This past week, some of us gathered to distill the essence of our church into a mission statement. One of the words that people kept using to describe the church was faithful. I wondered: What does it mean to be faithful? As I pondered this question, I thought of one of the first stories I […]
Read More »
As thoughts of Santa, travel and turkey swirl in the air, it can be hard to remember the meaning of the holidays. Yet, in the midst of the busyness, the coming holy days invite us to pause and ponder: What are we grateful for? What gives us joy? How can we embody compassion? My colleague, […]
Read More »
I am excited to invite you to our Thankful Hearts Christmas Bazaar this Saturday! A variety of handcrafted items will be on sale including Christmas ornaments, decorations, jewelry, wreaths, jams, homemade desserts and much more. There is also a treasure table with high-quality used items. It’s a great place to buy gifts and get ready […]
Read More »
This Sunday during worship we will be celebrating All Saints Day. One of the things that I love about All Saints Day is that it reminds us that we are not alone. All Saints Day is an occasion to celebrate the faithful of the past, present and future who touch our lives. We give thanks […]
Read More »
I invite you to start your morning with this prayer from Celtic minister John Philip Newell: “At the beginning of the day we seek your countenance among us, O God, in the countless forms of creation all around us in the sun’s rising glory in the face of friend and stranger. Your Presence within every […]
Read More »
“Hold on to me as we go, as we roll down this unfamiliar road.” These lyrics from Phillip Phillips invite us to reflect on what it means to be home. Phillips continues singing, “Just know you’re not alone ‘cause I’m gonna make this place your home.” Phillips’ lyrics are rather vague. People generally interpret them […]
Read More »
Thank you to Lisa Laing who has volunteered her time again this fall to host three Interplay gatherings called “Moving Our Prayers Together” for people here in the Essex area! InterPlay offers us simple forms and incremental steps toward moving our prayer life into the physical realm. There is a sacred bond formed and a […]
Read More »
Friends, I greet you with grace and peace! I am delighted that you have been reading our blog and wanted to share a couple other mediums on which you can participate digitally in the life of the church. If you are on Facebook, you can follow the church news on our public page (which you can access […]
Read More »
One of the busiest times of my life was when I was in seminary. My professors seemed to think massive feats — like memorizing the entire 2000 year history of the church — were completely reasonable tasks to do within the span of a semester. In the midst of the never-ending flood of assignments, it […]
Read More »
The Scripture for last Sunday (1 Kings 8:22-30, 40-43) talked about preparing a dwelling place for God. As I read about all the work that the Israelites did to prepare that dwelling place, I found myself thinking about houses and all the work it takes to straighten them up and get them ready for others. […]
Read More »
The First Baptist Church in Essex 