Rev. Alison Duren-Sutherland is Saltwater’s contract minister for the 2023-24 church year, operating in a hybrid/remote capacity from her home in Southern Oregon and onsite at Saltwater one week per month.
In late November of 1991, HIV/AIDS activists Ibrahim Farajaje and John Paul Hammond lost a dear friend to AIDS and struggled to imagine facing Thanksgiving without him. Out of their pain and love, Thanxgrieving was born. Rev. Alison will share the history of the Thanxgrieving observance and explore its continued relevance in the 21st century.
In her first sermon as Saltwater’s minister, Rev. Alison will explore the ways that congregations, and especially this congregation, are important sites of giving and receiving. From acts of community care, to the mutual promises of covenant, we hold and are held by the generosity of beloved community.
