Pastor's Blog

SUMMERTIME MUSING -Sunday evening, as I was taking a walk around the neighborhood, I stopped to pick some peaches on my way home. I met a neighbor who shyly asked if she could pick some too. We shared a conversation about gardening, our dogs, the milkweed and monarchs next to the peach trees, and the church (I made sure to tell her that we have worship at 10:00 on Sunday) and then we both went home with peaches. It was one of those moments I cherish, a casual encounter that happened easily and literally “bore fruit.” It made me think about our visible presence in the community. I love it on Saturdays, when the church buildings are full with meetings, the shower/laundry trailer is serving people in the parking lot and during season, when music comes both from the choir that practices in the classroom near the parsonage and from recitals inside the building. I also look forward to Safe Car Park, especially getting to know the guests who stay with us when we share a weekly meal together. Even though we have experienced some security issues along with our growth it is wonderful to see the buildings used and shared with our neighbors. From the window of the parsonage, I daily watch people walking their dogs, carrying groceries and going to the synagogue on Saturday. I try to walk instead of drive to the grocery store, pharmacy and to pick up food so I can have a better sense of the daily events that surround me. On the weekend, I stop at yard sales, and shop within walking distance. The ladies at El Dorado Tacqueria don’t know my name but they know if I haven’t been in a while that I have been in Napa. They also don’t ask for my order because they know it will be a chili relleno, even though I change it up for tacos dorados once in a while. They do ask if I want horchata because I don’t always order it and more often than not, they tuck in a few extra chips or salsa. I noticed this week that there is still a shrine in front of Safeway, honoring Manuel Cornejo, who was shot and killed while working the night shift in early June. There are fresh flowers there still as the family and community continue to mourn his death and the unresolved circumstances around the shooting. That there are fresh flowers and lit candles means that the community has responded by reserving this space where mourners can express grief for as long as they need.  It is not always obvious what makes a neighborhood tick, yet I find the blocks surrounding the church to be full of life, caring and diversity and I am grateful to be here and to be a small part of it. 

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