Dear Friends, Lent offers us a space to be intentional about our walk of faith. Who do we encounter on our path and how can we share the light and love of God with them? What do we learn as we follow Christ’s footsteps of service and compassion, of suffering and of...
Dear friends, When I graduated from Princeton Seminary in May of 2005, the energy on campus was off the charts. Families and friends were gathering for all the usual graduation festivities, a couple close seminary friends were even getting married in the midst of it, and all my classmates...
Dear Friends, With the ‘spring forward’ time change now in effect, the light lingers into the evening. And, appropriately, the season of Lent comes at this time when the hours of daytime are “lengthening” as spring approaches. The word lent is from the Old English word...
Dear friends, Today is Ash Wednesday. First Presbyterian Church gathers for worship at 12 noon in the Chapel, 5.30 p.m. at WOW (Community Crossroads) and at 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Scripture, preaching, music, prayers, the imposition of ashes, and the sharing of the...
Dear friends, As a lifelong Presbyterian who is now a father of 3-year-old twins, I’m learning to appreciate a certain amount of noise and unrest from young children in a worship service. Noisy babies and fidgety toddlers are signs of life and vitality, and I think it’s a sign...
Dear friends, Christian history is filled with wisdom from sisters and brothers throughout out the ages. Their life and witness through their writings continue to inspire me. I was recently reminded of these words from St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859), a French...
Dear friends, From a prison cell, God speaks to the prophet Jeremiah. While his city is being defeated by the Babylonians, Jeremiah hears: “Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your...
Dear Friends, Recently my 11-year-old daughter encouraged me to begin exercising more regularly which is sage advice for my physical and mental health. As you know, there are countless benefits to movement for your body, mind, and spirit! I also carve out some time each day for...
Dear friends, “Life is a journey, not a guided tour” is something my good friend, Jim Koss, likes to remind me every once in a while. It’s a challenging thing to hear when you think about it. Because when I’m honest, my default is to prefer the guided...
Dear Friends, This upcoming Sunday brings a variety of emotions as we ordain and install a new class of elders to lead our congregation and as we give our gratitude for the faithful leadership of Karl Travis as our pastor. Worship frames our gathering as we give thanks to God for our shared...