Have Faith: Reflection on the past
One of the visits I like to make when I go back to see friends in Syracuse is to my old church, All Saints, in the Syracuse University neighborhood. They welcome me back with...
Have Faith: Love with justice
If you’re looking for an uplifting and motivational read (and author), I’m recommending the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III’s “Dancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Thriving in Turbulent Times.” I first heard Moss...
Have Faith: Summer services
If you’re a church geek like myself, you love summer on Martha’s Vineyard. More places of worship are open, and they all seem to be thriving — even those that have their share of...
Have Faith: Chabad on the Vineyard
I met Rabbi Tzvi Alperowitz the way I meet a lot of people, through emailing back and forth over the past year. We finally met in person last Sunday when I visited Chabad on...
Have Faith: Thinking about Juneteenth
Last month, my 33-year-old daughter decided she would dig deeper into our ancestry by doing a whole lot of online research. She definitely went down a rabbit hole. I was delighted when she reported...
Have Faith: Forgiveness
Editor’s note: From time to time, the “Have Faith” column is written by guest writers connected to the Island’s faith communities.
Forgiveness is one of the key tools of Christian faith. And knowing Jesus forgave...
Have Faith: Prayer
Do you ever say a quick prayer before you do something, like have an important conversation you’ve been dreading, or making a decision that’s been weighing on you, or maybe before writing a column...
Have Faith: A new way
At a time when the Catholic Church, along with other denominations, is experiencing a decline in membership, one family on the Island is joining the faith community at Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Parish this...
Have Faith: Changing the world
Every once in a while I hear from people who might be having an interesting speaker coming to visit, and this time it was Susan Murphy who called. Next Saturday, March 25, at 2...
Have Faith: New minister in Edgartown
I had a great visit last week with the new minister of the Federated Church in Edgartown, the Rev. Mark Winters. It was a dreary day outdoors, but that was in contrast to our...
Have Faith: Interfaith connections
As Christians, we are supposed to share the good news of Jesus Christ. But how do we do that if people run from us, or the conversation comes to a halt because they know...
Have Faith: On pilgrimage
Almost 20 years ago, I made a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, with the North American Lourdes Volunteers, a nonprofit based in Syracuse. I was supposed to write about the experience, but I didn’t anticipate...
Have Faith: Mental and spiritual health
Beginning Feb. 18, folks will have a unique option for facing the challenges life throws at them. Therapist Jeremy McLellan, a good friend of Vineyard Assembly of God pastor the Rev. Matthew Splittgerber, will...
Have Faith: World Day of Peace
The Catholic Church observed the first ever World Day of Peace on Jan. 1, 1968, and for me, it’s a reminder of the good that the church can do. It’s been a rough couple...
Have Faith: Welcome
Sometimes you come across really powerful words by happenstance. I saw a reference to Father Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest and ecumenical teacher who runs the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, by...
Have Faith: Meet Charles Rus
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Edgartown welcomed musician and organist Charles Rus to the parish community back in July, in the middle of an Island summer. He had only visited once before, earlier in...
Have Faith: Welcome!
It’s a newsy week in the faith world here, it seems. After a church-led search, the congregation of the Federated Church in Edgartown announces that the Rev. Mark Winters has been selected as the...
Have Faith: Spiritual fitness
Instead of writing about my own spiritual journey, I thought it would be fun and much more interesting to ask someone else about theirs. Pam Benjamin was kind enough to answer some pretty personal...
Have Faith: The harvest season
I went searching for what the Bible has to say about harvesting, since it feels very much like that time of year. Really, I suppose, it's the end of that time of year. I...
Have Faith: L’shanah tovah
Sally Cohn from the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center called me a couple of weeks ago to invite me to the Tabernacle to celebrate the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It was...