Pastor's Page

The Reverend Lynn Westover,
Pastor, First United Methodist Church of Canoga Park
This is my monthly message. It also appears in “The Courier.”
Heart to Heart – June 2018
I like pencils. I always have. There’s something about a new sharpened pencil with a fresh eraser. So, you might wonder about my green pencils. The oldest pencil in my collection is 23 years old; the newest, 3 years old. The name of the hotel is printed in gold on...
Heart to Heart – August 2017
Heart to Heart A mother and two young daughters walked into the restaurant. Mom was holding a huge bouquet of balloons she tied to one of the chairs. Then, she put two tables together. And the family sat down to wait. Soon an older couple arrived and hugs were shared...
Heart to Heart – June 2017
Heart to Heart The most dependable way to have a wedding is to plan to get married. After I asked Stan to marry me, things moved right along toward the day we would say “I do.” There were many things to decide. When and where do we get married? Who do we ask to...
Heart to Heart – November 2017
Heart to Heart In The Mood of Christmas, Howard Thurman writes, “This is the season of Christmas. For many people, in many places, it is a time of great pressure and activity, a time when nerves are tense, and when a great deal of anxiety hovers over the common life....
Heart to Heart – June 2017
Heart to Heart I have loved mockingbirds, since I was seven and quarantined with scarlet fever. Mama rescued an injured bird. While recuperating, he was in a cage and kept me company. So I am delighted that Northern Mockingbirds live in our neighborhood. Not so long...
Heart to Heart – February 2016
Heart to Heart The day after Christmas, Stan and I flew to Seattle to see our granddaughter and her family. Lucy, two years and eight months old, is at that age where she seems to grow before our eyes. One day, Lucy said, “Grandma, I love you.” Those words are high on...
Heart to Heart – November 2015
Heart to Heart The rummage sale started small but grew topsy-turvy. Plans began in conjunction with spring-cleaning at church. As Mary Mackay cleaned, it seemed reasonable to sell the things we no longer need and give the money to the church. But people had things...
Heart to Heart – October 2015
Heart to Heart I was sleeping when it started to rain in September. Before long, it was raining in my dream. I remember thinking in my dream, “It’s raining! There’s something I need to know about the rain.” But nothing came to mind. A little later in my dream, I...