904 Washington St SE, Olympia, WA 98501
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Kathleen and I want to thank everyone involved in honoring us with the reception celebrating our 30th Anniversary here at Oly First! Special thanks to the Pastoral Relations Team of Jan Downen, Sara Ann Nash, Mike Cooper as well as Ricky and Carrie Bowman for making it all come together. Thanks also to John Paget who put together a very heart-felt slideshow of some of the high-lights of the last 30 years. The whole experience was honoring and special. Thank you. For those who gave cards, sent emails and/or texts, thank you as well. I am humbled by your kind words and the expressions of love and remembrances you shared.
It’s hard to really believe it’s been 30 years. But when Mike Bradburn smiles at you and says, “I was nine when you came,” well, I guess math don’t lie. Or you see a picture of yourself holding a baby who is now finishing up her freshmen year at Oly High, well, again, it pretty much confirms that you’ve been in place for a long time. It has been a crazy journey we have taken together, but God has found a way to use us to be a people of hope and good news to those who come to us, here on the corner of 9th & Washington.
God is good…all the time…God is good!
---------------------
Life and ministry here on the corner of 9th and Washington is never really dull or predictable. A few weeks ago, there was a late-night shooting in the parking lot; a few days later an act of vandalism that included a broken Fellowship Hall window. The day before that broken window, there was an arrest outside of my office. To be clear, that was not a normal week, but it is a reminder that the world around us is unpredictable, chaotic and at times, dangerous.
I know that our normal reaction to incidences like that are to withdraw, retreat, fortify our boundaries and put limits on the unknown, which usually means putting limits on people who are not like us.
Unfortunately, we follow the Risen One who says things like:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Luke 4:18—19
That’s what we try to live out, here on the corner of 9th and Washington. Good news to the poor – Table Grace. Release to the captives – One Parish, One Prisoner. Recovery of sight to the blind – Spiritual nurture. To set free those who are oppressed – Resettling immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees thru World Relief. Proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor – reminding ourselves and letting others know that they & we are:
Made in God’s image, Enough in God’s eyes, and Deeply, deeply loved.
Jubilee! Restoration! New Life!
That work, that ministry, that calling…is messy, complicated, full of surprises, both good & bad. It is not easy, and it’s not the type of “church experience” most people are looking for or want. But, it is what Jesus established as the core of what God’s kingdom is about. It is good news. It is about hearing, responding, and finding intersections between God’s story and our own, individually as well as a faith community. All of it is the work(s) of the Spirit, even when, or especially when you have one of those weeks…
I love this congregation’s heart. I sense, I feel, I see, how God is at work within us, individually and collectively as a faith community. There is an ever-expanding openness to not only being surprised by God’s Spirit, but an openness to what God may be doing ahead of us. Open to new opportunities for community and relational connections. An openness to imagining, perhaps, different ways of being “church” in a world that is increasingly suspicious, wary, critical, and dismissive, regarding their perceptions and lived experiences with the “church.” I love that there is an openness to try, explore, consider, ponder and move forward in ways that may feel awkward, a bit uncomfortable but necessary as we try to be bearers of hope, good news, and connection. In other words, a community of belonging; a spiritual oasis for those who need nurturing, healing, rest, and sustenance. A community of inclusion for all who seek and/or have questions about God, the state of their world, the uncertainty they feel.
We may feel unequipped. We may think that we are too imperfect, not spiritual enough, or just not enough, period, to be such a community; to be that spiritual oasis and place of belonging.
But… it doesn’t matter, really.
As long as we are open and open-hearted, God seems to find a way. As long as we don’t intentionally create barriers for others, God is finding avenues, paths, for connection to happen. Opportunities, to discover where God’s story and the people we engage with can perhaps find intersection and common ground. And when that happens, hope is discovered and new life is in play. That’s the power, the mystery, the good news of Jesus Christ. This is what grounds us, inspires us, and gives us direction. God creates. Christ redeems. The Spirit swirls, sustains, and surprises!
Stay open. Be open-hearted. Get ready to be surprised!
Come and See!
Pastor Mark (Rev)
Copyright © 2026 Olympia First Baptist Church - All Rights Reserved.