Good morning, Beloved,

I pray all of you who are reading this letter and all your children are safely held in your loving arms. Sadly, that is not the case for everyone in our world. For, today the world began with nineteen less souls from one horrific act of hate and violence. The sad part is that this horror is not the only tragedy we, as a society, faced or saw yesterday. It is just another one… 

Another wound – another pain – another victim. I fear sometimes that we are becoming numb to that pain. That in order to cope with the terror, we are letting it slip from our mind. Resigning ourselves to an inability to do anything about it and thanking God that it did not happen here. But what happens if the next time it is here… in Salem? The reality is beloved, it could be. Sandy Hook is not that far away and there seems to be no geographical distinctions for these mass shootings. 

Still, “what can I do?” I heard this question being asked after almost every mass shooting. “Yes, it is a tragedy; but what can I do?” Well to begin, maybe the first question should not be what can I do; rather, what is wrong with what is happening? For, what is wrong may just explain the cause. Then, maybe we can come up with a solution – together. Mind you, this question is not societal, political, or anything else – it is theological. What is wrong with the murder of children – youth – innocents according to God? I pray you can answer that question for yourself and see that the world is aching for help. God is calling us from the safety of our homes to help. The Spirit is screaming for humankind to act – to act on the call to end the violence. 

I know this may not be your call; but here today, I am reminded that it is mine and that our children are in danger. Therefore, I hope you will at least pray with me for the souls in our world who have been taken too early. 

Let us pray,

Holy One, hold us in the hollow of Your hands and keep all Your children safe this day. Hold us in the pain of this tragedy. Care for the families and communities which are suffering right now in this world. God, I pray that this moment is the last time we will see, feel, witness the horrors of this world and I pray, o God, you use me to be your hands and feet making that blessed gift a reality; so, we may all be whole and made whole in Your Holy Love. Amen. 

Regrettably, my friends, tragedies like this are how our calls are revealed from time to time. When we do not move, help, or become God’s hands, the tragedies keep happening. I imagine this repetition as like the vision which Paul received of the man in Macedonia. At least, that is how it feels for me today: that there is an impending need, right now, to act on this call before our children and our community become the victims. I pray that I am wrong but invite your help no matter who you are if this calling is yours as well. If not, I pray that when you are reminded of your calling it does not hurt as bad as it does for so many of us and all the souls in a small town in Texas.

Please stay safe and continue to pray for these souls who were murdered, their families, and all the people in Uvalde.

May God guide your calling and keep you safe

Your pastor and teacher, Brian

Please consider and share your “calling” is in this Eastertide season. I pray Lent helped you find your calling – let us consider what this means as we build and rebuild our fellowship through the sharing of our voices. If you would like, text, call, or email me always to talk and discover ideas to help you live into your calling. 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. Memorial Day, I will be available by phone only, Tues. 12-5, Wed. 9-4, Thurs. 10-2 to provide some time for visiting. Many blessings and Love to you all.

Hello beloved friends,

I pray you each feel the loving care of God in this diverse world we are living in today. And the world is very diverse, even amongst one identity group. Even though we in this church are predominantly white and trinitarian protestants, we are not all the same. We have different thoughts, ideas, beliefs over theology and the world. Different ways of being in the world even though the core of who we are is the same. The core being, I believe, is our love of God and each other.

That beloved, I believe, is the point of our faith in the United Church of Christ. The point is that we are stronger – more knowledgeable – wiser when we have a variety of voices. When we embrace the diversity in our world with humility that we cannot possibly know God’s mind all by ourselves. Rather, we need many voices sharing their thoughts and beliefs together to witness the vastness of our Creator and the teachings of Christ Jesus. 

Therefore, I would like to share my gratitude and pride for all of you who opened and continue to open your hearts to other voices. To all of you who stood up and shared your beliefs – no matter what they are or where you are on your journey. You, each of you, make us stronger by sharing the Truth of God as you see it and I am so thankful for your blessed voice amongst us. 

