Windham Congregational UCC.

05/30/2026

Windham Congregational UCC service on May 31, will be at 10:30. It will brief enough so people can also attend the Windham UMC last service. June 7 service will return to our 11:00 a.m. time. All are welcome at our services.

05/10/2026

This Sunday, May 10, service postponed until 11:30. The delay is for just this service.

05/09/2026

04/14/2026

This week d365 writer Juan Diego Rojas shares the importance of "Recognizing God's Presence."

Tuesday, Apr 14, 2026
Limitless Access

pause

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

– Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

listen

What can I give back to the Lord for all the good things he has done for me? I’ll lift up the cup of salvation. I’ll call on the Lord’s name. I’ll keep the promises I made to the Lord in the presence of all God’s people. The death of the Lord’s faithful is a costly loss in his eyes.

Oh yes, Lord, I am definitely your servant! I am your servant and the son of your female servant—you’ve freed me from my chains. So I’ll offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to you, and I’ll call on the Lord’s name. I’ll keep the promises I made to the Lord in the presence of all God’s people, in the courtyards of the Lord’s house, which is in the center of Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 116:12-19

think

“And that, what do you eat it with?” This is a saying from Puerto Rican culture used to identify a truth that is very difficult to understand. For example, if you don’t like jelly alone, combine it with peanut butter. Or if you don’t like vinegar alone, combine it with oil and fruit to create a vinaigrette.

The psalmist begins with a stark question: How do we repay the good that God has done? And, although he goes into a series of affirmations, there is a hopeful truth: salvation is a divine gift that cannot be repaid. We have continuous, constant, limitless access to God’s presence. Therefore, we do not invoke it, we acknowledge it. This week, reach out to someone, hug someone who needs to feel valued, and live aware of how God is working around you. And what do you eat it with? With actions that show God’s presence to the needy.

Question to Ponder:

What can you do today to show God’s presence in your environment?

pray

Good God, thank you for being who you are. You are so great that we cannot imagine. Today, we acknowledge your presence here. Right now, in this room, and everywhere we go. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

04/12/2026

D365 devotion

This week’s theme:
A Living Hope

Sunday, Apr 12, 2026
You Had to Be There

pause

Hear the good news!

Open your hearts.

Praise the risen one!

Embody love

listen

Thomas, the one called Didymus, one of the Twelve, wasn’t with the disciples when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We’ve seen the Lord!”

But he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger in the wounds left by the nails, and put my hand into his side, I won’t believe.”

After eight days his disciples were again in a house and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus entered and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand into my side. No more disbelief. Believe!”

Thomas responded to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!”

think

Have you ever gotten so annoyed with someone who missed out on an experience that you finally said, “You had to be there”? In our scripture reading, the disciples don’t dismiss Thomas with a terse response; they simply tell him what they have seen. Yet Thomas insists that he has to see with his own eyes or he won’t believe.

I like to think the human side of Jesus got at least a little annoyed every once in a while. It’s a feeling we can all relate to, and I wonder if there wasn’t some level of annoyance for Jesus in this story. Don’t misunderstand me—I think Jesus can handle all our doubts and questions, but there’s an urgency about this post-resurrection Jesus. Understandably, Thomas might want to check things out and make sure the disciples aren’t pranking him. When Jesus invites Thomas to see for himself, he also says to him, “No more disbelief.” If only faith could always be so simple and mystery-free, it might be a whole lot easier. Yet here we are. Here Jesus is. The risen one. Hope in the flesh.

pray

Dear Jesus, thank you for fielding all my doubts and questions. Thank you for the hope of the resurrection and the promise of new life. Help me begin again today. Amen.

04/08/2026

pause

Hear the good news!

Open your hearts.

Praise the risen one!

Embody love.

Next

listen

Protect me, God, because I take refuge in you. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord. Apart from you, I have nothing good.”

You, Lord, are my portion, my cup; you control my destiny. The property lines have fallen beautifully for me; yes, I have a lovely home.

