Greetings, Friends of God,

The end of the church year is here, The Reign of Christ is with us. This Sunday, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Sunday as I reflect upon Matthew 6:25-33. In this text Jesus tells the disciples (us), “…do not worry.”

In these times it is easy to lose sleep over the events of the world. I have been known to bolt from a restless slumber, yelling various things, and being calmed back to sleep with a gentle touch of the hand from my partner. And then there are those nights, when sleep is completely elusive. And Jesus asks, ” And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?”

Well, can you? The answer is no. Medical studies have shown us the numerous negative short- and long-term side effects of anxiety on the body, mind, and spirit.

I invite you to join me in giving thanks. Jackie Trombley tells us, “An attitude of gratitude makes space for grace.”

In advance of Sunday, I invite you to join me at the online San Mateo County Transgender Day of Remembrance commemoration noted below. Not only can we be a presence of solidarity in mourning, we can also be a presence of gratitude and celebration of our siblings whose lives were taken away too soon due to fear-and-hate-related violence. Island United is also a sponsor of the ceremony.

With gratitude for your presence,
Rev. Michael Cronin

Greetings, Faithful People of God,

The end is near. The end of the church year, that is. In two weeks, we begin Advent, the new calendar year for the church.

This next week, we will be looking at Mark 13:1-8 – “The Destruction of the Temple Foretold.”  (ominous music cue)

In these “end of times,” David Lose – Senior Pastor of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota – classifies this passage as Apocalyptic Literature. He shares that “apocalyptic literature stems from a worldview that believes that everything happening on earth represents and correlates with a larger, heavenly struggle between good and evil. It therefore reads into earthly events cosmic significance and anticipates future events on earth in light of the coming battle between the forces of God and the devil. Hence, it often tries to make sense of current events and experiences by casting them in a larger, cosmic framework and in this way give comfort to people who are currently suffering or being oppressed.”

What are your thoughts? How do you make sense of these times?

Let’s begin the examination together this coming Sunday.

Yours on the journey,
Rev. Michael Cronin

Greetings, Saints of God,

This Sunday we will commemorate All Saints’ Day, and I will be reflecting upon John 11:32-44 – The Raising of Lazarus. Many think of the veneration of the canonized saints who we martyred long ago. If you haven’t been to Saint Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco to see the “Dancing Saints” mural, you are missing out on a treat. It is an icon of “the saints – ranging from traditional figures like King David, Teresa of Avila, and Frances of Assisi to unorthodox and non-Christian people like Malcolm X and Anne Frank – represent musicians, artists, mathematicians, martyrs, scholars, mystics, lovers, prophets, and sinners from all times, from many faiths and backgrounds.”  If those walls could talk! You can also visit online at The Dancing Saints – St. Gregory of Nyssa (saintgregorys.org).

In addition to the classic saints, I believe in the modern saints, the saints alive and from our personal lives. I invite you to bring a photo or memento for the altar this Sunday as we explore what it is to be a saint in this world.

I look forward to seeing each of you.

With love,
Rev. Michael Cronin

Greetings, Beautiful People of God,

I pray this finds you well after the storm of this last week. I heard that some of you lost power for an extended period of time. I was in Glen Ellen, where 10.74 inches of rain transformed the nearly dry Sonoma Creek bed into a white water rafting experience. (I might exaggerate a little….) I also read that Mt. Tam received 16.55 inches of rain within the same 48 hours.

We are coming up to a week later, and the forecast for this coming Sunday is drier, leaning toward rain on Monday. If there are trick-or-treaters this Sunday, they can expect our usual temperate Peninsula weather as they unwittingly ward off evil spirits while seeking gifts of candy. While October 31 is the celebration of Halloween (a many-thousands-years old Celtic celebration to ward off evil spirits when the veil between life and death is thin), it is also the commemoration of Reformation Day. I read in a Newsweek post that Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on October 31 to expose the evils of the Catholic Church at that time, an opportunity because the “Church” would be packed on November 1 to celebrate All Saints Day. This is understood to be the launch of what we call “The Reformation”.

Island United is the embodiment of The Reformation. That is your history and your future. The Reformation is not a static date or place in time.

I invite you and your friends, whether in-person or via the virtual channels, to join us this Sunday as I reflect upon John 8:31-36. Also, please note below the many opportunities Island United has to be present in the larger community.

Let’s continue to be a part of the ongoing Reformation as we seek the Greater Glory of God and the service of God’s people.

In God’s Love,
Rev. Michael Cronin

Hello, Beautiful People of God,

It was wonderful to meet so many of you in person last week as we said “au revoir” and blessed Rev. Jim as he moves to Duluth, Minnesota.  I am looking forward to our time together and the marvelous things ahead. And, the coming rains….

