Anabaptism at 501 -OR- Coarse Mennonites Unite
Last year we celebrated the 500-year anniversary of the Anabaptist movement. Now we’ve cycled again past that January 21st date marking those first adult baptisms. So here we are: Anabaptism at 501. I’ve been reading a bit in Anabaptists: From the Reformation to the 21st Century by German historian Astrid…
Progress, or Not
I’ve been thinking some about progress. It’s hard not to when you have a medical emergency and receive a highly technical surgery that likely sets you on a path toward full recovery. It’s not hard to imagine a different life trajectory – or rapid decline – had the same physical…
Pain as a Doorway
“Pain,” writes David Whyte, “is the doorway to the here and now.”* My doorway coincided with the opening of 2026. I woke up New Year’s Day with a sharp pain running down the top of my left side, neck to wrist. We were with Abbie’s family in Quinter, Kansas and…
Blessing and Being Blessed
One of the things I cherish most about our life together as a congregation is the many ways we honor moments of growth and transition. We give Bibles to second graders; we mark the transitions of those who go through the Transitions and Ritual class; we celebrate commitments of faith…
Beautiful Star
“O beautiful star of Bethlehem, shining afar through shadows dim…” VT 275 A star plays a prominent role in the nativity story, guiding wise ones from the East as they travel to visit the Christ child in Bethlehem. Whatever astronomical sign that may or may not have been, it is…