Sermon in German

Sunday was a day of glorious music.  The words were by Martin Luther set to music by Bach.  Not a bad combination, eh?  My job was to say something intelligent in a few minutes before we gave the morning to the musicians.  The theme of the day was the divinity of Jesus Christ, and the music was truly divine.  The cantata included our wonderful choir, a small orchestra, soloists and even our children's choir learned the German for the last chorale.

Music is truly an important part of worship at PCMK.  On Sunday, the music was even the sermon.
Thanks be to God!

See you in church,
Pastor Dale

Proud of the "P" in PCMK

The New York Times

"Presbyterians Approve Gay Marriage in Church Constitution"

This has been a good week to be a Presbyterian.  Once again the Presbyterian Church (USA) made headlines, including the NY Times.  On Tuesday, our neighbors of the Palisades Presbytery in New Jersey voted to affirm the change to our constitution which defines marriage as "a unique commitment between two people, traditionally a man and a woman, to love and support each other for the rest of their lives."  Palisades was the 86th Presbytery (out of 171) to affirm, so it is now part of our Book of Order.  I am particularly proud because I was one of the commissioners from Hudson River Presbytery to the 221st General Assembly where we approved this language.  I was there when the amendment was made to add the words, "traditionally a man and a woman."  That clause seemed to calm any last minute jitters and it was passed by a wide margin.

It has been quite a journey, but it feels like we can finally move beyond decades of conflict at Presbytery and General Assembly gatherings.  There are those who think the denomination has lost its soul, but I think we have been wise and even inspired as we have taken steps to remove a significant barrier to the inclusive justice we proclaim.  There is room in our church for people who are not yet comfortable with gay pastors or same sex marriage, but more importantly there is room and a warm welcome for those who face so much discrimination in life.

It's a proud day to be a Presbyterian, and it is a proud day to be a part of PCMK.  On Sunday our Church School children packed over 100 lunches for the homeless of New York City.  One touching story is shared by our CE Director, Kathy Anderson.  While helping the younger children decorate the lunch bags one child asked why their mommies didn't make lunches for these people.  When Kathy explained that these people are grown ups who don't have mommies around, the child said she wanted to give lots of hugs through her lunch bag.  She proceeded to completely cover it in X's and O's (hugs and kisses).

So, I think you can see why I am proud to be a "P", especially since it is part of PCMK!

Seeking Light for the Journey

It has been a long dark winter, but the light is on the way.  Tonight we move our clocks ahead and suddenly there will be daylight that lasts beyond dinner.  It will feel so good to go for a walk and see neighbors who have hibernated for months.  But first we  have mountains of snow to melt.  I grew up in Canada and spent several winters in the Great Lakes snow belt, but this winter has taken the cake.  In fact, the pyramid of snow on our patio table looks like a giant white cake. 


Our mission statement starts with the line, "seeking light for the journey," which feels even more appropriate than ever.  The growing light of spring accompanies us on the journey through Lent.  In a few weeks we will celebrate the light of Easter with joy.  In the weeks between now and then we should get all we can out of the season of Lent.  There are small groups exploring the question, "what Jesus is this?", and there will be a beautiful Bach cantata in worship on March 22nd.


So, even though we are looking forward to spring, there is plenty of light for the journey in these last weeks of winter.


See you in church,
Pastor Dale

The Lenten Journey Begins Today

Miss Kathy burning palm crosses to make Ashes

(notice Gerard peeking around the corner!)

Ash Wednesday is the start of the 40 day journey we call Lent.  For centuries Christians have used this season to deepen their faith.  In the early centuries of the Christian era, Lent was a season of preparation for new members.  For 40 days they would fast, be taught the essentials of the faith in preparation for their baptism during the Easter vigil.  It was a gruelling schedule that made these potential new members think twice about what they were getting themselves into.

As 21st Century Presbyterian Christians, our schedule is not nearly as tough.  In fact, we can put very little effort into our faith journey if we choose.  But then Lent comes along and disrupts our busy lives with a call to pay attention--there is more to life than careers and entertainment.  The Lenten journey calls us to draw closer to God and to recognize there are other people on the planet besides ourselves.

The Lenten journey is different for everyone.  For some it may involve giving something up for 40 days, while others may choose to take on some personal discipline.  Whether or not you have followed some Lenten journey in the past, I invite you to join us on the journey beginning today at our Ash Wednesday service at 1 or 7:30 pm.  Then I invite you to join one of our Lenten small groups that will meet in PCMK members' homes.  Together we will explore the question, "What Jesus is This?"

