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Old First Reformed 
United Church of Christ
151 N. 4th Street (at Race Street), Philadelphia, PA 19106 · (215) 922-4566
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Strangers in a New Land: Old First E-pistle 05.17.12
Posted May 17, 2012 by Michael Caine. Filed under E-pistles.
My great, great-grandfather, the Rev. Edward Grieb served his first church in the U.S., Ebenezer Congregational in Portland, Oregon, an immigrant church of ethnic Germans from the Volga region of Russia. Grieb was dismissed from that pastorate in 1895, after only serving two years. The more conservative members of that congregation “accused him of not [...]
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Affirming Diversity with Respect and Love: Old First E-pistle, 05.11.12
Posted May 11, 2012 by Michael Caine. Filed under E-pistles.
One of my colleagues at this week’s Penn SE Conference’s Clergy Convocation, asked Geoffrey Black, the UCC’s General Minister and President about the limits of diversity within our denomination. What I heard was a question all too familiar to me: “Is the UCC REALLY diverse, if we cannot welcome people who don’t accept diversity?” I’ll [...]
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Help Fitting Life’s Pieces Together: Old First E-pistle 05.03.12
Posted May 3, 2012 by Michael Caine. Filed under E-pistles.
“Why Would An All-Powerful Being Demand Our Worship?” Pastors get asked this all the time. Some apparently understand worship as demeaning obeisance… God’s insisting on subservience… bowing and scraping before some puffed-up, “supposed” deity. Remember Oz bellowing, “Pay no attention to that little man behind the curtain?” The question is often lobbed as a fast [...]
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Who’s Joining Our Community: Old First E-pistle 04.26.12
Posted April 25, 2012 by Michael Caine. Filed under E-pistles.
We now have four Andrews (H., C., and two McLs). Three Marks (W., S., M.). And just recently we’ve gone to three Jonathans (A., V. and B.). We’ve gotten used to two Beths (W. and D.), but there’s also two Lizs (O. and McL.) and an Elizabeth (G.). You’ll notice I have to refer to [...]
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An Undocumented Person Speaks about Immigration at the Adult Forum, 04.29.12
Posted April 23, 2012 by Michael Caine. Filed under E-pistles, Uncategorized.
Our speaker this week at the Adult Forum will bring his own experience of being an undocumented immigrant since his parents brought him to the U.S. from La Paz, Bolivia when he was 7 years old. Jorge Salazar is a board member of The New Sanctuary Movement, a member of Dream Activist Pennsylvania and the [...]
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Nothing Will Work Unless You Do: E-pistle 04.20.12
Posted April 20, 2012 by Michael Caine. Filed under E-pistles.
After my sermon last Sunday, with all the kids kept running up to me in fellowship hour asking “when are we leaving for ice cream,” and a visitor sharing a really difficult story of his last two years, one of you smiled and said, “I’m a capitalist too. And I’m pretty impressed: you actually found [...]
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“All Ages, Tongues and Races”: Old First E-pistle, 04.12.12
Posted April 12, 2012 by Suzanne Cole. Filed under E-pistles, Worship.
[Pastor’s Note: Holy Week and Easter are busy times for pastors, so I’m taking a little break this week and handing over the reins of the e-pistle to Suzanne. Remember that I always welcome submissions from any of you in our community who would like to offer your thoughts. See you in church, Michael] I [...]
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Maundy Thursday as our HIGHEST Holy Day?: E-pistle 04.05.12
Posted April 4, 2012 by Michael Caine. Filed under E-pistles.
Perhaps Maundy Thursday should be our highest Holy Day? Easter, of course, wins the prize. Good Friday clearly shows how far Jesus was willing to go in his love for us. But without Resurrection, Christianity and our faith would have died with Jesus on Friday. And Christmas ends up taking precedence too. The story of [...]
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Surprised by Life: Old First E-pistle 03.29.12
Posted March 29, 2012 by Michael Caine. Filed under E-pistles.
There’s a phenomenon that continues to surprise me as much as it interests me: the disconnect between the trip and its completion. Or… how going some place is often not adequate preparation for arriving there! In both literal and figurative terms, one can travel quite deliberately — for a real distance and a significant period [...]
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“Pastor, Do We Have to Evaluate?” Old First E-pistle 03.23.12
Posted March 23, 2012 by Michael Caine. Filed under E-pistles.
I’m asking a favor: take 20 minutes and complete the Revitalization Task Force’s evaluation of our “Covenant Ministry” — online preferably, or ask the office or at worship for a paper copy. One of the newer people asked after worship last week (and Steve Wilhite’s explanation of the survey as the first of three steps [...]