Rev. Megan
Berkowitz
Rev. Amy
Clark Feldman
Pastor Megan
December 8 2024
Dear Church,
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.
Even so, we are blessed, here in the fairly far North of the Northern Hemisphere, by the way Advent draws us into the deepest darkness of the year and the meaning we can find in that juxtaposition. At its most joyful, Advent is a season of remembering the wait for the birth of a precious baby; a wait that, as the day draws nearer, requires ever greater rest and reprioritization of focus and attention. Darkness, too, removes all that is extraneous — even our color vision fades in the dark — and shifts our focus.
Beyond that, we cannot forget the whole of Jesus’ life as we celebrate his birth. We cannot forget that the same mother who tenderly wraps her babe in soft cloths will see his body broken at the hands of the empire. We cannot forget that we live in a world in deep need of peace even as we celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace.
All of this to say, beloved ones, if you are not feeling the hope, peace, joy, and love this season, Advent is still for you. May the darkness of the year, may the focus of the season, attune us to the needs of the world and of our hearts, and invite God to draw near to us in it all.
Peace,
Pastor Megan
Past Posts
- From Our Pastors
Pastor Megan
January 17, 2025Spiritual Resilience
Last Sunday was the first in an 8-week worship series on Spiritual Resilience, where we will together explore how tools from Joanna Macy’s Work That Reconnects and from Christian scripture and tradition can help us all to foster spiritual resilience through challenging times.
Learn More - MOSAIC
Pastor Amy
January 10, 2025 Last week, nearly 40 youth came from all around Newton and Boston, almost exactly one-third from the Muslim Al-Huda Society in Chelsea; one-third from the Jewish community; and one-third from Christian churches. Learn More - From Our PastorsPastor Megan
January 3, 2025 The new year is a time when many of us choose to reflect on what is behind us and what is ahead. I have a few traditions at the new year: Learn More - From Our Pastors: December 20, 2024Pastor Megan
December 20, 2024Baking Christmas Cookies
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: December 8 2024Pastor 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
