From Our Pastors – October 20

Posted onAuthorAidan Cuningham

Rev. Megan
Berkowitz

Rev. Amy
Clark Feldman

Pastor Megan
October 20, 2023

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

Many of you are familiar with this prayer, though perhaps not its source in the Psalms. I and many other pastors offer it at the start of each sermon, praying that what we share might not be for our own glory but pleasing to our God whom we serve, and useful for those gathered.

But the Psalms were written as corporate hymns, to be sung by the whole congregation. This prayer isn’t a particular one for pastors or religious leaders. Set in the context of the entire Psalm, it’s a prayer that whoever speaks it might reveal the glory of God in the world, just as the heavens and earth, night and day, all that is and all that will be all testify to God’s power and goodness. God’s word is more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey, the Psalmist writes, and then asks God to help them follow more closely.

I wonder what it might be like to offer this prayer at the start of the day each day, to set an intention to be humble in thought and speech. I wonder whether such a practice might make it easier to think before speaking, to be curious and compassionate, to speak and act in solidarity with others. I wonder whether it might help us to reveal God’s goodness in a world that needs it.

Peace,
Megan

Past Posts

  • From Our Pastors
    Rev. Megan Berkowitz
    June 6, 2025
    It’s very fitting that our Annual Meeting falls on Pentecost this year. As we remember the Holy Spirit filling the early church and moving them into meaningful action, following in the Way of Jesus, we, too, experience the movement of the Spirit in our own church community. Learn More
  • From Our Pastors : May 30, 2025
    Rev. Clark Feldman
    May 30, 2025
    The Psalmist wrote so many centuries ago (or maybe just yesterday), “As the deer pants for water, so my soul pants for you, O God.”   It’s such a vivid image – this poor deer panting in thirst and exhaustion. How far has it run over dry and scorched land?  What a relief to dip its head towards a cool stream; its thirst quenched.  Learn More
  • From Our Pastors
    Rev. Megan Berkowitz
    May 23, 2025
    We’re heading into a season of joy, celebration, community, and preparation for the future over the next several weeks, and I wanted to be sure to lay it all out in one place so you can plan and save the dates. This weekend, we’ll celebrate and dedicate our new accessible pews in worship and have the second meeting of the spring New Members class immediately following.  Learn More
  • From Our Pastors: May 16, 2025
    Rev. Amy Clark Feldman
    May 16, 2025
    As some of you know, I was away for part of this week at a program for clergy and spiritual directors.  Each morning began at 7:45 a.m. with worship; and ended around 9:00 p.m. with worship.  Spiritual leaders from around the country each led one of the first five services; with each service focusing on one of the five senses – taste, touch, smell, hearing, sight – knowing that Jesus engaged and experienced all the senses in his very human, embodied, incarnate ministry.    Learn More
  • From Our Pastors: May 9, 2025
    Rev. Megan Berkowitz
    May 9, 2025
    I had a lot of interest in the prayer structure I shared during last Sunday’s worship, so I wanted to write it out for you here. If you’re feeling like you’re not sure how to pray or what to say, sometimes a little scaffolding can help get you started. Don’t think that this is the ‘right’ way to pray though — any way to pray that leads you to open your heart to God is the right way! Learn More
  • From Our Pastors: May 2, 2025
    Rev. Megan Berkowitz
    May 2, 2025
    There is very little in the Gospels that tells of Jesus after his resurrection and before his ascension. This period gets 5 weeks in the liturgical calendar, but only one or two stories in each Gospel at most. As Pastor Amy shared in her sermon last Sunday, after the Resurrection, Jesus spends some time eating with his disciples, even sharing a grilled fish breakfast on the beach with them one morning. Learn More
  • From Our Pastors: April 25, 2025
    Rev. Megan Berkowitz
    April 25, 2025
    On Easter morning, we sang the hymn “Now the Green Blade Rises,” with its refrain: “Love is come again like wheat that rises green.” While it raises questions for me every year about how much pronunciation has changed in the last hundred years (did been/green and again/lain really rhyme?), it so beautifully captures the confluence of Easter and the coming of Spring in the Northern hemisphere.  Learn More