karenpts

“Zacchaeus, Hurry and Come Down”

Meditation on Luke 19:1-10 First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY Reverend Dr. Karen Crawford Nov. 2, 2025 All Saints Sunday “Call me Sis,” said Julia Beckman, when I first met her. “My friends call me Sis.” So, we were to be friends, from the first moment, though I was also her pastor. Sis was aContinue reading ““Zacchaeus, Hurry and Come Down””

Be Still and Know

Meditation on Psalm 46 Reverend Dr. Karen Crawford First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown Reformation Sunday Oct. 26, 2025 We’ve been hearing about AI lately. Artificial Intelligence. If you don’t know what I am talking about when I say AI, that’s OK. I don’t know what I am talking about, either. Not really. Earlier this week,Continue reading “Be Still and Know”

Pray Always! Do Not Lose Heart!

Meditation on Luke 18:1-8 Reverend Dr. Karen Crawford First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown Oct. 19, 2025 (Baptism of Oliver Reinhardt) Did anyone read Anne of Green Gables as a child? The story is by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery and is set in a farming village on Prince Edward Island in the late 19th century.Continue reading “Pray Always! Do Not Lose Heart!”

Praising God with a Loud Voice!

Meditation on Luke 17:11-19 First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown Reverend Dr. Karen Crawford Oct. 12, 2025 I had a nice phone conversation with Sue Potter Spencer yesterday. Does anyone remember the Potters? Sue, who now lives in Weston, MA, mailed me a large envelope of church materials belonging to her parents, Edwin and Marjorie Potter,Continue reading “Praising God with a Loud Voice!”

Embracing our History, Living our Faith

Meditation on 1 Cor. 3, selected verses (MSG) First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY The Reverend Dr. Karen Crawford Oct. 5, 2025, in honor of our 200th/350th anniversaries Four years ago, when I was in conversation with a committee seeking a pastor for the Presbyterian church in Smithtown, I was curious how a congregationContinue reading “Embracing our History, Living our Faith”

Guard This Treasure, This Precious Thing

Meditation on 1 Timothy 1:1-14 (MSG) First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY Reverend Dr. Karen Crawford World Communion Sunday: Oct. 5, 2025 Earlier this week, families with young children received a letter from me. I told them that today, on World Communion Sunday, we would be celebrating Communion early in the service, immediately following aContinue reading “Guard This Treasure, This Precious Thing”

Run for Your Life!

Meditation on 1 Timothy 6:6–19 First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown Reverend Dr. Karen Crawford Sept. 28, 2025 I pulled out Eugene Petersen’s paraphrase, The Message, for the reading of Paul’s first letter to Timothy today. On this day when we celebrate Christ’s claiming little James Lawrence in the waters of Baptism, and theContinue reading “Run for Your Life!”

Pray for Everyone

Meditation on 1 Timothy 2:1-7 First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY Reverend Dr. Karen Crawford Sept. 21, 2025 How many of you have ever ridden in a sailboat? How many of you have rowed a boat? It’s a lot of work to row a boat, isn’t it? Which would you rather do? Sail or row? Continue reading “Pray for Everyone”

Lost and Found

Meditation on Luke 15:1-10 Reverend Dr. Karen Crawford First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY Sept. 14, 2025 Our young disciples are back in worship! Isn’t it fabulous?? Someone texted me yesterday, “Rally Day. All your special young disciples will return. I’m sure you are excited, and we will have more stories!” Rally Day means notContinue reading “Lost and Found”

“O Great God”

Meditation in Memory of Harriet McMahon November 16,1942 – July 23, 2025 The Reverend Dr. Karen Crawford Smithtown Cemetery Sept. 12, 2025 Not long after I began serving our flock, Harriet’s family contacted the church. They were emptying out the home in Saint James where Harriet had lived for many years with her husband,Continue reading ““O Great God””