“The biggest thing that has kept me afloat this season is learning to receive God’s love. It’s hard to trust anyone when you don’t truly believe they love you. When I struggle with that trust, I do my best to sit and receive God’s love, to remember He’s a good father that loves me.“

This week, we are excited to share about Jen Aldana’s first full EP (Extended Play) release! Jen was one of our featured artists in the Love Boston concert last fall and she has been working hard to put together an amazing array of music collectively called “Trust in You”, which is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon Music. Jen took time for an exclusive interview with UniteBoston resident journalist Peter Seremetis; read below to hear the impactful story behind the EP’s creation, and some hopeful words from Jen!

Peter: Tell me about your first EP. It sounds really exciting!

Jen: Yeah absolutely! The whole EP is called “Trust In You.” It’s about trusting in God every step of the way. I’ve had to trust that the path I’m on is the track that God has for me, trust that His promises are good and that they will be fulfilled, trust that even in the midst of a pandemic and struggles and fears, He’s got me and He loves me, and He’s guiding me. It’s like a big part of this whole journey for me. 

Peter: Have you been working on this full EP for a while? Or is this a recent project? 

Jen: This has been a long time coming. 

Peter: Admittedly I’m not as familiar with the music business, so I’m curious what exactly is an EP, and how did you put it together?

Jen: So EP stands for “Extended Play”, and is a collection of songs that’s a little shorter than an album (e.g. albums usually have 7+ songs, and this EP has 5). Usually with music, you first have to write the song and come up with demos. Then you produce the song by bringing in other musicians and record it. Then you get help to mix and master the song, and once this is finished, it is ready for release. So I had this project mastered, done and ready to release (for distribution, shipment, etc.) since December 2018. 

Peter: Wow! So it’s been ready for two years. What had been holding you back from releasing it? 

Jen: The last two years, I was almost waiting for the right moment and I just felt there was never the right time. It was really just fear that was holding me back. I was fearful that it wouldn’t do well, or that people wouldn’t resonate with it, etc. So what I ended up doing was releasing it song by song–like “Heaven Rejoices”, “Trust in You”, and “Your Peace” performed in UniteBoston’s Love Boston Concert last year. 

So come 2020, I’m like “this is the year! I’m gonna release it! No matter what!” And then the relationship I was in at the time ends the week right before quarantine, and now we’re in this pandemic and everything is completely shut down! So all of my motivation and all of my inspiration is just kind of gone and shattered, and I’m like “how am I supposed to go through with this project in a pandemic? What is even going on in the world?” I had so many plans, I was going to do a tour, I was going to do an EP release show, I was going to do this and that, and suddenly I couldn’t do those things anymore. So, I was sad and heartbroken about it, and again, I didn’t release it.

Peter: It sounds like you’ve been through a lot with this EP, and a lot of those feelings definitely resonate. So what motivated you to release it now?

Jen: Come 2021 I was like “Man, I have to do this. I have to move on!” I have other projects and music that I want to work on and release, and by holding onto this project, I just felt like it was keeping me from that. So I said to myself “I have to do this.” But at the same time, I wanted to be obedient to God because I have felt led through the Lord to work on faith-based music to begin with. This wasn’t the direction I was going in before artistically, so this EP is an act of obedience and a leap of faith for me. 

Peter: Since your EP is called “Trust in You” and since all of us wrestle with trusting God sometimes, I’m curious what encourages you to press through in those moments when you have a hard time trusting God? Especially during this challenging season you’ve been going through?

Jen: The biggest thing that has kept me afloat this season is learning to receive God’s love. It’s hard to trust anyone when you don’t truly believe they love you. When I struggle with that trust, I do my best to sit and receive God’s love, to remember He’s a good father that loves me. He’s not a God waiting with crossed arms for me to make the “right decision,” He’s a God waiting for me to run into His arms, and that brings me more peace than anything.

Peter: Such a powerful and important perspective. So what can people expect to see in this EP now that it’s released? 

