From the River's Edge

by Rev. Dr. Dale Azevedo, Sr. Minister Alleluia, Christ is Risen! It was a morning like many others, and everything was going wrong. I arrived at church 30 minutes early so I could print out the bulletins and set up the sound system before people arrived. I had mistakenly decided NOT to come in on Saturday to print the bulletins knowing they would “only take me a couple minutes, anyway.” Of...

by Rev. Dr. Linda Hartley, Assoc. Minister “He is not here. He is risen.” These are the words the holy messenger speaks to the women when they come to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body on the third day after his crucifixion. Depending on your translation and which Gospel you’re reading, the specific words may change. But in each, God’s holy messengers deliver a similar statement of fact: “He is not...

by Rev. Dr. Dale Azevedo, Sr. Minister Your leadership at BCCUCC is working hard to find creative ways to make Holy Week and Easter special this year. Like everything during the pandemic, they are going to be different. But that doesn't mean they cannot be especially meaningful. I am excited to share with you our plans and hope you will choose to participate as much as possible. Easter Hats -...

by Rev. Dr. Linda Hartley, Assoc. Minister (Designated Term) We have recently reached the one-year mark of our collective experience during the Covid-19 pandemic. And while this past year has affected each of us in different ways, we also share a common grief over what has transpired these past twelve months. Recently, we passed a very sad milestone in the U.S. with more than 500,000...

by Rev. Dr. Dale Azevedo, Sr. Minister Today is the first day of Lent. That is, the day I am writing this is Ash Wednesday. Unless you broke into my house and computer before this is published, you will be reading this sometime later. But, likely it is still early in the season of Lent. Why do we have liturgical seasons? We already have a calendar that we follow for life and work. Why do we need...

by Rev. Dr. Linda Hartley, Assoc. Minister (Designated Term) We are certainly in the midst of winter these days. The temperature has dropped thanks to the polar vortex and we have “snow on snow on snow.” If you’re a winter person, you’re probably enjoying this change from the relatively mild winter we had last year. You may be taking advantage of the opportunities for skiing, making snow people...