This Sunday, Jess directed her homily toward blessing and saying goodbye to our beloved Rachael Barham as she and her family prepare for a move and a new season ahead. Themes of beauty, imperfection, interconnectedness, and the divine in all things were woven through the service, as well as much love and gratitude for the many ways Rachael has blessed and shaped our lives and community.
This Sunday, Marilyn Orr helped us think about what happens when we spend time in the desert and away from the busyness of ordinary life, and to consider the difference between chosen wilderness times and times we do not choose — like the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. She encouraged us to share our pain and confusion honestly before God and others, and challenged us to think about how to remain open to views that are different than our own as we walk together through divisive times
This Sunday, Mel Burns (Canadian Friends Service Committee Peace Program Coordinator & SSU graduate student), joined us during our Second Breakfast Potluck to share about the roots of Quakerism, the journey that led Mel to check out a local Quaker Group during the pandemic, and the many gifts that have been gathered through Quaker practices since then.
This Sunday, Jess Williams introduced our new teaching theme, ‘The Path of Love: A Way in the Wilderness’ and invited us to enter the year holding the question, “is this the path of love?” as a guide through the times ahead. She explains how the leadership collective arrived at this theme, and shares some of the passages, poetry, and community insights that led them here.
This Sunday, keeping in mind that it was recently International Women’s Day, Walter interviewed Jess about the ways in which our society, including churches, have not listened well to women, and how that is changing or could change.
This Sunday marked the 30th anniversary of St. Croix Church. It was also Thanksgiving Weekend and the day that Peter and Mary Ellen Fitch chose as a retirement date. All of these things were celebrated with songs, an open mic for people to share what the church has meant to them, and a potluck time with cake.
The audio podcast this week is limited to the middle hour of the time together but includes all of the open mic sharing. The video contains the complete service.
This Sunday Peter Fitch spoke on the first anniversary of St. Croix Church, the name that we took as we morphed away from our denomination a year ago this weekend. He chose to speak on Revelation 21 and 22, seeing the description of the new Jerusalem as an ancient means of encouragement for people who were undergoing persecution and oppression. As such, it works in a similar way for us. Instead of hopelessness in the face of challenges, we can be confident in the Spirit of God’s Presence, bringing comfort and creativity as we walk through life together, always pushing toward kindness and justice.