Last Sunday, I invited us into our new series, Seeds of Advent: the Slow Growth of Future Promise by jumping into the book of Ruth and how she writes herself into the bigger story of God with her compassion and lovingkindness towards Naomi. Her steps plant the seeds of the Messiah and her steps prepare the way for the Messiah for generations to come. The natural cycles of planting and harvesting, sowing and reaping, in the text continue to invite resurrection in my body and soul. Familia, I hope that you continue to think about the seeded words we all shared last Sunday because this means our familia is planting and reaping as we are “adventing” together and together.

Advent Solidarity with Palestine

We continue to plant seeds of hope amid despair. Pastor Bobby and I continue to join a local grassroots coalition of Jews, Muslims, Christians, and people of no faiths, who stand in solidarity with the genocide that has been occurring since October 7 in Gaza through Monday Prayer Vigils. We have given you several opportunities along the way to inform yourself and invite you to pray, petition, and become involved, should you wish to do so.

Here are a few ways that you can join and other ways our church has joined this painful peacemaking work:

1. Sign the End the Nakba Letter where Palestinian Christians are urging us fellow followers of Jesus to demand a ceasefire and mourn with Palestine this Advent season. Hospitals, schools, homes, and places of worship have been bombed and desecrated, violating human rights and international law. Read the letter thoroughly and inform yourself.
2. Our Shalom & Justice Team made an emergency donation two weeks ago to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund in the amount of $500 as we are witnessing the horrific and egregious sins against the most vulnerable. It is not lost on us as we celebrate Advent, that around the birth of Jesus, the empire murdered innocent children under the age of 2.
3. Read the God is Under the Rubble in Gaza article written by the Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem. Their recent disruptive Nativity scene, God is Under the Rubble, has made the rounds around the world. In solidarity, the pastoral leadership of our church, alongside Pasadena Mennonite Church and Conexión, are working on a similar nativity in the next couple of weeks.

Advent Rhythms

NEW: Las Posadas

We plan to invite the other two churches to join us for Las Posadas at the historical Plazita Olvera, on Wednesday, December 20th. Join us for any or all of these easy on-ramps for an embodied Nativity experience. 5:30pm – join us for tacos at one of the many food places on Olvera Street, 6:30pm Children’s Piñata, and/or 7:15pm hop on to follow the Living Nativity Procession which lasts about 20 mins.

Please remember that Christmas Eve Sunday (December 24) is a Sabbath Sunday. And we’ll close the 2023 year with our annual Hello/Goodbye Zoom Living Room service, online at 10:30 AM (yes! morning!) on Sunday, December 31st. It will be a time to contemplatively reflect on the year that was while wholeheartedly looking ahead to one that will be.

OC United

Last call for the OC United Christmas Store. Caleb and his team have put together an OC United Amazon Wish List here. The deadline to receive these gifts (please check shipping & handling times) is December 10th. Should you wish to support this endeavor, there is now only time to receive the gifts in person at church this upcoming Sunday and leave at the Welcome Table for Caleb!

Familia, may you water the seeds of your advent in this season in the soil of God’s unfailing and steadfast love for you and our familia.

Gracia y paz,

Inés