Meditation on Leviticus 25:1-12 Creation Care Sunday Final Post: Tell Me About Your Garden Series First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY Pastor Karen Crawford April 27, 2025 Listen to the devotion here: I am almost ready to plant my seedlings! The weather is still a little iffy, especially with nighttime temperatures dropping into theContinue reading “Healing, Rest, and Sabbath”
Tag Archives: faith
The Gardener
Meditation on John 20:1-18 Tell Me About Your Garden series for Lent/Easter First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY Pastor Karen Crawford Easter Sunday April 20, 2025 Listen to the devotion here: Our sanctuary has never looked or smelled as good as it does today, on Easter morning! This worship space was lovingly transformed yesterday byContinue reading “The Gardener”
Palms
Meditation on John 12:12-19 Tell Me About Your Garden Series Palm Sunday First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY Pastor Karen Crawford April 13, 2025 Listen to the devotion here: On Monday, though the weather was cold and rainy, I was outside pruning vines and ornamental grasses. Like weeding, pruning is one of those garden tasksContinue reading “Palms”
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)”
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”
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”
Comfort, O Comfort My People
Meditation on Luke 3:1-6 First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown Pastor Karen Crawford Second Sunday of Advent Dec. 8, 2024 I took my cat, Liam, to the vet this week. It was time for his yearly exam and rabies’ shot. I worried how I would get him into his cat carrier, which has so many memoriesContinue reading “Comfort, O Comfort My People”
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
Meditation on Luke 21:25–36 First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown Pastor Karen Crawford First Sunday of Advent Dec. 1, 2024 I like figs. Do you like figs? In a tryout sermon, years ago on the First Sunday of Advent, I shared a children’s message about the lesson of the fig tree. I brought fig newtons forContinue reading “The Lesson of the Fig Tree”
What Does It Mean to Live Faithfully?
Meditation on 1 Samuel 1:4–20 First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY Pastor Karen Crawford November 17, 2024 This is my first year serving on the presbytery’s Committee on Ministry. When the Nominating Committee called to invite me to serve, my first instinct was to say no. To say that I was reluctant is an understatement.Continue reading “What Does It Mean to Live Faithfully?”
Sharing God's Love and Grace 