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Jess Gaul

@jessaminegaul

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🙋🏻‍♀️ Minister, preacher, writer & deep-feeler
🏙️ DC & 🌲 NC
🧡 Serving @wcfchurchdc
🎧 Listening to every pod
🎓@uncchapelhill & @dukedivinity

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célébrer l'amour!! au Canada! ❤️✨🇨🇦 celebrating love!! in Canada!

I don’t think many people can say they transported their whole neighborhood across the continent — it just shows all of the love and joy that surrounds @arock227 and @lordjameskinch! 🥰 taken in Victoria, British Columbia by @jessaminegaul

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3 months ago

🗣️ "𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 ➡️ 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨."

The 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙚 of God’s love begins as 𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮.

In our new series, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑮𝒐𝒅'𝒔 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆, we'll explore how the Spirit forms ordinary people into a community that reflects the life and love of Jesus.

God's call to “walk in the light” isn’t a demand for flawless steps. It’s an invitation to let love illuminate the next right thing.

Join us this summer as we walk together through 1, 2 and 3 John.

Listen to Sunday's full message: wcfchurch.org/shape (link in our bio)

#WCFSunday #CommunityMatters #WorshipTogether #washingtondcchurch #capitolhill #dmvchurch #worshiponline #dcevents #dmvevents #GodsWord #preaching taken in Washington Community Fellowship by @jessaminegaul

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3 months ago

when you decide you don’t need a particular life milestone to have some nice photos of yourself 🤭✨

honoring myself, this body as she is right now, in the place she calls home, felt absolutely right 💖😌

📸 by @ninaalexandraphotography, who I absolutely recommend to anyone looking for a kind, talented and encouraging hypewoman for your photography needs!!🫶🏻 taken in Tidal Basin by @jessaminegaul

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4 months ago

Thirty. I think I was the bravest I’ve ever been this year. 🥹 taken in Washington, D.C. by @jessaminegaul

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4 months ago

some clunky chords + head voice for ur thursday!🤓 i get to do this for work which is kinda cooooool taken in Washington, D.C. by @jessaminegaul

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5 months ago

a lowcountry weekend does the soul much good ✨ taken in Charleston, South Carolina by @jessaminegaul

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7 months ago

🔄 "Jesus will 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚 the Great Disruptor of Death."

As Jesus approaches his own death on the cross, he brings the miracle of resurrection to Lazarus.

Even as he carries the weight of his own calling and his own grief, Jesus offers the hope of life to a family and a community.

Can you see signs of 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 even in the midst of the pain, grief and doubt?

Listen to this message and more from the Lent series: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒓𝒖𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. You can hear all the sermons at wcfchurch.org/lent

Learn more about Sunday worship at Washington Community Fellowship: wcfchurch.org/sundays (links are in our bio)

#lent2026 #WCFSunday #CommunityMatters #WorshipTogether #washingtondcchurch #capitolhill #dmvchurch #worshiponline #dcevents #dmvevents #GodsWord #preaching by @jessaminegaul

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7 months ago

happy 4th anniversary, D.C. 💗🫶🏻 you’re messy, beautiful, and full of all of these people and places I love❣️

(many beloved people and places not pictured!! let’s take more photos together this year!) taken in Washington, D.C. by @jessaminegaul

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8 months ago

Captured more beauty in 2025 than I realized.

When my therapist asked what I desire in 2026, I said:
• to honor myself
• to continue to prioritize nourishing relationships
• to feel at home in my body

I was really brave in 2025. I’m really grateful for all of the people, places and practices that supported me all the way through. ✨♥️ by @jessaminegaul

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9 months ago

Assisi post 3: The church and convent at San Damiano.

1. San Damiano is famously known as the site where in 1205 St. Francis received a miraculous revelation while praying in front of the crucifix, “Go and rebuild my church.” The crucifix, the Cross of San Damiano, is housed in the Basilica di Santa Chiara, pictured in post 1. San Damiano itself houses a replica of the original crucifix. This mosaic itself is outside of the church, and I believe was made to reflect Francis’s “Canticle of the Creatures,” which he composed around 1224.

