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A Very Churchy Summer

By Beki Greenwood **Be sure to view this article in full with placed images in the September / October Issue** As we settle back into school and our busy fall schedule, I keep finding myself reflecting on our summer. For the first time, my kids and I attended not only convention, but both Almont and

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Falling Into October

By Beki Greenwood As usual, I’m finding it hard to believe that it is October already. Enjoying the erratic New England weather where you need to be prepared for three seasons in one day—could be forty-nine degrees, or eighty; blazing sun then pouring rain. You just never know. I personally like it. Today is rainy,

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A Swedenborgian Attorney Launched the Slavery Trial of the Century: The Dred Scott Case and Francis Butter Murdoch

By Rev. Dr. Jim Lawrence The American attorney and newspaper publisher Francis Butter Murdoch (1808–1882), who helped organize the first Swedenborgian congregation in St. Louis, also saved Harriet and Dred Scott’s slavery freedom case from never happening. Due to their lack of funds, the Scotts had several attorneys drop their case, reports Lea VanderVelde, a

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Celebrating our Chaplains

By Rev. Dr. Jim Lawrence The professional path of chaplaincy gives rise to powerful ministry roles in the Swedenborgian Church of North America—the only branch of worldwide Swedenborgianism that supports chaplaincy as an official category of ordained ministry. Though we may be the only Swedenborgian denomination to honor and support chaplaincy ministry in this way,

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Teens Explore the Universal Human at the SCYL Memorial Day Retreat

By Kurt Fekete Fourteen SCYL teens, along with fourteen young adult Transitions group members, gathered at Almont retreat center over Memorial Day weekend to attend the annual spring retreat. The teens stayed in Heritage Hall, while the young adults resided in the dormitory. The teens attend spiritual sessions while, the young adults primarily spent their

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Say Yes to Michigan!

By BJ Neuenfeldt In the fall of 2023 at the October meeting of the Michigan Association, armed with the knowledge that Convention 2024 already booked at Michigan State University (go Spartans!) and the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, the group was getting excited about welcoming other Swedenborgians to our great state. The budget was set

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