A Prayer for the Ceasing of State Violence and the Protection of All People

A prayer from Rev. Deborah Lee, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity.  

Holy, Loving and Compassionate One,

We hold grief in our hearts at the brutal and tragic ICE killing of Renee Nicole Good, a beloved daughter, mother of three, poet, and good neighbor—whose life was taken in Minneapolis during an ICE enforcement operation. Every person deserves safety, belonging, and freedom from fear, harm, and discrimination. May her life be honored with justice, compassion, and the sacredness of every human life.

We say her name. And we say the names of at least 6 other loved ones who have been killed in ICE operations since the beginning of 2025: parents, workers, immigrants and citizens: Jaime Alanis Garcia, Silverio Villegas Gonzales, Marimar Martinez, Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdez, Josue Castro Rivera, Keith Portal Jr., and one who is still unnamed killed at the Rio Grande.

We say their names. And we say the names of the 32 people who needlessly died in ICE detention in 2025, deprived of healthcare, basic necessities and their liberty. We lift up each life who has died into your loving arms. We pray for their children, their families and communities who are suffering and grieving. Grant them comfort, healing and the strength to go on. 

We condemn these ICE killings. And we lift up their lives. We celebrate the fullness of their lives, their best memories, their hopes and their dreams. May their dreams become ours. May we carry them in our hearts and remember them with dignity, honor, and justice.  

We pray for the ceasing of this state's racialized violence and state terror. The occupation and repression has stricken our communities with fear, grief and trauma. Here within our nation and through our country’s actions globally.  

We pray for the end of US military violence, state violence and all forms of violence that go against the dignity and sacredness of human life. We pray for the more than 80 people who were killed this week in the US attack on Venezuela in direct violation of human rights, sovereignty and international law. Our faiths teach us: No life must be shed. No stealing of that which is not ours.  

We pray for the protection of all people. We hold the 68,000 who are confined in ICE detention centers across the country. We pray for their safe release and swift return to their loved ones. We pray for refugees and people everywhere who have been displaced and impacted by militarism and violence, especially in Palestine and Sudan. 

When systems of power turn into tools of harm rather than peace, grant us the courage to speak up in truth and stand with those who face injustice. Give us the commitment to continue to look out for one another and walk in humility alongside those who suffer.

May our hearts mourn, but still grow in love. In the face of “might makes right”, give us resolve in the belief that only Love makes right. May our creativity transform fear, force, and dehumanization into actions that honor and protect all human life and dignity.  

Grant us a deep source to continue to walk in love, welcome all with joy and compassion, and celebrate our common humanity. May our wellspring of love run deep and overflow.  

Bearing the Light in a Disturbed Time

I'm glad to be back from break. Our leaky roof and living room ceiling are repaired and all of the plastic and buckets are out of the living room. It feels overwhelming to land back at work in the middle of yet another more intense and escalating national crisis. Like you, I am angry and upset about many things. I am particularly upset about the murder of Nicole Renee Good, a mother, poet, and member of the Queer community in Minneapolis, and the escalating violence in our nation that is being driven by irresponsible leadership, non-existent moral compasses, lies, greed, and incendiary rhetoric. I am aware that more than ever, we at UCH need to take deep breaths and root ourselves and our actions in our values and in the values of Jesus Christ: values like empathy, compassion, peacemaking, justice seeking, boundaries, table turning, spiritual practice, and love of God and love and care for our neighbors and ourselves. (Link to values statement here). The Holy Spirit wouldn't leave me alone last Sunday and didn't seem to care that I was on vacation. I know Jackie beautifully celebrated Epiphany with you. And I'm grateful for that. So here's a piece of my Epiphany sermon I didn't preach but felt in my blood and bone. I love you'all.  May the words of Mother Mary bless and inform our steps in the coming days.  

Herod leaves a trail of lies, death, and destruction because he is terrified of losing power. He is a desperate, mentally compromised, cruel, and vindictive man with a history of misusing his office, sowing chaos, parading and flexing the Legionnaires garrisoned at Caesarea Maritima, and destroying everyone around him who opposed him (or who he thinks might be disloyal like his wife Miriamne). He also had a familiar to us habit of self soothing by knocking down and building up very large buildings in his own honor as noted in historical (Josephus) and archaeological record.

There is a very good reason that Matthew's Gospel tells us, when "King Herod was disturbed. All of Jerusalem was disturbed with him." He doesn't care how his actions affect others, especially those who are most vulnerable. I'd wager that folkx in Judea were perpetually exhausted from living in a constant state of being disturbed.

Is anybody here disturbed? Is anyone here exhausted from being disturbed, or pondering the next violent self-serving move by our very own 21st century Herod?

Maybe that is one reason Mother Mary, in Luke's account, starts singing with God in the tradition of her ancestors. Women do odd things like this when we are exhausted, pondering, and disturbed. And Mother Mary had a lot to ponder and be exhausted and disturbed about as she said "yes" to the work of carrying God in her womb. But unholy empire, unjust rulers, and the arc of the moral universe bending toward justice (as Dr. King would have put it) seem to be very much on her mind.

May her words , her utterance, her song of calling down power in the midst of exhaustion, pondering, and disturbance be so. And may we say a resounding "yes" with her to bearing the light of Christ unapologetically in the face of imperialism and white Christian nationalist evil:

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for God who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is God's name.

And God's mercy is for those who fear them from generation to generation. She has shown strength with her arm; God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; she has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly; God has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. God has helped me, God's servant, in remembrance of their mercy, as they spoke to our ancestors, and will speak to their descendants forever.”

