Between Heaven + Earth: Nick Berry

The church is a part of the landscape of many cities. During this season we celebrate Advent. The Christian Advent is the preparation for the coming of Jesus, who gave us Gentiles the love and salvation of God. That is indeed a great gift for which Jesus paid a heavy price. We at First Pres imitate it with our fellow humans, fortunately at a lesser price. Yes, giving gifts is following and honoring Christ. However, this goes beyond the Christmas presents we give family and friends to be a year-round act of faith.

We at First Pres seek to become aware of the needs of others, led by Andy, Mihee, and many others, even those we don’t know, and certainly in response to many in our communities we don't know. As a church, we do our best to provide care and comfort as we are able, even at a sacrifice of time and treasure. We are fortunate to have Jesus as our role model. He shows us the way of hope, peace, love, and joy. As he taught us: there are the hungry to be fed; the homeless to be sheltered; the poor to enrich; the lame to heal; the persecuted to protect; and the peacemakers to honor. Jesus enshrined the love of God and the love of neighbor, for which as members of First Pres we are eternally grateful. Our neighbors are also a part of our Christian community, and they enrich our lives and souls.