Posts from 2025 (Page 2)

Introduction Last week, we began our series Standing on the Shoulders of Giants by hearing Jesus remind his disciples that even a small seed of faith can sustain a legacy. This week, we turn to stories that show how faith becomes whole when it is shared. In the Gospel of Luke, ten people are healed, but only one—a Samaritan—returns to give thanks. In the story of Ruth, loyalty and love weave an outsider into Israel’s story and turn loss into…

Introduction This Sunday begins our series Standing on the Shoulders of Giants, a time to honor the faith of those who carried us here. Their presence—showing up in worship, in service, and in prayer—built a community that continues today. In Sunday’s Gospel reading, the disciples face a crossroads of their own. Unsure if they have what it takes to follow, they plead, “Increase our faith!” Jesus answers that even faith as small as a mustard seed can change their entire…

Introduction We conclude our Call & Response series with trust. The movement of the past few weeks—through wonder, integrity, and lament—has not erased uncertainty, and hasn’t promised that life will feel easy or safe. What it has offered is a way to stay in relationship with the God who listens, speaks, and stays near. Psalm 91 gives us words to hold onto in times of risk and fear. Trust grows from this divine relationship, shaped by prayer and strengthened by…

Introduction We continue our Call & Response series having celebrated wonder and acknowledged the critical importance of integrity. Moving from last week’s essential question about whether or not our lives align with our faith, we turn to the honest expression of sorrow, grief, and lament. Sometimes this comes from the ways we fall short, and sometimes it’s focused on the pain we carry, the losses we’ve endured, and the suffering we see around us. Psalm 79 is a cry for…

Introduction We continue our Call & Response series with a question many of us ask without saying it out loud: does faith really shape how we live? Psalm 14 is frustrated with a world where people say one thing and do another, where words about God are easy but action is rare. It’s not aimed at outsiders. It’s a challenge for those who claim belief in a loving God, and yet live as if that makes no real difference. This…

Introduction As we begin our Call & Response series, we start with wonder. Something happens when we realize we are known—truly known—before we even have to explain ourselves. Psalm 139 draws us into that moment. It reminds us that our lives are not anonymous, nor are they forgotten. We come from love, we live within reach of the Divine, and every breath is known before we’re even aware of it. Wonder lives in the awareness that we are never alone…

Introduction We don’t always know what people mean when they say “love.” It can sound sentimental or vague—used to describe everything from relationships to favorite foods. But love, as the letter to the Hebrews describes it, is far more grounded. It shows up in how we treat strangers, how we care for those who suffer, how we share what we have, and how we hold one another with honor and compassion. As we conclude the Dearly Beloved sermon series, this…

Introduction There’s a strange comfort in the phrase, “a whole lot of shaking going on.” Whether it’s upheaval in our lives, anxiety in the news, or pressure under the surface—we know what it feels like when the ground seems unstable. We long for something solid. In this week’s message, we continue our Dearly Beloved series by turning to a passage that contrasts the fearful and untouchable with the present and unshakable. Hebrews offers a vision of worship that isn’t meant…

Introduction This week, we continue our Dearly Beloved series with a focus on faith—but not faith as an idea, a feeling, or a private belief. This passage reminds us that faith moves. It walks through danger. It endures shame. It builds community. And it keeps going, even when the road is long. Hebrews tells stories of people who acted even when the outcome was unclear. Some were victorious; others were crushed. What they shared wasn’t the result—it was the perseverance.…

Introduction This week we begin a new worship series called Dearly Beloved. The title comes from words we often hear at weddings or funerals—language that signals something sacred is about to happen. In this series, we’ll hear those words as a reminder of who we are: a community deeply loved by God and called to walk by faith, together. We begin with longing. Longing rises when life doesn’t match the hopes we carry. It’s the restlessness that keeps us searching—searching…

Introduction What grabs your attention these days? Maybe it’s the endless scroll of your phone, a packed calendar, the state of the world—or even just trying to make it through the week in one piece. It’s no surprise that Paul’s challenge to the Colossians—“Set your minds on things that are above”—feels radical, even idealistic. And  it’s exactly that reorientation of attention and intention that Paul sees as the heart of spiritual transformation. The scripture this week speaks of a death…