Our Mission
To journey with Christ, each other, and the neighbors God gives us, celebrating our common humanity as well as our differences.
As we journey with Christ, each other, and the neighbors God gives us, we welcome and embrace all people in God’s rich diversity of race, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, social and economic circumstances, and abilities. We invite you, and the family that surrounds you, into this faith community as we learn, explore, and grow together in our understanding of God and the world and seek justice for people who have been marginalized because of their race, color, ethnicity, language, faith or anything else that too often separates us from God and one another.
Mientras caminamos con Cristo, nosotros mismos, y los vecinos que Dios nos da, damos la bienvenida a toda la gente. Celebramos la diversidad de la creación de Dios, incluyendo la diversidad de la raza, cultura, orientación sexual, identidad de género y expresión, clase económica, e habilidad. Te invitamos y tu familia a nuestra comunidad de fe mientras aprendimos, exploramos, y crecimos juntos en nuestra relación con Dios y el mundo y buscar justicia para las personas que han sido marginadas debido a su raza, color, etnia, idioma, fe o cualquier otra cosa que con demasiada frecuencia nos separa de Dios y de los demás.We celebrate God’s goodness in all that we do.
Guiding Principles of Our Faith Community
We honor and respect each person’s journey with grace and inclusivity.
We offer our best and seek to grow as we walk with Christ, understanding that we will make mistakes and will strive to learn from them.
We nurture and equip people to use their gifts and talents.
We reach out to and partner with others as we join God at work in the world.
We embrace diversity and value all people as children of God whose varied race, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, social and economic circumstances, and life experiences contribute to the richness and fullness of our community.
We are a Reconciling in Christ Congregation. Click on the image to see more about what this means.
What Now?
Eight years ago in Cleveland, I gathered with thousands of people on the Lorain-Carnegie bridge to join hands and stand silently for 30 minutes.
A Catholic nun had organized the event as a non-violent expression of unity and peace amid mounting tensions about race, politics and policing. The Republican National Convention was beginning at the east end of the bridge.
I still have the T-shirt. In bold red letters are the words “Stand for Love.”
That phrase kept coming to mind this week. Weary from a campaign season that played on hatred -- misogyny, racism and an irrational fear of people whose sexuality is other than binary – to divide people and gain votes, I wondered: what do we now? Where do we go from here?
As a leader of a faith community committed to affirming and celebrating all people as beautiful, beloved children of God, I cringed at the rhetoric, the hate speech.
As the shepherd of a flock which includes people who are immigrants, who are queer, who are trans, who are parents and grandparents worried about the fate of their daughters or grandchildren, I feared for their safety and their mental health.
Reading of colleagues also reeling and at a loss for words, I at first thought of throwing in the towel. Retire. Cancel the newspapers. Move to the wilderness that I love and that makes me happy. That gives me peace. Spend more time with my grandchildren, who give me so much joy.
But that T-shirt and that Sunday afternoon eight years ago kept coming to mind, too.
Stand for Love.
That phrase and bit of scripture wouldn’t let go of me. The scripture was from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians.
“So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all.” (Galatians 6:9-10)
So, what do we do now? Where do we go from here?
We breathe. And then we get back to doing what we do best. What God calls us to do. What God gives us the strength and courage to do.
Stand for love. Double-down on love, like people’s lives depend on it.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Mark