What Kind of “Christians” Are These?

Posted on October 15, 2025 by smaxreisert

There’s a certain pastor who’s having his big moment in the spotlight. I’m reluctant to spell out his name because I don’t want to add to that spotlight. But, what he is preaching and sharing is deeply disturbing and unsettling. He’s yet one more “Christian” pastor whose understanding of the Christian message is profoundly different from mine.

This pastor was recently interviewed by New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, as part of his “Interesting Times” series. The pastor is a Christian nationalist who claims to be a “theocratic libertarian.” He believes that the entire United States must acknowledge “the authority of God,” and by that he means his “Christian” concept of God. He is the pastor of a supposedly growing network of churches (Pete Hegseth is a member of one of these churches) that endeavors to incorporate, as part of their mission, the re-creation of a strictly patriarchal society. Among the features of this society is the idea that voting in elections should be exercised by household units (rather than by individuals), and that the male of the household is the decider of how votes are cast. This pastor not so long ago declared, during an interview with CNN, that “women are the kind of people that people come out of,” as if the bearing of children provides the only worth of female human beings.

In one part of the interview with Mr. Douthat, the pastor makes a rather startling assertion, declaring that we, in the United States, “should stop making God angry.” When asked to elaborate, the pastor outlined “awful crimes” for which the American public needs to repent: “no more pride parades; no more drag queen story hours; no more abortion on demand; no more legalized same sex unions . . . .” Douthat asked for clarification on this point: “So you’re a libertarian on how people worship, but you’re not a libertarian on who they sleep with. Is that right?” The answer: “yes.”

How can it be that these our most egregious sins in God’s eyes?

What about issues like child poverty? According to the Children’s Defense Fund, in their 2023 State of America’s Children Report: among the 74 million children living in the U.S., 11 million lived in poverty; one in six of those children were under the age of five (the highest rate of any age group); almost half of those children lived in severe or extreme poverty; 9 million children faced food insecurity; and, 4 million children lived without health insurance. In the state where the pastor is based, the poverty rate of children under the age of five was 17.6% between 2016 and 2020.

In terms of what the pastor is most concerned with: in 2022, only 2.3% of all marriages in the state where he is based were same-sex marriages. As of mid-2025, only 1.2% of all married couple households are same-sex in the entire United States.

It’s appalling that the growing ranks of these so-called “Christians” are more concerned with sexual behaviors and gender identity— issues that are not central themes of the Bible— and less focused on those issues that are highlighted again and again in our holy scriptures, like poverty, welcoming strangers, compassion, and justice. This pastor, of a growing network of churches and followers, says that he is interested in having society “follow the Bible.” The Bible, though, seems to be solely summed up in the Ten Commandments which he believes should then become the law of the land.

Somehow, the Greatest Commandment is nowhere to be seen:

“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:36-40 (NRSV)

While I’m not exactly comfortable making a declaration about what I think makes God angry, or not, I am comfortable accepting that Jesus clearly laid out the priorities for people of faith. Jesus could have spent time preaching on the importance of posting the Ten Commandments all over the place, of instituting and maintaining a patriarchal society, of castigating those outside of white heterosexuality, but he didn’t.

The pastor’s “vision” of a Christian society is something that appears to align more closely with his personal hopes and dreams for the United States, rather than one that is shaped by holy scripture. To call himself a “Christian,” much less one who believes that he may speak for God, this pastor (as well as others like him), might be considered “interesting” for the times in which we live. And, that’s too bad. In these interesting times, we could really use a more faithful approach to how we live out the lessons and stories of the Christian faith.

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What Wondrous Hate Is This

Posted on September 24, 2025 by smaxreisert

At the five-hour mashup of memorial service, evangelical Christian revival, and political rally for Charlie Kirk this past Sunday afternoon, President Trump articulated several incredibly troubling sentiments. The most important of these: his musings on hate. As part of his remarks, Mr. Trump declared, “I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them.” He then offered a follow up to Kirk’s widow who had just talked about love and had forgiven the assassin who had killed her husband, “Sorry Erika.” The tone, though, didn’t feel like he was actually sorry at all. Instead, it was more sorry, not sorry.

