As autumn arrives and the leaves begin to paint the world in shades of gold, crimson, and amber, we are reminded of God’s artistry in creation. The crisp morning air, the gentle rustle of falling leaves, and the harvest fields ready for gathering all speak of His faithfulness and the beauty of change.

We are entering the Fall season! Some people would say this is the best time on Cape Cod: cooler days, fewer tourists, families getting back to school and work after vacations, plentiful harvests of apples, squashes, corn and cranberries.

We have come to the end of another appointment year within the United Methodist Church. For all of those who attend regularly at the Harwich UMC, I would like to express my deep gratitude for your gifts and your faithfulness. God willing, I will be serving among you for another appointment year.

In the Northeast, May is a month of dramatic life.  I remember leaving for the hospital to have my daughter on May 15th and returning home a week later, shocked by the colorful transformation of the world.  Our creator has programmed into the world colorful and dramatic reminders that the possibility of new life is always with us.

Lent at Harwich UMC has been focused on the Journey of Faith and the concept of Pilgrimage. We set out with two new members to our faith family when Kevin and Becky joined our church on February 15th! Certainly, a joyful Transfiguration Sunday!

Have you ever been on a Pilgrimage– of course you have! The journey of faith is a Spiritual journey – a pilgrimage of sorts.

The Serenity Prayer is a thought for the New Year. We would all like more Peace of Mind – my definition of “Serenity”. By the end of the 20th century people were observing that change was happening faster and faster. In one life time, nothing remained the same. What to do? How to keep up? How to cope?

We have arrived at the brink of the Holiday Season… The Fall Fair, Thanksgiving, and Advent all fall this month! Our Annual Meeting was on November 1st, and we were well represented at Northside UMC in Brewster. 

To celebrate my daughter, Nicole’s 50th birthday, the Family went to New Orleans, and I am grateful that The Rev. Dr. David Purdy opened the season of Advent with a service featuring Rome’s influence on the Nativity event.  We then journeyed to Jerusalem, Nazareth, and finally Bethlehem, and on Christmas Eve, we arrived at the Manger. The following week, we remembered the Epiphany to Persia and the World with the Magi.

A Christian creed is a series of defining statements that express the core beliefs of Christians. Several specific creeds came to prominence and were used by many people as a confession of faith prior to being baptized. Today, these creeds remain as declarations of faith for Christians around the world.