Blog


After the Election

By Marvin Lindsay
November 08, 2024

The election has come and gone. What now? To answer that question, I am relying on the wisdom of two articles that appeared in my inbox just before the election. One is by Amy Julia Becker, a Princeton Seminary graduate and disability advocate. The other is by emilie boggis...

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Thinking Caps, not Tin Foil Hats

By Marvin Lindsay
October 10, 2024

While most people have responded to Hurricanes Helene and Milton with concern and compassion, others are promoting conspiracies about the storms. With a pair of tweets, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene alleged that “they” (whoever “they” are) sent the hurric...

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World Communion Sunday

By Marvin Lindsay
October 03, 2024

            The first Sunday in October is designated World Communion Sunday. On the 6th, we will celebrate our oneness in Christ with Christians around the world. The observance began in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside Presb...

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He Descended into Hell?

By Marvin Lindsay
September 12, 2024

 Someone mentioned to me that they know people who skip the “he descended into hell” line when we recite the Apostles’ Creed on Sundays. More than a few take a pass on that line, either because it’s offensive to them, or they grew up in a church wh...

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Five Theses on Politics and Religion

By Marvin Lindsay
August 24, 2024

Five theses on politics and religion: The gospel is political. The word political comes from the Greek word politikos, which means civic or public. Politics is about how we live together in groups. The Bible is full of commandments, prophetic visions, and parables that ad...

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When Is It Time to Hang It Up?

By Marvin Lindsay
July 25, 2024

Once when I visited Mary, a member of a congregation I used to serve, she told me this story: “I was driving to the grocery store, and I almost hit a cyclist. I turned around, drove home, called my daughter and said, ‘Susan, get over here.’ When she arrived, I g...

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Listless?

June 14, 2024
One day this week, the internet went down at the church. I decided to work from home. It was not my best effort. All day long the household dragged my mind away from church affairs. There were bills to pay. Dishes to put away. Appointments to make. I couldn’t focus on the t...

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How Would You End the Story?

April 04, 2024
In my Easter sermon, I focused on the abrupt end to the gospel of Mark: “So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” It’s even more abrupt in the original language. T...

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Count It All Joy

By Marvin Lindsay
March 07, 2024

The main agenda item at our Annual Meeting was our new Vision statement: Christ’s joy, justice, and compassion, in all, through all, and for all. One person shared this idea: that our prayers in Sunday worship would lift up our joys as well as our sorrows and concerns. I re...

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The Drum Major Instinct

January 10, 2024
A couple of months before he was shot and killed, Martin Luther King, Jr. preached a sermon titled “The Drum Major Instinct.” The sermon was based on Mark 10:35–45, in which James and John ask Jesus for the highest seats of honor in his kingdom. The other dis...

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Ready to Take the Next Step?

August 22, 2023
Have you checked out First Presbyterian Church and would like to take the next step to get more involved? Are you looking for a faith community that can help you and your family grow in love for God and others? Do you wonder why it's important to join a church when you're already...

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Think Like a Raindrop

By Marvin Lindsay
July 17, 2023

Our 2023 Mission Trip participants stayed at an elementary school in Shady Valley, Tennessee. On one wall of the school, I saw a sign: Think like a raindrop. “What does that mean?” I wondered. I googled the saying and discovered a sermon by anEpiscopal priest named...

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The PG-13 Scriptures

By Marvin Lindsay
June 08, 2023

 A Utah parent perturbed by book bans found a cheeky way to strike back. The parent, citing a 2022 law banning books from Utah schools that contain “indecent” or “pornographic” material, brought a complaint against the so-called Holy Bible. Accordi...

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Join Our Team

June 06, 2023
First Presbyterian Church has an immediate opening for the position of Office Administrator. You can find the Job Description with responsibilities and a list of requirements below. To apply, send a resumé and cover letter to Senior Pastor Marvin Lindsay at MLindsay@Haddon...

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Jesus in His Easter Best

By Marvin Lindsay
April 09, 2023

“The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; he is girded with strength” (Psalm 93:1).  Once when I read this psalm, my mind seized on the word “robe,” and then it went to my old plaid bathrobe I’ve owned for decades now. I ima...

