Dear friends, Lentil soup. Squash pear soup. White bean kale soup. Chicken soup. Carrot ginger curry soup. Parsley soup. We’ve been enjoying a lot of soup in Sue Dickerman Hall these days. In early fall, choir members gathered to sing together, enjoy soup, reflect on loss and change, and name the values […]
Pastor
The following is an extract from Pastor Debbie's most recent annual report. Current posts by Debbie appear at the bottom of this page.
As our grace at a recent dinner with friends, each of us shared something we are grateful for and something for which we hope. “I am grateful,” I began, “that almost every day I get to do something that makes a difference. I hope that somehow all our individual efforts can come together to make a bigger difference.”
It was the first thought that came to mind. In the days that followed, I realized how much my gratitude and hope emerge from being part of Edwards Church. Through our church, I get to do things that make the world a better place—in small ways and large. Through our church, I find hope that all our individual efforts really can come together to transform and heal our world.
From the time I started as pastor here, almost 22 years ago, I have known that what we do as a church matters deeply—to the individuals who are part of the church, to the wider community, and to our world. This past year, it has felt especially true. We need Edwards Church. The city of Framingham needs Edwards Church. The world needs Edwards Church. In this troubled and divided world, Edwards Church offers sanctuary, healing and comfort, opportunities to live out our passion and compassion, and new models for being church.
There are so many reasons to be grateful and hopeful. I am grateful for the sanctuary we offer, and hopeful for the ways we will continue to widen the circle. I am grateful for all the ways we offer comfort and healing, and hopeful that God’s healing spirit works through and beyond us. I am grateful for the opportunities we have to make a difference, and hopeful that we can find new ways to work together with other communities. I am grateful for our openness to new ways, and hopeful that we can be a model to inspire others.
I am grateful for each person in our congregation: for our gifted and dedicated staff, for our officers and board and committee and team members, for people who usher and greet and welcome and bake, for people who crochet and drive and pray and sing. I am hopeful that in the coming year we will deepen our faithfulness, our caring for one another, and our compassion and passion for justice.
Peace,
Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark
Give! Love! Change Lives!
Dear friends, Our Stewardship Team (Clair Ball, Fran Bogle, and Mark Whiteman) have chosen a bold approach this year. Our theme is “Give! Love! Change Lives!” The theme reflects a triple reality for our church community. The first reality is that we face significant financial challenges. Our cell antenna contracts have ended after 25 years, […]
Reviving!
Dear friends, On September 17, after kicking off our Season of Revival in worship, we moved into Sue Dickerman Hall (and onto Zoom) for a congregational meeting. We voted on an agreement with a cell tower management company, which will give us potential for income to support our mission. We heard reports about restoring our […]
Revival Begins With Us
Dear friends, What comes to mind when you hear the word “revival?” For some, it might be a scene from a movie, like “O Brother, Where Art Thou,” filled with uplifting music. For others, it might be a picture of people coming forward to the altar to confess their sins or receive a special prayer. […]
A Spirit of Change
Dear friends, No matter what, change is always happening. Seasons come and go. We grow older. Programs come to an end. New opportunities arise. Change is a reality of life. There are times when the rate of change intensifies. As a congregation, we find ourselves in one of those times. Lori Wilson-Chapin has left her […]
Spirit of change
Dear friends, It’s almost Pentecost! This year, we will celebrate a week late, so we can focus our worship on remembrance on Memorial Day weekend. That Sunday, May 28, we will join with our siblings at Plymouth Church for a service led by our Open Spirit Intern, Deanne Joy. Deanne has created a series […]
Earth, Water, Air
Dear friends, What an inspiring Lent and Easter! I am so grateful for the profound sharing in our Lenten Devotional and for the opportunity to travel together through this season. I loved sharing in a post-parade Palm Sunday communion service with our siblings from El Toque del Maestro; it reminds me of what communion is […]
Traveling Together Toward Easter
Dear friends, “You raise me up.” Throughout the Lenten season, we have sung the chorus of one of our favorite anthems as our response following the Assurance of God’s Forgiveness. We chose this chorus for its connection with our Lenten theme, “Traveling Together Toward Easter.” The chorus acknowledges the ways we are raised up by […]
Sabbatical Reflections
Dear friends, What a gift it is to have had a month of sabbatical in January and February. I am so grateful for your honoring of the value of time for renewal. Fran, Jeannie and I hopped in the car, put my bike on the back, and drove first to Northern Virginia, where we spent […]
Biking and kayaking and reflecting and writing (continued!)…
Dear friends, For the first half of February, I will be enjoying my second month of sabbatical, hopefully soaking in the sunshine! Fran and I will be in Homosassa River, Florida, and we plan to kayak, bike, swim (maybe with the manatees but not with the alligators), and take lots of photos. I am looking […]