• Preacher

Joy to the World

Date: December 29, 2019
Scripture: Isaiah 55:12-13
Preacher: Rev. Beth Neel

On Friday morning, I was out walking the dog. It was not the most inspiring of days, rather gray and dull with no hint of joy in the forecast. But this particular morning the dog decided to turn right, which meant we got to walk by our neighbor’s poetry post. He had posted this little … read

Christmas Eve Meditation 2019

Date: December 24, 2019
Preacher: Rev. Beth Neel

Thank you all for being here tonight. A few years ago there were rumors of ice on the night of Christmas Eve, and while we did have our service, we were missing some of the wise folks who decided to stay home where it was warm and dry. It’s good to have a nice, full … read

The Wonder of It All

Date: December 22, 2019
Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25
Preacher: Rev. Beth Neel

There is something greater than honor and shame. That would have been an interesting thing for Joseph to have heard in the minutes or days before the angel’s dreamtime visit, in the weeks or months before their families negotiated the betrothal between Joseph and Mary. Joseph’s whole world was structured around bringing honor and not … read

The Gift of Presence

Date: December 15, 2019
Scripture: Isaiah 63:7-9
Preacher: Rev. Beth Neel

“And certainly and easily I can see  how God might be one rose bud, one white feather in the heron’s enormous slowly opening wing. It’s after that it gets difficult.” So wrote Mary Oliver in her poem “Evening Star” but I would hazard a guess that most of us can agree with that last line, … read

Faith and Comfort

Date: December 8, 2019
Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11
Preacher: Rev. Gregg Neel

Nonetheless

Date: December 1, 2019
Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-7
Preacher: Rev. Eileen Parfrey

Every fall I practice magical thinking along the lines of, “This year we’ll get to keep summer-length daylight.” And every year about this time, I concede the point and give it up as a lost cause. We’re heading into the very darkest time of the year, the season of overcast, with night that stretches into … read

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