KATIE’S BAY VIEW

There is much excitement on the Starr King Church grounds lately, with hammers a pounding and walls a moving. While it might be nice to invite folks to come visit us after everything is all completed, why shouldn’t we g e t started with our hospitality now? Let’s show ourselves willing to be flexible, to be informal, to be “Building the Beloved Community” even through these tough times. There is something inspirational, yes, almost spiritual, in the structural and foundational aspects of the construction. The act of building shows that we believe in ourselves, that we expect to be here in the days and years to come, that we have something of substance that will outlast our own particular lives.
Just as we hear about or recall the stories of the founders of this church and current building and of the original congregation, this new generation has faith in our tradition, has faith of the larger liberty. And right now, we have a window in time. We have this very short-lived opportunity to experience the creation of this new piece of our history. Watching the steps of the construction on Bayview Avenue is like watching a plant sprout or a child grow. It is physical and literal transformation that will change us in greater ways. It’s already changing us to some degree as we begin to imagine what it will look like, what will take place in the new space, and as we wonder what will change around this place that has become familiar.

What a great time to invite others to join us on this journey of imagination, inspiration, creation and transformation! So please, during the month of August, tell your friends that you’d love to have them join you at your church on Sunday, August 30th . Why not even give them a ride?

The topic of worship will be friendship—a topic of importance to our spiritual forebear Ralph Waldo Emerson. I’ll be off from July 11th through August 10th. On the 16th I’m asking you to bring a book for the altar. Let’s try a communion of books for fun! In the meantime, happy summer!