by Kent French, November 30, 2023
For this Advent and Christmastide, we are deepening into the question of How Does a Weary World Rejoice? You can follow along with daily devotionals on our Facebook and Instagram pages. This past Spring, our nation’s Surgeon General issued a report that we have an “epidemic of loneliness” in this country. He wrote that loneliness “fundamentally affects our mental, physical, and societal health,” increasing the risk for mental health challenges and premature death comparable to the effects of smoking daily. Furthermore, Dr. Murthy emphasized that “our relationships are a source of healing and well-being hiding in plain sight – one… Read More
by Kate Baker-Carr, November 20, 2023
We are entering a busy time. This week, Thanksgiving, is a chance to “set our tables for peace” and to welcome our neighbors for a feast in Willett Hall. It is a joyous time when we gather with family and friends and a poignant time when we note keenly those absent from us. One of the things I love about the Sunday after Thanksgiving is seeing United Parish’s college students and young adults who are home. It’s also a chance to meet grandparents, aunts and uncles, and treasured kin of my United Parish family. So too, we are entering a… Read More
by Christine VanDeWege, November 16, 2023
This autumn, our worship follows our Church School curriculum, Seeking Peace Together. We are learning in worship alongside the youngest members of our community. There’s a popular saying, engraved on bracelets and emblazoned on t-shirts with the acronym WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?). Not a bad question to ponder when faced with an important decision, but I was recently tickled when I saw a meme poking good-humored fun of the saying: Most people wear “What Would Jesus Do” bracelets, but I rock my “Jesus Probably Would Not Have Gotten Himself Into This Situation In The First Place” bracelet. As Ben Franklin put it,… Read More
by Kent French, November 08, 2023
This autumn, our worship follows our Church School curriculum, Seeking Peace Together. We are learning in worship alongside the youngest members of our community. In the early stories of the Hebrew Bible, Isaac gets very little air time. He’s often overshadowed by his father Abraham and son Jacob. There is one story, however, that says a lot about his character. In Genesis 26, we learn that Isaac became quite successful as a rancher. He had lots of flocks, herds and servants. He also had access to his father’s wells — a necessity for surviving and thriving in that dry part of… Read More
by Kent French, November 02, 2023
REMINDER: Daylight Savings ends this Sunday, set clocks back one hour. This autumn, our worship follows our Church School curriculum, Seeking Peace Together. We are learning in worship alongside the youngest members of our community. What do you spend most of your time thinking about? When you wake up in the morning? When you go to bed? As you go throughout your day, what thoughts hang out the most in your head? In short, what preoccupies your mind? In the closing of his letter to the early Christians in Philippi (in northeastern Greece), Paul encouraged the faithful to keep… Read More