The outward expression of Open and Affirming which we voted on and accepted is a beautiful example of this opening of our hearts. Please know, it is not meant to silence traditional theology but to make a place of belonging for more people who were created by God throughout our diverse world. The traditional voice is still needed as are more progressive voices – as are moderate – trinitarian – unitarian – Anglo-Saxon – African American – able bodied and differently bodied and so on and so on and so on. We need all the voices in our world to speak and share with all the love each of you have already revealed to one another throughout the years. For in the end, we are all still the same in the core: people who love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. 

So again, I say thank you for allowing me to be a witness to God’s love being revealed through you as we make room for many more souls in our diverse world today.

Blessings and peace to you as we begin the ministry of Love

Your pastor and teacher, Brian

Please consider and share your “calling” is in this Eastertide season. I pray Lent helped you find your calling – let us consider what this means as we build and rebuild our fellowship through the sharing of our voices. If you would like, text, call, or email me always to talk and discover ideas to help you live into your calling. 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. 9-4, Thurs. 10-2 to provide some time for visiting. Many blessings and Love to you all.

Hello, Beloved friends,

I pray you are each well and held in the caring hands of God through these changing seasons of our lives. This prayer though is not just for today and the changes which will have to occur following this Sunday’s all-church vote, regardless of the outcome of ONA. Yes beloved, voting yes means advertising our love for all and voting negative means we must re-evaluate our “Mission, Policy, and even our “All are welcome statement.” Our world will change following this vote one way or another. This prayer though is also for your peace amongst a turbulent world which is trying – desperately – to find its normal, again. It is a peaceful prayer for our children as they finish their schooling and transition into the working world. It is a prayer for our elders who cannot physically or emotionally engage in community work as they once did, even though they want to do so. It is a prayer for everyone to find the peace of God amongst a world shifting and changing under our feet.

In this light, I am reminded of the words from the Bible:

“For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die;

a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill and a time to heal;

a time to break down and a time to build up;

a time to weep and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn and a time to dance;

a time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek and a time to lose;

a time to keep and a time to throw away;

a time to tear and a time to sew;

a time to keep silent and a time to speak;

a time to love and a time to hate;

a time for war and a time for peace.”

• Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NRSV)

Words that were made famous once again in 1965 when the Byrd’s remade the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” Words which remind us that amid the changing world we are called to turn to God. The ironic thing is this song always seemed as a rallying cry for the Baby Boomer Generation as well. I always imagined it as a song which that generation shared to speak of the rights of their generation to take over the leadership of our world. Whether this reality is true for any of you or not, that is how I saw this song and this passage. 

God reminds us that there is a time for every season. There are changes in our world and each of us are called to step back and let new seasons, new generations, new people lead. It also means we are called to stand up and step forward to do the work and let others rest for they have carried us year after year. In all this truth, it means each of us must trust in God and turn to the faith we believe in our hearts to be the lessons of Jesus.

I pray through all this turmoil, we follow our beliefs and the true teachings of Christ which says, “All are welcome, no matter who you are or where you are on your journey.” You are “welcome” to belong not as we wish you to be but as God made you in this beautiful time of changing seasons.

With all God’s Love for however you come to our Creator, I pray you will turn to God – now and always.

Your pastor and teacher, Brian

Please consider and share your “calling” is in this Eastertide season. I pray Lent helped you find your calling – let us consider what this means as we build and rebuild our fellowship through the sharing of our voices. If you would like, text, call, or email me always to talk and discover ideas to help you live into your calling. 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. 9-4, Thurs. 10-2 to provide some time for visiting. Many blessings and Love to you all.

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
• Matthew 5: 14-16

“Only in the darkness can you see the stars.”
• Rev. Martin Luther King JR.

Why Jesus Teaches Us About Justice

Recently, I remembered hearing about this very interesting phrase from my college days. The phrase is the “wounded healer” which was coined by Carl Jung to describe the reason why most analysts help people. The idea states that “an analyst is compelled to treat patients because the analyst himself is “wounded.” Now, I did not think much of this idea other than its mere acceptance until recently. Until this week in fact when the leak happened in the Supreme Court about the possible overturning of Roe vs. Wade. More to the point, after seeing the pain and reactions of so many people and realizing that I was not as committed to protesting this conflict.