Jen: People will hear familiar songs I’ve written and released already like “Trust In You” and “Heaven Rejoices,” but also some new songs like “Come Away With Me / Come Away” and “How Good You Are.” The “Come Away With Me / Come Away” song I’m especially excited for people to see because it’s a cover medley between the pop song “Come away with me” by Nora Jones, and a worship song called “Come Away” by Jesus Culture. Even though the two songs are different genres, the medley between them in the Trust In You EP is almost like this love song of God just loving His children and His people. For example one of the Nora Jones verses is “Come away with me on a Bus. Come away with me, I’ll never stop loving you;” and in the Jesus Culture song it says, “Come away with me. It’s not too late for you. I have a plan for you.” So the statement I wanted to make in putting the two songs in a medley together was that God really is in everything, we’re just not always looking for Him. We can find God in a bus. We can find God both in secular pop music and in worship music. We can find God all throughout His creation. So people listening can see that we honor God so much more when we can identify him in the mundane, not just when we’re sitting in the pews of the church or listening to a sermon. 

Peter: Why should people listen to the EP, and how can they support you in this EP release?

Jen: I really just want folks to feel God’s love & peace as they listen, and the EP can be listened to in all kinds of situations. It’s great for background music while praying, a workout playlist, a commute playlist (or while you’re doing work at home!), and really great for any time you want to get in the presence of God. I’ve even had a pregnant mother reach out once that she’s adding it to their birthing playlist, I’ve seen videos of folks listening while working out, and many stories of folks feeling encouraged by the honest lyrics. I’m also just excited for people hearing the EP’s music as a project, a journey and a story being told all the way up until the last note. Heaven Rejoices are the first words of the EP, and I want people to really feel that tug on their heart and come closer to the Lord. In terms of support, any listen, re-share, Spotify follow, and email subscription is super helpful! 

Peter: Do you have any encouraging words for Christians in Greater Boston at this time? 

Jen: I do! My word of encouragement is something powerful my pastor shared: The key to this season isn’t always doing something new, it’s consistency. In a time where it’s so easy to get discouraged in our faith, our ambitions, and relationships, it’s taking one consistent step in front of the other that will help keep us afloat. You’re doing better than you think.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

“Once this health crisis passes, our worst response would be to plunge even more deeply into feverish consumerism and new forms of egotistic self-preservation. If only we might rediscover once for all that we need one another. God willing, after all this, we will think no longer in terms of ‘them’ and ‘those,’ but only ‘us.'”

This week’s blog is written by Father Tom Ryan, director of the Paulist Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations in downtown Boston. Father Tom shares about a recent encyclical that Pope Francis released entitled “Fratelli Tutti” which means “Brothers and Sisters, All.” Father Tom expands on the core of this timely message by describing how organizations in the Boston area are living out God’s call to be connected with and care for our neighbors. 

Fratelli Tutti (Brothers and Sisters, All) is the encyclical that Argentine Pope Francis released on October 4^th, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, after signing it in the previous day in the Italian town where the Franciscan saint lived most of his life.

An encyclical is the highest ranking document of authority that a pope can write on his own. Fratelli Tutti builds on his previous encyclical in 2015, Laudato Si’, which focused on the environment and on the care of creation, and which taught us that everything is connected. It indicates an inherent relationship that extends not only to human beings, but also to the earth.

Fratelli Tutti teaches us that everyone is connected. Its focus is biblical.  Pope Francis asks us to look at ourselves and ask: Who is my neighbor? 

We need to acknowledge that we are inclined to ignore others. The Pope is challenging us to overcome the individualism in our culture and to serve our neighbors in love, seeing Jesus Christ in every person, and seeking a society of justice and mercy, compassion and mutual concern.

In analyzing conditions in the world today, the Holy Father provides us with a powerful and urgent vision for the moral renewal of political and economic institutions from the local level to the global level, calling us to build a common future that truly serves the good of the human person and of “all of us together.” 

We already have some undertakings and networks in the Boston area that show us what this looks like in the concrete and practical. Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries (CMM) is the greater Boston area’s oldest interfaith social justice network. It was founded in 1966 by faith communities to address poverty, housing, and racial justice in Boston and to link urban and suburban congregations in just, transformative partnerships.

