What can an ancient story teach us about the lives we are living today? This season, we’ll explore the familiar Christmas narrative through the experiences of the people along the way: those whose plans changed unexpectedly, those who faced difficult choices, those who felt overlooked, and those who found themselves part of something larger than they could have imagined.
Inspired by the words of 1 Corinthians 1:27, which reminds us that those the world considers weak or insignificant may have something important to offer, we’ll explore a question that reaches across faith traditions and life experiences: Who are the people we underestimate, and what might we be missing?
Our journey will unfold in three movements:
The People on the Way: Before Advent, we’ll meet people navigating unexpected circumstances, changing plans, and questions without easy answers.
The People Who Made Room: During Advent, we’ll explore faith, hope, joy, and love as ways we can respond to uncertainty, welcome new possibilities, and make room for one another.
The People Who Went Home Differently: At Christmas, we’ll reflect on how meaningful encounters can change us, and how we carry what we’ve learned into the world beyond the story.
You don’t need to share a particular faith or celebrate Christmas to join this journey. Whether you come from a different religious tradition, are exploring questions of faith, or simply want to better understand yourself and others, there is room for you here. Together, we’ll consider how familiar stories can open new perspectives on our lives, our relationships, and the people whose paths cross ours.
Because every person carries a story, every encounter holds possibilities, and sometimes the people we least expect have the most important things to teach us.
On November 3rd, a special guest from the Islamic Center of Chester County will be joining the Pathfinders’ discussion about Islam and the Koran.
Leading up to Advent, Pathfinders will be sharing the journal that Pastor Jill authored titled Sacred Conversations: Christianity and Islam, and she will be leading the discussion for 3 weeks starting on November 10th.Please let us know in advance if you will be joining us. It is a thoughtful and prayerful exploration of the connections between these two faith traditions; encouraging curiosity, and meaningful discussion. If you approach other faith traditions with a desire to better understand your neighbors, then this is for you!
FREE BOOKS AVAILABLE IN THE CLS OFFICE. Questions? Please contact Marilyn at marilynlutz@verizon.net
Will be held in the CLS Barn parlor and also available via Zoom (link on website)
Friends on the Journey is a monthly discussion group where we explore with people of wonderfully diverse religious, spiritual, and life experiences, We believe there is something to be learned from each perspective.
This month we will discuss what we are being called to do in our "Third" act. Asking the question: At this stage of Life, what good do I want to do in the world, my country, my community? Some questions from Message(s) in Motion will frame this conversation:
What is asking for my attention?
What is life inviting you to try/fly?
What small things can you do that you may never see the results of?
You don’t need to consider yourself “religious” or have all the answers to join us. Whether your faith is strong, your questions are many, or you’re simply curious about spirituality and what it means to live with purpose, you have a place at the table.
Come as you are. Bring your questions, your experiences, your curiosity... and maybe even a willingness to see things from a different perspective. All are welcome on the journey!
Each year in the December issue of Light Matters, a calendar of members' favorite quotations for Advent is published. This provides an inspirational quote for each day of Advent and the days leading up to the New Year.
The quotes are short, pithy expressions to ponder during the full days of Advent. Members share poems, prayers, sayings, and readings that speak to their hearts. If during your readings this summer something makes you stop, think, or catch your breath, please share it! You never know how it will inspire someone else!
You can give it to Maureen McGovern after worship service any Sunday or send it to her in the email link below. New to CLS and don't know who Maureen is? Just ask the person greeting you at the door and they will point you in the right direction!
You've heard the statement “It takes a village…” well, for the CLS food deliveries that “village” is made up of many sources who supply items to distribute to our “Foodie Families”. They are West Chester Food Cupboard, Chester County Food Bank, CLS Food Ministry Funds, and contributions made by our generous CLS families.
Here’s a snapshot of our October delivery and our partners:
West Chester Food Cupboard donated: 45 dozen eggs, 48 boxes of Mac’n Cheese and 48 cans of tuna (all sources of protein)
Chester County Food Bank donated: a variety of fresh produce, enough for 47 households, assorted non-perishable protein and 22 Senior Boxes (a box of non-perishable foods for those over 60)
With our Food Ministry funds, we purchased: 48 1-pound packages of frozen turkey patties, 48 packages of hamburger rolls, 48 packages of cheese, 24 boxes of shelf stable milk, and 48 (50 oz) bottles of liquid laundry detergent.
