Our MISSION: “Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in [my] way of life.” (Mt. 28:19 – The Message)
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Pastors’ Blog

Do-Be-Do-Be-Do … The Rhythm of Life

I heard a sermon once. It was offered by the Rev. Dr. Larry Greenfield and he likened life to a Frank Sinatra classic that included “do-be-do-be-do” in its lyrics. Biblically, I think the reference had to do with being saved by faith and not by works and he equated “faith” with the “be-ing” part of our journeys, while “works” was the “do-ing”…

Advent of What?

As we start this traditional season of Advent with acts of terrorism rampant both at home and abroad, with violence and cynicism rising, with war and division becoming so commonplace that it is sometimes hard to remember how to be hope-filled, I am struck by part of Paul’s letter to the Romans: 22-25 All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult…

Hate, Hate, and More Hate

We are being Tested! Today is one of those days when it’s hard to be a pastor. It’s especially hard to be an urban pastor, and triply hard to be an urban pastor who mothers children of color. And yet, if we are to believe what our faith teaches us, then we are all urban pastors who parent children of color because…

Can you have Justice without Equity?

10-10-22A good question arose in our Cuppa the Bible (AoF) discussion this morning and it really has me thinking: Can you have justice without equity? Of course the first thing to do is to look at what “equity” means if we’re not talking about finance and investments. In essence, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, “The term “equity” refers…

God and the Changing Self

9/30/22 I’ve been thinking a lot about changes, lately. Well, really about changes and peoples’ self-definitions and how they change. At this time in upstate New York, the physical/seasonal changes are pretty obvious, really. The leaves changing colors are the most obvious, but there are also changes in light — not just the angle of the lighting, but the quality of it as…

Like getting Back-to-School Supplies

Maybe it’s because I was a teacher earlier in my life; maybe it’s because I feel like a perpetual student; maybe it’s just that I like to buy new pens and notebooks, but this season is always exciting to me. After weeks of necessary and important breaks from our routine, we’re gearing up to reinstate them, though a few will be modified.…

“Like a Rest in the Place where the Music is Born”

The summer of 2022 is so very different from the last few years, isn’t it? At least from the “church” standpoint, it is beginning to feel a little more like an “old welcome” or a “homecoming” to some kind of relaxed calmness when we can all breathe a little deeper (even without a mask sometimes). Sometimes churches change the times in which…

Virtual Worship Begins

03/14/2020 With the rising concerns for our people in relationship to COVID-19, South Church has temporarily suspended our Acts of Faith ministries as they are ALL community based. However, that doesn’t mean that we discontinue being a Faith Community. So today we start our grand experiment in virtual sacred space. We have spent the week listening for the Holy Spirit among the…

Three Videos

Sometimes life is just too good to let go. Here are three videos that give you a bit of a glimpse into South Church – who we are, what’s important to us, and how we got here. The Ordination of the Reverend Laura Bachmann On June 22, 2019, the Presbytery of Genesee Valley ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament, our…