This Sunday, February 26, we will feature some jazz selections at the morning service. One of those pieces is called “Break Not the Circle” with words by Fred Kaan (1929 – 2009). In the third verse Mr. Kaan says: “Join the movement of the love that frees, ‘till people of whatever race or nation will […]
by Rev. Ed Thompson - Minister of Music
A Minister’s Message – Letter from Ed – October 5, 2022
Dear Friends, September 14 brought an unwelcome surprise when I was struck by a mild stroke. The days since have been focused on recovery and I feel fortunate that I can anticipate a full return. Currently I am in Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and they are thinking that I will be able to go home around […]
by Rev. Ed Thompson - Minister of Music
A Minister’s Message – Rejuvenation – June 17, 2022
A while back someone gifted me with The New Yorker Book of Art Cartoons. I am looking at the one where a husband and wife are breathlessly rushing through the door of an art museum. They look at the guard and the husband says: “Which way to the Mona Lisa? We’re doubled-parked!” While it is […]
by Rev. Ed Thompson - Minister of Music
A Minister’s Message – Reflections On Pain – May 10, 2022
One day last week I came across a quotation that has stayed with me. “All great spirituality is about what we do with our pain.” This was penned by Richard Rohr in a book called Adam’s Return. It got me thinking about the various options: hiding our pain; denying our pain; projecting our pain; wallowing […]
by Rev. Ed Thompson - Minister of Music
A Minister’s Message – Tuning In – April 13, 2022
Oddly enough, sometimes our social media, although created with the aim of connecting people, can cause us to feel more isolated than ever. We know how people in the most remote areas of the world are suffering and yet we do not know what is happening to our next-door neighbor. But it is not just […]
by Rev. Ed Thompson - Minister of Music
A Minister’s Message – Reflections From Rev. Ed On This Cold Afternoon – January 21, 2022
A few days ago we celebrated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. It is interesting that his namesake, Martin Luther (1483-1546), was a theologian, priest, poet and musician. Above all we remember him as the great reformer who struggled against the religious corruption of his era. His most famous musical piece, which most denominations […]
by Rev. Ed Thompson - Minister of Music
A Minister’s Message – Touch Hands! Touch Hands! – December 10, 2021
One of the songs that the choir will sing for the Holiday Concert is “Touch Hands.” The music was written Minnesota composer Abbie Burt Betinis. She based the piece on a poem of W. H. H. Murray. It goes like this: Ah friends, dear friends, as years go on and heads get gray, how fast […]
by Rev. Ed Thompson - Minister of Music
A Minister’s Message – Whose History? – November 12, 2021
The Soul Matters theme for the month of November is “Holding History.” Of course, one must ask: whose history? Over the course of the last year, I have observed that everything from the earth’s history, to cultural history, to personal history, has shifted. Let me be a bit more expansive. In very recent times I […]
by Rev. Ed Thompson - Minister of Music
A Minister’s Message – Harmonizing with a Greater Power – June 22, 2021
As the church year draws to a close I find myself reflecting back on it. Nothing about this ‘season’ has been normal. I believe that we, as a spiritual community, have been changed as a result. While so much of our attention has been focused on the pandemic/health issues, many other things happened simultaneously. So […]
by Rev. Ed Thompson - Minister of Music
A Minister’s Message – Summer Solstice – May 11, 2021
On June 20th we are planning to have the Summer Solstice service/concert, as we do each year. This time we are focusing on circles, seasons, and spirals. Recently, I was listening to a lecture and the lecturer was making a distinction between “paradox” and “parallax.” Paradox is a statement that is seemingly contradictory. Parallax is […]