Rev. Ruth D. Fitzgerald served in parish ministry for nine years before being called into conference ministry as Area Minister for the Grand West Association in Michigan. She retired in 2023 from that position. Ruth served on the community board for Pilgrim Manor, then a United Church Homes community, and has been an active board member for the Fountain Hill Center for Counseling and Care, and Ele's Place--West Michigan (a healing center for grieving children and teens) all in Grand Rapids. Ruth has two grown children and three precious grandchildren. Travel, hiking, knitting, and reading fill her “spare” time.
Some of my fondest childhood memories are of my grandmother and my mother, sitting at the piano, playing and singing their favorite hymns. For my grandmother it was “How..
Three common words-- Rooted in love. Three words of scripture-- Rooted in love. Three words.
“Hope” is the thing with feathers— That perches in the soul— And sings the tune without the words— And never stops—at all— Emily Dickinson
In the recent years before the COVID-19 pandemic began, I undertook a series of hiking trips with good friends. There was a good bit of climbing involved on our trips to..
Christians approach the Lenten season and typically enter into a time of prayer, fasting, and the making of special offerings (sometimes called “alms”). We might “give..
Last Wednesday morning, I convened a Zoom meeting of clergy in my area. Our discussion centered around the recent Christmas holidays, the election results in the Georgia..
The calendar page turns to December. The tiny lights are twinkling in my neighborhood, Christmas carols are on the radio, and my heart yearns for the preparations of..
November. Finally, it is post-election day. There’s a breath of Indian Summer in the air this week in Michigan, and my heart is lighter. I’ve made conscientious efforts..
The Sink The view from the window over my kitchen sink sometimes seems to set the boundaries for my days. I begin there, running water for coffee, feeding the kitties,..
