From the Minister: The Election

This Sunday, and for the month of October I will be preaching on the issues and shared concerns many of us have on the cusp of the 2020 national election. And I’ll also be trying to share my fundamental approach to leading worship. Regarding my sermon selections and my writing & speaking style: we all have a certain way of looking at things, a way of organizing our experience, adapting to challenges, and understanding our lives. I’m not referring to one’s operative philosophy so much as their framework: how they organize the seemingly inchoate data of life into a working sense of what they’re looking at. For me, considering historical context has always been a natural place to begin. I also like to address “religious” questions: i.e., how can we live ethical, creative, joyful, and responsible lives? As a developmental minister, of course, I have a specific charge: help East Shore get ready for, plan, and mount a successful search for a settled minister. Holidays and momentous occasions also require liturgical attention. Over time, settled ministers establish what amounts to a conversation with those sitting in the pews. The concerns and aspirations of congregants become important touchstones in that conversation—a dialogue that grows, over the years, in compassion, insight, and resolve…on both sides and for everyone. My time among you will be shorter, but the back-and-forth between pulpit and pew remains the same: a creative conversation about some of the most important questions in life. May it also be fun, and insight-generating. Yours in faith,     Stephen