NEWS & MORE

Dear Friends, It occurred to me that a stewardship campaign based on sharing the joy of hope might feel a bit incongruous when it coincides with election day, which can feel like a fractured time of heightened negativity. It’s hard to feel joyous and hopeful, isn’t it? And now we’re being asked to share it? You betcha! I invite us to the incongruity of our counter-cultural faith in God and God’s people. Now is the time we need to shake off the hopelessness the world’s et

Dear Friends, "The Spirit of God is upon us, for we have been anointed to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of God’s favor." (Luke 4:18, quoting Isaiah) This Sunday, October 4, is World Communion Sunday—a celebration that reminds us that, all across the planet, people of faith who may look, think, worship, or live differently from us will share the bread of Ch

Dear Friends, Thomas Wolfe was a great novelist whose novel You Can’t Go Home Again still resonates, because the passage of time and life’s inevitable changes does make it impossible to capture the idyllic memories we have of our past. A different perspective comes from Robert Frost’s poem, “The Death of the Hired Man,” which coined the phrase, “‘Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in… Something you somehow haven’t to deserve.” Rather l

Dear Friends, I hope you’re enjoying the summer heat as much as I am. Right now I’m typing away next to the soft breeze of a fan, smelling the wet foliage out my windows after a summer rain and listening to the quiet heart-beat of Katonah. I hope wherever you are, whether it’s ringing your heart out in Scotland, playing with children in Cape Cod, or planning a nap on your own living room couch, that you’re finding some respite from the not-so-nice heat of life’s daily chall

Dear Friends, Flags are starting to fly around the community as people begin their celebration of July 4th and the country’s semiquincentennial. One of the joys of celebrating our national heritage is that it’s such a summery event. Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, they all conjure images of the stars and stripes waving in bright blue skies on sun-shiny days, with burgers on the grill and outdoor play in the background. Paint a picture of patriotic pride, and it’s

Dear Friends, Some years ago, I was talking with a friend on the phone about how tough it is sometimes to shake off the doldrums, depressions and distresses that come with life and the daily news. I told her how one time I had been feeling down and out, but had gotten into a conversation with someone else who needed a kind word, and lo and behold I said exactly the right thing to lift his spirits. I was actually surprised in that moment, saying (in my head, of course): “Wow

Dear Friends, This month we’re all a bit buried in the snow and darkness, and it’s a good time to hunker down with a good book. We want to highlight our excellent little church library, reminding everyone what a treasure we have right here at KPC. Our librarian, Peggy Martin, will be highlighting a book from the library each month in PresNotes, so you can get a taste of the joys that may lie ahead for you—and thank you, Peggy, for taking care of our treasure trove! Peggy w

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5 Dear Friends, December arrives with a hush and a promise. The days grow short, the nights long, and yet—somehow—hope grows brighter. Advent is the season of leaning: leaning into mystery, into waiting, into the quiet assurance that God is coming near. Thanksgiving is the blessed bridge into this advent of God’s love, because we begin our December journey with gratitude. It’s a good star

Dear Friends, Autumn is a season of gathering. The harvest comes in, sweaters come out, and we begin to draw closer—to warmth, to home, to one another. It’s a time when nature reminds us that life is cyclical, and that community is not just a comfort but a necessity. Costumed children not our own excitedly ring our doorbells on October 31 st asking for treats, and we joyfully and generously give, just because it’s so darned fun—and it feels good to be connected

Dear Friends, September invites us to return to the routines of school, work, and familiar patterns after summer’s joys....

Dear Friends, The evenings are starting to cool off. We’re in the last throes of summer vacation, and some of us feverishly cling to...

Dear Friends, I’ll be taking the last week of August off, but Cindy and I are probably not going too far—maybe into the city for a show...

Dear Friends, Up on the third floor of the manse I have boxes of old sermons, not merely my own, but my father’s, grandfather’s, and a...

Dear Friends, In June the Pride flags start appearing around Katonah. I’m happy to see them. I wish they were up all year, because to...

Dear Friends, Last December, Cindy and I were at the manse decorating our tree for Christmas when I happened to glance out the...

Dear Friends, I was reminded the other day of a story I saw in The Joyful Noiseletter some years ago: A pastor was talking to a group...

Dear Friends, Many of our religious observances involve reflective preparation followed by a big celebration, such as Advent...

Listen to the service here.

The handbell concert was a delightful showcase of musical talent. Highlights included stunning pieces from classical arrangements to...

Dear Friends, I love to laugh. It says in Proverbs 17:22, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the...