United Ministry of Delhi

March 2024

Christ be with me, Christ within me; Christ behind me, Christ before me; Christ beside me, Christ to win me; Christ to comfort and restore me. Christ beneath me, Christ above me; Christ in quiet, Christ in danger; Christ in hearts of all who love me; Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

These words are a translation, by C. F. Alexander, of part of a song known as St. Patrick’s Breastplate.  There are a number of translations around; the hymn/poem is attributed to St. Patrick, the bishop of Ireland in the fifth century.  I am not Irish as far as I know, but I do love green.  And I do love St. Patrick.  This hymn of his is a beautiful and powerful declaration of his steadfast faith in God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Each section begins with a bold statement of faith, “I bind unto myself today” the power of God, the faith of the church, the beauty of the world around us, the story of Jesus, etc.  And then there is this interlude, which I included above, recognizing and celebrating the presence of Jesus Christ in our daily life, every day, all around us.  There is truth here, friends.  Truth to get you through the tough days.  We aren’t at this alone; Jesus Christ is behind us and before us, within our hearts and in the hearts of all the people who love us.  This is why I celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with joy.  Because at the end of a long, lonely winter, in the middle of the blustery, soggy Lenten month of March, we are reminded of the ancient wisdom of a hero of our faith.  Sixteen centuries after Patrick’s life and ministry, the words of his poetry still ring true.  Jesus Christ is with us, wherever we go, in whomever we meet.  So find a green shirt, grab a green hat for the day, sing a verse of When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, listen to the Pogues, and celebrate St. Patrick on March 17, basking in the good news that we are always in the presence and power of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Please keep each other in prayer.  So many of our members are going through tough medical times – surgeries, Covid, RSV, etc.  Hold your friends in prayer.

Grace and peace

Pastor Cathy

February 2024

 I skipped the fifth grade.  Fourth grade was an experimental classroom of some sort and they let me do a lot of work on my own.  When they realized that I’d read all the little pamphlets and answered the questions through the end of the series, they didn’t know what else to do with me but to send me to sixth grade.  My dad was concerned that I wouldn’t learn American history, because I would miss the elementary American history unit that we got in fifth grade, so I was supposed to read a lot of history books over the summer before I started sixth grade.  I read about the Civil War, the Revolutionary War, the Declaration of Independence, the pioneers moving westward, and the Roaring Twenties.  It was a fun assignment.  But there were only two black people I remember reading about in all those books I took out of the library that summer.  Crispus Attucks was the first man killed in the Boston Massacre in 1770, and a black doctor came to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s house when they all had what turned out to be malaria and gave them a dose of quinine.  Further research, years later, tells me that man was Dr. George Tann.  There have been many other blacks involved in the history of this country, but they weren’t mentioned in the books I had available to me as a kid.  I appreciate the opportunity to observe Black History Month in February to catch up on some of the stories and connections I missed over the years.  I encourage you to brush up on your history this month as well.  There are great books you might check out, like Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns, about the Great Migration from the rural South to northern cities. Another great book, Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo, was named one of the ten best books of 2023 by the NY Times.  Or choose to watch a movie or two about history you don’t know well – Harriet (2019), Amistad (1997), Selma (2014), Glory (1989), or Hidden Figures (2016).  There are excellent kids’ books out there, too – The Story of Ruby Bridges, by Robert Coles, and biographies of Thurgood Marshall or Ella Fitzgerald.  I’m especially charmed by books built on spirituals like Let It Shine or Walk Together, Children, both by Ashley Bryan.  Beautiful books!

In a similar vein, I hope you’ll consider being part of the Lenten book study with the Cooperative Parish churches on Anxious to Talk About It: Helping White People Talk Faithfully About Racism.  It will meet on Monday afternoons at 2 at the Andes United Methodist Church, starting on February 26.  I’ll be leading it; if you’d like to ride down to Andes with me to participate, give me a call.

Behold, says God, I am doing a new thing.  Isaiah 43:19

May you be blessed with new information, or a new perspective, by engaging with Black History month this year.

Grace and peace,   

Pastor Cathy

December 2023

Advent and Christmas are especially wonderful because so many people enjoy the celebration.  The town shines at night with lights on homes up and down every street.  We rejoice because Jesus, the light of the world, comes to us as Emmanuel, and his birth is announced by bright angels and a shining star.  But I know that many of the lights I see are put up by people who are celebrating the solstice or are claiming the joy of Christmas because it’s wonderful joy to celebrate.  Everyone’s reasons for celebration don’t have to be mine in order for us to share light in the darkness and trees with snowflakes and red ornaments.  There are some who celebrate other occasions as well.  I wish them all well.  I’m happy to share why I observe Advent and celebrate Christmas, and I’m happy to hear what’s important to my neighbors, even if it centers more around memories of Grandma’s cookies than it does around a manger.  It’s all grounded in love.  

One of the joys of sitting at a table and welcoming conversation, as I do as Pastor with Coffee each Wednesday morning, is the exposure I’m offered of the hopes and dreams and beliefs of so many different people. Sometimes I’m visited by Christians who want to talk about ethics or the cross or last week’s sermon.  Sometimes I talk with people who follow a different path to peace and want to tell me about it.  Sometimes I’m approached by seekers, people who want to engage with God but haven’t yet found a way that seems comfortable.  And sometimes I just have conversations about the weather or dogs.  I’m firmly convinced that the way to God, whom I know in Jesus Christ, is love.  And love is made real in the world through relationships and through justice.  So following Christ, at Christmas and throughout the year, begins with listening, and caring, and sharing – building relationships of friendship and love.  Put up your wreaths and your tree, shine your lights from your porch and from your heart. Rejoice with those who rejoice.  And may the coming of the Christ child strengthen your faith and open your heart even more widely to care for the world.  