Castro Valley's Adobe Art Center

The construction of an adobe structure required the ingredients of sand, clay. and water mixed to form a thick mud to which straw was added for stability. The mixture was then pressed into wooden forms and sun dried to create bricks. Once dry, the bricks were stacked forming the structure with a wet adobe mixture used as mortar, and finally the dried walls were typically painted with a protective white lime coating.

There are a handful of original adobe structures of Spanish Heritage dating from the mid-1700’s to the mid-1800 still standing in the East Bay. Fremont’s Mission San Jose Museum, Higuera Adobe in Warm Springs and Vallejo Adobe in Niles, along with Casa Peralta in San Leandro and Dublin’s Francisco Solano Alviso have been carefully restored, or are being held in a state of arrested decay. Not among the original adobes is the Hayward Area Recreation and Park Department’s (HARD) Adobe Art Center in Castro Valley, an authentic adobe reproduction built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938. The building is located in an old elm grove planted by Boy Scouts in 1926 on the rear of the former location of the Castro Valley Grammar School on Castro Valley Blvd. The building is constructed from hundreds of 4x9x16 inch adobe bricks from soil excavated from the site of Redwood School on Redwood Road, hand hewn timbers from discarded telephone poles provided by the Pacific Telephone Company, and coated with special paint developed by the Gliddon Paint Company of Oakland. Unlike the original crude adobes, the Castro Valley reproduction featured a tile floor, entrance lobby, kitchen, restrooms, a large meeting hall with a copper mural over the large fireplace portraying scenes from of life of California Indians, and a mosaic at the entrance to the building depicting a bull fight and the completion of the intercontinental railroad.

The Adobe Art Center has become the center for local community arts and history housing permanent exhibits and hosting rotating shows, temporarily for other purposes in intervening years, but most memorable to me, The Castro Valley Adobe is the grammar school where I attended kindergarten under the patient and thoughtful teacher Mrs. Bea Hampton in 1947.

Stay. Wait. Something is on the horizon.

It is not possible to keep it from coming, because it will. That’s just how Advent works. What is possible is not to see it, to miss it, to turn just as it brushes past you. So, stay. Sit. Linger, Tarry, Ponder. Wait, Behold. Wonder. There will be enough time for running. For rushing. For worrying. For pushing. For now. Stay, Wait. Something is on the horizon. -Jan Richardson

 I have noticed during our Advent journey in worship that there have been times when we want to push the pause button and sit. This has happened after my sermons, during the silent time after our “Be Still and Know” prayer, and after some of the music we have enjoyed together. I think this desire to push the pause button is very important to notice because it is counter cultural, especially in the energetic speeding up, consumerism, family challenges, and stress of the holiday season.

As the ever funny and wise Anne Lamott writes, “It is important to embrace the pause; to create quiet space so we can hear God’s voice. If our tongues are wagging, we can’t hear anything but ourselves.”  God’s voice is present in the listening. God’s voice is still speaking in silence and stillness. God’s voice can be heard in slowing down and doing something life-giving. God’s voice can be heard in the silent embrace of being enough and doing enough. God’s voice gets louder when we slow down, notice, and be curious.

I’m smiling at myself while I am still typing away and will resist the temptation to throw more words at you about silence, waiting, pausing, and being still.  What I will say in closing - is that as we prepare for the 4th Sunday of Advent, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Epiphany, and the New Year, I invite you push that pause button as we give birth to, and re-welcome the Light of Christ into our world- in the face of all that is joyful, tearful, frustrating, shocking, complicated, and (yes) holy.

As the beloved song we will sing in a few nights puts it, “Long lay the world in sin and error pining. Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.” May our souls feel their worth. Pushing the pause button will help. Do it as often as you need. Because no matter who you are, where you come from, or where you are on life’s journey- Advent or not, you are worthy and you are loved, no matter what is on the horizon.   

Much Love and Happy Holidays, -Rev. Jeanne

Living Our Values: A Simple Step Toward Being Open & Affirming

Several of you have indicated to me over the last month that you want to find more ways to intentionally live into our UCH/Jesus values statement. So I'm going to start including more articles in Updates that will spark conversation and help us do that from different angles. 

Here is a great article from "Them" magazine about using gender neutral pronouns.

Action items: 

1. Read the article. Think on it. What can you work on? Pray for God to give you awareness. 

2. I invite everyone to share your pronouns on Zoom during worship as part of our public Open & Affirming commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community. If you don't know how to do that tech-wise,  Ashley, Steve, or I would be glad to help. If you want to talk to me about it I'm here. 

3. Also, if you mess up someone's pronouns, don't crawl under the bed and make it all about you. Just apologize and do it differently. Its hard to get our brains out of the grooves of privilege they live in and on different, better tracks. Maybe that is what Paul was getting at (in one of his stellar moments) when he talked about "being not conformed to the world but being  transformed by the renewing of our minds" in Romans 12. 

Also helpful: Think of it like learning a new language like the author suggests. Here's the article. -Rev. Jeanne 

2025 UCH Advent Series and Theme: “Stay. Wait. Something is on the Horizon.”

"Mary treasured and pondered these things in her heart." -Luke 1

“God marked the horizon when they separated the waters and set the boundary between day and night.” -Job 26:10

“It is not possible to keep it from coming, because it will. That’s just how Advent works. What is possible is not to see it, to miss it, to turn just as it brushes past you. And you begin to grasp what it was you missed, like Moses in the cleft of the rock watching God’s hindquarters fade into the distance. So stay. Sit. Linger, Tarry, Ponder. Wait, Behold. Wonder. There will be time enough for running. For rushing. For worrying. For pushing. For now. Stay, Wait. Something is on the horizon.” -Jan Richardson

We will continue our series about overlooked women in scripture during Advent through the lens of Mary's wisdom and memory. Luke tells us multiple times she "pondered" things in her heart as they unfolded. The Greek word translated ponder is sumballó:συμβάλλω and with it, according to Strong's, there is a sense of tossing things together in one's mind and heart and stirring them around- somewhat like tossing a salad. 