CMM has tackled the most pressing issues facing our communities, working to build Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision of a Beloved Community for all citizens. CMM’s members and partners include nearly 100 congregations, nonprofit agencies, and educational institutions in Boston and 16 surrounding cities and towns. CMM’s approach to social action and cross cultural/interfaith partnerships affirms the necessity of collaboration, as well as the dignity and value of all persons in our common quest for justice and peace.

Yet another example of what “all of us together” looks like is St. Francis House in the heart of downtown Boston on Boylston St, which offers basic care and services that make the difference between hope and despair, and for some the difference between life and death.

Many guests come to St. Francis House initially because they need a hot, nourishing meal. They serve breakfast and lunch 365 days a year. Meals are free, no questions asked. St. Francis House is also the largest distributor of clothing to the poor and homeless in Boston, and provides nearly 10,000 showers a year to its guests, along with toiletries, including shaving cream, razors, toothbrushes and toothpaste.

And in its Atrium and Resource Center, a safe, comfortable alternative to spending the day on the street is provided. Here, guests can escape the elements, enjoy the company of friends, and watch the local news or a movie. The Resource Center also features a library, telephones, and computers with Internet access, vital tools for keeping in touch with loved ones and job-hunting.

On yet another front, the Park Street Church and UniteBoston have joined together in a Love Thy Neighbor Grocery Delivery program in which Christians throughout the Greater Boston area can assist families with basic food needs. This program is focused on families and households who have someone that tested positive for COVID-19, by providing them with groceries. Their goal is 100 per week, and as of January, 126 volunteers from 31 churches have been able to provide 14,438 meals to families! In fact, 14% of families requesting groceries through the State of Massachusetts have been served by this program! And just down the street at the Paulist Center, there is a weekly Wednesday eve supper offered for the homeless and the hungry. You would be welcome to participate in one of these ministries.

In another project, UniteBoston recognized the need to address the sin of racism and the pervasive inequities that persist in our city and nation. Justice is not peripheral, but intrinsic to the gospel, and Christians should be leading the way in the movement towards racial justice today. In it’s Be the Bridge for Boston program, UniteBoston is actively working against racism and towards reconciliation, equity, and justice in our day-to-day lives.

In short, says Pope Francis, the Church “in the power of the risen Lord, wants to give birth to a new world, where all of us are brothers and sisters, where there is room for all those whom our societies discard, where justice and peace are resplendent.” The encyclical overturns the perspective of “we and they.” The perspective is “all of us together,” and the Church has a public role in working for universal fraternity and sorority.

Pope Francis sets out his vision for a post-COVID world. The pandemic offers us a unique opportunity for conversion. If anything, we have seen how interdependent we are on every level, political, social and economic. We have no choice but to truly live as brothers and sisters, with humanity as well as with our ravaged planet Earth.

From the outset the encyclical makes clear how Francis of Assisi extended fraternity not only to human beings – and in particular to the abandoned, the sick, the discarded, the least, going beyond the distances of origin, nationality, color or religion – but also to the sun, the sea and the wind. The perspective is therefore global, universal.

The perspective is “all of us together.” Solidarity is the core, and he seeks to universalize it. “Once this health crisis passes,” Pope Francis writes, “our worst response would be to plunge even more deeply into feverish consumerism and new forms of egotistic self-preservation. If only we might rediscover once for all that we need one another. God willing, after all this, we will think no longer in terms of ‘them’ and ‘those,’ but only ‘us.’ “

The Encyclical lends itself well to study groups reading it, praying with it, reflecting on it, and discussing it together. Click here to read it.

“By examining the vocation of pastoral leadership, laity and ministers can come together to better understand, appreciate, and support each other. Through better understanding each other, both pastors and congregants can have a renewed spirit to push forward together in these difficult times.”

This week, we would like to feature a blog written by Joel Putnam, who is a United Methodist and who served as an intern with UniteBoston last summer and fall with his Masters of Divinity program at the Boston University School of Theology. Joel has been interviewing pastors to learn more about pastoral ministry in this unique time. Read below to hear his insights on pastors in the city!

