You just have to read it. 

I'm not sure what's next on my reading list! It might be time to revisit some Pete Enns. It might also be time for a novel. Lessons in Chemistry has been on my night table since Christmas, just waiting to be read, and I've seen so many good reviews! 
We'll see how the Spirit leads me. ;)
Happy reading!
- Pastor J

​Hey Friends!
Oh my gosh – there is SO MUCH to be excited about at Solomon’s UCC! Our garden is growing all kinds of yummy things! Some of you have gotten to sample our church-grown, organic lettuce, which was lovingly planted by the student workers of Lincoln Intermediate Unit. If you are or someone you know is experiencing food insecurity and in need of free fresh produce, please contact the church office! We will be happy to share what we have.
 
We’re also starting to get our livestream set up! Our goal is to be streaming to YouTube this August. We’ll run some practices in-house to get familiar with the equipment, and we’ll announce via the website and social media accounts when we’re ready to go “on air”. Stay tuned – we hope you’ll join us!
 
As if that wasn’t enough, starting in July we’ll be offering a once-a-month children’s church! On the second Saturday of every month, you can bring your kids to the church for some fun Christian education while you go enjoy a morning to yourself. Then join us on Sunday morning for worship and hear from the kids what they learned! See more information below and find the registration form on our website.
 
In addition to these new projects, we’re continuing to collect plastic to take to CRDC in York, where they repurpose all plastics into building materials. Canning with the Gleaning Project starts on July 22, and we’re really happy to be partnering with St. John’s UCC for that mission! Our alternative worship service has seen some great discussions about climate justice and creation care. When we’re finished with Laudato Si’ we’ll move into some spiritual practices (see below).
 
We have so much happening, and it’s all thanks to this community’s willingness to listen for and obey God’s callings. Our little church is making a difference in lives already! Please continue to prayerfully consider the needs of our community and how you/we might be called to address those needs. Jesus gave the 12 disciples authority to go and do, and we by extension have received the same instructions. Let us be faithful to that mission for the glory of God and the betterment of our world!
 
Thank you all for your commitment, dedication, hard work, wisdom, and presence! Together, we have a great ministry going. May the love of God be shown and known through our efforts.  
– Pastor Julia

​Hey Friends!
What a season of change this has been. If you drive by the church, the front field looks a little different. There are 12 garden beds FILLED with soil and nearly ready to advertise to the community! It’s pretty incredible how far our garden has already come, and it’s so wonderful to hear of the impact it’s already having. Several of the Lincoln Intermediate Unit students who volunteer with us said that it’s their favorite part of work-study! That’s enough of a positive impact to make all the hard work worth it. Let’s keep it up!
 
Our committees are also off to a great start. The works committee has removed a pew to make room for our new streaming system, the finance committee is keeping us organized and accountable, and the outreach committee has a few awesome projects in the pipeline! The steering committee continues to work hard at visionary planning and discerning God’s call for our church.
 
One of those callings may be to become a Creation Justice church. That designation would mean some life-style changes for us as individuals and as a church. Therefore, we must consider the potential of this calling with careful prayer and discernment, understanding what it would require of us. Some ways we’ve started this discernment process include: a sermon series (which I hope gave you all some food for thought!), a book discussion (coming soon during our summer alternative worship), plastic collections for CRDC, planting native trees and shrubs on our property, and supporting The Gleaning Project (see below for canning dates and plastic bag collection).
 
We’re also experimenting with political advocacy for climate care through the UCC’s Climate Hope Cards campaign. This campaign is designed to pressure the EPA and the White House to enact climate-friendly legislation that will combat our current environmental crisis. You can participate by picking up a stack of postcards at the church, having your friends, family, co-workers, etc. fill out a card, and bringing those cards back to the church. I will send the cards to the National UCC setting, and at the end of the summer they will deliver postcards from all over the country to the EPA and the White House. (Please note that this is non-partisan political advocacy. This campaign is rooted only in our Christian calling to care for and steward God’s creation.)
 
We are in a season of discernment at Solomon’s – discerning who we are, who God wants us to be, and how we work toward that. As ever, prayer is our best tool. When you pray, don’t forget to spend time listening. When you hear God speak, don’t be afraid to share. Ideas, visions, suggestions, and feedback are always welcome in my inbox/voicemail/office! Reach out as you feel prompted. May the voice of God be loud and clear to each of us!
– Pastor Julia

Color of Compromise spelled out the whole truth, taught me some history I did not know, and reminded me to be very careful with how I interpret our sacred scriptures. Too often church leaders have cherry-picked the Bible in order to support their own hatred and judgement. I NEVER want to do that! I want to be convicted by God's Word and treat it faithfully, not bend it to my will. 

