September 17, 2025

September 17, 2025

by | Sep 17, 2025 | PS from PS

ps from psIt has felt a bit chaotic in recent days for many.  Many of you in conversations we’ve had or I’ve heard others are having are describing a bit more fear, anxiety, frustration and lostness than normal.  Even my dental hygienist was asking me about this this morning, while scraping a sharp metal object over my teeth and gums and then asking if I felt any discomfort…to which I always reply, “yes, right about when you’re scraping a sharp metal object over my teeth and gums.”  

Sometimes life feels like it’s scraping a sharp metal object over ours teeth and gums and hearts and patience and plans and comfort zones and even our faith.  And those moments of discomfort can become chaotic times pretty fast.  Kristen’s sermon on Luke’s story of the “Lost” parables was great to remind us that just as Jesus goes after the one lost one, he also treasures, stays with and loves the 99.  In fact, Jesus loves 100% of us 100% of the time.  

The challenge in our faith lives is staying connected to that chaos smoothing news.  

Those are the times that I pray.  I pray, not to make God snap his godly fingers and fix x, y, or z (although, to be honest, I do hope for it), but instead to return me to the purpose and position God put me (and you) in: to continue to overwhelm darkness with light, love and grace.

Prayer changes me.  And in that change, chaos is calmed, peace has a chance to return, hope is restored and light gets brighter.  God invites us into that prayer whenever and wherever it is needed.  Whenever and wherever it is chaotic.  Wherever and whenever anxiety rises up.

There’s a classic prayer that hangs next to my desk that my awesome crafty wife made for me 20+ years ago (her two-year long, first and last needlepoint project) that reads: Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.  

Acceptance.  Courage.  Wisdom.  

If life is chaotic for you today, may God grant you serenity to accept some of the brokenness in and around us and to know that God’s love is bigger than all of it.

If life is chaotic for you today, may God grant you the courage to change the situation around you by sharing more grace and love.

If life is chaotic for you today, may God grant you the wisdom to discern the difference and the wisdom to never forget that you are unconditionally loved by God.

  
Still in One Peace,
ps
September 17, 2025

September 11, 2025

by | Sep 11, 2025 | PS from PS

ps from ps



I shared these words this morning at the Memorial in Amherst as we remember 9/11 and those that were lost. Today, may you too be first responders of love and grace.
ps
…
How did we get here today?

How did we get here (Amherst’s 9/11 Memorial) today? We came here specifically today to honor those that lost their lives in and around the towers 24 years ago, but how do we get HERE (this time and place in culture) today?

We got here today because on that day in NY, PA and DC, hate reared its head and took the lives of thousands of innocent people. But how did we get HERE today?

Here. Today, 24 years later when hate is continuing to rear its head on a college campus in Utah and school in Colorado, how did we get here today?
When intolerance is the norm, how do we get here today?
When trust of our sisters and brothers is only solidified by a party or an ideology, how did we get here today?
Where social media is a platform that more often divides us rather than unites us, how to get here today?
When we promised 24 years ago, we’ll always remember and never forget. And yet time and time again we have forgotten to love, forgotten to listen, forgotten to show compassion, forgotten to see what 24 years ago and 24 hours ago all have in common….maybe that’s how we got here today.

But let me remind you how we may just be able to move forward from here.

Minutes after hate struck 24 years ago, loves struck back! Hundreds the first responders ran towards the remnants of the hatred and overwhelmed it with love. In NY, 343 of them, making it the final act of this world.

How do we move forward today? Just. Like. They. Did.

Yesterday afternoon in Amherst, dozens of first responders and firematic personnel ran towards another fire to ensure the safety of the residents and minimize the loss of property. Talking with the neighbor of the adjoining house, he said to me after the Main-Transit fire chief came over and told them that his house was spared and he was able to go back in, tears flowed down his face and he said: You guys are amazing thank you so much. I love you. You’re the best. (Spoken to the responders at the event). He was right. You’re the best!

We can remember, never forget and honor those who died that day, and in the years that followed due to illness, by running towards the hate we see with love. And by overwhelming it!

To quote the profit Josh Allen, “Have a little faith next time” and that’s what we need to do. We can have a little faith that our love in the world is needed now more than ever. We can have a little faith that we can channel the country we became on September 12, 2001 and replicate that unity again. We can listen a little longer, show a little bit more compassion, not judge people because of their skin tone or a country of origin, and share our gifts and talents as first responders of grace and love. My prayer for you today is that you will remember and never forget 24 years ago. But that you will allow those memories to guide and shape who each of us can be in the next 24 hours.

Have a little faith, the game is not over. There still is more time. With the memory of those we lost 24 years ago, don’t give up yet.

I share with you, the words of Father Mychal Judge, FDNY Chaplain, who died along with my cousin on that day when the south tower came down. He would say these words as he blessed his responders for their work ahead: Lord, take us where you need us to go. See the people you need us to see. Say the things we need to say and keep us out of your way, Amen

Still in One Peace,
ps
September 17, 2025

September 3, 2025

by | Sep 4, 2025 | PS from PS

ps from psWell, here we are…BACK… from summer break.  

