Monday, February 17, 2025

Religion & Spirituality

Have Faith: A new way

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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

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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

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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

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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...

Honoring St. Brigid

Ireland’s ancient goddess, Brigid, long beloved and venerated in the hearts of the people, has been granted national recognition with an annual public holiday. Her official status is now recognized as equal to that...

Have Faith: On pilgrimage

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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...

Religious services for the holidays

  Aquinnah Community Baptist Church of Gay Head Visit communitybaptistgayhead.org or call 508-693-1539. Christmas Day Worship, hymn singing, scripture lessons, and prayer, 9 am.   Chilmark Chilmark Community Church Visit chilmarkchurch.org or call 508-645-3100. Saturday, Dec. 17 Holiday flea market at Chilmark Community Center, 10...

Have Faith: Welcome!

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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

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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

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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

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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...

Have Faith: Darkness and light

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It's not always easy to have faith. Sometimes we get a taste of what St. John of the Cross called “the dark night of the soul.” No matter how hard we pray, it all...

Have Faith: A new spiritual leader

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I first met Rabbi Giulia Fleishman years ago when I was working at the West Tisbury library. She exudes the word “kindness” from the moment you meet her. Giulia is still involved with the...

Have Faith: Grieving

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We've been joking around the office about how rough July was — some of us struggled through COVID, those who hadn't gotten it previously finally falling into various degrees of illness. I don't want...

Have Faith: What can we do?

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Between reading Catherine Walthers' Edible Vineyard story on World Central Kitchen (bit.ly/evworldkitchen) and George Brennan's story on “Covering the Russian Invasion of Ukraine” at last weekend's Islanders Write (bit.ly/mvtlongwar), I'm convinced I don't know...

Have Faith: Visiting preachers

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One of my favorite aspects of summer on the Island is all of the visiting guest preachers who come to the Tabernacle and to Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs. I’ve heard some amazing and...