Abortion Rights are Human Rights

Dear friends,

My heart is breaking as I type. I’m so mad at what the Supreme Court has done this morning. I’m not surprised, mind you; this was expected and the result of a long-waged, evil strategy.

What the Court did this morning in overturning Roe vs. Wade, one of the most humane, ethical, responsible decisions of the last century, is an injustice to all Americans—all of us. The Dobbs decision is not justice.

Some may think this ruling protects children. It does not. If this were about protecting children, we’d be talking about equal wages and gender equity in the workplace so that parents could provide for their children. If this was about protecting children, childcare would be a fundamental, fully-funded government program and school systems would no longer be stacked against people living in poverty, especially BIPOC people. This decision is deeply connected to racism and entrenched white supremacy at all levels.

Let me repeat: the Dobbs decision is not about protecting children.

This is also not about the sanctity of human life. It is not. If this were about human life, healthcare would be a universally provided and equal right for all. Food, water, and housing would be readily available to everyone.

Let me repeat: the Dobbs decision is not about the sanctity of human life.

As people of God, it is our task to proclaim what we know to be true from scripture. God always sides with people on the margins, women and children especially. God gives us our breath, a breath that comes after we are born. God is no stranger to human injustice, and God will ultimately prevail.

Whatever you’re feeling, know that you are not alone. God is with us. We fight. We protect. We care and together we raise our voices.

We church.

Will

Update on The Collegiate Church & Call to Congregational Meeting

Beloved of West End Church,

As you know, the Collegiate Church of the City of New York is a very different church today than it was even one year ago. A year ago, we were five ministries, four of which were churches with both congregations and buildings. There were five senior ministers and a larger central staff all managing through pandemic as best anyone could and keeping all of us together. Much of that work remains the same, though our church today is very different.

Of all the change that has occurred, three specific events stand out. First, on December 5th, 2020, the sanctuary and campus of our sister Middle Collegiate Church was destroyed by a fire that began in an adjacent building. The insurance proceeds are nowhere close to what would be required to rebuild that building as it was. Second, the real estate project that the Ministers, Elders, and Deacons of Collegiate Church authorized many years ago near Marble Church collapsed. This has resulted in damage to our historic endowment of nearly 100 million dollars both already sustained and currently liable. This project also destroyed the administrative and programming building for Marble Church commonly known as the Bancroft Building that not only housed staff and programs, but also vital infrastructure most notably the boiler for the Marble sanctuary. Finally, last spring, the Ministers, Elders, and Deacons of the Collegiate Church voted to close Intersections International and dissolve the call of my colleague the Rev. Julie Johnson Staples. We are a church changed. And we are a church that will need to continue to change.

Last Saturday, the Executive Committee spent nearly five hours in retreat to hear everything that is currently on the table. West End’s delegation to this retreat included Elders Nathan Stilwell, Chair of our local consistory; Katherine Charapko, Chair of Collegiate’s HR Committee; Marilyn Flood, Chair of Collegiate’s Audit Committee; and me. I want you to know that your interests—historic, current, and future—could not have been better represented. Following that retreat, the remainder of our local consistory joined Nathan, Katherine, Marilyn and me on Monday night for a read out of that retreat and some frank conversation. On Tuesday night, the Executive Committee came together again for its stated meeting, during which we debriefed the retreat and set some work that needs to be done before the Full Consistory meets on Monday, December 6th.

Here at West End, we have a called Congregational Meeting for Sunday, December 5th immediately after worship both online and in the sanctuary; I encourage you all to be present. At that meeting, you will hear more of the back story, the finances, the challenges, and also the opportunities we have in this moment. The Consistory of the Collegiate Church includes 53 voting members—53 Elders, Deacons, and Ministers that are charged to lead the ministry of our singular church and respond to the most pressing needs of our people, city, and world. Of these 53 members, 11 come from West End Church, our ministry that has ministered to the Upper West Side since 1892 when the Ministers, Elders, and Deacons of the then Consistory built this campus as a combined church and school to serve our neighborhood. That same year, that same Consistory, also voted to build the building destroyed by fire less than a year ago on 2nd Avenue and 6th Street. At Collegiate, there is always a witness to our God who scripture tells is always doing a new thing. At Collegiate, there is always change.

