Posts from 2026
Pastor’s Column – Jun 2026
Genesis 2:1-3 Then Jesus said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath. Mark 2:27 God rested! Isn’t that incredible to think about? God did not just take a power nap or walk at lunch; God created a recurring day of each week to rest. The Hebrew word shabbat (שָׁבַת), from which we get the word Sabbath, can mean rest; it can also…
Pastor’s Column – May 2026
–John 20:26-27 It may be the season of Easter, but you may still be stuck in Holy Week. Jesus may have risen from the dead, but you may be holding the loss of someone you love, whose earthly presence will not rise again. Every day, we learn more about the devastation of war in Iran, the effects of unchecked greed, and the injustices that affect bodies and minds. In this post-resurrection story, we often cast Thomas as the doubter, an…
Pastor’s Note about Sabbatical
It is common practice in mainline Protestant congregations to offer covenanting clergy a sabbatical. In his book Planning Sabbaticals: A Guide for Congregations and Their Pastors, Robert Saler writes, “a sabbatical is an extended period of time in which the pastor is away from the congregation pursuing a variety of intentionally renewing activities.” For us, that time will be July 13th- October 12th. The question I have been asking myself is, “What will renew my spirit for ministry?” Each pastor…
Pastor’s Column – Apr 2026
List of “Prouds” Wild ChurchVBS Spending time with familyWelcome and AffirmingGenerosity for missions local and worldFacility Open for Community UseOpen and Affirming (justice, community involvement)Relevant/Current Sermons by PastorChildren’s Area and inclusion of the age continuumGiving CommunityAll inclusiveMessage through Sermon, music, Bible/Book StudiesEmphasizes COMPASSIONCommunity FocusOpen and Friendly People! The list above was compiled by those who worshiped and gathered for the church potluck in February. We broke into several groups to lift up the parts of our shared ministry we are…
Pastor’s Column – Feb 2026
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love. Being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God’s will. I’m told that once, when I was a child, our family was leaving Jacob’s Field after a Cleveland baseball game. As we made our way to our car, a man holding a cup asked us for money. I tugged on a parent’s…
Pastor’s Column – Jan 2026
Opening his December 15th show, Stephen Colbert acknowledged the tragedies that struck over the weekend. He began the show by recognizing the Hanukkah Massacre, the shooting at Brown University, and the horrific murder of Rob and Michelle Reiner, saying, “other people’s tragedy is sacred ground.” It was not an opportunity for a joke or political jab. He went on to say that “in light of and in spite of the darkness,” they would still be putting on a comedy show…