Blessings to you this Thursday morning! A huge shout of gratitude for those who made last weekend’s Holiday Artisans Fair a huge success… so many of you! And to those of you who opened your hearts to vulnerability and care in  Sunday’s ritual of holding hope for one another. 

Many of us were moved by the letter I shared (24:20) from a mother, currently incarcerated in our local jail after being picked up by ICE in another state. She and a small group of other ICE detainees wrote to express their gratitude for our weekly vigils outside the jail and to share their stories. If you would like to write back, I am able to deliver your notes through my channel of connection next Wednesday. Notes of support would be much appreciated, with reminders that we are holding her in love, in our prayers, that we have not forgotten about those who have been incarcerated by ICE, and that her life matters to us. 

• Please either email your note to me with the subject line “Letter” or … 
• Leave your note in the church office dropbox in an UNSEALED envelope (signed with your first name only in black or blue ink on plain paper). 
• If you are a Spanish speaker, please write your letter in Spanish (otherwise, we will translate it for you). 

This is a powerful way to show our support, lend our hope, and send our love and prayers to someone in an impossibly hard and inhumane situation. As the title of Sunday’s service reminds us, “Even in Our Fear, We are Called Forward.” 

Sunday brings us to the third week of our series What Do You Fear? It is the third Sunday in Advent as well as the first night of Hanukkah. We’ll shift our attention to the Jewish sacred story of the oil that lasted 8 days … a miracle! 

Sometimes saying “yes” to life’s invitation to take the risk of living our values out loud in the world fills us with fear. We might fear that we aren’t enough, that we’re alone, that no one will listen. And yet even in that fear, we are called. We are invited to live fully into who we are created to be and assured that we do not move forward through our fear alone. Too often we talk about bravery and courage in terms of hero narratives or big actions, but each day presents many moments to practice small, quiet acts of courage. 

Join us in celebrating the courage we each have as we answer Love’s call… as well as the many lights that guide us along the way. I hope to see you soon, friends. Until then, I am holding hope for and with you. 

In faith,

Rev. Tara