This semester, I chose to do my contextual education experience with UniteBoston to discover more about the vocation of ministry and the unique calling of a Christian leader. Seminary prepares us for the academic study of theology and gives us tools that are vital to various ministry settings, but I wanted to know what our pastors experience and do week to week. It has been a blessing to interview several pastors, all who have been happy to talk honestly about the good and challenging aspects of full-time ministry. As I sat down (virtually) with these faith leaders to discuss the vocation of ministry, sermon writing, and the struggles and blessings that have come with 2020, I wanted to also share these insights with you, the UniteBoston community.

As many of us have experienced, church life has shifted to being remote, virtual, and socially distanced. This has been especially difficult for smaller, rural, and elderly congregations. Without the necessary resources and know-how to radically shift the way we experience congregational and community life together, many churches are struggling with this “new norm.” In shifting to online services, Pastor Devlin Scott of NewCity Church shared with me his struggles with finding ways to record and broadcast using technology they had to purchase and learn how to use. Pastor Scott lives into his idea that “the message and ministry of the church never changes, but our methods ought to.” NewCity church was able to find a local resource for renting video equipment and switched to pre-recording services after technical difficulties with live streaming. Many churches have experienced similar trial and error periods through these shifts, but the pastors I spoke with are encouraged that these new methods will prove useful for their community in the future.

Creating the experience of communal worship and measuring the impact and spiritual growth happening in people’s faith lives happens radically different through our screens and devices. Many pastors shared with me stories of the innovation and resilience that has emerged in this time. Pastor Gregg Detweiler from Intercultural Ministries at the Emmanuel Gospel Center, shared that, “Disruption can be a good thing. It forces you to reexamine and innovate new ways, but the grind and fatigue of this tests that idealism. The fatigue of life on zoom is real.” Churches have begun utilizing virtual meeting platforms for Bible study, hosting social gatherings, and small groups. Many are pre-recording prayers, readings, and greetings for use as various parts of the worship service. As a safe alternative to virtual spaces, congregations have hosted outdoor services and community gatherings in parking lots. Pastor Eungil Cho of Milan Community United Methodist Church stated, “[In regards to going virtual,] everything was from ground zero; I had to build it up. I had to bring everything I had learned into the church.” These and other innovations from church leadership have continued to guide our local congregations through this difficult year.

Yet even with the struggles of 2020, there have been unexpected blessings. Many pastors shared how they have been able to reach people outside of their local communities. Pastor Seth Fortier, United Methodist Pastor of two New England churches, shared, “You have to be in the community as a church. If the community doesn’t know that you exist, you are not going to survive as a church.” The accessibility of online gatherings enables the participation of people locally as well as from across state lines. For some churches, new resources have opened up as they were forced to downsize things like education and community meals. One local church was even able to find a new building that became available through the unique season of quarantine! By redirecting energy and resources towards other important ministries like their food support and financial assistance, churches have responded to the impacts of the pandemic.

I was also particularly interested in sermon preparation and sharing. I recognized the value of sermons to provide spiritual guidance, but I wondered how pastors know what to say when they step in front of the crowd to deliver insight on God’s word. Pastor Robin Lutjohann of Faith Lutheran Church in Cambridge shared “Preaching ought to be sacramental. it ought to do what a sacrament does, to give you Jesus.” Through my interviews, I learned that much of the training necessary to write and deliver sermons comes from a combination of schooling, life experiences, exegetical work, and through years of practice refining the process of writing sermons that works for them.

In my interviews, pastors shared a variety of emotions in their preparation and experience of preaching, from a spiritual connection to God and God’s people, to five years of excruciating work every week. Many pastors are responsible for crafting unique sermons every week with little time off throughout the year. If a leader of a small church takes a vacation, they must find someone to lead the congregation in worship and in the sacramental duties for the community that go beyond Sunday services. Some churches have ministry teams with several talented preachers, and there are often members of the congregation who can step in to fulfill these roles. Assistance from laity, fellow pastors in nearby churches, and retired clergy within the congregation are often called upon to provide a break for the current ministers. Pastor Robin Lutjohann shared that they have partnered with a nearby church to share in worship where leaders share the responsibilities of weekly worship. This has helped with the weekly tasks of each minister, and brings communities together to share in worship.

