Thank you for a wonderful Dedication Sunday! It was good to see so many of you in worship, picking up lunches, and at the picnic. As our guest preacher, The Rev. Patrick McCoy, explained, commitment and love are deeply related. When we love God we give our lives to him,... read more →
Nov
15
Nov
08
I am always amazed when I hear stories of sacrifice—whether it is a parent who works three jobs to take care of their children, or soldiers who are willing to sacrifice their lives for our country, or Jesus' ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world. I find myself in... read more →
Nov
01
The Beatitudes offer a counterintuitive answer to the question of who is really living "the good life." Jesus lived out the Beatitudes perfectly, and the saints followed in his steps, giving of themselves with radical generosity. What is God calling you to give? How might you live more fully into... read more →
Oct
25
2020 has been a difficult year in countless ways. Giving thanks may not come naturally. Norman Rockwell painted Freedom from Want in 1943. It's a painting of a family gathered around the table at Thanksgiving. In 1943, we were at war, losing young men my son’s age. We were rationing. Yet people... read more →
Oct
18
Our world today feels like a very anxious place, driven in many ways by fear, which is almost always disastrous. Jesus tells his disciples that the world will not be easy on them. They will suffer and be persecuted for their faith. They will have to choose to live differently,... read more →
Oct
11
We are all invited to the joyous Feast of the Lord. When we are baptized, we say “yes” to the invitation to follow Jesus every day of our lives. But do we say yes daily? Do we get busy and not hear our invitation to pray? Do we hold on to self-righteous... read more →
Oct
04
Faith is one thing we never have to do perfectly. We don’t have to pray perfectly, serve perfectly, or follow God perfectly. To think otherwise is to deny that we are fallen creatures, that we sin, that we are dependent on Christ and his sacrifice. Christ’s death on the cross... read more →
Sep
27
I think you know what it's like to walk into church carrying the burdens of the world and leave with a deep peace in your heart. What an incredible blessing! But the peace of God isn't meant to be kept inside us. Look for the things in your life that... read more →
Sep
20
We've had to sacrifice a lot because of this pandemic. We've even had to sacrifice our usual way of celebrating Holy Communion. Jesus sacrificed his very self—his very own body and blood—to save us. We receive the sacrifice of Christ into our very selves in faith, with grateful hearts. One... read more →
Sep
13
Music gives us permission to let our hearts feel and even overflow. I realize that secular music can be just as cathartic as hymnody. The difference between them is that hymns are offered to God. All that sorrow, or despair, or relief when tied to a hymn, is a prayer.... read more →