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St. Patrick: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

March 17, 2023
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! (Please celebrate responsibly.) Patrick is a saint because he evangelized Ireland, drove the snakes off the Emerald Isle, and taught the doctrine of the Trinity with a shamrock for a prop.  Or did he?  A lot of what we think we know abo...

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2023 Cool Congregations Award

By Marvin Lindsay
February 28, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  February 28, 2023 First Presbyterian Church, Haddonfield, NJ is one of 18 National Runners Up in Interfaith Power and Light Cool Congregations Annual Award for Leadership and Sustainability Interfaith Power and Light Announces ‘Cool Congreg...

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Lent FAQ

By Marvin Lindsay
February 23, 2023

What is Lent? Lent is a season in the Christian year. The word Lent comes from the Old English word lencten, which means springtime. In the northern hemisphere, Lent falls during the spring. How long is Lent? Lent is the 40 days, not including Sundays, prior to Easter....

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The Color of Worship

By Marvin Lindsay
February 09, 2023

            Recently in worship, Rev. Nikki noted that the paraments (those pieces of fabric that hang from the pulpit and lectern) had been changed from white to green in honor of the Eagles. That was a joke, and a good one at that! But have you ...

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Everything Is Awful. This One Weird Trick Can Fix It.

By Marvin Lindsay
January 15, 2023

While economists and consumers are worried about inflation, historian and writer Anton S. Cebalo is calling our attention to a “social recession” in the United States. Just about every marker of wellbeing is down. Life expectancy has dropped to 1996 levels. ...

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Bringing Gifts

By Marvin Lindsay
December 15, 2022

The Wise Men—who were they? We don’t know as much about them as we think we do. How many were there? Three? Matthew says that they brought three types of gifts to the Christ child—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—but he doesn’t say how many paid him a v...

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Superbloom

By Marvin Lindsay
December 14, 2022



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The Greatest Journey

By Marvin Lindsay
December 01, 2022

It was so nice of you to ask about my trip to Missouri and back last week. I quickly settled on a stock reply: “No tickets and no crashes.” Even better, my wife and son have now joined me here in New Jersey! The moving van is scheduled to arrive at our new home in Had...

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Stewards of God's Creation

By Marvin Lindsay
October 27, 2022

There is more to stewardship than donating to the church. This week, we are turning the roof of our education building into a power plant! Our partners at AllSeason Solar are installing solar panels on top of the church. We estimate the system will generate more than 63,000 kwh o...

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The How and Why of Giving

By Marvin Lindsay
October 06, 2022

There are many agencies out there worthy of your time and money. Why should the Church be at the top of your list of organizations to support? The Church is unique in this way: only the Church is the body of Christ. In the words of a Presbyterian catechism, “[Only Jesus Chr...

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Missing Hymns

By Peter Leibensperger
January 26, 2021

When I talk to various people in our church of late, I hear some common themes: Our choir members miss singing anthems in person every week to minister to our congregation; our volunteer soloists have missed sharing their talents in worship on a regular basis while the buildin...

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Lenten Devotional

By Anne Vial
January 20, 2021

The season of Lent is around the corner, Ash Wednesday a mere four weeks away. Lent provides the opportunity to focus, contemplate, and reflect. Individually we can use the time to reorient our sense of purpose both in the church and in the world. As a community, we can do the...

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Heavenly Reassurance

By Kris Bean
December 15, 2020

The Christmas Season has always been a time of immense joy for me. It has always brought a sense of peace to my life. I am trying hard to make that the same this year. There are so many things going on in December. Advent, my mom being hospitalized, Becca’s birthday, our ...

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Making Beautiful Music Together - The COVID Way

By Peter Leibensperger
December 01, 2020

Over the past few weeks, our church has shown two music videos in worship that were created by our five vocal choirs.  The first music video primarily features our children and youth choirs singing “God is Here Today” by Tom Trenney.  In the last verse of...

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Advent, Version 2020

By Anne Vial
November 25, 2020

When the lockdown began last spring, we were in the midst of Lent. Many commented then on the appropriateness of our COVID isolation to a season of contemplation and sacrifice. On Sunday this week, we begin the season of Advent. In most years, this time of year can take on ...

