Hello beloved,

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying these last few weekends of the summer. These last few weekends as our young adults head off to college and our youth prepare for the new school year ahead. I was thinking about this time during the week and I have to admit that a small smile came to my face. How wonderful and exciting this time of year always was for me. The time when I did not know exactly what to expect as my family went school shopping for clothes and supplies. When I did not know exactly what I was going to learn or who I was about to meet. The time of endless possibilities. I love that feeling and gift; and, it is a gift to me. It is the same feeling I have now, everyday, as I wake up. The endless possibilities of the day ahead.

Sadly, not everyone has that feeling of endless possibilities. Some people feel stuck – trapped – lost. Many of us have felt that way over the years due to depression, addiction, bad relationships, abuse, economic insecurity, skin color, or even body structure. To anyone who is or has felt stuck – trapped – lost, I am sorry that you had to endure this feeling in your life. It does not feel good and for that I am sorry. Still, the child inside of me cries out and reminds us that there really are endless possibilities for all people. It is that child inside of me who sings the song of hope: “whoever is joined with all the living has hope” (Ecc. 9:4). It is the child inside of me that reminds me how I found my way out of feeling stuck – trapped – lost. 

It is the wonder of a new day that God has created – new friends to share the day with – and the new person I am about to become. I was able to find my way out of that dark place because I remembered to love God, my neighbor and myself. And myself for how I have been created. Not perfect but accountable for my decisions and failings. I found my way out because I learned how to try better each day and forgive myself when a mistake was made. Now, beloved, this particular path may not work for everyone and I left you with very broad strokes because so many of these dark places are different. My way may not help you directly especially as there are some things we simply cannot change in the world no matter how hard we try.

However, there are in the midst of this story three truths which I believe will help us all in those dark times of our life. 1. Love and loving God, our neighbors, and ourselves will help you find your way out. 2. We each have a choice. It does not always feel that way; but, it is there. For, God has made a way for everyone in this world. Remember, whoever is joined with the living has hope. 3. Each day that God creates brings endless possibilities for us all. It is our choice – ultimately – whether to follow the way back to love or remain in despair. Even a phone call – a message – a small “help” is a choice which I, for one, will always answer. One which I believe everyone reading this will answer. One which I hope you will answer, even if the words come from your lips. 

May we all consider how we can answer the cries for help and despair in this world – answer them with all the Love God has placed within our hearts. So, everyone in the world can feel the small child inside, excitedly waiting for the endless possibilities of the day ahead.

With all of God’s Love

Your pastor and teacher, Brian

During this summer, let us consider and remember to love God each day. Remember love and faith are not just feelings but actions we do every day. Feel free to text, call, or email me always to share as I am here to support you and your relationship with God wherever you are on the journey. My number is (207-350-9561) if you need anything or simply want to talk. Next week, my pastoral care hours are Tues. 12-5, Wed. 11-3, Thurs. 10-2. Many blessings to you all.

Hello beloved, 

I hope you are all well and enjoying this much needed break – from the heat. It is almost as if – our faith – has finally been revealed. Our faith that God would end the heat. But was this due to faith or just a coincidence?  Is this new reality a change or just a shift in the natural weather patterns? All of which, I believe, are good questions to ask because they help us articulate what we believe. 

While I considered these questions, I leaned more towards the shifting weather patterns. Not because I do not believe. Not because I lack faith in God’s ability to make the world cooler, either directly or indirectly through us. She does. Rather, it is because I do not see most humans are helping Him. I do not see people doing much of anything to make the climate better. Yet is that not what God is calling us to do: to faithfully help the Mission of Christ here on earth? 

We have talked all summer about faith. Yes, have faith – pray to God when we see problems; but are we also living into that faith? Are we trying to make a difference in the world? I ask, beloved, because living out our faith is – how we love God. To explain in human terms, when someone says, “I love you” or asks you for things; yet chooses to not care about you – to hurt you – or to forget about you when they do not need anything, it does not feel like love. We know this truth and have seen it many times throughout our lives. From abusers to innocent (if not self-centered) children, we have seen this type of behavior. Sadly though, I wonder if sometimes we humans are being “the self-centered” child. 

