Dear Friends in Christ,
Sometimes, we think and say God is in everyone, everywhere. But, there’s an instructive story of a 19th century Polish Hasidic master and itinerant preacher, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk. One day, he asked some learned men who were visiting him, “Where is God? ” Laughing, they responded, “What a thing to ask! God is everywhere ! “No,” Rabbi Mendel replied, “God is only in the places where we make room for God.”

Now, what do you think of this perspective?

Many Christians believe and say, “God’s love is all-inclusive and unconditional”. Maybe so. But, Paul writes in his Letter to the Romans (8:28), “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Those who LOVE God… It begs the question, “Does God work on behalf of those who don’t love him?” Now, what do you think?

I once worked with a church administrator who had trouble with this idea. One Christmas, she inserted what she thought was an angelic Bible saying into the church newsletter. She wrote: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace and goodwill to all.” When I pointed out Luke’s text (2:14) really read, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”, she was surprised – and a little miffed. She’d learned, thought, and believed God’s love was for all!

Often, we say God’s grace means God’s love is unconditional. But, maybe God’s grace isn’t complete until it has its response in us, in our love and loving! And, maybe, this is what Advent preparation for Christmas is all about…About making room in our busy lives and hearts for Christ Jesus so we can follow him more closely in loving God and others as ourselves! But, what do you think – and believe?

Blessings of Advent for a Merry Christmas!
Pastor Ed

Dear Friends in Christ,

Likely, you’re aware of the diversity of Christianity in our nation.  Perhaps, you’re aware of where we as a progressive Congregational, United Church of Christ congregation sit along its spectrum.  But are you aware of something more fundamental, namely that we are a covenanting rather than a creedal body? (Article II, Section 4 of our by-laws)

What does this mean?  It means that we gather with an understanding that while we hold core beliefs in common that permit us to gather, worship, and serve God together, we also make allowance for our holding of our own personal beliefs – which may differ.  This means that what we don’t, like “creedal churches,” have any faith statement to which we require adherence and use as a test to determine if someone should or shouldn’t be a member of Christ’s Church.  

Instead, churches in our heritage make covenants, generally short purpose statements that unite us before God and with one another.  This includes statements like this old 1629 Salem(MA!) Church covenant:  We covenant with the Lord and one with another; and do bind our selves in the presence of God, to walk together in all his waies, according as he is pleased to reveale himselfe unto us in his Blessed word of truth. And, it includes newer statements like this succinct covenant of a church I served in the 1980’s: “In the love of truth and the Spirit of Jesus, we unite for the worship and service of God.”

Typically covenants are “owned” by existing members and newcomers whenever the latter join the church.  But, I wonder what your experience has been here with respect to this common ritual practice. Why?  Because your covenant is a three-part expression of your “basis” for being together that consists of 17 bullet points and is more verbose than a simple one-sentence declaration of agreement regarding your purpose.  

So, as your interim pastor, I wonder if you might benefit from updating your covenant.  I encourage you to review it, and see what you think.  Ask yourself if your covenant could be a more meaningful and useful statement if you could easily remember and share it by heart with one another – as well as with others – when it’s appropriate or helpful to do so.  

Whatever you think, we’ll be reflecting on our heritage and the stewardship of covenanting during our sermon time this upcoming Sunday.  I look forward to worshiping with you, especially after having been away on vacation.

Blessings of Unity in Christ for Divine Purposes, Pastor Ed

From Article II of our church’s by-laws…

Section 4 – COVENANT

The basis of our fellowship is expressed in the following Covenant:

Love God with all our heart, strength, soul and mind by:

• Praying regularly, alone and together, in thankfulness and in times when we need help in our lives
• Seeking our individual and collective relationship with God, and God’s purpose for us as we interpret the scripture in light of that relationship
• Living our daily lives as Jesus did, demonstrating Christian behavior and commitment to our church by our Christian example
• Listening to God’s answers to our requests through prayer, worship and in the words and lives of others

Love our neighbors as ourselves by:

• Realizing that everyone makes mistakes
• Accepting each other with all our differences and faults
• Respecting each other, especially in time of disagreement or conflict
• Accepting that forgiveness is an imperative for Christian life; rebuilding trust can be a long process
• Supporting each other by being honest, caring  and compassionate
• Holding each other accountable to our actions
• Listening to each other without judgment and remaining open
• Speaking respectfully to each other, choosing all our words carefully without intimidation but speaking the truth in love