Sumballó/pondering is not a linear process. It's a winding journey from present, to past, and back to present. It involves remembering, feeling, thinking things through, tossing them together, and listening for the voice of the Holy- all while cultivating hope for the future. What did Mary toss together in her heart and mind? What did she ponder as things unfolded? Who and what did she remember? What did she struggle with or hold close? 

My suspicion is that one of the things Mary remembered and pondered was the wisdom of the women who were formative in her life, who prepared her with their love, stories, and strength to give birth to the light of Christ that was now appearing on her life's horizon. 

We often wish we had information than the stories in our biblical Canon provide. There are actually many stories outside the Canon that can widen our horizons and cause us to ask more questions about Mary's ponderings in our canon of scripture - especially as they pertain to the formative women in her life. So in addition to the traditional Advent stories in Luke and Matthew this year (and a visit with Hannah in I Samuel), we will be visiting stories in the Qur'an, and The Infancy Gospel of James. 

December 7, 2nd Sunday of Advent: The Infancy Gospel of James and Quaran. We will drop into Mary's story as she is taking on a major sewing project for the temple. As she gets down to work, things start to get weird. I look forward to exploring this story of preparation, and finding God in extraordinary and very ordinary things that Mary must have been remembering as she pondered and prepared for her calling to give birth to Emmanuel, "God with us."

December 14, 3rd Sunday of Advent: Luke 1 and I Samuel. We will explore the more familiar canonical story of Elizabeth and Mary in Luke 1 and ponder their connection with their Israelite spiritual ancestor and matriarch Hannah in I Samuel. Ancestors have lots of ways of showing up in our ponderings. And Hannah makes herself known in a way that shows she was very much on the hearts, ponderings, and well known songs of Mary and Elizabeth recorded by Luke. 

December 21, 4th Sunday of Advent: Infancy Gospel of James and the Gospel of Matthew. Join us as we explore more of James' midrash on Mary's life as she meets and builds relationship with a rather strange older gentleman named Joseph. We will also look at Matthew's (rather scant) record of events around Mary's relationship with Joseph and their instructions to name Jesus, "Emmanuel." (One of my favorite God names that means "God with us") Join us this Sunday as we continue our ponderings with Mary and get closer to the big day. 

December 24, Christmas Eve: Luke 2. We will ponder with and learn from Mary, as we accompany her on this holy night, in the fully divine, fully human task of being a God-Bearer (Theotokos) and giving birth to the light of Christ in the world. May our soul "feel its worth" in this calling. 

I look forward to pondering these things with you during this 2025 Advent season. Join me as we stay. And as we wait. Because indeed: Something is on the horizon. -Rev. Jeanne

How UCH is responding to the SNAP shutdown.

As you all have heard, because of the government shut-down, food subsidies like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) will "expire" and not be sent out to accounts this weekend. This is a disaster for many lower and fixed income folkx who depend on these grocery subsidies to be able to put food on the table. Food pantries and providers across California and the US are gearing up to meet this disaster. And as our values statement at UCH says, Jesus is very clear in the gospels that it is part of our call and responsibility as followers of The Way to feed those who are hungry (Matthew 25: 35-40). 

Here are some ways UCH is responding to this situation:

1. I am attaching a recently updated local services grid that outlines ways to receive meals and food assistance in Hayward on a daily basis. Please share this with anyone who is in need that would benefit. 

2. The United Church of Hayward Council is exploring the possibility of significant church donations to South Hayward Parish food bank, and Comida para Cherryland/Eden Foundation food bank that serves primarily immigrant families in Cherryland. Since this requires a congregational vote to alter the 2025 budget, the Council is calling a short congregational meeting for this vote on Gratitude Sunday, November 23 after worship. Please stay on the same worship Zoom link. 

3. I am also concerned that there may be some immediate and extended members of the UCH Community who will be directly impacted by this situation. If you or a neighbor or friend you know is facing struggle this month, I invite you to let me know discreetly and confidentially. I will use UCH Minister's discretionary fund monies allotted by UCH Council to make sure you will be able to put some food on your table. Please email me privately: revjeanne@uchucc.org.

4. After ongoing conversation with Kristina and me, Pastor Marvin has offered to arrange "a special volunteer orientation" for UCH members who would like to partner with Eden and "take a deeper dive" into Eden's community resilience and community empowerment programs. If you are interested in hands-on volunteer work with others from UCH to help those in need in Hayward (particularly those in the Cherryland immigrant community), please let Kristina or me know: revjeanne@uchucc.org and Kkburnett@comcast.net.  We will get the group together and arrange the date for this partnering opportunity with our siblings in Christ.  

Meanwhile, please be in prayer for all who are impacted by this deeply unfortunate situation. May God have mercy on us and our nation in coming days. -Rev. Jeanne

Finding Treasures, Hearing Wisdom, Encountering Beauty: Gratitude & Stewardship Month

“I have been finding treasures in places I did not intend to search. I have been hearing wisdom from tongues I did not intend to listen to. I have been encountering beauty where I did not want to look for it. And I am learning so much from journeys we did not intend to take.”

