localpastor

02/01/2026 ~ Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany ~ Micah 6:1-8; Psalm 15; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12 ~ 02/02/2026 ~ Also the Presentation of the Christ ~ Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 84 or Psalm 24:7-10; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40 ~ EKC VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb-hoh3B49k ~ Harpswell TV Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGhqsqr6HGQ

For Good

“Listen, O mortal: / God has made abundantly clear / what “good” is; / what does Yahweh require from you / but to simply do justice, / to love covenant loyalty, / and to walk humbly with your God?” — Micah 6:8.

Neil Cazares-Thomas is the Pastor at the Cathedral of Hope, a large church in Dallas, Texas, a Congregational Church that’s a member of the United Church of Christ. When I say large, there are over 4,000 members and multiple services in a worship space that seats 1,200.

I praised small churches a couple weeks ago and so you may ask how can there be a Congregational Church with more than 4,000 members? I think I said this already: it’s Texas; it’s Dallas. (Slight pause.)

I have never met Neil in person but we are Facebook friends because we have a personal, pastoral connection. When our niece Phoebe lived in Los Angles Neil was her Pastor at a church there.

In a Facebook post Neil said he was participating in a creative writing class. On seeing that my interest perked up right away as my undergraduate degree is in creative writing. This came from Neil’s pen. (Slight pause.)

In our world today we are so busy reacting, we have no time to process, to respond to the Spirit’s call on our lives, listen to one another to hear God, something Jesus often did. And so we need to listen amid the noise of the world which portrays a God in stark contrast to what we see in the life of Jesus.

So… I am here to holler out I have a God who has been misrepresented, misplaced, here to holler out that the real voice of God is little spoken of in a world that’s determined to see God in its image, a secular world who embraces misogyny, racism, sexism, homophobia— everything that separates us, moves us away from love.

I am here to holler out and awake in me, in us, the God who dares me, dares us, to embody, reclaim, proclaim the God of the oppressed, the marginalized, the victimized. I am here to holler out and awake in me, in us, the God who remakes us in God’s image.

You, me, let us holler together and rise again like a phoenix, rise to greet the challenge, rise to holler, riaw to shout, rise to scream, like a voice in the wilderness, in the night, a voice to awaken us from our sleep— words of the Reverend Neil Cazares-Thomas— perhaps sounding like the rap lyrics of Lin Miranda-Manuel from Hamilton— no? Yes. 1

This is what we hear in Micah: “Listen, O mortal: / God has made abundantly clear / what “good” is; / what does Yahweh require from you / but to simply do justice, / to love covenant loyalty, / and to walk humbly with your God?” (Slight pause.)

I think the challenge Micah offers is clear: “do good.” To do good we need to live life in God’s image by doing justice, loving covenant loyalty, walking humbly with God. Now that’s a challenge. (Slight pause.)

These words are recorded in a time of crisis. The armies of the Assyria Emperor were invading Israel. They crushed Israel, reduced Israel to a vassal state.

So these words were addressed to the people of Israel. But they invite us to focus on the response of the individual to the Emperor because they are about moral behavior.

You see, just one person behaving morally is a model that bids others to emulate moral behavior. Inviting others to moral behavior can expand exponentially into larger, more complex factions until the reality of moral behavior overcomes immorality. Moral behavior eventually becomes a message which can even reach an emperor. (P:ause.)

You’ve heard me say this: love God, love neighbor is our calling. I suspect we humans tend to think the love God part is easy. But with the love neighbor part we have a knee jerk reaction. Love neighbor? Who… do… you… mean? The question, itself, defines moral blindness— the question defines moral blindness. (Pause.)

I touched on this theme a couple weeks ago and I will probably again. When it comes to neighbor we need to start small, one on one, with one each other. In so doing perhaps we can avail ourselves with an opportunity to change each other’s lives. If that happens it can expand exponentially into larger, more complex factions. (Slight pause.)

You know this: I’m a musical theater guy. So here’s a lyric from composer Stephen Schwartz. The show is Wicked. The song is For Good.

This song happens when the Good Witch and Bad Witch part for what will probably be the last time and share that an unbreakable bond has developed between them. This is what say this to each other.

“I’ve heard it said / That people come into our lives / For a reason / Bringing something we must learn / And we are led to those / Who help us most to grow / If we let them / And we help them in return. / Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s true / But I know I’m who I am today / Because I knew you.”

“Like a comet pulled from orbit / As it passes a Sun / Like a stream that meets a boulder / Halfway through the wood / Who can say if I’ve been changed for / the better? / Because I knew you / I have been changed for good.”

“It well may be / That we may never meet again / In this lifetime / So let me say before we part / So much of me / Is made of what I learned from you / You’ll be with me / Like a hand-print on my heart.”

“And now whatever way our stories end / I know you have rewritten mine / By being my friend… / Because I knew you / Because I knew you / I have been changed for good.” (Slight pause.)

The reality of our broken-ness, our humanity is then addressed as one of them says, “And just to clear the air / I ask forgiveness / For the things I’ve done you blame me for.” And the other then says, “But then, I guess we know / There’s blame to share.”

And together they sing, “Like a comet pulled from orbit / As it passes a Sun / Like a ship blown from its mooring / By a wind of the sea / Like a stream that meets a boulder / Halfway through the wood / Like a seed dropped by a bird / In the wood.”

“Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better? / I do believe / I have been changed for the better / And because I knew you / Because I knew you / Because I knew you / I have been changed / For good.” 2

I think one of many things Micah addresses is when we strive to do justice, love covenant loyalty and walk humbly with God, one on one with each other, then we do love God and we do love neighbor, a moral act and a moral action. And by the way, loving God and loving neighbor can expand exponentially, far beyond us, into larger and larger more complex factions. Who knows who will hear the idea that loving God and loving neighbor can be a reality. Amen.