Friends, many of you have already noted that change is in the air. It is. Last Saturday’s retreat, the meetings that have happened since and the ones that are being planned even now, are testament to this. Our church is about to change. We don’t yet know how or when, but the tragic events of this past year at Collegiate, of the ongoing pandemic, and our responsibility to steward this church so that it may exist for our children and their children are some of the why. At the retreat, Nathan, Marilyn, Katherine, and I heard the options currently on the table for how we may right this ship. We have now shared those ideas with the rest of our consistory—Madie Ivy Head, Cambridge Ridley Lynch, Carmita Padilia, Narvie Rundlet, Steve Cambor, Rich Bohart, Doug Hood, and Esau Reyes-Pesante. Wanting to be as transparent as possible, Nathan and I want to share with you in advance of our congregational meeting in two weeks the options currently being discussed. At this moment, in this new reality, and with an eye to sustainability and vibrancy for our future, Collegiate is considering significant reorganization, including the possibilities of: dissolving Collegiate, our centrally held assets and debt, and the remaining three building, and allowing each of the existing congregations to reform as their own entity; the possibility of merging two or more of the current congregations; the options for rebuilding a sanctuary for Middle Church on the existing site, of selling that site and building somewhere else, or of selling that site and partnering and moving in with one of the other Collegiate ministries; there is also the possibility of either redeveloping or selling additional Collegiate buildings meaning Marble Church, Ft. Washington Church, or our own West End Church.

I want you to hear and to hear from me that none of these are foregone conclusions and that all of these are on the table. We will discuss in more detail when we meet as the West End congregation in two weeks. I will continue to share, as I always do, as much information as I can in as timely a manner as I can. For now, I encourage you to plan to attend our meeting on December 5th. I ask for your prayers for our elders and deacons, and for our church. Humbly, I ask for your prayers for me. My colleague the Rev. Dr. Damaris Whittaker, currently the president of our Collegiate Church, writing to her own congregation at Ft. Washington offers the hope that we “may find God in the unexpected places.” Damaris writes that “we are being called to let go of our self-perceptions and embrace a new way of being.” To you, beloved West End, heaven alone knows where we are going, but friends we must go, and however we must change, we will do so together, and together with God.

With Impossible Hope,

The Rev. William Critzman
Senior Minister

Staying Home with Scripture

We did it! Our inaugural hybrid worship service is in the bag and it was so good to see so many of you in person and even more of you on screen in the sanctuary. In reflecting on how everything went, I think this was a solid first preview, not quite opening night yet, but definitely up and on our legs. We’ll be learning and continuing to make tweaks, as we always do, as we go.

I want to give a special thanks to everyone who joined us on Zoom yesterday! Seeing your faces on the screen, hearing your voices across the sanctuary sound system, and worshipping with that beautiful choir piece was so meaningful. Thank you for joining us from wherever you are, just as you are. God is with you.

To all of you who are worshipping at home every week or maybe just some weeks, I want to encourage you to volunteer as one of our lay scripture readers. For a time, while we continue experimenting, the scripture reader each week will be a Zoom participant, and we’d love to hear some new voices and always love hearing from our pros. Being a lay reader isn’t as scary as it may sound, and reading scripture aloud within worship is a great blessing. We’ve added a new and super easy to use sign up tool to the calendar entry for each Sunday Worship. Starting with October 17, you can click on "Hybrid Worship" for the Sunday you want to read Scripture, and sign up to be our Lay Reader in the top left corner. If you can't click on the button, that means someone has already signed up for this date, so please select a new date.

Thank you, friends. Blessings to each of you for the week ahead,
Pastor Will

Returning to the Building

Dear Friends,

I am so looking forward to seeing some of you here at church this coming Sunday!

As some of us return to the sanctuary for Sunday worship we’ll all be taking a gradual approach. Later this week, you will receive an email detailing the four stages of the building’s reopening plan. Obviously, we hope to move through these stages quickly, but safety and reality will be our guide.

I appreciate that this may feel overly cautious to some, and I hope you will join us in caring for those with the greatest need and concern at this time. In addition to proof of vaccination and mask wearing, we are also keeping our total time in the building to less than one hour, and the length of the service to less than 45 minutes. We are excited to open our sanctuary again, but please note that—for the time—there will be no access to other parts of the building including the downstairs, kitchen, or bathrooms.

