Posts
The Students Left Behind by Remote Learning by Alec MacGillis, in The New Yorker & ProPublica
Many of you know Alec MacGillis, a regular at First & Franklin Presbyterian Church. On Monday, September 28, The New Yorker published a piece he wrote about a young person he met at our church. Before long, Alec became this young person’s mentor. I think you will find his thinking lucid, challenging, and heartfelt. Here…
Read MorePower Grab or Gift of Power?
Power Grab or Gift of Power? Rev. Robert P. Hoch, Ph.D. First & Franklin Presbyterian Church Baltimore MD September 27, 2020 Philippians 2:1-13 1If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy complete: be of the…
Read MoreLate in the Day
Late in the Day Rev. Robert P. Hoch, Ph.D. First & Franklin Presbyterian Church Baltimore, MD September 20, 2020 Matthew 20:1-16 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for her vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, she sent…
Read MoreBread for the World Offering of Letters 2020
Hunger and the Coronavirus The world is living through unprecedented times. The coronavirus is causing anxiety, uncertainty, and disruption. As is often the case, people living in hunger and poverty are likely to suffer the most. Though we may feel powerless and overwhelmed, we are not. Now is the time to heed God’s call to care for the “least…
Read MoreWhy is Love Important?
Day 5 of the school year on Zoom: Why is Love Important? Distance education for small children poses real hardships, too many to count, but even these contexts are not without their moments of light-hearted humor and maybe, if given an opportunity, some wisdom along the way. A teacher posed this question, Why is Love…
Read MoreA Note from Rob
Our daily lives have been turned upside down as a result of the pandemic. At the end of my run this morning, I saw a woman pulling into the parking lot of the Mt. Royal Elementary School. She had two children with her. If I had to guess, I would say that she was a…
Read MoreMorning Prayer 091120
Meditation “Maybe I was praying for him then, in my own way. Does God have a set way of prayer, a way that He expects each of us to follow? I doubt it. I believe some people– lots of people– pray through the witness of their lives, through the work they do, the friendships they…
Read MoreFirst & Franklin Cocktails and Things About Cats
If you’re looking for some casual fellowship, join us on September 11 at 7 p.m. for First & Franklin’s Cocktail Hour . . . our theme, which we will hold loosely, is “Things About Cats . . .” BYO story about a cat, joke about a cat, poem about a cat, something about a cat.…
Read MoreMorning Prayer 091020
Meditation “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. . . . If, in this life only, we have hope in Christ, we are of all people the most miserable. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard the things which God hath prepared for those who love him.” What…
Read MoreMorning Prayer 090820
Meditation You need to be generous to yourself in order to receive the love that surrounds you. You can suffer from a desperate hunger to be loved. You can search long years in lonely places, far outside yourself. Yet the whole time, this love is but a few inches away from you. It is at…
Read MoreConflict Resolution in Three Easy Steps
Conflict Resolution in Three Easy Steps Rev. Robert P. Hoch, Ph.D. First & Franklin Presbyterian Church September 6, 2020 Baltimore MD 21201 Matthew 18:15-20 15“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have…
Read MoreJOIN US FOR A CONVERSATION – CHURCH BEYOND THE BUILDING
The year 2020 has presented a number of challenges, COVID-19 and an awakening awareness of systematic racism chief among them. First & Franklin has had to address another issue as well – the state of our financial well-being and our ability to continue operating as we have in the past. These challenges also present us…
Read More