WELCOME TO WESTHOPE
SPECIAL EVENTS
CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM CONVERSATION
With Imam Kareem
Unpack false narratives, look at our commonalities, seek to find the Creator who is leading us all.
Sunday September 15 1145AM
SPIRITUAL STEW
A budding community of spiritual seekers.
Join us for a night of conversation and exploration. Meets twice monthly.
Hosted by Eric Dittmar
Thursday September 17 7PM
DANGERS OF CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM
This dangerous ideology threatens democracy, freedom of religion, and the separation of Church & State.
Learn more…
Sunday September 29 1145AM
THE GREAT SEARCH
A Retreat of Wisdom Teaching with John Philip Newell & Cami Twilling
Registration Open
Saturday February 8 9AM
UPCOMING EVENTS
Christian-Muslim Conversation with Imam Kareem
How do we talk with our neighbors?
How do we explore and respect different religious traditions?
How do we honor God's image at the heart of all people?
In this conversation we will unpack false narratives, look at our commonalities and seek to find the Creator who is leading us all.
Imam Kareem Syed is a seasoned community leader and youth mentor with over 25 years of experience in fostering interfaith understanding. He holds a Master's in Islamic Studies from Chicago Theological Seminary and has served as a youth imam. Kareem has been a key figure in community outreach, formerly leading youth programs at the West Valley Muslim Association. He co-founded the Los Gatos Anti-Racism Coalition and is dedicated to making a positive impact in society through his work in social justice and community building.
This event will be both in person and available online.
Contemplative Scripture Study
What do you see? What do you hear? What does it stir in you?
Support Group for Female Survivors of Sexual Abuse
A Support Group for Female Survivors of Sexual Abuse is Forming
Co-Facilitated by Marjorie Pearson and Patty McIntyre
Tuesday Evenings 7 to 8:30PM
Sep 17 Eight Weeks
Many women who have been abused sexually feel very alone in their struggle to heal from this trauma. Participating in a support group can be a good way to end that isolation. This group is designed to help in the healing process, and to be safe and confidential.
This group is a weekly commitment lasting 8 weeks.
Facilitators
Marjorie Pearson is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and has worked over the years with a therapist and has participated in various support groups for survivors. Because of the help she received, she is now ready to help others through their process. She is also a Presbyterian Minister and will use her pastoral counseling skills with this group.
Patty McIntyre is an abuse and rape survivor. She is a certified Life Coach and an experienced Small Group Facilitator.
For more information and registration please contact patma2@gmail.com
This group is a ministry of Westhope Presbyterian Church and is free to all participants.
We welcome people of all faiths or no faith.
We stand for love and compassion as the heart of social justice.
We welcome all women of every color, sexual orientation, or status.
Wednesday Yoga
This is a Mind-Body Practice that combines physical poses (Asanas), breathwork (Pranayama) & Meditation.
Spiritual Stew: Community Event Hosted by Eric Dittmar
ARE YOU…
Spiritual but not religious?
Religious but not quite finding what you are looking for?
Frustrated, but not quite sure where to look for answers?
Feeling stuck, and not quite sure how to get unstuck?
Coming to a crossroads in life, and struggling to decide which path to take?
Seeking a community without religious dogma and without the pressure to conform at the expense of your individual autonomy?
Looking to connect with your deeper sense of meaning and purpose?
JOIN US FOR A NIGHT OF CONVERSATION AND EXPLORATION
MEET OTHERS WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS.
LEARN MORE ABOUT YOURSELF THROUGH DISCUSSION AND INTERACTION.
WITH A LITTLE LUCK AND INTENTION,
MAYBE EVEN GET A LITTLE CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR PURPOSE.
SPIRITUAL STEW
Hosted by Eric Dittmar
Meets twice monthly
WHO WE ARE:
A BUDDING COMMUNITY OF SEEKERS
We are looking for community, connection, and wisdom in an era defined by distraction and separation.
We are open to the possibility deep truths exist, but instinctively resist the shallow spirituality typically offered by religious institutions.
We don’t like being told what to believe or how to behave, and commit to not imposing our beliefs and expectations on others.
Our preference would be to identify tools that help us find the answers we seek for ourselves, but do so in a community of fellow seekers.
Our group is explicitly irreligious, though we welcome the religious and irreligious alike.