Please, please, please consider reading this book! And let me know your thoughts - I'm happy to discuss! Here is what Amazon has to say about The Color of Compromise:

"An acclaimed, timely narrative of how people of faith have historically--up to the present day--worked against racial justice. And a call for urgent action by all Christians today in response.
The Color of Compromise is both enlightening and compelling, telling a history we either ignore or just don't know. Equal parts painful and inspirational, it details how the American church has helped create and maintain racist ideas and practices. You will be guided in thinking through concrete solutions for improved race relations and a racially inclusive church. 
The Color of Compromise:

• Takes you on a historical, sociological, and religious journey: from America's early colonial days through slavery and the Civil War
• Covers the tragedy of Jim Crow laws, the victories of the Civil Rights era, and the strides of today's Black Lives Matter movement
• Reveals the cultural and institutional tables we have to flip in order to bring about meaningful integration
• Charts a path forward to replace established patterns and systems of complicity with bold, courageous, immediate action
• Is a perfect book for pastors and other faith leaders, students, non-students, book clubs, small group studies, history lovers, and all lifelong learners

The Color of Compromise is not a call to shame or a platform to blame white evangelical Christians. It is a call from a place of love and desire to fight for a more racially unified church that no longer compromises what the Bible teaches about human dignity and equality. A call that challenges black and white Christians alike to standup now and begin implementing the concrete ways Tisby outlines, all for a more equitable and inclusive environment among God's people. Starting today."

I found Tisby's final chapter and suggested action items extremely helpful! Again, I will 10/10 recommend this book! 

Happy reading,
-Pastor Julia

Hey Friends!
Spring has sprung and it is lovely! Sometimes spring can be deceiving. We think it’s finally warm, but many days are still cold. We think it’ll be beautiful and colorful, but the mud and rain make it ugly. Despite the deception, spring is always a time of wonder and resurrection that reminds us of the ways that God has truly blessed us.
 
Ben and I are working on some garden renovations at home. We’re delighted that our hydrangea is established! We weren’t sure how things would go when we planted it last summer. We’re putting in some butterfly weed and one or two other native shrubs this year in hopes that the butterflies will delight Louise when she’s older! (And maybe they’ll entertain the cats through the window, too.)
 
Spring has also been eventful at Solomon’s! Our holy week events went well, the Earth Day celebration project was a success, and our garden is growing. We’ve got more ahead this summer! The steering committee is working to get us set up with livestreaming so that our community can worship with us anywhere. The Mother/Daughter banquet is scheduled and promises to be a lot of fun! Our committees are getting organized and have started tackling their business.
 
As we continue to move forward together, please be sure to make your voice heard and give your input! You can do that by contacting me with any thoughts, ideas, questions, or concerns. You can also do that by joining a committee.
 
Remember, Solomon’s UCC will be what YOU, with God’s help, make it. This is our church. It is not my church or the UCC’s church. It is Christ’s church and it is our church. If we want it to flourish, we need to take steps faithfully and prayerfully in pursuit of God’s will and God’s vision. That requires work on our part.
 
Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page for summer-time fellowship opportunities, outreach events, and church functions. May the new life of spring encourage us to seek our own spiritual resurrections. May the flourishing of summertime remind us of God’s abundant provisions! Let us go forth shining God’s light into the world and sharing God’s love.
– Pastor Julia

Hello Friends!
It’s been a while. What a wild and wonderful few months! My daughter, Louise, was born just a few days before Christmas. Ben and I are so in love with her, and we’re starting to sleep through the night again. We enjoy seeing her smile and listening to her coo! What a delight it is to watch her learn the world around her.
 
I loved being on maternity leave and getting to have that time with my family, but I am also so glad to be back with you all! As we get into 2023, there is lots to accomplish. We’re going to continue working on our community garden, so if you have any scrap wood boards, cardboard, soil, mulch, or other garden supplies you’d like to donate, we’re happy to arrange pick-up! We’re hoping to have some veggies sprouting by the summer time.
 
The steering committee is also continuing to look into livestreaming options for our worship service, ways to share our building and space with the community, and how to best reach out into the community. If you’re interested in serving on this committee or have any ideas to present, please let us know!
 
The Consistory has organized four additional committees on which anyone can serve! They are:

• Nurture Committee – responsible for worship, fellowship, and care of the Solomon’s UCC community.
• Outreach Committee – responsible for Solomon’s missions, communication, and Solomon’s presence in the wider community.
• Works Committee – responsible for care and upkeep of the church building and grounds.
• Finance Committee – responsible for the stewardship of tithes, offerings, and donations, as well as the accountability of all those who handle church finances.

 
The goal of all these committees is to ensure that the business of the church continues and is accomplished in a timely and meaningful manner. Please pray about how you might be able to contribute your time and talents to God’s work through the church, and consider serving on one or more of these teams.
 
