Into Light

This past week has revealed, for me, a deep sense of gratitude and resolve. Gratitude for where we live, in the Bay Area of California, and resolve, to continue the work of building this new church—a space where those who have left or been pushed out of the more theologically conservative churches and communities may find a home. 

President-elect Donald Trump has given power to a voice and culture in our American society that leaves behind many of those on the margins. Fighting this culture is what propels my resolve. It feels clear to me that we need to create more spaces that are inclusive, and more spaces where we use our privilege and our privileged place in the world to draw the circle wider.

Over the past several months the launch team for this new church has been hard at work figuring out how and what we can be in the world, and so I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you all to work we’ve been doing. 

But first, I’d like to stop calling it the “new church” and call it by its name: St. Lucys—the patron saint of sight, the patron saint of light, and of the darkest night of the year. She’s creepy, she stands up to power, she provides food to the hungry, and she carries her eyeballs on a tray. We resonate with her resilience, her subversive power, that she makes people feel seen, and that she provides for those in need under the cover of night (new website is in the works!). 

So, on December 8th from 4-6p we’ll host a drop-in gathering for all of you to learn more about St. Lucy’s. A very generous couple from All Souls (the Episcopal church where I have worked for the past nine years) has offered up their support and their home (in the Oakland hills) for us to gather (they’re even providing hor d’oeuvres, drinks, and cookies!).

If you’re able to attend on the 8th, please RSVP here (we’ll send out the address once you’ve RSVP’d), even if you can only drop in, you are welcome. And, there will be more of these, so if you have to miss this one, no worries, you can catch another in the new year. 

Anticipating what’s ahead!

Emily