Whether you were born into a family of Friends or became a convinced Friend later in life, you know that there are some things about our tradition that make us different from other Protestant denominations. First and most obvious is that we don’t do communion in the same way that other Christian churches do; for […]
Read more "If Thine Eye Be Single"How good are you at being quiet? And for how long? Can you turn off your phone, turn off the television, and spend time just being available for whatever God wants to say in the silence, inside and outside of you? If you’re like most people today, it might not be long before you start […]
Read more "Into the Wilderness"Today’s message is about the power of example and the way our lives speak—knowingly or not, and for good or for ill—into the lives of others. We never really know when our actions will leave a lasting impact on someone else. It might be the time we helped someone pick up a bag of groceries […]
Read more "The Power of Presence"Well, Friends, here we are at the end of a very long, very challenging, and for far too many, a very painful year. 2020 has brought hardships on just about every level you can imagine—physical, emotional, occupational, financial, and relational. All across the country and around the world, we have lost loved ones, we’ve lost […]
Read more "Choose Well"Today is the second Sunday of the Advent season, a time of holy waiting as we pray and watch for the rebirth of Christ’s light in a world that so sorely needs it. Our responsive reading today—written so beautifully by Bill Medlin many years ago—points us toward God’s desire that we live in peace in […]
Read more "A Humble Quiet"The title of our message today—and the idea behind it—comes to us a courtesy of a tweet from Pope Francis. Early on Monday, he sent out a message, saying: “Let’s look at the ‘saints next door’ who, with simplicity, respond to evil with good, have the courage to love their enemies and to pray for […]
Read more "The Saints Next Door"It’s hard to believe that we are already to that part of the summer when the blackberries are beginning to ripen on the vine. The lettuce and kale are up and ready for harvesting; there are green tomatoes on the sprouting bushes; the cucumber and summer squash have big, bell-shaped yellow blossoms, and the wildflowers […]
Read more "By Their Fruits"Friends, we are living through a remarkable time right now. A time ripe for change in a way beyond anything I’ve experienced in my half-century. When I started writing this message, several days ago, I was feeling overwhelmed and sad, tempted to despair. As I finish this message just now, I have hope. I agree […]
Read more "What Canst Thou Say?"NEW!! Listen to the message here: Once upon a time there was a little girl named Esther who had had a rough start in life. She was born into a Jewish family, a descendant of those who had been captured by King Nebuchadnezzar and carried away into a life of exile and service. When Esther […]
Read more "Remembering Esther"In case you are wondering from the title, this is a message about being welcomed. About the spiritual gift of hospitality. About what it feels like to be included and excluded and invited back in, in our culture and our world. I’ve mentioned before that the messages I prepare for Sunday mornings always seem to […]
Read more "But Not the Hippopotamus"