Shows / Westwood United Methodist Church
Episodes
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Worth the Commitment
Dear Westwood Church Family, It’s certainly changed during seasons of my life, but I know that commitment can make me feel uncomfortable. Still I think it’s…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Scattered for Service-Sherry Burch
“When I joined Westwood UMC over 30 years ago, I wasn’t able to participate much in the whole church activities, because I had two young children. As…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
I Hope You’ll Vote
Dear Westwood Church Family, Next Tuesday is election day, and I hope you’ll vote. I know that many of you already have; I’m grateful that we have…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Just Listen
Dear Westwood Family, The word “just” can mean a lot of different things. It can be minimizing–as in “I’m not doing anything…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Why Being Morally Consistent Requires the Courage to Change Your Mind
Greetings Westwood UMC Family, I pray this pastoral note finds you all doing well! I am excited to write this week’s pastoral note because it is a little…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
A Knack for Surprise-Tim Read
“In 2022 I entered the Westwood chili cookoff for the first time. I would have been happy to go home with an empty slow cooker. I was stunned when I…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Intergenerational Chili
Dear Westwood Family, It’s been so hot that I’ve had a hard time remembering that it’s fall, but now that it’s October, and since…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
My Faith Challenges Me-Karen Pang
“I’ve been part of Westwood my entire adulthood and have met some of my best friends here. You’ve probably seen (and definitely heard!) me in choir and…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
In Response to Violence
Over recent days, my spirit has been heavy with grief and anger at the slow revelation of accounts of sexual violence and the failure of institutions to…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Radical Compassion and Justice-Joy Hsu
“Last year I moved back to LA after being in Chicago for the last eight years. 26 years old with no job, no church, no prospects. Luckily I saw the…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
I made up my mind.
Dear Westwood Family, We’re celebrating the Season of Creation in the Sanctuary this month, a relatively new liturgical season shaped by ecumenical…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Reflecting on 19 Years at Westwood UMC – Sabrina Simmons
“I came to Westwood UMC in January 2008 after taking a hiatus from work for about a year. If I’m being honest, when I first came here I wasn’t planning…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
One for the Road
Dear Westwood Family, At the monthly CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice) meeting in July, I connected with a team of people planning a walking…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Belonging vs. Community
Dear Westwood Family, I pray this email finds you all doing well, or at least as well as can be expected given the heat wave we are enduring! As many of you…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Small Acts of Love – Jenniffer Duran-West
“For over a decade, I’ve served on the Board of Directors of BreastfeedLA, advocating for equitable resources and dignity for families of color in Los…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Wendell Berry and Good Peaches
Dear Westwood Family, It’s been one of those seasons where it feels like we’re losing important people every day. This week, I was surprised by…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Dolly Parton and Dignity
Dear Westwood Family, What a gift Dolly Parton has been to the world. Since I heard of her death yesterday, I’ve held sadness and gratitude together…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Offering Care to One Another – Rev. Dr. John Holbert
“Anyone who has been in a church for more than ten minutes knows that one of the major reasons for a church’s existence is the care of its members. Every…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Called to Wonder
Dear Westwood Family, As those of you who were in the sanctuary last Sunday already know, I’m just back from two weeks of vacation in Spain. On my trip…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Wonderfully Made and Wildly Connected
“I have had the privilege of being able to visit Navajo Nation twice, one of the times being this year in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. There, my group and I built…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Children Are the Church of the Present & the Future
I believe the children are our futureTeach them well and let them lead the wayShow them all the beauty they possess insideGive them a sense of pride to make it…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Join the Summer Choir – Jeanne Contreras
“I moved out to California right after I finished my Masters degree in Voice and Opera Performance from the University of Michigan. My brother Scotty was…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Care Givers Group – Jeannie Brennan
“My husband John and I have been married since the “turn of the century” – 27 years – and have been blessed with a daughter, Patience (23) and son…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
When You Enlarged My Heart
Dear Westwood Family, I’m headed on a vacation to Spain next week, hoping to experience another total solar eclipse. And, of course, to enjoy the rich…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Borders, Boundaries & Belonging
Dear Westwood Family, Just before we arrived at our Sierra Service Project (SSP) site in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, our team of 24 stopped by…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Organ Concert Series – Shirley Williams
“One thing I love about the organ programs is learning about the composers and the music. Just as when I am part of a docent-led tour at an art museum or…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Astonishing Beauty
Dear Westwood Family, On July 3, air traffic controllers and pilots at Newark airport interrupted their normal workflow to make sure everyone saw and…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Sierra Service Project – Will Read
“Hi! My name is Will Read, and I am part of the Grapple Group here at Westwood UMC. I chose to start going on SSP for three main reasons: First, I like…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Jane’s Contribution
Dear Westwood Family, One of the many saints whose love and dedication shaped our congregation is Jane Crail. A 1952 graduate of UCLA, Jane was an LAUSD…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Astonish – Louise Spear
“I recently had the privilege of serving as a Westwood Church lay member at the California-Pacific Annual Conference in La Quinta, CA. The theme of the…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
Annual Conference Is Special – Rachel Gipson
As someone who has been attending Conference since I was three weeks old, I can say with authority that it is a special and supportive place. Not only do we do…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
We Have Always Been Here
Dear Westwood Family, I pray this email finds you all doing well. June is Pride month, and the sermon series in The Loft reflects the joy and power of Pride…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
The 21st Quadrennial United Women in Faith Assembly – Denise Freese
The 21st quadrennial United Women in Faith Assembly (formerly United Methodist Women) was held at the Indianapolis Convention Center in May. Nearly 3000…
- Westwood United Methodist Church
From Spark to Fire: Celebrating Women’s Ordination at Westwood
Dear Westwood Family, According to The Book of Discipline, the primary purpose of the Commission on the Status and Role of Women (COSROW) is “to…