July 05, 2019

Returning the Light

July 05, 2019/ Jeanne Loveless

Forgiveness is a mysterious thing. We hold trauma in our bodies. And sometimes when we forgive others and ourselves, we have to let go of things in layers. We might even think we are done with the forgiveness process, and don’t even know another layer is there. Maybe that is why Jesus said what he did to Peter about forgiving “seventy times seven” times. Sometimes there are that many layers of trauma trapped in us and we have to let them go one by one so the light can return to us again.

June 28, 2019

Messy Times

June 28, 2019/ Jackie Freitas

Have you noticed how preparing creamy mashed potatoes involves preliminary messy times of dealing with potato peelings? A well-running car has messy times of oil changes. We perform these actions, not because we relish the mess, but because we have a bigger goal in mind.

June 18, 2019

Cars Land

June 18, 2019/ Bill Ralph

We are a long way from Detroit, however there is a surprisingly long history of automobile manufacturing here in the East Bay beginning in 1916 with a Chevrolet assembly factory located on E. 14th Street on the Oakland/San Leandro border.

June 07, 2019

Held and Holding: River Deep, Or Mountain High

June 07, 2019/ Jeanne Loveless

This Saturday is also my 55th birthday, And as I breathe deep and celebrate that as my anniversary grief comes up, I find myself thinking about my son’s first birthday and the life changing journey that was the first few hours of his life. God held us through that messy, terrifying, light/dark place- Just as God held us through Stan’s funeral last June, is holding us as we move into new things as Beloved Community and is holding all of you as you share your challenging stories with me. God holds all of us. That is the euangelion (Gk), or “Good News” we share, no matter what the terrain looks like where we are walking: River Deep. Or Mountain High.

May 31, 2019

Universal Wonders

May 31, 2019/ Kristina Burnett

On our recent trip to New Mexico, we visited the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in Albuquerque and attended part of a lecture on black holes.

May 27, 2019

"The Rapture of Living"

May 27, 2019/ Jackie Freitas

“Once I knew only darkness and stillness. . .

My life was without past or future . . .

But a little word from the fingers of another

Fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness,

And my heart leaped to the rapture of living.” Helen Keller

May 10, 2019

Show Me A Sign

May 10, 2019/ Rev. Jeanne Loveless

The Gospel of John is full of signs of a different sort. From the opening of Jesus’ ministry at the Marriage Feast at Cana, people are all really interested in Jesus giving them a sign. Some of the signs in John’s Gospel are easy to see. And some aren’t. Peter gets a very interesting sign in John 21 as he and the Disciples encounter Risen Jesus on the beach at the Sea of Tiberius/Galilee. To see it, you have to be able to read a little Greek.

April 20, 2019

An Invitation to Rise Together

April 20, 2019/ Chris Leahy

So here we are, already at Easter. It seems like a week ago we were celebrating Christmas and I haven’t even sent out my Christmas cards yet! What does all of this mean to us? How can we authentically celebrate Easter? In other words, what in our own lives, is the living out of the Resurrection experience?

April 13, 2019

"But Mommy! I Saw It!"

April 13, 2019/ Rev. Jeanne Loveless

I sometimes let Clivie have a snack and watch a show or two before I move him on to homework in the afternoon. It gives me a chance to breathe, unload the dishwasher, and hopefully have a few minutes to pray. One recent afternoon, as I pulled out the tablet and asked him what he wanted to watch- he said emphatically “I want the show with the green excalius Beyblade!”

March 31, 2019

"Well, here's another fine mess you've gotten me into!"

March 31, 2019/ Bill Ralph

Fans of the comedy team of Laurel and Hardy will recognize the classic catchphrase that was spoken in many of their films in the early days of American cinema.

February 26, 2019

Coloring Outside of the Lines

February 26, 2019/ Bill Ralph

Crayons and coloring books are among my treasured childhood memories of days long past. I usually had the standard box of 8 broken and well used colors but longed for the tantalizing large box of Crayola’s, the one with 64 crayons including white and all those glorious metallic colors.

February 08, 2019

Carry and Radiate the Light

February 08, 2019/ Jackie Freitas

Standing in one of several seemingly endless lines at the post office during pre-Christmas days, I watched one of the clerks. As each person approached that clerk’s counter space, she greeted them with a warm smile.

February 01, 2019

Viticulture

February 01, 2019/ Bill Ralph

Prior to the surge in residential growth of the 1950’s and being away from coastal fog and wind, the rich land between Mission Blvd. and today’s Fremont Blvd. and surrounding Mission San Jose was ideally suited for the planting of grapes.

January 26, 2019

God is Still Speaking

January 26, 2019/ Chris Leahy

I just listened to "Holy Now" by Peter Mayer for about the fifth time. I did not listen to it over and over, but rather with a day between each listen. I have listened multiple times because each time I hear a different part of the lyrics and my heart sort of leaps.

January 18, 2019

In Memory of Mary Oliver

January 18, 2019/ Rev. Jeanne Loveless

The world lost a bright light yesterday morning. I received the following note from Mary Oliver’s Facebook page:

“Mary Oliver, beloved poet and bard of the natural world, died on January 17 at home in Hobe Sound, Florida. She was 83….

January 14, 2019

Doorways

January 14, 2019/ Jackie Freitas

We all experience them – moments when we stand nose to nose with a fear – knowing we need to step into the experience and walk through it. Fear can appear when we need to speak in public, change jobs, face unexpected medical issue, loose a loved one, move to a new location, and other situations only you can name.

January 04, 2019

The East Bay Hills

January 04, 2019/ United Church of Hayward

From our living room window in Fremont we can see a large portion of the panorama of the rolling hills stretching from the “Niles” hillside sign down to Mission Peak, Mount Allison and Monument Peak. It’s not a completely unobstructed view due to trees and neighboring houses, but pleasing enough to be able to enjoy the fresh green tinge that is beginning to appear and the brilliant glow of winter sunsets.

December 28, 2018

How Was It?

December 28, 2018/ Chris Leahy

Every year, we gear up for this huge Christmas celebration. Try as we might to get into Advent and prepare for the rebirth of the Lord in our lives, we all get caught up in the sharing of gifts, the joy of the Season, the worry about who will do or say something to upset the “family celebration”, enjoying the music we have listened to and sung for most of our lives, and trying to figure out how we are going to get it all done, get to Worship, and not lose our sanity.

November 30, 2018

Emmanuel God With Us: Waiting at the Threshold(s) of Advent

November 30, 2018/ Rev. Jeanne Loveless

Advent (which in Greek means “appearance or coming”) is a liturgical time we prepare and wait for the Light of Christ to come into the world on Christmas. It’s a time of light, shadow, candles, pondering, reflection, and prayer. It’s a time to notice the seasonal summer light fading and winter darkness rising. On each of the four Sundays of Advent we will light a candle in our Advent altar wreath to mark the coming of the light of Christ. (There is no Christ candle during the Advent season- Paradoxically, Jesus is present and also not born yet).

November 23, 2018

Gratitude or Thanks

November 23, 2018/ Chris Leahy

We have been talking about Gratitude a lot recently. When I listen to what Jeanne and others say, I wonder if I am always grateful, or am I just thankful. I know for some, these two things are the same thing, but that is definitely not my understanding.

Dispatches from the Journey