From the River's Edge

by Rev. Dr. Dale Azevedo, Sr. Minister I think the heat has melted my brain. Either that, or it is the pandemic. I sit here today having spent the last half hour pretty much starring at this screen. I’m writing a blog. Actually, I haven’t been writing a blog, I’ve been staring at the screen trying to decide what to write about. I’m tired of writing about, talking about, and thinking about the...

by Rev. Dr. Linda Hartley, Assoc. Minister Spring is such a hopeful time of year. The trees are now out in full leaf. Annuals and perennials are blooming. Garden centers are filled with plants that promise bountiful baskets of tomatoes, peppers, beans, and strawberries come the warmer days of summer. Even those of us who lack a true “green thumb” share in the optimism that our efforts will amply...

by Rev. Dr. Dale Azevedo, Sr. Minister On Tuesday the Church Council voted to officially announce the plan to begin multi-platform worship on June 27th. This will be quite a change for us. We have not gathered in-person, indoors, for worship since March 8, 2020. That is a long time to go without something that has meant so much to us. And, when it came, it came suddenly. For many of us, we...

by Rev. Dr. Linda Hartley, Assoc. Minister “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10 NRSV) This passage from the Gospel of John came to me the other day in the grocery store, of all places. I was walking down the paper goods aisle and couldn’t help but notice that the shelves, which had been completely empty one year ago, are now filled to capacity with paper towels,...

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...