Building Beloved Community
Westwood UMC - Los Angeles, CA
Join us for our tradition of one, combined worship gathering this Sunday, as we celebrate generosity this Thanksgiving Sunday. With musical leadership from our organ, the Sanctuary Choir, and the Loft band, Pastor Molly will preach on our new Westwood UMC mission statement. It calls us to the work of growing Jesus' beloved community, a calling that unites us across our diversities in the shared work of justice and compassion. Our shared witness is a testimony of hope that has the capacity to change our world. Sunday, November 23, 2025 Rev. Molly Vetter
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Committed to Justice and Compassion
Westwood UMC - Los Angeles, CA
Our newly-adopted mission statement describes our values of justice and compassion, a pair of values that express our public and private commitments to Christ-like acts of mercy. These values are an expression of the ancient wisdom of scripture, including from Hebrew prophets and in Jesus life and witness. This Sunday, we continue a focus on our congregation's mission, as it invites each of us to be a part of this community and its "Chorus of Generosity." Sunday, November 16, 2025 Rev. Molly Vetter
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An Intergenerational Christian Community Committed to Radical Inclusivity
Westwood UMC - Los Angeles, CA
In this powerful sermon, theologian and author Kat Armas—drawing from her new book Liturgies for Resisting Empire—invites listeners to confront both the external and internal forces of empire that shape our imaginations, relationships, and faith. Reflecting on the story of the hummingbird and the mission of Westwood UMC, Armas reminds us that true liberation begins within: in the slow, sacred work of unlearning fear, hierarchy, and scarcity so we can embody God’s abundance and kinship. Through the stories of Exodus, the wilderness, and the early church, she paints a vision of...
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Weave After Weave of Blessing
Westwood UMC - Los Angeles, CA
We are pleased to welcome Sharon Rhodes-Wickett back to our Westwood pulpit for All Saints Day this year. Sharon was Senior Pastor of Westwood UMC from 1994-2006, and was a regular leader in our midst more recently in retirement. We are glad that she is returning to help us remember the saints who have gone before us. We encourage you to bring photos or mementos of loved ones you remember on this occasion to set on the altar during worship; you can bring them up to the altar before or during the prelude. After worship, please reclaim your items to take them home. Sunday, November 2, 2025 Rev....
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Anti-Hero: The Humbled
Westwood UMC - Los Angeles, CA
In our Gospel lesson, Jesus uses parables to give essential and needed reminders about how God’s dreams are different from our dominant culture. Jesus celebrates faithfulness that looks more like anti-hero than classic icon. This week, the gospel centers on and celebrates the great faithfulness that is shown through our vulnerable humility. Sunday, October 26, 2025 Rev. Molly Vetter
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Anti-Hero: The Persistent
Westwood UMC - Los Angeles, CA
In our Gospel lesson, Jesus uses parables to give essential and needed reminders about how God’s dreams are different from our dominant culture. Jesus celebrates faithfulness that looks more like anti-hero than classic icon. This week, the gospel centers on and celebrates whose great faithfulness comes through uncomfortable persistence. Sunday, October 19, 2025 Rev. Molly Vetter
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Anti-Hero: The Stranger
Westwood UMC - Los Angeles, CA
In our Gospel lesson, Jesus uses parables to give essential and needed reminders about how God’s dreams are different from our dominant culture. Jesus celebrates faithfulness that looks more like an anti-hero than a classic icon. This week, the gospel centers on and celebrates a stranger (a foreigner, an outsider) who shows us the greatest faithfulness. Sunday, October 12, 2025 Rev. Molly Vetter
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Stubborn Hope
Westwood UMC - Los Angeles, CA
Our Season of Creation concludes with a feast of grace - a celebration of World Communion Sunday, and a call to trust in our capacity to be a part of God's dream of flourishing for the world. Even when it's difficult, even when our efforts seem so small, we are called to work for the well-being of all creation. Sunday, October 5, 2025 Rev. Molly Vetter
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Healing the Wounds
Westwood UMC - Los Angeles, CA
Our Season of Creation continues with lament—honest recognition of environmental harm and heartfelt compassion. Borrowing words from the Hebrew prophet Jeremiah, our lamentations give way to healing as our repentance points us toward God's justice, and a renewed commitment to God’s vision for a flourishing world. Sunday, September 28, 2025Rev. Molly Vetter
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Earth Mourns
Westwood UMC - Los Angeles, CA
Our Season of Creation continues, with an ancient prophet's call to pay attention to creation, and mourn for all that has been destroyed. And still, we claim hope in a God who refuses to make a “full end." Peace with creation begins with repentance and the restoration of right relationships—with God, each other, and the Earth—heeding the call to live justly and sustainably in God’s world. Sunday, September 21, 2025Rev. Molly Vetter
info_outlineRev. Karen Clark Ristine loves words, story, songs, music, and sacrament. One of her treasured spiritual practices is walking a labyrinth. Prayer and contemplation have always been central to her faith. She also loves words in the form of research and reporting. Karen worked for more than 20 years as a reporter and editor in newspaper journalism and was a founder of the genre of Solutions Journalism. She still loved journalism when she left her desk at The San Diego Union-Tribune to answer the call to ministry and attend Claremont School of Theology, where she graduated with a Master’s of Divinity in 2008.
Rev. Karen was appointed to serve as a local pastor in 2007 at San Diego First United Methodist Church as an associate pastor. She served Mission Hills UMC in San Diego for 10 years, becoming the longest serving minister in the neighborhood church’s 100-year-history. Her final appointment before retirement was to Claremont UMC, where she served as senior pastor. She is a member of the Queer Clergy Caucus of the United Methodist Church and helped Mission Hills UMC through the discernment process of becoming a reconciling congregation. She now serves on the new board of the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History that is developing the LGBTQ Archives for the denomination.
Beyond the local church, Karen served on the South and East District Committees on Ordained Ministry. She enjoys helping people of faith discern a call to ministry. She previously served as Cal-Pac Conference Secretary and now serves on the Committee on Corrections and Editorial Revisions for the UMC. In this role, she attends General Conference and is delighted to have her name on the 2020/2024 Book of Discipline free of discriminatory language.
Rev. Karen is married to Dr. Marcia McFee and lives in Kansas City, Missouri. Her son Ryan, a musician and music educator, teaches in Santa Rosa County. Now retired, Rev. Karen holds her charge conference membership at Westwood UMC - we are glad to have her share her gifts in preaching this Sunday!
This Sunday, we also celebrate Promotion Sunday, and will present Bibles to our new 4th grade students. We hope you will stay after worship for a Promotion Sunday celebration reception on the courtyard!
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Rev. Karen Clark Ristine