Dear friends, For more than a year, we have been learning how to be church during a pandemic. We have climbed the steep learning curve of Zoom. We have grieved the loss of members and friends and grieved hugs and meals and singing together. We have discovered new ways of connecting, worshipping, and reaching out […]
Side by Side
John 15:9-17; Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark; May 9, 2021 “If you’ve got pain, he’s a pain-taker. If you feel lost, he’s a way-maker. If you need freedom and saving, he’s a prison-shaking savior. If you’ve got chains, he’s a chain-breaker.” Remember that chorus? It was written by Zach Williams and recorded especially for our […]
Abiding
John 15:1-8 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark May 2, 2021 “I am the vine; you are the branches…. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing….” This is not a theological treatise, crafted to convey an ultimate truth for all times. It is not […]
Abiding
Abiding John 15:1-8 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark May 2, 2021 “I am the vine; you are the branches…. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing….” This is not a theological treatise, crafted to convey an ultimate truth for all times. It is […]
“Pursued”
Psalm 23 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark April 25, 2021 Nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds. Over and over we have watched the video of Derek Chauvin’s knee on George Floyd’s neck. Over and over we have been reminded that it was not an isolated incident. In between reports of the trial, we saw bodycam video […]
Our Commitments for Racial Justice
Voted at our Congregational Meeting, April 18, 2021 Prologue As people of faith, we seek to follow Jesus’ call to listen to the oppressed, fight injustice, confess our sins, and change our lives until justice prevails. We pledge to take measurable and ongoing action to end racism. Recognizing the need for partnership and shared accountability, […]
“Nesting, Singing, Soaring…And Folding”
Mark 16:1-8 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark April 4, 2021 It is a heart-breaking story—of a twelve-year-old girl who survived a nuclear bomb only to die a painful death. Inspired by our Lenten origami project, I read The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki and the Thousand Paper Cranes, written by Sue DiCicco and Sadako’s brother Masahiro. There […]
Under Her Wings
Luke 13:31-35 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark March 21, 2021 Chickens? Over the course of Lent, we have nested with the marsh wren, sung with the sparrow and soared with the eagle. And now chickens? Chickens do nest, of course, but it’s a stretch to imagine their clucking as a song. And pretty much impossible […]
“Soaring in Circles”
Isaiah 40:28-31, Mark 9:33-35 March 14, 2021 About fifteen years ago, our church welcomed new neighbors—the New England Buddhist Vihara, a Sri Lankan community initially located off Central Street. Jenny Allen tutored several young monks in English. An older monk walked through Edwards Cemetery daily, contentedly contemplating the impermanence of existence. Bhante Aluth, the head […]
In Harmony
Luke 12:6-7 March 7, 2021 God’s eye is on the sparrow—and the Carolina wren and the wood thrush and the black-capped chickadee. They are so small; our human eyes miss them unless they show up at the feeder. God sees them. God hears them, for these tiny songbirds produce glorious music that reverberates far and wide. […]