Are we telling God thank you – I love you – please save us from the heat and then throwing trash in the water because it’s too far to walk an extra five feet to the trash can? Yes, I have witnessed people do this and then share how concerned they are with our changing climate. The truth is faith is not something that just happens in our heart and soul. Like love, faith must be shared to be revealed. It must be acted upon. It must be shown through our actions; for God to feel the truth of our love and faith. 

So yes, I lean towards the natural shift of weather patterns because the Mission of Creation is not yet being acted upon by the many hands and feet of Christ, living in this world. Maybe it is time for us to act on our faith and openly follow God’s Mission, whatever Mission which has been placed before us. Maybe we can do this together as One Fellowship of God and truly witness our faith and love of God being revealed. 

May we each act upon our Mission over the coming year and reveal our loving faith to God.

Your pastor and teacher, Brian

During summer, let us consider and remember to love God each day. Remember love and faith is not just a feeling but an action we do every day. Feel free to text, call, or email me always to share as I am here to support you and your relationship with God wherever you are on the journey. My number is (207-350-9561) if you need anything or simply want to talk. Next week, my pastoral care hours are Tues. 12-5, Wed. 11-3, Thurs. 10-2. Many blessings to you all.

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1: 3-6

Good morning beloved,

            I pray you are all feeling God’s Love, no matter where you are; for, you are welcomed and loved no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey. 

            I heard this prayer in my heart and realized how prudent it is for this time in which we are living. This time, though, did not begin in 2022, during Covid, or even because of the last election. It may not have even begun in our lifetimes or that of our parents. In fact, I know it did not. It began even longer ago than that, before the United States, the Reformation, and the Roman Catholic Church. The time we are living in started when Jesus was crucified and was resurrected. We are living in the Time of Loss. 

Now, beloved, this is not to say that loss did not happen before Jesus, it did. It most assuredly did. People died by the thousands in war, disease, and slavery. People died so often that it became…common. Accepted and sometimes even welcomed in the oppressive ancient world. But then Jesus came and explained that you and each one of you is important and a welcomed addition to the kin-dom. That is what changed, not the amount of people we lose but how much we love, care, and need each person who is part of our life because Jesus taught us to love. For that gift alone, I am grateful.

Yes, grateful even though the pain of losing someone is the worst I have ever felt. Even though that pain is so much greater for me when the loss is not death; but a choice to walk away. Yes, even then, I am so grateful that God taught us how to love through Jesus. 

And, I have felt this pain over and over in my life. It has happened with girlfriends and an ex-wife, my employment, my friends, my sons, my brother, and with people right here in our church community. Even though there are always reasons much like there are with death, it still hurts. It is a grief I, and all people, must accept because we love each other so deeply. Because Jesus taught us how to love each other so deeply that when that relationship ends, when it dies, the pain is almost tangible. 

That said, our love never ends. My love never does. No matter where a person roams or how long it takes, I will always love them and welcome them home into my life. Jesus may have taught us this truth as well when he taught us to forgive. Much like the Apostle Paul teaches us how to lovingly accept and work through the grief in our life. The grief which comes from this type of loss. He exemplifies this love for the lost in the words, “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.” I too thank God every time I remember all who I have lost as I hope all of you do as well.

Especially because loss has become so bitterly common today in a world which is ever changing. Who we are as a community now is so much different than who we were two years ago. And from what I understand, who we were pre-covid or who we were ten years ago. And these losses to our community, both natural and by choice, are painful. Yet it is a pain, I willingly and gratefully accept. I accept this pain because, if loss becomes commonplace, again. If it became so common that it did not hurt, then we would have forgotten the core Truth of Jesus’ teaching: Love. So, yes, I accept the grief and pain knowing that I LOVE EVERYONE OF YOU, no matter where you are in the world or in the kin-dom.