02/01/2026
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is an précis of what was said: “The words from Micah are about doing good by seeking justice, loving covenant and walking with God. And we also heard the passage known as the Beatitudes. If I were to sum up the Beatitudes into a single sentence it would ‘Blessed are those who do good.’”

BENEDICTION: Through God’s grace, by being attentive to God’s will, our deeds and our words will change our world for we will discover ways to proclaim release from the bondage of narrowness. Let us seek the God of Joy whose wisdom defines our God. Let us go in peace to love and serve God. Amen.

[1] Note: these words are not surrounded by quotation marks because they were slightly edited for this context. Any alteration in meaning is the fault of the one offering the sermon as opposed to the original author.

[2] The lyric has been slightly edited. One brace was cut for the sake of brevity. If you look at the video you will see the pastor accidently changed some words. The original words have been left in the text.

01/18/02025 ~ Second Sunday after the Epiphany ~ Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 40:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42 ~ Weekend of the Federal Holiday known as Martin Luther King Jr. Day ~ EKC VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLwgiYYKtlU HARPSWELL TV VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyEhvbJ4ajg

Small

“Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, together with our brother Sosthenes, to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified, consecrated, in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, a people set apart for the work of God, together with all those who, wherever they may be, call on the name of Jesus, the Christ, who is both their Savior and ours:…” — 1 Corinthians 1:1-2.

I have on several other occasions started my comments the way I am about to start them. “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….”

If my math is right a long time ago would be fifty-one years ago, 1975. A galaxy far, far away would be New York City— not a galaxy but at least a different planet.

As a theater professional in order to kept food on the table, one of the many very odd jobs had while I did that was being a tour guide at South Street Seaport Museum in New York. And yes, the museum is about ships but it’s about more than that. A significant part of the grounds are buildings on very dry land.

One of the sst structures is known as the Schermerhorn Row, six brick buildings built by one Peter Schermerhorn in 1811 to serve the growing seaport. They were called counting houses.

The modern term for counting houses is warehouse. Please note: each of these structures is small and take up only a little section of a city block. These structures were not at all the way we think about warehouses today.

Today a warehouse often covers an area of several city blocks. So what they thought of as large in 1811 is what we think of as quite small, tiny.

Back then the population of the United States was just over 7,000,000. Today it’s about 340 million, nearly 48 times larger than 1811. In drawing this parallel I’m trying to help us understand how different things are— at least in terms of small verses big— in just a little more than 200 years. How about that? (Slight pause.)

We find these words in First Corinthians: “Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, together with our brother Sosthenes, to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified, consecrated, in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, a people set apart for the work of God, together with all those who, wherever they may be, call on the name of Jesus, the Christ, who is both their Savior and ours:…” (Pause.)

You may have heard me offer some of the statistics I’m about to use before but repetition is not a bad idea. We, today, live a society that’s used to big. These days the seating capacity of stadiums for sports events is at least 50,000. Big is what American society likes. Big is how we think. In a cultural sense, we are uncomfortable with small.

The same was true of Roman society in New Testament times. That society thought big. Big is what they liked. The population of the city of Rome— not the Empire, just the city of Rome— the population was about one million people. In fact, the seating capacity of the Coliseum was about… wait for it… 50,000.

That sounds pretty modern, does it not? Indeed, in a cultural sense Rome was uncomfortable with small. (Slight pause.)

You’ve heard me say this: at least 90% of that population lived under conditions that you and I would call slavery. Hence, the economic system could only be described as one based on domination— humans dominating and enslaving humans.

Now it seems to me, humans enslaving other humans might just be a by-product of big. How? Why? Big lacks intimacy. When you don’t deeply know the people you are enslaving, it becomes much easier to enslave them. (Slight pause.)

Well, Paul writes to this church in Corinth, a city which is a thriving commercial hub in this society. It’s a city versed in Roman culture and that culture is enthralled with big. So, how many people belonged to that church in Corinth? How big was it? Hundreds? Thousands? (Slight pause.)

No one really knows exactly how big that church was but we do have a very educated guess. The church in Corinth was not just small. It was tiny— perhaps 50 people or less. In fact, all the churches to which Paul writes are small.

How do we know that? Biblical scholars are fairly confident about two dates and one fact— that’s how they’re confident about it. The dates: this letter to the Church in Corinth was composed in the year 54 of the Common Era. Paul died in the year 64 of the Common Era.

The fact: in the year 100 of the Common Era— 36 years after Paul died— the number of Christians in the entire Mediterranean basin was still very small. It numbered less than… 10,000. To reiterate— the population of Rome: about a 1,000,000— seating capacity of the Coliseum: about 50,000. The entire Christian population in the Mediterranean basin in the year 100: 10,000. (Pause.)

At the end of this reading we hear these words (quote:) “For God, through whom you have been called into intimacy with Jesus, our Savior, is faithful.”

Intimacy— now that’s an interesting word. Here’s one definition of intimacy: an interpersonal relationship that involves emotion.

Emotional interaction demands a close relationship. Intimacy, therefore, is not having lunch with 50,000 of your closest friends. Intimacy demands small. (Pause.)

This weekend we remember the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Often what we remember about Dr. King is big— the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the “I have a dream…” speech, the Nobel Prize speech— big things.

But I think King’s most important contributions may have had a much smaller feel, such as the one on one interactions it’s likely he had with parishioners as a pastor in times of crisis. As a pastor, I know that’s true for me. So perhaps what we need to realize is at times things over which we have no control can become big and make a splash and make a noise. But small is where real things happen.

