Faith community matters

Nostalgic moments seem to dominate my mind these days. I just returned from time with my New Orleans family. I received the gift of a new book. It is called Welcome Corner: A New History of St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church. Written by the recently retired senior...

Disowning the Bible

” ‘Appropriating’ seems to have the same stress put on it in relating the individual to the world through the ownership of property as ‘belief ‘ has in relating the individual to the world through the acquisition and power of knowledge.’” –Stanley...

From Batts residency to local pulpits

Dear FPC Family, Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As Paul wrote to the Philippians, I thank God every time I think of you. I am thankful for my time here as a Sid and Cathy Batts Pastoral Resident, but now that time has come to a...

Because we Presbyterians love our books!

Staff members recommend these titles for your summer reading list.        Spiritual growth Freeing Jesus: Rediscovering Jesus as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way and Presence by Diana Butler Bass. A historical and theological look at how Christians...

Are we there yet?

As the summer approaches and the temperatures rise, memories of family vacations come to mind. When I was a child, my family loaded up the blue Impala, no AC, and drove from Nova Scotia to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I remember being impressed with kudzu,...

A group on earth as in heaven

Over the course of the pandemic, the regular highlight of my week has been a Thursday night Bible study. These studies are filled with grace, joy, laughter, prayer, and lots of music. They are proof that even in a pandemic when we could not be with each other, God is...

Recognizing the ‘great trees’ in our lives

The poem below, written by Maya Angelou, was shared with me by an FPC friend, and I, in turn, want to share it with you. There is “a great tree” in my personal life who is slowly falling: my 91-year-old Pop. As you know, he holds the most special place in my heart for...

Roadside words from the Lord

I have an odd habit of picking up random pieces of paper when I go on walks. I happen to believe that God speaks through all things and sometimes the Word of the Lord might be made known through a random scrap of newspaper or discarded receipt. Mostly, I just...

Young women, including ours, at the UN gathering

Our member Victoria Alexander says, “Getting to meet all of these incredible women makes me completely resolved to work just as hard as they do to make my voice heard, to take action to make this world better for the girls and young women who will come after me.” See...

Becoming an Earth Care Congregation

  In scripture, the first call of humanity is to be stewards of God’s creation. Even today, the call to care for the earth and all that lives on it is an important part of our Christian witness. Over the past year, we have ramped up and recommitted ourselves to...