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A letter from your Pastor

My Dear Fellow Pilgrims: These are certainly times that shape our characters, and our souls! In the middle of March, we were asked to soldier through “14 Days to Slow The Curve.” It’s ended up to be a wee bit more than 14 days, but thankfully, the curve was brought under control. We pray for…

Her Chains are Gone

Anna, The Belle. Always took negatives and turned them into positives. She was a spitfire. Happy, but feisty. Goofy. Silly Class Clown – with some potty humor thrown in. Karen and Darrel received tremendous help and support from the Aicardi Group to which they belonged. The Aicardi group formed to help the family and loved…

A recent letter to the editor of the Whitman Hanson Express

Dear Editor – Psychologist Gary Wenk wrote in Psychology Today that “people who are heavy users of marijuana for a prolonged period of time were characterized as suffering from apathy, dullness, lethargy, and impairment of judgment, i.e. the classic amotivational syndrome.”(1) Dr. Ruth Potee, MD of Greenfield MA, recently told an audience in Shrewsbury that…

“Publish Glad Tidings” Part 2

While we were waiting for our meal to arrive, Amos showed me photographs of the trip he had taken last year to one of these forgotten villages. It was as if they were lifted from a slideshow from Mercy Ships. Grotesque faces obscured by massive tumors that had never received care. But there was also…

How the Church is like my Chainsaw

I love this chainsaw. When a tree fell across our driveway during the big nor’easter last month, this chainsaw – along with the help of members and friends – was instrumental in transforming the obstruction into firewood. But that’s only half the reason I love this saw. If you look closely – and if you…

Harambee

. I believe that God is showing us through the health challenges of Phil and Linda that we have relied upon a few people to carry the load for the rest of us. This is contrary to our covenant and our understanding as Congregational Christians. Indeed, last week the scriptures reminded us that we are…

A quart of hot water

“What are you and God working on?” In 1991, it was my privilege to attend the initial gathering of Renovare’, a church renewal movement organized by Richard Foster, perhaps most famous as the author of “Celebration of Discipline,” an international best seller. Renovare’ is from the Latin, but it looks like the word “renovate,” and…

The Curious Characteristic of being People of the Pilgrim Way

Arthur Rouner, under whom I served in Minnesota, was fond of referring to Congregationalism as “The Pilgrim Way.” We are spiritual descendants of the Mayflower Pilgrims. But one of our characteristics is that in a sense, Congregational Christians “own” their church. This is certainly true legally, as the building and other property is not subject…