However, these days there seems to be a lot of noise from a lot of people. And those folks are trying to make noise, sound big. But we need to be wary of noise since noises often drowns out reality. Perhaps that’s the point of those making noise— they like the idea of drowning out reality.

On top of that, when there’s a lot of noise it can result in us, each of us, losing our own voice… our real voice. Why? It can feel like the big stuff all around us, that noise which can drown out reality, requires us to get loud also.

And I think when we get too loud, when we make too much noise, we lose our real voice, lose our one to one touch with others since noise actually demands that we lose intimacy. And intimacy is more real, more vital, than having lunch with those 50,000 close friends. But here’s the paradox: intimacy can be and I think is much harder to accomplish than mere noise making. (Slight pause.)

All that leads me to this question: what is our real voice? What is our true self? Well, Paul says Jesus is faithful. And perhaps that is the key.

You see, I think when we emulate Jesus in faithfulness we can discover and rediscover our own real voice. We need to be aware the call of God on our lives is to walk in the will of God, express the love of God, seek knowledge concerning the path of God. That is faithfulness.

I think the path God would have us trod, the path to which God calls us is intimate, small, one on one. Therefore, instead of thinking about the world in big ways perhaps what we need to do is seek the justice God seeks one on one, person to person, one step at a time.

Indeed, Paul tells us we are called to be saints, people set apart for the work of God. And I believe that work means faithfully— faithfully seeking justice one step at a time, one person at a time.

So, this is where I’m at: seeking justice is a small act. And it is a small act because it’s done one on one, face to face. Indeed, it’s hard— or at least it’s hard for me— to deny another person justice when you are looking them in the eye, when you know them one on one.

And when each of us seeks the justice of God, when each of us acts in small ways, when each of does our own part, when each of us takes personal responsibility to seek justice— that is when seeking justice becomes big. Indeed, I believe when we seek justice in this way, one on one, we also are faithful disciples of Christ. Faithful disciples— faithfulness— now there is a really big idea— faithfulness. Amen.

01/18/2026
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is an précis of what was said: “Scripture tells us— First Kings 19 to be precise— Scripture tells us the voice of God comes in a gentle whisper. I, myself, tend to be wary of loud. So please do listen for gentle whispers. A seminary professor of mine published a book about small being the right size for a church. So I don’t think it’s wise to follow what I see as a too often practiced American trait, rejecting small simply because it’s small. Or as a pastor friend of mine once said, it’s better to do something good than it is to do something big”

BENEDICTION: Let us learn as faithful disciples of Christ. Let us know that God is available to us at any time and in any place. Let us give thanks for the grace of God in Christ, Jesus. Let us trust in God for all time and for all eternity. Amen.

01/04/2026 ~ Second Sunday after Christmas Day ~ Jeremiah 31:7-14 or Sirach 24:1-12; Psalm 147:12-20 or Wisdom of Solomon 10:15-21; Ephesians 1:3-14; John 1:(1-9), 10-18 ~ EKC VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHFiskZv9-s
HARPSWELL TV VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr_xva_LLWY

Your People

“Thus says Yahweh, God: / Sing aloud with gladness, joy for Jacob, / and raise shouts for the chief of nations; / proclaim, make your praise heard, and say, / ‘Save, O God, your people, / the remnant of Israel.’” — Jeremiah 30:7.

Sone of you will embrace what I am about to say. Others will say, “He’s at it again.” Why? Today I once again want to talk about the famous Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim and address one of his musicals, Into the Woods. I apologize— it’s just my background rearing it’s ugly head.

Unlike the last Sondheim show I addressed, this one, Into the Woods, is well known. Even though Sondheim’s music can be complex, this score is quite accessible. Indeed, the show was adapted for a popular movie which stared Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, and Maine native Anna Kendrick.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the show here’s a brief outline. The piece takes several well known fairy tales— The Baker and His Wife, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood— and weaves all the stories together as the characters of these stories interact with one another. Each character has a wish which needs fulfillment.

In order to get the specific wish they want granted, they need to go on an adventure, go into the woods, in pursuit of that wish. However, the woods in this telling are a metaphor for facing the reality of life. And this is a truth: we must all at some point go into the woods, face reality, face real life with all its dangers, joys, pains, triumphs.

In real life sometimes we get what we need. Sometimes we get what we want. Sometimes what we want and get is not really what we need. Of course, sometimes what we want, get and even need turns out to be a disappointment— that’s real life.

But each and every day we do set off on a new journey in life and face the good, the bad and the indifferent. Stephen’s lyrics say just that.

(Quote:) “Into the woods, / It’s time to go, / I hate to leave, / I have to, though. / Into the woods— / It’s time, and so / I must be on my journey. / Into the woods / And down the dell, / The path is straight, / I know it well. / Into the woods, / And who can tell / What’s waiting on the journey?”

“Into the woods, / It’s time to go, / It may be all / In vain, you know. / Into the woods— / But even so, / I have to take the journey. / The way is clear, / The light is good, / I have no fear, / Nor no one should. / The woods are just trees, / The trees are just wood. / No need to be afraid there— / There’s something in the glade there…”

“Into the woods / Without regret, / The choice is made, / The task is set. / Into the woods, / But not forgetting / why I’m on the journey. / Into the woods / to get my wish, / I don’t care how, / The time is now. / Into the woods— Then out of the woods, / And home before dark!” (Slight pause.)

These words are from the Scroll of the Prophet Jeremiah: “Thus says Yahweh, God: / Sing aloud with gladness, joy for Jacob, / and raise shouts for the chief of nations; / proclaim, make your praise heard, and say, / ‘Save, O God, your people, / the remnant of Israel.’” (Slight pause.)

