Rev. Dr. Curran Reichert, Pastor

The vision I have for our congregation is to be the church people would go to if they went to church. I want visitors to walk through the sanctuary doors and feel the authenticity from the moment they enter to the moment they leave. It is my experience over this past decade of service that the love this congregation has to share is palpable and trustworthy. We are a group of faithful seekers who wrestle together with some of life’s most important questions. We are the church of justice and joy, embodying God’s invitation to practice radical abundance.

Each week, on Sundays and throughout the week, we practice our faith in God and our indomitable hope that what we do can and does have an impact on the world around us. We at First Congregational Church Sonoma are committed to our neighbors and community. It is our vision that each one of us, in small and larger ways, is a living prayer and champion for right action in our beautiful and hurting world.

We hope you will come and see us soon.

Rev. Curran Reichert

Thoughts from the Pastor
Look for Rev. Curran's articles on the first Monday of the month

9/7/2026

And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground at our own feet, and learn to be at home.” (From The Unforeseen Wilderness)
Wendell Berry
 

Greetings, beloved community,

Entering the Season of Creation
Welcome to a new liturgical season: the Season of Creation. This relatively new addition to the Christian liturgical calendar began in Australia in the early 1980s and was soon embraced by the World Council of Churches. Throughout September, we turn our attention to the great gifts of the earth: fire, clean air, fresh water, and sacred land.

This Year’s Focus: Water
This year’s theme is water. As I write, we are being gifted with a second day of gentle rain. The fennel and sweet hay are fragrant, and the soil smells rich and dark. After the parched summer months, the earth gladly receives each light sprinkle.

Water, Technology, and Responsibility
We all need clean, safely managed water to survive. Yet the recent push to build more A.I. data centers is placing additional pressure on communities in the United States whose water resources are already stretched beyond capacity, contributing to both water stress and water scarcity.

A recent United Nations statement warned that A.I.’s environmental footprint is expanding rapidly. The concern is not only the technology’s greenhouse gas emissions, but also the pace at which it could strain the planet’s natural resources.

By 2030, data centers could consume 945 terawatt-hours of electricity annually—nearly triple the combined annual electricity use of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria, where more than 650 million people live. By the end of the decade, A.I.-related water consumption could equal the basic annual domestic water needs of 1.3 billion people.

Holding Water-Stressed Communities in Prayer
Because we have access to clean water, we may not always recognize the depth of the global water crisis. UNICEF has identified several countries and territories being hit especially hard. Please keep these communities in your thoughts and prayers:

Central African Republic

Chad

Sierra Leone

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ethiopia

Malawi

Niger

Afghanistan

Pakistan

Occupied Palestinian Territories

As this Season of Creation unfolds, may water become for us more than a theme. May it become a teacher: reminding us of our dependence on one another, our responsibility to the earth, and the grace that sustains all living things. In gratitude for each drop of rain and each source of clean water, may we choose practices of care, prayer, and advocacy that help all creation flourish.

With Love,
Curran