Supreme Wisdom

This was quite a week for the Supreme Court.  It made history once again on two fronts.  First it affirmed the program that has helped millions of Americans to get affordable health insurance.  Then on Friday it affirmed the right of all Americans to marry the person they love.  It has been quite a journey for us as a nation, our Presbyterian denomination, and PCMK.  But most of all it has been a journey for justice and equality for millions of people created in the image of God.

Just over a year ago I was able to officiate at the wedding of our son in our beautiful sanctuary.  Now, thanks to the courageous decisions of PCMK, the PC(USA), the State of New York, and now the US Supreme Court, I could officiate at the wedding of my daughter!  Is this a great country (and church) or what?

See you in our wonderful, inclusive church,

Pastor Dale

A Day in the Park

Sunday was our annual Worship in Gedney Park and Church Picnic. It was everything a church picnic should be:  the weather was perfect, the worship was uplifting, the food was wonderful and the games were fun for children of all ages.  I got in on the fun by being the target for the kids and their water balloons.  The point was to raise money for our Living Waters Project.  At $1 a balloon we raised $300!  Everyone seemed eager to pay up for the privilege.  Elisabeth got the biggest boys she could find and paid for them to take a shot or two.  I'm glad it was a warm day because I was soaking wet.

Many thanks to our deacons who once again put together a successful event.  They thought of everything from reserving the shelter to hiring Nick the ice-cream man.

Worship in the park is always meaningful for me as it was my first Sunday as Pastor here at PCMK in 2012.  This year's event marks the beginning of my 4th year.  I look forward to  making more memories in Gedney Park next year and beyond.  I just hope our fundraiser never involves bricks!

See you in church,
Pastor Dale

Memorial Days 2015

No, it's not a typo in the title.  Did you know there is an alternate date for Memorial Day?  I found this out when I was invited to speak at the Mt. Kisco American Legion's Memorial Day recognition this Saturday, May 30th. When I asked why it was on Saturday, my host said that the 30th is the original (and appropriate date) in their view.  So I went to Wikipedia to learn about the history of the holiday.  It was in 1968 that congress passed the "Uniform Monday Holiday Act," to ensure that Memorial Day, and three other holidays, always landed on a Monday (who doesn't like a three-day weekend?).

I was alive in 1968, but I was a kid in Canada, so I never knew of the Memorial Day controversy. What is not controversial is the debt we owe to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.  While it is great to celebrate the start of summer, we must never forget the true meaning of the day.  Elisabeth's father was killed before she was born while serving in the U.S. Navy, so we know a little of the sacrifice millions of families have made (about one million Americans have died in all wars combined).

A nice Memorial Day tradition here in Chappaqua is the annual parade and ceremony.  It is truly a small-town affair with world-class celebrities.  The parade is small with a handful of Viet Nam veterans and a small bagpipe band.  Marching in front of the parade were Bill and Hilary Clinton.  I was able to get close to both of them after the parade and even shook the former President's hand.  While it was exciting to have the ultimate power couple in attendance, the program went forward with recitations of the biographies of several home-town heroes.  Some were even read by local high school students.  The Greeley High School band, including some PCMK youth, played several patriotic songs.

I will have a new appreciation for Memorial Day in the future, whether or not I get to shake the hand of a former President (or a current Governor like two years ago).

See you in church,
Pastor Dale

Our Greatest Blessing -- Our Youth

Confirmation Class of 2015

Presenting Statements of Faith to Session

These have been busy weeks as we prepare for our annual Youth Sunday and the celebration of our 2015 Confirmation Class.  Last Sunday we baptized three youth who will be confirmed this coming Sunday, and three other children from two of those families also came to the font.  I particularly enjoyed the giggles that the youngest children got as they got wet!

Our confirmation class has been on a journey that began in January.  Fifteen of our 7th and 8th graders attended early Sunday morning classes, read the gospel of Mark and the Catechism, went on a retreat and prepared their own faith statements.  The highlight of the program was reading those faith statements before the session on May 6th.  The elders and parents were totally impressed at the depth of understanding and the personal insights of these faith statements.

On Sunday we will welcome these newest member as part of our annual Youth Sunday.  Our own Alexandra Kung, graduating high school senior will bring the sermon. As you can see below, these young people recognize that confirmation is not the end of the journey, it is just the beginning.  I'm as proud as any pastor could be of our youth and confident of the future of our church and world because of them.

See you in church,
Pastor Dale

Combined Statement of Faith 

Confirmation Class of 2015

I believe in the trinity.  God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  The triune God brings us together and gives us faith. NH  The trinity lets us see God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit in different ways.  LC

God created the planet Earth and created all of us.  God loves everyone on Earth.  WC  I believe that God is the creator of everything and provides us our own special talents and abilities. EP

I believe Jesus, the Son of God, came down to Earth.  He taught people the Word of God and healed the sick and injured… Jesus didn’t only teach, but ate and talked in the presence of the lowest people in society, to show that God’s love has no boundaries.  SS  Jesus Christ lived life and experienced pain as well as joy like one of us. JP

I believe the Holy Spirit is with us all the time.  It is in the beauty of nature, from the most beautiful sunset to the most simple insect.  I believe the church is a safe, loving place where we can express our faith in God.  I am proud to belong to a church where people of any race or sexual orientation are welcomed. LM  The church is a community of people who don’t just come to pray, but to help people in need. RC  Service to others is important.  It’s a way to follow Jesus’ path because he helped people in many ways.  TF