The 30th Chapter of Jeremiah, taken as a whole, presents us with a picture of real life and the reality of real life can be frightening. In this case Jeremiah presents us with pictures of a time of exile— that is frightening. But the reading in its entirety encompasses danger, triumph, pain, joy as real life often does.

Jeremiah seems to understand and insist no matter what real life brings, God is to be praised. Why? God is with us. God is with the people.

And if God is with the people it begs this question: who are the people of God? For Israel the answer was the members of the tribe. But that answers begs a second question: who really belongs to the tribe of God? (Slight pause.) My answer is simple: with the advent of the Christ, everyone— all humanity, whole human race, belongs to the tribe of God.

And that’s yet another reason the 30th Chapter of Jeremiah— and by the way when you have a chance you should read the entire 30th Chapter of Jeremiah; you only heard a portion this morning— that’s another reason the 30th Chapter of Jeremiah taken as a whole presents us with a picture of real life. These words are a reminder. If we break ourselves out into tribes, deteriorate into tribalism, then we’ve missed the part of the covenant God makes with humanity: to love neighbor.

And the part of the covenant which says love neighbor can also be said this way: we are all in this together. So if we do not understand that the life of each of us is to be treasured, we do not understand covenant.

If we do not understand thinking about only ourselves and no one else, understand that radical individualism is a dead end, we do not understand covenant. If we do not understand the covenant of God includes being in relationship with others, we do not understand covenant.

If we do not understand that together we need to work for the common good, we do not understand covenant. So the message of covenant is simple: we are not alone. We need one another. We, together, need to be a community of faith, a community of God.

That leads to another question: when community gathers will there be people in that community with whom we do not agree, even with whom we do not get along? Yes. But despite that, we are, all of us, one people— the people of God. (Slight pause.)

Coming back to Into the Woods, when each of us goes into the woods to face the ups and downs of life, in a real sense we face giants. And Jack of Jack and the Beanstalk says (quote:) “There are Giants in the sky! / There are big, tall, terrible, awesome, scary, wonderful / Giants in the sky!” And yes, we face giants every day. And that’s not easy.

On the other hand, with whom do we face giants? Cinderella says this to Red Riding Hood whose mother has just died (quote:) “Mother cannot guide you. / Now you’re on your own. / Only me beside you. / Still, you’re not alone. / No one is alone.”

“Truly. / No one is alone. / Sometimes people leave you. / Halfway through the wood. / Others may deceive you. / You decide what’s good. / You decide alone. / But no one is alone.” (Slight pause.)

In community we are surrounded by the people of God. And in community God is with us. And in community everything is possible because God is with us encouraging us to rely on each other. We are not alone. Amen.

01/04/2025
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is a précis of what was said: “One seminary professor told us we must learn to think theologically. We need to think theologically because Scripture is not about the stories or history. We should not read it that way. Scripture is about theology because it is a reflection offered by the people of God on their experience of God. And imagine how out theology would change if we did not look to heaven for God but looked in the faces of our neighbors. I think that’s the place to which God calls us.” [1]

BENEDICTION: Hear now this blessing: Let us treat all God’s children as our next of kin. Let us praise God for the people all around us. Let us praise God for the fulness of time. And may the peace of Christ which surpasses our understanding keep our hearts and minds in the companionship of the Holy Spirit and the love of God this day and evermore. Amen.

[1] The last sentence is a paraphrase of something said by the Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines, a United Church of Christ Pastor.

12/21/2025 ~ Fourth Sunday of Advent ~ Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25 ~ The Sunday in Advent on Which We Commemorate Joy ~ EKC VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv08qQ2_aNg
HARPSWELL TV VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXhkQ5wHcxw

God with Us

“The virgin shall be with child, shall give birth, / and the child shall be named Emmanuel— a name that means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of God had directed and they went ahead with the marriage. They had no marital relations until she had given birth to a child, Who was named Jesus.” — Matthew 1:23-25.

A couple of weeks ago I started my comments by addressing my time from ordination to my time working as a pastor. A couple of weeks before that I offered a story which was the brief version of what happened when I heard a call to ordained ministry.

For me those stories raised a question not just for people who hear a call to ordained ministry but for each local church and the church as a whole. From where do pastors come? Where does ordained ministry start and become nurtured? (Slight pause.)

Ordained ministry starts in the pews. It starts with you. After all, we Congregationalists make the claim that while I may be a “Pastor” you, the people, are the ministers. Indeed, I have watched you over the last three years as you minister to one another. I’ve seen your ministry in action. It’s real.

Further, Congregationalism is known to be a bottom/up, grass roots way of operating. Nothing illustrates that more clearly than the reality that a call to ordained ministry starts in the pews.

Generally, there are three participants when it comes to a call to ordained ministry. While the individual called to ordained ministry is pivotal, the first participant is not the individual. The prime movement comes from the local church— you. It’s the duty of the local church, your duty, to identify those in your midst with gifts for ordained ministry.

When someone is identified, the local church needs to work with that individual, to act as mentors in this process. Any individual identified as a candidate for ordained ministry needs to be nurtured and assisted by the local church as training is pursued.

That nurturing and assistance is needed because this is a time of testing, a time of trial and a time of discernment. This is a time which both explores and questions whether or not a person has gifts for ordained ministry.

Indeed, an often ignored fact is the washout rate in Mainline Seminaries is larger than the notoriously high washout rate in Law School. Why? Everything you ever thought was true is questioned in seminary. So the process of ordination needs to be collegial, as the local church and often a local Association works with an individual toward ordination.

The last segment involved in ordination is the “calling body.” A calling body is a church where the gifts and talents of the perspective ordinand is called.