And since then: only the silence of evangelical leaders and pastors of evangelical churches regarding Mr. Trump’s assertion of hate rather than love, vengeance rather than forgiveness. I’m sure those leaders weren’t exactly surprised that the President invoked hate during the service, since expressing hatred is one of the things that the President is good at. Still, the silence— yet again— of the evangelical community in response to decidedly unchristian things the President says is staggering and insulting to anyone who actually tries to walk in the ways of the Christian faith.

The most basic, most foundational, most elemental of Christian values is love. The Gospel writers tell us that Jesus was very clear about love. One must love God with one’s whole being, and love one’s neighbor as oneself. It’s called the Greatest Commandment. In the Sermon on the Mount from, Matthew 5, Jesus taught:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. [Matthew 5:43-48, NRSV]

Love is a hard road to follow, and most of us aren’t very good at living the greatest commandment, but it is the road that is set before each and every Christian. There is no other.

Evangelical leaders who choose to ignore or dismiss the hatred in the words and actions of Mr. Trump because, after all, Trump is accomplishing so many of the things on their “to do” list, demonstrate the flimsiness and vacuity of their own faith. Many of those evangelical leaders will observe that the President is not the “Pastor in Chief” and that there are examples in the Bible of unworthy people who end up doing what is assumed to be God’s will. It’s not that Mr. Trump must share the faith, as long as he’s getting evangelical projects done. To declare his hatred, though, of the “opponent” with such clarity during a Christian memorial service ought to be considered a complete out-of-bounds moment, especially as it undermined and showered contempt upon the grieving widow who, even in her profound grief, was able to speak anguished words informed and framed by the challenging faith she endeavors to follow. The disrespect shown to Erika Kirk by the President deserves a clear and vehement response from evangelicals.

I won’t hold my breath. But, I will grieve the continued abuses directed at the Christian faith, inflicted and promoted by those who claim to be Christians themselves.

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Fewer Buts Please

Posted on September 12, 2025 by smaxreisert

In recent weeks at Old South, as we contemplate yet another season without a viable offer for our real estate, there have been a number of discussions— large and small; formal and informal—about what to do next. Just keep on keepin’ on, wishing and hoping that a buyer will come around one of these days? Or, should be more proactive and begin the process of moving full-time into the parish house, mothballing the sanctuary building (find a new home for the organ or put it into storage, drain the pipes, turn off utilities, stop heating it, etc.)? In the midst of these discussions and wonderings, there’s something that feels a little strange. While most of the congregation has been willing, with a few even eager, to sell the sanctuary building, the suggestion that we decommission it has been met with resistance.

Throughout this stage of the process, there’s one word that has started to stand out to me, a word that feels like it is becoming an insurmountable obstacle to our ability to move forward in a meaningful and faithful way. What could that word be? It’s the word “but.”

“I know the best path forward is probably to mothball the sanctuary building, but I just can’t do it.” “I know it’s important that the sanctuary building not become our primary mission, but there’s just got to be another way.” “Mothballing the sanctuary building is probably the best way forward, but moving into the parish house only feels like the least bad of a lot of bad options.” “I would prefer to just keep doing what we are doing and wait for an offer, but that’s probably not reasonable.”

The “buts” are seriously getting in the way.

Here’s the situation: We have two buildings— a sanctuary building (sanctuary) and a parish house (offices, fellowship hall, kitchen). Both of the buildings require work. In maintenance, upkeep and renovation work, the sanctuary building far exceeds the needs of the parish house. When it comes to evaluating assets, the sanctuary doesn’t have much. It’s a good worship space and has a nice organ; not much else. Importantly, average worship attendance is now down to the low to mid 20s. With those numbers, the sanctuary makes the congregation feel even smaller (in the parish house, it’s the reverse). The sanctuary building was put on the market in January of 2024. The parish house was added earlier this year. While we have had several interested parties and a couple of offers (that were later withdrawn), we currently have no prospects of a new offer anytime soon. And winter is coming.

