A message from the pastor

“All theology spins from the power we

have to think beyond ourselves.”

                        — Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki

“Truly, I say to you, as you (cared for) the

least of these… you did it to me.”

                        — Jesus, Matthew 25

Friends in Christ,

            Many of you know that I attended Quaker schools from 5th – 12th grades.  After the event in Philadelphia (home to my high school) where Walter Wallace was killed by police, and in the days leading up to our national election, I received an email from Germantown Friends School encouraging me to “live in the Light.”  One of the Quaker luminaries, George Fox, lived during upheavals and war yet spoke of how an infinite ocean of light and love flowed over the ocean of darkness.  And that God has a living spark in every person.  Hence, “live in the Light.”

            That is my prayer just now.  That we can see beyond ourselves, care for the least of God’s children and spread light.  It’s always my prayer, but this season there has been an extra measure of darkness and, frankly, people share their own despair with me every day.

            First off, you are always welcome to do that.  My (zoom) door is always open and after decades of experience I can say that there is nothing you cannot share with me as you need.  And nothing that I am not willing to share as we both lean on God.

            Second, as people who think beyond ourselves and strive to reveal that spark of God all around, I have three invitations, in case you are able:

            1.  Do you know about our Bread Ministry, where we gather the best that is left at Whole Foods evenings at 9 pm then share it with those in need the next day?  We always need more hands.

            2.  Or,  could you cook a Thanksgiving meal this year (days ahead of Thanksgiving) to share with a family of four?  Our goal is to provide 10, or feed forty, all together.  Call me.

            3.  Or, the Newton Food Pantry is is planning a free community refrigerator (nicknamed, in a French accent, a “Freedge”) to open in late winter.  We need help with that, too.

            Once we’ve fed people and thought beyond ourselves I pray that we vote so that Black Lives Matter, pray for the way Jesus would build a Beloved Community and stick together in this covid season of duress.  I know we can.  I work so that we will.

                        Peace to you,

               Ken

“God, grant me the serenity to accept those things I cannot change,

the courage to change those things that I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.”

                                                — Reinhold Niebuhr, UCC pastor