— Suzy Kassem

Dear Beloved Community,

Our journey continues at UCH, and who could have imagined that we would be in this place during our 2025 Stewardship/Gratitude month. We are immersed in ongoing, upsetting, daily multi-level national and global crisis, and living into so many places of not-knowing. In response we are rooting ourselves more fully in the values of Jesus and growing. We are becoming more outreach-focused and thriving and attracting new listeners to our Live-Streams and UCH Rebuild podcasts. Our website and blog visits are also growing. And our new weekly “Updates from the Journey” and monthly “Notes from the Journey” are driving online visits up, indicating that we are reaching more folkx who need an alternative to the distorted christian nationalism that is being served up as truth in our nation. We are delighted to have received a $60,000 Clergy Renewal grant from CTS/Lilly Foundation and are excited and daunted by work that lies ahead to make it happen. Change is thick in the air. And as Suzy Kassem suggests, we continue to find “treasures in places (we) did not intend to search. And are learning so much from journeys we really didn’t intend to take.”

November is Gratitude and Stewardship Month at UCH. And our theme this year is “Finding Treasures, Hearing Wisdom, and Encountering Beauty on Journeys We (Did and) Did Not Intend to Take.”  Each Sunday in November we will be hearing from one of our UCH lay leaders during gratitude time in worship about how they have been surprised, challenged, and found joy on our journey through pandemic, the sale of our property, continuing online ministry, and anxiety provoking politics that repeatedly violate our values.

On November 23, we will be blessing our UCH tithes, bank accounts, investments, treasurer, and bookkeeper, and our growing efforts to make our budget reflect our values. On November 23, as part of our UCH Gratitude Month, we will have a short congregational meeting and vote after Zoom worship on amending the 2025 budget to include two generous donations to South Hayward Parish and Comida para Cherryland foodbanks in response to the government shutdown, and to the suspension of SNAP in particular. This is a powerful way to bring our budget more into alignment with our values statement that clearly states we will follow Jesus’ call to “feed the hungry” (Matthew 25) in our community.

Our Council also asks you to prayerfully consider your gifts of time, talent, and treasure, as we construct our budget for the coming year. Our Vice Moderator Scout has generated an online pledge form for you to fill out and submit. Please submit your answers by November 23 so that we can bless all pledges, of time, talent, and treasure or anything else you want to offer to our church’s ongoing ministry, during worship on that day.

I am deeply blessed to be your Senior Minister and Teacher. And I am grateful for each one of you, and for how our desire to be in Beloved Community has taken precedence over our fear of technology and how we continue to grow in that together. I am looking forward to more opportunities to be grateful with you this month, and to bless our resources on November 23. I give thanks with you—for the difference we are making in each other’s lives and in our communities during these challenging times. May we all find ways to live into our calling to be seekers embracing the journey -- no matter where we are “Finding Treasures, Hearing Wisdom, and Encountering Beauty on Journeys We (Did and) Didn’t Intend to Take.”

Much Love,
Rev. Jeanne, and the Council of United Church of Hayward, UCC

Rev. Jeanne's Top 10 Sermons

UCH has been publishing Jeanne’s sermons to YouTube for nearly three years. Here are the most videos (Click the sermon title to watch, re-watch, or share.):

1. “Woke” Isn’t The Insult You Think It Is

2. Walking Our Way into A Different Ending: The Risen Christ as Healer

3. Bearing the Light, Even When It Costs Us

4. Being in Possession of Our Own Hearts

5. A Shared Regathering of Ourselves

6. Slowly Learned By the Heart

7. The (Holy) Struggle to Find the Words: Wrestling with God, Angels, Ourselves & Particles of Light

8. Ablaze with Blessing: The Spiritual Journey of Ascension

9. Ensoulment: Aligning Soul and Personality

10. The (Holy) Struggle to Find the Words: What Are We Doing Here?

Interspersed in these sermon videos for popularity are also introductory videos about United Church of Hayward and Rev. Jeanne. Have you watched these?

• A welcome from United Church of Hayward

• Conscious Breath & Healing Circle

• Meet Rev. Jeanne Loveless: A Journey of Faith & Healing

• Rev. Jeanne on Christian Nationalism

A Community Letter Regarding ICE Event

Hello everyone. You have likely heard there was an incident Wednesday morning between peaceful protesters and ICE/para military personnel at the entrance to the Coast Guard Station on Alameda Island. What you may not know is that my UCC clergy colleague, Rev. Jorge Bautista, the Minister of our sister church, College Heights UCC in San Mateo was shot with pepper balls and rubber bullets in the face. He is ok physically. But shaken. He was also assisted by Rev. Deb Lee and Rev. Terri Echelbarger who were also traumatized by the event.

Our NCNC UCC Conference Minister, Rev. Dr. Davena Jones sent out a community letter this morning that I'd like to share with you. Please keep Rev. Jorge, College Heights, and all of us who are standing in the values of Jesus by supporting our immigrant neighbors in peaceful protest in your prayers in coming days. 

Here is Davena's letter: 

United Church of Hayward, United Church of Christ and Rev. Jeanne Loveless receive CTS/Lilly Endowment 2025 National Clergy Renewal Grant

Look not at me with outward eye, but with inward vision of the heart; Follow me there and see how unencumbered we become. -Rumi

United Church of Hayward, United Church of Christ, a primarily online progressive Christian community based in Hayward, CA has received a grant of $60.000 to enable our Senior Minister & Teacher, Rev. Jeanne Loveless, to participate in the 2025 CTS National Clergy Renewal Program. United Church of Hayward, UCC is one of 200 congregations across the United States selected to participate in this competitive grant program, which is funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and administered by Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. Established by the Endowment in 2000, the program’s grants allow Christian congregations to support their pastors with the gift of extended sabbatical time away from their ministerial duties and responsibilities so they can rest and renew.

