation. So watch our UCH weekly e-news "Updates from the Journey" for more soon. 

Ash Wednesday/Beginning of Lent 2026: Loving What Is Mortal, Holding On, and Letting Go

To live in this world
you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it
go, to let it go.

- Mary Oliver “In Blackwater Woods”

You are probably starting to hear about the spring season we call Lent. And I wanted to clarify again that it has nothing to do with that stuff you remove from the dryer. (Although I do think I could turn that into a sermon metaphor if I worked at it.).

Ash Wednesday marks the start of the season of Lent in the life of the church, which begins 40 days prior to Easter. (For those of you who are looking at your calendars and adding, Sundays are not included in the count). The 40 days of Lent mirror the 40 years that the Israelite people wandered in the wilderness and the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness before beginning his ministry. Does anyone resonate with wandering in the wilderness right now?

Ash Wednesday is a time when many followers of the Jesus Way prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, spiritual practice (such as “giving something up”) and repentance/evaluation. During traditional Ash Wednesday services, the minister or priest will lightly rub the sign of the cross with ashes onto the foreheads or hands of worshipers as a reminder of our humanness and mortality. Ashes from the previous year’s Palm Sunday palms are traditionally burned and used. On Zoom, we have learned to be a little more creative.

The Bible does not mention Ash Wednesday or the custom of Lent since it evolved later, But the practice of repentance is mentioned repeatedly in the scriptures. In the New Testament: metanoia: μετάνοια (Greek) and in the First Testament: shub שׁוּב (Hebrew) are translated as repentance. These words both carry the meaning of having a change of mind and heart, or of turning back, or around, and returning and retracing our steps.

As we repeatedly discuss at UCH, it is important activity on our spiritual journey to notice when it is time to turn around and retrace our steps. We all get out in the weeds from time to time.

And our Still-Speaking God has gifted us with spiritual practices of forgiveness, transformation, and repentance so we can get unstuck and find our way forward, home, out of the wilderness, or wherever we are headed on our journey.

This Year our UCH Ash Wednesday service, “Loving What Is Mortal: Holding On and Letting Go” (Based on Mary Oliver’s poem “Blackwater Woods”) will take place on February 18 at 7:00 PM Pacific on Zoom. Join us for a rich time of listening, poetry, and reflection. We will be participating in a creative visualization of the traditional imposition of ashes, and if you would like, you can impose ashes from a candle or palm leaves you have burned in your home on your forehead or hands. Or you can just come and be in community and out of chaos for this simple, quiet reflective service about the joys and challenges of holding on, letting go, and being human.

I look forward to being with you on Ash Wednesday evening as we begin our Lenten journey together. — Rev. Jeanne

A Prayer for the Ceasing of State Violence and the Protection of All People

A prayer from Rev. Deborah Lee, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity.  

Holy, Loving and Compassionate One,

We hold grief in our hearts at the brutal and tragic ICE killing of Renee Nicole Good, a beloved daughter, mother of three, poet, and good neighbor—whose life was taken in Minneapolis during an ICE enforcement operation. Every person deserves safety, belonging, and freedom from fear, harm, and discrimination. May her life be honored with justice, compassion, and the sacredness of every human life.

We say her name. And we say the names of at least 6 other loved ones who have been killed in ICE operations since the beginning of 2025: parents, workers, immigrants and citizens: Jaime Alanis Garcia, Silverio Villegas Gonzales, Marimar Martinez, Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdez, Josue Castro Rivera, Keith Portal Jr., and one who is still unnamed killed at the Rio Grande.

We say their names. And we say the names of the 32 people who needlessly died in ICE detention in 2025, deprived of healthcare, basic necessities and their liberty. We lift up each life who has died into your loving arms. We pray for their children, their families and communities who are suffering and grieving. Grant them comfort, healing and the strength to go on. 

We condemn these ICE killings. And we lift up their lives. We celebrate the fullness of their lives, their best memories, their hopes and their dreams. May their dreams become ours. May we carry them in our hearts and remember them with dignity, honor, and justice.  

We pray for the ceasing of this state's racialized violence and state terror. The occupation and repression has stricken our communities with fear, grief and trauma. Here within our nation and through our country’s actions globally.  

We pray for the end of US military violence, state violence and all forms of violence that go against the dignity and sacredness of human life. We pray for the more than 80 people who were killed this week in the US attack on Venezuela in direct violation of human rights, sovereignty and international law. Our faiths teach us: No life must be shed. No stealing of that which is not ours.  

We pray for the protection of all people. We hold the 68,000 who are confined in ICE detention centers across the country. We pray for their safe release and swift return to their loved ones. We pray for refugees and people everywhere who have been displaced and impacted by militarism and violence, especially in Palestine and Sudan. 

When systems of power turn into tools of harm rather than peace, grant us the courage to speak up in truth and stand with those who face injustice. Give us the commitment to continue to look out for one another and walk in humility alongside those who suffer.

May our hearts mourn, but still grow in love. In the face of “might makes right”, give us resolve in the belief that only Love makes right. May our creativity transform fear, force, and dehumanization into actions that honor and protect all human life and dignity.  

