Rev. Megan
Berkowitz
Rev. Amy
Clark Feldman
Pastor Megan
November 24, 2023
“You seed light into righteous ones, joy into the heart of the virtuous.”
Psalm 97:11
I love the image of God seeding light and joy into the hearts of Her people that this Psalm offers us; it seems to me to be a kind of extension of the metaphor in last Sunday’s scripture describing God as the grape-growing farmer. God isn’t just putting one kind of fruit into the world; She’s planting lots of good things to nourish Her people!
This Psalm also brings to my mind how we are partners with God in bringing goodness into the world. If God seeds light and joy, then we are the ones who tend the soil so that those seeds might grow. Righteousness and virtue, the Psalm tells us, helps those seeds grow. What else might help the seeds of light and joy grow in us? Faith, grace, love, forgiveness, and, appropriate for this week, gratitude, all come to mind for me.
Our theme for Advent this year comes from the very beginning of John’s Gospel: “Light shines in the darkness.” Like a little candle casting its light out into the world, like a seed pushing forth a sprout, the coming of Christ’s presence in the world and in our lives brings forth goodness. We can partner with God in bringing forth that goodness. Let’s join together in tending the seeds of light and joy that are so needed in this world.
Peace,
Megan
Past Posts
- From Our Pastors
Pastor Megan
December 8, 2024
Advent is the season of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love; it is the season of anticipation and joy in the gift of Christ we already know has entered the world and is eternally present among us; it is, for many of us, a season of parties and gift-giving and whirlwind celebrations. Learn More - From Our Pastors: November 29, 2024Pastor 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, 2024Pastor 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, 2024Pastor 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, 2024Pastor 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, 2024Pastor 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 ReliefAs 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, 2024Pastor 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
