Psalm 139:1-14; John 7:37-38 “Look!” I called back to Dawn, my biking partner. “Now that is a real labyrinth!” What prompted my enthusiasm, besides the novelty of a lavender labyrinth along a bike path in Hungary, was that I had been fooled by a labyrinth only a few days before. Fran, Dawn and her spouse […]
God Is With Us! Devotions
During the season of Lent, many of us enjoyed waking up to Lenten Devotionals in our email in-boxes. The stories, photos and reflections by church members were inspiring and helped us get to know one another better. Many people expressed sadness that they ended when Easter came! So we decided, at a recent congregational meeting, […]
Summer Mission Projects
Looking for a way to make a difference? Have a little extra time this summer? Want to spend time with people of all ages? Then join us for two mission opportunities offered this summer: Daniel’s Table Service Day Friday, July 12 from 1:00-4:00pm In mid-July we will gather a group of youth and adults to […]
A Fourth of July Reflection
Dear friends, One of my most vivid memories of the Fourth of July is an evening spent on the National Mall in Washington DC. It was 1987, and I was doing a summer internship at First Congregational Church in Washington, D.C. The church was deeply committed to living out our faith in the wider world. […]
Character, Endurance and Hope
Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5 “Come on, let’s go out.” Frank picked up the thermos of hot chocolate and coaxed his kids out the door. He led them on a walk through the snow on a sunny winter’s day. When they got to the top of a hill, he challenged them: “Go ahead, lie down and […]
“Shaken”
Acts 16:16-34 We took off our watches and jewelry, emptied our pockets and gave the guard behind the bulletproof glass our driver’s licenses. Another guard called out five names. “You five go first—into the trap.” The trap was aptly named. We entered and the door slammed and latched behind us. The door on the other […]
Troubled Waters
Revelation 22:1-2; John 5:1-9 “O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life.” Every time I sing America the Beautiful, I struggle to get through these lines without crying. Part of what stirs my tears is the way these words lift up what is […]
A Meal That Changes Everything
Acts 11:1-18; John 13:31-35 It took an act of God–a movement of the Holy Spirit–to bring Peter and Cornelius together. It took a wild vision full of disturbing imagery and a shocking command repeated three times to a stunned Peter. It took an angel appearing to Cornelius. It took three messengers and a journey. It […]
I will fear no evil
Psalm 23; John 10:11-18 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. “I will fear no evil.” Powerful, challenging words, for there is so much that we fear. Some of what we fear is stuff we might be inclined to define […]
On the Road
Luke 24:13-32; Acts 9:1-9 I was trying desperately not to cry. It wasn’t the place to wear your emotions on your sleeve. I was in a temporary auxiliary airport terminal in New Delhi at a low point in my 2008 sabbatical travels. After an amazing trip to the Galapagos, Fran and I had spent 5 […]