We have an exciting year ahead! God is truly at work at Solomon’s UCC, and we have the honor of getting to participate in that work. May God’s callings be loud and clear for each of us!
     – Pastor Julia

​Hello Friends!
​
We have been busy this fall! From community Thanksgiving worship to Bible study; from above and beyond giving opportunities to visionary planning; from welcoming new members to re-establishing volunteer opportunities. It seems like every Sunday came with a long list of announcements and dates to remember!

As we move into the advent season, let’s try to slow down a little in order to reflect on what this season means for us. Yes, advent comes with all the preparation for Christmas: letters to Santa, tree trimming and decorations, cookies in the oven, shopping, get-togethers with loved ones, and maybe some travel plans. But in the midst of all of that joyous chaos, remember that this is also a season of waiting.
 
We are awaiting the arrival of our Messiah, Emmanuel, God-with-us. We are awaiting the arrival of a tiny baby whose teachings and way of living would inspire generations of others to welcome God into their lives and, hopefully, love into their hearts.
 
In my final “ordinary times” sermon, I talked about the compelling nature of Jesus as God. The idea that Jesus, that tiny Christmas baby in a manger, was actually God enfleshed in a human body, ready to share our human experience from birth to death, makes Jesus’ ministry so much more powerful for me. This advent season, I encourage you to reflect on that.
 
Every now and then, in the midst of your Christmas preparations, stop to remember that this season is also about preparing our hearts and minds for the arrival of our God. Stop to remember that the reason for the season is God going to great lengths in order to be with us, to understand our lot, and to show us a better, more loving way of living. Let those reflections and meditations prepare you for the rest of the Christian year, which begins with the first Sunday of Advent.
 
Wishing you all a joy-filled holiday season, health and happiness in the new year, and insightful Advent reflections!
– Pastor Julia

I've also been looking forward to reading this book because of its author. Jared Byas is a co-host of the podcast "The Bible For Normal People," on which he and Pete Enns (one my favorite Biblical scholars!) explore the library of ancient texts in a way that helps normal people - those of us who aren't super smart and don't have time to dive all the way into the depths of biblical studies - understand what our Bible actually is and how it works. They manage to do that with a good amount of humor, too! 

So, if you're not into hefty academic biblical studies, but want to know more about this ever-so-human prophet and the whale he supposedly lived in for three days, I can recommend this book! Here is Amazon's summary:

Jonah’s encounter with a big fish is one of the most widely recognized—and misunderstood—stories in the Bible. In this highly accessible guide to the book of Jonah, Jared Byas invites modern-day readers to explore the context behind the story, and consider the questions Jonah’s early audience faced: questions about the relationship between justice and mercy, what it means to be a worshipper of Yahweh (and who gets to be one), and what happens when God doesn’t act how we would like.

Through explorations of genre, language, history, themes and theology, Byas skillfully guides us on a journey with Jonah into the depths of the unknown . . . and finds many of these questions are still relevant today.

Let me know your thoughts!
​- Pastor J

I'm currently reading Finding Messiah: A Journey into the Jewishness of the Gospel by Dr. Jennifer M. Rosner. Dr. Rosner was one of my seminary professors, and I learned so much from her! You can visit her website here.

​I think it is so important for us to understand the Jewish roots of our Christian faith, the perspectives of our Jewish siblings, and Jesus' Jewish context. I have found that exploring Judaism enriches my faith and understanding of Jesus, far from inhibiting it. 

Here is GoodReads' summary of the book:

"Jesus was Jewish, and his Jewish identity informed every aspect of his work, words, and witness. He came as the Messiah of Israel, God's covenant people, and he spoke the language of God's faithfulness to this people. So why does it seem that Judaism has little to do with our Christian discipleship today?

Jennifer Rosner, a scholar of Jewish-Christian relations, takes us on a personal and corporate journey into the Jewish roots of Christian faith and practice. Understanding Judaism―and the way in which Judaism and Christianity became separate religions―is essential for a rich and holistic Christian identity. As a follower of Jesus who was raised in a Jewish home and who continues to live a Jewish life, Rosner has seen firsthand how a Christian faith can become impoverished when divorced from its Jewish roots.

Finding Messiah follows Rosner's own journey in rediscovering the role of Judaism and God's covenant with Israel in Christian life and practice. When we begin to understand Christianity's indelible relationship to Judaism, key aspects of the Christian faith come alive and the wonder of the gospel becomes clear in new and powerful ways. Jesus' Judaism provides the foundation for the church that is built upon his name. Rediscover the Jewish Jesus, and in so doing, experience a deeper and richer faith than ever before."

This is a book I emphatically recommend! Feel free to reach out with your thoughts, too. 
​-- Pastor J