This moment in history seems so dark to me. Days are short and nights are long. The pandemic is at an all time high. Not meeting in person is hurting churches, schools, and most every other organization. When will it all end? When will goodness be on the rise instead? How can we remain faithful in the present moment and … Read More
From the Pastor’s Desk: January 2022
A popular young music artist’s performance included the phone number for the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 along with positive messages of hope and recovery including the phrase: “I want you to be alive.” It told the story of a person in crisis who considered suicide but then called the 800 number instead and experienced help and relief. It … Read More
From the Pastor’s Desk: December 2021
Human Nature How long is it appropriate to grieve about new awareness of human behavior? Is it healthy to rehearse our grief? Does continuing to be upset — hinder accepting the new facts and beginning to strategize what God might be calling us to do in light of them? People should not lie for personal gain. But many people do. … Read More
From the Pastor’s Desk: November 2021
Robert Raynolds, in his 1952 novel, writes a sad summary of the Roman Empire in the words of his fictional Roman official: Our whole age, our whole Roman world had gone dead in its heart because it feared tragedy, took flight from suffering and abhorred failure. In fear of tragedy, we worshipped power. In fear of suffering, we worshipped security. … Read More
From the Pastor’s Desk: October 2021
Compassion Resilience During CoVid A recent presentation, found by searching for timely coping advice, identified what a lot of us are going through during the pandemic and listed strategies for staying strong and responsible in this difficult time. Sue Dicks and Emily Jonesburg, certified counselors at Rogers Behavioral Health in Madison, Wisconsin, name 3 stages many have experienced: (1) overstretching, … Read More
From the Pastor’s Desk: September 2021
Survey As a new generation of people are adept and comfortable with technology, the importance of online worship has increased. The pandemic has also forced many more of us to use it recently. St. Philip’s Church Council asked the Spiritual Life Ministry to learn how important the quality of our online worship presentation is. Please circle your answer to the … Read More
From the Pastor’s Desk: August 2021
As your pastor, I strongly recommend the COVID-19 vaccine. The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says all available options for the vaccine are safe. They were developed using science that has been around for decades. COVID-19 vaccines are not experimental. They went through all the required stages of clinical trials. Extensive testing and monitoring have shown that these … Read More
From the Pastor’s Desk: July 2021
Who is Mark? Worship at St. Philip’s United Church has focused, most often, on The Gospel of Mark in 2021. Noticing this, a member recently asked me: “Who is Mark?” The best scholars I read admit that little is known about one individual named Mark who might have written the account in one sitting. More likely, faithful church members two … Read More
From the Pastor’s Desk: June 2021
I found the following guided meditation video in a search. It starts with relaxation and breathing and then the meditation leader makes the statements printed below and many similar statements. I found it so helpful that I provide the so you can experience it in its original setting. I reproduce these affirmations as a sample. Perhaps you will find them … Read More
From the Pastor’s Desk: May 2021
Every change in routine is an opportunity for mindfulness. Our lives and routine have been disrupted by the pandemic. We have been forced to do things in new ways but we are getting used to the new ways. What a golden opportunity to be intentionally mindful! Every hour we live — can make us more what God wants us to … Read More
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