And this coming weekend at St. Paul’s, we’re back with a bang and kicking it off with “God’s Work, Our Hands Weekend.”  If you are a part of the ELCA tribe, you know that we’ve been doing that for years as a whole church.  We’ve participated many times over the years, but with so many other “God’s Worky” things that we do every day through St. Paul’s mission, we haven’t fully participated each year.

But this year, we are all in and getting after it for TWO straight days.  

Saturday, we’re celebrating God’s Work that will be done by Kristen’s hands!  In her 4pm ordination service (our Sunday regular service has been moved to this service as well and it’s going to be awesome!), you’ll hear lots of stories and hymns and songs about “bring called.”  Called by God to do the things of God as a newly ordained pastor.  Has Kristen been doing God’s work with her hands for years?  Absolutely.  But now it will shaped differently through Word and Sacrament ministry and recognized by the whole church.

On Sunday, after the food truck serves yummy breakfast, we’ll have a brief worship time in the sanctuary, ending with Communion and sending us right out of the sanctuary into various types of service work in the world (check out St. Paul’s Facebook page for the different types of “hour or less” timeframe projects we’ll do).  Some are active, some are writing, some are artsy, some are packaging.  But all will reach beyond ourselves and impact the world with the message that you are unconditionally loved by God.

So, what about God’s work and YOUR hands?  

In Matthew 25, we hear Jesus tell those listening and learning, “whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me.”  This week in your discipleship and this weekend in your participation, reflection and worship, listen for God calling YOU!  If you allow yourself space to listen, I can guarantee you that God is calling and inviting you into ministry.  You might just hear it!!  Maybe being ordained?  Maybe cooking for the hungry?  Maybe getting supplies ready for the homeless?  Maybe prepping a home for the refugee?  Maybe your hands doing your thing which turns out to also be God’s thing.

Listen…God is calling.  May our hands be ready.  See you this weekend in the mission field.

Lord, thanks for inviting us into your work.  AmenStill in One Peace,
ps
September 17, 2025

July 2, 2025

by | Jul 2, 2025 | PS from PS

ps from ps



Well, here we are at summer break.  

It’s a break from routines and I look forward to it all year long.  Out of the office and more time at LCLC, walks outdoors with folks, sitting at Glens Falls park instead of my office to work on sermons, weeding the landscaping at church (this morning at 9am if anyone wants to join in) instead of talking on the phone at my desk, meetings outside rather than inside and more time off with family and friends.  We even take the chance to worship outdoors in July at St. John’s pavilion.

The break in routines helps me break open the beauty of God’s creation and God’s presence around me.  The creation that was always there all year long.  The presence that was always there all year long.

My prayer for you this summer is that you’ll do things, or NOT do things, that will help you see those things more clearly as well.  God’s creation and God’s presence.  Always there.  All year long.

And with you as one of God’s prize creations, I believe that when you take that rest, that renewal, that change, that left turn, that pause, that shift outdoors, that break, you will be refreshed and refilled with the hope, grace and love that God has been offering all year long.

Enjoy summer break.  And may you be well, safe and blessed as it unfolds.

See you here in the fall.

Lord, break it open and remind us that it was there all the time.  AmenStill in One Peace,
ps
September 17, 2025

June 18, 2025

by | Jun 18, 2025 | PS from PS

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I saw a church sign last year when I was out for a run that read:

Hurt people, hurt people.
Healed people, heal people.

Seems to be profoundly true.  

Our lesson coming up this weekend is Luke 8:26-39.  And it’s a good one…unless you’re an unsuspecting pig that is.  You can click that link to read it or here’s the summary: guy has demons in him; people shun him and he lives in isolation in the “tombs”; demons recognize Jesus; Jesus calls out demons; demons are sent into nearby pigs; pigs jump over a cliff; pig owners are super mad; they tell the village and confront Jesus; they find the man, now healed, sitting with Jesus; they force Jesus out of town; the healed guy wants to go with; Jesus says: go back to your town and proclaim the healing you’ve received.

Several questions come to mind as I read this story:

1.  How did these folks get so blinded to the man’s pain that they left him to live in the tombs?  What happened in their own lives that they ignored his needs and allowed for this isolation to happen?  But I guess: hurt people, hurt people.

2.  Isn’t it amazing that the demons throughout the Bible always seem to recognize Jesus?  Sometimes faster than the regular towns folks!  The demons know there’s a “call out” coming from God and want to avoid it most times.  Even they can sense God’s power over evil.  Can we?  

3.  Are we more concerned about our own pigs than we are for those who are suffering and in need of healing and community?  Are we willing to sacrifice and even change vocations (if we’re out of pigs) to see the healing that is needed and celebrate when it happens?

4.  Seems like it might be a tad risky to return to your own town to proclaim God’s healing when some folks just lost their income source and others ignored you when you were hurting?  I guess following Jesus involves some risk.  Some challenges.  Some changes.  But it seems that the potential for healing of others is worth the risk and could lead to bigger and better things.  Healed people, heal people.  

There’s a lot going on in this story.  There’s a lot going on in our stories.  There are a lot of questions.  But throughout it all, we find Jesus once again standing with the least, little, lonely and left behind.  We find Jesus healing.  We find Jesus present.  We find Jesus inviting us to proclaim.  

In the midst of all the questions in your story, may you find the same.

Lord, thanks for being in the questions with healing, power and presence.  AmenStill in One Peace,
ps