As the summer slowly ended in Galveston, I thought often about the few weeks we spent at Central, in the heat of the summer, with no air conditioning in the sanctuary. Even in the oppressive heat (I brought a thermometer that read 90 degrees), we carried on; business as usual! Really, can you imagine any other church doing the same? But we are different. In so many ways, our unsheltered members an...  Read More

*Trigger warning: This blog entry mentions suicide.In our current sermon series “The Sacred Between Us,” we have discussed our neighbors. As we learn about our neighbors and how to care for one another, I can’t think of a more relevant instance to check on your neighbor. September is Suicide Prevention Month. After reading about a couple of recent incidents I felt compelled to share. According to ...  Read More

It takes a village to raise a child. A phrase you've heard or even said numerous times.What about an adult?  What does it take to elevate an adult? We don’t just raisechildren; we raise our children to be adults. Last Tuesday, I had someone tell me theyhad no idea how to be an adult. They had no life skills, that they were never taughtbasic skills to be an adult. This absence had caused them to mi...  Read More

During his sermon on Sunday (6/30), Michael talked about Central writing another book of the Bible. If this were the case, there would be a few chapters on community. This is undoubtedly one of the best things that Central does. In Genesis 2:18 God said it is not good that the human is alone. When Jesus started his ministry, did he do it alone? No, he gathered a community to help. I struggle with ...  Read More

More and more, I recognize and take comfort in the balance I find in our church community. The invitation and the welcome to participate is so inclusive that our diversity of membership is something rarely seen in modern churches. We are young and old, queer and straight, sick and well, poor and rich, and the list goes on. For me, this diversity of thought, life experience, and perspective creates...  Read More

A few weeks ago, some of the members of the church council did a walk around of the physical church to make a list of priorities for repair. Of course, Central is an old building and maybe not in the best of repair, however during the tour it became clear to me that our physical space is a hot mess! I could not even focus on where to start first. Thank goodness that some on the council are skilled...  Read More

I missed Sunday church service for three weeks in a row! Unusual since my husband and I started attending Central in 2021. I love the wonder and awe I feel each Sunday, and for one reason or another, my heart is always open and present to the love of neighbor that happens during each worship service. My grandmother would have called this feeling the Holy Spirit at work, and I know no better explan...  Read More

Part of my professional work as a social worker is serving new immigrants just arrived to the United States. Although the “politics” of welcoming the stranger is increasingly difficult to navigate, especially in Texas, it is beautiful work. Maybe our leaders need to be reminded of the radical call in both the Old and the New Testaments to welcome the stranger, the migrant far from home. But for su...  Read More

Last week we examined the assumption that homelessness is caused by the personal deficiencies of the homeless themselves. We have been operating with this paradigm for decades. Judging by the rapid increase in homelessness, this focus on individual behavior has not worked very well.  An alternative perspective is the evidence-based approach of the social sciences. Social problems, problems involvi...  Read More

If we do “go up the river” to find explanations of why so many people are experiencing homelessness, we find different ways of looking at it. One way is the “common sense” notion there is something wrong with the individuals who don’t have a home. It might be mental illness, substance abuse, lack of education or training, lack of interpersonal skills, family alienation, chronic lateness, inability...  Read More

During Christmas we reconnected to the story of Mary, Joseph, and the soon-to-be-born Jesus, poor people desperately searching for shelter, for a safe place. The Christmas story particularly resonates with us at Central, because serving the poorest of the poor in Galveston is our specialty!While we are helping, as best we can, I sometimes think of an old tale about a mythical town on a river where...  Read More

A few weeks ago, Rev. Dr. Vincent Harris, the District Superintendent for our larger community, gave the sermon at Central. He talked about how, with each new day, we are new, renewed in the eyes of God. This is a powerful message to those that are worn down by limited choices and limited opportunities. That they can see themselves as fully loved and valued by our creator in the present moment, re...  Read More