Joining us in the sanctuary is for anyone 12 years of age or older with proof of vaccination. For families with children under the age of 12 who would like to gather with other families, we invite you to join us in the chapel where we’ll engage with the worship service, and one another, together. If you’re interested in joining with your children, please let me know as we are monitoring attendance in this room.

And for those of you still most comfortable at home, please know that you will always be welcome right where you are. The upgrades to our technology are for you and we’re making adjustments as we go to make sure we all stay together wherever we are.

Be well this day,
Pastor Will

Update from Reopening Taskforce

The Reopening Taskforce is hard at work designing protocols for keeping us all safe as we return to our church building in the coming weeks. I am particularly grateful for the diversity of views, all of which aim to be conservative, practical, and also joyful.  I am so looking forward to seeing you in person. I am also committed to all of our safety.

Over the next two weeks, we will be finalizing these new protocols and as we do we’ll be communicating with all of you. Today’s newsletter is the first of what will be a series of announcements related to our return to the church building. To help you with your own planning, I want to share the following two guidelines:

1. Proof of Vaccination is required for anyone 12 years of age or older for entry into the church building without exception. If you are not vaccinated, we invite you to continue joining our programming and worship services online. If you wish to join us in the building, you will need to show either your Excelsior Pass or your vaccination card and photo ID. If you need help downloading the Excelsior Pass app or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

2. Masks are required for anyone 2 years of age or older at all times while in the building. Your pastors and musicians will also be masked while leading worship in the sanctuary.

I look forward to seeing you soon—in person or on zoom—and to all the ways we will continue our journey together with God’s help.

Peace be with you,
Pastor Will

We missed you!

The Reopening Task Force met yesterday after church to continue detailing protocols for how we will return to using our sanctuary and campus this fall. The shifting landscape of the Delta variant gives us much to consider, and the Task Force is working hard to prioritize safety while also looking for ways for us all to come back together. We’re devising a staged reopening plan that will welcome us all back safely, efficiently, and clearly. I’ll be sharing that with all of you very soon.

As the work to reopen our campus continues, this week we’re excited to begin online Fall programming. As with the reopening, programming this fall will be a cumulative effect: we’re starting slow and steady and will be adding more and more over the coming weeks. This week, we begin two online-only options: Morning Prayer at 9am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Spirit Talk at 12pm on Wednesdays. We are also resuming our Tuesday Table Meals to Go tomorrow at 4pm. If you’re in the neighborhood and want to come say hi, please join me then.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be rolling out more programming, including exciting new ways for children, youth, and families to come together in person and online. Stay tuned. There is so much happening at West End this fall and I can’t wait to see each of you very soon.

Be well, beloveds,
Pastor Will

Summer rest

For the past two weeks, I have been preaching on themes of preparation and how we welcome God. We've been looking at the story of God's arrival in the City of David, and how God lives, travels, and provides among us. There's much in this ancient story that feels so present to me this summer while holding the contradictions of increasing vaccination rates among some with increasing infection rates among others. How has God been with us throughout this time of trial? How has God travelled--or rather, stayed put--with us? What have we asked of God, and what do we need from God in order to continue giving to God? It's a tricky time, and the questions we have for each other and for the Almighty are ones that deserve our prayer and study.

One way that I am situating myself in all of this is in remembering who is the Creator and who is the created. Among the few things of which I am absolutely certain, the ultimate truth I hold is that God is God and I am not. My own certainty feels a faithful response to the first commandment's instruction of who God is and how we should prioritize God among all the priorities of our lives. As we begin to "re-open," there is a breath moving in how I am able to think back on the past 16 months and reflect upon the many things I thought I knew that turns out I didn't know it all, and the few things I had no idea I knew that wound up sustaining me day after day. Has the pandemic given you pause to reflect on your own priorities as well? On your own goals, or hopes, or all the things that so often eek out the place among all places that should be reserved for God? Maybe you had everything right and rightly prioritized previously. Maybe you found some moments of reordering and reflection to be valuable. Maybe our Creator who is always creating is still creating you.

Be well and take God-care this day, beloved. There is a Spirit of stillness moving in this place.