Our real estate agent assures us that there is a buyer out there somewhere, but will our wait for prince or princess charming become our undoing? For me, this process has peeled away the veneer that has shielded an important reality from us. For those of us who gather in the Old South sanctuary Sunday after Sunday, most find it to be a lovely and peaceful place, a space that conveys a sense of wonder and beauty, even if that beauty is faded and peeling. The reality, though, is that the building is a hugely demanding one that requires a great deal of energy and financial resources just to maintain. Renovating is a significant prospect for anyone who’s not incredibly wealthy. It’s also not a useful building for the kind of world we live in now and is not easily converted to other uses. The building is nestled into a hillside, with only two or three parking spots immediately adjacent to the building (all other parking is across the street, behind and beside the parish house). The sloping floor in the sanctuary itself, which is part of the structure of the building, is a sort of early version of stadium seating. Great for a great view. Not at all great if you have mobility issues or if want to transform it into anything other than performance space. And, those who have looked at it as potential performance space have eventually realized that it’s hard to have good performance space without good parking. And, then there’s the architecture and the roof. The soaring and distinctive clock tower, which seems to have been deliberately fashioned to be the tallest steeple in the town, is another troublesome element of the building, in terms of maintenance. The roof is slate, and, if the rumors are true, was installed by the company that offered the lowest bid and, let’s just say, cut a corner here and there, corners that are now showing themselves to be serious liabilities. Finally, the building—though not terribly large— is a complicated one with a complex design of ceiling and roof. This, of course, adds still more the costs of maintenance and improvement.

“I know we should probably decommission and mothball it, but I just can’t do it.”

But?? Why not? The longer this goes, the more eager I am to decommission and mothball the sanctuary building. It all feels like we are being led to notice and absorb that the sanctuary that we love is really a monument to hubris, a monument that was meant to signal prominence in a small town with too many churches, as if the building itself could take care of the call to be a witness to God’s love and care.

“I know it’s important that the sanctuary building not become our primary mission, but there’s just got to be another way.”

The “buts” are getting in the way of recognizing and appreciating some hard truths about the sanctuary building, that the building is eagerly and hungrily draining our resources, exhausting us all body, soul and endowment.

I’d rather put the “buts” aside and start working on some “ifs.” IF we mothball the sanctuary building, what might happen then? IF we were able to spend a lot less time fretting over such a complicated and costly physical structure, what new things might make themselves known? And, what might it be like to embrace that we are the witness to God’s love and not that building in which we gather?

Ifs could help us to see beyond the difficulties of the present and imagine a different and more meaningful tomorrow. Instead, we are caught under a whole lot of buts, that stifle our faith rather than feed it. Will we be able to find the courage and grace to heave the buts and embrace the ifs?

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Confession, What Is It Good For?

Posted on August 24, 2025 by smaxreisert

As any good Christian ought to know, confession is in integral part of the faith experience. While I don’t think confession ought to be focused on beating oneself up for every shortcoming, especially to the point of mental, emotional and/or physical damage, it’s important that people of faith take a moment to take stock of themselves, their relationships with others, and the world in general— and confess failures, inconsistencies, and blatant resistance to things like the Golden Rule.

There’s an old Scottish proverb that declares that “confession is good for the soul.” Why is that? Confession offers an opportunity for honest reflection, to consider, meaningfully and purposefully, the ways through which an individual— or an entire community— has not lived up to basic elements of faith. For me, rage against some of the signage I encounter on a regular basis comes to mind— and my quick, and not very neighborly, use of certain gestures in response. There’s a house not far from mine that sports large pro-Trump banners, usually with at least one of those banners employing obscene language and/or imagery. When I’m heading to Old South, there’s a small group of old men who are often camped out at a certain intersection with lots and lots of anti-abortion signage, including misleading and just plain wrong information. It’s likely that my gestures in response are not seen by anyone other than myself. Still, I usually take a moment to confess, that that gesture that appears so quickly, and sometimes without any thought, is not in any way productive. And, that’s just a relatively small transgression.

Confession offers something of a mirror to take a good look at oneself, especially at one’s inner life, while also providing a moment for opening one’s heart and mind to God’s love and desire for reconciliation, an assurance of God’s pardon. Confession does the same for a community as well. Without confession, it’s all too easy to lapse into arrogance and a stunted connection with one’s community, with the Divine and with oneself. It is through confession that we are reminded, intimately, that we are not divine and always in need of not only love, but correction.

Although the United States is not a Christian nation— and let’s hope it stays that way— a sort of confession on a national scale is a good thing, and good for the national soul. It’s too bad that all of those supposedly good “Christian” advisors and staffers, along with congressional leadership, somehow haven’t got the memo about confession, and have failed to share with the President the benefits of reflecting on our national transgressions— like slavery.

The President recently wrote on his social media platform, “The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been— Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.”

