Pastoral Letter August 2026

“I am concerned about the future of this tree.” - Sarah the Arborist

Dear Beloved Keystone Community –

This morning, I walked the grounds of Keystone with Sarah, an arborist I asked for a consultation. As the signage team prepares to design a new sign for the front of the church, I am making sure the sign itself will be visible to all: Blooma Tree Experts will prune back some of the branches which are obscuring the view of the front door. Sarah clearly loves trees; she reluctantly advised us to take out the walnut tree, as well as a “volunteer” cherry tree which has grown up by the neighbors’ garage. She was very concerned about a red cedar growing behind Battson Hall—she said it doesn’t have room to grow and flourish because of the concrete which surrounds it, and she actually recommended removing it. I told her we would leave it for now, but I thanked her for her advice and her vision.

We at Keystone have been seeking similar advice and guidance about our beloved community—what to prune back, what to plant, and perhaps what to eliminate entirely. Why are we doing this? Because we want Keystone’s legacy to be as broad and deep as the roots of an ancient tree, reaching beyond the walls of Keystone, deep into the soil of the community. Keystone proclaims the Good News that the Realm of God is breaking through, here and now. We make this proclamation every time we organize for justice, every time we speak up against oppression, every time we bring kindness and support to folks who struggle. Our worship is only the beginning of the legacy of peace, justice, and hope which we freely offer to our communities and to our world.

I want to thank you for your comments during the mid-term designated pastor evaluation. I will be discussing my evaluation with the leadership team this week, and will do my best to respond to your assessment by adding, pruning, adjusting. I also want to thank you for asking me to preach a sermon series on the book of Revelation this summer. I learned a tremendous amount about the book, about apocalyptic literature, and most of all about myself as a preacher. It was difficult at times to lift the veil that shrouds the powers and principalities of empire, but at the end we all gathered at the river of hope, of Spirit, that flows from the heart of this – and every – loving community.

With love and gratitude

Pastor Adina

Pastoral Letter for July 2026

“We have set our world and our civilization on fire in a number of scary ways, and none of our trusted social institutions are inspiring confidence that they can put the fire out. That is because those social institutions were framed within social narratives or framing stories that are also failing us: fantasies of unlimited growth, delusions of power, fables about inevitable progress….But, I remind myself, our humanity cannot be reduced to our current narratives and institutions. As they fail, we can disentangle and step away from them. We can tell better, more honest, more healing stories, and we can build better, wiser, more durable, representative, and ethical institutions, starting small, and, if necessary, rebuilding from the ruins or replanting in the ashes.”

—Brian D. McLaren, Life After Doom

Dear Beloved Keystone Community,

Liturgically, we are now in “Ordinary Time,” which is anything but ordinary; I prefer to call it the Season after Pentecost, the season of movement after we have been birthed anew by the Holy Spirit, year after year, to go forth into our community and proclaim the Good News. After my silent retreat, I feel particularly joyful and energized, and am reminded of the bullet points we created together at the end of the Day of Discernment, with specific ways in which we feel called to proclaim the Good News in this particular moment:

• Be an authentically welcoming community;

• Improve signage on the building and put signs elsewhere;

• Serve members of the wider community;

• Advocate as a church community;

• Reimagine/relaunch the Festival of Hope;

• Love the newcomer (gently);

• Hold space for diverse theologies and spiritual journeys;

• Go where seekers are and invite them to church;

• Gather in person (hybrid) every week;

• Preach, sing, and share communion;

• Speak the Good News on Social Media;

• Check in about the Justice Leadership Project;

• Magnify and continue potluck/game nights;

• Restart Maundy Thursday meals;

• Be the church in new ways;

• Identify, support, and celebrate the gifts and initiatives of the people in the community.

As I review this list, I see specific actions we are already taking, general behaviors we are cultivating, and aspirations which we hope to realize in the coming year. I see a community continuing to thrive in the face of the apocalyptic times we live in. I see a new model of church, a people of God called out from the dominant culture. And I am more grateful than ever to be called as your pastor.

