Pastoral Ponderings from early Summer

Greetings, dear community. When I last sat at my computer to write a reflection for the Whistler, it was February, and we were heading into the season of Lent. My writing that day used as a springboard Thomas Merton’s report of the mystical moment when he became aware of his…

Seeing the World Apocalyptically

“Seeing the World Apocalyptically”  based on our reading from Mark 13: 1-8; 24-37 (written and preached by Deacon Adrienne Major on our 03/29/20 Zoom service) What a jam, to get the apocalypse in the midst of a pandemic—when our lives and work are uncertain, we sit with Jesus and the…

Pastoral letter re: Covid-19

Dear ones,I know I sent a missive just yesterday saying that we would have one last church gathering on Sunday, to be together (at an intentional distance) to pray and process the fact that we’re in unfamiliar waters with this pandemic. But we are in uncharted waters, and following excellent meetings with our Trustees and…
The Myth of Separateness

The Myth of Separateness

Greetings! In downtown Louisville, Kentucky, there stands an unusual historical marker. Instead of marking the place as the site of an important battle, or the birth or death of a notable person, it marks a moment of clarity that burst into the heart of one of our country’s great religious…
Our Hearts, God’s Heart

Our Hearts, God’s Heart

Greetings, beloved community! It has been a weird few weeks in the wake of my husband Tristan’s heart attack, but I believe our family is slowly regaining our footing. Perhaps it’s the hospice chaplain in me, but it feels oddly reassuring to move forward with an increased sense of our…
Courageous Kindness

Courageous Kindness

Greetings! I recently had the opportunity to counsel a young couple who are considering getting married; I was tickled to be asked for feedback, as so often brides and grooms are more focused on the wedding celebration than on contemplating what it’s like to be in a day-in/day-out committed relationship…
Love ~ a Whistler Reflection

Love ~ a Whistler Reflection

Greetings, dear ones, As I sit to write this reflection, our area of the world is anticipating our first significant snowfall of the winter to come. It’s almost 5 p.m., and the shadows of twilight have given way to the depth of darkness that comes so very early at this…
It’s All About Community

It’s All About Community

Greetings, As many of you know, this has been a difficult season in my life, in which my family and I struggled to support my parents through my father’s health crises and eventual death in July. His suffering was significant enough that there was an element of relief at his…
Finding Your Still Point

Finding Your Still Point

  Greetings! As I have been thinking about what to write about to make good use of this space in the Whistler, I flipped through a mental rolodex of the challenges in our world that have caught my attention lately. Thinking about geo-political machinations, the separation of children from their…
Holy Week Reminders

Holy Week Reminders

Hello, dear church family, Reminder: tonight is Maundy Thursday, on which we hold our annual Tenebrae service. The service begins at 7 p.m. and lasts about an hour. For those of you who like to know these things, I'll remind you that the word "Maundy" shares a root with our word…