With love, I pray our loss and grief ends. We accept it if the time is not yet – right. And, Lovingly welcome – ALL PEOPLE – into our hearts – now and always,

your pastor and teacher, Brian 

During summer, let us consider and remember to love God each day. Remember love is not just a feeling but an action we do every day. Feel free to text, call, or email me always to share as I am here to support you and your relationship with God wherever you are on the journey. My number is (207-350-9561) if you need anything or simply want to talk. Next week, my pastoral care hours are Tues. 12-5, Wed. 11-3, Thurs. 10-2. Many blessings and Love to you all.

Good morning beloved,

               I pray you are all well and safely held in God’s loving hands. Recently though, I was reminded that this reality is not the case for everyone, funny how a trip to another country or state reveals this truth. The truth that not everyone has a way to stay cool in the heat or a way to wash their clothes in a washing machine. The truth that not everyone has clean and safe drinking water. The truth that some people, right here in this country, do not even have access to nutritional food seven days a week. So many of these realities came flashing back as I traveled and visited Punta Cana recently. Mind you, all these instances were around even before our current unprecedented heat wave or the Covid crisis. You know those events which are hitting everyone across the entire world in some way, shape, or form. I wonder how much worse people are today as the crops burn up in the fields from lack of water.

               The beautiful thing God reminds us of is this truth: “whoever is joined with all the living has hope” (Ecc. 9:4). In other words, we still have a chance to care for the environment and the people who are living upon this beautiful Creation. There is still a chance; but we must start living out this part of our faith everyday – now. Will we take care of the entire environmental issue alone? No, of course not. We may not even slow it down too much by ourselves. But that is not the point. Is it? The point is to live every day as faithfully as we can. To live as God is calling us: as good stewards and lovers of all people and all of Creation.

               With this truth in mind, I pray you will take a moment each day to help, through the sharing of ideas or the hands of care, because we all can see the problem. We can all feel it as we walk outside during this brutally hot summer, the hottest recorded in England for the last 383 years. Yet, many of us do not always know what to do to help. Still, where there is life there is hope. The ONA team has seen this reality and will be starting a special recycling program this fall (please see the ONA board at the church to read about it), the Reaching Out team has seen this reality and has been supporting food insecurity programs for a while through our “fishes and loves” offering on communion weeks. Many of you individually have helped in your careers or everyday care. However, we are one people and now is the time for all of us to be the hope by living into our faith daily; by sharing our knowledge; or by being God’s hands of care for not only the environment but for all of Creation.

Please feel free to share your ideas, thoughts, hopes and yes even questions; so, we can all grow together in God’s love. May you be safely held in God’s loving hands as we hold the environment and all people in ours.

Your pastor and teacher, Brian

During summer, let us consider and remember to love God each day. Remember love is not just a feeling but an action we do every day. Feel free to text, call, or email me always to share as I am here to support you and your relationship with God wherever you are on the journey. My number is (207-350-9561) if you need anything or simply want to talk. Next week, my pastoral care hours are Tues. 12-5, Wed. 11-3, Thurs. 10-2. Many blessings and Love to you all.

Hello beloved friends,

               I pray you are ALL safe and well as we celebrate this fourth of July weekend and this day which God has given to ALL people. It seems strange though to hear those two ideas together, doesn’t it? For, if we are celebrating today or any day as one which God has given to ALL people, how can we also celebrate it as one which is, strictly speaking, lifting up only one group of people? How can we celebrate the Fourth of July and our independence from Britain without having a bias against the English people? How do we balance these two celebrations in our hearts and souls?

               Sadly, we are rarely able to find this balance as humans seem to be inherently biased towards their identity, religion, or way of thinking. Now, I am not saying bias is good or bad, just a reality. We tend to dismiss ideas which challenge our beliefs and cling hard to those ideas which we believe. This truth became clear this week, as with most weeks, when we look at the news. We hear people claiming the eyewitness account and testimony of Cassidy Hutchinson as undeniable proof to Trump’s guilt on January 6th, even though she was not present in the car. Or, that Donald Trump actually won the election against President Biden, even though this belief has not been proven in a court case. Could either of these two beliefs be true? Yes, they could be true, and they could also be false delusions to inspire your emotions and ire. They could be lies, intentional or unintentional. And that beloved is the problem with biases. 

