From the River's Edge

What a great day we had in church last Sunday! The Bare Bones Big Band had us swinging in the aisles. The children were overflowing the chancel steps. The hearts of love were covering the bulletin board. New and familiar faces were crowding the pews. The hot dogs were overflowing. And the preaching was out of this world. (OK, that last one was just a bit of self-aggrandizement. But the fact...

by Rev. Dr. Dale Azevedo,  Sr. Minister Hopefully, most of you know about the significant structural changes likely coming to BCCUCC. I'm not talking about the building structure, but rather the governance/ministry structure. Every organization has a structure in which it operates. BCCUCC is no different. Some structures work better than others. In 2019, we realized ours wasn't working that well...

by Rev. Racquel Ray Associate Minister of Congregational Life   Jesus taught the disciples, “…do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink or about your body, what you will wear…Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your [God] feeds them…” (Matthew 6:25). He added, you will not add one hour to your life by worrying....

by Rev. Dr. Dale Azevedo,  Sr. Minister Not only did I survive my time at General Synod earlier this month, but I enjoyed myself as well! If you missed my last blog, General Synod is the biennial national meeting of the United Church of Christ. Or, at least, it was. It is now the triennial meeting. But more on that later. At this meeting we receive reports from the national office on the state...

by Rev. Dr. Dale Azevedo,  Sr. Minister   Tomorrow, Thursday, I leave for General Synod 2023. What is General Synod, you ask? Unofficially, General Synod is the national gathering of the United Church of Christ (UCC), our parent denomination. It brings together lay and clergy delegates representing all conferences from around the country to discuss issues and make decisions on the present...

by Rev. Racquel Ray Associate Minister of Congregational Life   Have you ever wondered why ‘women in ministry’ is such a divisive issue among Christians?  Have you questioned why certain denominations exclude women from serving as clergy?  Have you thought about why so many biblical women are depicted as prostitutes?  Have you been enthralled by stories or sermons about Mary or Elizabeth?...