Grace, peace, and merry Christmas,

Pastor Cathy

November 2023

October’s beautiful sunny days kept me in denial, but I’m afraid the truth is upon us; it’s mid-autumn, it’s getting dark, and the end of the year approaches.  I don’t mean that ominously, but the approach of the holidays – Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, in my life – forces me to be aware of the passage of time.  Pilgrim salt and pepper shakers, large platters for turkey, and ornaments for the tree tend to get used but once a year.  Pulling them out of the cabinets reminds us that we’re still around, still able to give thanks and to experience joy.  It also reminds us that there were many regular days in the past 365 which we may not remember precisely, but were filled with events that added to the fullness of our lives.  At Thanksgiving, we give thanks for the year that has been.  Maybe this year your prayers will include healing from illness, maybe they will include the joy for the opportunity to hold a grandchild in your arms or on your lap.  Perhaps the prayers will be more difficult to speak this year because it’s been a tough one; we will read names of people we dearly loved on Sunday, November 5 – friends, family members, people we’ve laughed with and cried with who have died in the past year.  Loss is hard, and holidays can be especially difficult times as we celebrate without someone dear to us.  Know that your community, your friends and neighbors hold you in prayer as you mourn, that you may find a way to peace.  The wisdom of the gift of time is that even the holidays will pass, the intensity of pain and/or joy that they bring will not last, but God’s love will last, and will go on beyond even this life itself.  That’s the good news that can keep us going – at Easter or Thanksgiving or Christmas or any and all of the days in between.  God’s steadfast love endures forever – those are the Psalmist’s words from three thousand or so years ago.  And they are our words as well.  May God’s steadfast love hold you fast, encourage you in your weakness, and fill you with peace.   

Pastor Cathy

October 2023

 As we talked about youth ministry at Parish Council last week, I listened to how many of us had significant experiences at youth group as teenagers, no matter where we were in church at the time.  Many of us were in youth groups that included kids from ‘outside’ the regular church families of the day.  And many of us are clear that our involvement today with church can be traced back to times of fun and fellowship and deep conversations about faith that happened in UMYF/MYF/Epworth League/Confirmation class/Pilgrim Fellowship/Youth Group, or whatever else your young people’s gathering was called.  If you’re under 18, know that we’re hoping to pull together a regular group for you to participate in here at United Ministry.  If you’re over 18, please think and pray about being part of a leadership team to work with youth.  Popcorn, pizza, movies, mission trips, games, sharing stories, claiming leadership, and the power of the Holy Spirit – all of these are part of what a youth group here could look like.  Let’s make it happen.

I just got back from a conference on small church ministry.  Here at UMD we worship with fewer than 100 people most Sundays, so we’re considered a small church, as is every other Presbyterian and United Methodist church in the area.  There are a lot of small churches in the U.S. today, and we’re generally doing faithful work, loving neighbors, feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, baptizing new Christians, making disciples of Jesus Christ of ourselves and of others.   That is to say, we are being church. Bigger churches feed more people and probably baptize more babies, but the love of Jesus is shared among us as well as among them, sincerely and often.  The small-church conference opened with the reminder that all New Testament literature was written from and to small churches.  There were many who were baptized on the day of Pentecost, but they then dispersed to start church communities in their own towns.  There were other good insights shared at the conference.  Church after the pandemic, large or small, is not going to ever be precisely what it was before. Some people have moved on, some have been disappointed.  Others have joined the work of the church through technological improvements we have made because we had to.  We regularly have five to eight households join us for worship via our livestream on Sunday mornings.  We love seeing people in person in worship, and we know now that people participate in ministry in more ways than Sunday mornings.  So we celebrate involvement in our work wherever and whenever it happens – online, filling boxes with food for our neighbors, and in worship with sisters and brothers in Christ whether they’re there weekly or only every once in a while.  We’ll be ok, whatever the future holds, if we let the Spirit lead and we follow in love.  Amen and Amen.

Reformation Sunday with Friends

We’ll share worship on October 29, Reformation Sunday, with nearby neighbors in Christ.  Andes Presbyterian and United Methodist Churches, Cabin Hill Presbyterian Church, Bovina Presbyterian Church, and First Presbyterian here in Delhi will gather here for shared worship, with communion, for Sunday morning worship on the 29^th.  Pastors and lay people from all the churches will be involved in leading the worship, and there will be a joint choir anthem.  We’ll host a coffee hour after worship.  It will be an excellent occasion; plan to be there.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Cathy

September 2023

I made corn salad for the potluck on Sunday.  It was so good I made it again two days later. My husband declared that he’d never had corn salad before; in truth, neither had I.  But in late August in Delhi, New York, the corn is abundant, fresh, sweet, and amazing.  So you use it, and enjoy it.  A macaroni salad seemed ungrateful, somehow.  Using the gifts of God for the benefit of the community is the same thing.  Keeping your kindness or your joy in check instead of sharing them shows a lack of appreciation for the gifts of the Spirit.  I celebrate that this church does such a good job of sharing our space – with Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, 12-step groups, play groups, etc.   Our space is beautiful, precious, and useful to so many neighbors in the community.   We use it well for our own ministry – meetings and choir and Play School and the Food Pantry, and we share it with others.  I invite you to keep your eyes open this fall to wonderful things you and the church might share well with others.  And eat the corn.  It’s fabulous!

 Grace and peace,

 Pastor Cathy

July/August 2023

 I spend my Wednesday mornings at the Farmers’ Market, sitting at a small table with a pot of coffee and a few mugs, one of which is mine, talking to whomever happens by.  Sometimes I pass the time with the vendors, while we wait for the crowds to gather; much of the time I visit with people from town, catching up on what’s happening in the community, or with visitors from out of the area, who are charmed by the whole idea of a Farmers’ Market.  Sometimes people who stop by my table have a burning theological question to discuss or a problem they need help with.  Most of the time, people just want to talk.  That’s really what I’m there for.  I don’t expect to win people to Jesus Christ in ten minutes by the content of our conversation.  I do hope to be a witness to the reality that acknowledging God’s presence in our lives is a daily activity, not just a weekly one.  I hope to be a reminder that Jesus’s wisdom and grace can be part of all of our days.  I talk more about the weather and the fresh eggs and honey two stands down than I do about the Bible, but my ‘Pastor with Coffee’ sign communicates that the Bible informs who I am.  I firmly believe that God in Jesus Christ offers the world God’s love and grace and peace.  In response, we offer God’s love to the world.  And there’s a lot of the world on the Courthouse Square in Delhi that I don’t often see if I spend all my time in the four walls of my office. 

