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First Congregational ChurchUnited Church of Christ, Vancouver, WA |
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Dear Church Family and Friends,
I am a man who likes spicy food, so for me Thanksgiving turkey and mashed potatoes would be insufferably bland without a little help from the stuffing department. For the smell receptors in my nose, the sage and thyme of my mother’s stuffing is absolutely intoxicating. For this reason, I can think of no better metaphor than stuffing as we take time to reflect on all that we have to be grateful for this Thanksgiving season.
To listen to this sermon, click here.
A few weeks ago I had the privilege of attending a three-day advocacy camp conducted by the Children’s Alliance. The camp was designed to equip and empower us to advocate for policies and programs that will enhance and protect the lives of children in our state. Out of thirty-five campers, I was one of three males. Most of the campers were women who either were professionals in fields related to the well-being of children or were working mothers concerned about their own kids. For me, the stories of the mothers were what made our work at the camp particularly meaningful and real.
To listen to this sermon, click here.
Hebrew Scripture Reading—Deuteronomy 34: 1-12
Sasha was sixteen and could not seem to adjust back to life as normal. She had returned to school after the memorial service for her grandmother, and she simply did not feel like chatting with her friends at lunch or in the hallways as she typically did. In truth, she silently felt angry at her friends. Her friends were concerned for her and were not the least bit insensitive. The problem was that they could not and would never know just how wonderful and great Grandma Mosley was. To Sasha, it seemed an injustice that the loss of the best grandmother in the world would fail to register as supremely significant in the emotional lives of everyone else, not just her family.
