Pine Island Pastor Musings

Abraham, Beth and Cerica Pine Island Church hosted the joint youth group of Pine Island, First, Westminster, North, and Richland Presbyterian Churches Sunday evening at our Hope Garden.  Twenty plus young people participated.   It was the second youth event this September. Adult leaders gathered the group by the fire circle and oriented newcomers explaining that all are welcomed and appreciated.  These gatherings are for supporting each other through the stress of school, and challenges of growing up.  Stress was acknowledged.  Seniors are working on college applications. There was time for catching up with friends, and play as people gathered. After some pizza, chips, and fruit, Beth, Cerica and Abraham explained Pine Island's Hope Garden project.  The garden produced this year a little over 3,400 pounds of produce:  potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, eggplant, okra, squash.  Much of the produce was distributed to fam...

PDA, the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program of the Presbyterian Church (USA), is one of the most celebrated programs of the church.  My post this week shares PDA's message concerning Hurricane Florence Response. The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) urges your support for those affected by Hurricane Florence. PDA is delivering immediate aid to those impacted by Hurricane Florence on the eastern seaboard of the United States. Initial assessments suggest catastrophic destruction, but the full scope of the damage will not be known for many months. The storm’s path is cutting across areas still recovering from Hurricane Matthew (2016). While these winds and waters have meant loss and destruction, the work of PDA might become, as the Psalmist says, “a river whose streams make glad the city of God.” PDA is deploying teams to affected presbyteries to meet with Presbyterian and community leadership to assist in coordinating relief efforts and mucking out homes and ch...

"If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, will save it" (Mark 8:35-36). I confess that  I am a Detroit Lions fan,  though a new one.  I am a newcomer, unlike Michiganders who have been following the Lion's woos for decades.  I have rooted for the local team wherever I've lived, the Pittsburgh Steelers and their "steel curtain" when growing up in Pennsylvania; the Washington Redskins and their "hogs" when attending seminary in Richmond; the Buffalo Bills who played in the Super Bowl four times and lost each time when serving in Cooperstown; and the New York Jets as they did their version of rebuilding when living in Montauk.   The attraction of sports to me is following the human stories of the players and the coaches as they attempt to build team chemi...

"May Christ dwell in your hearts in faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love"  (Ephesians 3:17). People often ask me where I'm from?  That's a deep question as my wife, Eileen and I, like many in our generation, have been mobile and have lived and served in several communities.  Before moving to Kalamazoo, Michigan we've served churches in Fannettsburg, Harrisburg, and Erie Pennsylvania; Cooperstown and Montauk, New York; lived in Richmond, Virginia for seminary;  did internships in churches in Highpoint, North Carolina and Newport News, Virginia.  After college and before seminary, we spent three months in Campinas, Brazil learning Portuguese in preparation for two years in Porto Franco, Brazil at the edge of the Amazon rainforest.  I've learned that no matter where we've lived people want us to respect and love them for who they are.  And I 've learned to consolidate my answer to where I'm from to South Central Pennsylvania.  F...