You do the same thing, every day.  You are the face of the church, the hands of Jesus Christ, to everyone you meet.   You may not see a whole lot of people during your day, but your patience with a flustered clerk at Price Chopper or your listening ear to your cousin who calls upset about the state of the nation is a witness to the love of Jesus, offered through you to the world.  Keep offering love; keep serving your neighbor; keep remembering the poor and the lonely; and keep connected to the source of the light you share.  And come by some Wednesday to say hey.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Cathy

June 2023

The sun is out, the flowers are beautiful, the grass is long, and Rick is headed out soon to cut it.  Even from behind a lawnmower, it’s easy to give thanks to God on a day like this.  ‘Thanks, God, for the beauty of the peonies and the warmth of the sun.’ But Obadiah and I were out walking late, two weeks ago, and it was dark, very dark.  There was no moon, nor could we see the stars, and it was cold and damp.  I felt alone, except for the company of my dog.  On walks like that, I need to be deliberate about remembering the presence and love of God in my life.  God’s love for me doesn’t change in the few hours between the cold night and the warm afternoon.  God’s love is a constant thing.  The challenge for me is holding onto that truth when life isn’t sunny and joyful.  Sometimes life takes us to the uttermost parts of the sea, far from the security of home, far from the certainty of our chosen routine.  You and I both know there are times when we feel far away from God and all that is good.  Grief and sorrow, anger and shame can all seem to carry us far away from the joy we thought we knew in the love of Jesus Christ.  Life can and does bring us difficulty and struggle, and at times it is our own choices whose consequences have brought us down.  We can’t always choose to be happy; we can’t always choose to feel good.  What we can do is make deliberate choices to remember, to hold on to the truth we know, that God’s grace does not leave us alone.  If music speaks to you, sing a hymn to yourself.  Read the Psalms over again – Psalm 23, Psalm 139, Psalm 27.  Our feelings are powerful, but they are not the ultimate arbiters of reality.  God’s love and grace are at the foundation of all that is.  Yes, the irises and the lilacs shout their own version of ‘Alleluia’ to the goodness of God in the world, but I recommend that you store a soft ‘alleluia’ or two deep in your heart.  Let them come out when fear or sadness threaten to overwhelm you.  Let them remind you again just how deeply you are loved.  

Grace and peace,

Pastor Cathy

May 2023

 ⁴⁶Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.  Acts 2:46-47

The Surgeon General of the United States reported in The New York Times this week that at least half of American adults experience measurable loneliness at any given time.  That’s a lot of lonely people.  Loneliness isn’t just an unpleasant feeling; it affects our health.  Lonely people are more prone to depression, as we might expect, but they are also at risk for higher levels of heart disease and dementia.  God said of the first human being, it is not good for this one to be alone (Genesis 2:18).  That turns out to be a basic truth.  We are created to be with one another.  This is not simply a plea to come to church, though that’s always a great idea, and an excellent antidote to loneliness.  It’s a reminder that you are not made to be alone, that the faith community is just that, a community, a place for you to belong and to connect, and that time spent together – over coffee or even over Zoom – is healthy, holy, and a worthwhile way to spend some of your day.  It’s also a reminder that there are a lot of people a) who love you and would enjoy hearing from you and connecting with you when you feel lonely, and b) who are lonely and would be encouraged to receive a phone call or a card or even just a text to know you were thinking of them.  Loneliness hurts, physically, mentally, and emotionally.  Reach out, friends, to your friends and neighbors, to your nephews and second cousins.  And do come to church.  We love being with you.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Cathy

April 2023

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”… ⁵⁷But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  (1 Corinthians 15:55, 57)

Death is at the heart of the good news of Easter.  The celebration of resurrection is preceded by Jesus’ death, but our focused interest in the day comes, at least in part, because of the impending nature of our own death. A death to which Easter says no.  Nope.  Not something to worry about.  Christ’s resurrection means that God’s love is victorious over even death itself.  Death has no victory, because our life in God’s love keeps on keeping on. And that love holds us because we are part of that love – that’s why the church talks so much about loving each other, loving our neighbor, loving even our enemies.  Because we belong to each other, we are bigger than only ourselves.  It’s what Wendell Berry was talking about in one of the poems for Easter Sunday from our Lenten devotions:

The tomb is empty.  There is

no death.  Death is our illusion,

our wish to belong only

to ourselves, which is our freedom

to kill one another.

From this sleep may we too

rise, as out of the dark grave,

(from IV, 2003)

We are part of a whole, part of the community of love.  So come celebrate Easter with all of us; be part of the worship, part of the joy, part of the excitement of Christ’s resurrection.  And then, stick around.  We’re celebrating love’s victory over death all year long!

I will be away at a continuing education week-end April 21-23.  The preacher for Sunday worship on the 23^rd is not confirmed yet, but there will be worship and good news proclaimed.

 Grace and peace,

 Pastor Cathy

March 2023

I invite you, in the name of the Church, to observe a holy Lent. 

These words are part of the liturgy for the service we held on Ash Wednesday.  A holy Lent is specifically a season in which Christians allow their lives to be marked by disciplines, practices and behaviors which encourage our faith.  The whole month of March this year is part of the season of Lent.  Adopting a new practice of holy behavior for the season is part of a long tradition in the church.  And people take up Lenten disciplines not because they have to, but because it’s good and healthy for our faith to pay attention to how we encounter God, in order that we might live out the gospel more faithfully.

Prayer – Daily prayer brings us regularly into God’s presence.  Prayer is not a magic potion or spell that gets us things that we want.  It’s a practice of resting in the presence of the Spirit, sometimes speaking, sometimes listening, sometimes weeping and allowing the Spirit to pray for us in ‘sighs too deep for words.’ (Romans 8:26)  Taking up a regular discipline of prayer in Lent, early in the morning, late at night, or perhaps on Tuesdays or Thursdays in your pew in the sanctuary (you’re always welcome.  The church is open from 9-3, Monday-Thursday, and there are Lenten devotionals and a simple prayer collection available.)

