by Pastor David Turner We live in a world where everybody seems quick to believe the absolute worst about others. Dark conspiracy theories abound, in which political enemies are demonized in the most heinous ways possible. How about we start believing the best about people and searching for the angels among us? Because they are…

The coronavirus pandemic is something we, as a church, are taking seriously.  We’re doing little things (like changing the way we do communion in several of our services) to limit people’s exposure to germs.  We’re also prepared in other ways should the coronavirus come to town.  However, our mission “to be and share the Good…

I began my sabbatical on January 1st and merged back into church life last week on Ash Wednesday.  In 33 years of ordained ministry, it was the first time I’d ever been away from pastoral ministry for more than two weeks at a time.  It took a leap of faith – but has already bore…

About 7 years ago, we began making plans for a church-wide Sabbath and also for my own pastoral sabbatical.  We are now nearing the halfway point of our Jubilee year and beginning January 1st, I will begin a two-month sabbatical.  During this time, I will pursue a Biblical study project (involving comic book artists and…

This coming Sunday, we will celebrate the love that came down at Christmas.  Someone rewrote the love chapter (1 Cor. 13) as a reminder of what Christmas is really all about:             “If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows and strands of twinkling lights, but do not show love to my family, I’m…

The Christmas season can be difficult for lots of reasons. For those who are struggling, I share “A Christmas Prayer,” by Dorothy Hsu: “It’s Christmas, Lord, the Season to be jolly and all that.  But some of us are not so jolly.  It’s time for families to be together, time to sing ‘I’ll be home…

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching – a time when we turn again to the One from whom “all our blessings flow.”  More than any other holiday, thanksgiving asks us to look inward, because real gratitude is not dependent on our circumstances, but on our attitude.  My favorite Thanksgiving reading comes from the poet Henry Ward Beecher,…

A few years ago, I discovered I’m sensitive to shellfish. Not allergic, as in hives and wheezing. Instead, I get violently ill. I remember the night well. Because of a few incidents I’d had with shrimp in the past I suspected I might have an issue. But when that big, delicious lobster was put in…

In the Christian Church, we don’t believe in using creeds as a requirement for membership.  However, we do have a beautiful statement of faith.  Adopted in 1968, the Preamble of the Design reads:    “As members of the Christian Church, we confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and proclaim him…

The fact is… we can’t change anyone but ourselves.  The Good News, however, is that when we do allow God to transform us – it has a significant impact on the people around us.  In something called “Family System Theory,” it’s been shown that when one part of a system gets healthy, ultimately the whole…