In her book Making All Things New Ilia Delio points out that we like the concept of wholeness. We buy groceries at “Whole Foods.” Some of us have tried the “Whole 30” diet. We try to do a “whole body workout” and we increasingly rely on holistic medicine. And Augustine, a key Read More...
How do we pray when life is not going well? Sometimes it feels like we are doing everything right but life just keeps falling apart. In his book Meditations of the Heart, Howard Thurman begins a poetic prayer like this, “At times when the strain is heaviest upon us, and our tired Read More...
Usually I write to you to share a meditation or reflection. But today I write more of a pastoral letter. We are experiencing multiple transitions in the life of our faith community and I want to share with you a few inside glimpses of what is unfolding. First, thank you. Over the Read More...
As the fireworks pierce the night sky with staccato bursts, we will again remember the birth of our nation. Those who signed the Declaration of Independence risked their lives for liberty. John Adams wrote a letter to his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776 which said in part: “You will think me Read More...
Part of what makes summer delicious is reading. Whether it's time on the beach reading while the kids splash and play or resting in solitude on the screened in porch of your back yard with a glass of ice tea, summer offers a little more light and space for pleasure reading. Here Read More...
In many ways my father is very old school and traditional. For example, you put on a crisp white shirt and tie to go to church to show your respect. And he always opens the door for a lady to pass through first. But in other ways, my father was way ahead Read More...
After a year of too much staying at home, many are now experiencing the “go, go, go.” We are eager to resume dining out, gatherings with friends, travel, in person work, working out at the gym. Today I saw the cashier at my favorite new bakery and I said “I’ve never seen Read More...
His faith failed him. Though he made bold promises, when the going got tough he followed at a distance. Peter denies even knowing Jesus, not once but three times. In the cover of darkness he betrays Jesus, saying to the maid, “Woman, I don’t know him.” And Peter is left weeping bitterly Read More...
The true meaning of love one’s neighbor is not that it is a command from God which we are to fulfill, but that through it and in it we meet God. -Martin Buber Back in March of 2020 the shut down arrived with the swiftness of an automatic garage door that was Read More...
Mother’s Day brings a twinge of grief for some and a spark of joy for others. My friend will pass her first Mother’s day this year after losing her mom to covid. For some folks it is a reminder of infertility angst or a fracture in the fabric of relationship with Mom. Read More...
By the time you read this I will be on a plane to Texas to visit with my parents and my sister who is flying in from California. The four of us were lucky enough to enjoy a family visit just six weeks before the lockdown in 2020. And we were able to Read More...
Howard Thurman was valedictorian at Morehouse, a historically black men’s college, in 1923. While a student he worked as an errand boy in the university president’s office and one day a man waiting to see the president engaged him in conversation. “I am rearing my boys so that they will not hate Read More...
Beginning May 16, you will have four options for worship each Sunday morning. You may stream the sanctuary service at 9:01, 10:00 or 11:00 a.m.. Or you may gather on the front lawn at 9:01 a.m. for an in person outdoor worship experience. Many of you have already told me how excited Read More...
What would be the real Easter to you right now? Is there some dramatic event that, if it were to happen, would so surprise and amaze you that you would be completely blown away by it? I’ve been thinking about this question off and on for several weeks now. On the day Read More...
Good Friday is perhaps the most difficult of all days for a Christian. We turn away in horror as we remember how Jesus, the one who embodied the fullness of God’s love, was crucified. And we shake our heads wondering how such a death could bring life. I remember my professor, Serene Read More...
