Watsonville First United Methodist Church

I believe we are created for love and freedom. The spiritual journey is about becoming yourself. I am learning that becoming who you already are is one of the most challenging spiritual tasks. Yet there is no pursuit in life more worthy than the work of becoming yourself. I’m convinced it’s the holy grail of spiritual realization. That is because when you show up not being your authentic self, you are harming yourself and the world. On the other hand, when you do the world around you benefits.

With that in mind, I want to ask you: Are you worried that you’re not good enough, worthy enough, or holy enough to enter the doors of the church? You’re not alone. In fact, it’s a very common human feeling. The idea that we must first get our lives together before coming to church is a fallacy. It couldn’t be further from the truth.

The reality is, we will never fully “have it all together”—at least not in this lifetime. Life is filled with constant change, and its ups and downs rarely allow us that kind of stability.

The journey to God begins exactly where you are. Wherever you find yourself right now—that is your starting point. I believe that the more fully human we become, the more divine we become, just as Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. And in that discovery, we are often amazed to find that God loves and accepts us as we are, despite ourselves. God invites us into the lifelong journey of becoming who we already are—fully human, fully divine.

The hardest step is often the first one. Simply showing up for worship can be an act of courage—a beginning step on the path toward transformation and wholeness.

I want to personally invite you to Watsonville First United Methodist Church. It is not my church, nor even our church—it is God’s church. Here, you will find a warm and loving community ready to welcome you just as you are, with open arms.

I hope you will join us on this journey.

Pastor John