107 Concord Road, Wayland Massachusetts 01778

For the love of Christ urges us on….   2 Corinthians 5:14

Christian congregations like Peace survive because the Spirit of Christ keeps calling us to be here, to do Christian things, to practice loving God and loving one another. The spirit calls us to listen to ancient and strange words as if they contain the secret to life for us. The spirit breathes through those ancient words, calling our busy and troubled spirits to quiet moments, calling us to examine our lives, calling us to receive forgiveness, calling us to lives of service, calling our hearts to peace. The spirit is alive in the mystery of the sacrament of the altar, the center of our life together.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, I thank God in Jesus Christ for all of you… Romans 1:8. I do the same thing. A church like ours exists in a climate of trust and hope. We trust one another; that makes us a community. We trust God; that’s part of what makes us Christians. We hope to be led into new ventures.

As members of a community of faith we need not have the same political ideas; we need not be the same age or gender; we need not have the same educational, social, economic or ethnic background. As long as we are patient with one another and do not insist on our own way, diversity makes us strong. In our increasingly stratified society, a little church like ours can be a place where real community exists, as an assembly dedicated to worship, service and learning.

Together, according to our talents and means, we offer what we are and what we have to maintain and support our community. As we do this, a mysterious thing happens: we are served, even in the act of giving of ourselves.

Each of us contributes in a slightly different way but each contribution is valuable and makes a difference. I thank God for each of you. Here are just a few of the new things happening at Peace now.

Prayer ministryCarol Green began a new ministry focusing on this foundational spiritual practice.

Gardens
The gardens and grounds have been expanded and improved.

Community Arts
We continue to find people who will share our building as neighbors and partners.

Sabbatical bylaw amendment
This will help the whole community in years to come. Our congregation will be strengthened through regular pastoral sabbaticals. I intend to take a sabbatical sometime in 2016.

Long range planning
In the fall we will begin a new planning cycle that will focus our special efforts. All of you will be invited to contribute ideas, hopes, dreams, energy and enthusiasm as we plan for the future.

Thank you to

…there came a sound like the rush of a mighty wind… Acts 2:2

The Day of Pentecost, fifty days after Easter, comes like another church holiday. We can rehearse the history of it in the Jewish calendar, in the Christian calendar, but if we never get the meaning within it, the history is empty and meaningless. We might as well just make up the history. Sometimes I do that, just for fun.

Pentecost is a day of the elements of earth–fire, wind and water. It is also a day of human creativity and imagination, of culture, science and commerce, all pursued through language, written and spoken. It is a mysterious day, a strange day, the day dedicated to the holy spirit. It is a day of prayer, because we pray in the spirit and also for the spirit. Every Christian prayer is a pray for the spirit. Come holy spirit. That’s our prayer before communion. The holy spirit, stirring up faith in our hearts, makes a bite of pita and a sip of Chardonnay into the bread of life and the cup of salvation for us.

Come holy spirit. Blow away the evil spirits all around us, the greedy, jealous, frightened, vengeful, resentful, impatient, violent spirits. Come holy spirit. That’s the Pentecost prayer, the central prayer of the Christian church.

Today, forty days after Easter, we come to the holy day of the Ascension. In the book of Acts we read that Jesus appeared for 40 days and then this:

“So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”        Acts 1:6-11 NRSV

How do we say goodbye?

Ascension Day is one of the principle holy days of the church year (along with Easter Day, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, Christmas Day and Epiphany). These days pass more or less unnoticed by watered-down Protestants like us. Only when the culture provides some commercial muscle (Christmas) or seasonal agreement (Easter) do we feel that our Christian festivals are special days.

The meaning inside of Ascension Day, to my mind at least, is farewell. I’m leaving you. The world will not be the same again.  How do we say goodbye to people, things, places we love?  As Jesus leaves he blesses his disciples. A blessing is like a parting word and an important part of Christian devotion.

Andrea, Deb, Kirsten, Charlie (Deb’s father)

Andrea and Carter Vogt played with the Rivers Youth Orchestra at Jordan Hall. Andrea has played with Rivers groups for eight years.

Kim Poler-Beehive Art-opened her studio to Peace Sunday school children and helped them make gifts for the moms and children at Florence House in Worcester.

Beehive Art Florence House project

Beehive Art Kim Poler and Peace children

Sakonnet Vineyards, Rhode Island