“William dreaded arguments, and there always seemed to be arguments in hockey games. A common cause was the lack of a net. For goal posts, two oak poles had been driven into the ground before flooding the rink, but without a net it was often difficult to tell which side of the post the puck had gone.
Author Archives: First Presbyterian Church
Time to Flip the Switch
President Eisenhower was sitting his first term in the Oval Office when my Grandpa Fielder meandered out to his backyard workshop with a special building project on his heart and mind. Recently retired from a long career as a papermaker for Kimberly Clark, he relied on carpentry to fill his days with renewed purpose andContinue reading “Time to Flip the Switch”
A River of Tears
“Scrooged” is one of the movies that shows up on TV every year come Christmas. A comedic retelling of “A Christmas Carol,” the film stars Bill Murray as the hard-driving, cynical, and unsentimental TV executive Frank Cross. His network has sunk millions into a live Christmas Eve production of Charles Dickens’s classic tale, complete withContinue reading “A River of Tears”
Infected with Jesus
For those who celebrate the gift of Jesus, the birth of the Christ Child issues a challenge to become wholly new people who lead very different kinds of lives. If you kneel with the shepherds and gift like the Magi come December, but then skedaddle out of Bethlehem, flip over the calendar to January, andContinue reading “Infected with Jesus”
Christmas 2020: When Faith Feels Small
A video worship service for Christmas 2020 at First Presbyterian Church. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. And the government shall be upon his shoulder. His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
God Removes the ‘If’
Peering ahead to the next bend of the swift-flowing river, the kayaker spied a heron standing tall in the lightly iced shallows that lined the snow-dusted bank. Desperately wanting a close-up glimpse of the slender-but-majestic bird, she paddled upstream against the strong current as hard, but as quietly, as was possible. When she finally managedContinue reading “God Removes the ‘If’”
Video meditation: Lighting the Fourth Candle of Advent
“The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.’” (Luke 1:30) Of three possible responses to fear – fight, flight or freeze, Mary is, perhaps, frozen by the appearance of the angel, whose greeting and message leave her perplexed and pondering. But fear doesn’t paralyze Mary, whoContinue reading “Video meditation: Lighting the Fourth Candle of Advent”
Connecting the Dots
It was a rookie mistake, and I made it. I’d been serving here just a couple years, and a few weeks out from Christmas, I sat down to assemble the elements for the Christmas Eve service. To refresh my memory, I dug out the bulletins from previous Christmas Eves and noted that we always endedContinue reading “Connecting the Dots”
Video meditation: Lighting the Third Candle of Advent
Sowing seeds is always an act of faith that always feels risky and feeble. How can something so small become something so beautiful, so big, and so nourishing? Some seeds won’t germinate and instead remain buried in the ground. Of those seeds that do, some of the weak sprouts must be weeded out for theirContinue reading “Video meditation: Lighting the Third Candle of Advent”
From the Pastor: A Christmas of Sacrifice
December 10, 2020 Members and friends, To stem the spread and ease the burden of COVID-19 on our community, Session voted Tuesday night to extend our suspension of in-person worship through Sunday, Jan. 10. Sadly, that includes the Christmas Eve service. At our meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 12, the elders and I will re-evaluate ourContinue reading “From the Pastor: A Christmas of Sacrifice”