It’s hard to fathom how the President can possibly believe that we should minimize, or even ignore, the complete and utter wrongness of slavery and how it was practiced in the United States, along with the reality that the legacy of slavery continues to make its presence known in our society and culture today. Because of our lackluster and skittish national assessment of the evils of slavery over such a long stretch of time, we remain stuck in this strange and dangerous place, where we cannot experience reconciliation and stronger community connections and relationships.

There is no true accounting of “brightness” without an honest look at the wrongs of the past, along with a confession that acknowledges that the wrongs of the past continue to invade our national identity. If President Trump truly wants to celebrate “Success” and “Brightness,” his so-called Christian advisors ought to remind him that we cannot achieve such a thing without first confessing the horrors we have so brazenly tried to push aside. As the letter of James sums up nicely, “For this reason, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve.” (James 5:16, CEB)

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I Haven’t Felt So Much Like a Teenage Girl in a Long, Long Time

Posted on July 31, 2025 by smaxreisert

The sanctuary building of Old South has been for sale for more than a year and a half. Over this time, the building has been visited and examined by quite a few possible suitors. A few have visited on multiple occasions, sometimes for hours at a time, taking a good long look all around. One of the suitors went so far as to propose— to make an offer— to engage in a long-term relationship with the sanctuary building. In the end, though, the suitor bailed, leaving the sanctuary building at its own altar, all alone. No note. No text. No explanation.

Then there was the time when a friend said that one of their friends would be a perfect match. After spending about ten minutes together, though, it was clear that that friend wasn’t interested even in a second date, let alone a longer relationship.

All of this has me feeling like a teenage girl who just wants to be, like her pals, in a long-term relationship. Yet, despite interest from various parties who have taken a good look at what I have to offer, nothing even remotely meaningful develops. Visit after visit comes to nothing.

What’s wrong with the sanctuary building? Did it say something you didn’t like? Is it not attractive enough? Is its conversation skills lacking? Is it not smart enough? Or maybe it’s too smart? Does it come across as too high maintenance? Sure, that might be a point, but it would be so worth it!

The sanctuary building knows that it could use a bit of spiffing up and I’ll grant you that the building is not the most accessible of buildings (inside and out), but it’s often described as “lovely” and it has a great personality! And check out that organ and that bone structure! Impressive.

It doesn’t help at all that there are other buildings very similar to ours that have found a new long-term someone special, sometimes in just a matter of months. Why not our building? How did we end up here, waiting, trying to keep up a positive attitude?

Our dating coach tells us to be patient, that there’s someone out there for us. But, I can’t help but be increasingly doubtful, and feeling like a forlorn teenage girl, wondering if I’ll ever meet that special someone.

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Let a Whole New Era Begin!?

Posted on July 12, 2025 by smaxreisert

“Pastors who endorse political candidates shouldn’t lose tax-exempt status, IRS says in filing” [AP, 7/8/25]

“Churches can endorse political candidates to congregations, IRS says” [Reuters, 7/8/25]

According to a story in the New York Times this past Monday, the days of will they or won’t they, should they or shouldn’t they, when it comes to preachers and explicit endorsements of certain political candidates are over. We preachers can now say what we wish, and can endorse, or oppose, whomever we wish, from the pulpit, without risk. That is, without the risk of having the church stripped, by the IRS, of its nonprofit status.

When I read this little headline, and the accompanying story, I was initially completely taken aback, wondering why the story seemed buried in only a few newspapers. Why wasn’t everyone abuzz regarding this big change? Why wasn’t this front-page news? I realize there are terrible tragedies unfolding all around us— clearly much more important news. Still, this change in the relationship between churches and the IRS seems and feels like a huge shift in the world of churches, preachers and the connection between faith and politics.

Of course, there are a lot of questions about how this change will actually play out. Will some churches essentially become extensions of the offices of political candidates or arms of political action committees? How will parishioners actually feel about preachers endorsing certain candidates? What will happen when a preacher endorses a candidate that many of her/his/their parishioners deem unworthy of that endorsement? Will parishioners demand a thorough rendering of a preacher’s endorsement of a political candidate, with clear reasoning and connection to faith and scripture? Will preachers now take the place of certain newspapers that have abdicated the role of candidate endorsement?

To what extent will preachers be expected to endorse? Does this extend to local and county elected positions? And, what about primaries?

