November, 2016

​Giving Thanks:  November 19th at 3 pm at Coastside Lutheran Church
We are having a community event to give thanks together for all our blessings of which we have many. This will be an ecumenical event where we invite all those who help with the breakfast, the farm, members and friends of this congregation and beyond.  Bring seasonal deserts or treats such as pies, appetizers to share.  We will gather and share stories and music.  Come one, come all!!​

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From Pastor Dawn:

What does it mean to love one another as God has loved us?  What does it mean to serve one another and love your neighbor as yourself?  We see these mandates embodied in the person of Jesus Christ throughout the gospel stories.  Time and again we hear the importance of love and mercy at the heart of who we are as followers of Jesus and children of God. However, it’s not easy, especially when confronted with the words of our gospel this first Sunday of November. “Listen. Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”  (Luke 6:27) We here story after story in our nation and beyond revealing  just how much we struggle to love as God loves or forgive as God forgives!!

As I hear the stories of pain, trauma, shame and abuse the indigenous people of Standing Rock are suffering as they pray, my heart breaks and we as a nation die a little as they faithfully seek to protect, honor and value that which has been given to all and those who have gone before them.  I’m in awe of their fortitude, faithfulness, humility, and determination to be faithful stewards of the land and their ancestors.  Who are the ones reflecting love and mercy as this story unfolds, and where is Jesus,….God standing in this crisis?  Where are we called to stand?

“As never seen before, over 62 million persons have been displaced from their home by violence, poverty and economic marginalization. The root causes for the displacement are the commonly known civil strife, war and poverty. But lately we have seen the huge impact climate change is having on peoples lives.” (Rafael Malpica Padilla, executive director of ELCA Global Mission, LivingLutheran Magazine, November 2016). As we come to know such things, what effect does it play in the decisions we make as a nation and as Christians? What difference does our call to love and serve our neighbor make in the face of such realities?  How will it effect the way we vote, our decisions in the distribution of resources and the solutions we pursue? 

In our local community, how might our mandate to love and serve our neighbor as God has loved and served humanity in Jesus effect decisions facing us in Half Moon Bay on issues like how to compassionately attend the homeless here? As we become increasingly clear that providing homes through programs like Permanent Supportive Housing vouchers are making a difference, how might we best move forward in loving our neighbors here on the coast?
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It is as we listen, pray, receive the gifts of grace in Word and Sacrament, learn, serve, and develop kinship among strangers, we come to know the power love and forgiveness can provide in loving even our enemies.  Because, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
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In the love of Christ, Pastor Dawn