This Sunday, Island United will be blessed with the presence of Rev. Kristi Denham.  Rev. Kristi will be reflecting upon Mark 10:46-52 (The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus) in her sermon “All Shall Be Well.” She has chosen wonderful hymns to accompany the sermon. You are invited to sing, masked, as you are comfortable, from the New Century Hymnal. As John Wesley said, “Sing lustily and with good courage.”

I will be with you again on Sunday, October 31. I invite you to join us for Thursday evening weekly prayer check-in on Zoom at 7:00 pm.

With God’s Love,
Rev. Michael Cronin

Lech Lecha: Go Forth

Lech Lecha, Go.
Leave what you know.
Leave who you have been.
Leave the old habits and ways
That have defined and shaped your life.

Take your strength, your support and what inspires your love
And go.

The destination is unknown,
But as you travel the path will appear.

And the goal of the journey?
The reason to leap,
To risk, to let go,
Is to be a blessing,
To discover anew the good that you are
And the many ways the Divine can come through you into the world.

It is difficult to leave, to let go and begin
And we are called to make this journey again and again.
There will be challenges along the way,
Heartache and pain
We will make mistakes,
We will rise,
We will fall,
And we will rise again.

Messengers will guide us.
Gifts will appear.

And even as fear arises
And doubts assail,
Let us not be deterred,
Because the ways we journey through this
Not just for us
But for all those who will call us ancestor.

I met this week to say goodbye (for now) with my dear friends of almost 40 years – Don and Patrick. They shared this prayer with me, and it has been with me all week. They commented that it reflected how I come and go and be part of communities at crucial times and then I go somewhere next.

That’s how I feel about our time together. From a spiritual perspective, I believe we were “assigned” by divine prompting and providence to travel through Covid19 together. I am so proud of all that we did accomplish: most remarkably that we are emerging through this period with an intact community, financially solid, visible in the community, and having cared for each other through an historically unprecedented pandemic. I especially credit the Council and Staff and also all of you for your faithfulness and commitment and flexibility.

In talking with my UCC colleagues doing ministry in this period, we have all noticed how the intensity of the period required something different from other interim periods. We were both interims and also more like settled pastors as a result of Covid, and not just in the length of tenure. We have embodied stability and continuity too. I have loved our Zoom services, the Reading Group, which grew quite a bit, and the intimacy of Thursday night prayer. As we transition in this period to both Zoom and in the room worship, I urge you to try out Thursday night prayer as a way of maintaining some of the connection that Sunday worship doesn’t provide.

We have retained new staff in this period. Darryl will be our new tech person to help us maximize technology to make our activities more accessible and our worship more contemporary. You will enjoy working with Rev. Michael Cronin between now and January while the Council makes longer term plans for 2022. Michael is thoughtful, creative, spiritually grounded, and most importantly trustworthy.

Keep tuned for a new Zoom link. Keep coming to church and Reading Group and Thursday night prayer and choir. If you’ve been away for a while, come back! If my mistakes or just my style have troubled you, I apologize from the bottom of my heart. Please know I have always believed in you and in your future and will always pray for you.

If you can, join us in person (masked!) or online Sunday (same Zoom link this week) to say goodbye. Eppie Encabo from the NCNC UCC will be our guest to lead a liturgy of farewell, and Diane Fahrner, President of the Peninsula Multifaith Coalition, will also help us lead worship, and you can meet Rev. Michael Cronin in person too.

Think of me on sunny days in the colder climate of Duluth, Minnesota, and send a warm thought. I’ve worked with five congregations during my cat Keats’s lifetime, and yours is the only one he attended regularly. We will both miss you.

Take care,
Rev. Jim Mitulski

P.S. Here is an article about the medical marijuana interview with Rev. Jim that airs on Friday, October 15, on KALW 97.1 FM Bay Area. Warning: adult content. https://www.ebar.com/news/latest_news//309687 or at https://www.outinthebay.org/ anytime. 

Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone…. With human beings, it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.
– Jesus

I look forward to seeing you in person or on Zoom this Sunday. I’ll be talking about the variety of sometimes confusing advice Jesus bestows upon the disciples (and on us) in this week’s Gospel, Mark 10:17-30. I’ll also be using a passage from the current Reading Group read, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.

We’ll be observing Indigenous Peoples Day and National Coming Out Day. For the time being, we are observing the same safety protocols. Please wear a mask and be vaccinated to attend in person. The choir is wearing special singing masks. I hope you can join us if you feel comfortable.

With faith and hope,
Rev. Jim Mitulski