From the River's Edge

by Rev. Dale Azevedo, Sr. Minister "I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." - The Apostle Paul (Rom. 7:15) Making healthy decisions is hard. Or, at the very least, acting on them is. Generally, I would argue that most of us know what the right thing to do is in any given circumstance. The problem is that we don't do it! Now, this isn't...

by Rev. Racquel Ray Assoc. Minister of Congregational Life   The day is new each morning. The year is new each January. In these cycles of renewal, God’s revelations unfold before us and we become co-creators of the newness. I am not normally one who makes New Year’s resolutions. But, this year I have committed myself to continue the journey toward wellness that I wrote about and preached...

by Rev. Dale Azevedo, Sr. Minister What is your favorite Christmas carol or Christmas hymn? There are so many good ones out there. And, I suppose what makes them "good" depends on so many different things. For some of us it is the musicality of the hymn. For others, the words and the message. For others still, it is the memories they invoke. For me, it is often the emotion that they bring to...

by Rev. Racquel Ray, Assoc. Minister of Congregational Life Water dripped from my soaked hair, coat soaked through, shoes sloshing, and glasses covered with rain droplets as I fumbled with my keys to open the church door. The rain and wind had kicked up, gale warnings and downpours threatened the Wednesday night commute. Why had we decided to have church so late in the evening? And mid-week at...

by Rev. Dr. Dale Azevedo, Sr. Minister, with assistance from Rev. Racquel Ray, Assoc. Minister of Congregational Life   A month or so ago, we had a veteran visiting us in worship. He quickly noticed that our sanctuary flags were not following proper U.S. flag etiquette. Our American flag stood tall adjacent to the pulpit while the “Christian” flag hung above the piano. According to the US...

by Rev. Racquel Ray, Assoc. Minister of Congregational Life   I’ve been thinking a lot about the food we eat. In the spring of this year, I preached about the need for wellness as we restore our communities past the covid pandemic. Our discussions around wellness resulted in this summer’s walking group. Spending early mornings in nature with friends was delightful to the soul. There is a...