Pastoral Message, September 2016
I stumbled onto a short article in which an 80-year old, Klezmer music-playing clarinetist was asked about the importance of breathing. She said, “Relax. Inhale deeply. Sit up straight. Appreciate …
News & Events
Category: Pastors’ Letters
Pastoral Message, August 2016
In January 1945, my father, Richard Bush, enlisted in the Navy halfway through his senior year in high school. He was 17, so his parents had to sign for him …
Pastoral Prayer for Ferguson, MO
It is important to speak a word about the recent grand jury decision in Ferguson, MO. First, it is sad to think how few congregations are likely commenting in worship …
Stumbling Blocks of Faith
How do we remember painful things? That question seems backwards, because we typically try not to think about painful things. We work hard at forgetting bad memories and tell ourselves …
“I Love Jesus, But…”
Several years ago, Ellen DeGeneres had a great conversation with an older woman in Austin, Texas named Gladys. You can watch the YouTube video here now, if you wish. The …
What Your Front Yard Says About You
Our church’s front yard is different now. The rain garden project is basically finished. After the hard winter we had last year, we are making sure that the newly planted …
Being Attentive in a Distracted Age
I was thinking today about the story of Moses and the Burning Bush (found in Exodus 3). At this stage of his life, Moses had fled from the life he’d …
Pastoral Message, November 2013
How do Presbyterians make decisions? (I realize that sounds like an opening line to a joke just waiting for a punch line.) It is actually a serious and theological question: …
Pastoral Message, October 2013
And so it begins. After a process that has lasted over four years, the long-awaited water reclamation project involving the Penn Avenue yard of our church is finally underway. This …
Pastoral Message, September 2013
Our church staff recently met with members of a media group who are helping re-design our church website. The web design firm, located on Penn Avenue, knew a bit about …