April 2009
4 posts
A Snapshot of My Hometown →
“The day when God is absent, when He is silent — that is the beginning of prayer....”
– Anthony Bloom - Beginning to Pray
Easter Sermon - The Next Chapter
I. Intro:
Precious Ramotswe is the only licensed female private investigator in the south African country of Botswana, so even though she is training herself while on the job it is entirely accurate that she named her firm “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” in the first episode of the BBC television series by the same name based on the novels by Alexander McCall. To drum up business for the...
Palm Sunday Sermon - I Love a Parade
I have always enjoyed a good parade: the spectacle, the sounds, the gathering of people together in a common celebration. While I know not all of you may enjoy parades, something about them is in our DNA; can you imagine Thanksgiving without the Macy’s Parade or summer without the Mt Kisco Firemen’s Parade?
Parades are definitely in my DNA; after all, before Charlie Curry and Kathy Jamison were...
January 2009
1 post
Sermon - Let’s Start at the Very Beginning
11 January 2009 - Baptism of the Lord
In its witty and soulful telling of a journey home, the film O Brother, Where Art Thou makes constant reference to Homer’s classic epic poem The Oddessey. This Coen Brothers’ movie is one of my favorites, featuring George Clooney as Everett Ulysses McGIll an escaped convict with two goals: saving a $1.2 million booty from a bank heist hidden at a place that...
December 2008
2 posts
On My Heart and Mind - Christmas
22 December 2008
Lily wanted to celebrate Jesus’ birthday this evening. I told her that Christmas was on Thursday, but after already attending two Christmas parties today she was not so easily convinced. “We can celebrate his birthday today if we want to,” she said—besides, she already had a cupcake chosen for this surprise party. I stuck to my guns and delayed this little celebration for...
On My Heart and Mind - Mid-Advent Thoughts
6 December 2008
‘Tis the Season
The signs of Christmas are all around us… and tonight’s snow is just one more sign. Throughout today’s Christmas Bazaar I heard many members of our church and community saying that this annual event marked the official beginning of their Christmas season; a big “thank you” goes out to the many people who have made this event a wonderful tradition. I love this time...
November 2008
1 post
Sermon - Mothers of the Messiah: Tamar
November 30, 2008
The Gospel of Matthew begins like this:
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
4And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat...
September 2008
1 post
WatchI’ve always liked Peter Gomes, funny little man that he is!
August 2008
1 post
On My Heart and Mind - An Encounter with a Very...
I was on my front porch the middle of last week, taking care of the last details for hosting houseguests. After an afternoon of washing the linens, rearranging books and knick-knacks, vacuuming and then hiding all the cleaning supplies that were not manufactured by Procter & Gamble (my brother-in-law works for them), I was filthy. Such was my state as I watered flowers and swept spider-webs...
July 2008
1 post
Lectionary Reflections and Study for July 6th,...
Hebrew Scripture Lessons (Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 with Song of Solomon 2:8-13)
If these last few weeks’ lessons with their stories of foible Abraham and his folks has challenged us to see both world and God in shades of grey, this week’s Hebrew Scripture lessons call us to color in this portrait with pastels. In Genesis 24, Sarah is dead and Abraham seeks to know his lineage (and God’s...
May 2008
3 posts
Feed the Birds
In our back yard is a small wooden birdfeeder; I have to say, I am somewhat ambivalent about it. Maria is the one who keeps it full, remembering to buy seed when we run out. For a while Maria was less than enthusiastic about the birdfeeder. Her lack of interest happened after she and Lincoln, our dog, found a hawk in the little mudroom off our kitchen. Lincoln saw the bird of prey...
Don't Go to Church
For Immediate Release United Methodist Church of Mount Kisco Says, “Don’t Go to Church”Local Church Shuts Down Sunday Service to Serve the Community Mount Kisco, New York, May 21, 2008—The church has left the building. And on Sunday, June 1st, its community will be glad they did. The United Methodist Church of Mount Kisco, a 200 member congregation, is putting its faith into action...
Sermon
Detours – “Faith in Action I” Pentecost, Mother’s Day 2008 My wife Maria and I have very different traveling styles. We both enjoy a roadtrip now and again, but I tend to watch my time and distance traveled, to keep up my rate of speed and get to our destination. Maria has a very different idea of what constitutes a good trip in the car; she is perpetually asking if there is a back-road we...