Fasting – A change in routine allows us to step back and notice – notice how we depend on things or chocolate instead of depending on God for our joy, notice how God carries us through difficult experiences, notice what we truly enjoy and what we simply do because we always have.  Once we pay attention to these things, we can choose what is helpful and what isn’t for our ongoing life as followers of Jesus. 

Gratitude – Adopt an attitude of gratitude.  Remembering that all we have and all we are is a gift of God keeps us focused on saying thanks.  So a word of thanks each time you sit down to eat.  If you already do that, add another word before your head hits the pillow, thanking God for the day and for the people whose lives touched yours. 

Giving – Grace is at the heart of our faith, God’s grace given freely to us in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Giving of what we have is an essential part of our response to that grace, which is our life as disciples of Christ.  That is, giving is not an add-on to being a Christian, it’s what we do as Christians.  As we give – of our time, our money, and our effort – we grow in faith.  UMCOR, UMD, and Doctors without Borders all could use the money you have to give.  But the practice of giving strengthens your faith even more than their need.  If we are to follow Jesus, we need to hear his words, ‘sell your treasures, give to the poor.’  Give not because they need it but because you need to give, you need to share, you need to get out of yourself and give of yourself to grasp what it is to be part of the kingdom. Lent is a good time, a set-aside time, to begin a regular discipline of giving.

And plan to come to church.  That’s always a good practice.  We love being with you on Sunday mornings!

 Grace and peace,

Pastor Cathy

February 2023

I’m going to Hawaii for February!  Well, not actually.  I’ll be here in Delhi all month long, but my exercise bracelet and its app are taking me on daily walks in Hawaii, as long as I cooperate and include my Delhi walking legs in the story.  I even have a friend who lived in Hawaii for a time who will email pictures and anecdotes about beaches and volcanoes to add to the illusion.  All of which is to motivate me to walk – to get outside, even in the cold, to get exercise and stay healthy.  Which is to say, my imagination will be actively engaged all month long in service to my overall well-being.

Imagination is essential to our well-being throughout our lives.  We’re encouraged to employ it often as children, hearing fairy tales about talking foxes and stories about people in faraway lands.  But we don’t leave our imaginations behind when we move into adulthood.  Our imaginations allow us to enjoy poetry, to make the jump from the feeling of hope to a ‘thing with feathers that perches in the soul’ as Emily Dickinson put it so well.  Scripture would be incomprehensible if our imaginations didn’t allow us to see ourselves as sheep when we say ‘the Lord is my shepherd.’  God is our rock, we declare.  God is our fortress.  We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  All of these statements require the use of our imaginations.  And our lives are richer and deeper because we haven’t forgotten how to use them.

The fundamental use of our imagination, however, is the role imagination plays in love.  Our hearts break when we think of those who have lost loved ones in the earthquake in Turkey or kids who will go to bed hungry tonight, because we can imagine how devastated we would feel in those situations.  Imagination enables us to grasp the suffering of others so we are then moved to address their needs and alleviate their pain.  

Keep your imagination lithe and flexible; put it to work.  Sing songs, read the psalms, read poetry and novels, listen to stories and imagine yourself as part of them.  Imagine walking on beaches in Hawaii or the Caribbean when the snow flies.  Then let your imagination fuel your love and caring, your giving and your prayer.  That is, let the light of your love shine, shine, shine!

Grace and peace,

Pastor Cathy

January 2023

Did you bask in love over the Christmas season?  Did you experience the awe of the shepherds or the joy of the angels? Did you find your way to the manger, offering your gifts in love and excitement?  Or are you like the other wise man or the old woman, Babuoshka, from a child’s story book, still searching for the Christ child, still wondering where you might find a touch of joy or hope?  The last weeks of December are filled with emotion for most of us – excitement and joy, yes, but often also sadness and loneliness while the rest of the world is raucous around us.  Frustration and anger are not unknown either, if there is much busyness or old unresolved family tensions.

It’s January.  It’s time to breathe, to sit back with a cup of tea and let peace wash over you.  Because as wonderful or as miserable as your experience of Christmas was this year, the love of God is among us, with us, still and always.  That was the best news of Christmas, that God has entered our world, and still enters our world, to bring peace where there is tension and hope where there is despair.  Emmanuel has indeed come to teach us to love with all our being, and to let that love be our foundation.  That love is the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it.  So, enjoy the peace of the winter days, remember the times that are worth remembering, and draw hope from the wells of salvation, the promise of God’s power and presence with us, even in the tough times.  And stay warm and healthy.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Cathy

A WORD FROM THE PASTOR….. “…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace,  there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. “(Ephesians 4:1b-6 New International Version)

Dear Friends in Christ, 

I hope that you are each well and are enjoying the continued unfolding of the season.  We have had cold days, cloudy days, hot days, downpours and drizzle, even reports of snow in the northeast within the past week as spring continues to “spring” surprises on us!  Still, it’s wonderful to watch the earth wake up and stretch after winter and to see the hills come to life with a million shades of green leaves, flowers blossom, birds care for eggs and babies in the nest, as we prepare for the coming summer.  What a wonderful reminder that God created everything within a system and a structure where each piece knows its part and creates and recreates within that great design.  It would never work if the system broke down.  Imagine if the daffodils opened last and the birds laid eggs and hatched their young before the plants blossomed and insects arrived!  Nothing would work out well without the system in place that allows one thing to lead to the next and then the next….

I was thinking of this as I reflect on my arrival at the United Ministry of Delhi in the fall of 2019.  My purpose when I arrived was to help to work with you through a time of brokenness and hurt that followed the departure of my predecessor.  I don’t want to revisit all of that with you now because I believe we have come a long way since that time – even with the complications brought on by COVID and social distancing.  In fact, for me as a pastor, it was actually a bit helpful to have things nearly come to a full stop in terms of meetings and worshipping at the church.  Why?  Because it was easier for me to discover the strengths and the weaknesses of the church and the congregation while focusing with you on administration and ministries.  One thing I learned was that though the congregation isn’t large, there had been a breakdown of communication and shared information.  This is normal in most churches, especially those congregations where things have been pretty much the same for a long period of time.  People can operate in “silos” as they do what they do without telling others the why, the how, and the what.  This can be equally true with staff and with those in volunteer positions.  The climate, though, can easily become negative because while things are getting done, systems and structures aren’t in place.  Then, when something goes wrong – a miscommunication, hurt feelings, a misunderstanding of some kind – conflict usually follows.  

