Reflections

About a week after Easter Sunday, I was away for a couple of days participating in a special UCC church-wide event: the “From the Ground Up:  Re-Imagining Theological Formation” summit that was held in Cleveland (where the national offices of our United Church of Christ are located).  About 135 people from across the spectrum of…

Thoughts from Pastor Matt… Happy Easter, beloveds!  Easter is, of course, the centerpiece of our Christian year, the crowning celebration around which all our life as Christian community revolves.  It has long been said that, in fact, every Sunday is a “little Easter.”  In as much as we get it “right” from week to week,…

“Betwixt and between.”  This is what Dr. Stephen Ray, the new president at my theological alma mater, the Chicago Theological Seminary, titled his first sermon delivered in community chapel there.  The sermon was preached in the midst of the odd confluence we just had on February 14th—the co-occurrence of Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday.[1]  I’ll…

Hello, church!  It is very good to be back among you after our time apart this fall!  For all that the sabbatical experience was for me, I also see good signs that it was a good and enriching period of time for you all as a congregation as well.  We’ll have more opportunities to share…