The Rev. Dr. Andrea Ayvazian, associate pastor at Alden Baptist Church in Springfield, and former pastor of Haydenville Congregational Church, was a speaker at a Black Lives Matter rally in East Longmeadow on June 7. Here is her speech. Thank you Angela Thorpe, my sister at the Alden Baptist Church, for extending the invitation for me to speak at today’s gathering. You…

Kenneth L. Samuel “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” – Matthew 10:34 (NIV) The lethal asphyxiation of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, is just the latest in a series of black fatalities brought about by overzealous policing, racial profiling, and white vigilantism. When peaceful protests…

By Rev. Dr. Andrea Ayvazian God is not angry. That is my professional opinion as a member of the clergy. We are living through a frightening, uncertain, sorrow-filled time so having bad theology circulating wildly on the internet — and that seems to be what is happening — only adds a further burden to our already heavy load emotionally and spiritually. Several…

HOW TO SURVIVE THE PANDEMIC I imagine we are all biting our nails down to nubbins, as I did when a child and my parents put vile tasting nail solution on them to keep me from bringing blood. Huh. This is not a very cheerful way to begin a post about a pandemic, but then, nothing is very cheerful about it except…

Pandemic Prayer By Cameron Bellm, Seattle May we who are merely inconveniencedRemember those whose lives are at stake. May we who have no risk factors Remember those most vulnerable. May we who have the luxury of working from home Remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent. May we who have the flexibility to care for our…