Pastor Will

Time to rest & time to get things done

Church life in July always appear to be quiet, and to an extent it is. The number of us tuning in for worship has dipped as warm weather, family trips, and baseball games lure us out of doors and away from screens. Church School and children’s programs are now on their annual summer recess, even as Pastor Sam and his team are laying plans for Vacation Church School in August. Our hardworking and dedicated staff has begun their annual rotation of vacation schedules, and I have a few moments to think, plan, and set agendas before going offline to rest, write, and get ready for the fall myself next month.

Though the change of pace is noticeable, it’s far from a want of things to do. Even as the hum of West End takes on this summer pace, our Musician Search Team is hard at work reviewing resumes and materials from candidates eager to come work with us. Our Sunday worship and tech teams are planning and will soon be installing all the new AV equipment our sanctuary needs in order to continue offering our worship to anyone, anywhere even when some of us return to the sanctuary this fall. Speaking of which, Nathan and I are forming a group of various congregants to advise and help with that reopening plan, and Paul and I are already planning a series of worship services to mark the transition from this time to the next including our re-entry into the sanctuary on October 3rd. I am also using this time to meet with elected officials and heads of local social services organizations as we assess the shifting nature of need in our neighborhood and begin forming the coalitions and programming we can to grow our feeding and social justice ministries.

And yet, even as seasons change and our pace changes with them, there is an eternal help that beckons our attention. Whether at work or at home, on vacation or only longing for it, in-town or out, scripture calls us to remember that there is a season for all things, a time to rejoice, a time to weep, a time to work, a time to refrain from working. Wherever you find yourself this day—whether in one place, or juggling a few—take a moment to turn your attention to God and what new thing the Spirit is doing in your life, even now, wherever you may be.

Peace to you,
Pastor Will

Thank you to our Elders and Deacons

You know that our church is led by 10 Elders and Deacons who form the West End Consistory. Together with the staff, these lay leaders are charged with the care and stewardship of our church, our members, and the programs and ministry that sustain us all. The West End Consistory gathers monthly from September through June and at other moments as needed throughout the year. They advise, charge, and guide my leadership as your pastor, and they are together one of the most beautiful bodies of faithful leaders with whom I have ever had the opportunity to minister.

As one of four congregations of the Collegiate Church, members of own West End Consistory also join with the consistory members of Ft. Washington, Marble, and Middle Church to form what we call Full Consistory. Together, the Elders and Deacons of the four congregations gather throughout the year to manage the finances, investments, and property of all of Collegiate. It’s a big job, and the work this past year has been extraordinary in every sense of the word.

I share this with you today for two reasons. First, I ask you to join me in thanking our Elders and Deacons for their service. Your consistory is chaired by Elder Nathan Stilwell, who has been joined this past year by Marilyn Flood, Madie Ivy Head, Cambridge Ridley-Lynch, Narvie Rundlet, Christa Scott-Reed, Andrea Steinkamp, Rich Bohart, Steve Cambor, and Esau Reyes-Pesante. I’ll ask you to extend a special thank you to Christa and Andrea, who have each completed the fullness of their terms and each of whom deserve our deepest gratitude for their service.

I also share this with you today as we have two openings for new leaders to join us for the coming year. As you have heard Nathan announce in worship these past several weeks, we are soliciting nominations for new Elders and Deacons. If you know someone you think would be willing and able to join in leadership, or if you yourself would like to be nominated, please send me an email by the end of this week.

Thank you to all of our leaders and each of you who contribute and lead us in your own way. Each of you are a blessing, and what a blessing it is to be the church together.

Peace to you,
Pastor Will

An update from your Musician Search Team

The Musician Search Team has been hard at work distilling what they have heard from each of you about the future of music and arts at West End Church. Tonight, they will present a draft job description to your Consistory for their approval. Pending that approval, we will post the description tomorrow and the search will begin.

For over 60 years, the West End baton has been artistically stewarded by two great and well-loved musicians. As your search team goes out to find their successor, there is a palpable sense of history, responsibility, and excitement. We share a sense of history for our nearly 400 year old church and the legacy we are called to steward for generations still to come. We honor our responsibility to find a musical leader who will not just continue our legacy, but enhance it, improve upon it, involve more of us, and teach us all to sing old songs better and new songs with joy. The excitement of the Search Team is clear every time they meet; they are seeking not just a new musician, but a great musician for each of us and for our time.