While there’s been plenty of endorsing going on over the years, in various ways, in churches across the United States, there’s also been a lot of confusion about the role of preacher in the realm of partisan politics. Christian preachers— and the congregations they lead— ought not consider the preacher to be ultimately beholden solely to the national enterprise. The calling of the preacher is to a higher authority and that requires that preachers recognize and appreciate the sometimes tricky road we walk.

According to an article in The Christian Century:

People in the US—including those who are religious—generally take a dim view of political endorsements in the pulpit. According to an analysis of 2023 polling provided by the Public Religion Research Institute, majorities of all major religious groups oppose or strongly oppose allowing churches and places of worship to endorse political candidates while retaining their tax-exempt status. That includes White evangelicals (62 percent) as well as Black Protestants (59 percent), White mainline or nonevangelical Protestants (77 percent), White Catholics (79 percent), Hispanic Catholics (78 percent), Hispanic Protestants (72 percent) and Jews (77 percent). [“Churches can endorse politicians, IRS says in court filing,” by Bob Smietana and Jack Jenkins, christiancentury.org, 7/8/25]

In what ways will this “dim view” toward political endorsements from the pulpit have sway? Enough to hold candidates at bay who eagerly court the attention of preachers? And, what about the community of preachers and denominations? Will a dangerous sort of competition set in— my preacher endorsed so-and-so, who did your preacher endorse? Will larger bodies, like denominations, try to influence the preaching of their pastors?

For certain candidates and for certain churches this may all seem like a dream come true. The endorsement of political candidates, the strong encouragement for individuals to vote a certain way, offered from the sanctity of the pulpit, is now without guardrails. It’s hard to see, though, that this is good news for American religious life, or the American political scene, for that matter. Religious communities ought to be appreciated for, and respected as, holding a different sort of place in the public square, as institutions that nurture and guide the spiritual development of individuals and communities for all dimensions of human life. It’s not that religious leaders ought to ignore politics, but when churches simply become spheres of partisanship, we all lose.

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The DEI Program Instituted by Jesus Christ

Posted on June 14, 2025 by smaxreisert

The current Administration in Washington appears to revel in dismantling DEI programs in as many aspects of American life as it can get its hands on— legitimately or not. Other conservative leaning politicians and leaders are also extolling the necessity of dismantling DEI programs. Embedded in the rhetoric is the notion that the smartest, most capable, most able of everything and anything are straight white men.

If the New Testament is to be believed and followed— especially the Gospels— it’s hard to imagine that Jesus would approve of the removal of DEI programs. How do I know this? It actually doesn’t take much digging into the Holy Book to appreciate that Jesus was (and is) all about inclusion, casting the net wider than one’s small, safe and predictable community, and beyond the realm of men. Let’s consider a few examples:

  1. The “confession” that Jesus is the Messiah belongs to Peter in Matthew, Mark and Luke. In John, it belongs to Martha: “She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah,the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” (John 11:27)
  2. One of Jesus’s most well-known parables, the Good Samaritan, features the good and selfless work of a man from one community/group who reaches out to a man from another community/group who is in desperate need of help. These two communities/groups despised each other in the first century.
  3. The Samaritans got another good shout out in John, when Jesus engaged in a fruitful— and nonjudgmental— conversation with a shunned Samaritan woman.
  4. In the Great Commission, in the Gospel According to Matthew, Jesus encouraged his followers to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19)
  5. And, not to be forgotten, the news of Resurrection was given to Mary of Magdala, according to all four of the canonical Gospel writers.
  6. Finally, as a man from the Middle East, Jesus himself would have been more brown than white.

Jesus was generally known for hanging around with those who lived on the margins of society— tax collectors, prostitutes, etc. He also healed the sick (in body and/or spirit), touched lepers, and gave sight to the blind. In one of his more famous sermons, he lifted up the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the mournful and claimed that they were blessed. Most, if not all, of such people would be called, by the current President, “losers.”

Where are the so-called Christians in the Administration, the ones who ought to know— especially given the jewelry they sport around their necks— that the Christian faith is an inclusive faith, and that those who practice the faith are encouraged to be inclusive people, breaking down barriers, rather than putting up still more? I am not one who would claim that the United States is a Christian country— or ought to be— but the White House claims a special affinity for and to Christianity. Clearly, only in word.

