August 2021

So here we are finally, moving (slowly and carefully) toward resuming worship. It’s going to take time before we’re completely there. And some of you are not ready to return, for very good reasons. We understand. Some of you may attend worship but are not ready to take communion. We support you in that. As […]

Texts: Joshua 24:1-2a; Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-69 The start of the school year is just around the corner. I can’t help but think of many teachers who prompted, prodded, and led me along the pathway of learning. Many of them are only a dim memory but a few really stand out. There was Miss Pace in

When the world seems like it’s unravelling (I’m thinking of Haiti, Afghanistan, and of course, the pandemic) It can help to pay attention to good news. In this way we can lean into bad news and know that it’s not the only news out there. And wasn’t Jesus all about good news? Several weeks ago

Text: Proverbs 9:1-6; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58 It’s been interesting to watch how our islands have changed over the past eighteen months. In particular the business districts of the three main islands are not the same now as they were. Businesses have closed.Some new ones have opened. Others have remained in operation the whole time but

I like the word navigating. It’s a word that suggests setting a course with the best skills we have from getting from here to there. At the same time, it acknowledges that our usual maps may not be completely up to date. There could be complications, detours, delays, perhaps dragons of various kinds. It feels

Texts: 1 Kings 19:4-8; Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2; John 6:35, 41-51 I’ve met a lot of interesting people in my life. Just now I’m recalling a couple whom I knew over thirty years ago. They were part of the first congregation I ever served and I was invited many times to their home to share memorable

The ferry workers were having a Very Bad Day when we tried to get off the island for the dog’s oncology appointment the last week of July.  You know how it goes. The early ferry was full. (On a Wednesday, at 5:00 a.m.? Really?) And we didn’t get on. The next one didn’t have enough

Texts: Exodus 16:2-4. 9-15; Ephesians 4:1-16; John 6:24-35 Whether you use social media or not you may have heard of the Darwin awards. Photos are posted of people doing things that are clearly not wise. Like the guy stretching his hand out toward the nose of a bison in Yellowstone National Park like you would when

We never planned to make history did we?  And yet we are doing just that as people living through a world-wide pandemic.  All those old bible stories about plagues? Who could have guessed that we would experience one ourselves. But here we are. Plagues shaped the faith of people in ancient times.  It’s still doing