The Rev. Talitha plots her next move: Wednesday night church gatherings! I pitched this idea to you in May, and got enthusiastic support from Session, the Children and Youth Education Committee, and many individuals. So let’s put wings on it and get ready to fly. Intergenerational Bible Study is going to be a Wednesday night series, and everybody is invited, no matter…

It’s visitor season at MPC! Thanks in large part to our friendly outreach booth at the farmer’s market, and also to all the friends who say “my church does this fun thing in the summer… you should come…” our August Sundays are a major draw for new visitors. Come to think of it, maybe it’s also that we worship at 5 PM,…

This morning my phone “pinged” at me with news from Twitter. Twitter is not my favorite social media platform, but it has its uses. I began using Twitter to participate in conversations at General Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church (hence my first twitter handle, the cute “@presbybug”). It’s a way to converse with strangers who are in the same giant room as…

At press time I will be halfway to Seattle, heading up to camp on Mt Rainier and play with my baby nephew Tom (and some adult family members, but of course they are secondary to the baby). Thanks to the SPLASH team for issuing a challenge to reduce transit-related carbon; I’ll be taking Amtrak each way and hoping to enjoy the ride.…

Last night I underwent my trials for ordination at the San Francisco Presbytery, an unnecessarily scary-sounding phrase for what was really a rather collegial process. I was invited up to the podium to speak about my statement of faith (available here) and then the floor was open for questioning. The first question – according to our local tradition – was a nice,…

At Session last night, among other decisions you’ll read about below, the Session members voted to move forward with the adoption of a full set of new hymnals. The giver has chosen to remain anonymous, but let’s give up a big prayer of gratitude for such a wonderful, generous gift! I’m not sure how long it will take for us to get…

Have you taken a look at the new purple hymnals? You may have seen Celebration Committee members lending them out to others in Family Hour, or you may have taken the time to attend one of our sing-along sessions after Celebration. We have been in ongoing discussion, both in Session and Celebration Committee, and in the wider congregation, for more than a…

I promised an ongoing series about the aspects of my job at MPC that will change when I get ordained. And one of these changes has already started – but as we go on, I know the process will continue and accelerate. That is my responsibility for participating in the wider ministry of the church, and particularly in the Presbytery of San…

Friends, I’ve got an idea to share with you. I can’t really say how this idea started or who planted the first seeds of its growth – it seems to have come from many directions simultaneously – but I keep getting those spiritual nudges that seem to indicate its time has come. The idea is to add another weekly gathering into our…

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your ringing endorsement of my ministry here at Montclair, and for calling me to be your Associate Pastor! I count myself lucky to be working for such a generous-hearted and enthusiastic congregation. And I am so grateful to those who through their time and service (and a great deal of patience) have moved this process…