Dear friends, 195 years! Wow! For 195 years people have gathered on this hill to worship God. We have sung and prayed, preached and pondered, shared Holy Communion and celebrated baptisms. We have studied the Bible, puzzled at Jesus’ teachings, and inspired our young people to grow in faith. For 195 years we have cared […]
Pastor
The following is an extract from Pastor Debbie's most recent annual report. Current posts by Debbie appear at the bottom of this page.
As our grace at a recent dinner with friends, each of us shared something we are grateful for and something for which we hope. “I am grateful,” I began, “that almost every day I get to do something that makes a difference. I hope that somehow all our individual efforts can come together to make a bigger difference.”
It was the first thought that came to mind. In the days that followed, I realized how much my gratitude and hope emerge from being part of Edwards Church. Through our church, I get to do things that make the world a better place—in small ways and large. Through our church, I find hope that all our individual efforts really can come together to transform and heal our world.
From the time I started as pastor here, almost 22 years ago, I have known that what we do as a church matters deeply—to the individuals who are part of the church, to the wider community, and to our world. This past year, it has felt especially true. We need Edwards Church. The city of Framingham needs Edwards Church. The world needs Edwards Church. In this troubled and divided world, Edwards Church offers sanctuary, healing and comfort, opportunities to live out our passion and compassion, and new models for being church.
There are so many reasons to be grateful and hopeful. I am grateful for the sanctuary we offer, and hopeful for the ways we will continue to widen the circle. I am grateful for all the ways we offer comfort and healing, and hopeful that God’s healing spirit works through and beyond us. I am grateful for the opportunities we have to make a difference, and hopeful that we can find new ways to work together with other communities. I am grateful for our openness to new ways, and hopeful that we can be a model to inspire others.
I am grateful for each person in our congregation: for our gifted and dedicated staff, for our officers and board and committee and team members, for people who usher and greet and welcome and bake, for people who crochet and drive and pray and sing. I am hopeful that in the coming year we will deepen our faithfulness, our caring for one another, and our compassion and passion for justice.
Peace,
Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark
Courageous Commitments
Dear friends, For the month of June, our worship theme was “A Spirit of Courage.” We celebrated the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and we reflected on the courage it takes to live faithfully in our complicated world—courage to fight for racial justice, courage to raise loving, compassionate children, courage to claim and […]
Sabbatical Wrap-Up
Dear friends, What a gift it was to have a month of sabbatical time away! Thank you for caring for my well-being and allowing me to experience renewal and rejuvenation. You will hear lots about my sabbatical in the coming months. It began with ten days in New Mexico. I flew into Albuquerque, where my […]
Transformation for All
Dear friends, On the first Sunday in Lent, we welcomed ice sculptor Don Chappelle. As we reflected on water imagery in the creation story, he created an ocean wave from a giant chunk of ice. Each Sunday since then, we have taken part of that sculpture out of the freezer and watched it slowly transform […]
Out of the Waters
Dear friends, Rain…snow…ocean waves…flowing brooks…still waters…a refreshing drink…. Water is at the center of our lives. We are made up of water. We depend on water. It is no surprise that many of the stories of our faith are about water. This year, our Lenten theme draws upon the centrality of water to our lives […]
Praying for the people of Ukraine
Dear friends, Last night and today, I have watched news of the invasion of Ukraine with horror and terror. I am horrified for the people of Ukraine. I cannot imagine what it would be like to wake up to the sound of bombs. I cannot imagine what it would take to stand firm […]
Happy Anniversaries!
Dear friends, 2022 is a year of anniversaries! Five years ago, on January 1, 2017, Edwards and Grace Churches officially became one congregation. Five years later, we have so much to celebrate. We are stronger together. We bring the riches and gifts of two communities—musical talents, passion for justice, deep friendships, love for God’s creation, […]
Loving, Connected
Dear friends, Loving. Connected. Inclusive. Safe. These are the values we articulated as we began to plan our return to in-person worship. These values have shaped the layers of protection we have put into place. They have shaped our commitment to offering Zoom options for our services. Staff members, especially Rick and Nicola, have been […]
A Beautiful Ritual
Dear friends, On a Sunday afternoon in November, about thirty people gathered in Edwards Hall and on Zoom for the first program in Open Spirit’s Multi-Faith Collaborative series, Liberating Hope: Spiritual Perspectives on Climate Change. The program, called Planting Seeds of Hope: A Gathering for Inspiration, featured beautiful slide shows created by Fran, a reading […]
Sanctuary!
Dear friends, After almost twenty months of worshipping virtually and outdoors, we are preparing to move into the sanctuary in November. What a journey it has been! It is cause for celebration—celebration of the beauty and peace of our sanctuary; celebration of the beauty and peace we have experienced through slide shows and origami cranes, […]