karenpts

Harvest (and Share)

Tell Me About Your Garden Series Meditation on Matthew 9:35-38 and Ruth 2:1-17 Fifth Sunday in Lent First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY Pastor Karen Crawford April 6, 2025 Listen to the devotion here: Yesterday, I had a dollop of raspberry jam on my oatmeal for breakfast. And I thought of the gardeners who gaveContinue reading “Harvest (and Share)”

Weed

Tell Me About Your Garden Series Meditation on Matthew 13:24-30 First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY Pastor Karen Crawford March 30, 2025 Thank you to the 15 gardeners who opened their hearts, homes, and gardens to me for my garden spirituality research for my doctoral program last summer and fall. May God bless you forContinue reading “Weed”

Spur

Tell Me About Your Garden Series Third Sunday in Lent Pastor Karen Crawford March 23, 2025 Many thanks to the 15 gardeners who opened their homes, hearts, and gardens to me and shared their stories as part of my doctoral project for Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Listen to the devotion here: I transplanted my figContinue reading “Spur”

Sow

Tell Me About Your Garden Series Meditation on Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY Pastor Karen Crawford Second Sunday in Lent March 16, 2025 You come to fetch me from my work to-night When supper’s on the table, and we’ll see If I can leave off burying the white Soft petals fallen from the appleContinue reading “Sow”

Bread

Meditation on Exodus 16, selected verses, and Luke 4:1-13 First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY Pastor Karen Crawford First Sunday in Lent March 9, 2025 Precious Lord, take my hand Lead me on, let me stand I am tired, I am weak, I am worn Through the storm, Through the night, Lead me on toContinue reading “Bread”

What’s Important

Meditation on John 14 In Memory of Matthew John Kutil May 29, 1966-March 4, 2025 Pastor Karen Crawford First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY March 10, 2025 Matthew Kutil was the best softball player our church team ever had. Coach John Agostini said Matthew won championships for us. He never did anything halfway.Continue reading “What’s Important”

Soil

Tell Me About Your Garden Series for Lent Psalm 51:1-17; Genesis 4a-25 Ash Wednesday March 5, 2025 Thank you to the 15 gardeners, ranging in age from 51 to 102, for opening your homes and gardens to me and sharing your stories in the summer and fall of 2024 and as a group inContinue reading “Soil”

Vision

Devotion on Exodus 3:1-17 and Luke 9:28-36 Tell Me About Your Garden series Pastor Karen Crawford Transfiguration Sunday March 2, 2025 “O God, light a candle in my heart. And sweep the darkness from Your dwelling space. Amen.” – Marian Wright Edelman Thank you to the 15 gardeners, ranging in age from 51 to 102,Continue reading “Vision”

Like Trees

Meditation on Psalm 1:1-3 Tell Me About Your Garden series: First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY Pastor Karen Crawford Feb. 16, 2025 (Prelude to Lent) “When I rise up let me rise up joyful like a bird. When I fall let me fall without regret like a leaf.”—Wendell Berry [1] Thank you to the 15Continue reading “Like Trees”

Worked all night, caught nothing

Meditation on Luke 5:1-11 First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY Pastor Karen Crawford Feb. 9, 2025 As we prepare to celebrate our 350th anniversary, I have been looking through old directories and history books. This week, I came across a black and white picture directory from 1968, featuring many young families. Who was here inContinue reading “Worked all night, caught nothing”