As the days are long and hot, and as many of you begin your annual vacations and restoration from the year we’ve had, I ask you to keep our search team in your prayers. They are doing the work of the church, finding someone who will help us all glorify God and join the music of creation.

Be well, beloveds. I will see you on Sunday!

Peace to you,
Pastor Will

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day, a day when our nation memorializes the brave souls who gave their life for our freedom. Memorial Day is a state holiday, not one of the church, though church employees are happy for a day off to BBQ and remember just like everyone else.

This year, Memorial Day comes 15 months into a pandemic where there are so many things we need to memorialize in our own lives. What are you remembering this day? Is it the way of life you knew and took for granted in February 2020? Is it a loved one who has died this year? Is it a soldier in your family, an ancestor or a sibling, someone who gave their all for God and country? What do you remember this day?

For people of faith, Memorial Day is an opportunity to once again remember Easter’s promise. A promise that in life and in death we belong to God. A promise that death is not the final word. A promise that because Christ is alive, we shall be too. What better thing to remember this day than that?

Happy Memorial Day.

Peace to you,
Pastor Will

Lend your voice and join the song of Creation

Yesterday our interim Music Director Paul Vasile, together with the choir, preached a sermon that brought our focus to the breath, the words, and the voice of our God who is always speaking and often singing. It was a beautiful, art-filled, faithful sermon that helped us move into our Congregational Conversation about the future of music and the arts at West End Church with grace and hope.

To all of you who joined that conversation, thank you. Our Musician Search Team is already working to digest all the wonderful observations and hopes you brought yesterday. Personally, I can say how heartened I was by all of your responses. There is so much to our future together, and I, for one, am very excited for the deepening and expanding of our music ministry as we move forward.

Whether you were able to join or not, we’d still love to hear from you. Below are the guiding questions our facilitator, Rev. Mieke Vandersall, offered for our reflection. If one or more of these questions speaks to you, we’d love to know what’s on your mind. Please send any responses to Paul Vasile, who will collate responses for our Search Team. Of course, I welcome your reflections as well and you know my door/email/phone is always open as well.

• What have you been noticing in or around this transition time for the congregation?

• What kind of music connects you with the Sacred?

• What kind of values do you hope the next person brings?

• What artistic talents in the church are going unused or underused?

• What does it mean to participate in music and arts in worship? Who leads and who receives?

• Being that we are not going back, we are going forward, and all worship will be hybrid, what do you anticipate it being like when you cannot be with us physically? How do you anticipate yourself connecting?

• Name a piece of art or music that moves you.

• What is your prayer for music and arts at West End

It’s a long list, and maybe not every question speaks to you or maybe what most speaks to you about our future isn’t on this list. By all means, send Paul or me an email. We’d love to hear from you.

Be well, beloved. There’s a new song calling your name. Can you hear it?  Will you lend your voice and join the song of Creation for this day? I certainly hope so.

Peace to you,
Pastor Will

Resurrection comes again and again

Dear Friends,

For our friends in Orthodox traditions, this is Easter Monday. That in global Christendom Easter comes not once but twice feels a good metaphor for resurrection itself. Resurrection is not a one-time only occurrence bound by our own calendar; resurrection comes again and again, in different ways and at different times, over and over, for all of us. Perhaps you too are feeling this to be an Easter Monday. Or maybe you’re looking forward to resurrection still to come.

This got me to thinking about how we’re all marking time these days, and of the Holy Days and holidays we use to signify what we value and who we celebrate. February is Black History Month, March is Women’s History Month, April is National Poetry Month. In May we celebrate mothers (on the 9th) and those who have died while serving in our armed force (the 31st). We’ll also mark a National Day of Prayer (the 6th), maybe you’re making tacos and guacamole on Wednesday (Cinco de Mayo), and we’ll wear read to rejoice at the coming of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost is the 23rd). I’m excited for all of it!

In the living of these days—the living of these resurrection days—there are so many things to celebrate and so many people to lift up with words of gratitude and appreciation. This isn’t just Easter as a day or days on a calendar, but Easter as a way of life, of celebrating resurrection in all its myriad ways and diverse relationships. Resurrection continues to be all around us, in holidays and ordinary days, and in every way there is a chance to make today a holy day.