Love and foster our Christian community by:

• Endeavoring to live our faith both inside and outside our doors
• Supporting our Church pastors, staff, and leaders so that their efforts can be most productive for the church
• Trying to discover what is best for our church as a whole, not what may be best for the individual or for some small group in Church
• Seeking to stay in community with each other even during difficult events and discussions
• Listening and respecting one another’s opinions when making decisions, but once voted upon, the course of actions becomes the whole church’s decision, requiring the full support of the community
• Being open to discovering God’s vision for our role and new faith traditions in our community

Dear Friends in Christ, 

When you think of stewardship, what comes to mind?  If you’re like most, you likely think of money because most churches call their annual pledge drive a stewardship campaign.  

But, stewardship has to do with a lot more than money.  Stewardship refers to careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.   

This means stewardship is the reason for our being because, according to Genesis,  God created us to have oversight and carefully manage the earth and all of its life (Genesis 1:26).  Likewise, Jesus, with his telling of the parables of the vineyard workers (Matthew 20:1-16) and the parable of the vineyard tenants (Luke 20:9-19), implied that we are not so much owners of creation and its elements, but tenants entrusted with their management. 

It may be hard for us to embrace this perspective and our God-given identity because, from our legal and moral heritages, we inherit an understanding of ourselves as owners who have the right to do whatever we choose with our property, our resources, our things.  Hence, it is important for us as Christians to reflect on our stewardship! 

This, we shall do in our worship throughout the coming year.  And, we shall do so under the rubric of “21^st Century Stewardship” because, as Jesus taught in his parable of the wineskins (Luke 5:33-39), “new times occasion new tasks.”  I’ll hope you’ll find our reflections timely and relevant for your life, Christ’s church, and the world.  

Blessings of Life-preserving Stewarding, 

Pastor Ed

Dear Siblings in Christ,

We’re in transition! I don’t mean this interim time between settled pastors; I mean a transition of seasons, seasons not of Mother Nature’s brewing, but seasons of our culture and society.

Summertime life is ending, school has or will be resuming, and we’re moving from Wednesday evening worship to Sunday morning worship. And, to prove it we’re offering – and you have – two opportunities to worship this week! (Not really because on the Christian calendar, every Sunday begins a new week!)

However, you count the days, we’ll be here tonight reflecting upon and singing, “For the Beauty of the Earth.” And, this upcoming Sunday, Rally Sunday, – Why in the world do we call it this for it sounds like a celebration related to a sporting event? – we’ll be coming together as a Communion Family bearing Christ’s name. We’ll have two “sermon times,” one involving a mystery box, the other a skit on 21st century welcoming. (We’re not our parents’ and grandparents’ 20th century church.) And, the communion meal we’ll share will serve as kind of appetizer for our fellowship picnic after worship.

I look forward to seeing you, especially if you haven’t joined us on Wednesday evenings for a while or at all!

Blessings of “Seasonal Change,”
Pastor Ed

Dear Friends in Christ,

This Summer we’ve been reflecting on some of our questions of faith during Wednesday evening worship. Tonight we’re “switching gears” just a bit.  During the final three weeks of our summer worship services, we’ll be focusing on the lyrics of some of our favorite hymns.  

There’s a compelling reason for doing so beyond the hold they have on our hearts.  Over the years, I’ve had occasion to ask people what their favorite Bible passages and hymns are.  And, what I’ve discovered is this: usually, people’s lists of favorite hymns are much longer than their list of favorite Bible passages!

Now, probably this reflects the fact that most people have sung more hymns than they have read passages in the Bible.  Thus, they have more familiarity with hymn lyrics than with Scripture’s words.  How about you?

To the degree this may be so, it means that many people’s beliefs of faith may have been more influenced by writers of hymns than by authors of Scripture.  Which may account for why many people often become upset when hymn lyrics are re-written by later authors!  

With these thoughts in mind, we’ll consider the faith expression and history behind three favorite hymns over the coming Wednesdays: How Great Thou Art, Amazing Grace, and For the Beauty of the Earth.  Not only will we enjoy singing these hymns, we’ll learn more about our Christian faith and, perhaps, discover some interesting surprises!  I hope you can join us for worship during this short series before we resume Sunday worship on September 8^th.

