While we may not be able to process together in person this year, we can in spirit! Send a photo of yourself waving a branch from home. They’ll be added to the slideshow for our Palm Sunday livestream. Send photos to jess@westernpresbyterian.org by Noon on April 1.Read More →
We just finished our second live stream Worship service. We’re still working out the kinks, and we have ideas on how to fix and refine. It’s been a steep learning curve for us all, but we pick up the pieces and forge ahead because, in this new norm of social distancing, we’re all craving community and connection. As I lookedRead More →
Dear Western Church Family, Greetings from my makeshift desk (aka a table in our basement) where I’ll be doing most of my work for the next several few weeks. If you are teleworking, chances are you’re exhausted from teleconferencing. If you’re trying to play the equivalent of an eight-week quiet game (where you see how long you can remain still),Read More →
NOTE: The Zoom registration link on this page was updated on March 13. Dear Western Friends, Grace and peace to you all in the midst of this Lent. I write you on behalf of the Session with news and updates as we respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. As we all know, much is still unknown about the virus, but weRead More →
Worship This Sunday: March 22 and following We will be worshipping together via livestream, in order to practice social distancing and care for our larger community. Register for the Zoom (video or phone) livestream. We now have a recurring webinar setup, so you only need to register once but will receive a weekly reminder email with the link and phoneRead More →
Just over one week into Lent, we at Western remember scripture’s call to the church to “rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” The last few weeks have seen a number of changes and challenges for members of our community and therefore for all of us. Out of respect for sensitivity and confidentiality, I tend not toRead More →
Presbyterians haven’t always observed Lent. It’s a relatively new thing, and we don’t always know what to do with a season that invites us to face the reality of death. Many of you know about the tragic act of violence outside our church door that resulted in the death of Kevin Chamberlain, a member of the Foggy Bottom community whoRead More →
In Robert Bolt’s playA Man for All Seasons, Sir Thomas More says to his daughter, “When a man takes an oath,, he is holding his own self in his own hands. Like Water. And, if he opens his fingers then – he needn’t hope to find himself again. “When we swear an oath or take a vow, when we areRead More →
Your Session sat for its regular monthly meeting earlier this week. As you know, the Session – elected by the congregation and ordained as elders – constitutes the local governing body of a Presbyterian church. But the Session is not just the church equivalent of a business or non-profit board. In addition to good governance, our responsibilities carry a spiritualRead More →
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. – Martin Luther King Jr. This quote lingers with me as I’ve walked through our 24th Street entrance over the last few weeks, remembering the incident on our sidewalkRead More →