It is simply appalling to witness the dismantling of programs and policies that have sought to put to good use the many different kinds of people who make up this ragtag nation of immigrants with grand visions of the “land of the free and home of the brave.” By doing so, this Administration, as well as others who follow the same policies, are rejecting some of the most essential qualities of the movement that Jesus Christ fashioned and inspired.

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How Far Will This Go?

Posted on May 27, 2025 by smaxreisert

With Harvard University so prominently in the news in recent days, my memory has been sent back to the years I lived in Cambridge, in various places on the Harvard campus. One of the buildings that has found itself in the background of many news photos and video footage is Matthews Hall, where I lived for the last year I served as an in-residence academic advisor for first year students in Harvard Yard. The statue of John Harvard (which we all know, of course, is not really John Harvard) also sits in the background of a lot of photos and videos. That’s the location of my favorite wedding photo, taken just after our marriage ceremony in Memorial Church.

Given the current news, I’m thinking a lot about when I first moved onto the Harvard campus, into Divinity School housing (which has not been in any news photos or video footage!). My assigned roommate was a young woman from China. She wasn’t there for move-in day. Or the day after. Or the day after that. There were a lot of questions swirling around about her arrival, and whether she would arrive at all.

It was 1989, just a few months after Tiananmen Square, where a massive and violent government crackdown followed large demonstrations the previous spring. The demonstrations protested against such things as: government corruption; economic policies that benefited some but harmed many others; and, restrictions on political participation. The demonstrations also called for democratic processes, due process, freedom of speech, freedom of the press and greater political freedom in general. It’s still unclear how many demonstrators were killed in the crackdown.

Eventually, my roommate arrived and so began a year of considerable learning about many topics, both in and outside the classroom. In Divinity Hall, in addition to my Chinese roommate, there was a woman from Africa next door, and a Buddhist monk from Vietnam down the hall. There were other international students as well, and students from all over the United States. We were a building of people with various shades of skin color, many nationalities and religious affiliations. There was also a variety of sexual orientations and ages.

In addition to the chapel in which Ralph Waldo Emerson delivered his famous “Divinity School Address,” Divinity Hall featured, when I lived there, fairly traditional dorm rooms as well as a large communal kitchen in the basement. At the beginning of the school year, students living in the building were invited to sign up for the Monday Supper Club. Those in the Club were then paired up and each Monday one pair would make dinner for the entire group. I don’t remember a lot about the dining adventures that I experienced, although I remember being introduced to kimchi (wasn’t a fan) and a remarkable array of dishes that featured tofu.

That all happened a long time ago, but now I can’t help but pull up those memories from that year, from way back in the memory vault. I remember the discussions that took place as we waited to see if my roommate would be allowed to leave China and start a graduate program at the Div School. The events that took place in Tiananmen Square the previous spring seemed so alien and strange. How could a government respond so violently to its own people, especially when so many of them were so young and were demonstrating for things that seemed so basic to human existence and flourishing? How could a government send troops and tanks not only to intimidate but to shoot without warning? How could it be that a people gathered to inspire freedom, only to find brutal repression instead?

With all that is now happening in the United States, as we see our rights and freedoms chipped away, as the government seizes more control over the people, and as we witness the baffling attacks on world-renowned universities, like Harvard, should we start wondering when there might be a similar crackdown in the U.S, akin what happened at Tiananmen Square? Will we, at some point, see a violent confrontation between the military, sent by government authorities, and American citizens? Are all of those things that seemed so alien and strange to me back in 1989 soon to be not so alien or strange in this part of the world, that has for so long been a beacon of freedom and democracy?

I know that some who read this will consider it an exaggeration, and an over-reaction, to what is happening. I hope I am over-reacting. But, so many of the things that have happened in the last not even six months are unsettling and alarming. And, with so many in the government— Congress, in particular— going along with the Administration on almost every matter, twisting democratic institutions and norms so much that there’s not much democracy left, it’s no wonder that my head is going down roads it never has in the past. I’ll hope that I’m just engaging in a little doom-dreaming, but I’ll also continue to pay attention, and pray that it doesn’t go nearly as far as I fear.

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Thirty Years On

Posted on May 13, 2025 by smaxreisert

Today is the thirtieth anniversary of my ordination. The big day happened after a long ordination process (I think everyone had a long process in the Metropolitan Boston Association of the then Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ; the Association was notorious for putting candidates for ordination through the ringer), at First Parish Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in Wakefield, Massachusetts (a church that is no longer connected to the United Church of Christ). It was the church where I had gown up and had spent countless hours, especially when I was a teenager— teaching Sunday School, serving on the Christian Education Committee, and participating in the youth group.