Grant us a deep source to continue to walk in love, welcome all with joy and compassion, and celebrate our common humanity. May our wellspring of love run deep and overflow.  

Bearing the Light in a Disturbed Time

I'm glad to be back from break. Our leaky roof and living room ceiling are repaired and all of the plastic and buckets are out of the living room. It feels overwhelming to land back at work in the middle of yet another more intense and escalating national crisis. Like you, I am angry and upset about many things. I am particularly upset about the murder of Nicole Renee Good, a mother, poet, and member of the Queer community in Minneapolis, and the escalating violence in our nation that is being driven by irresponsible leadership, non-existent moral compasses, lies, greed, and incendiary rhetoric. I am aware that more than ever, we at UCH need to take deep breaths and root ourselves and our actions in our values and in the values of Jesus Christ: values like empathy, compassion, peacemaking, justice seeking, boundaries, table turning, spiritual practice, and love of God and love and care for our neighbors and ourselves. (Link to values statement here). The Holy Spirit wouldn't leave me alone last Sunday and didn't seem to care that I was on vacation. I know Jackie beautifully celebrated Epiphany with you. And I'm grateful for that. So here's a piece of my Epiphany sermon I didn't preach but felt in my blood and bone. I love you'all.  May the words of Mother Mary bless and inform our steps in the coming days.  

Herod leaves a trail of lies, death, and destruction because he is terrified of losing power. He is a desperate, mentally compromised, cruel, and vindictive man with a history of misusing his office, sowing chaos, parading and flexing the Legionnaires garrisoned at Caesarea Maritima, and destroying everyone around him who opposed him (or who he thinks might be disloyal like his wife Miriamne). He also had a familiar to us habit of self soothing by knocking down and building up very large buildings in his own honor as noted in historical (Josephus) and archaeological record.

There is a very good reason that Matthew's Gospel tells us, when "King Herod was disturbed. All of Jerusalem was disturbed with him." He doesn't care how his actions affect others, especially those who are most vulnerable. I'd wager that folkx in Judea were perpetually exhausted from living in a constant state of being disturbed.

Is anybody here disturbed? Is anyone here exhausted from being disturbed, or pondering the next violent self-serving move by our very own 21st century Herod?

Maybe that is one reason Mother Mary, in Luke's account, starts singing with God in the tradition of her ancestors. Women do odd things like this when we are exhausted, pondering, and disturbed. And Mother Mary had a lot to ponder and be exhausted and disturbed about as she said "yes" to the work of carrying God in her womb. But unholy empire, unjust rulers, and the arc of the moral universe bending toward justice (as Dr. King would have put it) seem to be very much on her mind.

May her words , her utterance, her song of calling down power in the midst of exhaustion, pondering, and disturbance be so. And may we say a resounding "yes" with her to bearing the light of Christ unapologetically in the face of imperialism and white Christian nationalist evil:

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for God who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is God's name.

And God's mercy is for those who fear them from generation to generation. She has shown strength with her arm; God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; she has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly; God has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. God has helped me, God's servant, in remembrance of their mercy, as they spoke to our ancestors, and will speak to their descendants forever.”

Castro Valley's Adobe Art Center

The construction of an adobe structure required the ingredients of sand, clay. and water mixed to form a thick mud to which straw was added for stability. The mixture was then pressed into wooden forms and sun dried to create bricks. Once dry, the bricks were stacked forming the structure with a wet adobe mixture used as mortar, and finally the dried walls were typically painted with a protective white lime coating.

There are a handful of original adobe structures of Spanish Heritage dating from the mid-1700’s to the mid-1800 still standing in the East Bay. Fremont’s Mission San Jose Museum, Higuera Adobe in Warm Springs and Vallejo Adobe in Niles, along with Casa Peralta in San Leandro and Dublin’s Francisco Solano Alviso have been carefully restored, or are being held in a state of arrested decay. Not among the original adobes is the Hayward Area Recreation and Park Department’s (HARD) Adobe Art Center in Castro Valley, an authentic adobe reproduction built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938. The building is located in an old elm grove planted by Boy Scouts in 1926 on the rear of the former location of the Castro Valley Grammar School on Castro Valley Blvd. The building is constructed from hundreds of 4x9x16 inch adobe bricks from soil excavated from the site of Redwood School on Redwood Road, hand hewn timbers from discarded telephone poles provided by the Pacific Telephone Company, and coated with special paint developed by the Gliddon Paint Company of Oakland. Unlike the original crude adobes, the Castro Valley reproduction featured a tile floor, entrance lobby, kitchen, restrooms, a large meeting hall with a copper mural over the large fireplace portraying scenes from of life of California Indians, and a mosaic at the entrance to the building depicting a bull fight and the completion of the intercontinental railroad.

The Adobe Art Center has become the center for local community arts and history housing permanent exhibits and hosting rotating shows, temporarily for other purposes in intervening years, but most memorable to me, The Castro Valley Adobe is the grammar school where I attended kindergarten under the patient and thoughtful teacher Mrs. Bea Hampton in 1947.