From our CLS pantry shelves we added: canned fruit, canned assorted vegetables, canned soups and rice all donated at one time or another by the CCFB.
For every household we provide: a roll of paper towels and two rolls of toilet paper – all are donated by members and friends of our congregation.
We hope this information gives you a better idea of who makes donations to our Food Program. We are truly blessed by these donations and give a heartfelt thank you to all who contribute!
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Thanksgiving Food Delivery
Friday, November 20th
Thursday, November 19th at 8:30 AM
Meet in the food pantry to load bags with non-perishables
Friday, November 20thbetween 8:30 - 10:45 AM
Meet at the food pantry to unload CCFB food truck
Bag perishables
Deliver bags to families in pairs or small groups
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CURRENT NEEDS:
We are down to our last roll of paper towels! If you are able to donate, you may place them in the large baskets on Sunday mornings, or have it shipped to the church at 1066 S. New Street, West Chester, PA 19382
Are you available for 1-3 hours to rake leaves, tend to our labyrinth, clean up fallen branches, and clean our flower beds? Please let us know!
We are preparing our grounds for the winter months, which will allow our spring flowers to bloom in a few months! We could certainly use the extra hands to help keep our property beautiful.
Were you unable to attend our October 11th Congregational Meeting?
Do you have questions you weren't able to ask?
Would you simply like more time to talk about CLS's plans and priorities for the coming fiscal year?
Please join us for a Small Group Discussion.
This is NOT a presentation, but an opportunity for everyone to be heard.
To allow for a comfortable setting and meaningful conversation, each session will be limited to 12 participants.
There are 4 different times to choose from. This is a time to ask your questions, share perspectives, and have an open conversation about where we are, what we've accomplished, and where we hope to go together.
Whether you're looking for a chance to catch up or want to be part of the conversation about our future, your voice matters.
THANK YOU for everyone who has supported this new venture of serving local teens! Our loft has been successfully transformed into a welcoming gathering place where young people can experience community, creativity, and faith. Imagine a space filled with art that celebrates young artists, open mic nights where teenagers discover their voices, conversations about life and God, laughter, friendships, and memories that will shape a lifetime of relationships.
By providing this space CLS saying to our young people, "You belong here. This church believes in you, and we are making room for your future." Thank you for helping us prepare a place where faith can grow, friendships can flourish, and young people can discover that they are deeply loved!
All are welcome to check out the loft on November 1st or any Sunday after church! (Unfortunately, the loft is not handicap accessible)
"Shining From Within"
An excerpt from Pastor Jill's sermon from October 18th
A star doesn't shine because something outside of it shines a light on it. A star produces its own light. Deep within a star, under unimaginable heat and pressure, a process called nuclear fusion takes place. In stars like our Sun, hydrogen nuclei combine to form helium, releasing enormous amounts of energy. That energy eventually makes its way out into space as the light we see.
Think about that for a moment. Something extraordinary is happening deep within the star, and the light we see is the result.
We spend a lot of our lives waiting for something outside of us to make us shine. We wait for someone to recognize our efforts, appreciate our contributions, tell us we're doing a good job, or reassure us that our lives matter. We wait for the circumstances to improve, for the conflict to settle down, for the people around us to change, or for the world to become a little less difficult.
And certainly, encouragement matters. We all need people who help us recognize the good within ourselves. But what if the source of the light we offer the world is not entirely dependent on what happens around us? What if it has more to do with what we cultivate within us?
How we grow stronger from our circumstances, not broken because of them. We know that things like compassion, courage, generosity, or our willingness to listen to someone whose experiences are different from our own - don't simply happen automatically. They take work. And sometimes, they take the darkness in our lives to show us that the light is there.
For many Indigenous peoples, the stars are part of stories that carry the wisdom of their ancestors. They can connect generations, preserve cultural teachings, and help people understand their place in the world. These traditions remind us that looking up at the stars has never been just about looking at something beautiful. It has also been about remembering, belonging, and finding our way. A specific star in Indigenous faith like the Lakotas, “the morning star” (which is the brightest in the morning when the sun is rising on the eastern horizon, but is brightest when the sun is setting on the western horizon).