Let me share this illustration.  My brother and his wife have been members of their church in Evansville, Indiana for many years.  They started attending while they were in college and once they settled in Evansville, where they raised their family, they continued to attend that church.  It has been nearly 60 years since they first began to worship there; my brother has chaired the trustees for at least 30 of those years and my sister-in-law started the Parish Nurse Ministry that still exists to this day.  About 15 years ago my sister-in-law was the designated chair for a large social event that involved all or nearly all of the congregation.  I think it might have been part of their stewardship/giving program that year.  She made all the plans, had her committee lined up, and went to the church on the day they were to begin working, only to find that she was locked out of the kitchen – and no one knew where to find a key!  There was a huge kerfuffle over this as the work was delayed and the plans began to unravel.  People were angry.  Feelings were hurt.  And as things settled down, new decisions were made, as keys were made available to all the leaders in the church – and – eventually, the kitchen was simply left open for ongoing use.  The problem?  Lack of communication and operating in silos (there was a key in a “special place” but the information sharing didn’t happen).  Systems and structures allow the safety needed for ministry to take place openly and in healthy ways.  This is just one example of how complicated things can be when there are silos operating in the church and not everyone is included or this is a lack of transparency.  

During my time with you, we have been working hard to keep updates and information current and transparent.  The Weekly Update, timely announcements, openness on the boards and committees, inclusion at Church Council from Ministry Leaders and the Playschool chairperson and director, have all been ways we have increased the level of communication in order to keep good operating systems in place.  Yes, we have had to change some things and it certainly has meant a lot of adapting during the past year, due to Covid, but I believe communication is improving and the silos where staff and laity were operating have been removed – or at least reduced.  Since openness is essential to the vibrant health of this church and every church, I hope that you will continue to use systems and structures that allow things to blossom and bloom in their season, as guided by the Holy Spirit AND that you will be watchful in maintaining good communication, transparency and dismantling any silos you discover in the days and years ahead.  

Paul wrote to the Ephesians, a community of believers in the early church, reminding them of the necessity of being open, inclusive and transparent with one another. He said, that peace would prevail when things operate with an open and loving spirit, under the direction of Christ.    When everyone feels that they are respected and included as part of what’s going on – the Spirit can guide and lead – and wonderful things happen!   

As we focus on what the church will be as we continue to come out of the pandemic and as you prepare to welcome your new pastor in July, I invite you to join together in daily prayer at 8 am and/or 8 pm as we seek to deepen our relationship with God through systems that lead to Fruitfulness and Excellence in Ministry   AND  be sure to join with me in reading the book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, by Robert Schnase (available online – or through the church office where we have pre-ordered a few copies). Fruitfulness and Excellence is one of the chapters in the book.    A group discussion will be offered from 7-8:30 pm on June 14^th and June 23^rd.  Be sure to register online or by calling the church office.  I’m looking forward to wonderful blessings for us all!

In the meantime, stay in love with God through prayer and remember, you are in my prayers…. I love you and I need you to survive!

Peace,

Pastor Betsy 

A WORD FROM THE PASTOR….. “Then Jesus said to his host, ‘When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters’ your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.  But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.  Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’’’  (Luke 14:12-14 American Standard Version)

Dear Friends in Christ,  

I hope that you are each safe and well these days and that you’re continuing to enjoy this beautiful spring season!  This past week I was delighted to find the wisteria blossoming at my “family home” in Franklin!  It’s been years since it bloomed and I guess that having the root “cracked” last fall did the trick.  I’m really enjoying the “welcome of those flowers every time I stop by to check on the house.  Those blooms are reminding me of how important welcoming is and how much I, like you, have missed those times of visiting or hosting friends and family during the social distancing of the pandemic.  I admit, that my skill set seems a bit “off” as I try to adjust to new realities – do I wear a mask, or not? – how close should we sit together? – is food to be offered or is it better not to?  There is just so much to think about as I long for the relaxed and easy-going days when there was less to worry about.  

I recall being in Israel some years ago and how, everywhere you went, at the doorway of hotels, restaurants, and homes, there was always a tray at the entrance-way with small glasses of some kind of refreshing juice.  Traveling in the middle-east, even today on buses, is hot and dusty.  While I was there, a sandstorm was blowing fine, talcum powder-sized particles of sand from the Sahara and they dried your skin, settled into your hair and made you incredibly thirsty.  Those little glasses of juice were a way for your host to express kindness and caring for the visitor – customer or friend – as they entered their space.  In our own part of the world it’s pretty common to offer a guest or visitor some kind of beverage – water, juice, soda, tea or coffee (I have drunk about a million cups of coffee during visits over the years as a pastor!)  And when the visit is expected to be longer or carries some kind of special significance, food is offered.  I had a friend who never let you visit without offering ice cream and who was deeply confused and disappointed if you declined.  He would often say, “Who turns down ice cream?”  Another story that sticks in my memory is of a family where the son went off to college and found a job in a city far from home.  There he met the woman he intended to marry and like most young couples, they made their trips to each family for the “introductions” before the wedding.  The young man’s family wanted to do their best at offering this special woman a warm welcome so they asked their son, “What is her favorite food?”  Assuming perhaps, pasta or maybe steak, they were surprised to hear that she loved lobster.  Though lobster wasn’t a food they ate or served in their home, they made the effort to put together a traditional lobster dinner for the “meet and greet” with their son’s future wife.  Over the following years, it was a warm and happy memory for them all as they felt they had truly done all they could to welcome her and she felt deeply loved and cared for by the family she became part of through marriage.  