Ministers whose congregations are awarded grants use their time away from the demands of daily ministry to pursue renewal and revitalization. The approach respects the “Sabbath time” concept, offering ministers a carefully considered respite that may include travel, study, rest, prayer and immersive arts and cultural experiences.

Through the National Clergy Renewal Program, congregations apply for grants of up to $60,000 to support renewal programs for their pastors. Collaborative in nature and implementation, the program allows congregations to partner with their ministers in developing experiences that address their unique renewal needs and aspirations. Recognizing that ministers’ families are subject to the stress and demands placed on pastoral leaders, the program encourages pastors to involve their families in renewal activities. Congregational needs during the minister’s renewal experience also are considered. Up to $20,000 of the grant may be used to support interim pastoral leadership during the pastor’s retreat, as well as renewal activities within the congregation. Since the inception of the National Clergy Renewal Program and the Clergy Renewal Program for Indiana Congregations, more than 4,526 congregations throughout the United States and in Puerto Rico have participated in the program, including the 200 congregations receiving grants in 2025. The CTS Grant Proposal Theme is “What Makes Your Heart(s) Sing?”

The UCH renewal leave theme is “Longing for Unencumbered Hearts: A Journey of Vision Clearing and Renewal.” At UCH, we will be engaging in a special series of online workshops that will allow us to experience different vision and heart clearing healing modalities including EFT, Reiki, and Creative Visualization. We are also planning a poetry reading, an immersive spiritual/nature experience at a local botanical garden, opportunities to share the creative things we do, and an exciting livestream worship/podcast series on the CTS proposal theme “What Makes Our Hearts/God’s Heart Sing?” We will be inviting a diverse group of guest preachers and workshop leaders to create that podcast series.

Equipped with a new camera, Rev. Jeanne will take classes with an award-winning photographer, and she will be going on solo photography retreats in Arizona and at Mt. Shasta/Mt. Lassen National Park, where she will learn from indigenous photography teachers and guides. She and her family will also go on pilgrimage to Greece and Türkiye to experience and photograph early Christian and Byzantine sites as well as ancient Greek spiritual sites. In addition, she will visit Rumi’s shrine in Konya. Rev. Jeanne notes that there is a “heart and vision clearing relationship” between her deep rest, spiritual work and the quality of her photography.

As part of the rest and renewal, there will also be Greek Island family beach time and a chance for her son to run the ancient track at Olympia before the family returns to the Bay Area. After some more quiet retreat time at Mt. Shasta, Rev. Jeanne will return to lead our congregation and present an online photography show for the beloved congregation. She will use her photos to enhance our online worship in the coming year, and she will host a gallery photography exhibit and reception for the larger community.

“Pastors play such important roles in nurturing the spiritual lives of individuals and families and guiding the ministries of congregations,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “Yet the demands of ministry can seem relentless. We hope that these grants help congregations honor their pastors for their extraordinary service and support them with the time and other resources to step away for rest and renewal so they can return to their congregations reenergized.”

Dr. Robert Saler, Director of the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs at Christian Theological Seminary, noted that interest in the grant programs has grown significantly in recent years, with higher numbers of applications leading to increased competitiveness.

“In these challenging and exciting times, we’re watching the applicants and awardees of these programs expand the definition of what sabbatical can mean. Some pastors are stepping away to rest, while others are stepping away to devote themselves to other aspects of their ministry and their being. Our goal is that these programs supply congregations with the means to express appreciation for their leaders and actively invest in what reenergizes their pastors for long-term ministry,” Saler said.

Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis also directs the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Program for Indiana Congregations through its Center for Pastoral Excellence.

And we at United Church of Hayward, UCC are absolutely delighted to now be able to share this incredible news with you!

Contacts: Kristina Burnett, Moderator
Scout Husby, Vice Moderator
Jessica Matus, Treasurer

                     info@uchucc.org, (510) 449-7551

10 Books I Would Love For Everyone To Be Reading That Are Influencing My Preaching Right Now

I got a request this last week to share some new reading possibilities with you. My Thanks to Lola for publishing the reading list I created about white Christian nationalism in the October Notes from the Journey (page 8).

 We are going to be starting a new UCH Book Group during the 2026 Season of Lent, that I am hoping will become a permanent small group offering. Some of these books will definitely be on that list down the road. Books on B may have some of these, or can definitely order them. Many are also available as audiobooks if you prefer that reading method. I think it is always a great time to read and learn new things. Thank you to Chris for the suggestion. 

-Rev. Jeanne

1. Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church by Rachel Held Evans

2. Jesus Feminist: An Invitation to Revisit the Bible’s View of Women by Sarah Bessey

3. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

4. Accidental Saints: Finding God in all the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz Weber

5. Love Wins: A Book about Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell

6. Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes DuMez

7. Reading the Bible Again for the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously Not Literally by Marcus Borg 

8. How We Learn to be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith by Mariann Edgar Budde

9. Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible and What We Don’t Know About Them by Bart Ehrman

10. The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Refounding Democracy by Jim Wallis

Re-centering the Widow: A Lesson in Getting It Wrong

There are several times I confuse the names Elijah and Ezekiel in this sermon. (Because I have been single parenting this week, and am overwhelmed with what is going on in the world like many of you, and I'm tired). Elijah and Ezekiel were both First Testament Jewish prophets writing at different times and with different agendas. The point I was making about their names still holds. Ezekiel has a Hebrew name of God in his name- el. Elijah has a Hebrew name for God in his name -Jah. Rev. Dr. Wilda Gafney named the Widow of Zarapheth Ummaastarte (After the Canaanite Goddess Astarte) to point this out. 

