Staff

Dear friends,   As I write this, I am a week home from vacation, still recovering from jet lag and too many hours biking uphill in the hot sun! Our trip to France was filled with beautiful artwork and scenery, delicious food, moving history, great family time, funny language faux pas, unexpected moments of understanding, […]

Dear friends,   Last year’s Summer Steeple included an invitation to a dessert and brainstorming gathering to begin imagining our 200th Anniversary celebration. A dozen people squeezed into Fran’s and my living room, eating chocolate chip cookies and bringing lots of creative ideas. We agreed that we want this anniversary to be an opportunity to […]

Dear friends,   On July 4, our nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. I was in high school in Northern Virginia, just outside the nation’s capital, when we celebrated the 200th. I remember an overwhelming array of parades and fireworks, parties and concerts. At the time, my understanding […]

Dear friends,   “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Jesus spoke these words as he sat on a hill looking over the Sea of Galilee, teaching the multitude who had come yearning for hope and meaning. These words are part of the Beatitudes, a series of blessings that challenged […]

Dear friends,   On a Sunday in March, the Justice and Love in Action Team, in partnership with the Soup Group, hosted a free dinner for people who are caring for our neighbors. Some folks who came are activists – attending rallies, standing on street corners with signs, writing letters-to-the-editor, and holding elected representatives accountable. […]

Dear friends,   On February 18, a dozen members and friends gathered in a circle in the sanctuary for our Ash Wednesday service. We reflected on the biblical story of the prophet Elijah and the unnamed widow of Zarepheth – two people from different contexts who were hungry, tired, and despairing. We named the reality […]

Dear friends,   I am so grateful for this congregation. I am grateful for your tender hearts that feel the pain of our neighbors and our world, and for your toughness in showing up to ease that pain in difficult circumstances. I am grateful for your dedication to the work of healing, justice and compassion, […]

Dear friends, By the first weekend in January, the decorations have begun to come down, dried-up Christmas trees are on the front curb awaiting trash pick-up, and the post-Christmas sale rush is over. Just when we think things are getting back to normal, it’s time for another joyous celebration! On Sunday, January 4, we celebrate […]

Dear friends,   Here’s my favorite Bible Trivia question: What command is given more often than any other in the Bible? It’s not “Serve God.” It’s not “Love your neighbor.” It’s “Be not afraid.”   God says it to Abraham and Sarah as they set off on a journey to a new land and a […]

Dear friends,   “Hey, how about this one?” Kyle Shepherd turned his computer around. Fran Bogle, Clair Ball and I were intrigued: how could Kyle create a meme just like that? Our different generations were showing!   The meme depicted a superhighway with an exit curving off to the right. The sign on the overpass […]