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School concerts, graduations, banquets, tournaments, exams, recitals, teacher gifts, and the countdown to summer…all packed into thirty-one busy dawn-to-dusk days. I don’t know about you but it’s no wonder some of us feel like May is the other December. It’s like the busy holiday season without the cozy, colorful lights. But here we are. We made it. We’ve survived the whirlwind of activities, and we can see June just around the corner. And whether you’ve limped toward the finish line, clutching your coffee in one hand and your calendar in the other or you thrived and kept the schedule like a boss, either way, we’veRead More →

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Earlier this month many of you stopped by the Pepper Valley parsonage for an open house. It wasn’t a housewarming party or a peek into your pastor’s home life — it was a celebration of faithful work. Our Board of Trustees has been working hard on that property, and they were proud (as they should be!) to show the results of their care and stewardship before the next clergy family moves in. That family is the Connors — Rev. Heather Connor, their partner Adam, and their three children — who will be arriving in just a few weeks to begin full-time ministry with us. We’reRead More →

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Memorial Day is in 10 days — a time when we remember and honor those who gave their lives in military service. It’s a solemn and important observance, one that calls us to reflect on the cost of war and the weight of sacrifice. We honor all who have served with courage and integrity, especially those who laid down their lives in pursuit of peace, justice, and freedom. And perhaps it’s for that very reason — the cost of war — that my heart was heavy this week. Because while preparing for worship and catching up on the news, I read a headline that struckRead More →

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About a month ago, a couple of the companies I order from online sent me emails—not unusual; I get more than enough of those. But these were different. They asked me something I didn’t expect: “Do you want to opt out of Mother’s Day emails this year?” And then, just this past week, they did the same for Father’s Day. The message behind these little checkboxes was clear: they recognized that for many people, these days are not always joyful. Or at least, not only joyful. There’s a complicated swirl of feelings that come with these holidays—some deeply grateful, others quietly grieving. And I thought,Read More →

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What if death isn’t the end? We know that’s the heart of the Easter story—and now, it’s showing up in an unlikely place: deep space. A recent study from researchers at the University of Sheffield suggests that black holes—those mysterious regions of space known for swallowing everything, even time—may not be the final, inescapable void we once thought. Instead, they may become white holes, cosmic phenomena that eject matter, energy, and even time itself back into the universe. Let that sink in: What we assumed was an ending might actually be a beginning. For decades, scientists believed that a black hole marked the absolute endRead More →