Speaking of Spirit

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA This past week, I had the pleasure of filling the pulpit at the Congregational Church in Sunderland.  This is the sermon I gave, which my daughters had asked me to publish. Blessings! We Are All Just Stars...  (c) 2020 Rev. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas Nikita Gill wrote in the poem 93 Percent Stardust, “ We have calcium in our bones, iron in our veins,/ carbon in our souls, and nitrogen in our brains./ 93 percent stardust, with souls made of flames, / we are all just stars that have people names. ”  When I read these words, it struck a chord. I immediately remembered that Carl Sagan said we humans were "made of star stuff," I have loved the image - the idea that something so foreign, so spectacular, so utterly mysterious as a star could be part of who we are.  Since Sagan's commentary, scientists have proven that we are, indeed, made of star dust. The same bits of elements that have hurtled...

New Year (c) 2017 Linda M. Rhinehart Neas This morning as I rose to meet this new day of the new year, I was still wondering about my one word for the coming months. Choosing a word on January 1st has been a spiritual practice I have done for several years now. Last year, I focused on the word "fearless."  Over the past twelve months, I looked at how this word played out. How could I be less fearful? What would being fearless look like?  Throughout the year, I discovered that I could be fearless in many aspects of my life.   So, what word of all the words in the dictionary would be my word for this year?  I have actually considered about twenty different words.  Each had its merits and the potential to enable me to delve deeper into my spiritual life. However, none of them seemed to grab me the way fearless did last year. Then, yesterday, as I was heading back to Massachusetts from Maine, I was drawn to a beach that I love. The sun had...

As we entered the New Year, I meditated upon my one word for the year.  What came to me was "fearless." Given the state of the world and the constant battle I have been doing with fear, this word felt Heaven-sent. During the past five days, I have felt like the women of the scripture who are told, "Be not afraid." Over and over, I have been reminded that I can be fearless as I teach, as I write, as I minister. Good people will continue to do good things. God will provide for my needs, as always. My one concern is to continue shining the Light that has been given me to share - the Light of Love, the Light of Peace and the Light of Acceptance. In my searches for quotes by women who exemplify fearlessness, I have found the following: We realize the importance of our voices only when they are silenced.  ~ Malala Yousafzai We can do no great things, only small things with great love.  ~ Mother Theresa Our deepest wishes are whispers of our authentic sel...