Newfane Church

Newfane Church

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Christianity

This is the podcast of Newfane Congregational Church in Newfane, Vermont. We’re an eclectic community of seekers doing our best to see and love the world as God does. Here you’ll find recordings of our weekly scripture discussions and sermons, as well as occasional talks and conversations.

Oct 7

"Citations Needed" – 10-04-2026 – Matthew 21:23-32

Some of us move through the world as though we have “citations needed” permanently stamped on our aura—as though simply being ourselves demands an explanation, and a compelling one at that. What happens when we become so practiced at seeking approval that we lose touch with our own God-granted authority? Through Jesus’s encounter with the chief priests and elders and his parable of two sons in Matthew 21:23–32, Pastor Thew explores the distinction between two similar sounding but very different modes of discernment: self-consciousness and self-awareness. Together, we consider how attending to our feelings, desires, and motivations can open us to God’s invitation within—and help us speak, act, and savor life with a deeper trust that each of us is beloved and belongs.
Sep 14

"Is this...forgiveness?" | 09-13-2026 | Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

A note of care: This reflection includes a brief, non-graphic reference to racial violence and speaks more directly about domestic abuse and the pressure survivors commonly experience to forgive. Please care for yourself as you listen. Forgiveness is among the most frequently invoked—and most frequently misunderstood—teachings of the Christian faith. Reflecting on Matthew 18:21–35 and drawing upon psychologist Everett Worthington’s distinction between decisional and emotional forgiveness, Rev. Thew Deen explores the gap between pervasive cultural expectations of forgiveness and what Jesus actually teaches.
Sep 9

"Confrontation as care" | 09-06-2026 | Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Why is speaking directly to one another when harm arises so difficult—and what might become possible when we do? Reflecting on Matthew 18:15–20 and a courageous encounter in our own community, Thew explores confrontation as an expression of care: a willingness to risk discomfort because the relationship matters far more than the quiet we sometimes mistake for peace. Jesus invites us to trust one another with the truth, seek the healing of broken connections, and discover that Christ is present whenever we undertake the faithful work of reconciliation.
Apr 30

“When hearts become flame” – 04-26-2026 – Fourth Sunday of Easter

In this reflection on Luke 24:13–35, we follow the disciples on the road to Emmaus as they struggle to make sense of shattered hopes and a story of redemption that seems to have failed. Focusing on their words, “Were not our hearts burning within us?”, the message invites listeners to consider how a fuller range of senses may perceive what the mind, stuck in the stupor of old and limiting stories, cannot yet see. This is a meditation on disillusionment, embodied knowing, and the risen Christ who meets us on the road.
Apr 22

“Letting Love live through us” – 4-19-2026 – Third Sunday of Easter

What if Peter’s great redemption is not that he finally proves his love, but that he stops pretending to greater love than he has? In this reflection on John 21:4–19, we explore agape love—the unconditional love God has for the cosmos—as something too vast to be achieved by effort alone, and discover that readiness for divine love begins with honesty, surrender, and trust. A meditation on what becomes possible when we let ourselves be led beyond our own capacity into the boundless love of God.
Apr 15

“Touching the wounds of despair” – 4-12-2026 – Mission Sunday w/ amber arnold of SUSU commUNITY farm

This Eastertide reflection on John 20:19–31 revisits the story of Thomas through the lens of wounded trust. Rather than condemning doubt, the passage invites us to see how grief, disappointment, and fear can narrow the imaginative capacity of hope—and how the risen Christ meets us there, bearing peace and still-open wounds. Then we hear from amber arnold, co-founder and collaborative director of SUSU commUNITY farm, who shares about the incredible work unfolding on the land with whom they’ve joined in sacred partnership to co-create abundance, receiving from their “homemade field of love” food and medicines that are then freely distributed to BIPOC communities in the area as their birthright.
Apr 8

Whole again – Easter Sunday – 4-5-2026

In this Easter reflection on the passage of John 20:1-18, Rev. Thew explores the textual variants of the term “Rabbouni" in John 20:16 (does it mean “teacher” or “Lord” or both?), the historical significance of Mary Magdalene as the "apostle to the apostles," and the spiritual message that resurrection is "woundedness transfigured," inviting the community to see woundedness as integral to wholeness.
Apr 4

Good Friday Vigil – 4-3-2026 – “Why did Jesus end up on the cross?”

Clergy and members from five churches of the Windham-Union Association of the United Church of Christ gathered at Centre Congregational Church in Brattleboro, Vermont, at 12pm on April 3, 2026, to reflect on the question: “Why did Jesus end up on the cross.” Participating congregations: Centre Congregational Church | Rev. Dr. Scott CouperDummerston Congregational Church | Rev. Dr. Shawn BracebridgeFirst Congregational Church of West Brattleboro | Rev. Jeremy Kirk and Gabriela D.Guilford Community Church | Rev. Allyson PlattNewfane Congregational Church | Rev. Thew Deen Music led by Andy Davis of Guilford Community Church.

This is the podcast of Newfane Congregational Church in Newfane, Vermont. We’re an eclectic community of seekers doing our best to see and love the world as God does. Here you’ll find recordings of our weekly scripture discussions and sermons, as well as occasional talks and conversations.

Creator

Newfane Church
Years Active

2026
Episodes

13
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 Newfane Church
Show Website

Newfane Church