From the Pastor: Oct 2026

Dear Friends,

"The Spirit of God is upon us, for we have been anointed to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of God’s favor." (Luke 4:18, quoting Isaiah)            

This Sunday, October 4, is World Communion Sunday—a celebration that reminds us that, all across the planet, people of faith who may look, think, worship, or live differently from us will share the bread of Christ and remember his sacrifice. In a world that often feels increasingly divided, this sacrament invites us into the grace and generosity of Jesus.

I find comfort in knowing that when I bring my heart to the light this Sunday, millions of others will be doing the same. The sacrament becomes, at once, a celebration of unity and diversity: we are different, and we are together.  World Communion Sunday began in the 1930s through the vision of Presbyterian minister Dr. Hugh Thomson Kerr. What started as one pastor’s hope has since spread throughout the globe, offering Christians everywhere a common table of remembrance, gratitude, and hope.

This Sunday at KPC, we will also welcome guest speaker Pamela Zimba, Executive Director of The Lilac House, a transitional home for women coming out of prison. Her presence feels especially fitting on a Sunday when we remember both what unites us and how deeply separated we can become from some of our neighbors.  Sharing bread is a foundational practice of our faith, but it is not meant to remain inside our sanctuaries. We are called to extend nurture, break down barriers, and make God’s welcome visible wherever we go.

KPC’s practice of sharing Bread for the Journey began in 1965, according to a printed pictorial history of the first hundred years of our church, which I believe was researched and written by Bud Spierling. For 61 years, this congregation has offered literal sustenance through a ritual of love for friends and neighbors in need.  This is how God’s love becomes visible:  baking bread, giving a gift, ringing a doorbell, offering a kind word, housing the homeless, and advocating for justice.

We are called to the metaphorical Table of Communion even with those who may never come to our physical table. Jews, Palestinians, Muslims, atheists—all are welcome at the table of peace and reconciliation, even if they would not share our small pieces of bread or tiny cups of juice. Those elements are signs for us: reminders to open our arms wide in peace and grace.  True love or charity is greater than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. God asks us to seek reconciliation with an offended brother or sister before we bring our gift to the altar. Pastor Thomas Long says it simply: “Before you open your mouth to sing ‘Peace Like a River,’ do what you can humanly do to make peace with those around you.”



Just as World Communion Sunday began nearly a century ago and spread its roots across the planet, may we celebrate a communion of love in all that we do—until that love, too, spreads across the globe and helps bring peace on earth.

With joy and thanksgiving,

Martin