               The problem that our biases can and often do lead to lies which harm people. The Fourth of July reflects the problem well in that when I was growing up, this day was seen as a celebration for all people. It was a celebration of independence from oppression. But what I have discovered, as I grew older, is that this day was not a celebration of independence for all people, not even for all people in the United States. Yes, it was a day which marked the end of British control over America; but it also is the day that gave power to the primarily Caucasian male landowners to oppress women, African Americans, Chinese Americans etc. Does this truth lessen our celebration of the Fourth of July? Does it mean we should be biased against all white male landowners as they were the identity who profited from this lie? Does this mean anything other than this truth is what happened in the world? I believe the answer truly is no, to all of the above. No, the dream of the Fourth of July, an end of oppression, is something beautiful to celebrate and work towards; no, the people alive today is not to blame for our ancestors and to be biased against them will simply perpetuate more lies; no this truth is what happened without judgment.

               So how do we balance these two celebrations: Jesus says, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17). Although he is speaking about taxes, let us remember this tension in all walks of life, in all our situations, and the biases we feel drawn too. The tension between the human world and the Divine world of God. Let us remember this Truth as Jesus shows us how to avoid the traps of lies and biases by being faithful to God while supporting the dreams, ideas, and beliefs of humanity in a balanced and loving way. Give to Caesar (our country your celebration for it is a US holiday) AND give to God all your love for ALL people because He created today for ALL of Her children. The reality is we may never be able to fully avoid our biases in this world; but when we follow Jesus and his teachings, we may be able to witness God’s Love and avoid falling for those biases which perpetuate harm upon one another.

With ALL God’s Love

your pastor and teacher, Brian

As summer approaches, let us consider how you love God. Remember love is not just a feeling but an action we do every day. Feel free to text, call, or email me always to share as I am here to support you and your relationship with God wherever you are on the journey. My number is (207-350-9561) if you need anything or simply want to talk. Next week, my pastoral care hours are Tues. 12-5, Wed. 11-3, Thurs. 10-2. Many blessings and Love to you all.

Hello beloved friends,

I hope you are well as we move into the summer and a time of rest from Sunday morning worship. Worship though as we all know is not over and we will be continuing to praise God on Wednesday evenings for the next two months. 

Rest though is something we all need from time to time. Rest from work, rest in the middle of a game. rest even from the worries and concerns of the world. Perhaps, some people even do need a rest from worshiping God, participating in our fellowship, experiencing the Love God has to offer everyone – equally – from time to time. I guess that makes sense as even the best food in the world – pizza – I too need a rest from, occasionally. It helps me appreciate the wonderful fulfilling taste all that much more. So, yes, perhaps it makes sense why we would need some time away to appreciate our faith even more. To enjoy God’s Love more. To be re-energized for the ministry God is calling us too even more. And I hope that is the reason why some people have not returned after Covid. 

I hope that is the reason; but I do not know. I do not know why some of us have not returned or worse, why some people refuse to let go of their egos and come back to our loving faith in this community. This latter point comes to mind from the many people who have let conflicts over those non-essential things like elevators, marriage officiants, carpet color, table cost, or even arguments block one or many people’s faith in God. I think often of these souls who have stepped away; both the ones I have noticed and the ones I never knew and wonder – why?

Why are you letting these non-essentials and your own frustration block you from the love of God which is right here waiting for you. Why would you choose anger instead of forgiveness? Why would you decide to feel anger instead of God’s love which is available to all people? Why would you decide to break the second commandment by not loving your neighbor? These are the questions which keep me up at night as I pray for every one of you. The thing I realized is that I cannot do this alone, beloved friends.  

We are a community of love and perhaps now is the time to reach out – again. All of us to each other and help discover the why – help each other forgive – help each other return to worship God together in person and experiencing the fellowship of love we are continuing to build for God. I hope you will join me on this endeavor and take the time to rest, if that is what you need. However, I hope and pray that when our Gathering Sunday comes on September 7th, you will all be there to add your voice, faith, and love to our fellowship.