I was baptized here, which was my welcome into the church.  Now I am being confirmed, part 2 of the baptism, and becoming an official member of the church. LB  Baptism links us to God and the church forever from when we are children.  Communion serves to remind us of all the goodness of Jesus and to have faith as we live our lives. JM

I believe the Bible is a guidebook when we need it.  It’s full of stories to teach us lessons and it teaches us what God wants us to know.  PD  Having faith in the Bible isn’t memorizing the whole book, it is taking the teachings and putting them to use in everyday life. HT

Christ’s life may be up in heaven, but I am still down here; until I make it to heaven I will remain a Christian of faith and integrity. HB  In honor of my faith, I will live simply, worry less, be more patient, kind and give of myself to others…My confirmation is just the beginning of my relationship with God and my faith. RM

(Initials refer to the youth responsible for that line of the statement).

Good News/Bad News

The Great Emancipator

Site of Some of Our Meetings in D.C. 

Getting a Jump on Spring Flowers in D.C.

What's Left of a Family Car!

These weeks following Easter have been full of activity at church and beyond.  As I look back I see several stories of good news/bad news.  

Two weeks ago I was in Washington D.C. for a conference on Mass Incarceration: Breaking the Chains of Injustice.  The good news is that mass incarceration is a new term in our nation's vocabulary and people are starting to get it.  There is even bi-partisan support to end the ridiculously high rates and long terms of incarceration in our country.  The bad news is that there are millions of Americans locked up for years and years, many of them for petty drug possession.  We will share more of what we learned in sermons, adult ed classes and social justice projects.

The good news is that spring is here and there is a freshness and joy in the air.  The bad news is that it is allergy season for many.

The bad news is a young family had a car burn up in our church parking lot last Saturday afternoon.  The good news is everyone got out safely.  She saw smoke coming from the engine and then she wisely pulled in our parking lot and got the kids out!  The Mount Kisco Fire Department did a great job putting out the fire.

The bad news is the terrible earthquake in Nepal.  The scenes of the destruction are terrible.  I lived through many earthquakes in California so I know how terrifying they can be.  The good news is you can help by donating to the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance fund.  Go to www.pda.pcusa.org and give generously.  PDA has a great reputation of getting funds into the hands of people who are there helping people.  PCMK did mission projects through PDA after Katrina.

So while there is suffering all around us, it is always good to know that God is on the side of those most in need of help.  That's the best news of all.

PCMK Welcomes an Old Friend

Disclaimer!  Let's be clear--by "old friend" I mean she has been a friend of PCMK for a long time, not that she is old!

On Sunday PCMK welcomed Dr. Susan Andrews, General Presbyter of Hudson River Presbytery, to worship and fellowship with us.  We made the most of her time as she taught the confirmation youth about Presbyterian Polity (who better!) and then preached an amazing Easter sermon on John 20.  She was surrounded with well-wishers in the coffee hour and then Elisabeth and I took her to lunch.

We were glad and proud to have her with us on Sunday.  Glad because she is weeks away from retirement as our Presbytery leader.  Proud because she is a distinguished national leader of our denomination as well.  Her wisdom and experience will be missed in Hudson River, and I will miss her as a colleague and friend.

Dozens of PCMK members signed our well-wishes as did the session at its last meeting.  Dr. Andrews was a true friend to this church in times of transition and she will not be forgotten.  If you would like to add your message of appreciation, just email the church office and we will forward along with the others.

See you in church,

Pastor Dale

A Truly Holy Week

A Stark Sanctuary for Good Friday

Choir Preparing Easter Morning

A Full Sanctuary Easter Morning

Children Counting Their Easter Eggs

Easter Finest--Nigerian Style!

An Easter Brunch With Friends!

Holy Week was a wonderful, memorable, spiritually rewarding time for us all at PCMK.  It started with the joyful procession of Palm Sunday, moved through the reflection of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, and then erupted in the joy of Easter morning.

We are blessed at PCMK in so many ways.  We have children all over the place; and Easter without children just isn't the same.  We have fabulous music; and Sunday had many highlights from the prelude, to the hymns, anthems and the Hallelujah chorus.  We are blessed to  have a great fellowship team who show hospitality with such style!  And, oh yes, there was a sermon which I found a blessing to prepare.  I preached it to an empty sanctuary on Saturday night to get out the jitters, and I found myself listening to the message more than usual.  He is risen, just as he said.  He has gone on ahead to Galilee, go find him there.  The message for me is that we need to go find the risen Jesus in places of ministry in our "Galilees."

The joy of Easter was made even more special with a surprise visit with dear friends from Erie, PA. We had a great lunch together on a beautiful Spring day.  It doesn't get much better than this (except to include our own children who were not able to be home for Easter).

Easter is the highlight of the church year, but there are many more exciting things to come in the weeks and months ahead at PCMK.  It starts with the Rev. Dr. Susan Andrews as our guest preacher this Sunday.  We are blessed to have her with us as she is just weeks away from her retirement as our General Presbyter.

We are blessed in so many ways, and the hope of Easter is at the top of the list!

See you in church,

Pastor Dale