Wouldn’t it be wonderful to go to Bethlehem at Christmas? In 1865, a clergyman named Phillips Brooks, did just that when he traveled to the Holy Land. During Christmas week, he and his friends took a horse ride into Bethlehem. He wrote about it in a letter home: “It was only about two hours when […]
I recently attended a Science and Religion seminar and Alumni reunion at my Alma Mater, Andover Newton Theological School. It was the first time I had been back to my seminary in many years. The seminar speakers were excellent, and the reunion speakers – Andover Newton alumni who had significant accomplishments in their ministry careers […]
I bought my house in Milford about four years ago. I liked it for many reasons, one of which was that it was in a growing, family neighborhood. The housing development was actually only about 12 years old then, and there were several dirt roads cut out that would become streets in the future. Some […]
Hearing Voices It was a beautiful day today, so I decided to take a walk outside the church. That’s when I started to hear them. The voices, I mean. At first all I could hear was the steady traffic noise on Pembroke Street. Then the voices came – from the bushes first. They were reminiscing […]
On my most recent Monday off, Dennis and I took an afternoon bike ride at the ocean. It was a different kind of ride for us because we did not have an objective or a goal. We did not concern ourselves with the length of time we would ride, or the miles covered, or the […]
A few years ago, when my youngest son was working his way towards the end of his undergraduate degree, he was wondering what would come next. And so was I! His internship eventually turned into an offer of full time employment, and off he went to live and work in Boston after his college graduation. […]
It’s Sacramental Every first Sunday of the month we celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion in our worship service. Have you ever noticed how, at the end of the invitation to the Sacrament, I say these words: “Come not because you must, but because you may.” These words are not original to me. They are […]
A Team Sport One of the big team sports all three of my sons played while they were in school was basketball. I do declare, there were a few years when I would attend 40 games a year! I think learning how to play on a team is an important experience in life. My middle […]
Closer to God Do you have a Spiritual Discipline? Are you wondering what I mean by this? Simply stated, Spiritual Disciplines are intentional activities we engage in, with the goal of getting closer to God. You may have heard of some of the more traditional practices such as prayer, worship, fasting, meditation, Bible study. You […]
To all my new friends at First Congregational Church of Pembroke, I want you to know what a joy it is to become part of your community as your Interim Pastor! You are a loving and caring group of faithful disciples, a wonderful church family, and I have already greatly appreciated our times of shared […]