There is really only one reason we should do anything different during Lent--Easter!  Easter is the  celebration of new life that is made all the more meaningful if we spend time on the Lenten journey.

So no matter where the Lenten journey takes you, I look forward to seeing you on the way.

See you in church,

Pastor Dale

Tragedy on the Train

I was just coming out of a Social Justice committee meeting when I heard the news of the terrible accident on the Metro North Train in Valhalla.  Several PCMK members were in the kitchen preparing food for our Emergency Shelter Program guests.  Several of them had spouses that normally take that train and they were understandably shaken.

As far as we know, no one from PCMK is among the injured or worse.  (Actually I have since learned that one of our members was in the second to last car and is okay).  But somewhere in our county 6 families have heard the terrible news.  Like the Governor said on TV, "Six people went about their business on a routine day, but they won't make it home tonight."  He also said how precious life is and how random it can be.

My thoughts are with those families, to be sure.  But I am also thinking of all our PCMK families who send a loved one to work in the City on the train everyday.  Besides the anxiety that will follow this accident, there is the grueling schedule that this lifestyle represents.  Moms and dads get up very early, stand on a cold platform, squeeze into a seat on the train and an hour later they join the crowds spreading out from Grand Central Station on subway or by foot.  At night they reverse their steps and head home to loved ones, often arriving too late to enjoy much of an evening at home.

For a few years I commuted from Oakland to San Franciso on BART trains or by driving the Bay Bridge, so I know how exhausting that lifestyle is.  Perhaps that was part of my desire to enter the ministry and to choose to live near the churches I've served.

I've always respected the sacrifices commuting parents make for the sake of their families.  This accident underscores the dedication and innocence of hard-working people who spend a good percentage of their adult lives on Metro North trains.  My prayers are with you and your families as you have to resume that lifestyle with the thought of what happened on a cold February night fresh on your minds.

See you in church,
Pastor Dale

An ICY MLK Weekend

Sunday morning we had to cancel church services for the first time since I have been here in Mount Kisco.  The icy conditions reminded me of Portland, Oregon which had freezing rain more often than snow.  We actually cancelled services more often there than we ever did in Pennsylvania or New York.

The big disappointment was the baptisms that were scheduled for the Ma family's two little girls.  They had family from Georgia (who may never return to New York in January) and New Jersey.  So Terry, a handful of PCMK members and the Ma family gathered in the evening and we held an abbreviated worship service and baptized those babies.  It was a Sunday we won't soon forget.

This is also Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in America and we had planned music and prayers that lifted up his legacy.  In preparation for the service I came across this prayer of Dr. King's that could not be more appropriate with what is going on in the world today.  I encourage you to read it, pray it, and live it.

See you in church (hopefully next Sunday's better),
Pastor Dale

A prayer for peace by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

O God, we thank you for the fact that you have inspired men and women in all nations and in all cultures.  We call you different names: some call you Allah, some call you Elohim, some call you Jehovah, some call you Brahma, some call you the Unnmoved Mover.  But we know that these are all names for one and the same God.  Grant that we follow you and become so committed to your way and your kingdom that we will be able to establish in our lives and in this world a brother and sisterhood, that we will be able to establish here a kingdom of understanding, where men and women will live together as brothers and sisters and respect the dignity and worth of every human being.  In the name and spirit of Jesus.  Amen.

Winter's Charm

The Christmas season is over and winter has finally settled in.  It is a bitter cold day, but the sun is shining and it is actually very beautiful.  I love watching the finches come in to our bird feeder.  They must keep themselves warm by flying back and forth.  They certainly get their exercise.

Exercise is something we are all supposed to get after eating too many goodies over the holidays.  I may not go to the gym, but I get a lot of exercise running up and down from the manse to the church and back.   Sometimes I feel like those finches zipping back and forth from meeting to meeting.  January is a very busy month in the life of the church.  In many ways it feels busier than December.  At least it is a different kind of busy.  There are committee and session meetings, planning for upcoming events, and preparing for the annual meeting.

Those finches are a good lesson in what we need to do when we are busy.  We need to keep coming back to the feeder.  Our feeder is the spiritual home we find in our church, in Scripture, in prayer and in nature.  Those are places where we encounter God's spirit and we can be renewed for our busy lives.

So stay warm, but bundle up and take a walk on a bright winter day, read a Psalm, or just be still for a moment.  You'll find your time at the feeder will get you through whatever you need to do today.

See you at the feeder (our church)

Pastor Dale