Pastoral Letter October 2026

“True worship always questions the dominant paradigms, even those within the church. It asks whether we are bowing before reality or falsehood, before God or idols.” 

—Mark Labberton, The Dangerous Act of Worship

My Dear Keystone Community,

One of my friends just released an album of “worship songs” and invited me to listen to it. The first song on the album, “Praise Jesus,” contains the chorus: “Praise Jesus, for all the world to see/ praise Jesus, for what he’s done for me/ praise Jesus, praise Jesus, praise Jesus, amen!” I’ve been to plenty of churches where this catchy tune would fit right into the worship music, and as I listened, I could imagine folks raising their hands, closing their eyes, and being caught up in the emotion of praising Jesus. I enjoyed listening and even singing along with “Praise Jesus” and some of the other songs on the album (the words were easy to pick up), although they are most definitely not the kind of songs that we sing here at Keystone.

Why not? What’s the purpose of singing in church, anyway? Church is one of the only places that we all get to sing together. It’s an amazing experience to use our lungs and our lips to join in solidarity with other people! But we could do this with protest songs, folk songs, or popular songs. Why hymns? And why Gather (donated to us by St. Pat’s and full of “social justice” songs) or the New Century Hymnal (the UCC “official” hymnal, with inclusive language versions of old favorites) or Sing! Prayer and Praise (a newer songbook)?

There are a lot of different kinds of hymns. And everyone has a preference. One person told me they did not like the “marching songs“ of the New Century Hymnal. Another person told me they preferred the New Century Hymnal because they knew the old standard hymns and could sing harmonies. Someone else said they weren’t crazy about the songs from Gather, where we seem to be singing our political manifesto. One jokester said they didn’t like many of the songs in Sing! Prayer and Praise because “I don’t like to sing songs about Jesus touching me.” You can’t please all of the people all of the time.

Most weeks, I am the one who chooses the hymns that we sing for worship. I consult with Elliot, but for the most part, I select them based on a few factors: the sermon themes, the familiarity of the congregation with the music, and the ease of access to the hymnals. As I’ve told you, I have been trying to keep our singing to one hymnal per worship session, so that you all don’t have to fumble with more than one hymnal. And I try to rotate hymnals so that everyone has an equal chance to dislike the music that week.

Another important consideration is the integrity of the composer. Several years ago, the worship team decided not to use any songs by David Haas. Haas was a popular hymn writer for Catholics and Lutherans and wrote some really beautiful songs, but a number of women came forward and said that Haas had sexually assaulted them, so we made the decision not to use his music. 

Although we may come from different faith backgrounds, singing in church is a way for us to articulate our shared foundation of faith. It's important that we sing what we believe. While the Gather hymnal does contain some wonderful songs about God's justice — “Canticle of the Turning” is one of my favorites — it also contains quite a bit of sexist language. And while the New Century hymnal uses more inclusive language, some of the hymns contain language about “the sacrifice paid” by Jesus — this is substitutionary atonement theology, which we do our best to deconstruct at Keystone. So it’s a balance: lovely old hymns that everyone knows may contain some outdated theology, and a more contemporary song may sound jarring to folks who haven’t heard it much. 

What are your favorite songs to sing at Keystone? What stirs you to action? What comforts you? What keeps you coming back to sing with this community every week? Please let me know and I’ll be sure to include them in the worship plan as often as I can!

With much love

Pastor Adina

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