Monthly Archives: July 2017

Being a Weed in a World Full of Roundup

Posted on July 29, 2017 by smaxreisert

After a weekend off, I’m back in the pulpit this Sunday. I’ll be preaching from the lectionary Gospel passage, the series of small statements from Matthew regarding what the kingdom of heaven is like—a mustard seed, yeast, etc. I’m quite … Continue reading →

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Post Synod Reflection #3: At the Edges of Our Big Tent

Posted on July 21, 2017 by smaxreisert

The United Church of Christ proudly declares, “No Matter Who You Are, No Matter Where You Are On Life’s Journey, You Are Welcome Here.” In reality, this is more a goal than a statement of fact. There are plenty of … Continue reading →

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Post Synod Reflection #2: Pointing Fingers

Posted on July 12, 2017 by smaxreisert

Do you remember that saying about pointing a finger? That while you are pointing your finger, you actually have three fingers pointing back at yourself? There’s a truth in that, and an aspect of that truth that is part of … Continue reading →

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Post Synod Reflection #1: The Maine Thing

Posted on July 9, 2017 by smaxreisert

I arrived home from Synod this past Wednesday. It didn’t take long for the river of my life in Maine to take me far away from my Synod experience. But, I’ve finally found a few moments to look back and … Continue reading →

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General Synod: The Last Day

Posted on July 4, 2017 by smaxreisert

The penultimate plenary session ended a bit early.  Yay!  A rare treat. The morning was filled with the last bit of important business, with the last of the resolutions presented and voted on. First up:  Committee 3 On Corporal Punishment … Continue reading →

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A New Focus: Three Great Loves

Posted on July 4, 2017 by smaxreisert

Instead of my usual chronological approach, I’ll begin with the unveiling of the big new UCC theme, our fresh, shared mission, for the next two years. It’s not that it was so much a surprise, since we’ve been seeing the … Continue reading →

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Gen Synod #3: It’s Monday and I’m Tired

Posted on July 3, 2017 by smaxreisert

Although I enjoyed a slightly slower morning yesterday (Sunday), things started to pick up in the afternoon and—except for an all-too-short time for sleep last night—things have continued to move, even though most of the time I’m sitting. Sunday afternoon’s … Continue reading →

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General Synod, Day 2: Some Good, Some Really Good, and Some Really, Really Bad

Posted on July 2, 2017 by smaxreisert

It’s Sunday morning, the beginning of Day 3 of General Synod. But, the day hasn’t really started yet, so I’ll focus on Friday night and Saturday. After finishing Friday’s post, early in the evening, I attended the meeting of the … Continue reading →

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United Church of Christ General Synod 2017– Day One

Posted on July 1, 2017 by smaxreisert

It’s Day One of the United Church of Christ General Synod, gathering in Baltimore, MD. A long, string of words pop into my head as I think about this day. Most of those words have something to do with the … Continue reading →

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