6/17/2026
Blessing and Benediction from Rev. Ivan Herman
by Rev. Ivan Herman
As I hiked the trail, I overheard one runner say to another as they passed me: “I’m living too much in the future. I need to stay in the here and now.” I’m not sure if it was exercise or a therapy session. Perhaps both. Was I eavesdropping or just listening to a life lesson meant for me that dropped in unannounced? Perhaps both.
Sacred revelation doesn’t arrive with trumpet fanfares. It arrives in an unassuming manger, a simple story, or on the road to another place (like Emmaus). May your heart and life be blessed when holy wisdom drops by spontaneously. Be ready. Be silent. Perhaps both.
Rev. Ivan Herman
Rev. Ivan Herman has served as the associate pastor at Carmichael Presbyterian Church since 2009 and is active in the Presbytery of North Central California. He grew up in Ecuador and Colombia, and has previously served as pastor or ruling elder in Presbyterian congregations in Memphis, TN, Washington, DC, and San Antonio, TX. He holds an annual pass to U.S. National Parks as well as degrees from American University, Wesley Theological Seminary, and Wake Forest University. Ivan lives in Sacramento with his spouse, Susan. They keep a well-stocked fridge for their two itinerant young adult sons., but the ice cream never even makes it to the freezer.
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