May your day be holy and true. May your faith continue to grow in the signs of resurrection all around.

Peace to you,
Pastor Will

Join our Musician Search Team

Dear Friends,

As you know, we’re forming a Musician Search Team to work with our Interim Music Director, Paul Vasile, and me to discern the future of West End’s music and arts programming. This Team will spend time hearing all of our hopes and dreams for music at West End, craft the position description(s), and conduct our search. The Team is forming now, and we expect our work to be complete and new musician(s) to be in place by early fall.

Do you want to join us? Or do you know someone else you think would be a help? Nominations for the Musician Search Team are open through 6pm on Sunday, May 2nd. If you would like to nominate someone (including yourself), please send me a short email this week. Deacon Cambridge Lynch, Consistory’s liaison to the Team, and I will be vetting nominations and speaking to all who are interested this week. While we’ve already received more nominations than we know we’ll be able to seat on the Team, we are committed to making sure all voices are heard and represented as we move forward.

The requirements for Search Team membership are simple: 1) that you are a member of West End Church; 2) that you are interested in the role of music and art in the life of faith; 3) that you are excited for the possibility of this moment and the future of West End Church. Requirements do not include any particular musical expertise or past experience. A willing spirit, an open heart, a discerning mind – this is the essence of the Musician Search Team’s character.

Whether you serve on the Team or not, know that we’ll be talking with you about what music means to your faith. We’ll be sharing more about the full process in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

Peace to you,
Pastor Will

Meet Interim Music Director, Paul Vasile

Dear Friends,

I am excited to introduce you to Paul Vasile, who has graciously agreed to be our Interim Music Director. Paul is a gifted musician, a master of liturgical arts, and a seasoned consultant who works with congregations who seek to grow and deepen their faith through music. Read more about Paul, and I look forward to each of you meeting him.

Paul joins us this week and will be with us through the middle of September. During this time, Paul will join me in listening to all of our desires for how our music may move forward and adapt to the unique opportunities the pandemic and the changing nature of worship now afford us. Throughout the coming weeks and months, we will be hosting congregational conversations and Consistory will soon assemble a Search Team to work with us through the process of creating position description(s), search, audition, and placement. This is an exciting time for all of us.

I look forward to each of you meeting Paul and to the way forward. God indeed has wondrous things in store for West End and for the continued legacy of excellent music and art I know we all appreciate.

Peace to you,
Will

Holy Week

The time from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday can be one of the holiest weeks of the year, if you let it. The service we had yesterday began with hearing of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem continues each day this week as we mark our time and keep watch for the events that will soon occur on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. But even here, on Monday, there is holiness in our midst, passion on our minds, and resurrection in our hearts. There is work for transformation to do, and prayers for comfort and mercy to be said. What are you doing this day? How are you observing your own holiness and finding the holiness you seek?

Throughout this week, Christians around the world will watch for the signs of resurrection that come when death doesn’t get the final word. Our Jewish friends are also celebrating this week, observing the festival of Passover and the liberation from slavery and freedom that comes from God. We know that there is a wideness to God’s mercy, one that saves all who ask and frees even the most captive bound. Maybe you’ll welcome this God into the hardest places of your own heart this week; maybe this holy week might wholly transform you.

However you are marking these days, know that Christ is with you even as we try to walk with Jesus. Holy Week blessings to you. You are in my prayers.

Be well beloved,

Pastor Will

Springing Forward

Dear Friends,

My, how time is moving differently these days. The clocks have sprung forward, the days are lengthening, and the daffodil sprouts are peeping out in Central Park. It is officially Spring, and I venture all of us have noticed the change of season and look forward to what is to come.

There is another way we’re all telling time right now as well, or noticing the passing of it: vaccinations. For what was once such a personal matter as health and inoculations, it seems to be now perfectly acceptable to inquire “have you had the shot? Which one? One or two?” Some of us are marking time waiting to get the first vaccine; some of us are in the three or four week limbo between shot one and shot two; some of us are now fully vaccinated and may be asking “when can we get back to normal?” This is an odd way of telling time in my book, or at least a new one, but there’s little to this past year that I wouldn’t have thought odd just a few years ago.