It was in those moments when I realized my own privilege. I have no ‘skin in the game.’ My rights are not being oppressed. I am not someone who is going to have to drive two hundred miles across state lines to have an abortion because I am beyond that stage of my life. Therefore, I felt less compelled to put myself out there on this issue. So perhaps, this idea of the ‘wounded healer’ is not just about analysts but about anyone who feels called to a ministry or God’s Mission. I began wondering if Jung was even more right than we knew. Are we, as humans, only compelled to help when we are wounded by the same issue? Are you only compelled to help – to put yourself out there – to fight lovingly for equality if it affects you? I pray your answer is no.

I pray you say no even when you have the same feelings, I do of being less compelled. But even if you are less compelled, it does not mean that I or any of us should remain silent when the issue does not affect us personally? Of course not, for, Christ teaches us that we are the light of the world and when we share the good works; we will bring glory to God. When we share the light and the equality of the kin-dom with all people; we are revealing the Good News. When the world is full of darkness – even our one little starlight will light up the night for each other.

This truth, beloved, is why being a community of faith, each with our own wounds and compelling reasons, is so important; for, we stand for one another and for the healing each of us needs to see happen. It means that even though we may not be compelled to protest in a march or even unsure of the morality around a topic from time to time, we stand for and with the people – all beloved people – who are or will be hurt. We stand for the underprivileged who cannot stand by themselves. It means we cry out lovingly for those who cannot speak for themselves. It means we do what Jesus did for us when he took on our sins and stood for each of us even though they were not his wounds. This outpouring of God’s love is what we are called to do every day; so, we may all be healed in the kin-dom to come.

What wounds are you compelled or less compelled to heal – what ministry do you feel God calling you to today – who do you stand for, beloved? Personally, I stand for all of you and your discerning choice – now and always.

May God guide us to be brave for one another even when we are less compelled

your pastor and teach, Brian

Please consider and share your “calling” is in this Eastertide season. I pray Lent helped you find your calling – let us consider what this means as we build and rebuild our fellowship through the sharing of our voices. If you would like, text, call, or email me always to talk and discover ideas to help you live into your calling. 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. 9-4, Thurs. 10-2 to provide some time for visiting. Many blessings and Love to you all.

Hello beloved friends, 

I pray the day finds you well and understanding what God is calling you to do in this life. Understanding though is a difficult task even between us human beings, is it not? To explain, we assume everyone understands what we mean when we say, “the Lord’s Prayer.” But the truth is there is more than one version. Here at the FCC, we use the words “Debts and Debtors” along with the doxology. However, we do not always explain this tradition openly. And the Lord’s Prayer for someone who was raised in the Roman Catholic Church understands the prayer differently; for, they use the word “Trespass” without a doxology. And then, there are the souls who have never spoken the Lord’s Prayer and may not know what it means when they walk into our church for the first time. Yet, we assume that everyone understands the prayer, and the form of the prayer we are using. 

I share this reality to highlight how easy it is to misunderstand one another, especially when one individual or group is speaking in coded language. Language that only the in-group understands. The same can be said throughout society. I am guessing most people do not know what “biters,” “grow-out bags, “Camel Case,” or a thousand other jargon words are when people use them every day in their careers.

Jargon though can also be in our habits and expectations in a group. We expect people to come to worship without pink bunny slippers on, to know that this group always meets at this time – on this day, that – EVERYONE – is truly welcome as they are; for they are a child of God. Yet, how do people know this truth unless they come in the door. How would anyone know that when we say Open and Affirming, we are including everyone. Yes, we are including all genders, expressions, and orientations of our society; but we are also including all races – all bodies regardless of ability – all children of God. How does anyone know unless we tell them? 