Psalm 16:1-2, 5-6

Next

think

Taking refuge is a privilege, although I wish it were a privilege extended to all. Far too many people experience homelessness or seek refuge from war-torn homelands, only to be pushed aside to substandard accommodations or pawned off as someone (or somewhere) else’s problem. I hope and pray that we continue to work toward a better, just, and equitable approach to welcoming refugees and immigrants and to addressing issues of affordable and accessible housing for all of our neighbors. These are everyday challenges in the physical world.

In the spiritual realm, however, the playing field is a little more even. Anyone can claim the hope we have in God, regardless of their background or status. When we take refuge in the Lord, we have assurance of a steadfast presence. A place reserved where the mat doesn’t simply say welcome, it is embedded with a true sense of welcoming us home. Everything good is from God, our hope and our refuge. Today, tomorrow, always.

Neil Myer
Neil Myer

Question to Ponder:

What does it mean to you to take refuge in the Lord?

pray

God, my refuge, thank you for making room for me. I know you provide for my spiritual needs in ways I don’t even ask for. Keep me mindful always of the physical needs of my neighbors, and help me love them as you do.

go

Christ is risen!

Christ is risen indeed!

Live into hope.

Practice resurrection.

New life awaits.

If

04/06/2026

pause

Hear the good news!

Open your hearts.

Praise the risen one!

Embody love.

listen

“Fellow Israelites, listen to these words! Jesus the Nazarene was a man whose credentials God proved to you through miracles, wonders, and signs, which God performed through him among you. You yourselves know this.

God raised him up! God freed him from death’s dreadful grip, since it was impossible for death to hang on to him.”

Acts 2:22, 24

Next

think

Whodunit? It’s usually the overarching question in an entire genre of books, movies, and TV shows. The stories often contain twists and turns. Many audience members play a guessing game as the story unfolds, perhaps even sharing a theory or two aloud about the plausible culprits. Those stories most often center around death, trying to determine who committed a crime.

Today’s scripture reading may have us wondering how? How were these miracles and signs done? Is the “how” really that important? Even though mystery may remain about the details of the resurrection, we don’t have to guess who in this case. If the question is who is responsible for the resurrection of Jesus Christ? *SPOILER ALERT* It’s God. Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Neil Myer
Neil Myer

Question to Ponder:

Does the how of the resurrection matter to your faith in Jesus Christ?

Next

pray

Thank you, God, for the gift of resurrection. I know death does not have the final say; you do. Thank you for letting love loose in the world. Help me to love others like Christ loves. Amen.

go

Christ is risen!

Christ is risen indeed!

Live into hope.

Practice resurrection.

New life awaits.

04/05/2026

pause

This week, I invite you to take a minute.

Close your eyes.

Inhale and exhale slowly.

I invite you to reflect: who is Jesus for you?

Next

listen

Early in the morning of the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

Mary stood outside near the tomb, crying. As she cried, she bent down to look into the tomb. She saw two angels dressed in white, seated where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and one at the foot. The angels asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

She replied, “They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they’ve put him.” As soon as she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t know it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabbouni” (which means Teacher).

Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold on to me, for I haven’t yet gone up to my Father. Go to my brothers and sisters and tell them, ‘I’m going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene left and announced to the disciples, “I’ve seen the Lord.” Then she told them what he said to her.

John 20:1, 11-18

Next

think

Romans 8:38-39 states: “I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created.” And nothing is nothing. God is always present, even when we cannot see or recognize.

Mary Magdalene has a transforming experience when she witnesses the resurrection of Jesus. But the circumstances in which she lives do not allow her to see that Jesus is in front of her. Today I give thanks to God who, in those moments, opens our eyes to realize that God is always present and never abandons us. And why? Simple! Because nothing can take us away from God’s love and presence. And when we accept this, our lives are forever transformed. Even in the midst of chaos, God’s latent presence gives us hope and justice in the face of our need. God delivers everything!

Laura Ayala
Laura Ayala

Question to Ponder:

How have you seen God at work in your life?

Next

pray

God, who loves me, thank you that you are with me all the days of my life. Jesus rose from the dead and became visible to Mary Magdalene. Today I affirm, because it is your promise, that nothing can separate me from your presence. Help me to see and feel you here and now. I want my life to be transformed. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Next

go

Surrender your heart to Jesus.