September 12, 2024 I was reflecting recently on how busy life seems at the moment. Many of the people I know are feeling like they are ..read more

August 28, 2024 During the morning prayer time at last Sunday's worship service Tom shared how much the fruit of our Garden Of Eatin ..read more

August 2, 2024 It is August at the United Church of Colchester. That means that it will soon be time for our annual Baptismal service in ..read more

July 22, 2024 On Sunday I preached a message on the necessity of being willing to let go of old baggage to make room for, or to be open to being made into something new by God. It plays off the metaphor we often use of ourselves as vessels into which things are poured in, or out of which things are poured out, or flow through when both occur at the same time. It got me thinking about the question of what we are full of? That is when I saw the image above. It is a cup of coffee that has been bumped or jiggled. The contents, that which it is full of, are sloshing and in danger of spilling out ..read more

June 7, 2024 If you have been by our church (the United Church of Colchester) this week, you will notice a new addition to the parking lot. It is the first arrival of heavy equipment from Miles Jenness and the crew at Vermont Heavy Timber, as they prepare for an uplifting experience at the United Church of Colchester. It is a sure sign that the long planned work to restore our steeple is soon to begin. Somehow it seemed appropriate that we have a lift in our church parking lot. After all, we do come to church for, among other things, an uplifting experience. In fact the contemporary singing ..read more

April 29, 2024 We have completed our 21 days of prayer. Now what? I Thessalonians 5: 16-19 Rejoice always, Pray continually, Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Prayer The Word instructs us to pray with humility and reverence Our Memories give us an attitude of gratitude Our Faith inspires us to pray expecting to be amazed! John 20: 21 "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." The Next Day … and The Next Contributed by Linda Ayer Don't Stop Praying song by Matthew West (click link to hear song) What's your impossibl ..read more

April 28, 2024 Sometimes we pray like David, Psalm 5: 8 Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies - make your way straight before me. We want the way to be straight-forward, meaning the way we think it should go. And yet many times in real life, God requires us to change direction. Day 21 – April 28 Contributed by Warren Ayer Once upon a time, I had gainful employment with a large corporation. As with all such successful enterprises they must continually restructure and reinvent themselves as a natural course in the ebb and flow of markets and business. And so it was, the ..read more

April 27, 2024 As we approach the final days of our 21 days of prayer, we turn to a recurrent theme in the messages of our Lord and our church. Matthew 5: 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Peacemaking may be one of the most difficult professions, with precious few role models. Too often we ask why something happened. Perhaps we should consider the response suggested by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner when he suggested: "to forgive the world for not being perfect, to forgive God for not making a better world, to reach out to people around us, and to go on living des ..read more

April 26, 2024 Matthew 24: 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. While written two thousand years ago, it sounds strangely relevant to today; as does our inspiration for today from our Pastor. Day 19 – April 26 Contributed by Pastor Russ Willis This poem was first offered as a prayer at the end of an online Advent service during COVID and seems as relevant now as it did then. It first appeared in print in Faith, The Poet Magazine, 2021. It is based on Paul's invocation in 1 Corinthians 1:3. Grace to You and Peace As the world spins out of co ..read more

April 25, 2024 We have all played some form of Hide & Seek as children. The best games were sometimes in the shadows of early evening - the hidden were sometimes almost impossible to see, even in "plain sight." One of the many grownup lessons we learn as children. Day 18 – April 25 Contributed by Christine O'Brien Seeking And Finding                                     by Joyce Rupp I search for God, elusive ..read more