Posts with the tag “worship”

“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.” (Psalm 126)What does it look like to live as those who dream? The prophets, the psalmists, John the Baptist, Mary, Elizabeth, Joseph, Simeon, Anna, the shepherds, and the Magi—they were all dreamers. They received, discovered, and responded to God’s dreams for the world. In Advent and at Christmas, we step into the myster...  Read More

This week is the All Hallows Triduum of All Hallows Eve, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day. During this season we remember those people who have gone ahead of us into glory and the example of faith they set for us while they were alive. For the next three weeks, we will explore the marks of sainthood in worship:November 5: Clothing of the Saints (All Saints' Sunday)November 12: Stories of the Sa...  Read More

We all live somewhere. We all have neighbors and a neighborhood—whether we live in a rural, suburban, or urban context. I live in an apartment complex, which means I have neighbors above, below, and on either side of me!God is clear about how we should relate to the people and place right around us. In Jeremiah 29, God commands the Israelites to promote the common good of the city to where they ha...  Read More

Save the Date: Serve Sunday - July 30Mark your calendar for Serve Sunday on July 30! We will be worshiping that day with our hands and feet by serving our neighbors. After gathering at 10:00 am for a brief time of music and devotion, we will participate in short service projects that support several of our church's mission partners and ministries. Projects include:Organizing a clothing closet at C...  Read More

The summer is considered a season of Ordinary Time in the life of the Church—a season in between the mystifying resurrection of Jesus at Easter, and Jesus’ birth, visited anew, at Advent. The lectionary texts for these weeks follow the family narratives of Abraham, which are stories that make the title “ordinary” seem laughable. In these stories God keeps showing up—persistently, creatively, and l...  Read More

Pentecost is both an event in the life of the church and a season that lives out the implications of the event. Pentecost Sunday is when we shift from telling the story of Jesus, our Messiah and Savior, to telling the story of the church, the ones who choose to be disciples of Jesus the Christ. During this long season we call Ordinary Time, we remember the empowerment of the Pentecost event and th...  Read More

Messy Church is a monthly hands-on, family-friendly, all-ages worship service. At Messy Church we believe that God meets us in the mess! We practice the values of all-ages together, celebration, creativity, hospitality, and centering ourselves in Christ. Here's what you can expect at a Messy Church service:- Welcome- Hands-on activities- A short Bible story lesson- and a FREE community meal!Our Fe...  Read More

Today is the twelfth day of Christmas and the day before the Epiphany (January 6). In the Eastern Christian tradition (and all Christianity traces its roots to the ancient Near East), Epiphany Day is known as Theophany Day. A theophany is God's self-revelation. The burning bush that spoke to Moses was a theophany. So was the pillar of cloud and fire that led the Israelites out of Egypt, and the sh...  Read More

Dear Church,This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent and the beginning of a new year in the church calendar. Once more, in the midst of our holiday preparations and activities, we are invited to still our hearts and enter into the ancient story of God made flesh in the birth of Jesus Christ. The stories, scriptures, and traditions of the Christmas season have been passed down to us throughout the...  Read More

This Sunday we begin our fall worship series, Gifted for More. Every person is a gift from God with gifts to share! In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote that our gifts exist for the benefit of others rather than for only ourselves: “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ so that there should be no division in the body, b...  Read More

As of this week, I have been serving among you for ten weeks. Many of you have inquired how I have been settling in. Thank you for asking! My apartment is mostly unpacked, though I am always slow to get pictures hung on the walls. The same goes for my office. It takes time to learn the rhythms of a church, but because so many of those rhythms were interrupted by COVID and most of your church staff...  Read More

While the global church celebrates a new year in the church calendar at the beginning of every Advent, in Methodism we celebrate a second, unofficial new year at the beginning of July. This is when the appointment year turns over and local churches receive new pastors. My clergy colleagues and I joyfully wished each other a "Happy Methodist New Year" on July 1st as we entered into new ministry set...  Read More