Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Monday is the day we remember the birth of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and it is fitting that our scripture readings for the morning tell the stories of different people’s responses to God’s call.  From the mysterious voice that calls the boy Samuel to Jesus’ very direct invitation to Nathaniel and Philip, individuals have heard and responded in different ways.  Dr. King is one whose full response to what God calls each of us to do and to be has become an example for those who seek justice in the world.  How we hear and how we respond to the nudging of God in our lives is different for each of us.  We will explore together the ways in which we might respond, “Here I am, Lord.” 

I pray that everyone stays safe and warm in today’s storm.  Please reach out to me by phone if you have concerns or if there is something you need!  (978)400-1991.   For those of you who have been waiting for this information, please also know that the service in celebration of the life of Rose Ellen Small will be this Friday, the 19th, at 2:00 p.m., with a reception to follow at the Farmhouse Inn. 

Blessings and peace, Lisa

Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Today is celebrated as the Feast of Epiphany, which many of us did last night in what will be an annual holiday party at my house.  We feasted and we laughed–a lot.  There was gift giving that the Magi would not have recognized and it may be that some of those gifts will make their way back next year.  Thank you to everyone who came and helped to warm my home! 

With our worship service tomorrow, we will continue to celebrate the ways in which, during the season of Epiphany, Jesus’ significance was revealed to those who knew him.  Often marked as the day to remember Jesus’ baptism by John, we will focus most closely on the overall ways in which Jesus’ identity is made known.  Chief among these is in “the breaking of the bread,” when we share in Communion.  For those of you worshipping at home, you’ll want to make sure you have your own bread and cup so that we may be together in spirit, though not in-person.  Coming together as a community of faith makes for strong connections, and in the sacrament we celebrate Jesus’ presence with us whenever we gather.  Join us as we make our way into 2024 together in faith and hope.

Blessings and peace, Lisa

Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Each year during Advent, I field questions from several people along the lines of “why aren’t we singing Christmas carols!?”  Well, I explain, because it isn’t yet Christmas.  It is Advent, whose texts and meaning is very different.  Well, we are now in the midst of the “twelve days of Christmas,” leading us to Epiphany, which falls on January 6th.  So, we will sing carols and more carols tomorrow, as well as sing in the new year.  Join us for scripture that reveals to us more about the child Jesus and more to us about our hope for peace. 

With peace in mind, I also would share that I have been invited to speak at the gathering at the State House in Augusta this Wednesday, as part of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition’s presence as we urge our legislators to pass strong gun safety legislation in the session that begins this January 3rd.  I welcome your prayers!  Those of us who plan to carpool will gather at the church at 7:00 to make certain that we find parking and make our way to the Hall of Flags in good time.  Please send me an email if you plan to join us!

Blessings and peace, Lisa

Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  I am so grateful for everyone’s support while I have been ill with the recent bronchial mess!  Each day has me coughing a bit less and I look forward to celebrating Christmas Eve with all of you tomorrow (well masked on my part).  Each day now will be growing brighter as we celebrate the gift of light in the darkness.  Worship in the morning will include our Pop-Up Pageant (All are invited to participate!), which will be followed by a lovely Christmas tea in Fisher Hall.  You will find the worship bulletin and Zoom link for the morning service below.  Materials for the evening service are also included here, so scroll down if you will be worshipping from home and would like to print those materials, as well.  The evening service also will be streamed on Zoom, whose link follows at the bottom. 

Blessings and peace to you all this Christmas!  Lisa

This service recognizes that the season is not “merry and bright” for everyone and offers hope in a season when long days may make us especially mourn the loss of loved ones.  Join us in the Sanctuary this evening @ 7:00 for a candlelight service. If you are unable to be here in person but would like to join via Zoom, you may find the link here:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87183093521
(Passcode 929821).

Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Anne Lamott is an author whose books I recommend to you for their refreshing way of opening up theological ideas.  On the third Sunday of Advent, on which we light the candle of joy, I would offer you a quotable quotation from her: “Joy is the best makeup.”  As such, it is something we might think of “putting on,” because there are times that simply do not feel joyfull.  Still, we are in a season that apparently asks of us to put on a joyful face in public, even while we all acknowledge that there are devastating circumstances around our world.  It was into that mood, into painful circumstances that Isaiah spoke his prophecies (varied periods that they were).  Imagine how the good news that he shares in the 61st chapter would resonate with the displaced persons today.  Imagine how the later faithful might also have struggled when first hearing Paul’s admonition to “Rejoice always!”  It is for them and for us as we struggle to put on joy that John the Baptist shared good news.  There is a light coming into the darkness.  Let’s celebrate tomorrow and help nurture each other’s hope and joy.

Following worship, we will meet to discuss whether our congregation may sign as coalition partners in the effort to get four gun safety measures approved by the Maine legislature.  All are welcome to stay in order to learn more about plans of the Maine Coalition for Gun Safety and ways you may choose to be involved.

Blessings and peace, Lisa