With Love,

Pastor Adina

Pastoral Letter for Pentecost 2026

And another time when he appeared to them, they asked him, “Lord, are you going to free Israel from Rome now and restore us as an independent nation?”

“The Father sets those dates,” he replied, “and they are not for you to know. But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power to testify about me with great effect, to the people in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, about my death and resurrection.”

It was not long afterwards that he rose into the sky and disappeared into a cloud, leaving them staring after him.

Acts 1:6-9

Dear Beloved Keystone Community:

The month of May has me thinking about birthdays. My husband Matthew just started his birthday month by fulfilling a lifelong dream: driving a stock car at 150 MPH around a track at the Las Vegas Speedway. While in Vegas, I was able to interact with a variety of folks, many of whom are anticipating the 250th birthday of the United States. I saw t-shirts, banners, and ads for upcoming events, many of which appeared to have a Christian theme. For instance, “America Reads the Bible” is an event which proposes we take our country back to its supposed “Biblical roots.”

In the shadow of Christian Nationalist mythology like this, I propose we focus on the celebration of a most important birthday – that of the Church, the body of Christ. We celebrate this birthday every year on Pentecost, when we remember the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem, giving them the power to proclaim the Good News, boldly and enthusiastically, in multiple languages. The Good News liberates us from idolatry, from tribalism, and from all forms of oppression because it is about God’s great love for all nations, all people. Without exception.

To celebrate the birthday of the Church this year, I have decided that May will be “theology month” at Keystone. In the shadow of German Christian Nationalism of the 1930s, theologian Karl Barth used theology as resistance. I propose we do the same, as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to spread the Good News – not simply to “counter” Christian Nationalism, but – as New Testament professor Greg Carey suggests – to preach Jesus! As Carey writes, “Again and again. The message of Jesus is all we have; it has the additional benefit of being kryptonite to the false gospel of Christian nationalism.” 

I hope you will join with me as we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the basic theological principles — a triune God, an incarnate Savior, and a message of liberation — which the Spirit, in Her extravagance, commands us all to proclaim. Jesus promises his disciples that we will receive power to testify about him with great effect! As our mission statement declares: “Keystone Church proclaims the Good News that God’s Realm is in our midst.” Let us go forth and preach the Good News at all times! And in the words of Francis of Assisi, if necessary, use words.

In Solidarity,

Pastor Adina

Pastoral Letter for Easter 2026

Dear Beloved Keystone,

During Lent this year, we have journeyed with Christ, the Human One, on the way to the cross. Through Gospel stories of a midnight visit, a noonday encounter at a well, clay on the eyes of one born blind, and other familiar tales, we have learned more deeply what it means to grow into a human being in the image and likeness of God. And on Easter Sunday, we will encounter the Risen One, who looks and acts somewhat different than the Human One. Again, we will hear familiar stories: the frightened and confused women at the tomb, the doubting one who asks to see the wounds, the supper where the Risen One is recognized in the breaking of the bread. And we will ask ourselves – what does resurrection mean?

It is no secret that fewer folks in the USA and Europe identify as Christian – the fastest growing group are the “nones,” or the religiously unaffiliated. One quarter of Americans now identify as “spiritual but not religious.” And of course, Christianity in this country is facing a “crisis of legitimacy,” as Christianity is identified with warmongering, violence, bullying, bigotry, and exclusion instead of love and radical inclusion. Perhaps you are wondering if you can continue to identify as a Christian today.

During Lent, we had a surge of interest in Keystone: I have been fielding phone calls and visits from numerous folks who want to use our building for pot lucks, political organizing, neighborhood readiness, films, and more. I would estimate that during any given week, a hundred or more people come through the doors of Keystone – not counting our preschoolers! At the same time, our worship services rarely have more than twenty in attendance. People love Keystone, love the community, want to get involved in more of our activities – just not our worship services.

