From Our Pastors: November 8, 2024

Rev. Megan
Berkowitz

Rev. Amy
Clark Feldman

Pastor Megan
November 8 2024


Post Election Interfaith Gathering at UCW

Dear church,

I want to share with you a small portion of how I opened our interfaith post-election gathering, as we prepare to gather in community together this Sunday for worship and the congregational meeting.

“I do not know what every one of you is feeling; what I am certain of is that each one of us is feeling something different right now, has reacted differently this week based on each of our beliefs and faith, based on our fears and anxieties, based on our identities and priorities, based on our past experiences and hopes for the future. And yet, every single one of us has made the choice to be here tonight. To be in community, across those and many other differences. Made a choice to resist isolation and instead to strengthen ourselves, together. And I believe, informed by my faith, that this choice matters. That each time we reach out to one another, open ourselves up and listen deeply, it matters. 

This election has made clearer than ever the deep division and isolation in our country and our society. There are ‘sides,’ and people on all sides feel themselves threatened by the future others dream of. Tonight, we hope to build a little sanctuary of space and time in which we can dream of a future where there are no sides, where all people can thrive, where, in the words of the prophet Amos, justice rolls down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

It matters, too, that we will be in community together on Sunday. As members of the Body of Christ, we are stronger, more grounded in our faith, more filled with compassion and hope, when we connect with and support one another. Let us join together in a space and time of sanctuary on Sunday morning.

Peace,
Megan

Past Posts


  • From Our Pastors
    Pastor Megan
    November 29, 2024
    UCC Professional Development Program
    I returned last week from the fall gathering of NGLI, the UCC’s professional development program for young clergy. We gather each fall in Arizona for a time of creative learning, prayer, worship, music, and more. The setting, in the desert outside of Phoenix, is an intentional choice by the program organizers. Learn More
  • From Our Pastors: November 15, 2024
    Pastor Megan
    November 15, 2024
    Congregational Meeting Recap
    Thank you to everyone who joined in the Congregational Meeting last Sunday, and particular thanks to co-moderators Susan Hunt Stevens and Susan Gedrick for leading us, and to Jaap van Reijendam for ensuring those on Zoom could take part as well. The brief workshop Leila led on 1:1s, in the GBIO and community organizing model, gave us a tool for connecting with one another more deeply. Learn More
  • From Our Pastors: November 8, 2024
    Pastor Megan
    November 8, 2024
    Post Election Interfaith Gathering
    I want to share with you a small portion of how I opened our interfaith post-election gathering, as we prepare to gather in community together this Sunday for worship and the congregational meeting. Learn More
  • From Our Pastors: October 18, 2024
    Pastor Megan
    Octoberr 18, 2024
    Recent Celebrations
    Did you miss the recent celebrations at church? Here are some photos from our new sign celebration and the Blessing of the Animals! It has been a fall of connecting – with one another, the wider community, and God’s creation (including beloved pets like Barky, Felix, Jack, Rosey, and Lucy!). Learn More
  • From Our Pastors: October 11, 2024
    Pastor Megan
    Octoberr 11, 2024
    So much in the world at large and within our own community and families feels like it is in upheaval, right now. War, storms, the coming election, health challenges, grief, transitions, and more make it feel as though the ground is shifting for so many of us. I was reminded in a conversation this week of the framework offered by Joanna Macy in The Work that Reconnects. In it, she explains that how we choose to tell the story – of the world and society at large, but also of our lives – affects how we feel and how we act. Learn More
  • Hurricane Relief
    As I’m sure many of you have been, I have been devastated to see the pictures and reports coming out of communities in the Southeast that have been affected by Hurricane Helene, and wanting to find ways to help. One of the blessings of being affiliated with our two denominational partners is that our impact to help when disasters like this occur can be magnified by the existing systems of support that the denominations have in place. Learn More
  • From Our Pastors: September 13, 2024
    Pastor Amy
    September 13, 2024
    It was a joy and comfort to be together again as we kicked off the new church year last weekend.  Something special happens when we worship and are fed together at the communion table; when we hug, cry, and laugh together; when we celebrate together in the sunshine.  Learn More
  • From our Pastor: July 19, 2024
    Pastor Amy
    July 19, 2024
    On Thursday, July 18, travelers and members of UCW gathered to share learnings, photos, and stories from our recent service trip to Puerto Rico.  The trip at the end of June was transformative for the 20 members (mostly high school and college youth) who travelled.  Learn More