Taking Nothing for Granted
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Reflections from Rev. Jeanne Loveless, Minister & Teacher
“Everything in the world is changing quickly. So, take nothing for granted. Stay wide awake in prayer.”
-I Peter 4: 7
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Embracing the Pause…
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Change moves incrementally from breath to breath and moment to moment, allowing for course-correction along the way. – Sharon Weil
"It is important to embrace the pause: to create quiet space so we can hear God’s voice. If our tongues are wagging, we can’t hear anything but ourselves." – Anne Lamotte
In my sermon last week, I shared a story about re-learning the art of hand carving soapstone during my spiritual "Dark Night of the Soul" (which segued into the tragedy of the pandemic- just as I began to find the ground). Carving soapstone reminds me of sitting in the sawdust in my Grandpa Noel’s basement in his workshop where he was always turning wood and making household repairs. It is a place I remember with great fondness.
Read MoreGetting Unstuck: A Note From My Spiritual Journey
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Reflections from Rev. Jeanne Loveless
This past week in some Christian traditions was the celebration of Candlemas or “The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple.” In traditional Gaelic cultures this was/is also called Imbolc, or St. Bridgit's (or the more ancient Goddess Brighid’s) Day. St. Bridgit’s day is held between the winter solstice and the spring equinox- and it marks the beginning of spring. This day as new buds pop out in my garden- I’m thinking of a “Note” from my own Spiritual Journey that I want to share with you.
Read MoreReflections on the Terrorist Attack on Our Nation's Capitol
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Dear UCH Beloved Community,
I was planning to emerge from my break to write you an encouraging "Thank God 2020 is over" New Year's letter, but my heart and mind are still reeling from the horrific events we witnessed in our nation’s capitol Wednesday. I feel angry, deeply grieved, and exhausted.
Read MoreLeaf Blowers and Hockey Sticks: Using the Tools We Have
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Like many of you, there are times lately, I have struggled with things that are far out of my control.
Read MoreUncertain Times
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“Sheltering in place” has given me time to reflect on what my parents must have been going through during the first years of World War II. I only wish that I had asked them more questions while I still had the chance! I was born in April of 1942, just a little more than four months following the bombing of Pearl Harbor and when there were real concerns about an invasion of the West Coast from Japan.
Read MoreSheltering in Place
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Sheltering in place eventually brings us face-to-face with our own fragility – those areas of our life where we seem to smack into our most “out-of-control places” - such as impatience, self-pity, anger, perfectionism, gossiping, blaming others, prejudice, egotism, etc., etc., etc.
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“The Peace That Passes All Understanding" Crisis Reflections from Your UCH Care Team
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Rejoice in the Lord always. And I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. God is near us! Do not drown in your anxiety, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Paul in Philippians 4:4-7
These words of Paul to the church in Philipi were the focus of our Care Team Zoom retreat last Saturday. We talked a lot about what this scripture brought up for us as we weather this season of COVID19 together. Here are some big questions that emerged in our conversation:
Read MoreCaretakers
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Most people driving along Mission Blvd. through Fremont are not aware that they are passing the three remaining adobe structures in Washington Township that date from the pre-California Spanish-Mexican Era.
Read MoreReaching Out Our Hearts When We Can't Reach Out Our Hands: Rev. Jeanne's Pastoral Response to COVID-19
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Dear Beloved Community,
Let me start by making it clear that I have never pastored a church through a pandemic. And it’s not something I learned how to do in Seminary. That being said- I know you. And I know that we will move into this unprecedented challenge together with our Kindom of God values held closely in our hearts- even if we can’t touch each other with our hands.
Read MorePhoto of a Lifetime (Happy New Year!)
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As you know by now, I am a photographer and since that is what I did almost every day on our trip to Scotland- I’m going to talk about it. I love coming around the bend of a trail with my camera on my hip, and realizing that I have wandered into something remarkable- a piercing shaft of light; the deep greenness in the leaves; perfect reflections of sky in water; clouds shaped like a thunderbird holding the moon between her wings. That kind of magic doesn’t happen often. You have to train yourself to slow down and look for it - to teach your eyes, mind, and heart to see it.
Read MoreChristmas Every Day
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If you are a typical person, you are taking some very deep breaths and expressing gratitude that the holidays are “finally over.”
Read MoreThe Gift of Music
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“Sing to the mountains because as you sing, they are being cast into the sea. As you sing, the portals of heaven are opening.” Sherry K. White
Read MoreHeavy: Finding "Our Moral Center"
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These days are heavy. As I dropped Clivie off at school this morning, I cranked up my “Strong Women” playlist in the car to lift my spirits after listening to a few minutes of the impeachment hearings, coverage of the school shooting in Santa Clarita, and news of the Supreme Court deliberations about DACA I also have one of the scriptures I memorized with Grandma running repeatedly through my mind-In perfect King James English.
Read MoreThe One We Are Waiting For
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Hopi Elders say “We are the ones we have been waiting for.” How many of us spend our days waiting for someone else to change things?
Read MoreRev. Jeanne's Hand Blessing Ceremony from the UCH 60th Anniversary Celebration
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There have been a lot of requests for Rev. Jeanne’s Hand Blessing from the Anniversary Celebration. So we made it todays blog. -Editors
The Work of Our Hands: A Blessing for the United Church of Hayward, UCC 60th Anniversary Celebration © Rev Jeanne Loveless
Read MoreThe Waters That Connect Us All
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“The monastic life is like digging into a well: over the years you dig deeper and deeper in your understanding of things, until the day arrives that you reach the waters that connect us all.” Brother David
Read MoreThe "New Normal"
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I think that I first heard the phrase from a newsperson on cable TV referring to the state of our country under an immoral and criminal leadership style unlike anything we have ever experienced. The new normal replaces the usual, the expected, and the typical state of affairs to which we have become accustomed. The new normal encourages us to deal with the current situation rather than spending time and effort lamenting about change and loss.
Read MoreA Blessing?
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Often these days I find myself questioning the worth of my prayer life. These are the times when I am certain, upon reflecting back, that I confuse prayer with a request line. You know what I am talking about, I’m sure you do.
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