Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, By the time you read this letter, Christmas 2015 will be but a distant memory, but as I am writing this in my favorite coffee shop, folks stream in and out as they hurriedly purchase gifts for the “Big day” that is fast approaching. …
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year….”, except of course when you turn on the news, or read the newspaper, or scan your Facebook or Twitter feeds, at which point it is the continued story of violence, fear, tragedy, racism, hatred, homophobia, xenophobia, …
Many of us come from the generations where memorization meant everything. In school we were taught to recite our addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division tables, the elements of the periodic table, know the states and their capitols, and the list of presidents. In church we were taught to recite the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostles’ Creed, …
“It made no sense.” It was that line that stuck out at me as I read the book “Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith”, a memoir by Anne Lamott chosen for our September book club. The book begins with a long “overture” describing her early life. This was a life filled with alcohol, drugs, sex, …
The Lord’s Instruction is perfect, reviving one’s very being. The Lord’s laws are faithful, making naive people wise. The Lord’s regulations are right, gladdening the heart. The Lord’s commands are pure, giving light to the eyes. Honoring the Lord is correct, lasting forever. The Lord’s judgments are true. All of these are righteous! They are more desirable than …
Greetings to you in the name of Christ, June is an exciting time in the life of the United Church of Christ. Did you know that on June 25th our denomination will be celebrating its 58th anniversary? June 25, 1957 was the historic day that the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Christian and Congregational …
From the Pastor’s Desk Do you ever wonder how pastors select the scripture passages for a given Sunday? Would you be surprised to learn that the readings you hear on Sunday are likely also being read at St. Boniface Catholic Church, Lutheran Church of the Living Christ, and thousands of other churches all over North …
“Silent Saturday”. That’s what I have taken to calling that day between the crucifixion of Jesus and the Resurrection of Christ. The Gospels say little of this Sabbath day: Matthew reports that the chief Priests and Pharisees go to Pilate on this day and ask for the tomb to be sealed and guarded to prevent …
How’s your prayer life? Is prayer something you consciously do as part of your daily life or something reserved more for church on Sunday morning? Ever feel uncomfortable about your ability to pray or not sure how to pray? Maybe the act of prayer seems daunting and better left to the “professionals”. Or maybe you …
What in the world is Epiphany anyway? What does the sacrament of communion have to do with Epiphany? And what in the world is Epiphany anyway? If your calendar is like mine you’ll notice a special (but usually over-looked holiday) on January 6th. Most frequently known as Epiphany, it has also been called “Three …
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