May you take the rest you need and reach out to the people we love

Faithfully and lovingly yours, 

Pastor Brian

As summer approaches, let us consider how you love God. Remember love is not just a feeling but an action we do every day. Feel free to text, call, or email me always to share as I am here to support you and your relationship with God wherever you are on the journey. My number is (207-350-9561) if you need anything or simply want to talk. Next week, my pastoral care hours are Mon. 9-4, Tues. 12-5, Wed. 8-4. Many blessings and Love to you all.

“Our Father” or “The Lord’s Prayer”

Hello Beloved friends,

I pray you are all well on this beautiful and dare I say – perfect day that God has given us. Though I must share: the perfection of today’s weather is only my perception. A perception which believes the perfect weather is say low 70-degree Fahrenheit weather with a slight breeze and a lot of sun. But this weather is not perfect for everyone. Is it? I doubt it is, as some people enjoy 90 degrees Fahrenheit or above while others prefer 50 degrees Fahrenheit or below. I believe we, in our community, probably have some variance of what defines the “perfect weather.” Furthermore, this perception of “perfect” as it pertains to weather can be easily validated and defended in any discussion; for, there are observable pieces of evidence we can share depending on how we enjoy engaging in the world. 

However, what do we do when the world is not observable? When we do not know for sure? When the very evidence we do have of the defined subject seems to confound the question more than help in its conclusion? In the UCC, we offer a phrase which helps: ““In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, diversity; in all things, charity.” Of course, this phrase did not originate with us. It is attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430 AD). The only difference being the original word for diversity was something akin to “liberty.” Yet, that is not how we act as Christians too often is it? We deem what is right and get upset when people do not use the same phrase – the same words we “think” should be used.

I have seen this issue appear many times in my life. One example I can express is around God’s gender. Now, as you know, I use both “He” and “She” for God. Is this right? We have no idea. Tradition says God is male. Yet, our reason says, God is both and everything in between because God created us ALL in their image. Is the image physical or spiritual? We do not know for sure and nowhere does it expressly explain the term in the Bible. The Bible too expressly uses “He” for God; but the Greek and Hebrew words for the Holy Spirit are all feminine. Finally, experience expressly shows that our world has been male dominated and oppressive to women which could explain so much about where the “He” language came from originally. Yet, in all of this explanation we have to ask one thing: is it essential?

Does it matter what God’s gender is to you? If it does not, then might I invite you to the ideas of diversity and charity. For, it does matter to some people. Some people in this world, who may have been harmed by an oppressive male or father. It may matter to some people whose father figure was actually their single mother, older sister, or Great Aunt. It may matter to someone who finds the “male Father” figure just too much of a barrier for them to have a relationship with God. On the same note, if God’s gender does matter to you. If you need to hear and understand God as the Father then may I invite you to the ideas of unity and charity. For, we all must ask ourselves regularly: what is the essentialness of understanding God as the Father. Is it because God is male? No. I believe it is because of those core qualities of Fatherhood we witness in God: love, protection, care, creation, loyalty etc. These qualities do not only appear in males; yet society has applied them as characteristics of a “father.” 

That said, I believe this understanding from St. Augustine is the very reason why we in the UCC use the term “The Lord’s Prayer” instead of “the Our Father.” For, we are not celebrating God (which is essential to our faith) as male (which is unessential); but rather, God and all the qualities we witness in God who we perceive as our ideal Father. Yet, that is not all there is to God is it? God is also the Holy Spirit and Christ Jesus. God is also the original from whose image we were all made from. And in the end, we cannot answer what God’s gender is; therefore, let us give charity in all things. Finally, as we come upon Father’s Day to celebrate the fathers and father figures in our life, let us also remember God and Her qualities which define Him as the ideal Father.

May your week be perceived as a blessing and gift; for, that is who you are to me.

your pastor and teacher, Brian

As summer approaches, let us consider how you love God. Remember love is not just a feeling but an action we do everyday. Feel free to text, call, or email me always to share as I am here to support you and your relationship with God wherever you are on the journey. My number is (207-350-9561) if you need anything or simply want to talk. Next week, my pastoral care hours are Mon. 9-4, Tues. 12-5, Wed. 8-4. Many blessings and Love to you all.