Blessings of Wonder and Joy,

Pastor Ed

Dear Friends in Christ, 

How are you feeling after the most recent stretch of “the dog days of summer?”  Personally. I like a little warm, humid weather.  But I become tired of it when it goes on for weeks rather than days, especially if it’s awfully hot and excessively humid as it has been in recent weeks.  How about you?

It’s the same way with life for me.  Personally, I like some challenges in my life, but I become tired of them if they go on too long or without respite.  When I’m pushing myself to complete numerous, difficult or unwanted tasks or go through successive troubling periods, I become weary.  How about you?  

For some, as for myself, such times may lead to faith questions like, “Where is God?” or “What kind of God is God?”  But, for me, these times also lead me to appreciate smaller, even basic elements of life, like “life itself” and simply “being alive.”  For, as long as I have my breath, I harbor hope and possibility. How about you?    

I think and feel that my experience comes from the fact that during such times and moments, I remember and hear Jesus’ invitation:  “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” and Jesus’s promise: “I am with you always until the end of the world.”  But, maybe you have your spiritual mantras that “kick in”, too.  I hope and pray so because we all have our “moments!” 

Blessings of Refreshing Peace, 

Pastor Ed

Dear Friends in Christ,
Tomorrow, August 1st is a noteworthy day for us who are followers of God. It’s not a religious holiday per se, but it may be as important as any Christian holiday on our calendar. What is it?

It’s called Earth Overshoot Day. Maybe you’ve heard of it, but I hadn’t until I read an article recently by Miram Voran, a columnist for the Valley News, a small newspaper based in Lebanon, NH.

What is Earth Overshoot Day? Voran describes it as the day “when humans have used up the resources that Earth can generate in the year.” What it means is that after tomorrow, , “we’ll be running a “deficit resource budget” for the rest of 2024, depleting our currently existing terrestrial resources even further. (And, speaking of Christian holidays, it’s interesting to note that in 1971, we reached Earth Overshoot Day on December 25th . For then, we were living closer to our means.)

The causes of this dangerous spiral are numerous. Population increase and human consumption are part of the story. But Voran focuses on our thinking and our responses. She writes of one particularly significant psychological factor: disavowal. She calls it the “worst kind of denial” in which we hold two incompatible mental states as a way of coping with an overwhelming problem. We recognize and imagine we’re exempt from the consequences of the problem and then go about business as usual. This form of denial, then, puts us at even greater peril.

So what can we do? Voran urges us to celebrate Earth Overshoot Day by considering or
experiencing something reflective of human brilliance and then talking with someone about the problem and brainstorming what we might do about it.

So what does this have to do with us Christians and church? It touches and reflects the core of why we’re here! For God created us to be stewards of the earth and its life. And, these we we can become in our personal lives and as a church. In fact, the United Church of Christ has an official UCC designation (Think: Open & Affirming) for this purpose. It’s called being a Green Church.

Now, I wonder if you think becoming a Green Church might be worth exploring. We would engage in a process of considering what we might do personally and together – including reaching out to concerned non-church members and organizations in the community. Doing so would afford us with an opportunity to broaden our mission, strengthen our connections with the community, and build new relationships with others. Who knows where such partnering might lead? Best of all, we’d be entering into mutual mission with those interested in saving the earth and thus, from our perspective, saving all God’s creation on earth from our younger loved ones to Christ’s church!

Now, in what more important way could we be both good stewards of God’s creation and this church?
Blessings of Salvation, Pastor Ed

Dear Members and Friends,

It’s a very sad time for us as citizens who have many privileges and would like to simply “love our country.” 

It’s sad to be a part of a nation so divided that political leaders in an information age so oversaturated with social-media platforms, can easily exploit our ugliest human qualities and tendencies.  It’s sadder still when verbal violence reaches a crescendo in physical expressions such as when angry, hate-filled mobs take to the streets and our nation’s capitol building.  And, it’s saddest of all, when someone uses a gun in an attempt to assassinate a political candidate – which is what happened this past weekend.  