Therefore, we are spelling it out to shed light on our distinct difference from the assumed jargon of Christianity. The jargon which says: “all are welcome but not as you are. No no, you have to change – be better – because we do not like you as you are.” This assumption of Christian jargon from the LGBT+ community is due to years upon years of hate and prejudice heaped upon anyone. Wait, no, on EVERYONE who is not considered “normal” by societal standards in the church. If you are in a wheelchair, people would say “no you cannot help the fund raiser because you’re disabled.” WE are saying “YES, you can. We will find a way.”  For years, individuals would say “women cannot lead or teach in the sanctuary because it’s against the Bible.” WE are saying “YES, you can. We welcome your gifts, child of God.” For centuries, society has looked down on people in the LGBT+ community denying them full membership of God’s kin-dom because of a misunderstanding of ancient Biblical verses. A misunderstanding revealed repeatedly by a variety of pastors and theologians. 

WE as a community, if the ONA passes, are saying “YES, you are a child of God. We see you and affirm you for who you are. We welcome your gifts. And to the rest of the world, by the way if you did not understand, we are saying THIS TRUTH is where we stand – not for any political movement or agenda. We stand for the LOVE of God which says ALL PEOPLE are God’s children. HE created each of us as we are. SHE reminds us to Love ALL people for who they are.” All jargon and assumptions aside, this understanding of God’s Love is what I feel we are called to share with the world; so, all people may truly find a safe and welcoming home to worship God.

I pray that on May 15th, you – each of you – will stand for what you believe in and how you see God’s Love operating through our fellowship. I pray you will stand openly and visibly even if you disagree or agree with ONA. For, it is only through open and honest voices will we be able to understand one another and live into what God is calling us to do.

May every day be an open reflection of God’s Love through you

Your pastor and teacher, Brian

Please consider and share your “calling” is in this Eastertide season. I pray Lent helped you find your calling – let us consider what this means as we build and rebuild our fellowship through the sharing of our voices. If you would like, text, call, or email me always to talk and discover ideas to help you live into your calling. 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. 9-4, Thurs. 10-2 to provide some time for visiting. Many blessings and Love to you all.

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”

–          1 Corinthians 12 (12-21)

Now What?

As our youth are preparing for graduation and the celebration of all of their accomplishments, I am reminded of my own graduation from undergrad. For, it was an amazing celebration that I remember fondly today. What made it all the more special was that I was the only person in my family, other than my father, to graduate from college. Because of this reality and all the hard work I had put into school over the previous three years, the celebration seemed to be a climatic event in my life – a hallelujah. 

However, the days following had me asking the very real question, “now what do I do?” It is a rather uncomfortable question for any of us, isn’t it? Now what do I do after graduating, finding a career, having a child, winning a championship, or witnessing a resurrection? Now what?

I have often imagined the disciples asked this question in the days following Christ’s resurrection and before His appearance in the Upper Room. Now what? Remember, these souls were all Jewish followers of Christ with no intention of creating a new religion. They were simple farmers, tax collectors, sinners, saints, fathers, mothers, individuals who followed Christ in their worship of God. Perhaps a few thought they could lead; yet, I have to imagine that, in the light of the resurrection revealed, even those disciples would have been humbled and wondering, Now what do I do?  

Beloved, I think the uncomfortableness of the question is the folly of the question itself. In other words, why would the disciples ask or why would we inquire: Now what do I do, when the “I” is not the only one who got you to this celebration in the first place. It is not simply Jesus – Peter – or even us alone that make the Glory of the Resurrection something to be celebrated. Just like it is not just the person who is graduating who has made the celebration possible alone. There are teachers who have taught us along the way – families who support us – communities which help watch out for us as we learn and earn those degrees.

So, perhaps the better question is “what do we do now?” Maybe, ask the “eye” sitting next to you because they will have a different perspective. As will the “ear,” “foot,” and “hand” of Christ. For, we are all one body – the one Body of Christ. Each is welcomed and must be witnessed as equally needed, supported, and heard; for, as the Apostle Paul puts it “in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” Therefore, when we ask, “what now,” let us answer with the love and grace of one community listening to all people who are actively part of the Body of Christ revealed in our fellowship of the First Congregational Church of Salem NH.