Reflecting on these thirty years involves the sorting through of a lot of memories, of course. It also involves a lot of wondering: How much longer will I serve as an active pastor? What highlights can I remember? What occasions would I prefer to forget? Am I adequately prepared for what is yet to come?

On that big day in that big church on May 13, 1995, there are a few things that I still hold in my memory: a couple of my Sunday School teachers proudly flitting about; a few old youth group buddies serving as ushers; my cranky grandmother loudly declaring, during the service, that she was not so impressed with the soloist whom everyone in the family had raved about (“What’s so great about her? She only had to sing one word!”)1; my parents, husband and still fairly new in-laws (who were also very new to anything outside of Roman Catholicism) all supportive and encouraging; a raft of Div School friends who took part in the ceremony; the beaming former pastor, who insisted on giving the “Charge to the Pastor,” and went on to talk mostly about himself (no surprise); and the current pastor of the church, at that time, with something of a smile pasted on his face (he was not a fan of women being ordained). I also remember the gravity of the laying on of hands and the stoles that were presented to me. It was a very full day.

I’m sure that on that day, I also had a few big visions floating in my head, working with congregations (maybe not huge, but big enough) of people searching for meaning and purpose, endeavoring to make the world a better place. I also knew at the time that I was well-prepared for the not-so-dreamy side of church life, in the bickering and ugliness that can be part of any gathered community (First Parish had plenty of that; I felt like I had learned from the best, or the worst, depending on your perspective on that sort of thing). I was full of heady notions as well as an accumulation of knowledge (theology, scripture, church history, etc.) along with a grounding in experience (a field education assignment with homeless and poor women and then an assignment at a small Cambridge church that had led to a bigger role).

Over the years, I’ve been made aware of the value of my education, as well as its deficiencies. Educational programs for pastors really ought to include such things as plumbing and basic electricity, for instance.

Certainly among the biggest surprises of my career is the great diminishment of Mainline churches and denominations. Although the church that I was serving at the time of my ordination was small, there were plenty of much bigger churches in the area. And, the community of clergy, in the United Church of Christ and beyond, was robust and active. I remember attending two clergy events each month (a UCC “sector” breakfast for the MBA clergy in and around Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, etc. and an ecumenical lunch for Harvard and Porter Square clergy in Cambridge). Local UCC association meetings were large events that drew from the eighty to ninety churches in the Metropolitan Boston Association alone.

Thirty years later, and now with my standing in a UCC association about three hours north of Boston, I no longer attend monthly clergy gatherings in and around Hallowell, Maine, as clergy do not have time for such things, or do not have the inclination. Most, if not all, of the Mainline churches in Central Maine are small to tiny. Some churches have no clergy at all. Several churches have closed altogether. A few others have sold their buildings (or are trying to sell) and have moved into other churches or other locations.

For the challenges that Old South faces, as we make our way from a well-known church, integral part of the fabric of community life in a small Maine city to a tiny congregation, of mostly people who do not live in Hallowell, in a too-large campus that we can no longer afford and maintain, I am aware that I’ve traveled a long way from the images that swirled through my head on May 13, 1995 and I’m not sure I’m prepared for what’s necessary now, and into the near future. I never took a class on how to make the sorts of choices and decisions that we now must make, or how to shepherd a congregation through a change that requires such a basic re-ordering and re-assessment of its identity.

Beyond the local church that I serve, the great diminishment of Christian churches and denominations in the United States has been a bewildering experience to witness— from the inside. While there are plenty of very good reasons for people to have left the Church in response to the terrible abuses and scandals that have been on display over the course of the last several decades, there are other good reasons for people to have stayed attached. As I listen to people reflect on their lack of connection, their sense of isolation, the sense of spiritual emptiness, the loss of community, that I’ve heard and read mostly through news media, I can’t help but look at the Old South community and wonder why the sense of community and connection that is an essential aspect of church life is not perceived by those outside— how else can we wave our arms to offer welcome?