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Speaking the Truth in Love - Coming in January!

By Rev. Nikki Perrine Passante
November 05, 2020

I am writing to you early in the morning on Day #3 of the presidential election. I am NOT going to talk about anything related to the election, to the current state of affairs in our country, et al.   What I want is for us to focus on the things that we can control. A...

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Time Like an Ever-Rolling Stream

By Anne Vial
October 27, 2020

I have always liked the way hymn writers of bygone days describe time. The imagery depicting God’s time is expansive, making the span of both eternity and history a degree more comprehensible:      When we’ve been there    &nb...

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In Praise of Spiritual Disciplines

By Rev. Nikki Perrine Passante
October 20, 2020

Just this last week I took a week of study leave – a reading week. This accomplishes a number of things. It allows me to process all the conversations I’ve had, names I’ve tried to remember, and sit down with the details of people’s lives and actually a...

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Faith of Our Fathers

By Peter Leibensperger
October 13, 2020

Perhaps, one of the most regrettable parts about losing a parent when you are young is that you are robbed of those “adult” conversations—the conversations that you just aren’t capable of having at age thirteen, or eighteen, or even twenty-five. My moth...

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Life Cycles

By Rev. Dr. Doug Gerdts
October 09, 2020

I just spent most of the previous two weeks attending an interim ministry training. It's the second of three parts toward certification as a Transitional Pastor and required six days of eight hours of Zoom engagement. (As a side note, I now have profound empathy for stud...

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2020 - An Uncomfortable Opportunity

By Rachel Davis
September 29, 2020

2020 has been an uncomfortable year to say the least. In mid-March, the rhythm of our lives was abruptly disrupted beyond anything most of us could have imagined due to COVID-19. Not only was our congregation not able to congregate, we also said goodbye to our beloved Pastor ...

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The Rest of the Story - Acceptance

By Rev. Nikki Perrine Passante
September 22, 2020

As I look around my living room it’s kind of a mess. There are political signs waiting to be assembled, cardboard boxes stacked up beside piles of toiletries, clothes, paper goods – all things to send to Oregon to my stepdaughter Isabella. Because of covid-19 a...

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Connecting Structural Racism and Mass Incarceration

By Paul Urian
September 15, 2020

Editor's note: Many thanks to Paul Urian for contributing this week's blog post. Periodically over the coming weeks, guest writers will share information and expand the discussion of First Presbyterian Haddonfield's commitment to the PC(USA)'s Matthew 25 initiative to dismant...

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Walking the Labyrinth

By M. Elizabeth (Betsy) Westermaier
September 08, 2020

Walking the Labyrinth The Labyrinth is not a maze but a single path. The way in is the way out.                                          ...

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Read Any Good Blogs Lately?

By Anne Vial
September 01, 2020

Blogging is a popular way for organizations to shape their message and personality. For readers, they are a way to hear thoughtful voices expressing shared concerns. What are the blogs – or podcasts – that are meaningful to you? Share any you recommend by emailin...

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What I've been reading since arriving in Haddonfield!

By Rev. Dr. Doug Gerdts
August 25, 2020

Other than the riveting history of the town, This is Haddonfield, from which I quoted in my first sermon, I’ve read a few other books which are representative of my interests! 1. The Age of Eisenhower by William Hitchcock (2018) Given that I'm a child of the 1950s,...

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Stephen Ministry – Is It for You?

By Rev. Nikki Perrine Passante
August 12, 2020

When I began the interview process with you all in October of last year, one of the many things that became clear to me was this church’s desire for Stephen Ministry. I will share freely to anyone who will listen: It will be my greatest joy to work with you all to bring...

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Smoothing Life's Roller Coaster

By Anne Vial and Ed Hess
August 05, 2020

Ed Hess hangs out at the church a lot – not as much these days, of course, but still his work goes on. If you happen to see him, he is likely to be collecting and/or distributing coats, backpacks, food, and water to neighbors throughout Camden County. Ed wears two hats ...

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My Love/Hate Relationship with a Garden

By Mark Cole
July 28, 2020

Gardening has become a major part of my life during these past eight years. I relocated to the “Garden State” from Central Pennsylvania with a vision of hopes, dreams, and high expectations. Little did I know that no matter the best laid plans…life doesn&rs...