I pray that you – each and everyone of you – will be that active voice again for the body of Christ

your pastor and teacher, Brian

Please consider and share your “what now” is in this Eastertide season. I pray Lent helped you find your calling – let us start to consider what now as we build and rebuild our fellowship through the sharing of our voices. If you would like, text, call, or email me always to talk and discover ideas to help you live into your calling. 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. 9-4, Thurs. 10-2 to provide some time for visiting. Many blessings and Love to you all.

“God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.” 

• Genesis 9:12-15 NRSV

Good afternoon, Beloved,

             I pray you are all held softly in God’s hands and able to stay safe and dry on this drizzly Wednesday afternoon. That said, I also hope you can witness a rainbow today. For, what a glorious thing every rainbow is as they drift across the sky following the storms of the world. They are almost reminders that everything will be ok. Reminders that the storms end. Reminders that God is caring for all of us and all flesh upon the Earth. 

             Now today, we know that the rainbows in the sky are not literally God’s Bow which was used to put holes in the firmament of the sky. An act which caused all the Earth to be flooded as explained in Genesis. No, we know the rainbows are created by the reflection of light. Yet, this story in the Bible of Noah and the flood is no less true. No less honest as a metaphor for God’s covenantal promise to all of Creation. Yes, all the flesh – not just the Israelites. A promise that is fulfilled through the teachings and loving actions of Christ Jesus. A promise that can be fulfilled by each of us who work as the hands and feet of God in this world every time we help and care for all people, regardless of age, gender, or any other identity.

             In this way of thinking, it makes sense that we would have rainbows upon our windows in the sanctuary. It feels right; for, we are fulfilling God’s Covenantal promise to all the flesh when we welcome all people no matter who they are or where they are on their journey. When we not only welcome all people but share that here is a place that all people – all the flesh of Creation – may finally feel safe after the long storms have passed. 

             All this calls to me in a new way. It makes me wonder what this symbol from the Bible is saying to you. As a person of faith, how or does this symbol call to you? 

Beloved, I share this practice of inquiry today because symbols are powerful things. They provide meaning in ways which we may not even think of or recognize. Yet, when we look at the symbols and deeply consider what they mean to each of us. Not how they are intended, but what they mean to us personally. We may discover new ways God is calling us in our delight, understanding, or rejection of those symbols. So, I pray that you will take the time this week to notice one symbol in your life. Consider how it makes you feel and discover what it means to you. Maybe, in this inquiry you will discover God’s call.

Your pastor and teacher, Brian

Please consider the ways you care for your own spirituality and faith throughout Lent. If you would like, you may text, call, or email me always to talk and discover ideas to help you refresh your soul. 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. 9-4, Thurs. 10-2 to provide some time for visiting. Many blessings and Love to you all.

Good morning, Beloved,

I pray you are well and feel all the love God has to offer. The love which is given freely to each and every one of us. I am reminded of this love often when reading the Bible, a truth which I hope we all understand and witness both in the times when we are distressed and in those times which are joyous throughout our lives. I hope you witness this gift and have found comfort in scripture.

Yet too often when we read scripture or truly anything, our own biases can get in the way. We can get sidetracked just at the right moment and miss the full understanding of a newspaper clipping, a book, or yes scripture. I was reminded of this truth today as I read the Daily Devotional from the UCC by Matt Laney (see below). 

The reality is, beloved, we all have done the light reading or headline skimming in our Bibles and in the news. But just as Rev. Laney points out, if we only read John 3:16 without the P.S, we are missing Christ’s Love being revealed. Moreover, we risk becoming righteous against the evil doer – the person who does not love Jesus as ourselves – and turn to a practice of condemning said person. Yet, reading the full context of the word reveals another truth. The truth of God’s Love for everyone throughout Creation.

With these thoughts in mind, I invite you into a practice of deep reading once again. Reading the full context and words of that which is written, whether biblically or in everyday texts. I invite you into this practice for it truly is the only way we may witness the Truth of what is being said and discern if we are remaining on the path to the kin-dom with Christ. The only way to discover if something is Holy or Unholy. The only way to understand the world around us. I invite you into this practice; so, you may faithfully discern and follow the call God has placed in your soul.

