April Reflection from Director of Engagement
“…the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go.” (Luke 10:1)
Thank you all for the warm welcome in this new position as the Director of Engagement at First Church and for sharing in joy with me on the recommendation from the Board of Ordained Ministry for my upcoming commissioning as a Provisional Deacon this June. I am excited to be able to take these next steps here at First Church as you have supported me throughout the years and instilled in me the importance of seeking justice for the vulnerable, marginalized, and oppressed.
When I think about engagement of our faith communities, I remember this verse in the Gospel of Luke that describes how Jesus sends out seventy more disciples to participate in his ministry, after having first sent out the twelve disciples that we become familiar with earlier in Luke’s Gospel. This shows us how Jesus doesn’t just call the few, Jesus calls the many. He invites us all to participate in loving “the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)
For us as a faith community, this means we are invited to follow Jesus in the ways we:
- Actively participate together in worship, as:
o lay worship leaders and scripture readers,
o communion stewards and choir members,
o greeters, ushers, and other roles.
- Show up for each other during joys and sorrows, by:
o Praying with one another,
o Visiting and writing to congregants that are homebound or ill,
o Celebrating joys and wonders together.
- Take part in our internal activities led by our laity, such as:
o Spiritual education/enrichment classes,
o Prayer shawl ministry,
o Pub theology,
o Lunch and Learn presentations and special events.
- Get involved in the work of our committees, including:
o Program committees that do ministry in our neighborhood, community, and in the world.
o Administrative committees that keep the work of our church going.
- Attend service and advocacy opportunities of our Outward focused Ministries of Justice, Compassion and Mercy, including:
o Volunteer at our Shared Breakfast program that provides a warm meal every Sunday morning to anyone that is hungry. We especially need assistant cooks, dishwashers, and musicians.
o Participate in our advocacy work on Social Justice issues by writing postcards for Reclaim Our Vote, and contacting your legislators.
o Attend rallies and events that address Climate Justice.
o Take part in local service opportunities and global short-term service trips.
o Get involved in our Pride Sunday activities as we offer hospitality and communion to all in our location at the end of the Pride Parade route.
o Start something new!
And I’m sure there are many more opportunities not listed! Together, there is still much work for us to do as we live into the call to be co-creators with our Divine Creator and Sustainer in bringing forth the Kin-dom of God, but I can feel the energy in the room and know that we can help sustain each other in that work.
I would love to have conversations with each of you as you consider the ways you are feeling led by the Holy Spirit to deeper involvement in our programs and ministries.
Let’s connect! Send me an email and we can find a time to meet up individually or in small groups of two to three persons. Later this month, I will be starting a drop-in “open office hour” as well on Fridays at a local coffee shop. Look to future e-news for more information on that.
Jackie Celin
Director of Engagement
email: jackie@firstchurchseattle.org