Hello Friends of UniteBoston!

My name is Calvin Lee, and I am excited to serve alongside Kelly and Devlin as the new UniteBoston Communications Administrator!

This is the kind of fast day I’m after:

to break the chains of injustice,

get rid of exploitation in the workplace,

free the oppressed,

cancel debts…

Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,

your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.

I will always show you where to go.

I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—

firm muscles, strong bones.

You’ll be like a well-watered garden,

a gurgling spring that never runs dry.

You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,

rebuild the foundations from out of your past.

You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,

restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,

make the community livable again.

-Isaiah 58:6-9, 9-12 (MSG)

Isaiah 58 has really come alive to me over the last few years, as I have been on an identity journey, centered around faith, race and justice.

I am a Jesus person.

I am a 2nd generation Korean-American cis male.

And I am journeying to better understand what both of those mean.

I am also an organizer and builder; and in 2020, I co-founded [GOSPEL], an initiative curating creative spaces to catalyze more for the American Christian Church.

I’m thrilled for the opportunity to continue building towards Christian unity and activation with UniteBoston! I believe that we, the Church, have everything we need today to play our part in God’s move to “break the chains of injustice” (Isa.58:6). And I believe that our participation in God’s liberation of ALL people is vital for the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer in John 17.

We live in a city with a painful history – much of which the Church has been complicit in and silent on. But in grace, we can freely lament that truth, and together reimagine the identity and purpose of the Church in our world today.

I’m grateful for UniteBoston’s commitment to the hard but necessary work of breaking down the divisions that keep the Body apart, and am eager to serve alongside Kelly and Devlin to “make the community livable again” (Isa.58:12)!

I live in Fields Corner with my wife, Sunny, and dog, Boaz. We love walking “Bo” along the beach, playing pickleball, and watching movies together. A few of my favorite films include Minari, The Birth of a Nation (2016), and Malcolm X by Spike Lee!

Thank you for your warm welcome, and God bless!

“UB is in a season where we are examining the places that have divided the Church so we can better understand what God’s call towards unity looks like. Calvin brings a passion for the Church to address areas of inequity and injustice, and cultivating a “radical togetherness,” both of which are aligned closely with our missional priorities this year. I am excited to dream and strategize with Calvin on the team!”

– Rev. Kelly Fassett, UniteBoston Executive Director

“UniteBoston is growing, and we are growing in all the right ways. Adding Calvin to the team does more than allow us to do what we have always done better, but it fortifies us to pursue a future that is bigger and brighter. Calvin is another great partner in this work of discovering the Christian Unity that Jesus prayed for and over us. I am so excited about UB’s future!”

– Rev. Devlin Scott, UniteBoston Managing Director 

P.S. – Hiring Calvin as the communications administrator came alongside us promoting Rev. Devlin Scott as the Managing Director of UB! Read more about this here!

“When I pray, ‘Lord, bring me into your oneness and align my will to yours,’ I find that this moves me toward others, even those that I disagree with, and it leads me to draw closer into relationship with Jesus.”

As Christians, what should our posture be towards those that we disagree with? Scott Brill is our guest blogger this week, providing some insights into navigating the tension between agreement and friendship that doesn’t end in stalemate. Scott is the director of The Initiative, where individuals “covenant together to live in an intentional initiative, practicing deep and growing friendship with God and others, that the love of Jesus might exceed all divisions.” Read below and watch the video to hear his insights on how the practice of cultivating friendship through disagreement embodies the way of the Trinity.

P.S. The Initiative is hosting a local retreat in Worcester on September 15 & 16. If you’re interested in learning more about how we can live out this unity as Christians, join us!

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Get excited, friends! UniteBoston is planning another outdoor worship concert this September to rejoice in the goodness and faithfulness of our God amidst today’s many challenges: “Again we say rejoice!” (Phil 4:4) This year’s concert will feature performances by top local Christian artists, God’s Chosen community choir, and a united worship band. Join us to rejoice in the Lord together in the heart of the city! 

We have an incredible team of people who are producing this year’s concert – Meet the directors below and see what the theme of “together again” means to them! 

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Name: Craig Ramsey Jr.

Home Church: Mission Church COOLJC 

Role: Community Choir Director

Why Craig is Excited About the Concert: “I’m involved with Unite Boston Fall concert because I enjoy watching people get opportunities to experience Jesus Christ in different ways. I’m excited to be a witness for His glory.”

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Name: Alexis Monroe

Home Church: Bethel AME

Role: Production Coordinator

Why Alexis is Excited About the Concert: “The root word for ‘rejoice’ means to experience joy and that’s why I am excited to be a part of the Again I Say Rejoice concert! Joy cannot be stolen from us, so it’s time that we experience it communally and without limits.” 

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Name: Kevin Michel

Home Church: Restoration City Church

Role: Band Music Director

Why Kevin is Excited About the Concert: “I’m really excited and honored to be involved and serving as the Music Director along with the worship band. The reason why I’m involved because I love bringing worship to the community!”