One thing about time—and vaccines, and the pandemic, and what’s on the other side—is that it only moves in one direction: forward. We are not going back to whatever life was like before this pandemic, we are moving forward. Forward with the budding trees and signs of resurrection, forward with masks to protect the least among us, forward with or without or in between vaccines, we are moving forward. Time is telling the tale.

As we all move forward together, take a moment this day to notice how you’re marking time. What makes this day the present, and how can you stay more fully in it? Whatever expectations you may have for tomorrow, mark this day as the one our God has made just for you.

Be well beloved,

Pastor Will

Mindfulness is a discipline

Dear Friends,

This Lent, West End Church invites you to deepen your discipleship by focusing on your mind. Mindfulness is the act of noticing what you are thinking, what you are doing, and the relationship between those two activities. A benefit of mindfulness is that we come to realize how our actions can be deliberate, and how in setting an intention and minding our minds we can be more fully present to ourselves and to the world around us. For example: setting time for a 15 minute walk in the park at the end of your day could be mindful; so too could three minutes of sitting quietly in a room repeating a simple phrase like “I am not God” or “I make my covenant” and noticing what your mind does.

Mindfulness is a discipline because it does not always come easily or naturally to us. Mindfulness is a practice—like yoga or worship or prayer—because it’s never something we get perfect. Mindfulness is a faithful way of discipleship because by setting our intention on eternal things we become more likely to follow the ways of Christ throughout this Lenten journey.

Be mindful of these lengthening days—they will lead us to unimaginable resurrection.

Pastor Will

Ash Wednesday blessings

Dear Friends,

This week we begin our 40-day journey from ash to cross to life everlasting. The season of Lent this year comes to us when we are hopefully somewhere just passed the midpoint of our pandemic; it is also midway through this year’s Lent when we will mark the first anniversary of our quarantine. The journey from ash to cross to life everlasting is one each of us know deep in our bones these days. This journey is one we have walked together.

“And yet even now,” calls the prophet Joel, we are invited to return to the Lord, our God. Our God invites us to turn again to the way of faith, the way of love. “Out of the depths,” the psalmist cries, “unto you, O God.” How many of us have felt those depths ourselves this year? How have our own cries been heard by our God who listens to the very beating of our hearts.

Lent is a season of depth and of return: of deep faith and of returning to walk with Jesus trusting that there is nowhere we can go where God has not gone before. Let this sink in. Let Lent sink in. From ash to cross to life everlasting, God is with you. In the ashes of our daily lives, in the crosses each of us bear, in the life and life eternal promised, God is here.

May the blessings of ash be upon you as surely as the promise of resurrection is for you. A very blessed Ash Wednesday to each of you.

In faith,

Pastor Will

Celebrating Black History

This Black History Month, we lift up two distinct traditions of Black excellence: Black church and sacred music, and Black women leaders. Yesterday, we welcomed Mark Miller for his first Sunday as February’s Guest Artist to make music with our own West End Choir and he brought us many gifts. Mark’s gift to West End Church continues for the coming three weeks, and I extend a special invitation for you to join us after worship this month for Mark’s seminar entitled Protest & Praise: African American Sacred Music.

As you heard from Pastor Bridget in yesterday’s sermon, we are also lifting up the stories of Black women leaders who have shaped our lives both personal and political. Bridget shared the story of a quilt her Grandmother made for her and evoked many names of Black women who have shaped her and have much to teach all of us. 

With gratitude to Bridget and with Mark’s music in my ear, I have been thinking of the Black women and artists to whom I owe my own gratitude. Among the long list, one living artist comes to mind this day: Amanda Gorman. The 22 year-old Youth Poet Laureate made history when she recited her poem for the inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris; she made history again last night as the first poet to share her work at Superbowl LV. The following is an excerpt of her Inaugural poem, and is about as good a piece of theology, history, and call for this moment that I can imagine. You have probably heard it before; I encourage you to read it again.

As we celebrate this Black History Month, I encourage all people of faith to practice this most simple profession of faith: Black Lives Matter.

In celebration,
Pastor Will

“Scripture tells us to envision
that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree
And no one shall make them afraid
If we're to live up to our own time
Then victory won't lie in the blade
But in all the bridges we've made
That is the promise to glade
The hill we climb
If only we dare
It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit,
it's the past we step into
and how we repair it” 

— Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman on the occasion of the Inauguration of the 46th President of the United States