This leads to a number of questions: Who are we? What is Keystone? What are our hearts yearning for, individually and as a community? What questions, fears, and longings do we have? What are we being called to in this moment in history? And how can we answer the call to be a resurrection people?

Please mark your calendars now and save the date of Saturday, June 6th, when the Keystone community will gather for a day-long discernment retreat at the St. Mary-on-the-Lake Peace and Spirituality Center in Bellevue. Carpooling will of course be available. Together, we will listen deeply for the Spirit’s call as we share food and fellowship from 10-3. If you have ever considered yourself to be a member of Keystone, you are welcome to join us, even if you have not attended worship services in a while. Whether you’ve been at Keystone for fifty years or just a few weeks, please come and share with us. In the meantime, you may be hearing from me for another round of listening sessions!

Thank you for everything you do for the Keystone community.

With love and prayers for a blessed Easter season,

Rev. Adina

Keystone Pastoral Letter Lent 2026

“Loving God, give us courage, creativity, and conviction to make a meaningful impact in fighting injustice and cruelty. Equip each of us to do something huge or something little. Allow our hearts to never stop breaking over the suffering of others and remind us of the promises you’ve made to us for a future filled with hope. Thank you Jesus.”

– Anonymous UCC prayer for peace

Beloved Keystone Community:

I’ve been under the weather for the past few weeks, first with a lousy cold and then with some kind of stomach virus which knocked me out all weekend. I know I’m not alone – I’ve spoken with a number of Keystone members who have had colds, flu, bronchitis, and other ailments. On top of our shaky physical health, the health of the country and of the world at large seems worse than ever: every day shocking reports from the Epstein files detail the depravity of the rich and powerful with seemingly no accountability; federal agents continue to terrorize vulnerable communities; and now Israel and the US are bombing Iran.

When I am feeling awful physically and mentally, I enjoy lying in bed and watching horror movies on my tablet. My favorites are, of course, supernatural spiritual horror movies about demonic possession and exorcism, but I also enjoy the zombie apocalypse genre, so while I was recovering from my latest virus, I decided to watch “28 Years Later.”

Now, while I would not recommend any of these zombie movies to the faint of heart, I thought “28 Years Later” was a magnificent film. It was set on Lindisfarne Island, off the northeast coast of England, a holy island whose medieval monastery produced an incredibly beautiful set of illuminated Gospel manuscripts. The cinematography was gorgeous. Like “The Last of Us,” a TV show I have featured in sermons, this zombie apocalypse story is about folks trying to hang onto community, to family, to love, to peace, while the outside world has become a life-threatening place and most people have become flesh-eating creatures who still look human but who seek only to devour one another. The virus which has infected humanity is called “the rage virus.” Sound familiar?

I think this is why I – and lots of people, apparently – find these zombie shows so compelling. The ‘uninfected’ characters display courage, loyalty, and resourcefulness in the face of absolute mayhem. Loving bonds develop between children who have lost parents and parents who have lost children; in a world where survival is crucial, everyone suddenly becomes family; people share their limited resources and manage to cobble together not just existence, but resilience, hope, and even music and dancing. They are able to retain their humanity while so many around them are losing theirs.

This is our vision of God’s Realm, God’s dream for us: a loving community of compassion and empathy and shared resources, in which the dignity of each human being is upheld. Lent is a time to draw closer to this dream by asking Jesus, the Human One, to show us how to become more human ourselves. Walter Wink writes in his autobiography: “And this is the revelation: God is HUMAN … It is the great error of humanity to believe that it is human. We are only fragmentarily human, fleetingly human, brokenly human. We see glimpses of our humanness, we can only dream of what a more human existence and political order would be like, but we have not yet arrived at true humanness. Only God is human, and we are made in God’s image and likeness — which is to say, we are capable of becoming human.”

May we cling to Christ this Lent – in Scripture, in Prayer, in one another, and most especially in the most vulnerable among us. May we enflesh God’s Realm every day as we stand together against the powers of domination, chaos, and rage. May we not fear to hope that we can, day by day, become more truly human.

Love and Blessings

Pastor Adina