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Name: Kelly Fassett

Home Church: Neighborhood Church of Dorchester

Role: UniteBoston Support

Why Kelly is Excited About the Concert: “As our team was praying about the concert this year, we sensed the need for boldness to proclaim the goodness of God and hope found in Jesus Christ despite the many challenges that so many are facing today. I am looking forward to seeing many friends and rejoicing in the Lord together with a diverse body of believers.”

As women, we know the importance of self-discipline for achieving our goals in life, be it career, fitness or relationships. But what about our spiritual life? Spiritual disciplines exist for the sole purpose of building character conducive to Christ’s teachings, but we must be willing to make the journey.

-Rev. Moreen Hughes

Today, we want to share about a new book that was just released by local Pastor Rev. Moreen Hughes, entitled “A Woman’s Journey with God: Engaging in the Spiritual Disciplines.” As an associate pastor and women’s minister at Concord Baptist Church of Boston in Milton, Pastor Moreen is passionate about helping women become the best that God has created them to be. In her new book, she presents a set of spiritual disciplines to help women develop Christlike character and become the best version of themselves.

Click below to read an excerpt from her book. You can purchase her book here!

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“Practices such as reading Scripture and praying are important – not because they prove how spiritual we are – but because God can use them to lead us into life.”

John Ortberg, The life you’ve always wanted: Spiritual disciplines for Ordinary People

In today’s culture, we are seeing a renewed interest in the spiritual disciplines. People are looking for the connectedness into those things that are meaningful and can bring them into greater relationship with God. 

Having developed a personal interest in topics of ‘Christian spirituality’ and ‘Christian spiritual formation,’ I have researched and studied the impact of the spiritual disciplines in the lives of women specifically. These results, done in correlation with my doctoral academic studies, strongly suggest that those who regularly engage in practice of the disciplines have more of a spiritual consciousness and connectedness to Christ, than those who do not, including the formation of their character, spiritually and morally. The practicing of the spiritual disciplines has the potential to aid in the practice of God’s redemptive interactions within each of us.

It is my belief that for the inner self to be spiritually shaped and formed, and the mind to be renewed and transformed, it takes more than a casual knowledge of the Word of God, or an occasional engagement with the disciplines. These practices must become common place in the everyday lives of each of us. There must be a commitment to intentionally setting aside time and developing a lifestyle, which includes interaction with the Word, earnest daily prayer, engaging in the disciplines and an external demonstration of faith that will make one worthy of being called a ‘Christian’ – a disciple of Christ. 

If change and spiritual formation is to be experienced on this Christian journey – It is not about saying so, but knowing so, and doing so. 

Paul said in Philippians 3:10, that knowing Christ is the most important thing he could have ever done in all his life regardless of social standings or interactions, educational attainment, economical resources, or familial ties. We too have access to the principles for knowing Christ, but we must daily set aside the necessary time daily from our over-crowded schedules in order to do so. Refraining from always saying ‘yes’ to others and saying ‘no’ at times, allows us the time to say ‘yes’ to engage in the disciplines and gain a greater understanding of who God is. 

Embarking on a spiritual journey is no easy task. It is an intentional pursuit that requires the individual to purposefully engage in those things that allows for the attainment of such. There is the preparatory stage. Preparing the heart, mind, and soul for the journey.  Being on this Christian spiritual journey requires intentionally learning how to seek after the things of Christ.  

Walking with Christ and engaging in the practice of the spiritual disciplines helps believers in all seasons and stages of life, including times of uncertainty and times of confidence. They revolve around our love for God and help produce Hope, Strength, Trust, Humility, Joy, and Compassion. They produce the ability to see and interact with others in ways God intends in loving our neighbor as self. 

The practice of the disciplines produces desirable qualities necessary to emulate positive interactions with others, self and God. My belief is that when we are obedient and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, we become more like Christ. When we are more like him, we become closer to God feeling whole and connected. 

Having a daily quiet time, praying regularly, fasting, and studying God’s Word are not things that people do naturally, they are not an automatic part of us, but they automatically come as a result of our spiritual maturity and when done with consistency. 

In an era where instant gratification is the way that people often approach life, the very idea of discipline does not seem appealing to many. Yet, God invites us on a journey with him that involves discipline. This spiritual journey helps us to find out who we are in life and in Christ. The purpose is not to become mystical or find profound and theological answers, rather, it helps in an individual’s transformational process, moving them toward spiritual development, while journeying on a quest to consciously deepen their spiritual insights. 

We are living in stressful times and there is concern that many persons including followers of Christ, are feeling the effects that are being manifested in the form of depression, anxiety, stress, and discouragement. These debilitating defects can be devastating and have the potential to lead a Christian out of the work ministry and away from the church. However, there is a school of thought that the spiritual disciplines can be beneficial and serve as an aid in helping to manage one’s emotions as well as serve as a deterrent in to helping persons to deal with the uncertainty of times. 

When the focus is shifted away from self, maintaining that connection with God, family and the church can be achieved. I believe that when practiced correctly, spiritual disciplines can be useful as we strive to maintain focus and balance in our lives. 

May our wills be lost in the will of God, as we seek to draw closer to him.

In ways that bring us into his presence – engaging in – the spiritual disciplines.