All are welcome who support and honor our commitment
not to impose beliefs on others.
Not Your Mama’s Afternoon Bible Study
What do you see? What do you hear? What does it stir in you?
Christian Nationalism & Its Dangers
Christian Nationalism & Its Dangers
Co-Leaders Erik Swanson & Beth Wylie
This class will be hybrid.
We hope this class will help you develop an understanding of Christian Nationalism – what it is, why it is dangerous, and how to respond. This dangerous political ideology threatens democracy, freedom of religion and the separation of Church & State.
We will address questions such as:
Was America founded as a Christian nation?
What does Christian Nationalism look like in the United States?
Is there a difference between conservative Christianity and Christian nationalism?
Is Christian nationalism embraced only by a fringe element in America?
Does the Christian Church need to address Christian Nationalism?
How can I talk with those who embrace Christian nationalism?
Educational Resources on Christian Nationalism
Book and Audiobook | The Power Worshippers
Documentary | God and Country
Documentary | Bad Faith
Webinar | The Threat of Christian Nationalism
Podcast | Confronting Christian Nationalism Podcast
Curriculum | Confronting Christian Nationalism
Ecumenical Eduction Website | Christians Against Christian Nationalism
Anti-Racism Book Group – Nice Racism: How Progressive White People Perpetuate Racial Harm
We welcome you to join us in our journey to understand, root out and stand against racism in all its forms: individual, interpersonal, institutional, structural, organizational…
We hope you will consider joining us for this relevant conversation even if you don't have a chance to read the book. Please note: our book choices are also available in audio format.
1st Wednesday of the Month • Online
Building on the groundwork laid in the New York Times bestseller White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo explores how a culture of niceness inadvertently promotes racism.
In White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo explained how racism is a system into which all white people are socialized and challenged the belief that racism is a simple matter of good people versus bad. DiAngelo also made a provocative claim: white progressives cause the most daily harm to people of color. In Nice Racism, her follow-up work, she explains how they do so. Drawing on her background as a sociologist and over 25 years working as an anti-racist educator, she picks up where White Fragility left off and moves the conversation forward.
Writing directly to white people as a white person, DiAngelo identifies many common white racial patterns and breaks down how well-intentioned white people unknowingly perpetuate racial harm. These patterns include:
rushing to prove that we are “not racist”
downplaying white advantage
romanticizing Black, Indigenous and other peoples of color (BIPOC)
pretending white segregation “just happens”
expecting BIPOC people to teach us about racism
carefulness
and feeling immobilized by shame.
DiAngelo explains how spiritual white progressives seeking community by co-opting Indigenous and other groups’ rituals create separation, not connection. She challenges the ideology of individualism and explains why it is OK to generalize about white people, and she demonstrates how white people who experience other oppressions still benefit from systemic racism. Writing candidly about her own missteps and struggles, she models a path forward, encouraging white readers to continually face their complicity and embrace courage, lifelong commitment, and accountability.
Nice Racism is an essential work for any white person who recognizes the existence of systemic racism and white supremacy and wants to take steps to align their values with their actual practice. BIPOC readers may also find the “insiders” perspective useful for navigating whiteness.
Conversation with Foundations of Faith
Come join us for a conversation with our brothers and sisters from South Carolina as we take on racism and our preconceived notions and strive to be the beloved community of God. We start our conversation with a simple prompt – and follow wherever this may lead.
October Prompt: TBD
September Prompt: What If Trump Wins?
July Prompt: Community
1st Sunday of the month • Online
All Are Welcome. All Means All.
Candlelight Taizé Service
Taizé is a simple and beautiful meditative candlelight service of sung prayers, scripture, and silence.
The Great Search – A Retreat with John Philip Newell & Cami Twilling
THE GREAT SEARCH
A Retreat with John Philip Newell & Cami Twilling
Saturday February 8
In which the wisdom teachings of John Philip Newell and the spiritual practices of Cami Twilling inspire us in this time of transition toward a spirituality of intimacy with Earth rather than a spirituality of alienation from Earth, and a vision of interrelatedness and harmony instead of religious and political division. The retreat focuses on the main themes of John Philip’s ground-breaking new book The Great Search: Turning to Earth and Soul in the Quest for Healing and Home (Harper One, August 2024).
