Summer Staff Interviews: TJ Ono

Dear Friends, 

The long, sunny days of summer inspire me to explore beyond the world I know. And I pray that would be true of your summer as well. I’m asking God to fill us with wonder – as we hike new trails, visit new coffee shops, and embark upon new novels. And as we do, may our wonder lead us to worship.

Summer is also a season of transition. And our staff and vestry are keenly aware that many within our church are navigating transition, especially those who are new to our community. So our staff want to try something new. Throughout the summer, our staff will make blog appearances, participating in a summer-y, get-to-know-you interview. So, here’s mine: 

What's something that you enjoy doing in the summer, either growing up or these days? 

I love being around water. California taught me to love oceans and lakes. Texas taught me to love pools and rivers. I’m pretty sure my spirit animal is paddle boarding. 

Growing up, my family went to Lake Tahoe during 4th of July. I can still feel the ice cold water chilling every part of my body as I slowly convinced myself that my toes were not that cold.

What summer camp merit badge would you earn? 

Fun fact. I grew up earning merit badges at summer camp as a boy scout. If I could earn a summer camp merit badge today, I would earn an orienteering merit badge. The idealist in me loves the idea of wandering around the forest. But anyone who knows me would likely predict that my idealism would run out very, very quickly if I was stuck in the forest.  

If someone forced you to lead Wild Wonder, what delight of creation would you share? 

Be warned; this is nerdy. In college, I fell in love with Jesus by marveling at the molecular structure of water and the process of photosynthesis. So I might try to recreate that moment by nerding out over water and photosynthesis.

What's your go-to or best potluck contribution? 

As always, it depends on the vibe. But during the summer, I love making fresh guacamole. It’s all about the citrus. The trick is to use orange instead of lime or lemon.

What's your ideal Sunday or sabbath rest day? Is there anything the congregation should know about your work rhythms or availability? 

I typically take Mondays as my sabbath. Resting is hard for me. But as one who has lived through pastoral burnout, I do my best to practice and protect rest. It’s been helpful to structure my Mondays around the four movements of the Sabbath - ceasing, resting, delighting, and feasting. 

For me, ceasing often looks like sleeping in and starting my day with an extended period of silence, stillness, and solitude. Resting often looks like listening to my body and doing whatever my body needs – an extra-long shower, working out, napping, eating well, reading poetry, journaling. Delighting often looks like doing something fun or new. This summer, you will catch me at my neighborhood pool often! Feasting often looks like good food and good music with people I love. 

I find a lot of grounding in my weekly rhythms. So often, I’ll schedule meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I protect time for deep work on Wednesdays and Fridays. I typically respond to emails and texts in between everything else. My primary email and texting days are Tuesday - Friday. If I ever miss an email or text from you, please ping me again! It probably just slipped through the cracks. 

Favorite verse or book of the Bible? 

I have such a hard time answering this question. So many parts of Scripture have touched the deepest places of my heart throughout different seasons of life. But I often keep coming back to the Psalms and the Gospel of John. I run to Psalm 37 when life feels paralyzing and complex, and Psalm 46 when I feel overwhelmed. And I love the Gospel of John, because John uses the simplest language in the New Testament, and yet John is always layering complex meaning in his simple language. It’s a gospel that meets us wherever we are, while simultaneously always inviting us deeper into the heart, mind, and life of God. 

Summer reading or movie recommendation? 

I really enjoy the author, R. F. Kuang. I’ve been recommending her novel, Babel, for two years now, but I’m still obsessed with it!

With love, 

TJ