Often, in church, we believe we’re being welcoming.  In fact, I have never talked with anyone from a church who doesn’t tell me, “We’re a friendly church.”  In fact, right along with that statement, usually comes this one, “We’re like a family.”  And I get it.  As a minister’s kid, I grew up in the church and I know that statement is intended to sound hospitable, but the truth is that not every family is welcoming.  In fact, some families are down-right hostile, though often in subtle ways.  Most often, it boils down to treating visitors and guests in ways that say – you can be in our house but you’ll never be one of us – or you have to earn your way into our family by being just like us – or you’ll never really understand what it’s like to be in “our” family.  In these cases, guests never make it beyond the doorway, even if they come all the way in for a while.  These are the church visitors who come – and go.  And sometimes, it’s church people who’ve been around for years who walk away because the church just isn’t offering them what they need.  And what do people need?  Radical hospitality – like juice at the doorway, or even going so far as to offer what amounts to a lobster dinner in church terms.  It means putting aside our “family” preferences, likes and dislikes, and doing whatever we can to bring others into relationship with the God we love and serve – by making our relationship with them our priority.  

As I recall searching for a church where my young son could be confirmed, I remember visiting churches in several towns in my area.  My son wanted to be confirmed as a Methodist and the Methodist church in our town had closed years before.  So we went from place to place and again and again we did not feel “at home”.  In one place not a single person spoke to me except the pastor.  At another place people said “hello” but then went over to their friends and sat or talked with them for the entire coffee hour, leaving us to stand alone.  It took a while but we did find a church with “radical welcome” and the follow through that showed how they cared for visitors.  On the first Sunday we were greeted, walked to a seat, introduced to leaders of programs we might be interested in.  That week there was a follow up call – not from the pastor – but from a lay person, inviting us back again and asking if there was anything we might need to feel welcome. At that church we got the “cup of juice” and the “lobster dinner”!  Radical hospitality is more than offering a “hello” – it’s putting ourselves “out” to bring the visitor “in”.  

As we focus on what the church will be as come out of the pandemic and as you prepare to welcome your new pastor in July, I invite you to join together in daily prayer at 8 am and/or 8 pm as we seek to deepen our relationship with God through radical hospitality   AND  to join with me in reading the book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, by Robert Schnase (available online – or through the church office where we have pre-ordered a few copies). Radical Hospitality is one of the Five Practices that Schnase writes about.    A group discussion of the book will be offered in early June with a major focus on: Passionate Worship (chapter three) and Fruitfulness & Excellence (chapter seven).  Please register online or by calling the church office – a separate informational announcement will be sent this week.  I’m looking forward to wonderful blessings for us all!

In the meantime, stay in love with God through prayer and remember, you are in my prayers…. I love you and I need you to survive!

Peace,

Pastor Betsy

A WORD FROM THE PASTOR….. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

Dear Friends in Christ,  

I hope that you are each safe and well these days and that you’re enjoying this slowly emerging spring!  I think the cool weather has kept things from moving too fast so that we can enjoy the flowers and budding trees at a leisurely pace.  I know that we are all looking forward to warm and sunny days, but for now, I am trying to remain grateful for the blessings this season offers.  Somehow, I think a slowly paced spring brings us a special gift as we are also slowly emerging from the isolation and social distancing of the long months of the pandemic.  One thing I know for sure is that with God in charge, everything is done perfectly and at the perfect time!

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on my years of active ministry and all the many opportunities I’ve had to learn and grow, with God’s help and guidance.  One interesting point I’ve been thinking about involved a program called, Natural Church Development, which the NY Annual Conference began to use in the early 2000’s.  The process involves surveying the local congregation to identify where the congregation’s strengths and weaknesses are in the following eight criteria:  Empowering Leadership, Gift-Based Ministry, Passionate Spirituality, Effective Structures, Inspiring Worship Services, Holistic Small Groups, Need -Oriented Evangelism, and Loving Relationships.  These eight “characteristics” are essential to healthy and vital churches and the program challenges churches to build up their weakest “gift”.   Interestingly, the weakest area of focus in nearly every church surveyed at that time was in “Passionate Spirituality” followed closely by “Inspiring Worship”.  Truthfully, it was my hope to work with you all in coming months and to take a Natural Church Development journey of discovery with you.  However, God had another plan and there isn’t time for us to complete that process now that I am re-retiring in July when you will welcome your new pastor.  So, instead, I’m focusing with you on what is often the weakest link for most churches – passionate spirituality.  Honestly, even if that’s not the weakest link at UMD, it is such an important part of our Christian discipleship that we can always benefit from focusing our energies in deepening our spiritual gifts and relationship with God.  

So, the next question is – how do we do that?  And the answer is, of course,- through prayer.  Prayer is the way to deepen our relationship with God, to strengthen our faith and to enter into a more loving relationship with our Creator and with one another.  In fact, this morning one of my email feeds had this message, “Love isn’t a state of perfect caring.  It is an active noun like ‘struggle’.”  This nugget of wisdom comes from Fred Rogers, of television fame, who was also an ordained Presbyterian minister.  “Mr. Rogers”, as he was known to many children, was a dedicated and life-long “pray-er” who exemplified the power of prayer in everything he did.  T. 

The fact is that without passionate spirituality, everything else we would do as Christians eventually fades away and falls flat because it is through prayer that we receive the gift(s) we most need to stay strong in the faith – loving and companionable relationship with God!  I am convinced that with dedication to prayer all the challenges we face in our lives and in our church and in our community will be overcome – and I would like to ask you to join me in dedicating ourselves to the following:

Daily prayer at 8 am and/or 8 pm as we seek a deeper, passionately loving relationship with God  AND  joining with me to read the book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, by Robert Schnase (available online – or through the church office where we have pre-ordered a few copies).  A group discussion of the book will be offered in early June with a major focus on: Passionate Worship (chapter three) and Fruitfulness & Excellence (chapter seven).  Please register online or by calling the church office – a separate informational announcement will be sent this week.  I’m looking forward to wonderful blessings for us all!

In the meantime, stay in love with God and remember, you are in my prayers…. I love you and I need you to survive!

