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Conference Minister's Corner 4.22.26
NH Article – April 22nd, 2026 The Impact of Words Rev. Gordon Rankin | Conference Minister When I was young, there was a saying that I always took as containing some wise truth. I suspect many of you know the one: "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me." It was sort of our cultural way of saying "toughen up." Here is the problem with that teaching — words do cause harm. Words cause emotional, spiritual, and societal harm. If we don't recognize t
Matt Alighieri
Apr 222 min read
Conference Minister's Corner 4.15.26
NH Article – April 15 th , 2026 Do you feel different yet? By the time you read this Easter will be about 10 days behind us. We are in the season of Easter Tide for 40 more days. Christ is still risen. Christ is still risen indeed. So…do you feel different? Do you feel awash with new life, resurrection, the hope and peace that Easter is supposed to bring? Yes? Maybe? Or is it more like: “What are you talking about Linda? Nothing has changed from what I can see.” The days af
Rev. Linda Hirst
Apr 142 min read
Conference Minister's Corner 4.1.26
Discernment I have been talking a lot about the practice of discernment lately. The more conversations I have had about discernment, the more I have realized it is not a commonly understood concept. My experience is that some people consider discernment to be the “church word” for decision-making. For me, there is more to discernment than that. So, I thought I’d write this week about what, for me, the essence of discernment is. For me, discernment is never just about figuring
Matt Alighieri
Apr 142 min read
Matt Alighieri
Mar 240 min read
Conference Minister's Corner 3.17.26
Discernment I have been talking a lot about the practice of discernment lately. The more conversations I have had about discernment, the more I have realized it is not a commonly understood concept. My experience is that some people consider discernment to be the “church word” for decision-making. For me, there is more to discernment than that. So, I thought I’d write this week about what, for me, the essence of discernment is. For me, discernment is never just about figuring
Rev. Gordon Rankin
Mar 172 min read
Conference Ministers Corner 3-10-26
My very good friend came to visit from Nashville back in January. When it was 20 degrees and colder. 'Cause…Maine. She brought a jacket with her. 'Cause…Nashville. I gave her one of my coats, of course. I have plenty – one for every severe change in temperature. Maybe you do, too. Giving her a coat wasn’t an issue...I didn’t give it a second thought. In the bible there are a few scriptures (Luke 6:27-31 and Matthew 5:38-42) about giving someone your coat and/or shirt if the
Rev. Linda Hirst
Mar 102 min read
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