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By VIRGINIA RAY

Benjiman Durfee, the newest pastor at Trinity Church in Shelburne Falls, “tried to ignore the call” to ministry for years, but his college job as director of music ministry at the First United Methodist Church in Westfield changed that.A native of...

By THE REV. ALLEN M. COMSTOCK

Because faith matters, we need to ask ourselves whether, in this time of political stress, our faith has gotten swallowed up in our politics. If so, we need to rescue our faith from our politics so that maybe our faith might come to the rescue of our...

By JAN FLASKA

Perhaps like me, folks like you find wisdom in the nearly forgotten corners and conversations of our past experiences. As a teacher of religious studies and philosophy, I stand by the idea that, truly, there are few new — few genuinely new - ideas to...

By KATE MASON

All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church is celebrating 200 years in Greenfield with some special events for our larger community. Some folks may wonder what is a Unitarian Universalist? Our non-creedal faith is progressive and inclusive. We are...

By THE REV. DAVID JONES

I’ve been re-reading “The Prophetic Imagination,” a classic by biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann. In it he talks about the prophetic ministry of churches as being the result of two essential ingredients.The first ingredient is that a church must...

By THE REV. HEATHER J. BLAIS

Recently, we took our oldest child on a tour of my alma mater, Saint Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Our oldest has always navigated life with an insatiable curiosity and desire to know more. I was eager for them to have a taste of the...

By THE REV. RANDOLPH CALVO

Today is Oct. 5. Election Day is Nov. 5.A recent survey found that 90% of Americans can name a recent news event that made them angry while only 50% could name something that made them proud. This is a worrisome comparison of numbers as we approach...

By THE REV. ALISON CORNISH

When a message runs through the whole of scripture, it’s worth taking notice. The ancient imperative of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures — to welcome the stranger — is one of note for its insistence, its timelessness, and timeliness, too.First...

By DOMENIC POLI

GREENFIELD — The pastor of Blessed Trinity Parish has been named the next chancellor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield.On Nov. 1, the Rev. Michael Pierz will assume some of the duties handled by the Rev. John Lessard, who requested that...

By THE REV. CINDY LAJOY

Have you ever judged yourself for not being “spiritual enough?” And what does that even mean? Today in America we often find people speaking more about their spiritual journeys than their faith or religious journeys, and for many that is a much better...

By THE REV. LINDA M. RHINEHART NEAS

In his book, “Room of Marvels,” James Bryan Smith writes, “The most beautiful stones have been tossed by the wind and washed by the waters and polished to brilliance by Life’s strongest storms.”I have this quote, sent by a friend on a laminated slip...

By THE REV. JIMMY PICKETT

I have on my right arm a tattoo that reminds me every day why I serve as a priest in the Episcopal Church.I grew up in Leicester and spent nearly every weekend at my Great Grandmother’s house, an old red farmhouse with a big barn and a large field...

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

GREENFIELD — People from various walks of life gathered at the Franklin County Fairgrounds on Thursday for the first day of the three-day SoulFest Christian music festival.In its 26th year, SoulFest secured the Greenfield fairgrounds for the first...

By THE REV. JULIE G. OLMSTED

Recently, I saw a video featuring a performer named Rhiannon Giddens. The video was called “Another Wasted Life,” and featured a group of exonerated prisoners through an organization you may have heard of: The Innocence Project. I looked it up...

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

The Christian music festival SoulFest is coming to the Franklin County Fairgrounds for a weekend of music, community and advocacy from Aug. 15-17. The festival has been operating since 1998, combining music from popular Christian music acts across...

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

LAKE PLEASANT — Declining membership and financial strain are taking a toll on The National Spiritual Alliance (TNSA), which is celebrating the 150th anniversary of spiritualism’s arrival and the founding of Lake Pleasant in 1874.As a result, TNSA...

By DOMENIC POLI

NEW SALEM — The Rev. Edward “Ted” Boren plans to preach his final service at North Congregational Church on Sept. 1 — exactly 54 years to the month that he started there.The 82-year-old will deliver five more sermons before he retires and each worship...

By DOMENIC POLI

ORANGE — The Catholic priesthood is not a career, but rather a vocation, and one does not simply retire from it and live off savings and Social Security. Still, the Rev. Shaun O’Connor is stepping away from administrative duties and leaving St. Mary’s...

By THE REV. SHAUN O’CONNOR

Like a flame my hope is burning,May my song arise to You:Source of Life that has no ending,On life’s path I trust in youRefrain from the Hymn of the Jubilee 2025When Jesus begins his ministry at the synagogue in Nazareth, he reads from the scroll of...

By THE REV. DR. CANDI ASHENDEN

Before heading to South Korea in August to visit my son who teaches there, I did a little research into the religions of South Korea and was intrigued by what I learned. I discovered that South Korea, a vibrant country with a rich cultural tapestry,...

By THE REV. DR. MEGAN E. LEARY

For my birthday last year my husband and sons gave me a bird feeder with a camera attached.The camera has a motion sensor that is activated when birds land to feed and then captures video of them eating. I have become enchanted with watching the...