Peace,

Pastor Betsy

A WORD FROM THE PASTOR….. When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel.  With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: “He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.”  And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.  But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy.  No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise.  And the sound was heard far away.   (Ezra 3:10-13)

Dear Friends in Christ,  

Well it’s been a wild weather week here on the hillside as April let us know there is still some “winter” left before we fully arrive in the spring season!  I hope you’ve stayed safe and enjoyed the seasonal “show”!

I had a chance to catch up with some friends and family this week and it was a real pleasure to get out and socialize once again.  Then when I was around and about I saw a neighbor on the street where my mom lived for many years.  He’s a contractor and, right now, is so busy with renovations and builds that he’s working six days a week (and sometimes more).  He told me what the news has been reporting which is, as people are now working remotely from home, they want a home that is functional in ways they never considered before – with office space, living space and cooking/eating spaces upgraded to fit with their new priorities.   He also said that he’s having to adapt and adjust his working models as he talks with architects and designers about new plans, options and ways of making functional but livable homes for now and the newly emerging future.  

After that conversation, I began to think about our Covid-time changes and what the Bible has to tell us about adjustments people made to changes in the past, as I recalled that after the 70-year exile in Babylon, the people returned to Israel only to find their country was in ruins.  The magnificent Temple of Jerusalem, built by Solomon of cedar with golden inlay was razed by Nebuchadnezzar’s armies.  The Book of Ezra and Nehemiah tell of the rebuilding of the city and Temple, but also the rebuilding of the way of life of the Jewish people.  In other words, to put it simply – things had changed – and everything had to be looked at through a fresh lens.  As the rebuilding began, some things were restored, some were replaced, some were done away with all together, and some new ways of living and being were added.  And, as in any time of change, there were mixed feelings and emotions as those who remembered the past grieved what was lost and judged the new to be “less” than what they’d once had, while others celebrated the new with great joy.  (see above)   

I think of this as I reflect on what we face as we emerge from the “captivity” of social isolation caused by Covid.  We are slowly returning to our familiar places, seeing people we have missed for so many months, and looking forward to resuming our usual activities.  But the truth is we won’t be the same and we aren’t “returning” to what once was.  We are entering into a new time where there will keep some things that are familiar and add some new things that we will adjust to.  As we “rebuild” our church community, we will re-enter our familiar building and resume worship in the same pews we sat in a year ago, but we will also be rebuilding programs that have been dormant for that time as we reassess their continuation in present realities.   Some things will be revived while others will be left behind as new programs and ministries develop because of the changing times and our new perspective on what it means to be in ministry in the here and now.  It’s an exciting time, friends, and God has chosen us and entrusted us with the opportunity to rebuild our church and community – and our lives – with renewed focus and purpose.  I look forward to seeing the new “city and temple” that will come!  In the meantime, stay strong and well, keep the faith, remain grateful and experience the love, peace, joy and hope that God gives us each day!

You remain in my prayers….and remember, I love you and I need you to survive!

Peace,

Pastor Betsy

CHURCH REOPENING:

We plan to resume worship Sunday, May 2nd, 10:30 am.  We will open doors and windows for fresh air flow through the sanctuary.  We will still wear masks, maintain social distancing, and keep a record of those attending in case notification is needed should anyone present be infected with COVID.  The service will be available every week on line and recorded for remote viewing during the week.  If you need a DVD, please contact the office and a copy will be available for you on the Monday following the Sunday worship service!

HAPPY EASTER!

Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:10 New International Version)

Dear Friends in Christ,
I greet you in the glorious name of Jesus Christ who has opened the doorway to the life eternal for us as he conquered sin on the cross and death through his glorious resurrection!

I think of bamboo as a quick growing plant that can overrun areas where it is planted as it spreads.  This may be true for the bamboo that grows around here, but there is a type of Chinese bamboo that takes a long time and a lot of patience to grow.  In fact, this type of bamboo must be planted carefully and watered/tended daily for five years with no sign of growth, at all!  Five years of waiting with no results, but then, in the fifth year, the plant sends up a shoot that will grow ninety feet tall in just five weeks! WOW!  

I think of this as I reflect on the Easter story.  Yesterday was the joyful celebration of Easter and Christ’s triumph over suffering and death and now, we begin the fifty days of the Easter Season, which concludes with Pentecost. During these days we remember the first disciples who experienced the resurrection, but who didn’t really understand what had happened and who, like the Chinese bamboo, were in a time of waiting for their own blossoming and the fulfillment of God’s plan in their lives at Pentecost.  That “awakening” is like the shoot of the bamboo which, after all the watering and tending, shoots and grows tall with astounding speed!   As you know, God repeats this same cycle in our lives again and again!  We, too, are in that time between Easter and Pentecost, a time of waiting and nurturing ourselves in preparation for the new growth that is in God’s plan for our lives.

In fact, there are a lot of new things coming to the United Ministry and this time gives us an opportunity to do many “new” things (and to return to some things that we once did in new ways).  I anticipate opening our church for worship services in the next few weeks (pray for warm weather!).  We will resume in person meetings, gatherings and small groups very soon.  AND we are preparing to receive a new pastor, effective July 1, 2021!  So, during these coming days, I invite you to join with the Church Council in setting aside time each day for prayer and devotions.  The Council is taking this journey to “water” their spirits and to get ready for the burst of new growth that is coming!  Won’t you join in this prayer journey with us as we strengthen ourselves, our relationship with God, and our connections with one another – so that when the big growth “push” arrives – we are strong, able and spiritually ready? Feel free to pray at any time during the day that fits your schedule – or at 8 am and/or 8 pm.  Remember to pray for the church, for new beginnings in ministry, for your new pastor and the churches she is leaving – and for your interim as I prepare to re-retire!

Behold!  God has done wonderful things for us – and new things are on the way!  Let’s be ready to grow!

May your Happy Easter blessings continue – each and every day!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Betsy Ott

Dear Friends in Christ,  

I hope that you each well and safe as we come to the last few days of March and enter Holy Week. Before Easter.  March has had a few surprises for us but with April almost here, the grass is greening, trees are budding, birds sing in the morning and we can have a new outlook on life as more of us receive our Covid vaccinations!  Thanks be to God!

