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Author Archives: smaxreisert
The Season of Woe
Four years ago, as we approached the 2016 election, I started to worry about what was happening around me, in the church I was serving, the community in which I lived, and in the wider community. On the one hand, … Continue reading
Is This What Happened When Churches Moved from Houses to Buildings?
At Old South, we are continuing our online existence. Worship, meetings, gatherings, even pastoral care are all now remote, and mostly on Zoom. Despite no community transmission of Covid in these parts, we’ve been reluctant to move to in-person gatherings. … Continue reading
Posted in COVID, Worship
Tagged church and COVID-19, house churches, Virtual church, Zoom church
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The Toll
On a Saturday early in September, I got the call that the church matriarch was gravely ill. On Sunday, I went to the hospital to see her and to be with her family. On Monday, I was on the phone … Continue reading
For Louise
Like many churches, Old South had a matriarch. I use the past tense here, as our matriarch passed away a few days ago. It’s a very sad time for Old South. In the midst of the many challenges we face, … Continue reading
Posted in My Life as Pastor
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The Looming Season
There always seems to be a certain moment, sometime in August, when the end of summer comes into focus. I’m not sure what exactly happens, but it always feels like there’s a clear turn in the sense of the season. … Continue reading
Me and My Misanthropy?
In preparation for a weeklong clergy writing conference last year, participants were asked to submit a short essay on something that was on their minds at the moment. Don’t spend too much time on it, we were instructed. Write and … Continue reading
Be the Church: Protect the Environment
A Meditative Slideshow on Psalm 8, using “Out of the Mouths of Babes” by Silvia Purdie [http://www.conversations.net.nz/] and photos by Susan, Joseph, Margaret and John Reisert
Posted in Worship
Tagged Be the Church, Out of the Mouths of Babes, Protect the Environment, Psalm 8, Silvia Purdie
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The Church in These Days—Hungering and Heartbreak
On July 8, the New York Times published a story entitled, “Churches Were Eager to Reopen. Now They Are a Major Source of Coronavirus Cases.” The article offered a litany of churches that reopened in various ways, some trying to … Continue reading
Apples, Oranges, and the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation
Several years ago, emails from the “Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation” started appearing in my inbox. I had no idea why. I had not asked for them. But, there they were. At first, I ignored them, or deleted them without opening … Continue reading
Posted in Misc
Tagged Churches in Maine, Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation, COVID-19, Janet Mills, Nirav Shah
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Lingering Lessons
When I was a first year student at Harvard Divinity School, I lived in Divinity Hall on Divinity Avenue in Cambridge, MA. I lived in a room on the second floor, next to the Divinity Hall Chapel, where Ralph Waldo … Continue reading
Posted in Misc
Tagged Black Lives Matter, Harvard Divinity School, Racial Issues, white privilege
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