8/19/2026
Blessing and Benediction from Rev. Ivan Herman
by Rev. Ivan Herman
May you be blessed by diverse sources of wisdom.
Algorithms drive our ingestion of information into singular streams and silos.
Like too much chocolate for our sweet tooth
they know what we like, but not what is best for us.
We can’t thrive on monoculture.
May you be blessed by diverse experiences of the divine.
Your experience of God is uniquely and beautifully yours.
The universal divine is bigger than you and doesn’t belong to you,
so be open to how God’s love shows up in others—
it might blow your mind, but it will widen your heart.
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.
English 
Korean 
Spanish