Four Legacy Gifts

Legacy Gifts 2025 September 2, 2025 SFBC recently received four legacy gifts from the estates of members and friends of the church, directed to projects and funds aligned with their interests, according to their wishes. Phyllis and Gay Hasselblad The Rev. Gaylord Hasselblad died on February 12, 2024; his wife Phyllis died on May 7, […]

Neighborhood Summer Circles

Neighborhood Summer Circles June 12, 2025 This summer we are kicking off Summer Circles! This is the culmination of our work from the AWAB Thriving Congregations cohort (You can read about it in the Spring Spire. Our work has culminated in developing what the program calls a “faithful experiment.”) Good relationships are essential in any […]

Book Study “Ordinary Mysticism”

New Book Study “Ordinary Mysticism” May 30, 2025 Recently, I asked our SFBC Exploring Contemplation class if anyone could recommend a good book on “soul work.” I was feeling the need to dig deeper into my relationship with my soul, to experience more of a sense of connectedness, of a center. My friend Jim Segaar […]

A Time for Sabbatical

A Time for Sabbatical May 5, 2025 Dear church family, Well, it’s here! My sabbatical begins on May 12 and runs through August 11. Sabbaticals are important to the health of both pastors and congregations. Pastoral work is emotionally taxing and complex work—it is also meaningful and enjoyable, but I can’t pretend it’s not hard. […]

Fear and Great Joy

Fear and Great Joy April 7, 2025 Hey y’all, I have been thinking about Matthew’s account of the resurrection lately—specifically one phrase. In Matthew’s telling, Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” go to see the tomb Jesus has been laid in. When they arrive, there is a great earthquake. They see an angel descend from […]

Everything In-Between

Everything In-Between March 3, 2025 Dear church family, We live in a world of dichotomies. Everything around us, especially in this polarized time in our country and world, seems to push us towards one polarity or the other, makes us choose between one binary or the other. But that’s not how the Sacred works, and […]

Entering the New Year

Entering the New Year January 13, 2025 Hey y’all, There’s a scene in the third season of the Canadian comedy, Schitt’s Creek, where Catherine O’Hara’s Moira Rose finds herself at an awkward lunch with her adult daughter, Alexis. It’s a bit of a subtle running joke in the show that Moira’s favorite child is her […]

Words for the Beginning

Words for the Beginning November 25, 2024 Greetings, beloved church, as we enter the season of Advent and celebrate the beginning of a new church year. This year’s advent theme is “Words for the Beginning.” Life is filled with beginnings: babies being born, naming ceremonies, fresh starts, creativity and new friends and neighbors to meet […]

Hello Fall

Hello Fall September 30, 2024 Hey y’all, “I’m so happy to live in a world where there are Octobers.” One of my all-time favorite literary characters, Anne Shirley, says this in the book Anne of Green Gables shortly after she has been adopted by brother and sister, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. Anne is a whimsical, […]

“Joy is not made to be a crumb”

Give In to Joy October 12, 2025 Hey y’all, Wow—what a whirlwind the last six weeks have been! My time as co-pastor began with the Evergreen Association Annual Gathering. I got to meet and fellowship with so many wonderful colleagues from across the Evergreen region. We then had the honor of welcoming Dr. Wil Gafney […]