John Philip Newell is a ‘wandering teacher’ from Scotland in the ancient Celtic tradition. He describes himself as ‘a son of the Christian household, seeking to be in relationship with the wisdom of humanity’s other great spiritual traditions.’ Cami Twilling is the director of Earth & Soul, a Celtic initiative of study, spiritual practice, and compassionate action based in Colorado. Their much-loved combination of teaching and spiritual practice offers great hope for healing and transformation in our lives, both individually and together.
AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXTEND THIS TEACHING…
For those interested in a deeper dive, John Philip and Cami will be leading a three day annual retreat February 11-13 at Bishop’s Ranch in Healdsburg, CA. Learn more and register
John Philip Newell - Bio
John Philip Newell is a Celtic teacher and author of spirituality who calls the modern world to reawaken to the sacredness of Earth and every human being.
Canadian by birth, and a citizen also of Scotland, he resides with his family in Edinburgh and works on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2016 he began the Earth & Soul initiative and teaches regularly in the United States and Canada as well as leading international pilgrimage weeks on Iona in the Western Isles of Scotland.
His PhD is from the University of Edinburgh and he has authored over fifteen books, including his award-winning publication, Sacred Earth Sacred Soul, which was the 2022 Gold Winner of the Nautilus Book Award for Spirituality and Religious Thought of the West. His new book, also with HarperOne, is The Great Search (August 2024), in which he looks at the great spiritual yearnings of humanity today in the context of the decline of religion as we have known it.
Newell speaks of himself as ‘a wandering teacher’ following the ancient path of many lone teachers before him in the Celtic tradition, seeking the wellbeing of the world. He has been described as having ‘the heart of a Celtic bard and the mind of a Celtic scholar’, combining in his teachings the poetic and the intellectual, the head as well as the heart, and spiritual awareness as well as political and ecological concern.
For full bio see:https://www.earthandsoul.org/john-philip-newell
Cami Twiling - Bio
Cami Twilling, based in Colorado, is the Director of Earth & Soul (a Celtic initiative of study, spiritual practice and compassionate action inspired by the teachings of John Philip Newell). As well as heading up the overall work of Earth & Soul, she facilitates the spiritual practice component of the Earth & Soul Annual Retreats. Previously she was the head of Contemplative Spirituality and Youth Ministry at Trinity UMC in downtown Denver. She has studied meditation in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition of Shambhala and received Spiritual Direction certification from the Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction in Tucson, Arizona. In addition to leading mountain and urban retreats, she has led international pilgrimage groups to Iona in the Western Isles of Scotland and work teams to Guatemala to build houses in communities that have suffered from political strife and economic hardship. Cami is passionate about the relationship between spirituality and action and believes that spiritual vision and practice can play a vital role in helping to heal and transform our lives both individually and together.
Garden Play
The gardens await your loving care. Come join Westhope’s own Pam Nomura to tend the beloved gardens at Westhope. Be ready to get in the dirt and commune with plants as we weed, prune and generally have a good time while we work.
Give yourself the gift of an hour in the garden, or put time aside for awhile and settle in for the whole morning. Come as able – all are welcome!
Related: Welcome to the Spiral Garden
Wednesday Yoga
This is a Mind-Body Practice that combines physical poses (Asanas), breathwork (Pranayama) & Meditation.
Contemplative Scripture Study
What do you see? What do you hear? What does it stir in you?
Garden Play
The gardens await your loving care. Come join Westhope’s own Pam Nomura to tend the beloved gardens at Westhope. Be ready to get in the dirt and commune with plants as we weed, prune and generally have a good time while we work.
Give yourself the gift of an hour in the garden, or put time aside for awhile and settle in for the whole morning. Come as able – all are welcome!
Related: Welcome to the Spiral Garden
Anti-Racism Book Group: White Fragility – Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
Westhope’s anti-racism book group is taking a rest for the summer. We will resume in August to discuss Robin DiAngelo’s book White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Race. We will begin with the first half of the book: chapters one through six.
We hope you will consider joining us for this relevant conversation even if you don't have a chance to read the book.
Roxanne Beverstein has graciously volunteered to lead our discussions. Thank you Roxanne!
