PASTOR’S WEEKLY BLOG

March 12, 2026

Dear MBPPC,

This week we will have the opportunity to hear from Rev. Kim Crispeno. Kim has an MACP from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology with a Concentration in Trauma and Abuse and an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary. She is the Co-Founder of The Aftermath Agency, a holistic practice that brings various practitioners in different fields together to assist in multiple aspects of what is necessary for health. She lives in Edmonds, WA with her partner and has three adult children.

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March 5, 2026

 Dear MBPPC,

I want to invite you to our next self-study event this Sunday at 11:45am (right after the worship service) in Fellowship Hall. We had a good discussion around tables last time and I am looking forward to another rich time of being together. The theme of this event is Imagining a Hopeful Future. In a similar fashion, I will invite you to get a number name tag and sit at your assigned table. All are welcome, whether you have been at MBPPC for just a few months or for 40 years, or anywhere in between, your voice is important and welcome at the table.

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February 26, 2026

Dear MBPPC

This year I dove into the winter Olympics with gusto. The Olympics was for me a way to lean into hope in the midst of the terrible news cycle of January/February; young people reaching across aisles, athletes supporting each other by showing encouragement and sportsmanship across nations, “winners” losing with grace and “losers” coming out on top with humility. Still, my eye caught a sign at the Olympics closing ceremony, a sign that said something like, “Faster, Stronger, Harder…”

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February 18, 2026

Dear MBPPC,

This week I offer you a simple prayer that I have often found helpful in my own spiritual journey:

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.

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February 11, 2026

Dear MBPPC,

At our self study event, “Tell Me a Story,” last Sunday, one of the things that stood out to me is how much we laughed together. It is clear that there is a lot of warmth and goodwill in our community. The core values that emerged from our discussion are empathy, understanding and non-judgmental presence. It seems to me that empathy and understanding are essential ingredients missing from the cocktail of many people’s lives these days. I wonder who in our neighborhood is longing for a non-judgmental community and doesn’t even know that is their heart’s desire?

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February 4, 2026

Dear MBPPC,                                                                                                     

Hebrews 11: 1 says “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11 continues “all of these died in faith without having received the promises…they confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth…they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one” (v. 13-16).

When Jesus sits down and begins to teach his disciples, he begins with “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

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January 21, 2026

Dear MBPPC,

Our vision is to be a congregation in which we “actively engage in spiritual friendships. We do this by praying for and with each other, studying scripture, and going into the world as disciples of Jesus Christ.” This week we look at Jesus’ call to the first disciples (Matthew 4:12-23 if you want to look ahead). As Jesus is walking by the Sea of Galilee, he sees two brothers fishing and calls to them “follow me.” The text tells us that they immediately left their nets and followed him

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January 14, 2026

Dear Mt. Baker Park Church,

This Sunday the Rev. Keith Tanis will preach on Hebrews 13:2. His sermon is titled “An Unexpected Visit.” Keith was the Executive Presbyter of the Olympia Presbytery from 2013-2016. He served as the bridge pastor for Westside Presbyterian Church in 2018 before they called the Rev. Laurie Brenner. He currently leads a protestant worship service once a month in a Catholic nursing home. He is a graduate of San Francisco Theological Seminary and I am sure you will enjoy hearing from him.

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