April 2008
6 posts
UMC of Mt. Kisco gets a mention on page 2 of this... →
On a personal note...
Dear Friends, One person has dominated my feelings and thoughts this week – and no, it has not been the Pope. Lily has been on my heart and mind! I know, for many of you, she’s been on your hearts and minds, too. We thank you for all your prayers and good wishes. So, I want to use this opportunity to catch you up on what has been happening. This has been a wonderful week: Lily was placed...
Sermon - The Road to Emmaus: Leading a sacramental...
I remember the definition of a sacrament I learned in confirmation class: “A sacrament is an outward sign of an inward and invisible grace.” We also learned that Methodists believed there were two sacraments: baptism and communion. These two qualify as sacraments because Jesus instituted them and Jesus participated in them. Sacraments are ordinary things – water, bread, wine – taking on...
March 2008
7 posts
“You don’t choose your family, but you choose what church you want to attend.”
– Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
Sermon – Easter 08 "A God of Promise"
Ben Franklin is given credit with saying “Fish and houseguests stink after three days.” I am going to reserve comment on that subject, but we gather this morning, because three days was as long as the grave could hold Jesus. He had promised that he would be raised on the third day, and he we are. The promise has been kept. Christ is risen indeed, Alleluia! This morning, I want us to know...
“[IF]
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and...”
– Rudyard Kipling
Garrison Keillor on Easter this year... tell me... →
Opus! →
February 2008
13 posts
On My Heart and Mind – A little levity in the...
Jokes, dancing, karaoke and a table full of desserts… during Lent! It’s almost scandalous, what’s next, croquet? It’s February 29th, so Leap Day is here, which means “Leap Into Spring Talent Show” and I hope you’ll be part of the fun and fellowship as we get together tonight at 7:30pm in Halstead Hall. There’s going to be great snacks and desserts, and you will not want to miss the acts of...
New York Times: The Advantages of Closing a Few... →
Mom has always taught me not to burn any bridges. Jesus spoke of pruning branches that bear no fruit. Sometimes we have to make difficult choices and deal with the loss so that we can go forward.
“Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would...”
– C. S. LEWIS, The Joyful Christian
For comparison's sake
Nicodemus Samaritan Woman Man Woman Has a name has not Leader in Jewish religious circles An unclean Samaritan Married five times, ...
On My Heart and Mind - Pastor Matt's Weekly Email
Come One, Come All At last week’s SOUP+SOUL we discussed radical hospitality as one of the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. We had a great time in conversation about our church and how we can become more radical in our invitation and welcome to others. During our time, Jesus’ “Parable of the Wedding Banquet” was mentioned. In this story about the Kingdom of God, Jesus tells about a...
Praying with Lior
I recently saw a film of such power and grace I have not been able to stop telling people about it. “Praying With Lior” is a beautiful, rather simply made, documentary by Ilana Trachtman that shows Lior Liebling preparing for his Bar Mitzvah. In many ways, Lior is typical of any teenage boy marking this kind of transition: he travels with his father to the mall to buy a new tie and pair of...
The Divine Hours →
I’m not great at sticking to my Lenten discipline, but when I do I like to pray Phyllis Tickle’s (www.phyllistickle.com) Divine Hours. The link above will take you to the website of the Vineyard Church in Ann Arbor; they update the prayers three or four times a day so that it is always on the right set of readings. Maybe later I’ll comment more on daily prayer.
“The only people on earth who do not see Christ and his teachings as nonviolent...”
– Mohandis Gandhi
Michael Stewart says our denomination is "not all... →
Neither is my blog. I am new to this blogging stuff. Thanks for your patience, all three of my readers. I am not the only one in the world doing this, and I am no where near the best. But maybe this is just what you (or the world… or I) need. I am writing about topics that may or may not be very interesting to anybody. I also plan on publishing here a lot of the stuff I am already...
1 tag
On My Heart and Mind - Pastor Matt's Weekly Email
Valentine’s Day is quite maligned as a “Hallmark Holiday.” I admit, I have uttered similar cynical thoughts about the 14th of February. This day is also my sister’s birthday, and I have often used this fact as an excuse to be let off the hook from celebrating the holiday; my line went something like this: “I will be spending today with my sister, so I can’t take you out for an overpriced...