Writing a sermon takes time. The process for each person is different, but there are many similarities. I found these common elements of weekly sermon preparation:

• Maintaining personal spiritual practices and devotionals to stay grounded in God’s word
• Reading and praying on the selected scripture
• Exegesis on the passages, including contextualizing the historical and present day meanings, language and translation studies, and placing it in conversation with other passages
• Connecting to the community of theologians through commentaries and online resources

In bringing together all of these ideas and listening for God’s message, our pastors continue to bring us valuable insight to the scripture. What is most encouraging to me is that while each person is doing this work individually, they remain in community with thousands of years of past and present theological insight while bringing in our present-day concerns. 

There is more to being a pastor than delivering impactful, wise, and contextualized sermons each week. Our pastors serve the entire community in all aspects of life and ministry. However long and whichever school one chooses for seminary, they cannot possibly prepare us for all of the challenges that we will find in ministry. Many of the pastors I interviewed shared with me how they felt unprepared for the training, experience, and education necessary to run a church that is in many ways similar to a small business. Pastor Chuck Smith of First UMC in Pinellas Park shared, “Nothing in seminary prepared me for the nuts and bolts of ministry; the financial challenges and business knowledge necessary.” There is also never an end to the knowledge and insight one can gain from God’s word, and different schools focus more or less on the scripture than other aspects of theology and ministry. A few pastors wished that their seminaries had provided more scriptural courses, while others felt their education lacked practical application skills like maintaining personal well-being, conflict transformation, and budgeting.

Not all of the skills lend themselves to an academic curriculum. An important aspect of preaching and ministry that is difficult to teach is the trust necessary to connect to a congregation. There is a certain amount of respect that comes from standing behind the pulpit, but in order to really challenge people with new hermeneutical insights, there must be trust established between the pastor and the congregation. Pastor Robin shared, “You can’t challenge people until you have proven to them that you love them.” This trust is earned through compassion and presence in the community. It is not easily measured and not often spoken out loud. 

It is my hope that by examining the vocation of pastoral leadership, laity and ministers can come together to better understand, appreciate, and support each other. Through better understanding each other, both pastors and congregants can have a renewed spirit to push forward together in these difficult times. My takeaway from these interviews is that school cannot provide all of the necessary preparation for the vocation of pastoral ministry; rather, it is by God’s grace and a continued spirit to serve others that pastors learn and grow into their calling.

“Well, all I can say is “Wow”. I just watched the panel discussion on the future of the church, and it is SO on target. This one especially hit me real hard in all the right ways.  Top YOUTH leadership needs to be seen very clearly by everyone in Boston now as top Christian leaders in Boston. The next years are crucial – Young leaders need to come together, establish clear-cut goals and lead the way in working for God’s dream in our city. Thanks to the UB team for hosting such an important conversation!”

-Ralph Kee, director of the Greater Boston Church Planting Collaborative

We had a beautiful prayer service for Christian Unity on Thursday night at the Paulist Center Boston with clergy representing Catholic, Orthodox, Episcopal, and Baptist traditions.

Pastor Barry Kang from Symphony Church leading Christians in Greater Boston in “all together” prayer in the concluding gathering during the 2021 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, followed by prayers from Pastor Joseph Ardayfio, Pastor David Hill, and Pastor Bill Johnson. In this time of isolation, it’s beautiful to see the Church in Greater Boston coming together in prayer!

On Monday evening, Pastor Davie Hernandez from Restoration City Church shared a message to Christians throughout the area: “How can a divided church speak to a divided nation about unity? God is calling the Church in Boston to rend our hearts and repent in order to more faithfully abide in Christ individually and collectively.” As we go from here, let’s lay hold of this message of repentance and live out these prayers for abiding in Jesus Christ!