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Dear Friend,   Water – in the flood and in the baptism of Jesus and of Christ’s followers – is the striking image at heart of this first week in Lent. But, along with it comes God’s promise of restoration, of grace and of the united creation toward which God is working. In the Noah […]

Wednesday, February 17th Ash Wednesday Service @ 7pm Online A Service of Readings, Meditations, Ashes & Communion Drive thru at the Maple Parking Lot for  Ashes & Communion 5:00pm to 6:15pm Lent begins with dust and ashes. We start this time of intensive preparation for baptism or realigning our lives with the vows of the baptismal […]

Dear Friend,   Once again Epiphany closes with the Transfiguration of Jesus – the turning point, the final affirmation, before Jesus set his sights on Jerusalem and the coming confrontation and sacrifice. The challenge is for us to learn to recognize God’s glory – in Christ, but also in all people and all things. It […]

Dear Friend,   In our gospel reading, Jesus’ ministry includes healing and authoritative teaching. People come to Jesus and bring their loved ones to him out of hope, and because Jesus has compassion for the people. Jesus often healed by touching people-taking them by the hand, calling them to get up. This act of compassion […]

Dear Friend,   Fourth Sunday after Epiphany “The awe of God is the beginning of wisdom.” This is a phrase repeated throughout Wisdom literature, especially in Psalms and Proverbs. All too often, human beings like to reign in God, to claim to know how God works through our own human understanding. Jesus’ questions about the […]

Dear Friend,   We continue living through a tumultuous time. Who knows what is in store for us, and what is coming ahead in our Covid world? 2020 taught us that we can’t predict what is to come. But perhaps what we can do is listen for when Jesus is calling us. Listen to God, […]

Dear Friend,   It is Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday. We do well to remember not only Dr. King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech, but also his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” and countless other letters and sermons. Like Jesus in Luke 4, often “some” Christians want to hear what Dr. King had […]

Dear Friend,   Repentance simply means “to return.” To return to God, to turn back to God’s ways. This was the simple message of John the Baptizer, who probably came from the Essenes and took their particular understanding of the mikveh, the ritual cleansing bath practiced by many Jewish people, and used it as a […]

Dear Friend,   Epiphany can be thought of as embodying two journeys. The first is the new vision that the Gospels present of God’s grace and love being extended to all people, and not just those descended from Abraham. This inclusivity is radical, scandalous, and exciting, and offers a wonderful opportunity for celebration and welcome […]

Dear Friend,   Our Scripture passages show us that God’s promises can be trusted, even though we are still waiting for the fulfillment of all things. Our role is to continue revealing Christ to the world, continue to share the Good News of the promise of redemption and the hope of salvation through Jesus the […]