EastsideFirst...

We wanted to change our web name to reflect who we are as a worshipping community. Being located on the Eastside of St. Paul is definitely a location, but the name also holds a claim to putting the eastside first in our outreach and in our hearts. While we come from a variety of places throughout the metro area, our immediate neighborhood is "beloved" and our commitment is to care for the people in this place we call home. 

We also believe that life is wonderfully messy and each of us is gifted with an imperfect beauty.  So, I invite you into the mess and the beauty of this time and this place...

Today, we mourn the death of The Reverend Clementa Pinckney of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina whose funeral was held today. He and 8 others were gunned down in the middle of a Bible Study last week. Along with President Obama who gave an incredible eulogy today, we mourn their passing and take up the call to stop racism in its tracks! 

Today, we also celebrate a landmark decision by the Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states! We look to the future with hope in a rich diversity of race, culture, gender, age, and even economy. There is much work to do, and it's time to do it!