First-of-all, it isn’t a star, it is the planet venus. And it doesn’t produce its own light; it shines by reflecting sunlight. To the Lakotas, it brings wisdom, guidance, and spiritual understanding. Because...it appears in the darkest hours, it is revered as a spiritual teacher. It marks the transition from darkness (ignorance or blindness) to dawn (knowledge). Elders would rise before the sun, face the east, and pray directly to the morning star. They would ask the star for wisdom, a clear mind, and the ability to walk a sacred, intentional path.
There is something deeply human about looking beyond ourselves for answers. Sometimes we don't understand the significance of something until much later. We often only recognize the darkness and don’t realize that in those moments, it is possible that the light is about to break through...it just needs some time.
The light we offer the world is not dependent on what happens around us, it has more to do with what we cultivate within us. In other words, becoming a source of light in the world is about the ongoing work of becoming the kind of person whose presence makes a difference. And you know what? The opposite is also true. The more mean and demeaning, or pessimistic you are...the more the world becomes that around you. But, that’s what people see on the outside. In order to change, the work that needs to be done often happens in the places no one else can see.
That is part of what makes the image of a star so compelling. We see its light, but we cannot see the process taking place deep within it. People may see the kindness we offer, the patience we show, or the courage we demonstrate without knowing what it took for us to get there. They see the girl up on the stage...but they DON’T know the struggles we have faced, the lessons we have learned, or the difficult choices we have made along the way. But those things shape the light we bring into the world.
So, here’s the incredible truth of what that British astrophysicist was saying...some of the light we see in the night sky has traveled for thousands of years to reach us. Some has traveled for millions of years. When we look up, we are seeing light that began its journey long before we were here to witness it.
And that makes me think about the people whose light is still reaching us, even though they may no longer be physically present in our lives.
Sometimes someone says something to us when we are twenty years old, and we are still carrying those words when we turn sixty. Sometimes we find ourselves responding to a difficult situation in a way that reminds us of someone we loved. We hear their voice in our minds. We remember how they handled disappointment, how they cared for others, or how they found the courage to begin again.
Their lives continue to shape ours.
We might even say that their light is still reaching us. And perhaps that is one of the most beautiful things about being human. We are not beginning from nothing. We have inherited something from those who came before us.
We inherit stories, wisdom, traditions, opportunities, and love. We also inherit wounds and unfinished work. We receive things that help us grow, and sometimes we receive things that we must work hard to change.
But we are part of a story that began before us. And now we have to decide what we will do with what we have been given. Will we simply receive the light that others have offered us? Or will we become the kind of people who offer something meaningful to those who come after us? Because we are not just the recipients of a legacy. We are its caretakers.
The choices we make today may shape someone else's life in ways we will never know. The kindness we show a child may become part of how that child learns to treat others. The courage we demonstrate may give someone else permission to be brave. The welcome we extend to a stranger may change how that person understands their place in the world.
We may never know how far that light will travel.
We can spend our lives looking for signs that we are on the right path. We can wonder whether the universe has something planned for us. We can wait for the perfect moment, the right circumstances, or the reassurance that our efforts will make a difference. Faith is about having enough courage to take the next step, trusting that the light we carry can help someone along the way.
When we encounter something beautiful, something sacred, or something that opens our eyes to another person's experience, do we allow it to change us? Or do we return to our lives unchanged? Because maybe the purpose of all this looking up is to help us see more clearly what is needed around us.
Someone in our lives may be waiting for a word of encouragement. Someone may need us to listen without judgment. Someone may need a second chance, a little patience, or the reassurance that they have not been forgotten. And someone may need us to stand up and speak when it would be easier to remain silent.
We cannot control how far our light will travel. We cannot know every life it will touch or every difference it will make. We may never receive the recognition we hope for, and we may not always see the results of our efforts.But maybe that was never the point. A star does not know who is looking up at it. It does not know whose journey its light will help illuminate. And we may never know what our kindness makes possible in someone else's life.
Our task is not to control the impact of our light. It is to keep tending the things within us that allow it to shine. We don't have to change the entire world. We don't have to know all the answers. We don't even have to see how the story ends.
We simply have to recognize that the light we offer matters. The stars remind us that light can travel farther than we can imagine, and to live in a way that allows our love to do the same.
NOTE: You may call the office and leave a voice message anytime for Jill (ext 101) or Lisa (ext 102). If we are working from home, calls are forwarded to us.
CLS | 1066 South New Street | West Chester, PA 19382 US
