Every Saturday on the Religion Page, faith leaders from our area weigh in on a topic of his or her own choosing. Their perspectives offer insights both theological and secular. As in ages past, some of our brightest minds are speaking from the pulpit. Following are some capsules from recent columns in the Faith Matters series.

■“We come from a long history of immigration” (July 6, 2019)

“Generous caring is meant to be established deep in the bones of God’s people. Part of the history of our own brand of Christian faith in the United States that built schools and established hospitals comes from the call to remember that we also have been immigrants. The care for the stranger and the outsider is part of our God-ordained history.”

— The Rev. Dr. Marcia Dorey, Halifax Union Society

■“Why are we talking about this in church?” (June 29, 2019)

“I believe that long before we begin to proclaim our opinions, it’s our business, first of all, to gather together to ask what God thinks. As absurd as that may sound, at least it separates us from our knee-jerk assumption that God thinks what we think.”

—The Rev. Allen (“Mick”) Comstock, Montague Center Congregational Church

■“Here is how prejudice works” (June 22, 2019)

“The opposite of social fragmentation is compassion. Compassion calls us to empathy for self and others. Compassion — in the measure we can manage it — brings us to acceptance of the good and bad in each and all. Compassion holds us, human and flawed, in an updraft of good will and possibility.”

—Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener, Temple Israel

■“Where is the Holy Spirit leading this congregation?”

“As postmodernism raises questions about doctrine, it also starts to shift the Church away from believing in doctrines toward living a particular way of life. For instance, the gospel tells us that we are leaders not by domination, but by serving one another. Or that the way to peace is not through weapons of violence and destruction, but by sharing the bread and the cup. Or that we measure wealth not by how much we have, but by how much we give away.”

—The Rev. Quentin Chin, Trinitarian Congregational Church of Northfield

■“Community is the answer” (June 1, 2019)

“Community is the antidote to the isolation and loneliness so many experience in our digital age. Physically coming together — for whatever reason — is effective. We are changed by the experience and our tank of hope gets filled up again.”

—The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher, IX Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts

■“Making new music for our time” (May 25, 2019)

“My mission is to make a new music for our time. I don’t know what to call it, but what I want is everyone’s involvement, singing together, raising up the issues that are critical to our morality and to sustainability on this little Earth. That’s my spirituality that I try to put in my music and my life.”

—Jim Scott, composer and UU speaker

■“Joining hands in Ashfield” (May 18, 2019)

“We, the members and friends of St. John’s Episcopal Church and the First Congregational Church of Ashfield, resolve to grow in love and deepen our shared commitment to the Gospel. We will explore opportunities for more collaboration between our two congregations.”

—The Rev. Vicki IX and Annie Cheatham

■“Living that good, right life” (Dec. 8, 2018)

“Because life is finite, is it not also wise to always attempt to do the best we can, knowing fully that sometimes our best will be better than at other times? Then, when death does come, will we not have fewer regrets because of our attempt to make the most of the opportunity in this life to learn and to live and to love?”

—David James, former Religion Page columnist