From the River's Edge
The Pastors' Blog
Mental Wellness
by Rev. Racquel Ray, Associate Minister of Congregational Life Are you feeling particularly uneasy these past few years? We are in unstable and sometimes scary times. When we watch the news, we see images of natural disasters, violence, political discord, pandemic, and war. We are conditioned to be afraid of pending tragedy with commercials for life insurance, car insurance, home title...
What’s NOT in the Obituary
by Rev. Racquel Ray, Associate Minister of Congregational Life On September 7, 2024, my mother-in-law passed away. Irene Deanna Ray, affectionately known as Annie was the matriarch of the Ray clan. She was eight-five years old and had survived several previous rounds of breast cancer along with a stroke and a heart attack. The love of her life, Art (GySgt Arthur Ray, USMC, Retired),...
Come home!
by Rev. Dr. Dale Azevedo, Sr. Minister "Come home, come home. You who are weary, come home." Will L. Thompson Come Home September 8 is Open Doors Sunday. As many of you know, that is the official kickoff of our 2024-2025 program year. It comes at a time that our kids have gone back to school, our boaters lament the passing of summer, and our staff and lay leaders get busy. It is a really...
What is Christian Nationalism and why does it matter?
by Rev. Dr. Dale Azevedo, Sr. Minister A few weeks ago, during our first grab-bag sermon, I referred to Christian Nationalists adding the commentary that their ideals aren't particularly Christian or patriotic. This was my sermon on kindness and humility where I discussed the "fruits of the Spirit" (June 23) as the Biblical test of true faithfulness. Following that sermon, one of our members...
Go Outside
by Rev. Racquel Ray, Associate Minister of Congregational Life Christianity is an embodied faith. Beginning with the Incarnation of Jesus, humans are called to relationship with God in body, mind, and spirit. Paul’s letters speak much about the flesh; our temptations, our faults, and our shortcomings. But, even with the limitations of the human condition, we are still called and enabled...
Grab-bag Summer Sermon Series
by Rev. Dr. Dale Azevedo, Sr. Minister It should be no surprise to those of you who have been around for a while that Racquel and I like to share a sermon series over the summer. Two years ago we had the summer of Elijah (wohoo!) and last year we had Women of the Bible. So, I bet you have been waiting with bated breath on the announcement of what series we will do this summer… Well, Racquel and...