We welcome you to join us in our journey to understand, root out and stand against racism in all its forms: individual, interpersonal, institutional, structural, organizational…
2nd Wednesday of the Month
On Break for July
Wednesday Yoga
This is a Mind-Body Practice that combines physical poses (Asanas), breathwork (Pranayama) & Meditation.
Not Your Mama’s Morning Bible Study
What do you see? What do you hear? What does it stir in you?
Communion Sunday Service of Prayer & Presence – Rev. James Richard & Rev. Erik Swanson
Join us as we gather in sacred community
to LISTEN. to SPEAK. to ENGAGE.
Your voice matters. Your presence matters. Your healing matters.
We are excited to have Rev. James Richard from the Foundations of Faith congregation finally able to come and join us for Labor Day weekend.
Pastor James will be a new face for some of us. Many of us have had the chance to talk online and get to know Pastor James from Westhope’s monthly online gathering with our sister church in South Carolina, Foundations of Faith. Some of us met Pastor James through the education series in February Seeking the Roots of Current Issues Through Black/African History.
Meet and Greet and Conversation: Saturday August 31st from 1-4pm at Colleen Petersen's house (13401 Sterling Oak Ct, Saratoga). Please bring some finger food to share. We will have an intentional time of conversation from 2-3:30pm regarding "Spirituality and Race in America".
Sunday there will be an informal conversation at 9am in the Session room and then Sunday Service at 10am that Pastor James and Pastor Erik will lead together.
We certainly hope you can join us for any or all of these opportunities to learn together as a larger community.
SUNDAYS 10AM
ALL ARE WELCOME
IN PERSON and ONLINE
Communion Sunday Pantry
Bring fresh fruits and veggies on the 1st Sunday of the month from your garden, the farmer's market or the grocery store to share with our unhoused brothers and sisters at New Haven Inn, served by LifeMoves.
LifeMoves is a charitable organization that Westhope has been supporting for some time now; they provide interim shelter and services to unhoused people throughout the Bay Area. Their Villa location supports 15 families and 18 single women in San Jose, while their New Haven Inn location serves members of the LGBTQ+ community who are unhoused.
We are all invited to share in the abundance of our lives by bringing fresh fruits and veggies on Communion Sundays to be delivered to the guests at New Haven Inn.
Informal Conversation with Pastor James from Foundations of Faith
We are excited to have Rev. James Richard from the Foundations of Faith congregation finally able to come and join us for Labor Day weekend.
Pastor James will be a new face for some of us. Many of us have had the chance to talk online and get to know Pastor James from Westhope’s monthly online gathering with our sister church in South Carolina, Foundations of Faith. Some of us met Pastor James through the education series in February Seeking the Roots of Current Issues Through Black/African History.
Meet and Greet and Conversation: Saturday August 31st from 1-4pm at Colleen Petersen's house (13401 Sterling Oak Ct, Saratoga). Please bring some finger food to share. We will have an intentional time of conversation from 2-3:30pm regarding "Spirituality and Race in America".
Sunday there will be an informal conversation at 9am in the Session room and then Sunday Service at 10am that Pastor James and Pastor Erik will lead together.
We certainly hope you can join us for any or all of these opportunities to learn together as a larger community.
Meet and Greet and Conversation with Pastor James from Foundations of Faith – "Spirituality and Race in America"
We are excited to have Rev. James Richard from the Foundations of Faith congregation finally able to come and join us for Labor Day weekend.
Pastor James will be a new face for some of us. Many of us have had the chance to talk online and get to know Pastor James from Westhope’s monthly online gathering with our sister church in South Carolina, Foundations of Faith. Some of us met Pastor James through the education series in February Seeking the Roots of Current Issues Through Black/African History.
Meet and Greet and Conversation: Saturday August 31st from 1-4pm at Colleen Petersen's house (13401 Sterling Oak Ct, Saratoga). Please bring some finger food to share. We will have an intentional time of conversation from 2-3:30pm regarding "Spirituality and Race in America".
Sunday there will be an informal conversation at 9am in the Session room and then Sunday Service at 10am that Pastor James and Pastor Erik will lead together.
We certainly hope you can join us for any or all of these opportunities to learn together as a larger community.
Inquirer’s Class: A Two Part Series Exploring Westhope
For those who want to find out more about Westhope and the larger Presbyterian Church, please join us for this two part series, August 11 & 15. This is also a way to become a member of Westhope, but there is no obligation to do so.
