As the days grow longer and the light stretches into evening, the world around us quietly shifts its rhythm. Summer never arrives with a shout — it simply opens its hands and invites us to breathe a little deeper. The psalmist observes (Psalm 118:24): “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Let us…
Spring has finally come to New England. The pea plants have poked their bright green heads out of the ground, the forsythia is in bloom, the trees are budding, and the birds are in animated conversation in the early morning. As I write this, we’re getting a preview of summer with the temperature hitting 80 degrees this afternoon. Mother’s Day and Memorial…
Scripture has a rhythm that beats like a steady heart through the whole story of God and God’s people: “Do not be afraid.” It is whispered to Abraham under the stars, spoken to Moses at the edge of the sea, sung by the psalmists, proclaimed by prophets, and repeated by angels whenever God is about to do something new. “Do not be…
Every year, Easter arrives like a familiar friend — steady, faithful, right on time. But this year, it feels less like a date on the calendar and more like a deep longing rising from the ground beneath our feet. Because let’s be honest: we are all aching for resurrection. We are living through a season when the world feels frayed at the…
Welcome to March. Here we are already in the season of Lent. Lent began Wednesday, February 18, and will end on Thursday, April 2, 2026. For a very long time, we were advised to give up something for Lent, to subtract something from our lives. There is a term for this. It is “punitive spirituality.” Rather than taking this rather punishing approach,…
I am praying everyone stays warm and well this winter. The lights and ornaments celebrating Christmas are gone. All the services celebrating the birth of Jesus have been held. Now we enter the between time until the season of Lent and the arrival of Palm Sunday and Easter. As some unknown wit said, “The only bubble in the flat champagne of February…
We stand at the precipice of a brand new year, the new day dawning over the horizon and revealing bit by bit the new landscape we will traverse in the months ahead. Welcome to this brand-new year, filled with brand-new opportunities. So much happened in 2025 and I expect no less from 2026. It is easy to get bogged down with what…
Welcome to the season of Advent, that special time of year where we wait with eager anticipation for the arrival of the Christ Child. The season of light in the darkness of winter. The season of action-packed celebration and activity. The season for greeting strangers with smiles and blessings, whether they be of the Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays variety. As it…
The other day, I watched a tiny spider struggle in a puddle of water in my sink. Without hesitation, I reached down and offered my finger. The spider climbed aboard, ran across my knuckles, and vanished. I didn’t flinch. I didn’t recoil. I didn’t even think much of it. I just responded. Why? Because I’ve been watching videos of people who love…
Welcome to October, Friends, In the coming weeks, I’ll undergo cataract surgery—first the left eye, then the right. It’s a routine procedure, but for me, it’s become a living parable. I’ve never seen the world without nearsightedness, without the interpretive layer of lenses, glasses or contacts, and correction. Soon, I will. And not all at once, but in stages. There will be…
“When morning gilds the skies, My heart awakening cries: May Jesus Christ be praised.” I wake up with that hymn in mind every morning now that the sun is peeping over the horizon before I get up and won’t be fully down until well into the evening. The wet weather, which has our maple trees going berserk producing an overabundance of seeds…
Welcome to May, a month of renewal. I’ve been watching spring move up the East Coast. Weeks ago, friends in southeastern Pennsylvania were posting beautiful shots of spring flowers. Now they have arrived here, along with budding trees, and a serious uptick in bird song. It provides a sense of fresh beginnings. It’s also a time for spiritual renewal, with the Palm…
We live in a time of overwhelming uncertainty, where challenges ripple across communities and nations alike. Economic instability, environmental crises, and social divisions weigh heavily on our hearts. Around the globe, people grapple with the effects of conflict, displacement, and inequality, while closer to home, debates over justice and opportunity stir deep emotions. Yet, even in the midst of these trials, there…
Welcome to April, the end of the season of waiting and reflection that is Lent and the season of celebration with Palm Sunday and Easter. There have been times when, I hate to admit, I was hesitant to speak out for any number of reasons: being overwhelmed by someone who is loud and confrontational, being concerned that my facts might be wrong,…
In Mark 14:36, we find Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, earnestly praying to God in the depths of anguish. He prays, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.” Jesus knew God’s mission, yet his fear was great enough to pray that his trial and death might…
It was mid-February when I was writing this in my study at home. The wind was howling outside and fresh snow and ice covered the ground. Those circumstances make this an excellent time to look ahead to the season of Lent and to a time of renewal. The season begins on Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025. Palm Sunday is on April 13.…
“In February, let your aspirations soar higher than the winter sky,” author unknown. That’s excellent advice for a short and chilly month. We have good reasons to do so. We just completed a successful annual meeting. Many people stepped up for a variety of positions for the upcoming year. The annual reports spoke of accomplishments large and small for the church in…
It is time to take up the challenges of the new year together as a church family. It’s time to go adventuring together. What is adventure? It’s unusual, exciting, typically risky business, experience, or activity. In other words, adventure is life. We’re going to live it, trying out the “exciting” together. When I was younger, risky business included riding my Hercules bike…
Dear FCBC Family and Friends, Wishing us all a Merry Christmas filled with wonder and joy. May we all keep our eyes open for whatever opportunities God presents to us through various messengers, as very busy heavenly messengers did 2000 years ago for Mary and Joseph. It has been a year filled with ups and downs, emotional highs and lows. The Christmas…
Welcome to the season of Advent, that time of waiting, of eager anticipation for the arrival of the Christ child on Christmas morning. It is not a time of quiet waiting, of solitary introspection, for the modern Christian. No, it is an action-packed season of celebration. The church was decorated in advance, preparing our space and our spirits to welcome Jesus. We…
I’m glad we celebrate Thanksgiving in the month of November, when the weather really starts to turn cold. It reminds us of what we are guided by in 1 Thessalonians 16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” We are called to be grateful people, people who…
First-Calvary Baptist Church is a typical Protestant church. We’re smaller than we used to be. U.S. Protestant churches with under 50 members attending weekly has risen from 45 percent in 2000 to 70 percent in 2020. We are not alone. But for those of us who grew up watching Mighty Mouse, we know small doesn’t mean ineffective! Being small also doesn’t mean…
I hope you all have had a blessed and refreshing summer. Summer has been a time of healing for me since my successful heart valve replacement. At the time of this writing, I continue to take cardio rehab sessions early on Mondays and Wednesdays, and expect to take the full course and complete recovery is expected between eight months and one year…
Signs of summer are sprouting up all over. Little League Baseball games are turning up. A carnival was set up in the parking lot of a former movie theater over a recent weekend. The weather is warming, teasing us with lazy, hazy days and nights to come. With the coming of summer, we have vacations. Let us thank the FCBC choir for…
Before I was released from the hospital, an occupational therapist told me, “You have been given a new lease on life. Enjoy it!” Such wise words to receive. This was in the context of being diligent about getting up and moving to avoid depression and despair. To let mobility and exercise give me a sunny disposition and more limber body. Part of…