 My apologies for this error. Especially to my Jewish friends.  

 I thought about how all of my male detractors online were going to attack and write me off about all of this, and at first I didn't want to let Ashley post it because I was mad at myself for the mistake. The criticism of women online is merciless right now. Especially when it comes to the bible and ministry. 

But the Holy Spirit encouraged me to sit with it. And it dawned on me from somewhere in my Shadow that this whole conversation was supposed to be about an unnamed widow from Zaraphath — not about Elijah and Ezekiel. I had inadvertently placed my focus on these male prophets (while owning my error) and silenced her and diverted away from her story yet again. (Which is exactly what I was trying not to do). 

I think it is a terrific lesson about how hard it is to engage scripture in the way we are engaging it in this series. Even in my preaching about an unnamed woman, I unconsciously made things in my head about the names of two much more well known male prophets. 

It feels like an important revelation. I'm sitting with it. I think it deserves a blog of its own after my sitting. -Rev. Jeanne

Our annual Blessing of the Animals is October 12 -- on Zoom!

"The Naming of Cats" from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey--
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter--
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum-
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover--
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name. 

And Everywhere there will be a Feast: Celebrating World Communion Sunday

And the table will be wide.
And the welcome will be wide.
And the arms will open wide to gather us in.
And our hearts will open wide to receive.

And we will come as children who trust
there is enough. And we will come
unhindered and free.
And our aching will be met with bread.
And our sorrow will be met with wine.

And we will open our hands to the feast without shame.
And we will turn toward each other without fear.
And we will give up our appetite for despair.
And we will taste and know of delight.

And we will become bread for a hungering world.
And we will become drink for those who thirst.
And the blessed will become the blessing.
And everywhere will be the feast! 

—Jan Richardson

This Sunday is World Communion Sunday, and as Jan Richardson puts it “Everywhere there will be the feast!”  World Communion Sunday may come and go without much fanfare. But if you think about it, it’s actually pretty incredible. On World Communion Sunday, throughout the world, people are sharing the communion meal.  People who share Communion everyday—people who share communion once a week—and people who share communion once a month, or once a year are joining together to affirm our love for God, and each other, and to celebrate our covenants, and the promise of God’s King/Kindom.  We are called on this day to recognize that there is enough to share, and we all need to do some real soul searching and repentance about our complicity in why that very often doesn’t happen.   

Most assuredly, Christians and churches the world over understand Communion differently.  

• Some believe that the bread and wine of this meal actually becomes the body & blood of Christ. . . 

• Some believe that the bread and wine of this meal demonstrate that we are all part of one body. . . 

• Some believe that the bread and wine remind us of the sacrifice of Jesus. . . 

• Some believe the bread and wine instruct us to extend hospitality and service to others. . . 

• Some believe that the bread and wine are simply grain and grape that nurture our own bodies. 

You are probably not surprised to hear me say that I am not going to tell you what communion means. There is not one universal way to understand the communion meal.  That isn’t what World Communion Sunday is about. And that isn’t how we operate at UCH. But it is exciting to me that we can all come to this one open table and receive whatever it is we need on this day.  God meets us here- and welcomes us- no matter who we are, where we come from, or where we are on life’s journey. And that is the thing that makes this meal sacred.  

What does Communion mean to you? What does it mean to us at UCH and in the United Church of Christ?  I invite you to give that some reflection before we share communion on Sunday and are blessed by that holy act.  It is my prayer, that we will, as Jan Richardson suggests, “become the blessing” as we take what we receive out our Zoom sanctuary virtual doors and into our hearts and communities.

Five Ways the UCH Transitions Group is Taking Care of Ourselves and Our Communities During These Challenging Times

Our UCH Transitions Group met this week and had a great conversation about how we are all managing our stress during these challenging times. Rev. Jeanne took some notes, and we decided at the end of our time together; we would like to share our conversation with the rest of the UCH Beloved Community because we thought it might be helpful. We also want to make sure you‘all know you are invited to join us on the first Thursday of the month from 10:30 -11:30 am on Zoom. Our next meeting is on November 6. Please take care of yourselves and of each other.

-The UCH Transitions Group (and Rev. Jeanne)

---

1. Being in Community/Avoiding Isolation: Staying in touch with family, and friends. Spending time with family and friends in person or on Facetime, phone, or zoom. Attending church Zooms and being engaged in conversation. Going to women’s groups such as PEO or connecting with sorority sisters. Making a commitment to be in Transitions Group and coming to Bible Study and Worship on Sunday morning. Checking in more often on our neighbors and friends. Sending cards and notes. Listening to Podcasts and learning new things. Making sure I include diverse views in those podcasts. Checking in on neighbors. Finding out what is going on in the community and learning how to help those who are struggling and suffering with time, talent, and treasure.

2. Finding Our Voices: Learning to articulate our feelings about what is going on in the world. Pushing back when people around us say harmful (homophobic, racist, xenophobic things). Realizing that we are upset and angry because we are “rooted in the values of Jesus” (what Rev. Jeanne always says), And that is a good thing. Posting positive things on social media as a counter to negative things. Interacting with folkx in our community in positive ways. Smiling. Being kind. Making eye contact. Being involved in groups such as EAIC, Comida Para Cherryland, or the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity. Not being silent but speaking out about injustices. Attending rallies (Such as the Union City “No Kings” Rally on October 18). Listening to our church podcasts, sharing, following, and liking what we are doing online because we are offering Christianity and Community that are rooted in the values of Jesus. Folkx in the US need to know there are alternatives to “White Christian Nationalism” which is one of our superpowers at UCH.

