Blog (Page 6)
News and thoughts
Pastor’s Column – Apr 2021
And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. Mark 16:3-4 The resurrection of Christ is transformative. It changes everything! No longer will death have the final word, but life…
Regarding In-person Worship
13I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Wait for the Lord! Psalm 27 Dear Grace Family and Friends, Church Council met informally on Thursday (11 March) to discuss scheduling a reopening date for sanctuary worship services. We are reviewing data regarding the virus, the increase in vaccinations, and recommendations from the CDC, the Central Southeast Association, the Heartland…
Pastor’s Column – Mar 2021
by Rev. Sarah Are Reprinted with permission. God never begins letters with the words,“I hope this finds you well,”For those words imply distance.Instead, God begins God’s letters to you with the words,“Remember when?” Beloved child,Remember when we dipped our toes into the water?Remember when we dove right in?Remember when the ice cream dripped down our handsAnd the cicadas sang their song,And the seasons changed,And the days were long?Remember when we fell in love and the world was new?Remember when our…
Pastor’s Column – Feb 2021
We used faith as a shield against the false notion that anyone has the power to inflict pain, limitation, despair, or any condition upon us. We in the movement decided to actualize our belief that the hatred we experienced was not based on any truth, but was actually an illusion in the minds of those who hated us. -pg. 25 Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America, by John Lewis I have been praying this…
Pastor’s Column – Jan 2021
Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It ledthem on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! Matthew 2:9-10 (The Message) I wonder, what was it like for the Magi following that star in the eastern skies? Were there days when they questioned if it was the right direction? Were their eyes so fixed on the destination that they…
Pastor’s Column – Dec 2020
O come, Desire of Nations, bind All Peoples in one heart and mind; Make envy, strife, and quarrels cease; Fill the whold world with heaven’s peace. – New Century hymnal #116, verse 7, o come, o come, emmanuel It was the day after Halloween. I was driving to the store and went through my preset radio stations to find anything that was not a commercial or talk-radio. I needed music that day. No Politics. No one trying to sell…
Advent Wreath Option for 2020
The Christian Education Board would like to offer people a way to continue the church family tradition of making Advent Wreaths. The board will put together bags containing the ring and the candles necessary to construct the Advent Wreath. Participants would need to provide their own greenery. Please note that we will offer some hand gardening clippers if you would like to trim some greenery on the church grounds. The materials will be available in the Narthex on Monday, Tuesday…
Live-streaming from our website
Given that we are once again, not worshiping in person due to the upsurge in Covid-19 cases in Fairfield County, we’ve made a slight change to our website. We now offer FOUR different ways you can watch live. Our primary platform is still [1] Facebook Live (and you do not need to have a Facebook account to watch), but you can also watch on [2] Twitter/Periscope, [3] Zoom (login info e-mailed to those on our news e-mail list), and now…
Remembering
O God of hosts, our faith renew, and grant us, in your grace, To join the songs sung by the saints in every time and place. Come, Let us Join with faithful souls, New century hymnal 383, verse 4 I’m writing this devotion from an empty sanctuary, having just arranged the candles that will be lit in remembrance of loved ones this coming Sunday for All Saints Day. Each candle is a life. Each life was not perfect or without…
Why Do Leaves Change Color?
As I write this article, Gum trees at the parsonage are only now just beginning to reveal Fall’s arrival with red tipped leaves. It is subtle and easy to miss, but preparations are underway. Trees don’t need to be told when winter is coming. Trees can feel it in their roots and know it is time to care for itself. Through Spring and Summer we sat under the shade of green leaves as chlorophyll overwhelmed the tree as a…