September/October 2018
Ed Horstmann has returned to Round Hill after a four-month sabbatical during which he traveled, painted, relaxed, and thought about the rhythm of life. ... read more
Summer 2018
"Daddy, tell me a story!" I often hear this familiar request each evening as I tuck my boys in bed and turn down the lights. ...read more
May 2018
As I embark upon a sabbatical following five years of ministry at Round Hill Community Church, I do so with a grateful heart. ...read more
April 2018
A land of unending winter. A land where Spring seems to be an unrealizable dream. ...read more
March 2018
In their book, Leadership on the Line, Ron Heifetz and Marty Linsky make this comment: ...read more
February 2018
I have some exciting news to share with you. ...read more
January 2018
When I was in eighth grade Bucky and Valerie Stultz moved in next door to where I lived with my family. ...read more
December 2017
In the weeks before Christmas the campus of Round Hill Community Church undergoes a quiet but profound transformation. ...read more
November 2017
The nights are a little longer, the days a little cooler, and we are well on the way into the end of autumn. ...read more
October 2017
Rest (naps included) is essential to human thriving, and even though this truth is well decumented, many habits and intrusions conspire to undermine opportunities for daily, deep renewal. ...read more
September 2017
Growing Our Faith Step by Step : Most of my prayers are offered when I’m on the move. ...read more
June 2017
In June 2016 I attended a summer class at Yale Divinity School entitled “Getting a Word In.” Its purpose was to provide religious leaders with variousways to offer thoughtful commentary on the intersection of faith and culture through blogs, newspaper articles, or podcasts. ...read more
May 2017
I see religion as a force for good in the world because it empowers us to live with faith, hope, and love and because it enables us to live with imagination in the face of challenges great and small. The Bible is full of examples of writers whose enduring gift to the world has been their ability to see the “glorious impossibles” of peace on earth, forgiveness among enemies, extravagant generosity in the service of the common good, and a vision of the good life that is good for everyone. ...read more
April 2017
There is no there: there is only a way.” This phrase comes from Rubem Alves, who was a Brazilian theologian and poet. His words strike me as a true description of the journey of life. ...read more
March 2017
What is the role of humility in a life that is worth living? That is a question that will guide our preaching, teaching, and learning throughout the month of March. I pray that it will also influence the way we relate to one another and those in the world around us.
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February 2017
During the month of February, not always known for its bright blue skies and sunny days, we have the great opportunity to explore ways in which the energy of hope can be enhanced in our lives. Come join the journey, and find fresh faith through a deeper engagement with the gift of hope. ...read more
January 2017
During the month of January, as we continue our ongoing exploration into A Life Worth Living, we will turn our attention to faith by exploring it through sermons, music, and our monthly Bible study, People of the Book. ...read more
December 2016
Gratitude, Generosity, Hospitality. Over the past three months, these themes have become our partners in a sacred conversation about what it means to live a life worth living. ...read more
November 2016
In a book about the creative management of time I came across a reference to a leader in the publishing industry who takes two full days a week for “thinking time.” He steps away from the work that normally engages him and, in the words of Jeremiah, comes to “the crossroads and asks where the good way lies.” ...read more
October 2016
We enjoyed a beautiful sunny day for our annual Blessing of the Animals service. The Community House was full of happy congregants and their pets, and many new friends and neighbors joined us in the festivities. ...read more
September 2016
On many summer nights of my childhood, my family and I would drag some of the patio furniture out to the middle of the open field next to our home, eat dinner, and talk well past midnight. Those late night conversations under the stars often drifted in the direction of big questions. What’s out there in the star speckled night sky? What in the world are we up to? What makes life worth living? ...read more
June 2016
Some years ago a friend of mine said to me: “We are busy people: of that there is no doubt. But what does all that busy-ness add up to?” As we move from day to day, through the experiences of routine and unpredictable events, we may neglect to pause and ask for the deeper meaning in our actions. ...read more
May 2016
Sunday, May 8, will mark a special and memorable day for Round Hill Community Church as our congregation confirms the faith of our youth. ...read more
April 2016
Although we focus on Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost as special days within the Christian calendar, they are also seasons. The organization of time into seasons is a way of reminding us that our growth in grace doesn’t happen all at once. We cultivate faith by sowing seeds of possibility, failing, experimenting, celebrating successes, and building healthy routines. ...read more
March 2016
Mixed Media Paintings by Robin Joyce Miller in Les Beaux Arts Gallery: This evocative series includes 23 paintings created with decorative paper, acrylic, and other materials like beads and gimp braid edging. Miller’s inspiration comes from biblical paintings that her brother brought back from Ethiopia. She incorporated many techniques associated with Ethiopian folk art into her work to bring the biblical scenes to life. ...read more
February 2016
The thread we follow is the way that leads to life, and it requires a certain tenacity to stay on that path. Those around us may wonder why we hope in a world that seems increasingly fragile, or why we love when it is so much easier to fear and judge, or why we remain involved in an institution as frail and battered as the church. ...read more
January 2016
The partnership between Round Hill Community Church and Inspirica is strong and getting stronger. With the opening of the Early Childhood and Parenting Program this January, Inspirica is launching one of their most important programs in their cause to end homelessness in Fairfield County. The program was initially funded with a substantial grant of $105,000 over three years by the Outreach Committee of this church. ...read more
