Dear Members and Friends:   re·sil·ience [rəˈzilyəns]        NOUN: the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.”the often remarkable resilience of so many British institutions,”  the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.”nylon is excellent in wearability and resilience”   It is the new year and I wish everyone…

  Dear Members and Friends:   We’ve seen the pictures of God of  “God the Creator” painted by Michelangelo showing God reaching out to Adam—touching but not quite. There God is portrayed as an elderly man with a full head of white hair and an equally bushy beard.  Sometimes this elderly God is shown as…

  Dear Members and Friends:   Several times over the past few days when I was giving Gracie (the Princess of the Congregational Manor House on New Estate Road) her morning brushing, I watched a monarch butterfly (or maybe it was the Viceroy, the monarch lookalike).  It reminded me of the day I found myself…

Dear Members and Friends: When we speak about spirituality a lot of attention gets given to the “inner life.”  We will speak of meditation, personal beliefs, getting right with the self.  The religious tradition that most clearly emphasizes this thought process is Buddhism.  In Christianity spirituality builds on Moses spending time on a mountain top,…

  Dear Members and Friends: “No” or “I will not” are two clear, concise, definitive statements.  Often they end conversations or communicate that an obstacle has appeared that may well be insurmountable.  Sadly, once uttered, many people do dig in their heels and become immovable. People around here are pretty good about not uttering either…

Dear Members and Friends, When Western Europeans began to settle in Massachusetts, the region became known for its farming.  As time passed, mills and other manufacturing facilities, powered by rivers and streams, were built.  When the transition from farming to manufacturing and mills took place, farmland that no longer was needed either turned into housing…

  Dear Members & Friends:   Easter is the defining day for Christianity.  The One who was killed on Good Friday and buried in a stone tomb, rises on Easter.  The followers of Jesus begin to have encounters with the resurrected Christ—some appear to be in bodily form, some of a spiritual/charismatic nature, some appear…

Dear Members and Friends, I continue to feel ever so blessed to be able to serve you as your Interim Senior Pastor.  There is a gracious spirit that runs through this community.  People genuinely enjoy spending time together. More challenging are those times when we start discussing those topics where we may have a difference…

The Advent, Christmas, Epiphany season in the life of a congregation is one of great joy.  It is all too busy and yet that busyness is invariably related to activities that bring a sparkle to the eye. My own season will have an extra layer in it this year as I begin the process of…