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“My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” – Isaiah 56:7 Westminster is a giving congregation in so many ways. We provide worship and spiritual growth, programs and lectures, musical concerts, and many other activities for people of all ages in our building. And we support efforts to bring food, clothing, and many more resources to people in need beyond our congregation. Westm…
Out of all the seasons in Western Pennsylvania, I have to say that fall is my favorite. I love the cool mornings, clear blue skies, crisp white clouds, the vibrant colors of red, purple, and gold, and the smell of burning firewood. The change of seasons sometimes happens unexpectedly, but the Giving Gala preparation season begins as soon as one Gala has ended. In preparation for the Giving Gala,…
Lots of Americans think immigrants and refugees are, basically, the same. Not true. If you look up the definitions, you will see that an immigrant is defined as “a person who migrates to another country, usually for permanent residence.” For most of us, our ancestors were all immigrants. On the other hand, a refugee is defined as “a person who flees for refuge or safety, especially to a forei…
An important part of Confirmation Class is learning new prayer practices. So many of us think that we must have the proper, fancy words to pray, but we really don’t. There are so many ways to connect with our creator, through art, music, scripture, etc. Our first practice, and one of my favorites, is prayer walking. I love to go walking on trails through nature, listening to wildlife and e…
In the mid 1940s, as World War II was nearing its end, a group of about 30 conscientious objectors took part in a research project that came to be known as the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. These men agreed to a yearlong experiment with varying and restricted diets, work schedules, and exercise commitments that would lead them, ultimately, into a state of semi-starvation. Each week the men…
For God so loved the world… One of the most quoted verses from scripture affirms God loves creation so much that God chose to reach us in a body. Jesus’ presence brought all the ethereal notions of God’s love to life in tangible ways by the way he touched people, fed them, healed them, hung out at dinner with them, worshiped with them. All ways we can follow and model. Faith in God might be somet…
As I write this article, my garden is in full bloom. The impatiens have outdone themselves this year; orange and red flowers brilliantly line the border. The zinnias are blooming with an array of rainbow colors along with the hydrangeas. Last year I planted a few perennials and then waited with hope for them to reappear. But only one plant came back, which made it easy to keep track of the rest…
Okay, friends. Here’s the truth: plenty of times in the past few years felt like life and work were held together with scotch tape and bubble gum. I have a suspicion that I’m not alone in this sensation. Weekly changes to programming, monthly shifts in our kids’ schooling, daily shifts in availability. No bounds seemed untouched by constant change. While still true to some degree, this most recen…
