Every year, I rediscover how odd some of the scripture lessons for the Sundays of Advent really are. 

Happy New Year!  That’s right, this coming Sunday is the start of the new year on the church calendar.  I know that is it is kind of counter-cultural because the “real” New Year doesn’t begin until January 1st, but it is good to remember that the church is supposed to be counter-cultural!

Where do you draw the line on worry?

I hope you have a line.  If you don’t, now’s a good time to create one!  Start by asking: When does a healthy concern for the future become a self-destructive obsession about tomorrow?

It was already a week lacking in good news. 

During the Prayers of the People the previous Sunday there were an inordinate number of prayers for family’s who had suffered a loss or a difficult diagnosis. 

The following is a Pastoral Letter to the churches of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ from Rev. Don Remick, our Transitional Interim Conference Minister. I commend it to you as a source of solace and inspiration during these challenging days.

Jesus commanded Christians to be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-16).  The second part of that calling—to be the “light of the world”—tends to make more sense to us.  We know how necessary light is where there isn’t any.  It is easy for us to translate that into our need to be light in order to dispel gloom (and there is no shortage of that!).

The first part, though, doesn’t resonate so well.  Salt?  Really? 

Cabbage Night is fast approaching! What? You’ve never heard of Cabbage Night? Well, neither had I until I read about it. Apparently, it used to be another name, somewhat locally, for Halloween.