3. Doing What Gives Us Life (and Letting Go of What Doesn’t): knitting, doing artwork, gardening, singing, playing music, listening to an audiobook, walking, reading, sitting in the yard, watching a show I enjoy, working a crossword puzzle, praying for the others; especially the congregation, and the Council and Rev. Jeanne, noticing flowers and wildlife, being outside in nature, noticing the changing seasons and cycles in nature. Journaling, practicing gratitude, Caring for our pets, or even wild animals or birds in the yard. Doing what gives us energy, and limiting what makes us feel overwhelmed and tired where we can. Spending time with friends and family, volunteering in the community. (See #1, and #2). Setting good boundaries with others and for ourselves.

4. Limiting News and Social Media and Watching and Listening to Things that are More Positive : Find out what is going on in the world and then turning off the computer, radio, or television. Listening to Heather Cox Richardson who always gives positive things we can all do at the end of clearly and understandably explaining things that are happening and talking about historical and political context. Listening to podcasts that are positive and that teach us new things (Including UCH Rebuild on Apple and Spotify). Watching shows that we enjoy. Not watching violence.

5. Being Aware of our Strengths and Limitations: Do what you can. Not everyone can march and protest, but we can support those who can and do. Call our representatives and stand up for our values and the values of Jesus in the ways we can. Put hearts on posts that you love. Post something that supports immigrants or Transfolkx. Ask yourself who you support with your time, talent, and treasure? Even the poor woman, who we talked about in bible study who put her coins in the temple treasury was praised by Jesus because she was doing what she could to make a difference. Tend to your piece of the puzzle (and your community’s piece of the puzzle) not the whole puzzle (See Jane Goodall’s quote above.). That can get really overwhelming.

Connections

Hardie Albright and I had a brief connection in 1973 when he was an instructor at UCLA and I was the designer of Acting, The Creative Process, the first of several drama college textbooks he authored. At the time I was unaware of his extensive show business career spanning vaudeville, film, theatre, television, and that he had provided the voice for one of Disney’s most iconic animated characters.

Albright made his stage debut in 1910 at the age of seven traveling throughout the northeast in his parents’ vaudeville act. Pursuing a career in their footsteps, he earned a bachelor of arts degree in drama, joined a repertory company and appeared in eight Broadway productions in the late 1920’s. A talent scout from Hollywood’s Fox Company signed him to a contract launching his film career in 1931 with a leading role in Young Sinners, followed by films with co-stars Joan Bennett, Myrna Loy and George Raft. Albright moved to Warner Brothers in 1932 where he appeared in films with Betty Davis, George Arliss, Barbara Stanwick, William Powell, and Jack Holt. Beginning in 1933, and for nine highly productive years, he appeared in thirty films released by nearly all of Hollywood’s studios, during which time he appeared with many of the industries’ “A” list stars culminating with Gary Cooper in Pride of the Yankees.

Walt Disney Studios tapped Albright in 1942 as a voice actor for their upcoming classic animated feature film where he gave voice to the adolescent title character Bambi, recorded at the company’s new Burbank studios.

Following World War II Albright retired from film acting and became a drama instructor at UCLA, textbook author and occasional movie director. During the 1960’s his acting career was reignited with guest appearances on many television series including The Twilight Zone, Bewitched, Leave it to Beaver, Hazel and Gunsmoke.

We make dozens of connections every day and although “six degrees of separation” may take us to anyone on the earth, we can only imagine where a single degree may lead.

Catching Rapturous Glimpses of Jesus in the Here and Now

Here is some online news for this week that sets context for what is on my heart today: 

• Belief That the End of The World is Coming Spawns TikTok Frenzy Called 'RaptureTok': What to Know

• The Rapture Didn't Happen. Former Believers Describe What Happens Next.

• The Rapture Didn’t Happen, And The Internet Is Disappointed

I went to put flowers on our family graves with my Grandma Vera one Memorial Day weekend when I was in grade school, and I remember we were standing by my Great Grandma's grave in the cemetery on the bluff above the Ohio river. And I noticed something I thought was interesting.  

"Grandma, why do all the graves face in one direction?"

A hush came over her. She closed her eyes, laid her weed trimmers on the ground, and began to clap. Her tears came and she whispered, "Glory to Jesus!" I moved back a little because I knew she was getting the Holy Ghost and she had already accidently hit me in the head a couple times swinging her purse at the Tabernacle where I went to church with her on Sunday evenings after attending the Disciples of Christ service with my Mom, Dad, Sister, and maternal grandparents in the morning. 

She started walking around our family plots praising and speaking in tongues. I had gotten used to her effusive worship style and tongue speaking at the Tabernacle. And I also learned not to bring it up too much at home because it would result in slammed doors and loud voices in my parents' bedroom. But I had never seen her get the Holy Ghost before in the cemetery. 

She began to quote I Thessalonians 4 in her soft southern lilt as she cried, walked, and clapped her hands. A few verses in she turned and looked at me with tears in her eyes waving her hands, " Aaaaaand the deeeeeeead in Christ shaaall riiise fuuuuuuurst." 

I was enthralled and a bit terrified. I loved her so much. She had a deep relationship with God that sustained her through many challenging things: poverty, a huge family, an alcoholic father, burying two children before giving birth to my Dad, and her marriage to my grandfather who was 35 years older than her and who she had took care of as he died of an ugly coal mine related cancer. Her spirituality was wrapped up in her hard life and intense trauma. But her devotion to the Holy Spirit was powerful. It impressed me deeply and still flows through my blood and bone like Ariadne's thread. And as my congregation knows, I bring up the Holy Spirit more than any UCC or Disciples of Christ minister they have ever had.