Once called by a church, the local church who has supported the ordinand usually in conjunction with a local Association ordains the candidate for the church to which the candidate is called. So please note: a candidate is ordained for the whole church but ordained on the local level— again bottom/up, not top/down. (Slight pause.)

We find these words in the Gospel we have come to know as Matthew. “The virgin shall be with child, shall give birth, / and the child shall be named Emmanuel— a name that means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of God had directed and they went ahead with the marriage. They had no marital relations until she had given birth to a child, Who was named Jesus.” (Slight pause.)

There are two things the Bible is not about. The Bible is neither a rule book nor is it a history book, a repository of facts.

Equally, there are two things the Bible is about. The Bible is about the relationship of God with humanity and the loving relationships to which God calls people, the loving relationships to which we are called to maintain with one another.

Within this passage we find exactly that idea. However, most of the time we don’t pay any attention to that. Rather we pay attention to this (quote): “The virgin shall be with child, shall give birth,…” And we go, “Oh, yeah— the virgin!” But the virgin birth is a nearly meaningless historical oddity which comes out of the context of that era.

It gets included in part because Alexander the Great and Caesar Augustus were both said to be born of a virgin. If it was not mentioned, the reality of Jesus in terms of the literature of that era, would have been seen as abnormal and then summarily dismissed.

So, what is important here? The very next words (quote): “…‘the child shall be named Emmanuel’— a name that means, ‘God is with us.’”

We also tend to miss the fact that Jesus is right away, in the next words, given a second name and a title. (Quote:) “…this is how the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, came about.”

Now, the name Jesus is the anglicized name of the Latin version of the Greek name which originates in Hebrew. Yep— that’s four steps. The Hebrew name is Yoshuah— Joshua in English. In Hebrew the name Yoshuah means God is our salvation or God saves. And then the passage states Jesus is the Messiah, which means an anointed one of God.

So this passage is about a message— a message concerning God Who is with us, the anointed one of God, here to offer salvation. Further, in Biblical times salvation was not a reference to an afterlife. Salvation meant freedom.

Hence, this passage illuminates a basic understanding of Christianity. God Who is with us, wants to be in relationship with humanity. God Who is with us, calls us to be in loving relationship with others. God Who is with us, assures us of our freedom. (Slight pause.)

That brings us back to the process of a call to ordained ministry. When I thought I heard the call to ministry I entered a process.

For over a year I met with a discernment committee, listened to what was said, their recommendations. They then recommended me to the Council at First Parish where I was a member who approved and I was dispatched off to Bangor Seminary. (Slight pause.)

So where does the work of pastoral ministry start? It starts in the pews. It starts with you and you and you and you and you. (Slight pause.)

A fallacy goes around that says pastoral ministry is easy for some— extraverts perhaps. That’s not true. Pastoral ministry is hard for anyone.

But pastoral ministry is a calling and it’s a calling that starts with you. Why do I think that’s true? God saves. God is with us. God is present to us. God is present to you and you and you and you.

The very presence of God among us empowers ministry. The very presence of God among us is the real message of Christmas— Emmanuel— God is with us. Amen.

12/21/2025
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine

ENDPIECE— It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Congregational Response and Benediction. This is an précis of what was said: “You’ve heard me say this before. Biblical prophecy is not about predicting the future. Biblical prophecy is about speaking the truth of the Word of God. So here is a word of Biblical prophecy: God calls us— each of us— to ministry. Further, God does call some to ordained ministry. And it is up to the people of a church to recognize that God is working among us and do the work of discerning who might have the gifts for ordained ministry.”

BENEDICTION: Let us be present to one another as we go from this place. Let us share our gifts, our hopes, our memories, our pain and our joy. Go in peace for God is with us. Go in joy for God knows every fiber of our being. Go in hope for God reveals to us, daily, that we are a part of God’s new creation. Go in love, for we rest assured, by Christ, Jesus, that God is steadfast. Amen.

12/07/2025 ~ Second Sunday of Advent ~ Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12 ~ The Sunday in Advent on Which We Commemorate Peace ~ Communion Sunday ~ HARPSWELL TV VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvwhTY56pqE.
EKC VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv48snhS3GI

Hearts and Minds

“Change your hearts and minds, for the dominion of heaven has come near. The dominion of heaven is about to break in on you.” — Matthew 3:2.

I think most of you know I was ordained by and have what’s called my “standing” as a pastor with the United Church of Christ. Over the years I have often been a member of a Committee in Associations known as the Church and Ministry Committee.

This is a brief version of that committee work. Committee members keep in touch with pastors in the local churches, guide people seeking to be ordained through the process, offer support to both pastors and local churches should any time of crisis arise.

If misconduct on the part of a pastor become an issue— and that is a crisis— the committee becomes involved. And yes, I’ve dealt with that in my time.

Here’s a happier thought— when guiding people to and through ordination, a joy of this work is reading an “ordination paper” of a candidate. A recent paper had sub-title. (Quote:) “All I Think I Know About God in Twenty Pages.” The paper quotes the late theologian and mystic, Thomas Merton.

(Quote:) “My God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself and the fact that I think that I am following Your will does not mean I am actually doing so.”

“But I believe the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all I am doing. I hope I will never do anything apart from that desire.”

“And I know if I do this You will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust You always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

I think these words of Merton understand a relationship with God say we need to be in relationship with God. What’s the hard part of that? We need to rely on God, not ourselves. (Slight pause.)

We find these words in the work known as Matthew: “Change your hearts and minds, for the dominion of heaven has come near. The dominion of heaven is about to break in on you.” (Slight pause.)

