Goodness Weekly 8.28.23
“May you never discredit how far you’ve come.”
Morgan Harper Nichols
This Week
Tuesday, Aug 29th, 7 AM Taco Tuesday at One Another Coffee featuring Mission Bell and Primero Tacos
Wednesday, Aug 30th
10 AM Women’s Wednesday Fellowship
6 PM Youth Volunteer Dinner
Sunday, Sept 3rd
10:30 AM Worship in the Sanctuary
4:30 PM Supper Church
Upcoming…
Wednesday, Sept 6th, 7 PM Youth Group
Saturday, Sept 9th, 10 AM Second Saturday
Sunday, Sept 10th
10:30 AM Worship in the Sanctuary
4:30 PM Chapel Worship
Stay in touch with what’s going on around campus by visiting the Collective Calendar, and following us on Instagram.
What’s Good:
A Happy Birthday note to our friend and Shepherd Kelly Alba! We are so grateful for the many ways Kelly serves our community through her steadfast love and kindness. One of our favorites is the homemade communion bread she bakes every Sunday morning for our afternoon service. Thank you for all that you do for us Kelly and we hope you had a great day!
We hope you see lots of busy faces around campus this week as we prepare our new coworking space in rooms 201 and 202. Our wonderful caregivers and teachers at our new preschool, Sprouts School, are in training as well. Both will be open to the community next week.
A Message from Jess
Did you get to see the sky last night around sunset? There was something magical happening where the line in the light and the dark clouds met each other.
Intertwined in some parts, distinct in others.
We often draw a hard line between light and dark, good and bad, right and wrong.
I wonder how much of your life could actually be divided so neatly?
We put people in these categories and draw lines to show who is in and who is out, who is good and who is bad, or who is right and who is wrong.
But aren’t we all both?
Just like the sky last night, we are this fascinating and frustrating mix of light and dark. Every single one of us.
Our lack of self-awareness is one of the many things that causes us to point fingers and draw lines.
Like the older brother in our parable from last night’s service, we hold tight to the mistakes of others as if letting them go would have some negative consequence on us.
Perhaps it’s also because of the way we relentlessly expect perfection from ourselves. The ways we want to be perceived, as if we can control the way others perceive us. The ways we need to prove that we have it all together and can’t let one ball drop.
But they do.
The balls drop.
We make mistakes.
We say or do the wrong thing.
Because we are human.
And we are covered in grace, so why can’t we start seeing that for ourselves and for those around us?
And I’m not talking about cheap grace–the kind where a person does whatever they want hurting the people around them, and refuses to acknowledge their actions.
I’m talking about the grace that allows you to let go of the things that hold you in bondage. The kind that carries you as you dig deep and do the hard work of healing. The kind that stops the tape from playing your mistakes over and over.
This week, I want to invite you to join me in extending grace. Is there someone in your life that you need to forgive—whether they’ve apologized or not? Is there something you need to let go?
May this week find you lighter, more free, and more whole. And may each day remind you that you are human—try not to take yourself too seriously.
Love, Jess
Inhale:
I was human again just now, I’ll probably do it again soon
Exhale:
Help me to let go of the need to be anything else
Help me to be kind—to myself and to my neighbor