2. The oratory where the Blessed Sacrament was kept. I spent much of my time here sitting on the floor and contemplating all of the prayers and worship that had resonated in that space.

3. Inner courtyard. Before Clare made it to San Damiano, around the age of 17 she escaped from Assisi and her family home to meet Francis and begin the life of poverty she was so drawn to. She cut her hair, took plain clothes and refused to return to fulfill the demands of society and her family in marriage. A couple of weeks later, her younger sister Caterina (who became Agnes) followed her. And, third times the charm, the youngest sister Beatrice did as well — *but*, not before the women’s own mother joined the order at San Damiano in her widowhood. All 4 women in the Offreduccio family chose to live out the remainder of their lives following the poor way of Jesus in the “Order of the Poor Ladies.”

4. This room is the dormitory where sisters slept and Clare eventually died (there is a cross marking the spot). In reflecting and posting these photos, I’m thinking about the ways Clare and the Sisters rejected the normative values and expectations of their culture at the time, particularly for them as women, and how they chose to follow Jesus in the way they were called despite the cost.

Questions for reflection:
In today’s world, how am I being moved to say yes to Christ, to the Holy One? Where does that rub up against what I feel is expected of me? How do I find the courage to say yes? taken in San Damiano, Assisi by @jessaminegaul

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10 months ago

Assisi post 2: An intro to a couple of Clare and Francis-specific things in Assisi.

1. A view of the Basilica di Santa Chiara, dedicated to, and home of the remains of, St. Clare.

2. Cattedrale di San Rufino di Assisi, dedicated to St. Rufinus. This was Clare’s church growing up, and her home was just adjacent to it (see pic 3). Clare was a little younger than Francis and heard him preach here when she was a teenager. Francis was baptized here as well.

3. The part of the building marked as Clare’s family home. Clare was born into a noble family as the eldest of 3 daughters. She was very well educated (moreso than Francis) and of course prepared to benefit her family through marriage and bearing children. But Clare felt incredibly connected to God, and Francis’s proclamation of the gospel for the poor inspired her.

4. Statue of Clare in the San Rufino Cathedral — Clare is often depicted holding a lamp or lantern. This comes from a story where in 1240 Clare held out the Blessed Sacrament (Eucharist) which miraculously protected the convent at San Damiano from mercenary attacks sent by the Roman Emperor. Clare was very sick, but she used the power she had and the soldiers were somehow stricken with fear and retreated.

5. Our lovely group outside San Damiano! (Pretty close to where we were staying.)

More about the convent at San Damiano in the next post! taken in Assisi, Italy by @jessaminegaul

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10 months ago

This is many months overdue, but I don’t want to leave 2025 without saving space on my feed for a deeply formative part of my year. At the end of March I was incredibly fortunate to travel on a pilgrimage to Assisi with my friend Bethany @givblank and 8 other amazing women!

Assisi is in the Umbria region and Perugia province of central Italy and is often most known for being the birthplace and hometown of St. Francis. (But, importantly, is also the birthplace of St. Clare!)

The theme of our pilgrimage was “Walk with Jesus”: sitting at the feet of women whose calling from Jesus did not fit into the size and shape of the cultural boxes handed to them. I don’t know if any of us could have imagined how Jesus would use this theme to speak into our lives!

I’m probably going to need several posts (and days) to share some key moments and reflections, so stay tuned if you’re interested. To start, here are a few main sites in Assisi from the first couple days:

1. The view of Assisi nestled in the Apennine Mountains, on Monte Subasio.

2. The view from my bedroom at the religious guest house where we stayed south of the main part of the city.

3. A rainy hike up to the Rocca Maggiore.

4. The Rocca Maggiore, built in the 14th century. The wealthy, upper ruling class during St Francis’ time would hide out here during conflicts using tunnels from their large homes.

5. Hearing the morning bells of the Papal Basilica and Sacred Convent of Saint Francis from the Rocca Maggiore. taken in Assisi, Italy by @jessaminegaul

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10 months ago