A classic New Yorker cartoon occasionally gets repeated. Captions differ over time but invariably the picture has a disheveled person, a latter day Baptizer, holding up a sign on a street corner— “REPENT!” For me the real punch line is, while society assumes repent means being sorry for wrong-doing, the Biblical meaning of repent is an admonition that there is a need to give our hearts to God— the Biblical meaning of ‘repent’— a need to give our hearts to God.

I think we moderns— world-wide, not just Americans— have a parallel mis-understanding. We are convinced we know everything, we are in control of everything and we are right about everything. None of that is true.

However, this knowing, controlling and being right is not just a Twenty-first Century disease. The people to whom John spoke had the same disease.

So I think our First Century cousins in this story had the same blinders we have. They thought they knew everything, were in control and were right. Let me unpack that just a bit.

We hear (quote:) “Pharisees and Sadducees” and we think “those are the bad people.” But in John’s world they would have been the good people, upstanding citizens, the best of the best.

Hence, John’s question (quote:) “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” probably puzzled the Pharisees and Sadducees as they were the upstanding ones and it may puzzle us also. After all, they and we, us church folks, aren’t we the good upstanding ones? On the other hand, did you notice that in this passage no response is recorded from that crew? They had no answer. (Slight pause.)

This is clear: the Baptizer doubts their sincerity and thinks it’s likely they have come to the wilderness just to be Baptized. These folks think if they say the right things, think the right things, participate in the right ritual— this Baptism— their relationship with God will be secure.

But John calls them out. Saying the right things, thinking the right things, participating in the right ritual does not constitute a relationship with God.

And John is clear: a relationship with God only happens when they and by extension we are willing to (quote:) “Change your hearts and minds.” A relationship with God only happens when they and when we are willing to give our hearts to God. So a relationship with God is not about what we think, know or any ritual.

Why? Remember that quote from Merton? Let me offer it again. “My God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean I am actually doing so.”

“But I believe the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all I am doing. I hope I will never do anything apart from that desire.”

“And I know if I do this You will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.” (Slight pause.)

In short, we need to rely on God. And what is even more amazing is God does not, in any way, wish to control us— wow. (Slight pause.)

Today, the Second Sunday of Advent, we commemorate peace. As I said in my News and Notes missive, the peace of God is not about the absence of conflict. The peace of God is about the presence of God.

Once we understand God that seeks to be in relationship with us, seeks to be present to and with us, our hearts and minds can and will be open to change. Why? How? Only then, when we understand we are not in charge and the presence of God, the peace of God is a reality, will we have the freedom to turn our hearts and our minds over to God. Amen.

12/07/2025
United Church of Christ, First Congregational, Norwich, New York

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is a précis of what was said: “I think I have said this fairly often. Do not pay attention to what Scripture says. Ask what does Scripture mean? This an often retold story. It’s said in New Testament times a Roman Centurion went to several Rabbis and said to each of them if they could teach him everything about Scripture while standing on one foot he would convert to Judaism. He then went to the well know teacher Rabbi Hillel who responded ‘Love God, love neighbor. The rest is commentary.’ I think that’s exactly the place John is— love God, love neighbor. Hence, it’s relationship that matters.”

BENEDICTION: Let us be present to one another as we go from this place. Let us share our gifts, our hopes, our memories, our pain and our joy. Go in peace for God is with us. Go in joy for God knows every fiber of our being. Go in hope for God reveals to us, daily, that we are a part of God’s new creation. Go in love, for we rest assured, by Christ, Jesus, that God is steadfast. And may the peace of God which surpasses understanding be with us this day and forevermore. Amen.

11/16/2025 ~ Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost ~ Proper 28 ~ Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Isaiah 65:17-25; Isaiah 12; Malachi 4:1-2a; Psalm 98; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21:5-19 ~ Note: used Luke 21:1-4.
EKC VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvR4SmJRmUU
HARPSWELL TV VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25QCXvsF99E

Gifts for the Temple

“Jesus said, ‘All of them have contributed out of their abundance, out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty, out of her want, has put in what she could not afford, every penny she had to live on.’” — Luke 21:4-5.

I cannot count the number of times my wife, Bonnie, has said to someone, “When I got married I didn’t know I was marrying a pastor.” And that is true. I started on the journey to seminary and ordination just after our third anniversary.

On the other hand, when I got married to Bonnie I did not know she was marrying a pastor. It was a surprise to both of us. So how did that happen?

This is the short version. When I joined First Parish in Brunswick a Bangor Seminary poster was hanging on the wall near the pastor’s office with postcards you could rip off and send to the seminary to get information. I do not know what possessed me but I did that— ripped off a card and sent it to the seminary.

Two weeks later a catalogue from Bangor arrived in the mail. I threw it on the coffee table. The next day Bonnie had to be out for a couple hours. I was alone, perhaps a little bored so I picked it up. I turned to the section with course descriptions— boring course descriptions. I sat there reading the course descriptions. Then I started to cry.

I suddenly remembered I’d asked an Episcopal Priest friend what a call to ministry felt like. This was the response: “When I heard the call it felt terrible. I cried for hours.”

And there I was, reading boring course descriptions in a seminary catalogue and I was crying. I said to myself, “Uh, oh!” And that… is how the journey to seminary and ordained ministry began. (Slight pause.)

These words are in Luke. “Jesus said ‘All of them have contributed out of their abundance, out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty, out of her want, has put in what she could not afford, every penny she had to live on.’” (Slight pause.)

When the seminary journey started reality should have told us you’re both too old— over the age of 40— seminary— a bad, financially unstable idea. Being a pastor— a bad, financially unstable career. (Slight pause.)

