Nicole’s e-Pistle “Be the Leaves”
October 28, 2026
Greetings, Friends!
I had the privilege this past week to attend Cherokee Presbytery’s Stated Meeting and to hear a message given during worship by Rev. Dr. Kristopher D. Schondelmeyer. Kris was a Co-Moderator of the 227th General Assembly this past summer, alongside Rev. Marta Pumroy-Cordero. He is also a congregational pastor, preacher, storyteller, and stand-up comedian. I would like to share with you some of the wisdom I gleaned from his message during worship, which was entitled, “Be the Leaves,”.
As a father of four, he said that his household is often full of siblings’ squabbles over little things: someone moved my crayons; she got a bigger piece than me… things of that sort. He often reminds his children that they are family – they belong to each other. We Presbyterians sometimes have our squabbles, too, but we are family. We belong to each other. Yet, how do we remain a community when we cannot agree on what it looks like to be the people of God?
This Sunday, we will celebrate All Saints’ Day, when we remember those who joined the Church Triumphant in the past year. Kris also wants us to remember that each of us is a story of faithfulness. Yet, as we look back with fond memories of our past, we mustn’t long for what was. As he puts it, “What if the Church was never meant to preserve itself?” What if, instead, we fed the hungry?… welcomed refugees and strangers?… Unity doesn’t mean silence and forgiveness does not negate accountability, but it is not enough to say God loves the world if the world cannot see God’s love in us.
For his message, Kris read Revelation 22:1-2 – “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month, and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” After informing us that General Assembly took a strong stance against Christian Nationalism and in favor of the dignity of all human beings, he said that we are not the River, or the Tree, or the Source of Life. That powerful role is for God alone. Instead, he urges us to be the leaves. It is through us that God will bring healing to the nations.
To read more about Kris and Marta, view session recordings of their October webinar, “Why ‘Presbyterian’ Will Never Be a Political Party: A Churchwide Study Series,” or to register for the third session in this webinar series (taking place this Friday at 1pm), please click on the following link…
https://pcusa.org/about-pcusa/church-structure/general-assembly/co-moderators-general-assembly
As we enter our stewardship campaign, may we all think fondly of our past, especially with regard to those whose faithfulness guided our steps along the way; may we be mindful of where we are and what we are called to do for such a time as this; and may we forge ahead as we seek to leave a legacy of our own for those who will come after us to carry the torch into the future. Above all, may we be the leaves on God’s Tree of Life, offering shade, comfort, and healing to people of every nation and tongue, as the River of Life quenches us all.
Blessings and Peace,
