Old First has always affirmed the centrality of the Bible to our faith. The Bible brings the Word of God to us, leading us to faith and faithful lives. The centrality of the Bible has long been recognized in the structure of Old First itself . An open Bible appears as the focal point...
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The Elders at their meeting on Monday valiantly waded, yet again, into the questions about how Old First can best be of service during pandemic precautions. This time, their focus was worship. One of the goals is to make the in-person worship more accessible for more people. We...
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The framing of the new chancel is about to begin, as soon as the new attic access is completed. It will only take a week or so. The electrician needs to add the wiring and the inspector needs to come and check everything before the decking is laid — the last step before the floor...
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Pastor’s note: When I read Jillian’s post the other day, I thought to myself: How prescient and precise. She nailed an E-pistle in just a few words!” Jillian has given me permission to share what she wrote: “Yesterday Sasha fell asleep on a bike ride to West...
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((While Michael is away on vacation, I found one of his Fear Not articles from May 2021. The message still feels appropriate and worth sharing again.)) As I think of a Fear Not for today, I kept hearing in my head the hymn line “Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the living of these...
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Since Michael is away on vacation, he won’t be writing an epistle article this week. Instead, we are sharing a prayer from Rev. Ken Carter A Summer Prayer in a Prolonged Season of COVID by The Rev. Ken Carter, Bishop of the Florida Conference, United Methodist Church O God of...
Read more (Pastor’s note: Our E-pistle lead comes today from the Rev. Susan Minasian, my downstairs neighbor and our Interim Associate Conference Minister. It’s a piece she wrote for this week’s PSEC e-news. Her point is always important. The people are the church and the ministry is not the...
Read more Beloved, I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling the urge to begin masking again. Not so much out of my own fears of the Delta variant, but for the greater public health concern. As a vaccinated person, I could still carry the virus (without even knowing it — and also of course...
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(Pastor’s note: This is part of a presentation I am making for the UCC’s Conference for “Partners’ in Building.” I’m sort of blowing my horn about you all, so I thought you should know. Also, it might help you think about all we’re accomplishing…) I’m Michael Caine, the pastor at Old...
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I had an experience this week, that I bet you have also had a time or two. I was going to pay a pastoral call on Jim and Margaret. I decided to ride my bike. Ok, maybe that’s an experience that we haven’t all had! But I had my reasons! Because the weather was nice
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