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

6/1/2026

Greetings Beloved Community,

This past week I was blessed to attend Salaam Center’s first Eid celebration. The Salaam Center, still in its early days, has hosted two events and invited the interfaith community to join.

The first was the end of Ramadan and the second was this past Wednesday early in the morning for prayer and celebration of Eid Al-Adha. There were two Imams present: a fellow who comes from Napa to support the Center when he can, and an elder Imam from the East Bay. The service was mostly in Arabic, with an English translation in the worship booklet. The crowd of about forty were younger than what we see on Sunday mornings, and there were half a dozen children doing what kids the world round do in worship services: they were calm and tolerant in the beginning and became progressively less so as the service waded deeper into the hour. The children were then allowed to go out onto the patio and enjoy being themselves.

Inside the Mosque, heads were covered and prayers were said. I felt a little like a protestant at a Catholic church, not sure when to sit down or stand up, when to put my head to the ground or return to sitting posture. People were kind as I followed along. I learned a few things for next time; no shoes are permitted inside, women sit in the back and are required to wear head coverings for prayer.

I was heartened to discover that despite the language and cultural differences, the core reason for gathering as a faith community was the same as it is for CSS and FCC. We gather together as communities of faith to express our gratitude for the great gifts and freedoms bestowed on us by the Holy One. We gather to affirm our commitment to being in right relationship with God and the world. We gather to renew our commitment to “remove every harm and hardship,” from our world, to restore the Kindom of God.

Here is the final prayer shared by siblings in faith;

“O Allah, bring harmony between the hearts of Your servants. Guide those who are lost, have mercy on the weak, mend the broken, feed the hungry, shelter the displaced, and heal the sick - O Lord of all the worlds.”

May all God’s people say AMEN.

With Love,
Curran
 

More from Curran...

Summer is a time to try new things and shift up the regular routine. As such we are looking toward modified office hours for our administrator Angela, and I will be shifting my focus from writing Grapevine articles to crafting the Saturday email you receive each week. You will find my Grapevine article only on the first Monday of the month throughout the summer months.

Looking forward to ripe peaches and walks in the park,

Curran