Have things worked out? Well, I’ve been in a pulpit more than thirty years now. But let me offer this anecdote as an example of real world truths. Remember when COVID happened and people got money, a pay out from the Federal Government?

I was already retired but when that check arrived we paid off the end of my student loans from seminary with it. That payout was exactly what we still owed. (Slight pause.)

So what has kept us going on this journey over time? We trusted God and trusted our neighbors, the people at First Parish who first supported us and the churches I’ve served who walked with us on the journey. It was a journey of faith and trust. (Long pause.)

Jesus sees an impoverished woman, a widow, putting coins in a collection box. Those descriptions— a woman, a widow, impoverished— make her unacceptable, an outcast in that era. But she put coins in a treasury box.

Where does that money go when it gets to the Temple treasury? The Hebrew Scriptures are clear. Money given to the Temple should go to orphans, widows, the outcast. But is that where those coins are really headed?

We don’t know. The text does not tell us. And the widow does not know either. She just dropped coins in a box. So the point being made by Jesus is not about the generosity of this impoverished widow nor is it about money.

I hope this is obvious— the woman trusts God. She trusts her neighbors who are stewards of the Temple treasury that they will give to the widows, to orphans, to the outcast. And she also trusts her neighbors with whom she interacts day by day by day, trusts they will have compassion when she needs help.

So the tale of this widow is not about money. This is about a faith journey called trust— trusting God and trusting neighbors. And make no mistake about it— trusting God and trusting neighbors is not a destination. It’s a journey… of faith. (Slight pause.)

Among the myriad of events next week is the stewardship breakfast and then the Kellogg Church will embark on a journey. The journey is not about money. Anyone who claims this journey is about money is not paying attention to the witness of Scripture.

The journey is about faith and trust. Do you trust God? Do you trust your neighbors, the people sitting next to you in these pews? This journey is about trusting God and trusting neighbors.

Do me a favor— look around this Meetinghouse. Look at each other. These are your friends and neighbors, the people in whom you need to place your trust on this faith journey. I’ll pause for a couple of moments to let that happen. Go ahead— look around. (Long pause.)

In Congregationalism members have voice and vote. But the Congregational tradition also operates as a representative democracy. People are chosen to fill different roles— Moderators, Deacons, etc., etc. Trust is placed in people to fulfill those roles.

So the question is do you trust the people you have assigned to help on this faith journey? Again, the journey has not been, is not and will not be about money or even about what rules to follow. This journey is about trust and faith. (Slight pause.)

A long time ago, in what feels like a galaxy far, far away I sat alone in my living room with tears running down my face. Why? I think it was the realization that I needed to trust God. And on that journey it would be imperative that I trust my neighbors.

The tears? I think they happened because I knew the journey was scary. I knew the journey was hard. (Slight pause.)

Back when Bonnie and I wound up in Bangor we took a risk. But we listened for the call of God.

When we left Maine— and we left much to our consternation and moved to a place where we knew no one except the members of the Search Committee at the church to which we felt called— when we left Maine we took a risk. Over time we have taken multiple risks on this journey of listening for and responding to the call of God.

A church which is not willing to take risks— multiple risks— in responding to the call of God is not a church. It’s just a social club. (Slight pause.)

So what is next week about? Some may think next week is about stewardship or financial plans— no and no.

Next week is about trusting God. Next week is about trusting your neighbors who are sitting next to you in these pews. Next week is about listening for the call of God for this church. Next week is about faithfulness. Next week is about being church.

If no one has ever said this to you before let me be the first. Listening for and to the call of God is not an easy task. It can be scary. There may be times tears will run down your face. But I believe listening for and to the call of God is the calling of this church. I believe this church is called to faithfulness. What say you? Amen.

11/16/2025
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is a précis of what was said: “At this time of year the lectionary readings are often what you heard today or similar ones. And you have probably heard this or similar readings applied to stewardship. I am practical. Stewardship matters. But what is stewardship really about? It’s about the faithful practice of listening to the call of God. Hence, stewardship is not about money. Stewardship is about faithful listening as you try to discern the place to which God calls this church.”

BENEDICTION: A kind and just God sends us out into the world as bearers of truth, a truth which surpasses our understanding, that the love of God knows no bounds or boundaries. Indeed, God watches over those who respond in love. So, let us love God so much that we love nothing else too much. Let us be so in awe of God that we are in awe of noone else and nothing else. Amen.

11/09/2025 ~ Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost ~ Proper 27 ~ Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Haggai 1:15b-2:9; Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 or Psalm 98; Job 19:23-27a; Psalm 17:1-9; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17; Luke 20:27-38
EKC YOUTUBE VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NymSNwZNIg8
HARPSWELL PUBLIC ACCESS TV YOUTUBE VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJQsHKfOSfU

The Redeemer

“For I know that my Redeemer lives— / my Vindicator Who, at the last, at the end, / will stand upon the earth;…” — Job 19:25.

I am a voracious reader. You’re probably suspected that. Most of my reading is non-fiction— history, biography— or professional areas— theology, Scripture.

But I occasionally delve into, even re-read fiction, especially science fiction. And so I recently re-devoured the British classic— The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

For those unfamiliar with the books in this series, it’s a combination of science fiction and dry British humor. Think Star Wars meets Monty Python and you’ve got it.

Here’s an example of its comedic style. The Hitchhiker’s books are called a trilogy— three books. Except there are five books in The Hitchhiker’s trilogy— that’s British humor— strange, dry, eccentric.

At the start of the story Arthur Dent, the protagonist, finds his house surrounded by bulldozers. They are there to destroy Arthur’s house and build a highway right through where the house was. The foreman says the demolition plans have been available at city hall for months. Arthur says ‘no one told me’ and lays down in front of the bulldozers.

