Practicing Our Faith - Community with Ana Clymer

We’re wrapping up the Practicing Our Faith summer series today. This series has highlighted voices from within our community, sharing how each of us embodies spiritual practices in everyday life. Spiritual Practices are concrete activities to engage in to open ourselves to the transforming presence of God. This week’s spiritual practice is Community, which is expressing and experiencing God's love through connection. It resists isolation and individualism by inviting us to share life with others beyond tasks and obligations. In community, we grow through caring for one another and allowing ourselves to be cared for, reflecting the love and belonging God intends for us. 

Born in El Salvador and re-rooted in Iowa through adoption at age eight, Ana Clymer has built a life grounded in faith, advocacy, and service. A University of Iowa social work graduate, she has served through nonprofit work and now works in the Cedar Rapids Community School District. In 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, Ana became one of four co-founders of the Marion Alliance for Racial Equity, working with local partners to address systemic inequities. Ana and her husband, Brian, whose family has deep Wellington Heights roots, are raising their daughters, Briana and Alexa, with a shared commitment to love, care, and leadership. Her life reminds us that commUnity is not simply inherited—it is something we actively seek, nurture, and create. Please welcome Ana Clymer.