Icon The Parable of the Mustard Seed by Kelly Latimore

 

Kindred in Christ,

 

Summer invites us to notice the threads that weave our lives together—connecting us to nature, to our neighbors, and to the world God loves. Over the past weeks of our Interwoven by Grace series, it has been such a joy to see our two congregations worshiping, learning, and serving alongside one another, both in our sanctuary and out in the community.

 

This weekend, many of us, including myself, will be away at Ocean Park Methodist Camp for rest, renewal, and intergenerational fun. Even while we’re away, I’m excited for Sunday’s worship with our own Rev. Judy Schultz preaching on Isaiah 1:1, 10–20. The passage reminds us that true worship cannot be separated from justice—our devotion must lead us to act. Worship is hollow if it does not carry us beyond good intention and into meaningful action in the world.

 

This conviction is not new for us. In the early Methodist movement, John Wesley and the first Methodists insisted that piety (prayer, study of scripture, worship) and mercy (sharing food with the hungry, visiting the sick, advocating for the poor) belonged together as inseparable expressions of faith. Methodism was never meant to be a “Sunday only” religion but a movement that sent people into the world transformed and ready to transform. That legacy continues to guide us today.

 

I hope you’ll join us this weekend—whether in the sanctuary or at camp—ready to be inspired and encouraged to live out God’s call to justice and love in our world.

 

Alongside you,

Pastor Paul Ortiz