But Arthur’s best friend, Ford Perfect, snatches him away and takes him to a local pub. Despite looking human, unbeknownst to Arthur, Ford Perfect is from another planet and knows the Earth is about to be destroyed. Determined to avoid being caught up in this, Perfect insists he must hitchhike on a starship and wants to take with Arthur him.

Why is the Earth being destroyed? Like the bulldozers at Arthur’s house, the Earth is being destroyed to build a superhighway for starships. The documents about it are on file at a record hall in another galaxy but earthlings don’t know it.

Hence, not far into the novel the Earth is destroyed, gone. But Arthur and Ford Perfect escape by hitching a ride on a starship. As I indicated, British humor— dry, eccentric— and it takes strange, interesting turns. (Slight pause.)

I have mentioned this about my family background here before. When I was about five, my father had what back then was called a nervous breakdown. Today we would have describe it as the onset of the mental illness identified as passive dependency or passive aggression.

While I won’t get deep into the psychology of this, one way to look at it is to say I lost my father figure. So for me the Earth, as I knew it, was destroyed. And like the hitchhiker Arthur Dent I survived. (Long pause.)

This is what we find in the work known as Job: “For I know that my Redeemer lives— / my Vindicator Who, at the last, at the end, / will stand upon the earth;…” (Slight pause.)

Christians often refer to Jesus as the Redeemer. I would be the last one to disagree with that. Equally, because I read a lot about theology and Scripture, I know to exclusively limit the idea of redeemer to Christianity, while a fairly common practice, defies the evidence in Scripture. As we just heard, in Job God the Creator is called ‘redeemer.’

In fact, in Handel’s Messiah the work, I Know That My Redeemer Liveth, strings together both this passage from Job and words from I Corinthians 15. This music tells us God as Redeemer is not exclusively Christian. The testaments are connected, a continuum. The God of the Hebrew Scriptures and Jesus— they are connected.

That brings us to the story we heard from Luke. At the resurrection who will be the husband of this woman who has married seven? While the answer of Jesus is couched in the language of resurrection, Jesus is not making a point about resurrection.

What is the point Jesus makes? (Quote:) “God is not of the dead but of the living. All of them are alive to God.”

God lives. That is the belief of Jews. That is the belief of Christians. God lives.

The idea that God lives, moves and works among us not confined to one segment of the text. That concept is scattered throughout Scripture. (Slight pause.)

The Call to Worship today paraphrased words from Psalm 98. Quote: “God has made salvation known, has shown vindication, divine justice, to the nations / Yahweh, God Who forever remembers us with steadfast love, truth and faithfulness.”

A God Who does these things is a living God. God is then and God is now and God is in the future. God lives. (Slight pause.)

That, in turn, does bring us to the belief called Resurrection. If God lives, if God is in ancient times, if God is now, if God is in the future, if Jesus and God are connected— then Jesus— Who we call the Second Person of the Trinity— lives. (Slight pause.)

I say this each Easter Sunday morning. Resurrection is not about resuscitation nor is it about reanimation. Resurrection addresses a basic Jewish belief and a basic Christian belief: God lives. (Slight pause.)

That brings us back to both my background and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. In The Hitchhiker’s Guide the Earth is destroyed. But survive Arthur Dent did.

My world was destroyed when I was young because a parental figure in my life ceased to be present to me. But survive I did. Paradoxically, that opened my eyes to a theological truth: God lives.

I realized that truth because, while my world was shattered, my world was not destroyed. For reasons I cannot, myself, explain, I held firm onto the reality, the truth we call the living God. (Slight pause.)

Diana Butler Bass is an Episcopal member of the laity but she’s also church historian and theologian. In Credo, A Litany of Grace she reminds us the Latin word Credo does not mean “I believe.” Credo means ‘I give my whole heart.’

She also says this (quote:) “I believe God creates the world and all therein— good, even very good, no matter how far from that goodness human beings wander; I believe Love casts out fear and that living with compassion is the path to joy; I believe Gratitude threads all of the connections in the web of life.”

“I believe Wisdom dwells among us, embodying both divine insight and human intellect; I believe Hope banishes cynicism, always drawing us toward a creative future;…”

“I believe Awe opens us to an awakened life that reaches out to the world to restore and save; I believe Justice flows all around us, like a healing river; I believe All Shall Be Well.” — the words of Diana Butler Bass. (Slight pause.)

Do terrible things happen, things we abhor, do they happen? Yes, they do. Our world can feel like it has been destroyed, shattered. But God lives.

And my point is not just that God lives. God walks with us at all times and in all ways. God is with us, always. Or as Diana Butler Bass says, “All shall be well.”

You see, when the words “I know that my Redeemer lives” are said what we need to understand and to hear that is this simple: God lives. God is with us. God walks with us. Amen.

11/09/2025
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is a précis of what was said: “The well known pastor and theologian Brian McLaren said ‘If you summarize all the work of Diana Butler Bass into a single thought this would be it: “Nostalgia is a really, really bad idea.”’ Brian McLaren on Diana Butler Bass. Why is nostalgia a bad idea? It’s about yesterday. But God lives is about right here and right now and about what will be. It’s not about yesterday. Fondly remembering is fine. But do not let fondly remembering— what we call nostalgia— interfere with this basic theological concept: God lives.”

BENEDICTION: We can find the presence of God in unexpected places. God’s light leads us to places we thought not possible just moments ago. God’s love abounds and will live with us throughout eternity. The grace of God is deeper than our imagination. The strength of Christ is stronger than our needs. The communion of the Holy Spirit is richer than our togetherness. May the one triune God sustain us today and in all our tomorrows. Amen.