Recently, a friend asked me why Easter changes from month to month and is on a different day, depending on the year.  It gave me pause to think as I recalled that there is no set day for Easter as there is for Christmas because Easter is determined by the lunar calendar since it is linked directly with the Celebration of Passover.  The Passover date was set when the Hebrew people fled Egypt, on the date given to them by God to Moses (Exodus 12) as the 15th day of Nisan.  Nisan is the first month of the Jewish religious calendar and the 7th month of the Jewish civil year, which begins with Rosh Hashanah.  Since the Jewish calendar is lunar, Passover always falls at the time of the full moon and, as a result, Easter is always in the same week.  Jesus, we remember, was in Jerusalem for the Passover Celebration when he was arrested and crucified.  

Thinking about this has me reflecting on the old saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”  It has been nearly 2,000 years since Jesus met in the Upper Room with his disciples, shared a meal with them, washed their feet and fed them traditional bread and wine in a new way that expressed love and forgiveness.  It is hard to imagine the layers and layers of time and of Passovers and Easters celebrated across that span of time!  Things have changed.  Cultures and nations have risen…and fallen.  Fashion has come and gone like the flowers that blossoms and fade.  Winters and springs have become summers and falls – again and again and again.  Yet, in the constancy of God the world has been made new each day!  We humans generate 300 billion new cells, on average, each and every day!  What a fine way to recognize how God makes us and all creation new – over and over again.  Yet, with the constancy of God, the moon has shined full and bright on every Passover (and also during Easter week) since that first Passover in Egypt about 3,000 years ago.  

“For every time there is a season and a purpose to every matter under heaven.” Is the scripture that was on the Weekly Update as we began this Lenten Season.  Clearly, there is a weaving that God does between eternity and our human reality within the framework of time.  Some things we see and know and easily recognize.  Others things are known by God and revealed to us at the “appropriate time”.  I would say that hearing about the appointment of a new pastor, Rev. Cathy Schuyler, to the United Ministry of Delhi, effective July 1, 2021, fall into the category of being something God has known and we receive at the “perfect” time.  I want you to know that I am very excited about this pastoral appointment and have hope that it will bring new and opportunities to the congregation, the community – and to Rev. Schuyler.  To God be the glory!  As things move forward, we will all hear more about your new pastor and will begin planning ways to welcome and receive her.  However, the second passage at the start of this article gives us direction for what we are to do, right now:  “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”  I suggest that this is the time for each of us (all of us) to focus in on prayer.  When life got tough in Jesus’ ministry, we find that he retreated to pray and to reconnect with God.  This is so very important for us, always, but especially now, during this new transition time.  Please do pray for Pastor Cathy, for the churches she is leaving, and for your ministry together in the coming years.  And, please know that I also appreciate your prayers, as I “re-retire”.  

Remember, the more things change – the more they stay the same.  Yes, you will be adjusting to a new leader who brings new ideas and new, positive energy to the ministry she will do with you in Delhi.  There will be new things to learn and to experience.  But the God who set the timing for all things at the beginning and who keeps the seasons turning, places within us the ability to generate and re-generate new cells each and every day, and who placed Passover and Easter under the “full moon” – has got this!  There is the steadiness of God’s hand on life’s “steering wheel”,  and all will be well.  To God be the glory!  

In the meantime, stay safe!  You remain in my prayers….and remember, I love you and I need you to survive!

Peace,    

Pastor Betsy 

A WORD FROM THE PASTOR…..But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.  They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes, its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.   (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

Dear Friends in Christ,

Happy Spring!  As I write to you this week, the sun is shining, the cloudless sky is brilliant blue, the last patches of icy snow are melting and the stream near my house is noisily rushing along, its water topped with white caps, as it races over the larger rocks and stones.  This morning I looked out to see deer grazing on the fresh green patches in the yard and noticed that there are buds on the apple and cherry trees that were planted last fall.  The earth is warming and the water is flowing up from the frozen ground as new life emerges again. 

All this new energy around the changing season has me thinking about the possibility that there are new ways to look at the challenges of the pandemic.  We’ve been focused on how difficult the time is and how much we miss doing things the way we used to do them – but what if there are positive changes that came about through the pandemic?  What are the signs of new life, new beginning and new possibilities as we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel and look forward to a return to some of our longed-for pre-Covid pleasures?  

Well, it’s interesting because people who study these things can already see some positive changes and new opportunities that are the result of the pandemic.  Here are a few for our consideration:

1. There is a new focus on genuine connections, relationships and family.  Focusing on only a few relationships has deepened their bonds.   Families are finding a new for more genuine connections. 
2. Corporations are being challenged to demonstrate a commitment to excellence in how they care for customers, employees, communities, and the environment.    
3. General hygiene has improved and people are more courteous (generally) about staying away from others when they are sick (not just with Covid).  
4. There have been innovations in tools and software that will benefit businesses, schools and homes.  Remote work has become easier and mainstream (not just for the very wealthy anymore).
5. Living peacefully together in a global network is a new priority for many, as we recognize how closely interconnected we are in a “smaller” global community.  
6. Reimagined education, especially college and advanced programs, have become more readily accessible, more affordable and digitized. 
7.  GRATITUDE!  There is a deepened awareness of how fragile life is and how important it is to be grateful for all of life’s blessings and joys – especially the “simple” things that are easy to take for granted.   

As I think of the tree planted by the water image from the Book of Jeremiah (see above) and how the water must bubble up out of the frozen ground to bring new life to the plants and trees in springtime, I find I’m thinking, too, about the frozen time of the pandemic and the “winter of challenge” it brought.  How wonderful to see how that time has been “watered” and “nurtured” by God so that out of that hard, cold ground, drought stricken lives are blooming with new life and new possibilities.  What a wonderful reminder to us that for those who are planted by the waters of God’s nurturing spirit, there is nothing to fear – not winters’ cold or summer’s drought.  We will survive and thrive because of God’s care! 

In the meantime, stay safe!  You remain in my prayers….and remember, I love you and I need you to survive!

Peace,

Pastor Betsy