As Old South continues to try to sell its sanctuary building, it’s been interesting to hear from a few potential buyers who wish to make the building into some sort of “community center or resource,” as if that’s not what it already is. Over thirty years, this is probably one of the most demoralizing elements of the journey, this realization that the local church is not valued or even recognized any longer as a vital component of society. We are all poorer for it, in so many ways.

  1. The soloist sang “Alleluia” from “Exsultate Jubilate” by W.A. Mozart. ↩︎
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The Way Ahead

Posted on May 6, 2025 by smaxreisert

Based on the sermon from Old South Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Hallowell, Maine, 5/4/2025.

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” Acts 9:1-6 (NRSV)

“Why are you persecuting me?” That’s what Jesus asked. “Why are you persecuting me?”

In this Easter season, we consider and reflect on how the Risen Christ appeared to and spoke to his closest followers, and, in today’s case, one of his opponents, but soon to be closest followers.

Here’s Saul.  A Jewish man, active in defending the Jewish faith.  And, he’s found some sort of purpose in going after Jesus followers, not yet known as Christians: “Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”

Saul isn’t messing around.  He’s out to damage this fledging new thing, this new enthusiasm for a so-called Messiah. And there he is out on the road to Damascus.  A light “ from heaven” flashes.  He falls to the ground, and then there is THE VOICE, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Not my followers.  Not the faithful.  Not my friends.  ME.

Why do you persecute me?

Here is this bold and remarkable statement, this question from the voice from heaven, this one who then identifies himself as Jesus.

When you persecute the followers of Christ, when you go after them, when you make their lives needlessly difficult and ugly—and I don’t think it’s a stretch that this statement, this question, actually goes well beyond those who identify as followers, since Jesus was very clear on the Greatest Commandment, that we are to love God and love neighbor – that when Saul persecutes, when anyone persecutes, you are persecuting Jesus, the risen Christ.

It’s a bold, remarkable statement, and one that we ought to keep close to our heart, that it may inform not only our actions, but who we are as people, that when we persecute, when we treat others as less than human, when we strip others of dignity by dehumanizing and degrading, we are persecuting Jesus himself, the risen Christ.

And, on the flip side, when we ourselves—each of us and all of us together—experience persecution, a stripping away of our dignity, that Jesus is with us, that the Risen Christ is with us.

It is a profound and remarkable statement that we might have missed and a moment that we must allow to sink in, that it may find a home in how we think, in how we feel, in how we consider our own selves, how we reflect on the meaning and purpose of being a congregation that declares Jesus Christ as our Head, and then how we interact with the world that we inhabit, and the expectations we have for our communities, country and world for how human beings ought to be treated.

It’s also worth a moment to consider how the followers of Jesus are mentioned in this passage.  According to the Gospel writer Luke, who also wrote Acts, the early followers of the risen Christ, called themselves followers of The Way.  They were not Christians.  They were followers of the Way.  They were not defined by a specific doctrine, dogma, creed, or book (there’s no New Testament in the first century!).  They are not defined by the place where they congregate, or anything that is a static, motionless thing.

They are followers of The Way. They move.  There’s activity and motion.  There are defined by who they are and how they love, how they connect, how they care, how they are continually trying to move closer to the Risen One.

So, in these days, as we continue to grieve the difficult decisions we’ve had to make as a church, as we express our sadness about putting our building up for sale, let us take stock not only of what we are losing, but what we are gaining—a new appreciation for being people who worship a Savior who is not stuck in time, but One who continues to move and breathe, active with us, sometimes ahead, sometimes alongside and sometimes behind, pushing us into a new way that feels weird and uncomfortable.

In the midst of our grief, there is also joy in our new awareness, our new sense of who we are as followers of the Risen One, as we continue to move closer to the One who brings us together.

We are Easter people.  And Easter people are alert to the new and usually surprising ways that the Risen One comes to us and how he makes himself known.

It may sometimes feel that, in our smaller numbers, that we are not doing it right, but it just might be that we are exactly where we are meant to be.  And, once we are able to release ourselves from this building that causes us so much worry, that drains so much of our time, energy and resources, that we will be poised to be yet another embodiment of who and what the Risen Christ is calling us to be. May we keep our ears, our minds, our hearts open, listening. 

May we open wide the doors of our imagination, mindful of how the Risen Christ speaks to us now. We may not experience a flash of divine light, but if we are attentive, it might be something just as extraordinary, or it might be in a completely normal moment, or in a still, small voice: recognition. And, an invitation into what’s next.

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