Grace and peace to you, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Our Thursday morning Bible study group (“Not Your Mama’s Bible Study!”) has been reading and discussing the parables that Jesus told his disciples and others in order to illustrate the way that God would have us treat each other and ourselves, to illustrate what living in the kin-dom of God would be.  So, it is good timing that we read for tomorrow what is probably one of the most well known of all these stories, “the Prodigal Son.”  Perhaps you have even used the expression to describe one who has seemingly left behind your family’s values or who has taken advantage of a parent’s wealth.  What about the other “characters” in the story, though?  What else are we meant to understand about what God wants for all of us?  Paul’s words in his second letter to the church in Corinth urge us to understand just how radical it is to follow Jesus.  In the familiar Gospel upending of our typical expectations, Paul reminds us that when we choose to follow Jesus, we are meant to become an entirely new creation.  In such, our capacity for forgiveness and for reconciliation are deepened.  It’s not easy!  But we are meant to encourage and uplift one another as we try to develop a new and more loving way of living.  Boy, don’t we need it now!?

Worship music this week is provided by our instrumental consort and chimes choir, with a lovely and lively blend of tunes with an international feeling.  Thanks to all who spend their time in rehearsing!

Blessings and peace, Lisa

Grace and peace to you, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ! Good beautiful morning!  After yesterday’s surprise snowstorm, I hope that we all have time today to spend outdoors in the sun!  I wonder how many of us are able to name with joy the teachers who have made a difference in our lives.  I know that I credit not only those who were part of my formal, academic education, but also and often primarily those with whom I spent time in action together, whether in performing work tasks, artistic endeavors, or sometimes in social activism.  We learn from a variety of sources and our time in worship tomorrow will include focus on these different ways we are influenced and influence others.  How might we allow God as we know God through Jesus Christ to lead us most significantly?

There are times when we are called upon to make use of everything we know in every way we know how, and to meet new teachers and new ways of knowing.  To that end, I would like to extend an invitation to anyone who would like to join me in participating in an event sponsored by Building Bridges, Maine.  I will quote below from their email invitation.

“Do you want to approach people who might have different views but not sure how? 

Is there a family member or friend that you’ve fallen out of touch with over politics? 

Do you find yourself wondering how to engage with people? 

Watch the less than an hour interview here Mónica Guzmán—I NEVER THOUGHT OF IT THAT WAY – with Jonathan Rauch – YouTube

Register for the meeting here (if you’ve already registered no need): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/film-discussion-i-never-thought-of-it-this-way-me-state-registration-1269355108299?aff=oddtdtcreator&discount=BRAVER

If you are bothered by the toxic partisanship in our communities, please consider attending our Building Bridges events and getting involved in our activities. No one can do everything, but the more people willing to do something, the more progress we can make.”
 

Worship music this week is provided by our wonderful choir directed by Tina Dreisbach, and accompanied this week by George Emlen, who will also offer the prelude and postlude on organ.  

Blessings and peace, Lisa 

Grace and peace to you, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  We look forward to hearing from our choir tomorrow morning, accompanied by our neighbor and friend, organist Clair Maxwell.  Please know that if you are interested in participating in our music program you may let our director, Tina Dreisbach, know and she will help to fit you in!

My mother used to joke, speaking in a caricature of a Brooklyn accent, “Patience is a virtue, Gertrude, and one I ain’t got.”  I smile to think of this for many reasons, perhaps chiefly because my mother was a very patient person. Still, for many of us, living in a culture that promises immediate gratification if only . . ., trusting that the best is yet to come can be difficult.  Having faith that what we do makes a difference even when we may not see the fruits of our labors is also difficult, but we are not in our life journeys alone.  We walk with God, who has promised us abundance.  Clearly, many of us do not have a sense of immediate abundance or of a clear path forward.  As followers of Jesus, it falls to us to help smooth that way, and we know that to do so will require something of us.  Taking note of this and consciously adopting the practices and patience that allow us to travel to and through the rough places is a significant part of our Lenten journey.  So, in our worship tomorrow we will reflect on our being accompanied by, even filled with God’s Holy Spirit, strengthening us for the way.

Blessings and peace, Lisa 

Grace and peace to you, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Though we may have to get up tomorrow morning a bit fatigued because of the time change, there is no less to be done!  This is the first Sunday of the season of Lent, and we are invited to go about the work of preparation for the exceedingly good news of Easter.  Lent also reminds, us, and perhaps especially fittingly this year, that there is much to be done before we will recognize God’s reign on Earth.  So, we look inward as we grow spiritually and we look outward, as well, knowing that in response to our own giftedness we can gift others.  Our scripture lessons from Deuteronomy and from Luke urge us toward both responses and give us a sure model of facing the challenges of this life.  Jesus himself is tempted and Jesus remains strong.  We try to do so today with God’s sure presence beside us and with good companions in the Body of Christ that is the church.  See you there!

Blessings and peace, Lisa 

Grace and peace to you, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Tomorrow is the last Sunday before we enter the season of Lent, and I want to be sure you all know that you are invited to worship together on Wednesday evening at 7:00 (not at 5:00 as previously noted!) in the sanctuary.  While there is the option for everyone to participate in the imposition of ashes, this is by no means required.  In all, we begin preparing ourselves, recognizing our wildnerness places and praying for strength to endure.  

This strength may also be wrought in our service tomorrow, in which we celebrate the sacrament of Communion.  Folks at home may join by preparing the gifts of field and fruit, as well (cracker and juice, for example).  In our focus on the Word that gives us hope, we continue to recognize the mysteries of our faith.  Our scripture lessons discuss quite directly the distance between our human understanding and God’s reality, and also the way that God sometimes opens for us a means of understanding–a vision of God’s possibilities.  On this “Transfiguration Sunday,” we welcome the new paths, the new visions, the new life made possible when we choose the way of love Jesus has taught us.

Blessings and peace, Lisa 

Grace and peace to you, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  On the wall of my kitchen, there is a stenciled phrase from M.F.K. Fisher left from the previous owner of my house, Bonnie.  It reads, “First we eat, then we do everything else.”  So, honoring Bonnie, I would first like to remind everyone that we are going to be getting together this afternoon at 4:30 in Fisher Hall for fun and food, Bingo and Chili/Soup!  Thanks to Lisa Groo and Ruth Miller for organizing us (details in previous eVisitors)!  For those that are interested, you also may like to attend our own Gale Flax’s presentation at the library, on her walking the Camino in Spain last spring.  This begins at 3:00. 

We gather for worship in person tomorrow for the first time in three weeks!  I look forward to seeing everyone, whether in the sanctuary or online, when we hear about some of the deepest mysteries of our faith from Paul and also the deepest challenges from Jesus.  In our own demanding times, we can take heart that God’s promises are sure, even to the end of days, and we can support one another in the just and righteous living to which we are called.  Jesus helps us to answer the question, “how, then, shall we live?” 

Blessings and peace, Lisa