All are welcome!
In Person @ Westhope
Trans101 Presentation with Bear Flintgruber
The Trans community is one of the most vulnerable communities in the US and one of the most misunderstood. We are grateful for Bear Flintgruber from the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Center who will join us to share their wisdom about the Trans community to help us understand the Trans community at a deeper level.
Bear Flintgruber (he/they) is an engineer by training and science communicator by passion who is excited to talk through gender and trans experiences. They have presented at churches, Rotary groups, and companies, to audiences of all levels of understanding. Bear delights in finding good analogies, reading good books, and hiking with his partner in the San Jose area. Their talk will be about half an hour of presentation and half an hour of time for discussion -- bring whatever questions you have about gender and trans experiences!
In Person and Online
Inquirer’s Class: A Two Part Series Exploring Westhope
If you have questions about Westhope or want to become a member of the church, this is the place to be!! We will meet for a time of conversation, teaching, and exploring who Westhope is. The Inquirer’s Class is always a lively conversation between Rev. Erik, Westhope Elders and Westhope Curious!
Please note – although this two part series is a step to becoming a member of Westhope, there is no obligation to do so. We certainly hope you will join us. All are welcome!
In Person @ Westhope
Community Screening of “Israelism”, A Documentary (2023)
Dear Friends –
Recently, one question has been posed to me repeatedly – why would Hamas do such a terrible thing?
A Letter from Westhope’s Susan Brooksbank…
“Israelism”, A Documentary (2023)
Thursday August 8
630PM Doors Open 645PM Screening Begins
Free & Donations Welcome
RSVP HERE
Time after the screening will be open for questions and discussion. We have invited a member of If Not Now for a Q&A session.
Hosted by the Westhope Center for Peace & Social Justice, the San Jose Presbytery and Westhope Elders Susan Brooksbank & Gary Ruschke.
To be informed of upcoming events from the Westhope Center for Peace & Social Justice, sign up here.
Hosted by Westhope & San Jose Presbytery
with Elders Susan Brooksbank & Gary Ruschke
Service of Prayer and Presence – Jim Peterson
Sundays @ 10AM
In Person & Online @ Westhope
Summer Solstice Labyrinth Walk
Summer Solstice Labyrinth Walk
Hosted by Westhope & Karen Pickett, Certified Labyrinth Facilitator
Summer can be a full and busy time for many. This evening is a wondrous opportunity to take a pause and reflect on your journey. Please join us for a guided labyrinth walk.
What is a labyrinth?
A labyrinth is an ancient tool and symbol found in many cultures over centuries. Many were based on a natural spiral found in nature. A labyrinth has one path leading to the center and the same path leading out. The process has been described in three stages: RELEASING on the way in, RECEIVING in the center of the labyrinth and RETURNING on the way out.
Please visit veriditas.org for more information about labyrinths.
Why do we gather on the summer solstice?
We walk the labyrinth on this longest, brightest day of the year for an embodied reflection on the fullness of light and remember the turning of the celestial bodies towards the shorter days and the growing night.
Summer comes during the liturgical season between Pentecost and Advent, when the spiritual cycles of waiting, resting, planting, and nurturing throughout Winter and Spring bear fruit in us. We come together at this height of the sun to take part in the rhythms of nature and Spirit.
Bring…
a light jacket to keep warm.
a journal if you have one and find that useful.
Karen Picket, a member of Westhope, is a Certified Labyrinth Facilitator.
Conversation about Part Two of Brian McLaren’s book Faith After Doubt led by Pam Nomura
We will meet to discuss Part Two of Brian McLaren’s book Faith After Doubt. Please feel welcome to join this lively discussion whether or not you have read the book or were at the earlier discussion on Part One.
Led by Elder Pam Nomura: Pam currently serves as Clerk of Session for Westhope. Pam has retired from her profession as a dentist.
“McLaren’s book resonated with my own spiritual journey and helped me start to reconcile traditional Christian teachings with my own inner source of wisdom and truth. I hope others will join me in a conversation about their own faith stories.”
Book Description:
“Using his own story and the stories of a diverse group of struggling believers, Brian D. McLaren, a former pastor and now an author, speaker, and activist shows how old assumptions are being challenged in nearly every area of human life, not just theology and spirituality. He proposes a four-stage model of faith development in which questions and doubt are not the enemy of faith, but rather a portal to a more mature and fruitful kind of faith.
