by Stacey Hilliard | Mar 7, 2022 | Sermons
Many of us know the story of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness at the start of his ministry, as depicted in this famous painting by James Jaques Tissot. What we often overlook in that story is that Jesus didn’t end up in that situation by trickery or accident. The Gospel of Matthew tells us that it was the Spirit of God who led him there. Wait! What? What happened to “Lead us not into temptation?” What is God up to here, and what does that mean for me? Join me as we enter into the wilderness of Lent and think it through.
Pastor Anne
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by Stacey Hilliard | Feb 28, 2022 | News
Why Ashes? Joe Iovino delves into the subject in an article he wrote for UMC.org in 2015:
“One Wednesday a year, sometime in February or March, you notice people at work, school, or elsewhere with a smudge on her forehead. Then you remember it is Ash Wednesday and they must have received the imposition of ashes. This practice we use to mark the first day of Lent may seem odd. People go to church mid-week to have a cleric place dirt on their foreheads.”
Read his article here.
This year, our service and imposition of ashes will be conducted in-person, in the sanctuary at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome! The service will also be streamed live on our Facebook page and YouTube channel.
by Stacey Hilliard | Feb 22, 2022 | News, Uncategorized
On Sunday, February 27, Crawford will welcome Agnes Coakley and Nathaniel Cox – founders of In Stile Moderno – who will provide music for our service of worship at 10:00 a.m. All are invited to join us, whether in-person or via our livestream on either Facebook or YouTube.
In Stile Moderno is an ensemble for early music, which Coakley and Cox founded in Basel, Switzerland in 2012. Named after the “modern style” of music which emerged in Italy around 1600, the ensemble is dedicated to music of the seventeenth century, and combines fidelity to historical performance practice with a drive to make early music accessible and relevant to modern audiences. Both as a lute and voice duo and in larger formations with cornetto, organ, voice, and plucked instruments, In Stile Moderno has charmed audiences with their engaging performances of seventeenth-century music in Boston, Vermont, and New York, as well as in concert series in Switzerland, Germany, and France.
Their next concert, “Stay, Time: Lute Songs of John Dowland,” will take place on Saturday, March 12 at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Watertown, MA. Please visit instilemoderno.com for more information.
by Stacey Hilliard | Feb 18, 2022 | News
The word “wilderness” is found 300 times in the Bible. Jesus spent 40 days there before starting his ministry. Our faith practice reflects this by entering into 40 days of what we call Lent for reflection and preparation before the celebration of Easter. We thought this might be a great time to reflect on creation and our relationship to it. We will host a walk each Saturday in Lent, beginning March 5 and ending April 9. We will meet on the Sturgis Street side of Horn Pond (our local “wilderness”) from 8am to 9am for these walks. No need to sign up—just show up!
by Stacey Hilliard | Feb 4, 2022 | Conversations
“Isn’t it strange that sometimes it’s easier to be busy than to be still and breathe? (Or is that just me…?)”
Joseph Woo, “Breathing In God”
During coffee hour following a recent worship service that featured a 30-minute musical mediation lead by Santiago Barragan Noguera, we discussed meditation in general, and the impact of intentional breathing on our minds, spirits, and bodies. Here are some resources that attendees shared that day and in the days that followed.
- Morning Moment, a conscious breathing exercise, available any time you need it, led by Christina Sooji, executive coach to feminine leaders
- 20 days of “live” meditation with Jay Shetty, bestselling author, podcast host, former monk, and purpose coach
- Free online breathe class, Thursdays at 1:00 p.m. ET, offered by Soul Dimension, an online resource for spiritual and physical health through yoga and breath work
- Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, a book by James Nestor