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Way Beyond My Comfort Zone

By Kris Bean
July 21, 2020

When Nikki said we would all take turns writing a blog, I smiled and nodded my head. But my palms started to sweat and I had butterflies in my stomach. I am not one for putting my thoughts into words, so forgive me in advance. By definition, a comfort zone is a psychologic...

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Gratitude

By Rebecca Mannion
July 14, 2020

In one of my favorite books, One Thousand Gifts, the author Ann Voskamp thoughtfully deconstructs the word Eucharist to help her define the principle of gratitude. Voskamp refers to the passage where the term Eucharist is found and it reads, “He took the bread, he gave ...

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Radical Kindness

By Anne Vial
July 07, 2020

Radical kindness. I have been leaning on this phrase as a sort of shield against the period of social vitriol we slog our way through these days. “Kind” is often used as a mild, watered-down version of “generous,” as a delicate action without oomph. I a...

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Facing Uncertainty with Curiosity

By Rebecca Bryan
June 30, 2020

COVID is a thief. As 2019 ended, I was anxious about 2020…for how busy my calendar was going to be! I was just starting a new position at Rutgers; my consulting business, through which I offer training on how to become trauma-informed, was taking off too. I was schedule...

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Harry Potter Got Me Through Quarantine

By Gabrielle Heimerling
June 23, 2020

Harry Potter got me through the first few months of quarantine. Let me explain. I am a big reader. I love adding to my “to read” lists and adding completed books to my “read” list. I love to talk about books, read book reviews, get book recomm...

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Uncomfortable Prayers

By Peter Leibensperger
June 17, 2020

What is the most difficult prayer for you to pray right now? The answer to this question likely will be different for everyone, and I’ve been reflecting on it quite a bit lately. I think of Jesus’s prayer in the garden, “Yet not as I will,...

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You Are Mine

By Nancy Ruth Wainwright
June 09, 2020

What do you hear in your head, especially in this time of pandemic, isolation, death, and violence? I have to limit or even shut off news and commentaries; I cannot process or handle the enormous negativity and fear-inducing reports. At all times, I am grateful for words remi...

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What is the FPCH Staff Reading?

By Anne Vial
June 04, 2020

Whether we make it to the beach this summer or are still hunkered down at home, nothing beats reaching for a good book to help us reflect, to rouse our spirits, to give us a laugh, or to make us feel connected to worlds nearby and far away. With the simple instruction “T...

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We reach out to you...

By Anthony Sharp
May 28, 2020

Anthony shared the following poem during worship on May 24, 2020. Thank you, Anthony, for all the gifts you share! We reach out to you, our dear heavenly friend so much of this world we cannot comprehend Viciousness verses vulnerability verses virus We pray for a reality ...

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The Rest of the Story - Speak Truth in Love

By Rev. Nikki Passante
May 19, 2020

“The Rest of the Story” How do we learn to speak truth in a world that doesn’t recognize it? One of the most important facets to speaking truth is to do it in love.  Ephesians 4:15 says ‘But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in eve...

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On the Cusp of a New Season

By Nadia VanderKuip
November 26, 2019

       Today we are standing on the edge of a new season. Today is Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday in the liturgical calendar, the church’s New Year’s Eve if you will. It is a relativity new addition to the church calendar, if you consider ...

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When I Am Here with You I Am Home

By Judy Grantham, "Stewardship Moment," Sun., Nov. 10
November 13, 2019

In the little song “I am the church!” The children sing… The church is not a building; the church is not a steeple; the church is not a resting place; the church is a people. When I look at you I see the church, the vibrant, beloved body of Christ. ...

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The Second Mountain

By Bill Getman
August 06, 2019

Dear Family of Faith Members, In his book The Second Mountain, David Brooks reflects on the nature of commitments today. He accurately observes that we have many choices - too many choices - when it comes to the ways in which we devote ourselves to work, play, personal health, s...

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First Presbyterian Church
OF HADDONFIELD

Christ's Joy, Justice, and Compassion in All, Through All, and For All


   

20 King's Highway East, Haddonfield, NJ 08033
(856) 429-1960


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