The four stages―Simplicity, Complexity, Perplexity, and Harmony―offer a path forward that can help sincere and thoughtful people leave behind unnecessary baggage and intensify their commitment to what matters most.” [Amazon]
In Person & Online @ Westhope
Westhope Discussion: Dialogue with Foundations of Faith
Westhope Discussion: Dialogue with Foundations of Faith
We will meet online to talk about issues raised in the discussion with Foundations of Faith. It is a good time for a deeper dive into issues, thoughts, opinions, and reactions.
We also welcome anyone to attend who is curious and interested in joining us in our next monthly conversation with Foundation of Faith. Come and find out what gets stirred up in this valuable, challenging and rewarding monthly practice of conversation and relationship.
First Thursday after the first Sunday of the month 3PM
(Just flows off the tongue, doesn’t it?)
Online @ Westhope
Presentation from PACT Director Ruby H. Ramirez
Presenter: PACT Director of Organizing & Formation – Ruby H. Ramirez
Founded in 1985, People Acting in Community Together is a multi-faith, grassroots organization that provides leadership training and experience to community members of many different ethnic, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds. Through PACT, people work together to solve the most pervasive social problems of our day.
PACT strives to be an inclusive organization that welcomes people of different races, faiths, cultures, languages, gender identities and sexual orientations, socio-economic and immigration status — in other words, people of diverse backgrounds and experiences — to fully participate in our work for racial and economic justice and to collectively address issues impacting our communities.
Re-Imagining the Lord's Prayer with Clark Johnson
My Lord’s Prayer…
Re-Imagining the Lord's Prayer
Led by Elder Clark Johnson: Clark is a long time Presbyterian spiritual explorer.
Christians have prayed the Lord's Prayer for a long time and in many cultures and languages. Sometimes the repetition can leave the meaning behind, and take us out of conversation with God.
We will go through the prayer piece by piece and see how we each might translate it into or own way of speaking with God, or “our own language". It should be interesting to see what comes.
As we go through the prayer, we will talk briefly about each portion; then you each will write your own version. We will share our versions and talk about what we hear from each other.
In Person and Online at Westhope
French Faire Saturday Fun
Friday Evening: Adult Focus (kids welcome too)
Saturday All Day: Family Fun (adults welcome too!)
Come out on Friday evening for a cheese, wine, music…and come back on Saturday for the French market, face painting, jumpy houses, pony rides and more!
This is a fundraising event for Westhope and our onsite tenant – the Saratoga French Cultural Preschool & Kindergarten.
French Faire Friday Soirée
Friday Evening: Adult Focus (kids welcome too)
Saturday All Day: Family Fun (adults welcome too!)
Come out on Friday evening for a cheese, wine, music…and come back on Saturday for the French market, face painting, jumpy houses, pony rides and more!
This is a fundraising event for Westhope and our onsite tenant – the Saratoga French Cultural Preschool & Kindergarten.
Service of Prayer and Presence: Guest Preacher Don Ferris
Sundays @ 10AM
In Person & Online @ Westhope
Easter Potluck Luncheon Celebration
Welcome!
We will gather after Easter service to celebrate with a potluck lunch. If able, bring a dish to share!
Easter Service 10AM
Potlunch Luncheon Celebration 11:30AM
Easter Sunday Service & Potluck Celebration
WELCOME
We will gather after the service to celebrate Easter with a potluck luncheon. If able, bring a dish to share. But in any case, bring yourself!
Join us as we gather in sacred community
to LISTEN. to SPEAK. to ENGAGE.
Your voice matters. Your presence matters. Your healing matters.
Sunday 10AM to 11:15AM In Person and Online
Potlunch Luncheon Celebration 11:30AM In Person
Holy Saturday
Ambiguity. Mystery. The unknown.
The third night and Easter Sunday begin with the lighting of the vigil fire.
Waiting, watching, we remember God’s presence and power through time.
Good Friday: Tenebrae
Can I take this weight from my shoulders Lord and leave it here at the foot of the cross?
We move further towards the resurrection as we face into our shadows in this tenebrae service of candlelight and darkness.
We light the second fire and give over what is ready to be let go.
We rejoice. We remember. We release.