I'm also delighted this week to mark myself safe from John Nelson Darby's dramatic, misguided, and harmful dispensationalist theology about "the rapture" that is popular in evangelical white Christian nationalist circles, and still haunts us in the US as folkx post anxiously, study dispensation charts, imagine Hollywood fueled zombie like "resurection of the body" scenarios, and watch yet another predicted rapture day pass.

Misinterpretations of scripture, including I Thessalonians 4 abound. Paul was offering a calming pastoral word to concerned believers at Thessaloniki who wanted to make sure their deceased beloveds would be included in the impending Parousia which he had told them was happening fast- like tomorrow at 3:00. This SHOULD BE a huge issue in any New Testament conversations because Jesus did not return the way Paul said he would. But instead we have freakout on Rapture Tok. 

I think there really is a part of us that would love for God to blow a trumpet and come and rescue us from this terrible dreary mess that we have made of our planet, our nation, and our relationships with each other.

But instead, we are all still here. And Jesus, the Risen Christ, is showing up in front of us- not for his second coming- but for his 10 thousandth and 10 millionth coming in ICE detainees, in Gaza refugees, in the Trans and Non-Binary communities, in our homeless siblings, the woman who can't afford her insulin, and the children who are hungry tonight.  

I hope you ‘all will join me in sinning boldly with unfettered empathy as we seek justice and work together to be Jesus' hands, eyes, heart, and feet in our world. 

And it is my prayer that you wilI catch rapturous glimpses of Jesus and of the kindom of God rising in each other- perpetually present and returning- in this hot and holy mess that is our here and our now. 

— Rev. Jeanne

Journey Updates: Opportunities

As discussed in last Saturday's Congregational Meeting: Here are some ways that we can get involved and amplify information and resources in our communities. The organizations and events listed here provide ways for us to live into our United Church of Hayward, UCC Values Statement, and to embody the values of Jesus Christ in our communities during these challenging times. — Rev. Jeanne

1. Five Calls: Here is the non-profit organization I mentioned where you can find updated pressing legislative issues, contact information, and phone scripts to call representatives in your location to advocate for our values. The Five Calls app is also available in the Apple and Google Play/Android store for your smart phone. If you are unable to rally or attend events, this is something you can do in your living room chair. Its also a great antidote for feeling helpless and isolated.

2. For more than twenty years, the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity has been joining hands with people of faith to act on core values and beliefs. IMHI defends the humanity of the immigrant and fights for the rights of the incarcerated. We work at the intersection of spirituality and social movements, and mobilize congregations to take a stand on issues of social justice like immigration and mass incarceration. IMHI hosts vigils, and events throughout the Bay Area. 

3. The Eden Area Interfaith Council represents diverse religious organizations in the East Bay that promote respect for all faiths and human rights for all. EAIC is a collective of religious groups in the Eden Area of Northern California's East Bay, including Hayward, Castro Valley, San Leandro, and San Lorenzo. EAIC plans local events and vigils, and decorates city hall in a way that honors all traditions during the holidays. UCH is a faith communuty member.​

4. Helping the Hungry: Comida para Cherryland at Eden UCC is distributing food every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month starting at 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm, or until food is gone. If anyone needs emergency food on our non-comida days, please call the Eden Office Manager at (510) 582-9533, to schedule an appointment to pick-up a food bag from Monday - Friday between 9-4pm.

   South Hayward Parish Food Pantry is open 4 days a week and serves thousands of pounds of food per month to our neighbors in Castro Valley, Hayward, and Union City. UCH is a founding member. Donations and volunteers are always needed.

5. The next local "No Kings" rally is on October 18, in Kennedy Park in Union City from 10:00-12:00. There are also rallies planned in Oakland, Hayward, and Fremont. For more information about events nationwide and locally: https://www.nokings.org/.

Into the Light: Finding Joy in Art

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” — Pablo Picasso

The above quote is on a rubber stamp a friend gave to me.  I’m not sure if it’s true that Picasso said that but it does sum up pretty perfectly how I feel about art.  Contemplating beautiful art is for me as life-giving as beautiful scenery or forest walks.  Note that I say “beautiful art” because, honestly, I don’t really like being challenged by bigger themes.  I like what makes my heart soar. Cue the Impressionist paintings. 

Making art is different.  It also feeds my spirit but in a different way.  It’s meditative and therefore relaxing but there’s something more.  It opens up a channel inside me that allows all the feelings to flow so it can be a joyful or tender or melancholy process.  Most of my paintings are 5” x 7” .  The largest are 11” x 14”.  I love diving into the fine detail, mixing the perfect color or layering and blending the colored pencils.

I don’t claim to be a great artist.  My talents are very modest.  People who do like my art, like it I think because I’ve found and tried to recreate a little bit of beauty.  I’ve read recently about trying to find the “glimmers” in each day; the kind word from someone, your favorite song, or the monarch butterfly that followed you on your walk (that really happened to me!).  When I print my artwork on cards and send them off, I’m trying to give a little glimmer to someone’s day.

Art comes in many forms, not just the visual arts.  I know nothing about music but I think I can understand the musicians impulse to find the nuance, the color, the balance in their art.  When we had the Kitchen Gallery at church, many people shared their art from drawings, poetry, photography, graphic art.  You’re invited to once again share your art in our Updates from the Journey.  Let’s send some glimmers out into the world.  We have a lot of love to share.

— Laurie Blue

My painting “Into the Light” is from a photo taken in a real place.  When I finished it, I was struck by how it perfectly showed the feeling of leaving behind a difficult time and once again inhabiting my contented self.