Author: Elizabeth Mullins

GC Lemon Grove’s new church building is a blank canvas. Designing the layout for what will be our worship space and a community center is both thrilling and exhausting. Our March event was a unique opportunity to share our lofty plans for our neighborhood gathering place, while also connecting with the local residents, by celebrating the rich history and culture of Lemon Grove!

In addition to a central location in the middle of town, we’ve also serendipitously inherited a piece of Lemon Grove history, in the form of a beautiful mural on the side of our building. The mural is a colorful tribute to what’s known as “The Lemon Grove Incident.”

The Lemon Grove Incident is the story of a landmark school desegregation case. In 1930, the all-white Lemon Grove School Board covertly built a separate schoolhouse for students of Mexican descent. Once this became known, the Hispanic parents and community members organized and took legal action against the school board. On March 30, 1931, the San Diego County Superior Court ruled that the school board’s attempt to segregate the Hispanic children of Lemon Grove was a violation of California state law. It marks one of the first successful legal challenges of school segregation in American history.

The mural is a tribute to this triumphant win for equality and love. We are truly proud and honored to be the new guardians of this beautiful, important mural in our town’s history, so our Pastor Anne Stapleton collaborated with our city council to advocate for an official day of remembrance. After she spoke at a city council meeting, the City of Lemon Grove declared March 30, “Lemon Grove Incident Day.”

GC Lemon Grove seized this opportunity to celebrate equality and local history by hosting a special ceremony marking this historic day at our new, unfinished building. Lemon Grove residents and attendees paid tribute to their heritage and their community by gathering in front of our mural to bear witness to the official declaration of “Lemon Grove Incident Day.” Approximately one third of the attendees identified themselves as descendants of the original students impacted in 1931. GC Lemon Grove members guided both new and familiar faces into our new community gathering space for their very own grand tour, complete with strategically placed floor plan and construction plan posters depicting what’s to come. The wide-open space, adorned with our illustrative design plans, invited event attendees and potential new church members to imagine what our new space will soon become.

The day’s event was a truly meaningful opportunity to display empathy and cultural competence, as well as to formally introduce ourselves to our neighbors. All credit to Pastor Anne for cleverly weaving together the Christlike message of equity, love, and inclusion, as a way of celebrating our community and announcing our arrival into our abundant new space that we hope will be as much a gift to the City of Lemon Grove as “The Lemon Grove Decision” mural is to us at GC Lemon Grove.

By Chantil Kalagian, Love Avenue Team
Lemon Grove, CA, US

I had been a Christian for years, but the truth was that I had grown judgmental, self-righteous, and blind to the suffering around me. I remember driving through downtown Los Angeles and seeing the rows of cardboard boxes lining the sidewalks. My mind quickly filled with harsh thoughts: “These people must have brought this on themselves — drug addicts, criminals, lazy beggars!” It was easy to justify my indifference and move on.

But then, I came across Mother Teresa’s words. “I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this is hungry Jesus, I must feed him.”

She saw Jesus in the faces of the poor, the sick, and the forgotten. She didn’t ask why they were in their condition; she only asked, “How can I serve Jesus in this person?” Her words began to work in me like a seed, slowly growing into a new vision for life and ministry.

Jesus is everywhere. He is in the people we often overlook.

Mother Teresa’s vision has changed how I see the world. But now, I am challenged by an even deeper question — do others see Jesus in me?

Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Matthew 25:34b-35

In every act of love, kindness, or service, we have an opportunity to reflect Jesus to the world.

Prayer
Lord, open my eyes to see you in everyone. Let me not be blinded by outward appearances. Let others see you in me — in my words, my actions, and my heart. Teach me to serve with humility and love, just as you serve. Amen.

By Bermie Dizon, Elder
Glendora, CA, US

Note: This was adapted with permission, from God, in Every Step, a 52-week devotional that invites readers to recognize God’s presence in the everyday moments of life.

Citizens of God’s kingdom hold the act of baptism as a meaningful sacrament. We believe baptism is primarily a symbolic public statement of being united with Christ in his death and resurrection. Baptism symbolizes our commitment to following Jesus, while we acknowledge that our commitment is only possible because of our Savior’s unbreakable commitment to us!

We invite you to read the following excerpt from the article, Should Believers Be Baptized?.

On the first Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter exhorted his listeners: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39). We are among those who are “far off,” and we can share in the grace of God along with those who heard Peter speak almost 2,000 years ago.

Note how the people responded to Peter’s call after he finished his sermon: About 3,000 accepted Christ that day, and were baptized (Acts 2:41). When people accepted Christ as the Messiah, baptism was the appropriate response. Baptism sends a message to ourselves, to others, and to God. By being baptized, we acknowledge that God is the source of our life and the reason we exist, and that Christ is our Lord and Savior.

Baptism pictures the drama of our “I do” decision for Jesus Christ—but it is possible only because Jesus has already said the “I do” for us. He has already made a commitment to us, and we are now acknowledging it. He has already given his life for us; we are now responding and giving our lives to him. Baptism is a symbolic act that says there is a life-long commitment between Christ and us, and he is our Savior. Baptism implies that we will follow him wherever he may lead us.

People who request baptism are saying they accept Jesus’ offer. He wants to be associated with us, to live with us forever and ever. In baptism, we say that we agree to be associated with Jesus Christ in a personal and intimate way — to belong to Christ, to share in the benefits of his life and death. That’s what it means to be baptized “in the name of Jesus Christ.”

Believers share in the life of Christ. As Christ died, so do the believers. As they share in Jesus’ death, they also have a part in his resurrection and eternal life. In baptism, believers dramatize that we are united with Christ in his death and in his life. The apostle Paul explained this to the Romans:

All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. Romans 6:3-4

Baptism symbolizes our death and resurrection with Christ, that our old self is a thing of the past, and that our real life is in Christ. Going down into the water pictures the death of the self, and rising up out of the water pictures the resurrection of the self to a new life now, and eternal life in the future.

Baptism is not magic. It does not automatically bring the Holy Spirit to us, nor does it cause our spiritual renewal and salvation. Rather, it is done after the Holy Spirit has led us to faith and we have responded. Baptism is a metaphor that symbolizes that on the cross, Christ has crucified our former life and has brought us into a new life in him.

Joe Tkach, Elder
River Road, OR, US