Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Creator of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfilment of the Holy One’s own purpose God gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of […]
Sermons
To Live Our Best Lives
To Live Our Best Lives Psalm 46 October 30, 2022 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark “Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble in its tumult.” Almost every time I […]
Gritty Self-Love
Luke 10:1-11 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark October 23, 2022 “In the Navy, we call it grit.” Deb Roy and I were chatting in her kitchen before a Facilities Assessment Planning Team meeting. I was telling her about our idea for the Resilience in Community Project. I commented that one of the challenges […]
To Bend and Not Break
Jeremiah 17:7-8; Luke 17:5-6 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark October 16, 2022 “Quick!” Fran cried out. “Pull over here. I have to take a picture of that tree.” I veered off into the parking area just in time. Fran leapt out of the car. She was in photography heaven. We were on […]
“Embraced by Love”
Ephesians 3:27-29, Matthew 8:1-4 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark September 25, 2022 Professor O’Connell was in rare form. On any day of the week, he was known for his charisma and passion. On this particular Thursday he waxed especially eloquent on the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, a leader of the Transcendentalist movement […]
“Bubble Backpack Blessings”
Luke 2:39-52 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark August 28, 2022 Bubble backpack blessings. Besides being really fun to say, bubble backpack blessings invite us to reflect more deeply on our hopes as we send our young people forth for a new school year, our hopes as well for the teachers, administrators, coaches and […]
Flowing from the Heart
Colossians 3:12-16; John 7:37-38 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark August 21, 2022 “How much do you get paid?” I asked. Gena laughed. “What an absurd question,” she said. “No one gets paid. We do it because it helps.” I first learned about the Framingham Heart Study from Gena Dooley, a life-long member of […]
“The People You Meet on the Labyrinth of Life”
Isaiah 2:2-5; 3 John 1:2-4 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark August 14, 2022 “I could feel each person’s prana as we passed,” Nancy said. It was late afternoon on the first day of the Nature Getaway Retreat at Ghost Ranch. Eleven of us were gathered in a circle of comfy chairs, grateful to […]
Bathroom Walls and Napkin Holders
Psalm 104; Selections from the gospels Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark August 7, 2022 Poetry on the bathroom walls? What kind of place is this? I had just arrived at Ghost Ranch, a retreat center in the high desert of New Mexico. I’d unpacked my bags and made my way down a steep […]
A Quiet Place? Really?
A Quiet Place? Really? Mark 6:30-44 Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark July 3, 2022 The cell phone signal was 5G with 5 bars. The internet was stable. Once we figured out how to turn it on, the TV had plenty of channels. Our cute little condo overlooking Eastham Town Cove was far from isolated. […]