Rev. Jason B. Elder October 6, 2026 The Healing They Didn't Ask For I'm recovering from a procedure on my knee, trying to address torn cartilage from a long-ago sports injury. I've been on my back a lot this past week, with plenty time to read and think. It's not all bad. The liturgical year is about to turn from Matthew to Mark, which had me reading ahead. There's a moment in Mark 2 that is stripped of polite religion. Jesus is teaching in a packed house in Capernaum. It's elbow to elbow,...
about 10 hours ago • 3 min read
Rev. Jason B. Elder September 29, 2026 It Began on a Golf Course He had survived the Battle of the Bulge. He sought shelter on a farm in a barn with his fellow infantrymen. As he stated, for a "reward" of valor, he and the others received care, respite, retraining, and boarded a ship headed to Japan. He served there, and soon the war ended. He received two Purple Hearts and three Battle Stars. He gave his life to public service. He served as Alderman for the City of Poughkeepsie and on the...
7 days ago • 2 min read
Rev. Jason B. Elder September 1, 2026 A Three Hour Conversation ↓ Hi Reader, Yesterday I spent 4 hours with one of my sons. I drove him to a medical specialist in Westcherster County, NY, which is about an hour south of Poughkeepersie. Not life-threatening, but important, and a mulitple year plan of care. An hour there, the waiting room, the doctor's visit, lunch, and the drive back. A solid 3 hours together with a fast-growing 14 year-old, which feels like grace these days. We talked about...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Rev. Jason B. Elder August 18, 2026 Peter Got it Right. Then Everything Went Wrong ↓ Like many of you, I've been spending a fair amount of time in the Gospel of Matthew. There's a lot I want to say about the structure and themes in that gospel (see the How Odd Section below for a slice of it), but there's one story that has captured my imagination. It's found in Matthew 16. Jesus asks his biggest question in the strangest place possible. Caesarea Philippi wasn't neutral ground at the time. It...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Rev. Jason B. Elder August 4, 2026 The Hardest Thing to Do ↓ First a word. Thank you for subscribing and reading the newsletter. If there is something you'd find helpful for the newsletter or bible website, feel free to reply to this email. I'm always interested in knowing what pain points people experience in ministry. One of mine was finding liturgy that fit. So, I spent 6 years writing and organizing liturgy so I'd have it at the ready. That's allowed me to share it on the site. So, feel...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Rev. Jason B. Elder July 21, 2026 Christian Words ↓ Hi Reader, Every family, like every church, has their own set of words. Growing up in Mississippi, I’d regularly be asked by a friend if I could “carry” them to town or school. Not give them a ride or take them. My Midwestern wife did not understand that phrase the first time someone in my family asked her to carry them to the store. Why would they ask me to do that to them? Every region has its own dialect, and so does the church. We say...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Rev. Jason B. Elder July 7, 2026 And Also With You ↓ It happened during the passing of the peace. Usually, people respond to “The peace of Christ be with you” with “Also with you,” or “Thank you, Pastor,” or even “Your mic sounds weird today.” Not him. Not Tommy. He responded with: “So, how does a person get baptized in this church?” We agreed to talk after the worship service during coffee hour. Tommy has been coming for a little while. He hit rock bottom, as they call it. A friend in that...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Rev. Jason B. Elder June 30, 2026 How Odd! ↓ Last year, I decided that if I ever started a newsletter, it would be named "Jason's Odd Newsletter." Odd weeks, odd subjects. Today I want to share something genuinely odd. Recently, someone in the church made a misstep. The result was confusion, aggravation, frustrated emails by some, and some anxiety about a deadline. I called the person who made it. After a brief hello, they said: "It's my fault. I thought that was the right thing to do, but it...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Rev. Jason B. Elder June 16, 2026 Spent. Well Spent. ↓ I recently officiated the funeral of an adult child of a congregant. Her child grew up in the church, made a life, met a love, and succumbed to a rare cancer. The afternoon together was thick with love and support as family, friends, and church members gathered. As is often the case, a funeral makes one think of life. Your life. Your ONE life. It's a gift and in the midst of that gift there are moments of grace, where we receive things we...
4 months ago • 3 min read