The holidays can be really rough for people. It might be their first Christmas without someone they love. They may feel unable to provide for their families. They might be struggling with depression. Heck, most of our lives are already stressful enough without the added responsibilities of the holidays. This year, we will be having a Longest Night service at 7pm on Saturday the 21st, which is the … [Read more...]
December 2019
So that you may continue to laugh at my expense, here is my story from one of last month’s sermons about the first time I experienced snow. When I was twenty, I was in Washington state for a weekend for a speech and debate tournament. It was really cold. Rumor had it that it was going to snow. I have zero memory of how well I competed that weekend, because I was too busy peering anxiously out … [Read more...]
October 2019
Since May, our monthly adult sessions have focused on themes relating to the More Light Presbyterians Network as a part of the process of becoming a formally-recognized congregation that is open and affirming to the LGBTQIA+ community. In the last edition of the Church Mouse, I summarized our conversations about vocabulary, the concept of marriage, and some of the biblical texts that are used as a … [Read more...]
August 2019
As we progress through our More Light series, moving to join the More Light Presbyterians Network as a formally-recognized congregation that is open and affirming to the LGBTQIA+ community, I wanted to share some of the key points that we have discussed during our adult ed sessions. In May, we began with a definition of terms, starting with the difference between sexual orientation and gender … [Read more...]
June 2019
Once upon a time, when I was a young and idealistic college student voting in my first election at the age of nineteen, there was one proposition that I felt particularly passionate about. The state courts in California had previously made marriage equality the law of the land: all couples could be legally wed, whether those couples consisted of a man and a woman, two women, or two men. However, … [Read more...]
April 2019
For the six Sundays in Lent this year, we have been going through each of the days of Holy Week, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter, when the plot thickens and the arrangements for Jesus’ death fall into place. On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem to crowds of people crying “Hosanna!” as stories of his miracles and teachings spread like wildfire through the city as the … [Read more...]
February 2019
Confession time: I have not taken my Christmas decorations down yet. December and January have gone by in a blur for me, packed tightly with extra services, writing new music, making the high holidays of Christmas and Epiphany special, setting up prayer stations, baking bread, sewing new stoles, attending tea parties and ordination services and meetings, wrapping and shipping packages, and … [Read more...]
A Holiday Q&A
Q. Why should I attend church in December? It's cold and I have cookies to bake and stuff to do. A. Great question! In addition to the fact that you would be missed, you would also be missing out on the prayer stations that will be set up each week of Advent, tying into the themes of the service. You'd be missing out on singing some beautiful songs, hearing some very ...unique... prayers that … [Read more...]
December 2018
The holiday season is upon us and with it comes a focus on food, gifts, and in many cases, a focus on giving food to non-profit organizations. I really love that the spirit of Christmas inspires people to look out for others, “adopt” families, drop money in red buckets, organize donation drives, and look for alternative gifts—I love to find charities that pertain to someone’s interests and give … [Read more...]
October 2018
Every now and then, I am especially pleased with how elements of our services turn out. As we end our month-long series on the stories of Moses, I wanted to share with you all the prayer that I wrote around the story of the ten plagues as well as the new hymn that I wrote for the occasion. Holy One, God of the living water, we pray that all people might have access to clean water. We remember … [Read more...]
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