At St. Martin’s we have been trying to create a more welcoming environment for people whose first or primary language is Spanish. That includes making the scripture readings available in Spanish every Sunday and using Spanish lyrics in our liturgical music from time to time. While the Lord’s Prayer has been printed in both Spanish and English in our bulletins for years, only recently have we begun leading the prayer in Spanish instead of in English. This is one of those changes that takes many of us out of our comfort zone, but that will likely come to seem unremarkable after enough time has passed.

As the “chief liturgical officer” of the parish, I am dedicated to taking whatever steps we can to make our worship truly inclusive, from creating a comfortable space for children and parents to improving our sound system (which helps those with impaired hearing) to adding more Spanish into the liturgy. I am even working (slowly!) on learning Spanish myself. Remember the adage, “Praying shapes believing.” If our worship is not always working toward more inclusivity, then neither is our church.

If you are wondering why Spanish is our focus, instead of other languages, I think that a look at the numbers might be helpful. According to websites basing their information on the latest Census data, Spanish is far and away the most common language other than English spoken in Yolo County. Approximately 21% of the population of Yolo County  are native Spanish or Spanish Creole speakers.

I invite your ideas about other steps we can take to live out our ideals of welcome and inclusivitiy. In fact, we are having a meeting for those who would like to get more involved in these efforts on July 10 at 7 pm. If you want to be included in our “All are Welcome” conversation, please be in touch with Gabe Avila or myself.

Blessings,

Pamela+