May your week be blessed with the practice of deep reading one text, article, or Biblical passage in this preparatory season of Lent.

Your pastor and teacher, Brian

Please consider the ways you care for your own spirituality and faith throughout Lent. If you would like, you may text, call, or email me always to talk and discover ideas to help you refresh your soul. 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. 9-4, Thurs. 10-2 to provide some time for visiting. Many blessings and Love to you all.

The All-Important P.S. to John 3:16

by Matt Laney | published on Mar 23, 2022

“For God so loved the world that God gave God’s beloved Child, so that everyone who believes may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send their Child into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” – John 3:16-17 (NRSV)

This passage includes one of the most well-known verses in the Bible, John 3:16. “John 3:16” can be found on t-shirts, memes, bumper stickers, signs at sporting events, even on the eye-black of an NFL quarterback.

John 3:16 is often used as a litmus test. If you believe in Jesus (which is code for “if you believe what I believe about Jesus”), then you will be saved from eternal damnation. If not, your ultimate destination is bleak. The verse is used and abused as a pretext for condemning people to hell.

I think the writer of John saw that coming as he first penned 3:16, so he included an addendum—a postscript—as a safeguard: “Indeed, God did not send their Child into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17).

When John talks about the world being saved through Jesus, he’s not envisioning a luxurious post-mortem retirement in the clouds for those who “accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior,” a phrase which occurs exactly zero times in the Bible.

For John, salvation begins now by checking the impulse to condemn, and committing instead to the Jesus way of love, forgiveness, nonviolence, doing justice, showing mercy, walking humbly. In short, to love the world as God loves it.

Jesus did not come to condemn. For that, we should be eternally grateful. Jesus came to love and serve and thereby to save.

Prayer

World Lover, help me check the impulse to condemn others and to love as Jesus loves.

About the Author

Matt Laney is the Senior Pastor of Virginia Highland Church UCC in Atlanta, GA and the author of Pride Wars, a fantasy series published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for Young Readers. The first two books, The Spinner Prince and The Four Guardians are available now.

Good morning, Beloved,

I pray you are joyfully held in God’s open hand on this overcast day, a feat which is sometimes difficult. Sometimes difficult because our environment, the world we live in really does influence our mood as many studies have validated throughout the years. Of course, we in New England did not need a study to prove this fact; for, the long winter months tend to make all of us a bit more depressed or somber. The rainy days can make us feel gloomy. And the tall buildings of our cities can make us feel insignificant and small.

Yet, the winter is coming to an end. The season is changing, and each day brings warmth and more sunshine into our lives. How glorious are the blessings of Spring – the gifts of God that remind us of who we are and how we are called to live in this world of Her creation.

It is in the ending of the long winter – in the changing of the season – in the first moments of Spring that I tend to witness God in everything. I see the beautiful tulips in front of me on the kitchen table. I am astonished by the life-giving lettuce plants which grow beside me daily. I feel the hopeful breath of Spring as the buds of new life grow on the bushes outside our church. Yes beloved, while admiring His beauty throughout Creation, I cannot help but feel all the gloominess of an overcast day recede as it is replaced with hope, joy, and humble admiration for all that God has created.

I bring these thoughts to you today; for, too often in the UCC, we remain in the heady space of intellectual thought and forget that God’s love is all around us throughout nature. The spiritual practices of simply being and witnessing nature around us can be as life giving to our spirits as the deep Biblical study of ancient tomes. Therefore, I pray that you take time this week to let go of some of our egos and simply be present to the awesome glory of God throughout nature in the coming of Spring.

May your week refresh the joyful feelings we are called to feel as beloved disciples of Christ.

Your pastor and teacher, Brian

Please consider the ways you care for your own spirituality and faith throughout Lent. If you would like, you may text, call, or email me always to talk and discover ideas to help you refresh your soul. 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. 9-4, Thurs. 10-2 to provide some time for visiting. Many blessings and Love to you all.