Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  Light in the darkness, rescue from fear, rescue from imprisonment, shame, or hunger . . . all these things are part of our hopeful prayers this season.  We pray and act in faith that God will respond, and we may learn that the response involves our participation.  In our continuing interaction with John the Baptist this week, we learn that our response to God’s word to us is very straightforward.  We are expected to act in such a way that we are making the way for Jesus clear and steady through our actions of justice and generosity.  Jesus spells out for his followers and us an answer to their pointed question: “What, then, shall we do!?” Might it steer our Advent practice this year?  What does it mean to live faithfully in response to God’s Word in our lives?  Does it make a difference?  Let’s see what we think together! 

Blessings and peace, Lisa

Please know that the event scheduled for this afternoon has been postponed until January 5th, with a snow date of January 12th should the roads again be unsafe. Please take good care and tell your friends who were planning to come this afternoon! You can look forward to seeing this film about homelessness in Maine by KaneLewisProductions at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 5th. It will be followed by a panel discussion of community partners to discuss community health challenges in our region. Stay safe today!

Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!  It sounds like a simple question, really . . . What do we do to prepare the way?  The question is quite straightforward, and its answer may be as well.  We’ve heard the language in various settings and this Sunday we are told again: “Prepare the way of the Lord.”  Maybe we have never heard it as a mandate before now; maybe it has felt only like something that happened then, but is not a part of our responsibility–our call–now.  In this Advent season, though, we are given the opportunity to consider what it may mean to make ourselves ready for Jesus’ coming–into our hearts and into our lives, and maybe for the first time.  What does it mean to prepare the way?  How have others done so for your own understanding of possibility?  As we gather for worship of the God who gives us life and prepare ourselves for service in the world, we can pray to be strengthened for the journey.

Some of you may be watching the weekend weather with some concern.  Please know that we will be Zooming both our worship service and our quarterly meeting.  So, please do plan to attend in the way that is safe for you.  We hope to be able to tend to just a bit of business while enjoying one another’s company!

Blessings and peace, Lisa.

p.s. Don’t forget to bring your favorite hot or cold appetizers to share during coffee hour as part of our Advent celebration!

Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ! I’ve a friend who says that contemporary Christians have “sanitized” Advent.  That’s an interesting idea to ponder, particularly when we read the lesson from Luke for this week.  Predictions of difficulty before our knowing peace (or Hope, which is the theme of the week given to the season by the sellers of church liturgical materials, so says Mary Luti, retired seminary professor and pastor).  As we enter the season during which we are meant to be preparing our hearts for the coming of our savior, Jesus Christ, we may wonder at the enormity of the gift and we may tremble at the portents through history.  Both feelings, both realities are true at the same time, and in our coming together for celebration and for mutual support, we honor both gift and giver.  See you in church!

Blessings and peace, Lisa.

p.s. Following worship throughout Advent, we will have delicious treats for coffee hour!

Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ! I would first like to remind you that we will have two opportunities for worship tomorrow, with the second being our annual, ecumenical Thanksgiving service, which will be held in our sanctuary at 4:00 p.m.  We will be joined by members of St. Francis and the BH Baptist churches, and their pastors will be leading the service with me.  

Our scripture text for the morning encourages us not to worry, and you may recall with me the familiar, “What, me worry?” with a picture of Mad Magazine’s Alfred E. Neuman’s face in mind.  It is not always easy to set aside our fears and worries.  We humans seem somehow predisposed to worry in a way that is not helpful to us.  Jesus’ words and our long view of God’s activity in the world may help us move toward a goal of greater peace.  In a moment in time in which our fears are being stoked by those who might ease them, we come together in a season of thanksgiving to pray for peace and to bolster our combined efforts to work for good.  As we sing out our praises and bow our heads to the One who made and loves us, we encourage one another.  

Blessings and peace, Lisa

Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ! Speaking with the director of Bagaduce Music, Bennett Konesni, after the concert on Wednesday, we shared our gratitude for being part of work that involves bringing people together in community.  That has certainly been one of the greatest gifts in ministry for me, and this is certainly a time in which our communal strength is necessary.  We have passed through the most troublesome aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic, thanks to vaccinations, but we also know that some persons are separated from others because of ongoing fears.  We are nervous about the days ahead with some typical and some atypical concerns about changing governmental administration.  So, we look to one another for mutual support, and for new vision.  We look to one another to aid in becoming our best selves for a hurting world.  That is part of the message we receive in our scripture lessons this week.  Let’s join in facing the future unafraid and with the resolve forged by working side by side. 

This Sunday also is what we call Consecration Sunday, when we dedicate our pledges and gifts to the church for the ministry of the year ahead.  If you do not have a pledge card, please know that you may ask for one as you enter worship tomorrow.  We will continue to celebrate our gifts with our time of fellowship after worship thanks to our Stewardship team!

Blessings and peace, Lisa