In moments such as this, people react in all sorts of ways.  Many become “reac-tive” and raise the temperature in our volatile social “climate.”  Some even become “over-reactive” and heighten the threat of retaliatory violence.  In the following days and weeks, we’ll likely see and hear all of these kinds of reactions.  

It’s now a moment for all of us to pay close attention to what’s happening around – and to – us. It’s also a  time for us who are Christians to pray with thoughtful words in mind and heart.     

Toward this aim, I have postponed my planned worship service theme until next week.  And, this Wednesday evening, I’m planning to lead special service of worship and prayer with a focus on an ancient Biblical political leader’s question to Jesus.   This leader’s name is Pilate and his question to Jesus is: “What is truth?” (John (18:33-38)

If you can’t join us, I’ll hope you’ll read this passage from Scripture, reflect upon it, pray about it, and ask yourself what you can do about it.   And, if you want to converse with me about your thoughts, let me know.  

Blessings of Peace, 

Pastor Ed     

(603-620-4498 or RevEd85@aol.com)

Dear Salem FCC Friends in Christ,

In a speech to Congress the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked, President Roosevelt famously declared December 7th, 1941 as “a date which will live in infamy.”  These days in our nation, I wonder how he would have characterized, January 6th, 2021.

Of the many days in my lifetime, January 6th, 2021 is a date that will live in infamy for me.  I never thought  I’d see a violent mob break into the Capitol, try to overthrow a Presidential election, destroy property, and shout out death threats to our political leaders.  And, I never imagined I’d see insurrectionists, standing at the front of the Senate chamber, thanking God for their cause and invoking the name of Jesus Christ regarding their efforts!  How about you?

More shocking for me was that all of this was supported by some members of Congress and the President of the United States!  I wondered what was happening to our country – and to Christianity!  

As we come to the 4th of July this year, I’m still in shock. Too many Christians continue to support the spirit and aims of this day in an emerging “Christian Nationalist” movement.  Too many Christians are either unaware or underestimate the power and danger of this movement.  Too many Christians remain indifferent and inactive.  I  know; I’ve been one of the latter two.   How about you?

If you’re becoming more concerned like I am, you can learn more about this misguided movement by reading one of the many  new books on the subject.  You can listen to a podcast such as Confronting Christian Nationalism.  Or, you can visit a website like: Christians against Christian Nationalism.org. 

As we sang in last Sunday’s closing hymn, We’ve a Story to Tell the Nations: “We’ve a message to give to the nations, that the Lord who reigneth above has sent us His Son to save us, and show us that God is love.”  As a Christian who believes that we ought be striving to practice the religion of Jesus rather than the religion about Jesus, I think this message is a terrific birthday gift we can give our troubled society and nation this year. 

But, what do you – as a Christian and American – think?  

I hope you – and our country – have a blessed 4th of July, 

Pastor Ed     

(603-620-4498 or RevEd85@aol.com)

Dear Salem FCC Friends in Christ,

This upcoming Sunday will be our last Sunday of worship before we begin summer worship on Wednesday evening, July 10^th.  It’s also our last Sunday of worship before the 4^th of July holiday when we remember and celebrate our nation’s birth.  It’s a time for reflecting on what I call our “dual citizenship.”   I hope you can join us in person or “tune in” online.   

As we prepare for Wednesday Evening worship, I want you to know we’ll be following a theme this summer.  It’s based on one of Jesus’ first questions to his followers, “What are you thinking in your hearts?”  (Luke 5:22)

Jesus’ question comes with two twists.  According to Luke, Jesus knew what they were thinking even before he asked his question!  This begs the question:  “If he knew, why did he even ask?”

The answer may lie in a second twist.  Some translators have Luke writing, “What are you thinking?” They imply that Jesus was asking a pointed question, you know: WHAT are YOU THINKING in YOUR HEARTS?   

These two twists make for interesting reflection, and they’ll add a layer to our thinking as we consider questions of faith and favorite hymns that some of you gave to me earlier in the year when I asked about these.  And, if you didn’t offer a question or hymn, but now have one you’d like us to consider, let me know.  As I wrote last week in inviting you to have a conversation with me this summer, every matter under heaven is fair game!

Blessings of a Relaxing Summer and Restful Worship!  

Pastor Ed 

(603-620-4498 or RevEd85@aol.com)